Lightning Rune

School	Destruction
Level	Apprentice
Magicka Cost	323
Casting	Fire and Forget
Delivery	Target Location
Effect	Cast on a nearby surface, it explodes for 50 points of shock damage when enemies come near.
Duration	-
Perk	Apprentice Destruction (1)
Spell Tome	Spell Tome: Lightning Rune
Game/DLC	Skyrim

Lightning Rune is an Apprentice Destruction spell that sets a trap of shock magic. The caster places a glowing rune on the ground or a wall. When an enemy comes near, the rune explodes for 50 points of shock damage. Fire Rune and Frost Rune are its partners in the other two elements.

Lightning 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

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

How It Plays

Lightning 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 the floor or wall as a glowing circle. When an enemy walks close, it bursts in a crackle of lightning.

The blast hurts health and drains magicka as well. Enemy mages who walk into it lose magicka they need for wards and spells. Very few enemies resist shock, so the rune works against almost anything that triggers it.

A rune deals more damage than most early spells. Its 50 points beat the 40 points of Chain Lightning, though Lightning Rune is only an Apprentice spell. It also costs the most of the three Destruction runes. Another Destruction spell can set off the rune from a distance, which turns it into a delayed bomb.

Uses in Dungeons

Runes are ideal openers for a stealthy mage. A rune laid on a patrol path or in a doorway hits the first enemy who walks by. The caster can watch the guards' routes first and then place the rune where they will step.

Runes also help in Nordic barrows. A draugr resting in a wall niche or a coffin still sets off a rune placed close by. This wakes the draugr one at a time, and the rune hurts each one before it can climb out.

Perks and Builds

The Apprentice Destruction perk halves the cost of Lightning Rune. The Rune Master perk lets the caster place runes five times farther away, so a rune can land right under a distant enemy. Dual casting overcharges the rune for a much bigger blast.

Runes are a fast way to train Destruction. Each enemy caught in the blast gives experience, so a rune that hits several enemies gives several times as much. Storm Atronachs resist shock, so a fire or frost rune works better against a conjurer who calls them.

Early and Late Game

Lightning Rune is at its strongest early on. An Apprentice caster gets a blast stronger than Chain Lightning long before the Adept rank. The rune costs 323 magicka at a skill of zero, the most of the three runes, so the Apprentice Destruction perk and cost reducing robes make a big difference.

The rune falls behind later in the game. The Augmented Shock perk passes it by, while the other shock spells gain up to half again in damage from it. A single rune rarely kills a strong enemy on its own. It works best as an opener that softens a target before other spells finish it.

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 lay a rune in the path of an unaware enemy mage. The mage loses magicka in the blast before it can raise a ward.

Lightning 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.

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.