Frost Cloak

School	Destruction
Level	Adept
Magicka Cost	316
Casting	Fire and Forget
Delivery	Self
Effect	For 60 seconds, opponents in melee range take 8 points frost damage and Stamina damage per second.
Duration	60 seconds
Perk	Adept Destruction (1)
Spell Tome	Spell Tome: Frost Cloak
Game/DLC	Skyrim

Frost Cloak is an Adept Destruction spell that wraps the caster in ice for one minute. Enemies who come within melee range take 8 points of frost damage every second, and their stamina drains too. It slowly wears down foes who fight up close.

Frost Cloak belongs to the middle of the game, once Destruction reaches the Adept rank. Faralda at the College of Winterhold and several court wizards sell the tome. Flame Cloak and Lightning Cloak are its partners in the other two elements.

Spell Tome

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

How It Plays

Frost Cloak is a fire and forget spell cast on the caster. Once cast, it chills every nearby enemy for a full minute with no further effort. The caster's hands are free at once for a weapon, a ward or another spell.

The stamina drain is the strength of the cloak. Bandits, bears and wolves fight in melee, so they spend the whole fight inside the cold. Their stamina falls each second, which makes power attacks and shield bashes harder to land. The cloak suits any fight against a pack of melee enemies.

The cloak keeps working while the caster swims. Slaughterfish that bite a swimming caster take damage, even though the caster cannot strike back in the water.

Compared with the Other Cloaks

All three cloaks deal the same base damage for one minute. Flame Cloak costs the least and sets enemies on fire. Lightning Cloak costs the most and drains magicka, which hurts enemy mages. Frost Cloak sits in the middle on cost and drains stamina, which hurts warriors and beasts.

Frost has the most resistant enemies of the three elements. Nords and vampires resist frost, and Frost Atronachs ignore it. Against them, Flame Cloak or Lightning Cloak does more.

Blizzard, the Master frost spell, works like a much larger and stronger Frost Cloak. It covers a far wider circle, but it lasts only ten seconds.

Perks and Builds

The Adept Destruction perk halves the cost of Frost Cloak. The Dukaan dragon priest mask from the Dragonborn DLC raises frost damage by 25%.

A flesh spell from Alteration, such as Ironflesh, pairs well with any cloak. The armor spell absorbs blows while the cloak wears enemies down.

Cost and Limits

Frost Cloak has a base cost of 316 magicka. Flame Cloak costs 289 and Lightning Cloak 370. One cast covers a full minute of fighting, so the cloak is cheap for the damage it deals in a long brawl.

Fortify Destruction potions and gear raise the cloak's damage and its reach. The Augmented Frost perk is the odd one out, since the base game leaves cloak damage outside its bonus.

Casting any cloak spell dismisses the caster's summoned creatures, a dead thrall included. A conjurer should raise the cloak first and call the summons afterwards.

Enemy Casters

Cryomancers, the stronger ice mages of the warlock lairs, wrap themselves in Frost Cloak. A melee fighter who closes in on one loses stamina every second. Shock spells drain the mage's magicka and cut the fight short.

A Frost Atronach carries a frost aura of its own. Anyone who fights it up close takes frost damage, much like an enemy standing inside Frost Cloak.

Gameplay Tips

Dual casting widens the ring of frost around the caster.
The cloak spares followers, so it is safe to use in a crowded fight.

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.