Last Updated: June 5, 2024 : : please view the page -->
Buff Skills should have an alternate version or alternate cast type. I had a new Idea after playing Warframe, where tap or hold determine cast, not slotted skill.
So, here's Mk2.
(12/02/2024)
Tap to normal/burst cast, Hold to activate toggle mode. While toggle is on, Tap will cast and end toggle, Hold will just end toggle for free. Some have special variants.
This may be useful for other abilities too.
Buffs: Toggle grants the buffs persistently until death, or silence if magical ability, or run out of resources.
DPS/DOT: DOT abilities gain a toggle that has reduced range, scans once per second, and if target lacks the DoT it auto casts on them. This smart system would also help maintain DoT in hoards, as half the time users tend to hit the same target again when they intended to hit the target behind their target.
Costs drawn from ESO-Hub.com, as are pretty much all effects, save for my suggestions.
Toggle Costs are generally determined the the maintained effects duration and the cost, normally cost divided by duration. Most abilities are less than 10% cost per tick, some are less, short abilities are more. Cost reduction enchantments and effects don't directly apply to toggle costs, rather to the burst cost and then toggle is thus effected by the reduced burst cost.
Cost divided by duration, times duration between ticks.
Potential Abilities
Buffs
Classes
Nightblade
Shadow Cloak
Base
Old be tap, with the new bonus
Cost 4050 Magicka
3 second duration.
Invisibility.
Gain Born from Shadow for 10 seconds.
Procs Shadow Barrier
Hold
Cost (current) every 2 seconds
Toggle.
Invisibility.
Gain Born from Shadow for 10 seconds on activation, and on end.
While moving magicka recovery is disabled, and while stationary the cost is halved.
Extra expansion: with at least 1 point in Shadow Barrier, grants Major Resolve while active, or refreshes Shadow Barrier each tick
Tap to cast durational, Hold to end for free
While slotted on either bar, gain Major Prophecy and Major Savagery
Shadowy Disguise
Old be tap, with the new bonus
Cost 3692? Magicka
3 second duration.
Invisibility.
Gain Born from Shadow for 10 seconds.
Your next direct damage attack within 3 seconds will be a guaranteed critical strike. This effect is bolstered by Dark Veil.
Procs Shadow Barrier
Hold
Cost (current) every 2 seconds
Toggle.
Invisibility.
Gain Born from Shadow for 10 seconds on activation, and on end.
While moving magicka recovery is disabled, and while stationary the cost is halved.
Your next direct damage attack will be a guaranteed critical strike.
Extra expansion: with at least 1 point in Shadow Barrier, grants Major Resolve while active, or refreshes Shadow Barrier each tick
Tap to cast durational, Hold to end for free
While slotted on either bar, gain Major Prophecy and Major Savagery
Dark Cloak
While slotted on either bar, gain Minor Protection.
Tap:
Cost 4050 Magicka
Heal for 853 every second for 3 seconds, increasing by 150% while stationary, scaling off Max Health. This effect is bolstered by Dark Veil.
Mine heals over 3k per tick on average btw, not like that's very effective in PvP though. Then again that's mostly while stationary too so...
Procs Shadow Barrier
Hold:
Cost: 1350 Magicka per second
Toggle
Heal for 853 every second, increasing by 150% while stationary, scaling off Max Health.
Extra expansion: with at least 1 point in Shadow Barrier, grants Major Resolve while active, or refreshes Shadow Barrier each tick
Tap to cast durational, Hold to end for free
Blur
Base
Tap (current)
Cast type instant durational
Cost 3780
Duration 20
Gain Major Evasion, and While active, taking direct damage reduces the cost of your next Roll Dodge by 10%, up to a maximum of 100%. This effect can stack up to once every half second.
Procs Shadow Barrier
Hold
Cast type toggle
Cost 378 every 2 seconds
Gain Major Evasion, and While active, taking direct damage reduces the cost of your next Roll Dodge by 10%, up to a maximum of 100%. This effect can stack up to once every half second.
Extra expansion: with at least 1 point in Shadow Barrier, grants Major Resolve while active, or refreshes Shadow Barrier each tick
Tap to cast durational, Hold to end for free
Mirage
Tap (current)
Cast type instant durational
Cost 3510
Duration 20
Gain Major Evasion and Minor Resolve, and While active, taking direct damage reduces the cost of your next Roll Dodge by 10%, up to a maximum of 100%. This effect can stack up to once every half second.
Procs Shadow Barrier
Hold
Cast type toggle
Cost 351 every 2 seconds
Gain Major Evasion and Minor Resolve, and While active, taking direct damage reduces the cost of your next Roll Dodge by 10%, up to a maximum of 100%. This effect can stack up to once every half second.
Extra expansion: with at least 1 point in Shadow Barrier, grants Major Resolve while active, or refreshes Shadow Barrier each tick
Tap to cast durational, Hold to end for free
Phantasmal Escape
Tap (current)
Cast type instant durational
Cost 3780
Duration 20
Gain Major Evasion, and While active, taking direct damage reduces the cost of your next Roll Dodge by 10%, up to a maximum of 100%. This effect can stack up to once every half second. Activating this ability removes all snares and immobilizations and grants immunity to them for 4 seconds.
Procs Shadow Barrier
Hold
Cast type toggle
Cost 378 every 2 seconds, may have a small burst cost around 756-1200 due to the snare cleanse and immunity part
Gain Major Evasion, and While active, taking direct damage reduces the cost of your next Roll Dodge by 10%, up to a maximum of 100%. This effect can stack up to once every half second. Activating this ability removes all snares and immobilizations and grants immunity to them for 4 seconds.
Extra expansion: with at least 1 point in Shadow Barrier, grants Major Resolve while active, or refreshes Shadow Barrier each tick
Tap to cast durational, Hold to end for free
Summon Shade
Base
Tap (current)
Cost: 2970
Duration: 20 seconds
Procs Shadow Barrier
Hold
Cost: 297 every 2 seconds
Tap to cast durational, Hold to end for free
Extra expansion: with at least 1 point in Shadow Barrier, grants Major Resolve while active, or refreshes Shadow Barrier each tick
Dark Shade
Tap (current)
Cost: 2970
Duration: 20 seconds
Procs Shadow Barrier
Hold
Cost: 297 every 2 seconds
Tap to cast durational, Hold to end for free
Extra expansion: with at least 1 point in Shadow Barrier, grants Major Resolve while active, or refreshes Shadow Barrier each tick
Shadow Image
Tap (current)
Cost: 3780
Duration: 20 seconds
Procs Shadow Barrier
Hold
Cost: 378 every 2 seconds
Tap to teleport and make durational, Hold to end for free without teleport
Extra expansion: with at least 1 point in Shadow Barrier, grants Major Resolve while active, or refreshes Shadow Barrier each tick
Dragonknight
Spiked Armor
Tap: Cast
Hold: Cost every 2 seconds and maintains effect. Volatile Armor either applies and refreshes DoT every tick to enemies in the radius, or changes to an Aura for the toggle version while the normal cast keeps DoT effect.
Dragon Blood
Tap: Cast
Hold: Cost every 2 seconds to maintain the buffs, but doesn't heal, or does it? Green Dragon Blood maintains the healing per second while active, whether or not it includes the percentile healing.
Protective Scale
Tap: Cast
Hold: Cost every 2 seconds to maintain effect
Due to the minor duration difference between tap cast effects in Protective Plate, it will have a higher per tick cost but will maintain the immunity to snares and immobilizations while active.
Inferno/Cauterize
Tap: Cast
Hold: Cost every 5 seconds to maintain effect, Cauterize every 3 seconds instead, matching their bursts. All have a 15 second timer, so the two will be 1/3rd price per tick and Cauterize 1/5th price per tick.
Molten Weapons
Tap: Cast
Hold: Cost every 2 seconds to maintain effect
Sorcerer
Lightning Form
Tap casts as normal
Hold will cost every 2 seconds to maintain the effect (damage aura and Major Resolve)
Hurricane under maintain, after 14 seconds or so it reaches max radius and damage and doesn't reset unlike Tap version, and it does maintain Minor Expedition throughout.
Boundless Storm has a burst cost that grants a moment of Major Expedition, but it doesn't maintain it. Or, it just has a higher tick cost that allows it to maintain Major Expedition, who knows...
Surge
Tap: Cast
Hold: Cost every 2 seconds to maintain
Bound Armor
Tap: Force Cast
Hold: Autocasts while bracing when it is about to run out (0.5 seconds or less determined by settings).
Bound Armaments
Tap: Force Cast, for use when toggled off
Hold: Autocasts upon summoning bound armament
Dark Exchange
Tap: force cast
Hold: After the cast time, maintains cost per second or every 2 seconds to grant the restoration over time and buffs.
Maintaining also grants an aura that applies Exploitation (Minor Prophecy) to self and group members in the Aura
May proc Blood Magic each tick or once every few ticks.
Persistence does not apply to toggle abilities.
Templar
Sun Shield
Tap: Burst cast
Hold: Regenerating Damage Shield that has a damage aura that improves the regen and can temporarily boost its capacity. It cannot regen for 6 seconds after being broken and does not emit a damage aura. Or does it disable?
Blazing Shield
Tap: Burst cast
Hold: Instead of damage aura and disabling of shield regen, it deals damage any time it is cracked, which can be once every 2 seconds due to regen ticks, and it deals damage in proportion to damage absorbed, which honestly isn't much unless the attackers are so weak they can hardly damage the shield. Though with how weak it is, it seems like even a Mudcrab would crack it quite often.
Either morph procs Spear Wall, granting Minor Protection for 3-6 seconds depending on rank. Each tick of the toggle version refreshes it.
When either form deals damage, it applies Major Maim to the target(s) for 10 seconds.
Solar Flare
Solar Barrage Morph Only
Tap: Burst cast
Hold: Toggle, cost every 2 seconds to maintain
Refreshes Illuminate every tick, or grants a Minor Sorcery aura while active if you have a point in Illuminate.
Eclipse
Living Dark Morph Only
Tap: Burst cast
Hold: Toggle, cost every 2 second to maintain
Refreshes Illuminate every tick, or grants a Minor Sorcery aura while active if you have a point in Illuminate.
Restoring Aura and its Radiant Aura morph
Tap: burst durational effect
Hold: toggle an aura that allows allies in the area to share in your buffs (Minor Fortitude, Endurance, and Intellect) but doesn't give them a duration, so as soon as it is turned off or the ally exits your aura, they lose the buffs.
The base ability has no cost. But, perhaps the aura can be seen? Why else would they want to turn it off, particularly in PvP zones.
Repentance:
Tap: Burst consume
Hold: While active, nearby fallen enemies are automatically consumed, er "consecrated," when they fall near you. This does not apply to corpses you walk up on, only ones that perish while in your radius. Leaves a reason for burst. Toggling off also allows for the option to let them pile up for a massive burst, as can already be done.
Warden
Scorch
While active, can hold the ability to toggle the maintaining of its secondary burst repeatedly rather than just once. For Scorch and Deep Fissure, that means once every 6 seconds, for Subterranean Assault that means once every 3 seconds. Each blast procs Bond with Nature passive.
Betty Netch
Tap: summon durational
Hold: summon toggle
Falcon's Swiftness
Tap: Burst cast, 4 seconds snare and immobilization immunity, 6 seconds Major Expedition
Hold: Toggle, bases off snare duration and therefore is more costly over time than just expedition. While active, grants snare and immobilization immunity and Major Expedition.
Morphs grant their respective slotting buff while slotted. Bird of Prey granting Minor Berserk, Deceptive Predator granting Minor Evasion.
Living Vines
Tap: Apply durational to target, or self it no target. Does not disable toggle.
Hold: Toggle on self, cost per second and heal per second. Leeching Vines applies Minor Lifesteal to enemies, Living Trellis heals additionally every 10th tick and on end after 3 ticks.
Lotus Flower
Tap: durational cast
Hold: Toggle cast, once every 2 seconds to maintain.
Lotus Blossom has negligible cost per tick.
Green Lotus is better for healer.
Sleet Storm
Tap: full ultimate depletion and durational effect
Hold: Ultimate depletes similarly to Overload heavy attack, cannot generate Ultimate while this version is active. Can toggle off to save ultimate at where it's at and start generating Ult again.
Frost Cloak
Tap: Durational Cast
Hold: Toggle, low cost every 2 seconds to maintain
Arctic Wind
Burst Heal, Hold while active to cause it to maintain the heal over time.
Arctic Blast is a damage aura instead of heal over time.Â
Polar Wind will also heal one ally nearby with every tick.
Crystallized Shield
Tap: Burst cast
Hold: Every 2 seconds summons 1 shield for 3 seconds, stacking up to 3 times. One third cost every 2 seconds.
Deathkeeper ("Necromancer")
Reanimate
Tap: Normal Cast
Hold: If this effect isn't granted passively, Holding will cast it on self and will resurrect self and allies nearby if user dies while under its effect, otherwise raising the dead around user when timer expires.
Spirit Mender
Tap: Durational Summon. Hold to convert timer into toggle.
Hold: Cost every 2 seconds to maintain. Ends if the mender is killed. Hold to unsummon.
Bone Armor
Tap: Durational Cast
Hold: Toggle, cost every 2 seconds to maintain.
Bone Totem
Tap: Summon an immobile totem for a duration
Hold: While slotted and toggled on, carry the totem like a banner on your back, incurring a cost every 2 seconds to maintain.
Skeletal Mage
Tap: Durational Summon. Hold to convert timer into toggle.
Hold: Cost every 2 seconds to maintain. Ends if the mage (or variant) is killed. Hold to unsummon.
Arcanist
Abyssal Impact
Tap: Cast
Hold: Light and Heavy attacks occur a little cost to apply Abyssal Ink to enemies. This can remain active when casting base ability.
Tome Bearer's Inspiration
Tap: Durational
Hold: Toggle, cost every 5 seconds to maintain, matching the rune empowerment ticks.
Runespite Ward:
Is a parry, thus this does not apply to it.
Fatewoven Armor
Tap: DurationalÂ
Hold: Toggle, cost every 2 seconds to maintain.
Runic Defense
Tap: Durational
Hold: Toggle, cost every 2 seconds to maintain. Minor Protection from this ability is restored 10 seconds after it is consumed by this ability.
Runeguard of Still Waters: After 1 second after activation, and every 10th second active, this ability tries to immobilize nearby enemies.
Weapons and Armor
Armor
Unstoppable
Tap: Durational/Burst
The only way to gain immunity to knockback and disabling effects on cast. Unless the snare alone is balance enough to allow for toggle to have the immunity. Otherwise, toggles that don't have the immunity should also not have the snare, except for Immovable while bracing...
Hold: Toggle, cost every 2 seconds to maintain
Base: Toggle version doesn't grant immunity to knockback and disabling effects.
Immovable: The snare increase doesn't apply unless you are blocking/bracing. Instead of gaining the immunity on cast, gain it when you block an attack.
Unstoppable Brute: Instead of gaining the immunity on cast, gain it when you Break Free.
Or, grants the immunity regardless because the snare is given regardless...
Annulment
Tap: Durational/Burst
Hold: Toggle
Regenerative Damage Shield, costing and regenerating every two seconds at one third effect, stacking up to full efficiency.
Harness Magicka morph restores magicka once per tick instead of 3 times per cast
Evasion
Tap: Durational
Hold: Toggle
Cost every 2 seconds to maintain
Elude: When you take area damage, you gain Major Expedition. Each piece of Medium Armor worn increases the duration of this ability.
Shuffle: Each piece of Medium Armor worn removes and grants immunity to snares and immobilizations. This effect occurs when you roll dodge while under the effect of a snare or immobilization while this ability is active.
Dual Wield
Blade Cloak
Tap: Burst
Hold: Toggle, Cost every 2 seconds matching with damage pulse timing, Major Evasion
Quick Cloak: Burst of Major Expedition on initiation, or has higher channel cost to persist Major Expedition
Deadly Cloak: more damage
Two Handed
Momentum
Tap: Cast
Hold: Toggle. Costs stamina every 2 seconds to maintain. Tap to toggle off and cast the durational version.
Forward Momentum: Initial cast costs 4 times more than 1 tick, and grants 4 seconds of immunity to snares and immobilizations.
One hand and Shield
Defensive Posture
Tap: Burst
Hold: Regenerating Damage Shield, 1/3rd cost and restore every 2 seconds, duration after a tick is 6 seconds and refreshes each tick. Once per tick it reflects a projectile, or if is Absorb Missile causes you to heal when struck by a projectile instead of reflecting it.
Bow
Poison Arrow
Tap: Cast
Hold: Toggleable effect. Light and Heavy attacks consume some stamina to apply and refresh the DoT from Poison Arrow to targets. This can remain active when casting base ability.
Cost about half the ability's cost.
Venom Arrow does not grant self buffs this way, only through main casting, nor does it interrupt as toggled, only through casting.
Destruction Staff
Weakness to Elements
Tap: Cast
Hold: applies it to a random enemy in your vision cone every second or so, as long as you aren't casting anything else or channeling something like Meditate. Can force application animations and skill cooldowns.
Else, Nothing applicable in Destro Staff as buff thing.
Alternatively, it (hold) could be like the Undaunted Blood Fount, but centered on the user, or like the Seducer necklace mythic, where while active enemies in the radius are affected, but it's non-durational and is immediately removed if they get out of the area or kill the caster.
Well... there is one, but it's very specific...
Impulse
Frost Impulse or Frost Pulsar
Tap: Cast
While the Minor Protection from this is active, Hold to toggle on to maintain a Minor Protection Aura around you. Persists through casting the ability. Hold to toggle off. While on, costs magicka every 2 seconds to maintain.
Restoration Staff
Steadfast Ward
Tap: Cast
Hold: Regenerating Damage Shield, 1/3rd cost and restore every 2 seconds, lasts 6 seconds.
Force Siphon
Tap: Targeted Durational Cast
Hold: Generate an Aura that inflicts enemies with non-durational debuffs, similar to Undaunted Blood Fount.
Base: Minor Lifesteal
Siphon Spirit: also Minor Magickasteal
Swift Siphon: allies who strike an affected enemy gain Minor Expedition for 4 seconds.
Guild
Mages
Magelight
Tap: Cast
Hold: Toggle. Costs every 2 seconds to maintain.
The duration increaser passive will thus decrease the channel cost.
Fighters
Expert Hunter
Tap: Cast
Hold: Toggle. Costs every 2 seconds to maintain.
Undaunted
Blood Altar
Tap: Place the altar. Allies can use the synergy.
Hold: Become the altar, or carry something similar on your back like a banner. Once every 30 seconds, allies can use the synergy to heal themselves. Costs health every 2 seconds to maintain.
Bone Shield
Tap: Burst cast
Hold: Toggle. Regenerating Damage Shield. 1/3rd cost for 1/3rd restore every 2 seconds up to full capacity, refreshing 6 second duration. Allies can use the synergy once every 6 seconds.
Psijic
Imbue Weapon
Tap: Cast
Hold: Toggle. Light attacks deal extra damage and cost resources, but also gain a cooldown akin to Force Shock. This cooldown cannot be reduced by Blood Moon set. The extra damage also applies respective status effects or debuffs according to morph acquired.
World and Curses
Werewolf
Hircine's Bounty
Tap: Cast
Hold: Unavailable until morphed. After casting, Hold to maintain the buffs at a minor cost every 2 seconds. Casting will not cancel the toggle.
Roar
Tap: Cast
Hold: At a minor cost every 2 seconds, you hold a terrifying demeanor. Nearby enemies are afflicted with Terrified while they remain near you or you live. It doesn't disable them, just lets your Howl do bonus damage. You can cast Roar without the toggle getting disabled, but it won't apply durational debuffs while the toggle is active, just the fear and off balance.
Deafening Roar doesn't apply terrified, but instead applies Major Breach and Minor Maim.
Ferocious Roar increases the speed of your heavy attacks while the toggle persists.
Vampire
Mist Form
Base
Tap: Cast
Hold: Recast every 1 second to maintain effect (waste of magicka)
Blood Mist
Tap: Cast
Hold: Recast every 1 second to maintain evasion effect (waste of magicka)
Hold while under blood mist aura buff: Maintain the blood mist without the evasive portion. Nowhere near as costly.
Elusive Mist
Tap: Cast
Hold: Recast every 1 second to maintain evasion effect (waste of magicka)
Hold while under the Major Expedition and Major Evasion from this skill: Quarter cost once every 2 seconds to maintain Major Expedition and Major Evasion.
Soul Magic
None
Cyrodiil
Assault
Rapid Maneuver
Tap: Cast
Hold: Quarter cost every 2 seconds to maintain toggle.
Vigor
Tap: Cast
Hold: Fifth cost every 2 seconds to maintain aura.
Resolving Vigor: Fifth cost every second to maintain healing and Minor Resolve. Potentially 1/10th cost every 2 seconds to maintain only Minor Resolve. Could be a version choice.
Echoing Vigor: 1/8th cost every 2 seconds to maintain aura. May scale to 1/10th cost depending on its max rank duration.
Support
Siege Shield
Tap: Cast dome
Hold: Maintain an aura, or constantly replace dome on your location once every 2 seconds lasting 2 seconds. Casting Siege Shield disables toggle.
DoTs (HoTs?)
Classes
Nightblade
Mark Target
The Change
Tap: Casts on target for intended duration
Hold: Light and heavy attacks mark the initial target of their attack, note this means if you accidentally strike a different target before the previous one dies you miss out out the full heal. This does not apply to Mend Wounds as you cannot mark allies.
Cripple
Tap: Cast on target.
Hold: Occasionally auto casts on targets not under the effect of your Cripple, but has less range. This can hurt magicka and can force untimely animations or skill cooldowns, but will maintain DoT on enemies in range.
Dragonknight
Searing Strike
Tap: Cast on target.
Hold: Occasionally auto casts on targets not under the effect of your Searing Strike, but has less range. This can hurt magicka/stamina and can force untimely animations or skill cooldowns, but will maintain DoT on enemies in range.
Fiery Breath
Tap: Cast on target.
Hold: Occasionally auto casts on targets not under the effect of your Fiery Breath, but has less range. This can hurt magicka/stamina and can force untimely animations or skill cooldowns, but will maintain DoT on enemies in range.
Sorcerer
Mage's Fury
Tap: normal Cast
Hold: light and heavy attacks against a low health target cost magicka and apply Mages Fury to the target, useful for people who can't weave or who have it on backbar if it doesn't need to be double barred to work like this. Still incurs cost and cooldown. Using a set like Blood Moon, people may see their attacks aren't proccing the Mages Fury on each hit because of skill cooldowns.
Daedric Curse
Tap: force cast
Hold: toggle autocasting. If no target or corpse is under the curse's effect, curses a random target in melee range, prioritizing your target if in range.
Templar
Sun Fire
Tap: Force Cast
Hold: Toggle. While active, once per second, will auto cast (consuming magicka) on a target within half range, within field of view.
Warden
Swarm
Tap: Force Cast
Hold: Toggle Autocasting
Deathkeeper ("Necromancer")
None
Arcanist
None
Weapons and Armor
Armor
None
Dual Wield
Twin Slashes
Tap: Cast
Hold: Toggle that causes light and heavy attacks to cost some stamina to apply the Twin Slashes bleed effect to targets, or refresh it if they already have it. This can persist even when casting Twin Slashes.
Two Handed
None
One hand and Shield
None
Bow
Poison Arrow
Tap: Cast
Hold: Toggle that causes light and heavy attacks to cost some stamina to apply the Poison Arrow poison effect to targets, or refresh it if they already have it. This can persist even when casting Poison Arrow.
Destruction Staff
Destructive Touch
Tap: Cast
Hold: Toggle that causes light and heavy attacks to cost some Magicka to apply the Destructive Touch DoT effect to targets, or refresh it if they already have it. This can persist even when casting Destructive Touch. With Destructive Clench, you get a lot more out of just casting it than this way.
Restoration Staff
Regeneration
Tap: Cast
Hold: Autocast capability, disables on barswap
Guild
Mages
Entropy
Tap: Cast
Hold: Auto casts once per second on an unaffected enemy, or one with little duration remaining on the effect.
Fighters
None
Undaunted
Inner Fire?
Tap: Cast
Hold: Auto taunts the toughest target when they need to be taunted. Occasionally auto casts on enemies attacking your allies, once per second tops.
Psijic
None
World and Curses
Werewolf
Infectious Claws
Tap: Cast
Hold: Auto casts when there is an unaffected enemy in the cone.
Vampire
None
Soul Magic
Soul Trap
Tap: Cast
Hold: Autocasts on unaffected targets and on those whom it is about to expire on.
Cyrodiil
Assault
Magicka Detonation
Tap: Cast
Hold: Autocasts on enemies who aren't already afflicted with a bomb, or autorecasts on yourself whenever your bomb explodes if you have that morph.
Support
None