Clairvoyance

School	Illusion
Level	Novice
Magicka Cost	25 per second
Casting	Concentration
Delivery	-
Effect	Shows the path to the current goal.
Duration	-
Perk	Novice Illusion (1)
Spell Tome	Spell Tome: Clairvoyance
Game/DLC	Skyrim

Clairvoyance is a Novice Illusion spell that shows the way to the current quest goal. While the caster holds it, a line of blue light runs along the route toward the objective. Unlike the compass marker, the line follows the real path around walls and corners.

Clairvoyance is useful from the first hours of the game. Most court wizards and the Riverwood Trader sell the tome, and a free copy lies in Embershard Mine near Riverwood.

Spell Tome

Clairvoyance is learned by reading Spell Tome: Clairvoyance. Calcelmo, Drevis Neloren, Falion, Farengar Secret-Fire, Madena, Nelacar, Riverwood Trader, Sybille Stentor, Wuunferth the Unliving and Wylandriah sell the tome.

Location

One copy of the tome can be found in Embershard Mine.

How It Plays

Clairvoyance is a concentration spell. The blue line appears while the hand is held up and fades once the cast ends. The line only reaches part of the way, as far as the caster can see. On a long journey the spell has to be cast again and again along the road.

The compass marker only shows the straight direction to a goal. Clairvoyance shows the actual route, with every turn, stair and passage. This makes it a great help in large dungeons, Dwemer ruins and twisting caves.

The spell points to the nearest waypoint of the tracked quest. With several quests active, it can lead to a door and then keep pointing back and forth through it. Tracking only one quest at a time keeps the line clear. When the spell finds no path, a message reading "No direct path seen" appears on the screen.

Quirks and Cost

The line follows the shortest path the game knows. It ignores locked gates and doors that open only with a lever or a key, so the route sometimes runs into a closed door.

The spell is cheap to keep using. The Novice Illusion perk halves the cost again. Fortify Illusion gear lets the caster hold it for a long time, though the line still ends where the caster's sight ends.

Training Illusion

Clairvoyance is one of the few Illusion spells that gives experience with no target. A mage can cast it anywhere, at any time, to raise Illusion slowly. Muffle and Invisibility work the same way. That makes Clairvoyance a handy training spell for a character who wants Illusion perks without casting spells on other people.

Drevis Neloren at the College of Winterhold trains Illusion to master level. Atub at the Orc stronghold of Largashbur trains it to expert level.

Value

Clairvoyance costs 25 magicka for each second it is held at a skill of zero. It is most useful to players new to Skyrim and in ruined mazes or other hard to find places. A veteran who knows the land well gets less from it, since getting truly lost is rare once the map is familiar.

The spell works for any kind of character. A warrior or a thief with a few points of magicka can still use it to find the way to a quest goal.

Spell Categories

All Illusion Spells

Novice

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

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Clairvoyance	25 per second	Concentration	Shows the path to the current goal.
Courage	39	Fire and Forget	Target won't flee for 60 seconds and gets some extra health and stamina.
Fury	67	Fire and Forget	Creatures and people up to level 6 will attack anything nearby for 30 seconds.

Apprentice

Apprentice spells need a little practice in the school.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Calm	146	Fire and Forget	Creatures and people up to level 9 won't fight for 30 seconds.
Fear	153	Fire and Forget	Creatures and people up to level 9 flee from combat for 30 seconds.
Muffle	144	Fire and Forget	You move more quietly for 180 seconds.

Adept

Adept spells are the middle rank and hit noticeably harder.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Frenzy	209	Fire and Forget	Creatures and people up to level 14 will attack anyone nearby for 60 seconds.
Rally	113	Fire and Forget	Targets won't flee for 60 seconds and get extra health and stamina.
Frenzy Rune	278	Fire and Forget	Targets up to level 20 that fail to resist are frenzied for 30 seconds.
Orum's Aquatic Escape	165	Fire and Forget	Caster is invisible for 15 seconds. Activating an object or attacking will break the spell. Can breathe water for 15 seconds. Improved night vision for 15 seconds.

Expert

Expert spells are powerful and expensive to cast.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Invisibility	334	Fire and Forget	Caster is invisible for 30 seconds. Activating an object or attacking will break the spell.
Pacify	290	Fire and Forget	Creatures and people up to level 20 won't fight for 60 seconds.
Rout	316	Fire and Forget	Creatures and people up to level 20 flee from combat for 30 seconds.
Fenrik's Welcome	116	Fire and Forget	Caster becomes invisible and can open locks with level Expert and below for 5 seconds. Activating an object or attacking will break the spell.

Master

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

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Call to Arms	655	Fire and Forget	Targets have improved combat skills, health and stamina for 10 minutes.
Harmony	1052	Fire and Forget	Creatures and people up to level 25 nearby won't fight for 60 seconds.
Hysteria	866	Fire and Forget	Creatures and people up to level 25 flee from combat for 60 seconds.
Mayhem	990	Fire and Forget	Creatures and people up to level 25 will attack anyone nearby for 60 seconds.