Fireball

School	Destruction
Level	Adept
Magicka Cost	133
Casting	Fire and Forget
Delivery	Aimed
Effect	A fiery explosion for 40 points of damage in a 15 foot radius. Targets on fire take extra damage.
Duration	-
Perk	Adept Destruction (1)
Spell Tome	Spell Tome: Fireball
Game/DLC	Skyrim

Fireball is the Adept fire spell in Destruction. It hurls a ball of fire that explodes on impact and burns everyone within 15 feet. Burning targets take extra damage for a few seconds after the blast. It becomes a mage's main weapon in the middle of the game, once Destruction reaches the Adept rank. Court wizards and the College of Winterhold sell the tome.

Fireball is the go-to spell against a group of enemies. Incinerate is the stronger Expert spell for a single target, and Fire Storm is the Master spell that burns everything around the caster.

Spell Tome

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

How It Plays

Fireball is a fire and forget spell. It flies out as a fast ball of flame. The ball bursts when it touches an enemy, a wall or the ground. Every enemy inside the blast takes the full damage and catches fire.

The spell reaches farther than the area spells of the other two elements. That long reach lets a mage open a fight from the far side of a room or a camp.

The blast also burns friends. Followers who charge into melee can be caught in it, so a fire mage has to wait for a clear shot. The explosion can set off fire runes, oil slicks and pockets of flammable gas. One Fireball into an oil slick can finish a whole room of bandits or draugr.

Compared with Ice Storm and Chain Lightning

Each element has its own Adept area spell. Ice Storm sends out a slow spinning cloud of ice that hurts everything it passes through. It has a much shorter reach than Fireball and struggles to catch fast enemies. It also drains stamina and slows its victims.

Chain Lightning strikes at once and then leaps to a second target. It is easier to land on a moving enemy, but it reaches less far than Fireball. Shock damage also drains magicka, which makes Chain Lightning the better choice against enemy mages.

Fireball has the lowest magicka cost of the three. Fire is the cheapest Destruction element, and it hurts trolls and other creatures that are weak to fire. Its weak spot is fire resistance. Dark Elves resist half of all fire damage, and Flame Atronachs are immune to it.

Perks and Builds

The Adept Destruction perk halves the magicka cost of Fireball. It needs a Destruction skill of 50. Augmented Flames makes every fire spell stronger, and a fire mage usually takes both ranks. Intense Flames makes badly hurt enemies run away from the fight.

Destruction Dual Casting overcharges Fireball into a stronger blast when the spell sits in both hands. The Impact perk adds a stagger to a dual cast Fireball. A staggered enemy loses its attack and gives the caster time for the next cast.

The Aspect of Terror perk in Illusion adds extra damage to fire spells. A fire mage who also takes Illusion gets a strong boost to every Fireball. The Ahzidal dragon priest mask from the Dragonborn DLC raises fire damage by 25%. Fortify Destruction enchantments and a Potion of Destruction lower the cost or raise the damage further.

Staves and Scrolls

A mage without the spell can still throw it from a staff. The Staff of Fireballs casts the same blast, and so does the Eye of Melka, a unique staff. Staves use their own charge instead of the caster's magicka. A staff of this kind is a good way for a warrior to carry a group attack.

Fireball scrolls also turn up as loot and in shops. A scroll casts the spell once at full strength and then disappears. Scrolls suit a character who has no points in Destruction.

Lore

Fireball is one of the oldest spells in the series. It appears in Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind and Oblivion, as well as in Skyrim. The in-game description of Destruction names it first among the spells the skill makes easier to cast.

Many enemy mages in Skyrim use fire magic. Fire mages and pyromancers specialise in it. Their fireballs can be blocked with a ward from the Restoration school.

Cost and Damage

Fireball has a base cost of 133 magicka for 40 points of damage to every enemy in the blast. Against a single enemy, Firebolt gives more damage for the magicka, since it costs 41 for 25 points. Against three enemies standing close together, one Fireball deals 120 points in total for the same cast.

The tome goes on sale once Destruction reaches 40. The Adept Destruction perk that halves the cost needs a skill of 50, so the spell feels expensive for the first ten points after it is learned.

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

Pairings

Fireball pairs well with other fire spells. Flame Cloak keeps nearby enemies burning, and a burning target takes extra damage from the next blast. A fire mage with both ranks of Augmented Flames and the Aspect of Terror perk throws a Fireball that hits for up to 75 points before any gear or potions.

Fireball is a simple projectile that flies a long way before it fades. That reach makes it useful almost anywhere in Skyrim, from open hillsides to long dungeon halls.

Gameplay Tips

The Augmented Flames perk raises the damage to 50, and to 60 at the second rank. The Aspect of Terror perk in Illusion adds 10 more.
Dual casting overcharges the blast, and with the Impact perk it staggers the enemy it strikes directly.
The Intense Flames perk makes badly hurt enemies flee in fear.

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.