Skyrim:Powers
This page lists all of the Powers in Skyrim and the Dragonborn expansion, both Greater and Lesser, as well as all of the abilities available to the player. Powers and abilities are special magical capabilities that are innate to your character. Some are granted by your race; others are received by activating Standing Stones, reading Black BooksDB, becoming a vampire or werewolf, equipping certain items or completing certain quests. Greater Powers have no Magicka cost, but can only be used once per day. Lesser Powers may or may not use Magicka, but they can be used as often as you like. Abilities are magical effects that are permanently active.
Dragon Shouts are listed on a separate page.
Contents
Greater Powers[edit]
Your available Greater and Lesser Powers are listed in the magic menu under "Powers". To use a power you must first equip it, which it assigns it to the Dragon Shout/Power button. Each Greater Power can only be used once per game day.
Name | Spell ID | Description | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Adrenaline Rush | 000e40ce | Stamina regenerates 10x faster for 60 seconds. | Redguard racial power. |
Ancestor's Wrath | 000e40d4 | For 60 seconds, opponents that get too close take 8 points per second of fire damage. | Dunmer racial power. |
Battle Cry | 000e40c3 | Targets flee for 30 seconds. | Nord racial power. |
Beast Form | 00092c48 | Take on the form of a werewolf. | Transforms Werewolves into their beast form. Normally, it could be used once per day. But with the cleansed Ring of Hircine equipped, one can use it repeatedly. |
Berserker Rage | 000aa026 | You take half damage and do double damage for 60 seconds. | Orc racial power. |
Command Animal | 000e40cf | Make an animal an ally for 60 seconds. | Bosmer racial power. |
Dragonskin | 000aa022 | Absorb 50% of the magicka from hostile spells for 60 seconds. | Breton racial power. |
Dread Cloak | 000ed0a9 | For 60 seconds, opponents in melee range take 8 points frost damage and Stamina damage per second. | Not available in-game. |
Embrace of Shadows | 00088821 | You can become invisible. Improved night vision for 180 seconds. | Vampire power. |
Highborn | 000e40c8 | Regenerate magicka faster for 60 seconds. | Altmer racial power. |
Histskin | 000e40d5 | Invoke the power of the Hist to recover health ten times faster for 60 seconds. | Argonian racial power. |
Mora's AgonyDB | xx031842 | Summons a field of writhing tentacles that lasts 30 seconds and poisons foes who enter it. | Acquired from the Black Book The Hidden Twilight. |
Mora's BoonDB | xx01e7f7 | Fully restores your Health, Magicka and Stamina. | Acquired from the Black Book The Hidden Twilight. The description is not accurate, though. This power restores 1000 points to each of your attributes, which may not "fully restore" them for high-level characters. |
Mora's GraspDB | xx031844 | Targets are frozen between Oblivion and Tamriel for 30 seconds, and immune to all damage. | Acquired from the Black Book The Hidden Twilight. |
Nightingale Strife | 000f1987 | Instantly absorb 100 points of Health from the target. | Reward from Darkness Returns. |
Nightingale Subterfuge | 000f1986 | People and creatures in the spell's area of effect will attack anyone nearby for 30 seconds. | Reward from Darkness Returns. |
Omen of WardingDB | xx01e803 | You take no falling damage for 15 seconds. | Only available via Console. |
Polymorph Skeever | 0006e205 | Take on the form of a skeever. | Not available in-game. |
Secret of ArcanaDB | xx01e7fd | Spells cost no magicka for 30 seconds. | Acquired from the Black Book Filament and Filigree. While under the effect of this power, if you begin casting a spell that consumes magicka over time (such as Telekinesis), that spell will remain free of magicka cost for as long as it is active. |
Secret of ProtectionDB | xx01e800 | You take half damage for 30 seconds. | Acquired from the Black Book Filament and Filigree. |
Secret of StrengthDB | xx01e7fa | Power attacks cost no stamina for 30 seconds. | Acquired from the Black Book Filament and Filigree. |
Shadowcloak of Nocturnal | 00017122 | For 120 seconds you automatically become invisible while sneaking. | Reward from Darkness Returns.
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Stop RuneDB | xx01ed9a | Cast on a nearby surface, it explodes for [sic] and freezes the target in place for 10 seconds. | Only available via Console. |
Summon KarstaagDB | xx024812 xx029709 xx02970a |
Summons Karstaag to fight for you for 120 seconds. You may only use this ability 3 times, and only while outdoors. | Reward from the quest Summoning Karstaag. Unlike most Greater Powers, you may use this ability three times while outdoors and then never again. |
Summon Spectral Assassin | 000618c6 | Summons the ghost of the legendary assassin Lucien Lachance to fight by your side, until he's defeated. | Reward from Bound Until Death. Is cast like a spell, as opposed to the power/shout button. |
The Ritual Stone | 000e7329 | Temporarily reanimates corpses in the immediate area. | Activate the Ritual Standing Stone. |
The Serpent Stone | 000e5f61 | Target is paralyzed for 5 seconds and takes 25 points of damage over 5 seconds. | Activate the Serpent Standing Stone. |
The Shadow Stone | 000e732a | Invisibility for 60 seconds. Activating an object or attacking will break the spell. | Activate the Shadow Standing Stone. |
The Tower Stone | 000e7328 | Unlock any expert or lower lock once per day. | Activate the Tower Standing Stone. |
Vampire's Seduction | 000c4de2 | Creatures and people up to level 8 won't fight for 30 seconds. | Vampire power. |
Vampire's Servant | 000ed0a4 | Reanimate a weak dead body to fight for you for 60 seconds. | Reanimate, 6 pts for 60 seconds. Reanimate Secondary Effects for 60 seconds. |
000ed0a5 | Reanimate a more powerful dead body to fight for you for 60 seconds. | Reanimate, 13 pts for 60 seconds, Will not turn the raised body to ashes when it's killed. |
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000ed0a6 | Reanimate a powerful dead body to fight for you for 60 seconds. | Reanimate, 21 pts for 60 seconds. Will not turn the raised body to ashes when it's killed. |
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000ed0a7 | Reanimate a very powerful dead body to fight for you for 60 seconds. | Reanimate, 30 pts for 60 seconds. Fortified Healing, 1 pt for 60 seconds. Will not turn the raised body to ashes when it's killed. |
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Voice of the Emperor | 000e40ca | Calms nearby people for 60 seconds. | Imperial racial power. |
Single-use Greater PowersDB[edit]
Each power is acquired by activating a cleansed stone which grants a single use. Activate the stone again to reacquire the power.
Name | Spell ID | Description | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Bones of the Earth | xx01df9f | Caster ignores 80% of all physical damage for 30 seconds. Single use, then must be reacquired at the Earth Stone. | Acquired at the Earth Stone. |
Conjure Werebear | xx01dfa4 xx0322b2 |
Summons a Werebear for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing. Single use, then must be reacquired at the Beast Stone. | Acquired at the Beast Stone. The werebear will be active for 120 seconds with the appropriate Conjuration perk. |
North Wind | xx01dfa5 | Targets take 20 points of frost damage for 10 seconds, plus Stamina damage. Single use, then must be reacquired at the Wind Stone. | Acquired at the Wind Stone. |
Root of Power | xx01dfab | All spells cost 75% less to cast for 60 seconds. Single use, then must be reacquired at the Tree Stone. | Acquired at the Tree Stone. |
Sun Flare | xx01df9c | A 100 point fiery explosion centered on the caster. Does more damage to closer targets. Single use, then must be reacquired at the Sun Stone. | Acquired at the Sun Stone. |
Waters of Life | xx01dfa7 | Heals everyone close to the caster 200 points. Single use, then must be reacquired at the Water Stone. | Acquired at the Water Stone. |
Lesser Powers[edit]
Your available Lesser and Greater Powers are listed in the magic menu under "Powers". To use a power you must first equip it, which it assigns it to the Dragon Shout/Power button. Unlike Greater Powers, each Lesser Power can be used an unlimited number of times per day.
Name | Spell ID | Description | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
amiibo |
xx00081C | Use an amiibo to summon something useful. You never know what's going to come through when you use it. | This power is only available in the Nintendo Switch version of the game. The lowercase name is intentionally stylized. A glowing circle will appear when you cast it at the ground, enabling in-game compatibility with Nintendo's "amiibo" figures. See the section on amiibo compatibility for more information. |
Bardic KnowledgeDB | xx029f12 | Summons a spectral drum that plays for 300 seconds, improving Stamina Regen for you and nearby allies. | Acquired from the Black Book Untold Legends. |
Black MarketDB | xx01eec6 | Summons a Dremora merchant for 15 seconds. | Acquired from the Black Book Untold Legends. Has 2000 gold, restocks every two days. Affected by the Fence speech perk. |
Bound QuiverCC | xx00080C | Creates a magic quiver for 120 seconds. | Acquired from the Arcane Archer Pack's Spell Tome: Bound Quiver. Has a base cost of 206 magicka to cast, with Adept Conjuration halving the cost. Grants no experience. With the Mystic Binding perk, quiver changes to Mystic Quiver, for 120 secs. |
Breath of NchuakDB | xx03b00d | Draws upon stamina to release a scorching blast of steam that deals 15 points of damage per second. | Acquired by wearing the Visage of Mzund. |
Frostmoon InstinctDB | xx035b1b | Slows time for 20 seconds. | Activated when entering beast form while wearing the Ring of Instinct. |
Howl of the Pack | 000cf79d | Summons two spectral pack members to aid in combat. | Acquired by praying to the Totem of Brotherhood during the Totems of Hircine Quest. |
Night Eye | 000aa01d | Improved night vision for 60 seconds. | Khajiit racial power. |
Night Eye | 0006b10e | Improved night vision for 60 seconds. |
Not available in-game: power is added in werewolf form, but unusable since you can't access your powers menu. Power is equipped on a hand like a spell. |
Secret ServantDB | xx01ff21 | Summons a Dremora butler for 15 seconds to carry your excess items. | Acquired from the Black Book Untold Legends. Can carry up to 148 units in weight. |
Vampire's Sight | 000c4de1 | Improved night vision for 60 seconds. | Vampire power. |
Vampire LordDG | xx00283b | Transform into a Vampire Lord. Use the Revert Form power to change back. | Vampire Lord power. |
Abilities[edit]
Abilities are constant-effect characteristics, which are listed in the magic menu under "Active Effects" (along with enchantments, diseases, and other active effects). The abilities are listed in the Active Effects menu according to the name of the underlying magical effect. This means that abilities are listed under their name only in cases where the ability has a unique effect that shares the same name as the ability. Cases where the ability is known to be listed under a different name (e.g. Agent of Mara is listed under "Resist Magic") are mentioned in the following table.
Name | Spell ID | Description | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Additional Werewolf Transformations | 000f8306 | Additional Werewolf Transformations | Acquired from equipping the cleansed Ring of Hircine. Lifts the one-time daily limit of the "Beast Form" power, allowing werewolves to perform additional transformations. |
Agent of Dibella | 0010a766 | You do more combat damage to the opposite sex.
|
Reward from The Heart of Dibella. |
Agent of Mara | 000cc79a | 15% Resist Magic. | Reward from The Book of Love. Listed in Active Effects menu under "Resist Magic". |
Ahzidal's GeniusDB | xx027332 | Increases your Enchanting skill by 10 points. | Acquired from wearing any four relics of Ahzidal. |
Ancient Knowledge | 0010eb60 | Knowledge gained from the Lexicon gives you a 25% bonus when wearing Dwarven Armor and Blacksmithing increases 15% faster. | Reward from Unfathomable Depths. (See Bugs.) |
Boethiah's Blessing | 00081183 | You are able to move more quietly, and opponents that get too close take 5 points poison damage per second. | Added by wearing the Ebony Mail. |
Claws | 000aa01e | Khajiit claws do 15 [sic] points of damage. | Khajiit racial bonus Although the in-game text says that claws do 15 points of damage, the actual effect magnitude is only 12 points; see Claws for further information. Added by wearing the Ring of The BeastDG. |
Champion of the Night | 000f5b54 | Illusion spells cast by a Vampire are 25% more powerful. | Vampire bonus. |
Companion's InsightDB | xx01e7f5 | Your attacks, shouts, and destruction spells do no damage to your followers when in combat. | Acquired from the Black Book The Winds of Change. |
Detect Ash SourceDB | xx01961a | When close enough, identifies the source of the ash spawn attacks on Tel Mithryn. | Acquired from wearing Neloth's Ring of Tracking during the quest Old Friends. |
Dragon Infusion | 000f5ffa | Dragons do 25% less melee damage. | Effect from Esbern's Potion. |
Dragonborn FlameDB | xx02647d | When your Fire Breath Shout kills an enemy, a fire wyrm emerges from their corpse to fight for you for 60 seconds. | Acquired from the Black Book Epistolary Acumen. |
Dragonborn ForceDB | xx02647b | Your Unrelenting Force shout does more damage and using all three words may disintegrate enemies. | Acquired from the Black Book Epistolary Acumen. |
Dragonborn FrostDB | xx02647e | Your Frost Breath Shout encases foes in ice for 15 seconds. | Acquired from the Black Book Epistolary Acumen. |
Eternal Spirit | 00e827d | While Ethereal, you recover health 25% faster. | Meditation on the Words of Power - choose Feim. Eternal Spirit is only visible on the Active Effects menu when the character is Ethereal.
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Father's LoveHF | xx002f54 | Healing spells and potions restore 25% more health for 8 hours. | Acquired when sleeping in the same location as your adopted child/children if you are male and not a Werewolf. |
The Fire Within | 00e8282 | Fire Breath shout deals 25% more damage. | Meditation on the Words of Power - choose Yol.
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Force Without Effort | 00e8281 | You stagger 25% less and foes stagger 25% more. | Meditation on the Words of Power - choose Fus.
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Highborn | 00105f16 | High Elves are born with 50 extra magicka. | Altmer racial bonus
Listed in Active Effects menu under "Fortify Magicka". |
Imperial Luck | 000eb7eb | Anywhere gold coins might be found, Imperials always seem to find a few more. | Imperial racial bonus. (See Bugs.) |
Lover's Comfort | 000cda1d | All skills improve 15% faster for 8 hours. | Acquired when sleeping in a place where your spouse is also present. Not obtained if you have the Lover's Stone active or are a Werewolf. |
Lover's InsightDB | xx01e7f3 | Do 10% more damage and get 10% better prices from people of the opposite sex. | Acquired from the Black Book The Winds of Change. |
Magic Resistance | 000aa01f | Your Breton blood grants a 25% resistance to magic. | Breton racial resistance
Listed in Active Effects menu under "Resist Magic". |
Mother's LoveHF | xx004292 | Healing spells and potions restore 25% more health for 8 hours. | Acquired when sleeping in the same location as your adopted child/children if you are female and not a Werewolf. |
Neloth's Health BoostDB | xx01bd0a | Neloth's 25 point health boost. Remains until submerged in water after which you lose 25 points of health until you return to Neloth. | Acquired during the quest Experimental Subject. |
Neloth's Memory SpellDB | xx01c066 xx01c067 |
Records memories of your experiences for Neloth. | Acquired during the quest Briarheart Necropsy. |
Nightingale Armor Full Set | 0001711f | Increases Armor Rating by 25 points. | Reward from Trinity Restored; only effective if wearing all Nightingale Armor. Listed in Active Effects menu under "Fortify Armor Rating". |
Nightstalker's Footsteps | 0010F1E7 | 25% harder to detect while sneaking. | Nightstalker's Footsteps is a permanent effect gained from stage one of Vampirism. Listed in Active Effects menu under "Fortify Sneak". |
Prowler's Profit | 00f20be | Anywhere gems might be found, members of the Thieves Guild always seem to find a few more. | Reward from No Stone Unturned. Grants a greater chance of finding additional gems in chests. For details, see Gems. |
Resist Disease | 00104acf | Your Argonian blood is 50% resistant to disease. | Argonian racial resistance. |
Resist Disease | 000f5ba0 | Your beast blood gives you 100% resistance to disease. | Werewolf bonus. |
Resist Disease | 000ed0a8 | Your Vampiric blood gives you 100% resistance to disease. | Vampire bonus. |
Resist Disease and Poison | 000aa025 | Your Bosmer blood gives you 50% resistance to poison and disease. | Bosmer racial resistance. Listed in Active Effects menu under both "Resist Disease" and "Resist Poison". |
Resist Fire | 000aa021 | Your Dunmer blood gives you 50% resistance to fire. | Dunmer racial resistance. |
Resist Frost | 000aa020 | Your Nord blood gives you 50% resistance to Frost. | Nord racial resistance. |
Resist Poison | 000aa023 | Your Redguard blood gives you 50% resistance to poison. | Redguard racial resistance. |
Resist Poison | 0010fb30 | Your Vampiric blood gives you 100% resistance to poison. | Vampire bonus. |
Rested | 000fb981 | All skills improve 5% faster for 8 hours. | Acquired when sleeping in a normal bed, i.e neither in a player home nor a rented bed in an inn nor with the player's spouse. Not obtained by players who have the Lover's Stone active or are a Werewolf. |
Sailor's Repose | 000d397f | Healing spells cure 10% more. | Reward from Frostflow Abyss. |
Scholar's InsightDB | xx01e7ef | Reading Skill Books gives you an extra Skill Point. | Acquired from the Black Book The Winds of Change.
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Seeker of MightDB | xx034834 | Combat skills are all 10% more effective. | Acquired from the Black Book The Sallow Regent. |
Seeker of ShadowsDB | xx034838 | Stealth skills are all 10% more effective. | Acquired from the Black Book The Sallow Regent. |
Seeker of SorceryDB | xx034837 | All spells cost 10% less magicka. Enchantments are 10% more powerful. | Acquired from the Black Book The Sallow Regent.
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Shrouded Armor Full Set | 0001711d | Increases Armor Rating by 25 points. | This bonus applies for any combination of Dark Brotherhood armor, namely any combination of four pieces of Ancient Shrouded, Shrouded, or Worn Shrouded armor; Tumblerbane Gloves also qualify. |
Sinderion's Serendipity | 0010bf09 | There is a 25% chance of creating a duplicate potion when using your alchemy skill. | Reward from A Return To Your Roots. The ability is independent of the book The Nirnroot Missive, and therefore remains active even if you remove the book from your inventory. |
Surefoot | 0009379c | You move more quietly. | Not available in game, effects are: Muffle, 1 point. |
Turn of the SeasonsCC | xx0df80f xx0df815 |
Barter prices are 10% better when raining. With a full set of Light Armor equipped, stamina regenerates 5% faster in clear or clement weather. 10% chance of a critical hit that does 10% more critical damage with bows when overcast. With a full set of Heavy Armor equipped, armor rating increased by 10% when snowing. | Reward from Forgotten Seasons, acquired by reading Turn of the Seasons. |
Vampiric Blood RestedDG | xx008e3d | Increases magic resistance by 10%. | Acquired if you are a vampire and sleep in a coffin.
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Waterbreathing | 000aa01b | Your Argonian lungs can breath [sic] underwater. | Argonian racial bonus. |
Weakened SoulDG | xx00eab5 | Health, Magicka, and Stamina recover slowly while in Soul Cairn and are reduced by 45 points. | Effect of being partially soul trapped during Chasing Echoes
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Well Rested | 000fb984 | All skills improve 10% faster for 8 hours. | Acquired when sleeping in a player home (if you have no spouse or your spouse is not in the same home) or in a rented bed in an inn. Not obtained if you have the Lover's Stone active or are a Werewolf. |
Abilities When Transformed[edit]
Some Abilities are activated or effective only when you're in either Werewolf Form or Vampire Lord form. The ability descriptions can not be directly seen anywhere in the game as the conventional menus including the Active Effects menu are not accessible when transformed. Such abilities are listed in the following table.
Name | Spell/Perk ID | Description | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Frostmoon BloodlustDB | xx035B17 | While in Beast Form, your attacks do 50% more damage, but you also take 50% more damage. | Acquired from Ring of Bloodlust while transformed as a Werewolf. |
Frostmoon HowlDB | xx035B16 | Increases the duration of your Howls by 25%. | Acquired from Ring of the Moon while transformed as a Werewolf. |
Frostmoon HuntDB | xx035B1E | While in Beast Form, your health regenerates.
|
Acquired from Ring of the Hunt while transformed as a Werewolf. |
Bugs[edit]
- Ancient Knowledge gives a 25% armor bonus while wearing any type of armor except Dwarven (any armor at all prior to patch 1.9).
The Unofficial Skyrim Patch, version 1.3.1, fixes this bug.
- This bug was supposed to be fixed by Official Patch 1.9.26.0.8, but Bethesda erroneously required that the armor not be Dwarven.
- Ancient Knowledge increases effective Smithing skill by 15% when tempering weapons and armor instead of giving a Smithing leveling bonus of 15%.
The Unofficial Skyrim Patch, version 1.3.1, fixes this bug.
- The Seeker of Shadows reward from The Sallow Regent only gives a 9% bonus to prices instead of the advertised 10%.
The Unofficial Dragonborn Patch, version 1.0.3, fixes this bug.
- In rare instances, the Scholar's Insight reward will only give you one point from the skill book. This is the same bug as noted on the Skill Books page, but it's twice as likely to occur with Scholar's Insight, since you're leveling up twice.
- Hold off on reading the book until you've advanced a level in that skill.
- The Secret of Arcana power lasts indefinitely as long as a single concentration spell (without the relevant Dual Casting perks) or any combination of concentration spells is dual-cast.
- This can be used to cast the Master level Destruction spell Lightning Storm indefinitely with no magicka cost.
- Sailor's Repose has an incorrect taper duration and an incorrect magnitude set.
The Unofficial Skyrim Patch, version 2.0.3, fixes this bug.
- Even though it's active, Prowler's Profit does not appear in the active effects list.
The Unofficial Skyrim Patch, version 1.3.0, fixes this bug. (details)
- Certain shouts may continue to damage followers even with the Companion's Insight ability.
- Wearing more than four relics of Ahzidal won't grant the Ahzidal's Genius bonus.
- Wearing exactly four of the relics will re-activate the effect.
- Vampire followers are not protected by Companion's Insight. This applies to Serana as well as any spouse follower you have turned into a vampire through The Gift.
- While Breath of Nchuak damage can be increased with Fortify Destruction potions, the damage listed under the power will still read 15 per second. ?
- Dragons disintegrated by Dragonborn Force may not yield dragon souls or any loot. ?
- The Imperial Luck racial passive erraneously gets applied to all players after Unbound is completed. It will not show up under Active Effects, though (unless you're Imperial). Imperials don't have the bonus applied twice for them - they instead have the bonus immediately instead of after Unbound.