Mayhem

School	Illusion
Level	Master
Magicka Cost	990
Casting	Fire and Forget
Delivery	Self
Effect	Creatures and people up to level 25 will attack anyone nearby for 60 seconds.
Duration	60 seconds
Perk	Master Illusion (1)
Spell Tome	Spell Tome: Mayhem
Game/DLC	Skyrim

Mayhem is the Master version of Fury and Frenzy. Every creature and person up to level 25 within 250 feet of the caster attacks anyone nearby for one minute. Cast at the edge of an enemy camp or the entrance of a dungeon, it sets the whole place fighting itself.

Mayhem is an end game spell. Drevis Neloren sells the tome at the College of Winterhold once the Illusion Ritual Spell quest is done.

Spell Tome

Mayhem is learned by reading Spell Tome: Mayhem. Drevis Neloren sells the tome.

How It Plays

Mayhem is a Master ritual spell that needs both hands and a charge before it goes off. When it lands, every valid target in a huge circle around the caster attacks whoever is nearby for a full minute. Bandits fight bandits, draugr fight draugr, and the caster can stand back and watch.

Compared with Fury and Frenzy

Fury, the Novice spell, frenzies a single target up to level 6. Frenzy, the Adept spell, frenzies a small group up to level 14. Mayhem frenzies everything up to level 25 in a vast radius. It costs far more magicka and takes much longer to cast than either.

Perks and Builds

The Master Illusion perk halves the large magicka cost of Mayhem. Animage, Kindred Mage and Rage raise the level limit and stack with each other. Master of the Mind lets the spell work on undead, Daedra and Dwarven automatons. Dragons are immune to all Illusion magic.

The Quiet Casting perk keeps the cast silent, which helps a hidden caster stay unseen while the enemies tear into each other. Frenzied people who are attacked by the caster tend to turn on the caster, so staying out of the fight pays off.

Quest Background

Mayhem becomes available after the Illusion Ritual Spell quest. Drevis Neloren sends the caster after four hidden Master Illusion texts that can only be seen with the spell Vision of the Tenth Eye. He gives Hysteria as the reward and then sells Call to Arms, Harmony and Mayhem.

Reach and Risks

The area of Mayhem is enormous. Cast in the middle of Whiterun, it covers almost the whole city, from the market up toward Dragonsreach. In a town, that reach can cost the lives of merchants and other townsfolk who are caught in the brawl.

Anyone who sees the cast reports it, so the spell is best kept for dungeons, camps and battlefields. Cast at the entrance of a Forsworn camp or a dungeon, it turns the whole place into a free for all. The caster is often left with a single weakened survivor to finish.

Mayhem costs 990 magicka at a skill of zero. The Master Illusion perk halves that cost, and Fortify Illusion gear lowers it further.

Gameplay Tips

The Rage perk lets the spell work on targets 12 levels higher, and the Kindred Mage perk adds 10 more levels against people.

Spell Categories

All Illusion Spells

Novice

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

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Clairvoyance	25 per second	Concentration	Shows the path to the current goal.
Courage	39	Fire and Forget	Target won't flee for 60 seconds and gets some extra health and stamina.
Fury	67	Fire and Forget	Creatures and people up to level 6 will attack anything nearby for 30 seconds.

Apprentice

Apprentice spells need a little practice in the school.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Calm	146	Fire and Forget	Creatures and people up to level 9 won't fight for 30 seconds.
Fear	153	Fire and Forget	Creatures and people up to level 9 flee from combat for 30 seconds.
Muffle	144	Fire and Forget	You move more quietly for 180 seconds.

Adept

Adept spells are the middle rank and hit noticeably harder.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Frenzy	209	Fire and Forget	Creatures and people up to level 14 will attack anyone nearby for 60 seconds.
Rally	113	Fire and Forget	Targets won't flee for 60 seconds and get extra health and stamina.
Frenzy Rune	278	Fire and Forget	Targets up to level 20 that fail to resist are frenzied for 30 seconds.
Orum's Aquatic Escape	165	Fire and Forget	Caster is invisible for 15 seconds. Activating an object or attacking will break the spell. Can breathe water for 15 seconds. Improved night vision for 15 seconds.

Expert

Expert spells are powerful and expensive to cast.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Invisibility	334	Fire and Forget	Caster is invisible for 30 seconds. Activating an object or attacking will break the spell.
Pacify	290	Fire and Forget	Creatures and people up to level 20 won't fight for 60 seconds.
Rout	316	Fire and Forget	Creatures and people up to level 20 flee from combat for 30 seconds.
Fenrik's Welcome	116	Fire and Forget	Caster becomes invisible and can open locks with level Expert and below for 5 seconds. Activating an object or attacking will break the spell.

Master

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

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Call to Arms	655	Fire and Forget	Targets have improved combat skills, health and stamina for 10 minutes.
Harmony	1052	Fire and Forget	Creatures and people up to level 25 nearby won't fight for 60 seconds.
Hysteria	866	Fire and Forget	Creatures and people up to level 25 flee from combat for 60 seconds.
Mayhem	990	Fire and Forget	Creatures and people up to level 25 will attack anyone nearby for 60 seconds.