Magelight

School	Alteration
Level	Apprentice
Magicka Cost	84
Casting	Fire and Forget
Delivery	Aimed
Effect	Ball of light that lasts 60 seconds and sticks where it strikes.
Duration	60 seconds
Perk	Apprentice Alteration (1)
Spell Tome	Spell Tome: Magelight
Game/DLC	Skyrim

Magelight is an Apprentice Alteration spell that fires a small ball of light. The ball sticks to the first wall, floor or creature it hits and glows there for a minute. Candlelight keeps its light next to the caster. Magelight sends the light away, so the caster can light up a room and stay in the shadows.

Magelight is an early game spell. Most court wizards and Tolfdir at the College of Winterhold sell the tome. Faralda may also ask for it at the College gate during First Lessons.

Spell Tome

Magelight is learned by reading Spell Tome: Magelight. Calcelmo, Falion, Farengar Secret-Fire, Madena, Sybille Stentor, Tolfdir, Wuunferth the Unliving and Wylandriah sell the tome.

How It Plays

Magelight is an aimed fire and forget spell. The ball flies in a straight line until it touches something solid. There it stops and floats in the air as a bright light for a full minute. The caster can then stay in the dark while the room ahead is lit.

The light suits a stealthy explorer far better than Candlelight. A sneaking character can light a cave from its edge and study the layout before stepping in. The caster can still be seen or heard while casting, so the Quiet Casting perk helps.

Magelight cast on a living target makes a floating light follow that person or creature. It does not count as an attack. This tags an enemy for tracking in the dark, or marks a follower who keeps wandering off.

The Staff of Magelight casts the same light from its own charge, and a Scroll of Magelight does the same once. The Apprentice Alteration perk halves the cost of the spell.

Training Alteration

Magelight can be cast anywhere at any time for Alteration experience. A new mage can cast it at walls while walking between towns, as long as the ball lands on a surface. It is one of the easiest ways to raise Alteration in the early game.

Gameplay Tips

A light cast on a person or a creature follows them around, which makes an enemy easy to track.
A light cast at a wall draws enemies over to look at it. The Quiet Casting perk keeps the cast itself silent.

Notes

Faralda may ask to see this spell at the gate of the College of Winterhold during First Lessons. She teaches it for 30 gold to anyone who needs it.
Two lights can glow at the same time, one on a creature and one on a surface.

Spell Categories

All Alteration Spells

Novice

Novice spells are the first a mage learns and cost the least magicka.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Candlelight	21	Fire and Forget	Creates a hovering light that lasts for 60 seconds.
Oakflesh	103	Fire and Forget	Improves the caster's armor rating by 40 points for 60 seconds.
Teleport Pet: Arachnia	0	Fire and Forget	Teleports Arachnia the spider.
Teleport Pet: Bone Wolf	0	Fire and Forget	Teleports Bone Wolf to your side.
Teleport Pet: Demented Elytra Nymph	0	Fire and Forget	Teleports pet Demented Elytra Nymph.
Teleport Pet: Dwarven Mudcrab	0	Fire and Forget	Teleports pet Dwarven Mudcrab.
Teleport Pet: Hilda	0	Fire and Forget	Teleports Hilda.
Teleport Pet: Manic Elytra Nymph	0	Fire and Forget	Teleports pet Manic Elytra Nymph.
Teleport Pet: Nix-Hound	0	Fire and Forget	Teleports Nix-Hound.
Teleport Pet: Skritch	0	Fire and Forget	Teleports Skritch.
Teleport Pet: Sweet Roll	0	Fire and Forget	Teleports Sweet Roll.
Teleport Pet: Thistle	0	Fire and Forget	Teleports Thistle.

Apprentice

Apprentice spells need a little practice in the school.

Name	Image	Cost	Casting	Effect
Magelight		84	Fire and Forget	Ball of light that lasts 60 seconds and sticks where it strikes.
Stoneflesh		194	Fire and Forget	Improves the caster's armor rating by 60 points for 60 seconds.

Adept

Adept spells are the middle rank and hit noticeably harder.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Detect Life	100 per second	Concentration	Nearby living creatures, but not undead, machines or daedra, can be seen through walls.
Ironflesh	266	Fire and Forget	Improves the caster's armor rating by 80 points for 60 seconds.
Telekinesis	170 per second	Concentration	Can pull an object to you from a distance. Add it to your inventory or throw it.
Transmute	100	-	Transmutes one piece of unrefined Iron ore to Silver, or Silver ore to Gold if the caster is carrying any.
Waterbreathing	222	Fire and Forget	Can breathe water for 60 seconds.
Ash Shell	251	Fire and Forget	Targets that fail to resist are immobilized in hardened ash for 30 seconds.
Master Transmute	100	-	Transmutes one piece of unrefined Iron or Silver ore to Gold if the caster is carrying any.
Paralysis Rune	172	Fire and Forget	Cast on a nearby surface, it explodes when enemies are nearby, immobilizing them for 8 seconds.

Expert

Expert spells are powerful and expensive to cast.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Detect Dead	148 per second	Concentration	Nearby dead can be seen through walls.
Ebonyflesh	341	Fire and Forget	Improves the caster's armor rating by 100 points for 60 seconds.
Paralyze	450	Fire and Forget	Targets that fail to resist are paralyzed for 10 seconds.
Ash Rune	418	Fire and Forget	Cast on a nearby surface, it explodes when enemies are nearby, immobilizing them in hardened ash for 30 seconds.

Master

Master spells are the strongest in the school and need the most skill.

Name	Image	Cost	Casting	Effect
Dragonhide		837	Fire and Forget	Caster ignores 80% of all physical damage for 30 seconds.
Mass Paralysis		937	Fire and Forget	All targets in the area that fail to resist are paralyzed for 15 seconds.