Open main menu

UESPWiki β

General:Magic

< General

Magic is a major mechanic in Elder Scrolls titles. Each game had its own circumstances and design philosophies, giving rise to many magical effects and much variation between games. This page serves to track the journey of magical effects through the various schools of magic throughout the series.

AlterationEdit

Daggerfall
Morrowind
Oblivion
Skyrim
Feather
Feather
Fortify Carry
Weight
1
Burden
Burden
Flame Cloak2
Frost Cloak
Lightning Cloak
Fire Shield
Frost Shield
Lightning Shield
Fire Shield
Frost Shield
Shock Shield
Detect Undead
Jumping
Jump
Detect Life3
Detect Life
Levitate4
Levitate
Light5
Light
Lock3
Lock
Lock
Transmute
Mineral Ore
Open3
Open
Open
Paralyze
Paralyze6
Paralyze6
Paralyze
Shield
Shield
Shield
Armor
Slowfalling
Slowfall
Swift Swim
Telekinesis3
Telekinesis
Water Breathing
Water Breathing
Water Breathing
Waterbreathing
Water Walking7
Water Walking
Water Walking
Waterwalking
Free Action
Cure Paralyzation1
Sleep8
Resist Paralysis1
Spell Drain8
Damage Fatigue9
Damage Magicka
Resist Cold
Resist Fire
Resist Poison
Resist Shock
Resist Fire1
Resist Frost
Resist Poison
Resist Shock
Spell Resistance10
Resist Magicka1

1Moved into Restoration school
2The damage aspect form Morrowind's Shield spells was not seen in Oblivion, but reappeared in the Cloak spells in Skyrim
3Inherited from Mysticism school
4Inherited from Thaumaturgy school
5Inherited from Illusion school
6Moved into Illusion school in Morrowind, then back into Alteration in Skyrim
7Shared with Thaumaturgy school
8Shared with Destruction school
9Moved into Destruction school
10Shared with Restoration and Thaumaturgy schools

In addition to the flagship titles, other games have had effects in the Alteration school:

Battlespire
Stormhold/Dawnstar
Fire Shield
Disarm Trap(?)
Resistance
Dragon Combat
Shield
Frenzy1
Slow Falling
Shield(?)
Weakness

1This is in no way related to the Frenzy effect found in the Illusion school in Morrowind and later games

ConjurationEdit

Morrowind
Oblivion
Skyrim
Bound Armor
Bound Armor
Banish
Bound Weapon
Bound Weapon
Bound Weapon
Summon
Summon
Conjure
Bend WillDB 1
Command Creature
Command Humanoid
Command Creature2
Command Humanoid
Command
Reanimate
Reanimate
Soultrap3
Soul Trap
Turn Undead
Turn Undead
Turn Undead4

1The Bend Will effect added by Dragonborn is a shout, outside of the traditional magic schools
2The Command spells were included in the Illusion school in Oblivion.
3Inherited from Mysticism school
4Moved into Restoration school

In addition to the flagship titles, other games have had effects in the Conjuration school:

Stormhold/Dawnstar
Blood Spirit
Daedric Weapon
Dead to Dust
Doom Hammer
Righteousness

DestructionEdit

Daggerfall
Morrowind
Oblivion
Skyrim
Energy Leech1
Absorb Fatigue2
Absorb Health
Absorb Magicka
Absorb Fatigue2
Absorb Health
Absorb Magicka
Absorb Health
Absorb Magicka
Absorb Stamina
Vampiric Touch1
Damage Skill
Sleep3
Damage Attribute
Damage Attribute
Spell Drain3
Damage Fatigue
Damage Health
Damage Magicka
Damage Fatigue
Damage Health
Damage Magicka
Damage Health
Damage Magicka
Damage Stamina
Disintegrate4
Disintegrate Armor
Disintegrate Weapon
Disintegrate Armor
Disintegrate Weapon
Damage Health Regen
Damage Magicka Regen
Damage Stamina Regen
Strength Leech3
Drain Attribute
Drain Attribute
Drain Fatigue
Drain Health
Drain Magicka
Drain Fatigue
Drain Health
Drain Magicka
Drain Skill
Drain Skill
Fire Damage
Frost Damage
Poison Damage
Shock Damage
Fire Damage
Frost Damage
Poison
Shock Damage
Fire Damage
Frost Damage
Shock Damage
Fire Damage
Frost Damage
Shock Damage
Alchemy5
Slow3
Slow6
Sun Damage
Sun Damage
Sun Damage
Weakness to Common Disease
Weakness to Blight Disease
Weakness to Corprus Disease
Weakness to Disease
Weakness to Fire
Weakness to Frost
Weakness to Shock
Weakness to Fire
Weakness to Frost
Weakness to Shock
Weakness to Fire
Weakness to Frost
Weakness to Shock
Weakness to Magicka
Weakness to Magic
Weakness to Magic
Weakness to Normal Weapons
Weakness to Normal Weapons
Weakness to Poison
Weakness to Poison
Weakness to Poison

1Shared with Restoration school
2Moved into Mysticism, then into Restoration, and then back into Destruction
3Shared with Alteration school
4The Disintegrate effect in Daggerfall is not related to the similarly named effects in Morrowind or Oblivion
5In Oblivion, poison was changed from a magic effect into an alchemical process.
6Slow exists in Skyrim primarily as a side-effect of Frost Damage, but is also available via Alchemy.

In addition to the flagship titles, other games have had effects in the Destruction school:

Battlespire
Stormhold/Dawnstar
Cause Damage
Absorb(?)
Continuous Damage
Damage
Delayed Damage
Drain
Poison
Feeble Blade
Harm Armor

IllusionEdit

Daggerfall
Morrowind
Oblivion
Skyrim
Blind
Bend WillDB 1
Tame2
Quiet Undead
Command Creature3
Command Humanoid
Command Creature
Command Humanoid
Command3
Charm Mortal2
Calm Humanoid
Calm Creature
Calm Humanoid
Calm
Pacify
Chameleon
Chameleon
Chameleon
Clairvoyance
Charm
Charm
Ghost Form4
Demoralize Creature
Demoralize Humanoid
Demoralize
Fear
Frenzy Creature
Frenzy Humanoid
Frenzy
Frenzy
Invisibility
Invisibility
Invisibility
Invisibility
Light
Light
Light
Light5
Night Eye
Night-Eye
Paralyze6
Paralyze
Paralyze
Paralyze5
Rally Creature
Rally Humanoid
Rally
Rally
Sanctuary
Silence7
Silence
Silence
Muffle8
Sound

1The Bend Will effect added by Dragonborn is a shout, outside of the traditional magic schools
2Inherited from Thaumaturgy school
3The Command spells were inherited from Conjuration, and then moved back into it for Skyrim.
4Shared with Thaumaturgy school
5Moved into Alteration school
6Inherited from Alteration in Morrowind, then moved back into it in Skyrim
7Inherited from Mysticism school
8The Muffle effect has a different purpose from Silence, used for stealth rather than disabling spellcasters

In addition to the flagship titles, other games have had effects in the Illusion school:

Battlespire
Stormhold/Dawnstar
Invisibility
Blind
Death Howl
Fear
Paralyze
Sanctuary

MysticismEdit

Daggerfall
Morrowind
Oblivion
Skyrim
Absorb Attribute
Absorb Attribute1
Energy Leech2
Absorb Fatigue
Absorb Health
Absorb Magicka
Absorb Fatigue4
Absorb Health
Absorb Magicka
Absorb Health4
Absorb Magicka
Absorb Stamina
Vampiric Touch3
Absorb Skill
Absorb Skill1
Almsivi Intervention
Divine Intervention
Dispel Daedra
Banish5
Dispel Undead
Turn Undead6
Detect Animal
Detect Life
Detect Life7
Detect Enchantment
Detect Undead7
Detect Key
Dispel Magic
Dispel
Dispel
Lock
Lock7
Open
Open7
Mark
Recall
Recall
Reflect Damage
Spell Reflection8
Reflect
Reflect Spell
Soul Trap
Soultrap
Soul Trap
Soul Trap9
Spell Absorption3
Spell Absorption
Spell Absorption
Silence
Silence10
Tongues
Telekinesis
Telekinesis
Telekinesis7

1Moved into Restoration school
2Inherited from Restoration school
3Inherited from Destruction school
4Moved into Restoration, and then later into Destruction
5The Dispel Daedra effect returned in Skyrim as the Banish effect
6Changed into related Turn Undead effect in Morrowind.
7Moved into Alteration school
8Shared with Thaumaturgy school
9Moved into Conjuration school
10Moved into Illusion school

In addition to the flagship titles, other games have had effects in the Mysticism school:

Battlespire
Confusion
Detect Enemy
Detect Invisibility
Detect Spell
Haste
Jumping
Slow
Spell Absorption

RestorationEdit

Daggerfall
Morrowind
Oblivion
Skyrim
Energy Leech
Absorb Attribute1
Absorb Attribute
Vampiric Touch
Absorb Fatigue2
Absorb Health
Absorb Magicka
Absorb Fatigue
Absorb Health
Absorb Magicka
Absorb Health2
Absorb Magicka
Absorb Stamina
Absorb Skill1
Absorb Skill
Fortify Attack
Feather3
Fortify Carry
Weight
Fortify Attribute
Fortify Attribute
Fortify Attribute
Fortify Shouts
Fortify Fatigue
Fortify Health
Fortify Magicka
Fortify Fatigue
Fortify Health
Fortify Magicka
Fortify Health
Fortify Magicka
Fortify Stamina
Fortify Skill
Fortify Skill
Fortify Skill
Cure Disease
Cure Common Disease
Cure Blight Disease
Cure Corprus Disease
Cure Disease
Cure Disease
Cure Poison
Cure Poison
Cure Poison
Cure Poison
Free Action3
Cure Paralyzation
Cure Paralysis
Fortify Unarmed
Damage
Resist Paralysis
Resist Paralysis
Ward
Resist Common Disease
Resist Blight Disease
Resist Corprus Disease
Resist Disease
Resist Disease
Resist Fire3
Resist Frost
Resist Poison
Resist Shock
Resist Fire
Resist Frost
Resist Poison
Resist Shock
Resist Fire
Resist Frost
Resist Shock
Resist Fire
Resist Frost
Resist Shock
Spell Absorption
Spell Absorption4
Resist Poison
Resist Poison
Spell Resistance5
Resist Magicka
Magic
Magic
Regenerate Health
Restore Attribute
Restore Attribute
Regenerate Health
Regenerate Magicka
Regenerate Stamina
Restore Health
Restore Fatigue
Restore Health
Restore Magicka
Restore Fatigue
Restore Health
Restore Magicka
Restore Health
Restore Magicka
Restore Stamina
Restore Skill
Turn Undead6
Turn Undead

1Inherited from Mysticism school
2Moved into Mysticism, then back into Restoration, then into Destruction
3Inherited from Alteration school
4Moved into Mysticism school
5Shared with Alteration and Thaumaturgy schools
6Inherited from Conjuration school

In addition to the flagship titles, other games have had effects in the Restoration school:

Battlespire
Stormhold/Dawnstar
Cure Health
Camp Magicka
Cure Poison
Deft Security(?)
Vampiric Drain
Heal Wound
Raise Attribute
Remove Ailment

ThaumaturgyEdit

Daggerfall
Morrowind
Charm Mortal
Calm Humanoid
Calm Humanoid1
Quiet Undead
Calm Creature1
Tame
Levitate
Levitate2
Spell Reflection
Reflect3
Spell Resistance4
Resist Magicka5
Water Walking
Water Walking2

1Moved into Illusion school
2Moved into Alteration school
3Moved into Mysticism school
4Shared with Restoration and Alteration schools
5Moved into Restoration school

In addition to the flagship titles, other games have had effects in the Thaumaturgy school:

Battlespire
Dispel Magic
Etherealness
Monster Summoning
Spell Reflection
Spell Resistance
Teleport