Feather in Oblivion is an Alteration spell effect that temporarily reduces the weight of the items you are currently carrying, effectively lowering your current encumbrance rather than increasing your maximum carrying capacity. This means it makes your existing inventory weigh less, allowing you to carry more items without becoming over-encumbered
. Key points about Feather:
- It decreases your current encumbrance by a certain magnitude (M) for a duration (D), making your carried items weigh less for that time
- The effect stacks if you cast multiple Feather spells with different names, allowing a larger total reduction in weight
- Feather cannot reduce your encumbrance below zero; if the spell's magnitude exceeds your current carried weight, the extra effect is wasted and does not increase your capacity further
- Because Feather reduces the weight of items you already carry, casting it before picking up loot is ineffective. It's best used after you are already carrying heavy items
- Feather also increases your running speed by reducing your worn equipment weight, potentially making you run up to 67% faster if you wear heavy gear
- Unlike Fortify Strength, which genuinely increases your maximum carry capacity, Feather only lowers the weight of what you have on you, so it does not increase your absolute maximum encumbrance
In summary, Feather makes your carried items effectively lighter temporarily, enabling you to carry more without increasing your character's actual maximum carrying limit. It is best used strategically when you are already burdened with heavy items
