Fire Rune

School	Destruction
Level	Apprentice
Magicka Cost	234
Casting	Fire and Forget
Delivery	Target Location
Effect	Cast on a nearby surface, it explodes for 50 points of fire damage when enemies come near.
Duration	-
Perk	Apprentice Destruction (1)
Spell Tome	Spell Tome: Fire Rune
Game/DLC	Skyrim

Fire Rune is an Apprentice Destruction spell that sets a magic trap. The caster places a glowing rune on the ground or a wall. When an enemy comes near, the rune explodes for 50 points of fire damage and sets the target alight. Frost Rune and Lightning Rune work the same way with the other two elements.

Fire Rune is an early game spell, open once Destruction reaches the Apprentice rank. Faralda at the College of Winterhold and most court wizards sell the tome.

Spell Tome

Fire Rune is learned by reading Spell Tome: Fire Rune. Calcelmo, Enthir, Falion, Faralda, Farengar Secret-Fire, Madena, Sybille Stentor, Wuunferth the Unliving, Wylandriah and Talvas Fathryon sell the tome.

How It Plays

Fire Rune takes about a second to charge. The crosshair shows whether the chosen spot is a valid surface within range. The rune then sticks to that floor or wall as a glowing circle of runes. It waits there until an enemy walks close, and then it explodes.

A rune deals more damage than most early spells. Its 50 points of fire damage beat the 40 points of Fireball, though Fire Rune is only an Apprentice spell. The burn adds a little more damage after the blast.

Runes suit a careful, patient fighter. A rune placed in a doorway or on a patrol path makes a strong opening to a fight. Another Destruction spell can set off a rune from a distance, which turns it into a delayed bomb.

Runes in Barrows

Runes have a special use against draugr. A draugr resting in a wall niche or a coffin still sets off a rune placed close to it. This wakes the draugr one at a time, so a large crypt can be cleared without facing the whole group at once. The rune also hurts the draugr before it can climb out.

Draugr resist half of all frost damage, so fire and shock serve better in barrows than frost. Fire Rune is a good first rune for a character who expects to spend a lot of time in Nordic tombs.

Perks and Builds

The Apprentice Destruction perk halves the cost of Fire Rune. The Rune Master perk lets the caster place runes five times farther away. That turns the rune into a long range attack, since a rune can be placed right under a distant enemy.

Dual casting overcharges the rune for a much bigger blast.

Fire Rune is a strong way to train Destruction. Each enemy caught in the blast gives experience, so a rune that hits five enemies gives five times as much. The Dawnguard Rune Hammer from the Dawnguard DLC also places a Fire Rune with a bash, and those runes train Destruction too.

Early and Late Game

Fire Rune is at its strongest early on. An Apprentice caster with a few points in Destruction gets a blast stronger than Fireball long before the Adept rank. Novice and apprentice robes that lower Destruction costs make the rune affordable on a small magicka bar.

The rune falls behind later in the game. The Augmented Flames perk passes it by, while Fireball and Incinerate gain up to half again in damage from that perk. Fire Rune also costs 234 magicka at a skill of zero, far more than the 133 of Fireball. By the late game, the rune works best as a trap or an opener rather than as a main attack.

Placing Runes

A rune can only be placed within about 20 feet of the caster. The Rune Master perk raises that reach to 100 feet. With the perk, a rune can be dropped right at the feet of a distant enemy for an instant blast.

The Quiet Casting perk in Illusion makes every spell silent to others, runes included. A sneaking mage can then lay a trap close to enemies without giving away the hiding spot.

Fire Rune tomes also turn up as loot in chests and on the bodies of mages and draugr.

Gameplay Tips

The Rune Master perk lets the caster place runes five times farther away.
Fire Rune sits outside the Augmented Flames perk, so its damage stays at 50.

Notes

A bash with the Rune Hammer from the Dawnguard add-on also places a Fire Rune, using stamina in place of magicka.

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.