Frostbite

School	Destruction
Level	Novice
Magicka Cost	16 per second
Casting	Concentration
Delivery	Aimed
Effect	A blast of cold that does 8 points of damage per second to Health and Stamina.
Duration	-
Perk	Novice Destruction (1)
Spell Tome	Spell Tome: Frostbite
Game/DLC	Skyrim

Frostbite is the Novice frost spell in Destruction. It sprays a stream of cold that hurts both health and stamina. Targets caught in it also slow down. Ice Spike is the next frost spell, and it hits from much farther away.

Frostbite belongs to the opening hours of the game. Every race starts with Flames, and Dark Elves also start with Sparks, so Frostbite is the one Novice element spell that has to be bought or found. Most court wizards sell the tome, as do the Riverwood Trader and Faralda at the College of Winterhold.

Spell Tome

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

Location

One copy of the tome lies on a table in the Oculory in Mzulft. The quest Revealing the Unseen needs the spell in that same room.

How It Plays

Frostbite is a concentration spell. It drains magicka every second the hand stays open, and the stream reaches only a short way. Each second of contact hurts the target's health and stamina by the same amount. The cold also slows the target for a few seconds.

The stamina damage is the real strength of the spell. A bandit or a warrior with an empty stamina bar has a hard time landing power attacks or shield bashes. The slow effect keeps the enemy from closing in quickly. Frostbite is a good defensive spray for a mage who is caught in melee.

Frost has more resistant enemies than the other elements. Nords resist frost, and they are the most common people in Skyrim. Vampires resist it strongly, and Frost Atronachs ignore it. Against those foes, Flames or Sparks does a better job.

Compared with Flames and Sparks

Each element has its own Novice spray. Flames costs the least and sets targets on fire. Sparks costs the most, strikes at once and drains magicka. Frostbite sits in the middle on cost, and it is the only one of the three that drains stamina and slows the target.

A mage who mixes elements can carry all three and switch by enemy. Frostbite suits charging warriors and beasts. Flames suits trolls and draugr, and Sparks suits enemy mages.

Perks and Builds

The Novice Destruction perk halves the cost of Frostbite. Augmented Frost raises the damage of every frost spell. Deep Freeze paralyzes enemies whose health falls low, which can end a fight early. The Dukaan dragon priest mask from the Dragonborn DLC raises frost damage by 25%.

The Staff of Frostbite casts the same stream from its own charge. It suits a warrior who wants to slow an enemy without spending magicka. Frostbite also appears in Daggerfall, Morrowind and Oblivion.

Enemy Casters

Frostbite is one of the most common spells in enemy hands. Restless draugr in Nordic tombs cast it, and the cold slows the player and drains stamina. Novice ice mages in warlock lairs fight with Frostbite and Lesser Ward.

Draugr resist half of all frost damage. Turning Frostbite back on them is a poor trade, and Flames does far more in a barrow. Nords also resist half of all frost, so a Nord character takes less from enemy Frostbite than other races do.

Cost and Damage

Frostbite costs 16 magicka per second at a skill of zero. That sits between Flames at 14 and Sparks at 19 for the same 8 points of damage each second. The stream drains the same amount from the target's stamina.

A higher Destruction skill only lowers the cost of the stream. Extra damage comes from the Augmented Frost perk, potions and gear. Destruction Dual Casting makes the dual cast stream stronger. The stagger from the Impact perk only applies to charged spells such as Ice Spike, so a dual cast Frostbite deals damage without a stagger.

Gameplay Tips

The Augmented Frost perk raises the damage to 10 points per second, and to 12 at the second rank.
The Deep Freeze perk paralyzes enemies when their health runs low.

Notes

During Revealing the Unseen, Frostbite is cast at the Oculory to move its beams of light into place.

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.