Vampiric Drain

School	Destruction
Level	-
Magicka Cost	6 per second
Casting	Concentration
Delivery	Aimed
Effect	Absorb 2 to 5 points of health per second from the target.
Duration	-
Spell Tome	-
Game/DLC	Skyrim

Vampiric Drain is the spell every vampire knows. It drains health from the target in a steady stream and heals the caster with it. The spell grows stronger as the vampirism advances through its stages.

Vampiric Drain comes with Sanguinare Vampiris, the disease that turns a character into a vampire. It stays only as long as the vampirism lasts.

How It Plays

Vampiric Drain is a Novice concentration spell that works like Flames or Sparks. It streams from the hand for as long as the button is held. Each second it takes health from the target and gives the same amount to the caster. The spell suits a vampire who wants to heal in the middle of a fight without a potion or a Restoration spell.

The damage is small at first. At the first stage of vampirism, the stream drains 2 health per second for 6 magicka per second. Each later stage raises both the drain and the cost. A vampire at the last stage, who has gone longest without feeding, has the strongest drain.

The spell works differently from normal Destruction spells. It counts more like a power, so casting it gives no Destruction experience.

Vampire Lord Form and Cure

The Dawnguard DLC adds the Vampire Lord form. In that form, Vampiric Drain becomes a missile that sits in the right hand at all times. Killing living enemies with it advances the Vampire Lord perk tree.

Curing vampirism removes the spell. Falion in Morthal performs the cure through the quest Rising at Dawn. Vampiric Drain also appears in Battlespire.

Stages of the Drain

The strength of the spell follows the stage of vampirism. Stage one drains 2 health per second for 6 magicka per second. Stage two drains 3 health for 10 magicka, stage three drains 4 health for 13 magicka, and stage four drains 5 health for 17 magicka.

A vampire moves up one stage for every day without feeding on a sleeping person. Feeding always returns the vampire to stage one. That makes the strongest drain the price of going hungry, with all the other drawbacks of the late stages.

Dual casting keeps the same strength, so one hand is enough for the stream. The spell also works like Flames, as a short stream rather than a projectile, so the caster has to stay close to the target.

Enemy Vampires

Enemy vampires cast their own versions of Vampiric Drain. A character hit by it can catch Sanguinare Vampiris. The disease turns its victim into a vampire unless it is cured within three days. A Cure Disease potion or a prayer at a shrine removes it before that happens.

Serana from the Dawnguard DLC uses Vampiric Drain in battle, often with Ice Spike in the other hand.

Notes

Serana keeps casting the spell even after she is cured of vampirism.

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.