Skyrim Magic: A Basic Guide

One of the exciting things about Skyrim is the ability to cast magic spells, regardless of the type of character you play. Want to play a fighter or a thief? No worries — Skyrim magic is right at your fingertips. Unlike other RPGs, the ability to use magic isn’t limited by the class of your character build. This open-ended character system adds interest to the game, and really allows players to craft a unique character to their liking.

Note: to learn what races make the best Skyrim magic users, checkout our previous article The Best Skyrim Character: Warrior, Thief, Or Mage.

Skyrim Magic

The ability to cast Skyrim magic is based on a character’s Magicka level. Magicka is one of three basic resource pools in the game (the other two being Health and Stamina). In essence, Magicka is the energy used to cast spells. Your character’s race determines your starting Magicka, and this resource can be increased as your character levels up. The higher your character’s Magicka level, the more Skyrim magic you can cast. As your Magicka level increases you’ll also be able to cast more powerful spells in the game.

Magicka is drained as spells are cast. The higher the spell level, the more quickly Magicka is drained. Magicka can be replenished a number of ways:

Waiting
Drinking special potions
Eating special food (for example, a home cooked meal prepared by your spouse).
Sleeping
Fast traveling to a different location
Leveling up

The rate at which Magicka is replenished can be increased by wearing special armor or apparel bearing the Fortify Magicka enchantment. These Skyrim magic items can either be found as treasure throughout the game, purchased from merchants, or crafted at an arcane enchanter.

Skyrim Spells

In Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, players had the ability to create their own magic spells. Spell creation is no longer possible in Skyrim however, and there are a set number of spells available to learn in the game (96 spells to be exact). Skyrim magic spells fall under one of the five schools:

Alteration
Conjuration
Destruction
Illusion
Restoration

In addition, every Skyrim magic spell has a specific difficulty level. You’ll need sufficient Magicka in order to cast higher level spells. The spell difficulty levels are as follows:

Novice (skill level: 0)
Apprentice (skill level: 25)
Adept (skill level: 50)
Expert (skill level: 75)
Master (skill level: 100)

Spells can be learned by reading special books called Spell Tomes (purchased from merchants, mages, or found as treasure). More powerful, higher level Spell Tomes won’t be available for purchase until your character’s skill level is at or near the required difficulty level (for example, the Expert level spell Wall of Storms cannot be obtained until your character’s Destruction skill level is around 75). Skyrim’s system of learning spells helps keep the game balanced, and provides incentive for players to increase their character’s skills. Striving to improve your character in Skyrim’s open ended progression system makes the game challenging and addicting.

Please refer to the tables below for a definitive list of all Skyrim magic spells available in the game:

Alteration Spells

Spell Name	Spell Level	Comments
Candlelight	Novice	Creates ball of light for 60 seconds
Equilibrium	Novice	Converts 25 health points into 25 mana points per second
Oakflesh	Novice	Increases armor rating by 40 points for 60 seconds
Magelight	Apprentice	Creates stationary ball of light for 60 seconds
Stoneflesh	Apprentice	Increases armor rating by 60 points for 60 seconds
Detect Life	Adept	See living creatures through walls
Ironflesh	Adept	Increases armor rating by 80 points for 60 seconds
Telekinesis	Adept	Pull an object to you from a distance
Transmutation	Adept	Change iron ore to silver or silver ore to gold
Waterbreathing	Adept	Breathe underwater for 60 seconds
Detect Undead	Expert	Detect undead through walls
Ebonyflesh	Expert	Increases armor rating by 100 points for 60 seconds
Paralyze	Expert	Paralyze opponents in affected area for 10 seconds.
Dragonhide	Master	Ignore 80% of received physical damage
Mass Paralysis	Master	Paralyze all opponents in affected area for 15 seconds

Conjuration Spells

Spell Name	Spell Level	Comments
Bound Sword	Novice	Creates a magic sword for 120 seconds
Conjure Familiar	Novice	Summons a familiar for 60 seconds
Raise Zombie	Novice	Reanimates a dead body (level 6 or lower) to fight alongside you for 60 seconds
Summon Unbound Dremora	Novice	Summons an unbound dremora for 999 seconds
Bound Battleaxe	Apprentice	Creates a magic battleaxe for 120 seconds
Conjure Fire Atronach	Apprentice	Summons a fire atronach for 60 seconds
Flaming Familiar	Apprentice	Summons a flaming familiar
Reanimate Corpse	Apprentice	Reanimates a dead body (level 13 or lower) to fight alongside you for 60 seconds
Soul Trap	Apprentice	Fills a soul gem if enemy dies in less than 60 seconds
Summon Arniel’s Shade	Apprentice	Summons Arniel’s shade for 60 seconds
Banish Daedra	Adept	Banishes Daedra (level 15 or lower) to Oblivion
Bound Bow	Adept	Creates a magical bow for 120 seconds
Conjure Frost Atronach	Adept	Summons a Frost Atronach for 60 seconds
Revenant	Adept	Reanimates a dead body (level 21 or lower) to fight alongside you for 60 seconds
Command Daedra	Expert	Control Daedra (level 20 or lower)
Conjure Dremora Lord	Expert	Summon a Dremora lord for 60 seconds
Conjure Storm Atronach	Expert	Summon a Storm Atronach for 60 seconds
Dread Zombie	Expert	Reanimates a dead body (level 30 or lower) to fight alongside you for 60 seconds
Expel Daedra	Expert	Banishes Daedra (level 20 or lower) to Oblivion
Dead Thrall	Master	Reanimates a dead body (level 40 or lower) to fight alongside you permanently
Flame Thrall	Master	Summons a Flame Atronach permanently
Frost Thrall	Master	Summons a Frost Atronach permanently
Storm Thrall	Master	Summons a Storm Atronach permanently

Destruction Spells

Spell Name	Spell Level	Comments
Arniel’s Convection	Novice	Deals 1 fire damage per second (targets on fire take extra damage)
Flames	Novice	Fire blast that does 8 points of damage per second (targets on fire take extra damage)
Frostbite	Novice	Frost blast that does 8 points of damage per second to Health and Stamina
Sparks	Novice	Lightening blast that does 8 points of damage per second to Health and Magicka
Vampiric Drain	Novice	Absorbs the target’s health points
Fire Rune	Apprentice	A magical rune that explodes for 50 points of damage if activated by enemies
Firebolt	Apprentice	Fire blast that does 25 points of damage per second (targets on fire take extra damage)
Frost Rune	Apprentice	A magical rune that explodes for 50 points of damage if activated by enemies
Ice Spike	Apprentice	Ice spike that does 25 points of damage per second to Health and Stamina.
Lightning Bolt	Apprentice	Lightening blast that does 25 points of damage to Health and half that to Magicka
Lightning Rune	Apprentice	A magical rune that explodes for 50 points of damage if activated by enemies
Chain Lightning	Adept	Lightening blast that does 40 points of damage to Health and half that to Magicka then leaps to new target
Fireball	Adept	Fire explosion that does 40 points of damage in 15 foot radius (targets on fire take extra damage)
Flame Cloak	Adept	Nearby targets take 8 points of damage per second for 60 (targets on fire take extra damage)
Frost Cloak	Adept	Nearby targets take 8 points of damage per second to Health and Stamina for 60 seconds
Ice Storm	Adept	Creates a frost whirlwind that does 40 points of damage per second to Health and Stamina
Lightning Cloak	Adept	Nearby targets take 8 points of damage to Health and half that to Magicka for 60 seconds
Icy Spear	Expert	An ice spear that does 60 points of damage to Health and Stamina
Incinerate	Expert	A blast of fire that does 60 points of damage (targets on fire take extra damage)
Thunderbolt	Expert	Thunderbolt that does 60 points of damage to Health and half that to Magicka
Wall of Flames	Expert	Creates a wall of flames that inflicts 50 points of damage per second (targets on fire take extra damage)
Wall of Frost	Expert	Creates a wall of frost that inflicts 50 points of damage per second
Wall of Storms	Expert	Creates a wall of lightening that inflicts 50 points of damage per second
Blizzard	Master	Enemies take 20 points of damage to Health and Stamina for 10 seconds
Fire Storm	Master	Causes 75 points of damage per second to Health and half that to Magika
Lightning Storm	Master	Causes 75 points of damage per second to Health and half that to Magika

Illusion Spells

Spell Name	Spell Level	Comments
Clairvoyance	Novice	Shows path to the active quest’s current destination
Courage	Novice	Target won’t flee for 60 seconds and gains extra Health and Stamina
Fury	Novice	Forces creatures and people level 6 or lower to attack everyone in sight
Vision of the Tenth Eye	Novice	Notice unseen things
Calm	Apprentice	Forces creatures and people level 9 or lower to stop fighting
Fear	Apprentice	Forces creatures and people level 9 or lower to flee
Muffle	Apprentice	Move silently for 3 minutes
Frenzy	Adept	Forces creatures and people level 14 or lower to attack everyone in sight
Rally	Adept	Target won’t flee for 60 seconds and gains extra Health and Stamina
Invisibility	Expert	Become invisible for 30 seconds
Pacify	Expert	Forces creatures and people level 20 or lower to stop fighting
Rout	Expert	Forces creatures and people level 20 or lower to flee
Call to Arms	Master	Increases the combat skills Health and Stamina of targeted beings for 10 minutes
Harmony	Master	Forces creatures and people level 25 or lower to stop fighting
Hysteria	Master	Forces creatures and people level 25 or lower to flee
Mayhem	Master	Forces creatures and people on level 25 or lower to attack everyone in sight

Restoration Spells

Spell Name	Spell Level	Comments
Healing	Novice	Regenerates 10 health points per second
Lesser Ward	Novice	Increases armor rating by 40 points and negates 40 points of received magic damage
Fast Healing	Apprentice	Regenerates 50 health points
Healing Hands	Apprentice	Heals the target 10 points per second
Steadfast Ward	Apprentice	Increases armor rating by 60 points and negates 60 points of received magic damage
Turn Lesser Undead	Apprentice	Regenerates 100 health points
Greater Ward	Adept	Increases armor rating by 80 points and negates 80 points of received magic damage
Heal Other	Adept	Heals the target 75 points
Repel Lesser Undead	Adept	Forces the undead to flee for 30 seconds (level 8 or lower)
Turn Undead	Adept	Forces the undead to flee for 30 seconds (level 13 or lower)
Circle of Protection	Expert	Creates a magical circle that forces all the undead standing inside it to flee (level 30 or lower)
Turn Greater Undead	Expert	Forcing the undead on level 21 or lower to flee for 30 seconds. This spell works on only one targeted creature.
Repel Undead	Expert	Forces the undead to flee for 30 seconds (level 16 or lower)
Grand Healing	Expert	Heals everyone close to the caster 200 points
Bane of the Undead	Master	Sets the undead (level 45 or lower) on fire and forces them to flee for 30 receive a lot of damage.
Guardian Circle	Master	Creates a magical circle that forces all the undead (level 35 or lower) standing inside it to flee and allows caster to regenerate 20 health points per second