Ebonyflesh

School	Alteration
Level	Expert
Magicka Cost	341
Casting	Fire and Forget
Delivery	Self
Effect	Improves the caster's armor rating by 100 points for 60 seconds.
Duration	60 seconds
Perk	Expert Alteration (1)
Spell Tome	Spell Tome: Ebonyflesh
Game/DLC	Skyrim

Ebonyflesh is the Expert armor spell in Alteration and the strongest of the flesh spells. It raises the caster's armor rating by 100 points for one minute. Only the Master spell Dragonhide gives the caster more protection.

Ebonyflesh belongs to the late game, once Alteration reaches the Expert rank. Tolfdir at the College of Winterhold is the only merchant who sells the tome.

Spell Tome

Ebonyflesh is learned by reading Spell Tome: Ebonyflesh. Tolfdir sells the tome.

How It Plays

Ebonyflesh is a fire and forget spell cast on the caster. Once cast, it lasts a full minute, and the hands are free right away. The extra armor is best raised just before a fight begins.

A mage in robes gains the most from it. A robed caster's armor rating is low, so 100 extra points turn many heavy blows into light ones. Combined with the Mage Armor perk, the spell lets a mage stand up to warriors in close combat.

Perks and Builds

The Mage Armor perk multiplies the bonus while the caster wears no armor. The first rank doubles it to 200 points, the second raises it to 250 and the third to 300. Robes and plain clothing keep the bonus in place.

The Stability perk raises the duration to 90 seconds. Alteration Dual Casting stretches it further, and with both perks a single cast lasts more than three minutes. The Expert Alteration perk halves the cost.

A vampire with the Necromage perk gets 25% more armor from the spell and a longer duration. With Mage Armor on top, that bonus grows even larger.

Compared with Dragonhide

Dragonhide, the Master spell, works in a different way. It ignores 80% of all physical damage for 30 seconds instead of adding to the armor rating. Tolfdir himself calls his Dragonhide research an improvement on the Ebonyflesh spell. Ebonyflesh lasts twice as long and costs far less, so it stays useful even after Dragonhide is learned.

Training Alteration

Ebonyflesh trains Alteration only when an enemy is nearby, though combat is not needed. A mage can cast it over and over beside an enemy that cannot reach the caster, such as a caged wolf.

Cost and Value

Ebonyflesh costs 341 magicka at a skill of zero. It needs only one hand and about half a second to cast, which makes it the most practical of the strong armor spells. Tolfdir puts the tome on sale once Alteration reaches 65, and it can turn up as loot from around level 35.

Armor rating stops reducing physical damage at 80%, which a displayed rating of about 567 reaches. With three ranks of Mage Armor, Ebonyflesh alone adds 300 points, more than half of that cap. That alone gives a robed mage more than half of the protection that the best armor can offer, for a full minute.

Gameplay Tips

The first rank of the Mage Armor perk doubles the bonus to 200 points while the caster wears no armor.
The Stability perk raises the duration to 90 seconds.

Spell Categories

All Alteration Spells

Novice

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

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Candlelight	21	Fire and Forget	Creates a hovering light that lasts for 60 seconds.
Oakflesh	103	Fire and Forget	Improves the caster's armor rating by 40 points for 60 seconds.
Teleport Pet: Arachnia	0	Fire and Forget	Teleports Arachnia the spider.
Teleport Pet: Bone Wolf	0	Fire and Forget	Teleports Bone Wolf to your side.
Teleport Pet: Demented Elytra Nymph	0	Fire and Forget	Teleports pet Demented Elytra Nymph.
Teleport Pet: Dwarven Mudcrab	0	Fire and Forget	Teleports pet Dwarven Mudcrab.
Teleport Pet: Hilda	0	Fire and Forget	Teleports Hilda.
Teleport Pet: Manic Elytra Nymph	0	Fire and Forget	Teleports pet Manic Elytra Nymph.
Teleport Pet: Nix-Hound	0	Fire and Forget	Teleports Nix-Hound.
Teleport Pet: Skritch	0	Fire and Forget	Teleports Skritch.
Teleport Pet: Sweet Roll	0	Fire and Forget	Teleports Sweet Roll.
Teleport Pet: Thistle	0	Fire and Forget	Teleports Thistle.

Apprentice

Apprentice spells need a little practice in the school.

Name	Image	Cost	Casting	Effect
Magelight		84	Fire and Forget	Ball of light that lasts 60 seconds and sticks where it strikes.
Stoneflesh		194	Fire and Forget	Improves the caster's armor rating by 60 points for 60 seconds.

Adept

Adept spells are the middle rank and hit noticeably harder.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Detect Life	100 per second	Concentration	Nearby living creatures, but not undead, machines or daedra, can be seen through walls.
Ironflesh	266	Fire and Forget	Improves the caster's armor rating by 80 points for 60 seconds.
Telekinesis	170 per second	Concentration	Can pull an object to you from a distance. Add it to your inventory or throw it.
Transmute	100	-	Transmutes one piece of unrefined Iron ore to Silver, or Silver ore to Gold if the caster is carrying any.
Waterbreathing	222	Fire and Forget	Can breathe water for 60 seconds.
Ash Shell	251	Fire and Forget	Targets that fail to resist are immobilized in hardened ash for 30 seconds.
Master Transmute	100	-	Transmutes one piece of unrefined Iron or Silver ore to Gold if the caster is carrying any.
Paralysis Rune	172	Fire and Forget	Cast on a nearby surface, it explodes when enemies are nearby, immobilizing them for 8 seconds.

Expert

Expert spells are powerful and expensive to cast.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Detect Dead	148 per second	Concentration	Nearby dead can be seen through walls.
Ebonyflesh	341	Fire and Forget	Improves the caster's armor rating by 100 points for 60 seconds.
Paralyze	450	Fire and Forget	Targets that fail to resist are paralyzed for 10 seconds.
Ash Rune	418	Fire and Forget	Cast on a nearby surface, it explodes when enemies are nearby, immobilizing them in hardened ash for 30 seconds.

Master

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

Name	Image	Cost	Casting	Effect
Dragonhide		837	Fire and Forget	Caster ignores 80% of all physical damage for 30 seconds.
Mass Paralysis		937	Fire and Forget	All targets in the area that fail to resist are paralyzed for 15 seconds.