Chain Lightning

School	Destruction
Level	Adept
Magicka Cost	156
Casting	Fire and Forget
Delivery	Aimed
Effect	Lightning bolt that does 40 points of shock damage to Health and half to Magicka, then leaps to a new target.
Duration	-
Perk	Adept Destruction (1)
Spell Tome	Spell Tome: Chain Lightning
Game/DLC	Skyrim

Chain Lightning is the Adept shock spell in Destruction. Its bolt deals 40 points of shock damage to health and half that to magicka, then leaps on to another target nearby. It becomes useful in the middle of the game, once Destruction reaches the Adept rank. Court wizards such as Farengar Secret-Fire in Whiterun sell the tome, and so does Faralda at the College of Winterhold.

Chain Lightning is the shock spell for fighting groups, much as Fireball is for fire and Ice Storm is for frost. Thunderbolt is the stronger Expert shock spell for a single target.

Spell Tome

Chain Lightning is learned by reading Spell Tome: Chain Lightning. Enthir, Faralda, Farengar Secret-Fire, Madena, Wuunferth the Unliving and Talvas Fathryon sell the tome.

How It Plays

Chain Lightning is a fire and forget spell. Like every shock spell, it strikes at the instant of casting. There is no flight time to judge, so fast enemies such as wolves and skeevers are easy to hit. After the first hit, the bolt jumps to another enemy close by.

The spell can also arc off walls, floors and other surfaces. A bolt that misses still bounces on and can strike an enemy from an odd angle. This lets a mage hit targets standing around a corner or behind a low wall.

Chain Lightning is deadly against packs of weak enemies. Skeevers, skeletons and novice mages often fall together after one or two casts.

The leap can also catch a follower. With only one enemy in the room, the bolt may jump to the nearest friend instead. A follower hit too often may even turn hostile.

Compared with Fireball and Ice Storm

Fireball has the longest reach of the three Adept area spells and costs the least magicka. Its explosion hurts everyone in a circle, but the ball takes time to fly. Ice Storm is a slow cloud of ice with a short reach that hurts everything it rolls through. Chain Lightning sits between them. It hits at once, but its reach is shorter than Fireball's.

Shock damage drains magicka as well as health. This makes Chain Lightning the best of the three against groups of enemy mages. Very few creatures resist shock, so the spell rarely meets an enemy that shrugs it off.

Perks, Gear and Staves

The Adept Destruction perk halves the magicka cost of Chain Lightning. Augmented Shock raises the damage of every shock spell in two ranks. Disintegrate turns badly hurt enemies into a pile of ash.

Destruction Dual Casting overcharges the bolt for more damage. The Impact perk adds a stagger when the spell is dual cast. A dual cast Chain Lightning can stagger the enemies it strikes and stop their attacks for a moment.

The Zahkriisos dragon priest mask from the Dragonborn DLC raises shock damage by 25%. Fortify Destruction enchantments lower the cost of every Destruction spell. A Potion of Destruction gives a short boost in the same way.

The Staff of Chain Lightning casts the same leaping bolt from its own charge. It lets a warrior or an archer clear a group of weak enemies without any points in Destruction. The staff is also handy for a mage who saves magicka for wards and healing.

Cost and Damage

Chain Lightning has a base cost of 156 magicka. Thunderbolt costs more than twice as much and hits only one target for 60 points. Chain Lightning hits for 40 points and then leaps to a second enemy, so it often spreads more damage for each point of magicka.

The spell also works well against a single target. It costs far less than the Expert bolt, which lets a mage keep casting it through a long fight from the middle of the game onward.

A higher Destruction skill only lowers the cost of each cast. Extra damage comes from perks, potions and enchanted gear. Dual casting packs 2.2 times the power into one bolt for 2.8 times the magicka.

Followers and Enemies Who Cast It

Marcurio, the hired mage at the Bee and Barb in Riften, casts Chain Lightning, and so does Onmund from the College of Winterhold. Serana from the Dawnguard DLC switches to Chain Lightning once the player character reaches the higher levels.

Court wizards and Faralda put the tome on sale once Destruction reaches 40. Copies also turn up in chests and on hostile mages.

Gameplay Tips

Aim at a wall or the floor near a hidden enemy. The bolt arcs off the surface and can strike around a corner.
The Augmented Shock perk raises the damage to 50, and to 60 at the second rank.
With the Impact perk, a dual cast Chain Lightning staggers the enemies it hits.

Spell Categories

All Destruction Spells

Novice

Novice spells are the first a mage learns and cost the least magicka.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Flames	14 per second	Concentration	A gout of fire that does 8 points per second. Targets on fire take extra damage.
Frostbite	16 per second	Concentration	A blast of cold that does 8 points of damage per second to Health and Stamina.
Sparks	19 per second	Concentration	Lightning that does 8 points of shock damage to Health and Magicka per second.
Choking Grasp	39	Fire and Forget	Absorb 8 points of health per second from target, for 3 seconds.
Elemental Flare	45	Fire and Forget	An elemental explosion for 15 points of fire damage, 15 points of shock damage, and half as much damage to stamina.

Apprentice

Apprentice spells need a little practice in the school.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Fire Rune	234	Fire and Forget	Cast on a nearby surface, it explodes for 50 points of fire damage when enemies come near.
Firebolt	41	Fire and Forget	A blast of fire that does 25 points of damage. Targets on fire take extra damage.
Frost Rune	293	Fire and Forget	Cast on a nearby surface, it explodes for 50 points of frost damage when enemies come near.
Ice Spike	48	Fire and Forget	A spike of ice that does 25 points of frost damage to Health and Stamina.
Lightning Bolt	51	Fire and Forget	A bolt of lightning that does 25 points of shock damage to Health and half that to Magicka.
Lightning Rune	323	Fire and Forget	Cast on a nearby surface, it explodes for 50 points of shock damage when enemies come near.
Elemental Bolt	62	Fire and Forget	An elemental explosion for 20 points of fire damage, 20 points of shock damage, and half as much damage to stamina.
Strangulation	84	Fire and Forget	Absorb 16 points of health per second from target, for 3 seconds.

Adept

Adept spells are the middle rank and hit noticeably harder.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Chain Lightning	156	Fire and Forget	Lightning bolt that does 40 points of shock damage to Health and half to Magicka, then leaps to a new target.
Fireball	133	Fire and Forget	A fiery explosion for 40 points of damage in a 15 foot radius. Targets on fire take extra damage.
Flame Cloak	289	Fire and Forget	For 60 seconds, opponents in melee range take 8 points fire damage per second. Targets on fire take extra damage.
Frost Cloak	316	Fire and Forget	For 60 seconds, opponents in melee range take 8 points frost damage and Stamina damage per second.
Ice Storm	144	Fire and Forget	A freezing whirlwind that does 40 points of frost damage per second to Health and Stamina.
Lightning Cloak	370	Fire and Forget	For 60 seconds nearby opponents take 8 points of shock damage and half magicka damage.
Whirlwind Cloak	338	Fire and Forget	For 60 seconds, opponents in melee range have a chance of being flung away.
Elemental Burst	96	Fire and Forget	An elemental explosion for 30 points of fire damage, 30 points of shock damage, and half as much damage to stamina.
Hangman's Noose	143	Fire and Forget	Absorb 26 points of health per second from target, for 3 seconds.

Expert

Expert spells are powerful and expensive to cast.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Icy Spear	320	Fire and Forget	A spear of ice that does 60 points of frost damage to Health and Stamina.
Incinerate	298	Fire and Forget	A blast of fire that does 60 points of damage. Targets on fire take extra damage.
Thunderbolt	343	Fire and Forget	A Thunderbolt that does 60 points of shock damage to Health and half that to Magicka.
Wall of Flames	118 per second	Concentration	Sprayed on the ground, it creates a wall of fire that does 50 points of fire damage per second.
Wall of Frost	137 per second	Concentration	Sprayed on the ground, it creates a wall of frost that does 50 points of frost damage per second.
Wall of Storms	145 per second	Concentration	Sprayed on the ground, it creates a wall of lightning that does 50 points of shock damage per second.
Elemental Blast	144	Fire and Forget	An elemental explosion for 40 points of fire damage, 40 points of shock damage, and half as much damage to stamina.
Mara's Wrath	329	Fire and Forget	For 30 seconds, opponents in melee range take 16 points fire damage per second. Undead up to level 26 flee for 30 seconds. Swim unharmed in freezing cold water.
Touch of Death	316	Fire and Forget	Absorb 40 points of health per second from target, for 4 seconds.
Unbounded Flames	78 per second	Concentration	Casts a stream of long-distance fireballs in an arc. Impact creates a wall of fire that does 50 points of fire damage per second.
Unbounded Freezing	69 per second	Concentration	A freezing wind envelops the caster, knocking down nearby enemies and freezing them for 50 points of damage per second to Health and Stamina.
Unbounded Storms	69 per second	Concentration	Targets in melee range take 40 shock damage per second to Health, and half that to Magicka. Random lightning strikes deal an additional 30 damage.

Master

Master spells are the strongest in the school and need the most skill.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Blizzard	1106	Fire and Forget	Targets take 20 points of frost damage for 10 seconds, plus Stamina damage.
Fire Storm	1426	Fire and Forget	A 100 point fiery explosion centered on the caster. Does more damage to closer targets.
Lightning Storm	138 per second	Concentration	Target takes 75 points of shock damage per second to Health, and half that to Magicka.