Exploiting "Health Leech: Whenever Used" enchantment?

[mikeprichard]

Can this enchantment be safely applied with no negative consequences to a piece of armor with enchantment(s) that will never need to be actively "used" - e.g. "Cast When Held" or other passive enchantments? Or does the game still find a way to apply this health leech disadvantage even in these cases, and if so, how does this occur?

[Interkarma]

At this time it has to be active use, such as on use casting or striking with a weapon. To my knowledge it's the same in classic and can be exploited by enchanting a piece of armour with no active use mechanic to trigger the leech effect.

[mikeprichard]

Well, that's pretty huge... thanks!

[mikeprichard]

I may be the only old gamer who didn't remember this from classic, but I tested this further in both classic and DFU, and it's indeed possible to make insanely overpowered enchanted items by exploiting the "Health Leech: Whenever Used" enchantment (which adds 4000 available enchantment points) on armor, clothes, and miscellaneous items that are to be enchanted with any advantageous effect other than those in the "Cast When Used" category. These items will benefit from the hugely increased enchantment point pool, while never actually applying the "Health Leech" effect (as the items will never need to be actively "used"). I accordingly added notes and a "tip" to the classic wiki page at https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Daggerfall:Enchanting_Items, for those who want truly munchkin god-like PCs.