Destruction is a skill in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and is one of the skills that falls under The Mage play-style. Destruction skill is raised by casting Destruction spells and wounding/killing enemies with them. These spells identify themselves as coming from the Destruction school, because their tomes depict an open palm, circled in fire. Destruction spells serve as the main offensive for mages, as it is the only spell school to cause direct damage. (Multiple Conjuration spells cause damage, such as Bound Sword, but the damage is not technically caused by the use of the spell directly.)

Since custom spell creation no longer exists, destruction spells, and other spells must be learned by reading spell tomes found in various dungeons and purchased from various characters. Notably, Faralda of the College of Winterhold is the master of Destruction and sells the bulk of Destruction spell tomes.

Contents 1 Branches 1.1 Fire 1.2 Frost 1.3 Shock 2 Books and quests 3 Spells 4 Starting spells 5 Perks 6 Training 7 Leveling 8 Usefulness

Branches

Destruction is divided in three types of damage: Fire, Frost and Shock. Each has its own characteristics, costs and effects, as listed below.

Fire

Fire spells consume the least amount of magicka of the three types of Destruction spells. Fire spells travel at an average velocity and inflict damage on contact as well as over time. Most fire spells inflict a "burn" effect on enemies, which boosts damage from other weapons. Dark Elves are 50% resistant to this kind of spell, which can be helpful in fighting fire-breathing dragons. Fire spells also boil small amounts of water when cast at them. A good place to try are the small waterways all around Whiterun.Fire spells can also ignite oil that is sometimes found spilled on the floor of dungeons, crypts, etc.  Creatures (including the player and his/her companions) standing in or passing through burning oil will take fire damage.

Frost

Frost spells consume an average amount of Magicka, but its spells travel at a slower velocity compared to shock spells. Frost spells slow the target's movement, while dealing damage to health and stamina. Nords are 50% resistant to this kind of spell, which can be an advantage when fighting frost-breathing dragons. Also, vampires resist between 25% and 100% (20% and 50% in Dawnguard) of frost damage, depending on the stage of vampirism.

Shock

Shock spells consume the most Magicka of the three types of Destruction spells, but its spell velocity is instant. Shock spell damage drains health and magicka, making it a choice against mages. Altmer may benefit more from using this kind of magic, as they have a Magicka recovery-boosting ability called Highborn. Only Bretons, with a 25% resistance to all magic, have an innate resistance to shock spell damage.

Books and quests

The following is a list of books that raise the Destruction skill. Specific locations can be found on each, individual book page.

• A Hypothetical Treachery
• The Horror of Castle Xyr
• Mystery of Talara, v3
• Response to Bero's Speech
• The Art of War Magic
• Oghma Infinium raises Destruction, and all other magically based skills, by 5 increments when the "Path of Magic" is taken.

The following miscellaneous quests increases the Destruction Skill:

• Find Pantea's Flute for Pantea Ateia in the Bards College in Solitude. This also increases Alteration, Enchanting, Conjuration, Restoration, and Illusion.
• After completing Shalidor's Insights for Urag gro-Shub at the College of Winterhold, he may increase the Destruction skill instead of offering scrolls when the manuscripts have been translated.

Spells

The following is a complete list of Destruction spells:

Rank	Spell Name	Description	Magicka Base Cost
Novice (Skill level 0)	Flames	A gout of fire inflicting a base damage of 8 points of fire damage per second. Targets on fire take extra damage. One of the two basic spells.	14 per second
	Frostbite	A blast of cold inflicting a base damage of 8 points of frost damage per second to Health and Stamina.	16 per second
	Sparks	Lightning which inflicts a base damage of 8 points of shock damage per second to Health and Magicka.	19 per second
	Arniel's Convection	Burns the target 1 point per second. Targets on fire take extra damage.	0 per second
	Vampiric Drain	Absorb 2, 3, 4 or 5 points (depends upon the level of vampirism) of health from the target.	6, 10, 13 or 17 per second (depends upon the level of vampirism)
Apprentice (Skill level 25)	Firebolt	A bolt of fire that inflicts 25 points of fire damage. Targets on fire take extra damage.	41
	Freeze DB	A spike of ice that does 20 points of frost damage to Health and Stamina and slows the target for 15 seconds.	30
	Ice Spike	A spike of ice that inflicts 25 points of ice damage to Health and Stamina.	48
	Ignite DB	A blast of flame that sets targets of fire, doing 4 damage per second for 15 seconds.	30
	Lightning Bolt	A bolt of lightning that inflicts 25 points of shock damage to Health and half as much to Magicka.	51
	Fire Rune	Cast on a nearby surface, it explodes for 50 points of damage when enemies come near. Affected targets take extra damage.	234
	Frost Rune	Cast on a nearby surface, it explodes for 50 points of damage to Health and Stamina when enemies come near. Movement speed is reduced for affected targets.	293
	Lightning Rune	Cast on a nearby surface, it explodes for 50 points of damage to Health and half as much to Magicka when enemies come near.	323
Adept (Skill level 50)	Chain Lightning	A lighting bolt inflicting 40 points of damage to Health and half as much to Magicka, then leaps to a new target. If the character has learned Augmented Shock 2/2, the lightning jumps on one additional target and does 60 damage. Caution! Friendly-fire is possible.	156
	Fireball	A fireball which explodes on impact for 40 points of damage in a 15 foot radius. Targets on fire take extra damage. If the character has learned Augmented Flames 2/2, the radius of the fire explosion is increased by 5 and damage increases to 60 points. Does harm Followers, but not Dragonborn.	133
	Ice Storm	A freezing whirlwind that does 40 points of damage per second to Health and Stamina. The whirlwind radius is increased if the character has Augmented Frost 2/2. Spell range is smaller if cast with Destruction Dual Casting. Does harm Followers, but not Dragonborn.	144
	Flame Cloak	For 60 seconds, opponents in melee range take 8 points of damage per second. Targets on fire take extra damage. Does not harm Followers. Does harm neutral NPCs like town guards.	289
	Frost Cloak	For 60 seconds, opponents in melee range take 8 points of damage per second to Health and Stamina. Does not harm Followers. Does harm neutral NPCs like town guards.	316
	Lightning Cloak	For 60 seconds, nearby opponents take 8 points of damage per second to Health and half as much to Magicka. Does not harm Followers. Does harm neutral NPCs like town guards.	370
	Whirlwind Cloak DB	For 60 seconds, opponents in melee range have a chance of being flung away.	338
Expert (Skill level 75)	Icy Spear	A spear of ice that does 60 (90) points of frost damage to Health and Stamina.	320
	Incinerate	A blast of fire that does 60 (90) points of fire damage. Targets on fire take extra damage.	298
	Thunderbolt	A thunderbolt that does 60 (90) points of shock damage to Health and half that to Magicka.	343
	Wall of Flames	Sprayed on the ground, it creates a wall of fire that does 50 points of fire damage per second. Does not harm Followers or Dragonborn.	118 per second
	Wall of Frost	Sprayed on the ground, it creates a wall of frost that does 50 points of frost damage per second. Does not harm Followers or Dragonborn.	137 per second
	Wall of Storms	Sprayed on the ground it creates a wall of lightning that does 50 points of shock damage per second. Does not harm Followers or Dragonborn.	145 per second
Master (Skill level 100)	Blizzard	Creates a blizzard that surrounds the caster. Targets take 20 point of frost damage every second for 10 seconds, plus stamina damage.	656
	Fire Storm	A 100 point fiery explosion centered on the caster. The closer a target is, the more damage they take.	846
	Lightning Storm	Fires a continuous stream of lightning. Target takes 75 points of shock damage per second to Health, and half that to Magicka.	138 per second

Master spells can't be purchased initially. To unlock Master Destruction spells, the Destruction Ritual Spell quest must be completed upon reaching level 100 Destruction.

Starting spells

The following are Destruction spells that the character can start with if the correct race is selected:

• Flames spell is unlocked for all races at the start of the game. It is unknown why there is a spell tome for this spell.
• Sparks spell is unlocked for Dark Elves at the start of the game. There is a spell tome for Sparks in a cell with a mage within the prison of Helgen.

Perks

The following are the perks that become available to select as the skill is leveled up. 17 Perk points are required to max out the tree.

Perk (Ranks)	Requirements	Description
Novice Destruction	None	Cast Novice level Destruction spells for half magicka
Destruction Dual Casting	Destruction 20, Novice Destruction	Dual casting a Destruction spell overcharges the effects into an even more powerful version
Apprentice Destruction	Destruction 25, Novice Destruction	Cast Apprentice level Destruction spells for half magicka
Augmented Flames (2)	Destruction 30, Novice Destruction	Fire spells do 25% more damage (50% for second rank) (Affects all fire weapon enchantments, not just self-enchanted ones.)
Augmented Frost (2)	Destruction 30, Novice Destruction	Frost spells do 25% more damage (50% for second rank) (Affects all frost weapon enchantments, not just self-enchanted ones.)
Augmented Shock (2)	Destruction 30, Novice Destruction	Shock spells do 25% more damage (50% for second rank) (Affects all shock weapon enchantments, not just self-enchanted ones.)
Impact	Destruction 40, Destruction Dual Casting	Most destruction spells will stagger an opponent when dual cast
Rune Master	Destruction 40, Apprentice Destruction	Can place runes five times farther away
Adept Destruction	Destruction 50, Apprentice Destruction	Cast Adept level Destruction spells for half magicka
Intense Flames	Destruction 50, Augmented Flames	Fire damage causes targets to flee if their health is low
Deep Freeze	Destruction 60, Augmented Frost	Frost damage paralyzes targets if their health is low
Disintegrate	Destruction 70, Augmented Shock	Shock damage disintegrates targets if their health is low
Expert Destruction	Destruction 75, Adept Destruction	Cast Expert level Destruction spells for half magicka
Master Destruction	Destruction 100, Expert Destruction	Cast Master level Destruction spells for half magicka

Training

• Wuunferth the Unliving (Adept): Palace of the Kings, Windhelm
• Sybille Stentor (Expert): Blue Palace, Solitude
• Faralda (Master): The College of Winterhold

Leveling

• Wearing four items with 25% reduction to the cost of Destruction spells completely negates the magicka cost, allowing the casting of several spells infinitely. In this sense, it also means there is less of a purpose in taking the Adept, Expert, or Master Destruction perks, allowing the Dragonborn to spend perks on other skills.
• Using Magic Runes can level Destruction quickly because they deal more damage per second. If using these on a non-hostile character, however, they must be set off by the caster using another Destruction spell or the Unrelenting Force shout.
• Conjure a Dremora Lord and attack him with any spell you like. He won't turn hostile. You need 100 in conjuration to use this, but conjuration is rather easy to level.
• Conjurea Frost Atronach and blast it with a fire spell or Conjure a Flame Atronach and blast it with ice. These creations explode upon death. Because Frost Atronachs are too large to fit through certain doorways, they can get stuck, leaving them vulnerable to incoming assaults. Alternatively, after damaging the atronach, use healing spells from the Restoration school to level a third spell type all in one session.
• Using the Flames and Healing Hands method on essential characters can be used to level Destruction, Restoration, and Heavy Armor or Light Armor simultaneously.
• Repeatedly jumping up and down on a forge causes fire damage, allowing Destruction to level up. Casting healing magic to regain the health lost also raises Restoration. Patch v1.4 corrected this exploit.

Usefulness

Destruction is perhaps the most attractive school of magic to the aspiring mage (after all, it is the only school that focuses on direct damage, and what self-respecting mage wouldn't be tempted by the prospect of freezing, incinerating, and electrocuting everything in their path?) However, there are a number of limitations to Destruction magic: For starters, it is probably the hardest school of magic to level quickly. Thus, in the early game, magically inclined players would be wise to focus on other schools (Alteration and Illusion, for instance) to level up quickly. Furthermore, unlike Combat skills, the damage of Destruction spells is unaffected by level. Thus, the only way to increase the damage of your spells is by taking the Augmented Flames, Frost and Shock perks, using Fortify Destruction potions, or by equipping certain pieces of unique gear. For this reason, while Destruction spells may work very effectively in the early-to-mid game, once your character reaches a high level, you may find even the most powerful Destruction spells dealing only moderate damage to leveled enemies. Additionally, it is important to know what enemies are vulnerable or resistant to the various elemental types. For instance, the majority of enemies you encounter in Skyrim have some form of Frost resistance. This includes Nords, Draugr, Vampires, Falmer, and Dwarven Automatons. In contrast, no enemy type has an innate resistance to Shock Damage (excepting Bretons with their 25% magic resistance), and only a few have a resistance to fire (Dunmer, Fire Dragons, etc.) All in all, at higher levels, Destruction magic is most effective when utilized in conjunction with either other schools of magic (Illusion to control the battlefield, Conjuration to provide distractions) or melee combat.

Destruction Spells
Arniel's Convection • Blizzard • Chain Lightning • Fire Storm • Fireball • Firebolt • Fire Rune • Flame Cloak • Flames • Frost Cloak • Frostbite • Frost Rune • Ice Spike • Ice Storm • Incinerate • Icy Spear • Lightning Bolt • Lightning Cloak • Lightning Rune • Lightning Storm • Sparks • Thunderbolt • Wall of Flames • Wall of Frost • Wall of Storms • Vampiric Drain
Schools of Magic
Alteration • Conjuration • Destruction • Illusion • Restoration
Related topics
Destruction Ritual Spell • Magicka • Perks • Magic • The College of Winterhold • Destruction trainers • Runes • Disintegrate

Skills in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Mage	Alteration · Conjuration · Destruction · Enchanting · Illusion · Restoration
The Thief	Alchemy · Light Armor · Lockpicking · Pickpocket · Sneak · Speech
The Warrior	Archery · Block · Heavy Armor · One-Handed · Smithing · Two-Handed

Start a Discussion Discussions about Destruction (Skyrim)

• 

  Leveling up Destruction skill

  2 messages
  • 
    A Wikia contributor
    Can you use the healing hands and flames trick on Shadowmere and keep him from dieing? 2013-04-21T20:23:42Z
  • 
    WraithWyvern
    I figured it out. Nevermind everybody. 2013-04-21T20:35:22Z

See more discussions >