Dead Thrall

School	Conjuration
Level	Master
Magicka Cost	1000
Casting	Fire and Forget
Delivery	Aimed
Effect	Reanimate a dead body permanently to fight for you. Only works on people.
Duration	999 days
Perk	Master Conjuration (1)
Spell Tome	Spell Tome: Dead Thrall
Game/DLC	Skyrim

Dead Thrall is the Master spell for raising the dead, and the only one that lasts. It raises a dead person, up to level 40, as a permanent follower. When the thrall falls in battle, its body stays whole and can be raised again. The spell only works on people, such as men, elves and beastfolk.

Dead Thrall is an end game spell. Phinis Gestor sells the tome at the College of Winterhold once the Conjuration Ritual Spell quest is done, and that quest opens when Conjuration reaches 90. The other Master Conjuration spells are the three atronach thralls: Flame Thrall, Frost Thrall and Storm Thrall.

Spell Tome

Dead Thrall is learned by reading Spell Tome: Dead Thrall. Phinis Gestor sells the tome.

How It Plays

Every other raise dead spell lasts a short time. When it ends, the corpse crumbles into a pile of ash and a new body is needed. Dead Thrall breaks that rule. The thrall follows the caster until it is killed, banished or replaced by another summon. When it dies, the body stays whole and can be raised again as often as needed.

This makes the choice of body important. A thrall keeps the skills and spells it had in life. A dead mage throws Destruction spells and uses staves. A dead warrior fights with the weapons placed on its corpse, and it also uses a shield if a hand is free. Many unique characters keep their special powers after death.

Some corpses cannot be raised. A body that was beheaded or turned into ash is gone for good. Perks such as Disintegrate in Destruction can destroy a body that would have made a fine thrall. A careful necromancer saves a promising enemy for a clean kill.

Choosing and Equipping a Thrall

Weapons are easy to change. Place a weapon or shield on the corpse before raising it, and the thrall picks it up. Mage thralls usually prefer their own spells and staves to melee weapons.

Armor works differently. A thrall wears only the exact pieces it died in. A body in a full set of elven or glass armor makes a much tougher thrall than a bandit in fur. Those pieces can be taken off, improved at a forge or enchanted, and then put back on the corpse before raising it.

The level limit of 40 matters as well. The Necromage perk in Restoration raises that limit for bodies that were undead before death, such as vampires. This lets a necromancer raise stronger vampires as permanent servants. Dremora can also be raised with the spell.

Perks and Builds

The Master Conjuration perk halves the large magicka cost of Dead Thrall. The Dark Souls perk gives reanimated undead 100 extra health. The Twin Souls perk allows two thralls at the same time, or a thrall and an atronach together. Summoner lets the caster raise a body from much farther away.

Fortify Conjuration gear lowers the cost of every Conjuration spell. Enough of it makes Dead Thrall free to cast. Since the thrall is permanent, the high cost only matters once for each raising.

Thralls sometimes get lost, just like followers. Waiting or fast travelling usually brings them back, though they may arrive a little later than the caster.

Quest Background

Phinis Gestor teaches Conjuration at the College of Winterhold. Once the caster's skill reaches 90, he says there are spells that can "more closely and more permanently bind creatures to your will." To write them down, he needs a sigil stone from an Oblivion gate. He has no wish to fetch one himself, so he teaches the spell Summon Unbound Dremora instead.

The summoning takes place on the roof of the Hall of Attainment. The first time it appears, the Unbound Dremora shouts "You dare bring me here?" and attacks. It must be beaten and summoned again more than once. Each time it grows a little less defiant. In the end it submits and agrees to fetch a sigil stone.

Summoned one last time, the Dremora hands over the stone with a complaint: "Lord Dagon is less than pleased at its loss." Phinis Gestor borrows the stone, studies it and returns it. He gives Flame Thrall as the reward. After that, he sells the other Master Conjuration tomes, Dead Thrall among them.

Lore

The in-game description says the School of Conjuration governs raising the dead and summoning creations from Oblivion. Dead Thrall is the peak of the necromantic side of that school. Guards who notice a skilled conjurer may say, "Hail, Summoner! Conjure me up a warm bed, would you?"

Strong Thralls

Unique enemies with special powers make some of the best thralls. Orchendor, the Bosmer mage at the heart of Bthardamz in the quest The Only Cure, keeps his teleportation as a thrall. His strong magic resistance comes with him too.

A thrall raised from a dead friend or a quest giver comes back as a silent fighter. It follows and fights, but it never returns to its old life.

Compared with the Ritual Stone

The Ritual Stone east of Whiterun gives a power that raises every corpse nearby once a day. Its thralls fight for a limited time, though their bodies stay whole afterwards. Dead Thrall raises only one body at a time, but that thrall stays until it is killed.

The Dark Souls perk is a strong partner for Dead Thrall, since its extra 100 health goes to a servant that follows the caster until it is killed.

Gameplay Tips

Choose the body with care. The thrall only ever wears the armor it died in, so a corpse in heavy armor makes a tougher thrall.
To upgrade that armor, take it off the body, improve or enchant it, and put it back before raising the thrall.
Enchanted armor on a thrall cancels the extra health from the Dark Souls perk.

Notes

Some unique characters keep their special powers as thralls. Ulfric Stormcloak, for example, still uses his shouts.
The Twin Souls perk allows two thralls at the same time.

Spell Categories

All Conjuration Spells

Novice

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

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Bound Sword	93	Fire and Forget	Creates a magic sword for 120 seconds. Sheathe it to dispel.
Conjure Familiar	107	Fire and Forget	Summons a Familiar for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Raise Zombie	103	Fire and Forget	Reanimate a weak dead body to fight for you for 60 seconds.
Bound Dagger	53	Fire and Forget	Creates a magic dagger for 120 seconds. Sheathe it to dispel.
Conjure Skeleton Minion	106	Fire and Forget	Summons a weak Skeleton warrior for 60 seconds.
Conjure Undying Ghost	All available magicka	Fire and Forget	Consumes all magicka and summons an Undying Ghost for 60 seconds. The ghost's attributes are equal to twice the amount of magicka consumed (up to 600).
Conjure Zombie	107	Fire and Forget	Summons a Zombie for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.

Apprentice

Apprentice spells need a little practice in the school.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Bound Battleaxe	169	Fire and Forget	Creates a magic battle axe for 120 seconds. Sheathe it to dispel.
Conjure Flame Atronach	150	Fire and Forget	Summons a Flame Atronach for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Flaming Familiar	57	Fire and Forget	Summons a flaming familiar which will charge into battle and explode.
Reanimate Corpse	144	Fire and Forget	Reanimate a more powerful dead body to fight for you for 60 seconds.
Soul Trap	107	Fire and Forget	If target dies within 60 seconds, fills a soul gem.
Conjure Boneman	129	Fire and Forget	Summons a Boneman Archer from the Soul Cairn for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Summon Arvak	136	Fire and Forget	Summons Arvak in the Soul Cairn or Tamriel wilderness to act as your steed.
Conjure Foul Zombie	75	Fire and Forget	Summons a Foul Zombie for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Haunting Spirit	128	Fire and Forget	Summons a Haunting Spirit for 60 seconds. When killed, the spirit steals 10 points from the skills of its killer and transfers them to the caster for a short time.
Conjure Skeleton Marksman	132	Fire and Forget	Summons a Skeleton Marksman whose arrows weaken foes for 60 seconds.
Soul Split	96	Fire and Forget	Sacrifice a friendly conjured or reanimated minion to summon 2 Sundered Shades for 60 seconds.
Summon Daedric Horse	136	Fire and Forget	Summons a Daedric Horse to act as your steed.

Adept

Adept spells are the middle rank and hit noticeably harder.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Banish Daedra	196	Fire and Forget	Weaker summoned daedra are sent back to Oblivion.
Bound Bow	207	Fire and Forget	Creates a magic bow and 100 magic arrows for 120 seconds. Sheathe it to dispel.
Conjure Frost Atronach	215	Fire and Forget	Summons a Frost Atronach for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Revenant	183	Fire and Forget	Reanimate a powerful dead body to fight for you for 60 seconds.
Conjure Mistman	193	Fire and Forget	Summons a Mistman from the Soul Cairn for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Ash Spawn	186	Fire and Forget	Summons an Ash Spawn for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Seeker	157	Fire and Forget	Summons a Seeker for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Banish Undead	176	Fire and Forget	Summoned or raised undead up to level 15 are sent back to the grave.
Conjure Dark Seducer Archer	75	Fire and Forget	Summons a Dark Seducer Archer for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Dark Seducer Warrior	75	Fire and Forget	Summons a Dark Seducer Warrior for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Golden Saint Archer	75	Fire and Forget	Summons a Golden Saint Archer for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Golden Saint Warrior	75	Fire and Forget	Summons a Golden Saint Warrior for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Putrid Zombie	107	Fire and Forget	Summons a Zombie for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Skeleton Champion	192	Fire and Forget	Summons a Skeleton Champion that gains +10% attack damage for each nearby enemy (up to 5) for 60 seconds.
Conjure Tomb Guardian	192	Fire and Forget	Summons a Tomb Guardian for 60 seconds that conjures a Shade when it kills an enemy.
Necromancer's Ritual	123	Fire and Forget	Regain 30 health and magicka every time a friendly conjured or reanimated minion dies for 120 seconds.

Expert

Expert spells are powerful and expensive to cast.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Command Daedra	243	Fire and Forget	Powerful summoned and raised creatures are put under your control.
Conjure Dremora Lord	358	Fire and Forget	Summons a Dremora Lord for 60 seconds.
Conjure Storm Atronach	322	Fire and Forget	Summons a Storm Atronach for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Dread Zombie	302	Fire and Forget	Reanimate a very powerful dead body to fight for you for 60 seconds.
Expel Daedra	215	Fire and Forget	Powerful summoned daedra creatures are sent back to Oblivion.
Conjure Wrathman	301	Fire and Forget	Summons a Wrathman from the Soul Cairn for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Ash Guardian	340	Fire and Forget	Creates an Ash Guardian that guards that location until destroyed. Consumes a Heart stone from your inventory, without which it will be hostile.
Conjure Ayleid Lich	358	Fire and Forget	Summons an Ayleid Lich for 60 seconds.
Conjure Cursed Spectre	258	Fire and Forget	Summons a Cursed Spectre for 60 seconds that drains health and magicka from enemies.
Conjure Malignant Zombie	161	Fire and Forget	Summons a Malignant Zombie for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Skeleton Warlock	258	Fire and Forget	Summons a Skeleton Warlock that wields powerful shock magic for 60 seconds.
Pride of Hirstaang	287	Fire and Forget	Summons a Bear for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing. Resist 50% of frost damage for 60 seconds. Health regenerates 50% faster for 60 seconds.

Master

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

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Dead Thrall	1000	Fire and Forget	Reanimate a dead body permanently to fight for you. Only works on people.
Flame Thrall	900	Fire and Forget	Summons a Flame Atronach permanently.
Frost Thrall	1100	Fire and Forget	Summons a Frost Atronach permanently.
Storm Thrall	1200	Fire and Forget	Summons a Storm Atronach permanently.
Conjure Ancient Deathpriest	1004	Fire and Forget	Summons an Ancient Deathpriest that wields powerful magic and commands the undead for 60 seconds. When killed, the Deathpriest splits into 3 Tortured Shades.
Conjure Bone Colossus	1004	Fire and Forget	Summons a Bone Colossus for 60 seconds. While active, conjured skeletons regenerate health and you can summon 2 additional skeletons. Only 1 colossus can be summoned at a time.
Conjure Staada	75	Fire and Forget	Summons Staada for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.