Daggerfall:Spells

Dozens of spells are available for magically-inclined characters in Daggerfall. Spells can be purchased from merchants in either the Mages Guild or the Temple of Kynareth. In addition, custom spells can be crafted through the Spell Maker.

One hour game time is 5 minutes real time, or 60 minutes game time is 300 seconds real time, which works out to 5 seconds real time for each unit of duration. e.g. A level 2 character's light spell would last (1 + 2x4) x 5 = 45 seconds real time.

Alteration Spells

Spell	Element	Range	Magnitude	Chance of success (%)	Duration (in-game minutes)	Spell Effect(s)
Force Bolt	Magic	Target at Range	(1-30) + (1-10)/per level	10 + 5/per level (for Paralyze)	1 + 1/per level	Damage: Health; Paralyze
Jumping	Magic	Caster only	-	-	3 + 1/per level	Jumping (at twice natural capacity) [this spell is broken in v2.13, but fixed by a third-party patch]
Medusa's Gaze	Magic	Target at Range	-	1 + 8/per level	1 + 1/per level	Paralyze
Paralysis	Magic	On Touch	-	25 + 2/per level	3 + 1/per level	Paralyze
Resist Cold	Magic	Caster only	-	30 + 5/per level	2 + 1/per level	Elemental Resistance: Frost (or half the damage if unsuccessful)
Resist Fire	Magic	Caster only	-	30 + 5/per level	2 + 1/per level	Elemental Resistance: Fire (or half the damage if unsuccessful)
Resist Poison	Magic	Caster only	-	30 + 5/per level	2 + 1/per level	Elemental Resistance: Poison (or half the damage if unsuccessful)
Resist Shock	Magic	Caster only	-	30 + 5/per level	2 + 1/per level	Elemental Resistance: Shock (or half the damage if unsuccessful)
Shield	Magic	Caster only	(1-12) + 1/per level	-	5 + 2/per level	Shield (absorbs melee damage up to the spell's limit)
Slowfalling	Magic	Caster only	-	-	3 + 1/per level	Slowfall
Spider Touch	Magic	On Touch	-	5 + 15/per level	1 + 1/per level	Paralyze
Water Breathing	Magic	Caster only	-	-	5 + 2/per level	Water Breathing
Wizard Rend	Magic	On Touch	(1-14) + 1/per level	10 + 5/per level (for Paralyze)	1 + 1/per level	Damage: Spell Points; Paralyze

×You are unable to jump while Slowfalling is active.

±Enemies can cast Wizard Rend at range.

Destruction Spells

Spell	Element	Range	Magnitude	Chance of success (%)	Duration (in-game minutes)	Spell Effect
Energy Leech	Magic	On Touch	(1-10) + 5/per level	-	1 + 1/per level	Transfer: Fatigue (to caster)
Fire Storm	Fire	Area around Caster	(1-20) + (1-5)/per level	-	-	Damage: Health
Fireball	Fire	Area at Range	1 + (1-7)/per level	-	-	Damage: Health
Force Bolt	Magic	Target at Range	(1-30) + (1-10)/per level	10 + 5/per level (for Paralyze)	1 + 1/per level	Damage: Health; Paralyze
Frostbite	Frost	On Touch	(1-9) + (1-3)/per 2 levels	-	1 + 1/per level	Damage: Health
Gods' Fire	Fire	Target at Range	(1-50) + 10/per level	-	1 + 1/per level	Damage: Health
Hand of Decay	Magic	On Touch	-	10 + 3/per level	-	Disintegrate (target is killed instantly)
Hand of Sleep	Magic	On Touch	(1-15) + (1-5)/per level	-	5 + 2/per level	Continuous Damage: Fatigue
Ice Bolt	Frost	Target at Range	(1-35) + (1-5)/per level	-	-	Damage: Health
Ice Storm	Frost	Area at Range	(1-30) + (1-5)/per level	-	-	Damage: Health
Lightning	Shock	Target at Range	(1-25) + (1-5)/per level	-	1 + 1/per level	Damage: Health
Magicka Leech	Magic	On Touch	(1-15) + (1-5)/per level	-	5 + 2/per level	Continuous Damage: Spell Points
Shock	Shock	On Touch	(1-20) + (1-4)/per level	-	1 + 1/per level	Damage: Health
Sleep	Magic	Target at Range	(1-15) + (1-5)/per level	-	5 + 2/per level	Continuous Damage: Fatigue
Spell Drain	Magic	On Touch	(1-50) + (1-5)/per level	-	1 + 1/per level	Damage: Spell Points
Sphere of Negation	Magic	Target at Range	-	10 + 2/per level	-	Disintegrate (target is killed instantly)
Strength Leech	Magic	On Touch	(1-9) + 1/per level	-	5 + 1/per level	Drain: Strength (of target; does not transfer attribute to caster, but instead reduces attribute of target)
Toxic Cloud	Poison	Area around Caster	(1-25) + (1-5)/per level	-	1 + 1/per level	Damage: Health
Vampiric Touch	Magic	On Touch	(1-15) + (1-5)/per level	-	5 + 2/per level	Transfer: Health (to caster)
Wildfire	Fire	Target at Range	(1-15) + (1-5)/per level	-	1 + 3/per level	Continuous Damage: Health
Wizard Rend	Magic	On Touch	(1-14) + 1/per level	10 + 5/per level (for Paralyze)	1 + 1/per level	Damage: Spell Points; Paralyze
Wizard's Fire	Fire	Target at Range	(1-15) + (1-4)/per level	-	-	Damage: Health

&Enemies can cast Wizard Rend at range.

Illusion Spells

Spell	Element	Range	Magnitude	Chance of success (%)	Duration (in-game minutes)	Spell Effect(s)
Chameleon	Magic	Caster only	-	-	3 + 1/per level	Chameleon: Normal (dispelled when attacking)
Invisibility	Magic	Caster only	-	-	3 + 2/per level	Invisibility: Normal (dispelled when attacking)
Light	Magic	Caster only	-	-	1 + 4/per level	Light (in front of caster for duration of spell)
Shadow Form	Magic	Caster only	-	-	1 + 1/per level	Shadow: Normal (dispelled when attacking)

†Chameleon and Shadow Form are cheap versions of Invisibility. Chameleon only works when you are not moving, and Shadow Form only works indoors.

‡Invisibility is only dispelled when you attack an enemy physically, with weapons or hand-to-hand. If you instead attack an enemy with magic, the invisibility effect will not be dispelled; the enemy you just attacked with magic will now find and attack you, but additional enemies in the vicinity will not attack, as they will still be unable to detect you.

Mysticism Spells

Spell	Element	Range	Magnitude	Chance of success (%)	Duration (in-game minutes)	Spell Effect(s)
Banish Daedra	Magic	On Touch	-	10 + 5/per level	-	Dispel: Daedra
Far Silence	Magic	Target at Range	-	35 + 2/per level	1 + 1/per level	Silence
Fenrik's Door Jam	Magic	Caster only	-	6 + 1/per 10 levels	1 + 1/per 25 levels	Lock
Holy Touch	Magic	On Touch	-	10 + 2/per level	-	Dispel: Undead
Holy Word	Magic	Area around Caster	-	10 + 2/per level	-	Dispel: Undead
Null Magicka	Magic	On Touch	-	10 + 2/per level	-	Dispel: Magic
Open	Magic	Caster only	-	20 + 2/per level	1 + 1/per level	Open
Recall	Magic	Caster only	-	-	-	Teleport (first cast sets anchor at caster's current position, second cast teleports caster back to anchor)
Silence	Magic	On Touch	-	35 + 2/per level	1 + 1/per level	Silence
Soul Trap	Magic	On Touch	-	10 + 5/per level	10 + 2/per level	Soul Trap (needs empty Soul Trap item, or target won't die until spell expires)
Tongues	Magic	Caster only	-	20 + 2/per level	1 + 1/per level	Comprehend Languages (increases chance monster with language won't attack)
Wizard Lock	Magic	Caster only	-	20 + 4/per level	1 + 1/per level	Lock

$If one of these spells is successful, the enemy will vanish without leaving a corpse behind. When these spells are used against a quest target, they will result in a quest-breaking situation. See here for further information.

£Silence will not work on giant scorpions or spiders.

Restoration Spells

Spell	Element	Range	Magnitude	Chance of success (%)	Duration (in-game minutes)	Spell Effect
Balyna's Antidote	Magic	Caster only	-	15 + 5/per level	-	Cure: Poison
Balyna's Balm	Magic	Caster only	1 + (2-10)/per 2 levels	-	-	Heal: Health
Charisma	Magic	Caster only	(1-10) + (3-4)/per level	-	5 + 1/per level	Fortify Attribute: Personality
Cure Disease	Magic	Caster only	-	15 + 5/per level	-	Cure: Disease
Cure Poison	Magic	Caster only	-	60 + 2/per level	-	Cure: Poison
Feet of Notorgo	Magic	Caster only	(1-10) + 3/per level	-	5 + 1/per level	Fortify Attribute: Speed
Fortitude	Magic	Caster only	(1-10) + 3/per level	-	5 + 1/per level	Fortify Attribute: Endurance
Free Action	Magic	Caster only	-	20 + 5/per level	2 + 1/per level	Free Action (cures and sets immunity to paralysis)
Heal	Magic	Caster only	(1-10) + 5/per level	-	-	Heal: Health
Iron Will	Magic	Caster only	(1-10) + 3/per level	-	5 + 1/per level	Fortify Attribute: Willpower
Jack of Trades	Magic	Caster only	(1-10) + 3/per level	-	5 + 1/per level	Fortify Attribute: Luck
Nimbleness	Magic	Caster only	(1-10) + 3/per level	-	5 + 1/per level	Fortify Attribute: Agility
Orc Strength	Magic	Caster only	(1-10) + 2/per level	-	5 + 1/per level	Fortify Attribute: Strength
Spell Absorption	Magic	Caster only	-	10 + 5/per level	1 + 1/per level	Spell Absorption
Stamina	Magic	Caster only	(1-8) + 2/per level	-	-	Heal: Fatigue
Troll's Blood	Magic	Caster only	1 + 1/per level	-	5 + 5/per level	Regenerate: Health
Wisdom	Magic	Caster only	(1-10) + 3/per level	-	5 + 1/per level	Fortify Attribute: Intelligence

Thaumaturgy Spells

Spell	Element	Range	Magnitude	Chance of success (%)	Duration (in-game minutes)	Spell Effect(s)
Buoyancy	Frost	Caster only	-	-	1 + 1/per level	Faster speed in water
Calm Humanoid	Magic	On Touch	-	10 + 10/per level	5 + 5/per level	Pacify: Humanoid
Charm Mortal	Magic	On Touch	-	10 + 10/per level	5 + 5/per level	Charm
Levitate	Magic	Caster only	-	-	2 + 1/per level	Levitate
Quiet Undead	Magic	On Touch	-	10 + 10/per level	5 + 5/per level	Pacify: Undead
Shalidor's Mirror	Magic	Caster only	-	35 + 1/per level	1 + 1/per level	Spell Reflection
Spell Reflection	Magic	Caster only	-	10 + 5/per level	1 + 1/per level	Spell Reflection
Spell Resistance	Magic	Caster only	-	25 + 2/per level	1 + 1/per level	Spell Resistance
Spell Shield	Magic	Caster only	-	50 + 2/per level	1 + 1/per level	Spell Resistance
Tame	Magic	On Touch	-	10 + 10/per level	5 + 5/per level	Pacify: Animal
Water Walking	Magic	Caster only	-	-	5 + 2/per level	Faster speed in water

†The effect "Pacify: Humanoid" does not work on human enemies listed as "Humanoids" in the bestiary, which instead require application of the effect "Charm" to be pacified. "Pacify: Humanoid" instead applies to other humanoid enemies, including centaurs, gargoyles, giants, harpies, imps, nymphs, orcs, spriggans, wereboars, and werewolves. "Charm" applies to human enemies, but has no effect on non-hostile town NPCs.

‡You cannot climb any obstacles while Levitate is active.

Summary of Default HUD Magic Icon Assignment

An overview of icon-to-spell association on the HUD for all spells listed above, including when those spells are cast by magic items and traps, cast by the player, or by the enemy.