Vampire's Bane

School	Restoration
Level	Adept
Magicka Cost	72
Casting	Fire and Forget
Delivery	Aimed
Effect	Sunlight explosion that does 40 points of damage in a 15 foot radius to undead.
Duration	-
Perk	Adept Restoration (1)
Spell Tome	Spell Tome: Vampire's Bane
Game/DLC	Dawnguard

Vampire's Bane is an Adept Restoration spell from the Dawnguard add-on. It throws a burst of sunlight that explodes on impact, dealing 40 points of damage to undead within 15 feet. It works like a Fireball made only for the undead, and the living are untouched.

Vampire's Bane comes with the Dawnguard DLC. Florentius Baenius sells the tome at Fort Dawnguard once he has been rescued in the quest Bolstering the Ranks.

Spell Tome

Vampire's Bane is learned by reading Spell Tome: Vampire's Bane. Florentius Baenius sells the tome.

How It Plays

Vampire's Bane is an aimed fire and forget spell. It throws a ball of sunlight that bursts on impact. Every undead creature within 15 feet of the blast takes sun damage over a couple of seconds. The living are left untouched, so the spell is safe to throw into a crowd that mixes friends and undead.

The spell works like a Fireball made only for the undead. It shines against groups of draugr in a tomb, or a pack of vampires and their thralls. A Restoration mage gains a real area attack without any points in Destruction.

Compared with the Other Sun Spells

Sun Fire, the Apprentice sun spell, hits a single undead target. Stendarr's Aura, the other Adept sun spell, burns undead that stand next to the caster for a full minute. Vampire's Bane reaches groups of undead at range.

Perks and Builds

The Adept Restoration perk halves the cost of the spell. Necromage makes it much stronger against undead. Restoration Dual Casting stretches its duration.

Cost and Value

Vampire's Bane costs 72 magicka at a skill of zero for 40 points of damage in a 15 foot radius. Fireball costs 133 magicka for the same damage and radius, but it also burns the living. Against undead, the sun spell is the far cheaper blast.

The spell is a strong answer to a vampire attack on a town. It harms only the undead, so guards, townsfolk and followers caught in the blast take no damage. A mage can fire into the middle of a crowd without fear of hurting friends or earning a bounty.

Gameplay Tips

The Necromage perk makes the spell hit undead harder.

Notes

The tome carries the symbol of Destruction, even though Vampire's Bane is a Restoration spell.
Florentius Baenius sells the tome at Fort Dawnguard. A member of the Volkihar Clan can calm him with Calm or Pacify and buy it anyway.

Spell Categories

All Restoration Spells

Novice

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

Name	Image	Cost	Casting	Effect
Healing		12 per second	Concentration	Heals the caster 10 points per second.
Lesser Ward		34 per second	Concentration	Increases armor rating by 40 points and negates up to 40 points of spell damage or effects.

Apprentice

Apprentice spells need a little practice in the school.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Fast Healing	73	Fire and Forget	Heals the caster 50 points.
Healing Hands	25 per second	Concentration	Heals the target 10 points per second, but not undead, atronachs or machines.
Steadfast Ward	58 per second	Concentration	Increases armor rating by 60 points and negates up to 60 points of spell damage or effects.
Turn Lesser Undead	84	Fire and Forget	Undead up to level 6 flee for 30 seconds.
Necromantic Healing	37 per second	Concentration	Heals the undead target 10 points per second, but not the living, atronachs or machines.
Sun Fire	24	Fire and Forget	Ball of sunlight that does 25 points of damage to undead.

Adept

Adept spells are the middle rank and hit noticeably harder.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Close Wounds	126	Fire and Forget	Heals the caster 100 points.
Greater Ward	86 per second	Concentration	Increases armor rating by 80 points and negates up to 80 points of spell damage or effects.
Heal Other	80	Fire and Forget	Heals the target 75 points, but not undead, atronachs or machines.
Repel Lesser Undead	115	Fire and Forget	All affected undead up to level 8 flee for 30 seconds.
Turn Undead	168	Fire and Forget	Undead up to level 13 flee for 30 seconds.
Heal Undead	115	Fire and Forget	Heals the undead target 75 points, but not the living, atronachs or machines.
Stendarr's Aura	248	Fire and Forget	For 60 seconds, undead in melee range take 10 points sun damage per second.
Vampire's Bane	72	Fire and Forget	Sunlight explosion that does 40 points of damage in a 15 foot radius to undead.
Poison Rune	246	Fire and Forget	Targets that fail to resist take 3 points of poison damage per second for 30 seconds.

Expert

Expert spells are powerful and expensive to cast.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Circle of Protection	171	Fire and Forget	Undead up to level 20 entering the circle will flee.
Grand Healing	254	Fire and Forget	Heals everyone close to the caster 200 points.
Repel Undead	353	Fire and Forget	All affected undead up to level 16 flee for 30 seconds.
Turn Greater Undead	267	Fire and Forget	Undead up to level 21 flee for 30 seconds.

Master

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

Name	Image	Cost	Casting	Effect
Bane of the Undead		988	Fire and Forget	Sets undead up to level 30 on fire and makes them flee for 30 seconds.
Guardian Circle		716	Fire and Forget	Undead up to level 35 entering the circle will flee. Caster heals 20 health per second inside it.