Firebolt

School	Destruction
Level	Apprentice
Magicka Cost	41
Casting	Fire and Forget
Delivery	Aimed
Effect	A blast of fire that does 25 points of damage. Targets on fire take extra damage.
Duration	-
Perk	Apprentice Destruction (1)
Spell Tome	Spell Tome: Firebolt
Game/DLC	Skyrim

Firebolt is the Apprentice fire spell in Destruction. It throws a bolt of fire for 25 points of damage and sets the target alight. Flames only reaches a few steps, while Firebolt hits enemies well before they close in. Fireball is the Adept step up, with an explosion that catches a whole group.

It suits the early game, once Destruction reaches the Apprentice rank. Faralda sells the tome at the gate of the College of Winterhold, and most court wizards sell it too.

Spell Tome

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

How It Plays

Firebolt is a fire and forget spell. Unlike Flames, which sprays a steady stream, Firebolt needs a short charge before it flies. The bolt then travels across the room like a thrown fireball. A moving target needs to be led a little.

The bolt sets the target on fire, and a burning enemy keeps taking damage for a moment after the hit. Fire hurts trolls and other creatures that are weak to it. Dark Elves resist half of all fire damage, and Flame Atronachs ignore it.

Firebolt gives a lot of damage for its cost. Apprentice spells give more damage per point of magicka than the Expert bolts.

The bolt can also set off fire runes, oil slicks and pockets of flammable gas from a safe distance.

Compared with Ice Spike and Lightning Bolt

Each element has its own Apprentice bolt with the same base damage. Ice Spike drains stamina and slows the target. Lightning Bolt strikes at once and drains magicka, but it reaches less far. Firebolt costs the least of the three, and its burn adds a little extra damage.

Incinerate is the Expert fire bolt that hits more than twice as hard. It costs about seven times as much magicka, so Firebolt stays the better choice for weak enemies.

Perks and Builds

The Apprentice Destruction perk halves the cost of Firebolt. Augmented Flames raises its damage in two ranks, and Intense Flames makes badly hurt enemies flee. With the Impact perk, a dual cast Firebolt staggers the target.

The Aspect of Terror perk in Illusion adds 10 points to fire spells, or 15 points with both ranks of Augmented Flames. That bonus is large compared with Firebolt's base damage. The Ahzidal dragon priest mask from the Dragonborn DLC raises fire damage by 25%.

The Staff of Firebolts casts the same bolt from its own charge. It suits a warrior who wants a ranged fire attack without spending magicka.

First Lessons

Faralda guards the bridge to the College of Winterhold. She asks newcomers to show their skill with a spell before she lets them in. Firebolt is one of the spells she may ask to see. A visitor who has not learned it can buy the tome from her on the spot and cast it right away.

Cost and Damage

Firebolt has a base cost of 41 magicka for 25 points of damage. That is the best damage for the magicka of any Destruction bolt in the base game. Ice Spike costs 48 and Lightning Bolt costs 51 for the same base damage. Incinerate costs 298 magicka for 60 points.

A higher Destruction skill only lowers the cost of each cast. Extra damage comes from perks, potions and enchanted gear. Dual casting packs 2.2 times the power into one bolt for 2.8 times the magicka. On magicka alone that is a poor trade, but the stagger from the Impact perk can be worth it against a tough enemy.

Followers Who Cast It

Several followers throw Firebolt in battle. Marcurio, the hired mage at the Bee and Barb in Riften, mixes it with his shock spells. Brelyna Maryon, a student at the College of Winterhold, opens each fight with Oakflesh and then attacks with Flames and Firebolt.

Apprentice fire mages and fire mage adepts in warlock lairs also cast Firebolt. A ward from the Restoration school blocks their bolts.

Training Destruction

Firebolt is a cheap way to train Destruction. The skill only rises when a spell actually damages a valid target. A conjured Frost Atronach makes a handy practice target, since creatures of frost are weak to fire.

Wuunferth the Unliving in Windhelm, Sybille Stentor in Solitude and Faralda at the College of Winterhold train the skill for gold. Five skill books also raise it: The Art of War Magic, Horror of Castle Xyr, A Hypothetical Treachery, Mystery of Talara, v3 and Response to Bero's Speech.

Gameplay Tips

The Augmented Flames perk raises the damage to 31, and to 37 at the second rank.
With the Impact perk, a dual cast Firebolt staggers the target.
The Intense Flames perk makes badly hurt enemies flee in fear.

Notes

Faralda may ask to see this spell at the gate of the College of Winterhold during First Lessons. She sells the tome on the spot to anyone who needs it.

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.