Alteration (Skyrim)


 * "The School of Alteration involves the manipulation of the physical world and its natural properties. This skill makes it easier to cast spells like Waterbreathing, magical protection, and Paralysis."



Alteration is one of six skills in Skyrim that falls under The Mage play-style. Alteration skill raises by using certain kinds of spells; these spells identify themselves as Alteration spells. The Alteration skill can also be advanced by training with an Expert.

Alteration spells include the ability to envelope oneself in Magic Armor, the ability to breathe underwater, and the ability to temporarily stun foes.

Governing Guardian Stone: The Mage

Changes from previous games
Since The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim does not feature custom spell creation, all Alteration spells are learned through Spell Tomes. Open Lock spells have been removed.

Books
The following books provide a permanent skill up to Alteration. Skill books are one time use only. After a skill book is read once, reading the same book does not increase skills.
 * Breathing Water
 * Ilinalta's Deep underwater room, next to a submerged chest.
 * Kraldar’s House, Hidden inside the basket on the shelf.
 * Snapleg Cave in the most north-eastern room.
 * North of Ysgramor's Tomb is a Shrine to Talos the book can be found on a barrel next to the cage.
 * Daughter of the Niben
 * Reward for completing the quest Hitting The Books by Urag gro-Shub.
 * Understone Keep - straight ahead, up the stairs, on a table to the right.
 * On top of the fireplace in Brandy-Mug Farm.
 * Under an overturned rowboat on the shore East of the Wreck of the Brinehammer.
 * Reality & Other Falsehoods
 * Snowshod Farm basement on the bookshelf in the first room.
 * On a table in the Yngvild throne room, next to Arondil's throne.
 * On a barrel in a Forsworn tent between Sundered Towers and Red Eagle Redoubt
 * Sithis
 * Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary on the bookshelf in front of the map of Skyrim.
 * On the second floor of Cradle Stone Tower next to the linen wrap and troll skull.
 * On Krag's body in Nchuand-Zel.
 * The Lunar Lorkhan
 * Faldar's Tooth at the top of the tower to the right of the chest.
 * Solitude Lighthouse on the shelf in between the two tankards and ale keg.
 * In the central chamber on the Arcane Enchanter in Cragwallow Slope.

Quests
The following Quests increase the Alteration Skill: There is a quest in order to obtain the master level Alteration spells:
 * Retrieve Frost salts for Dravynea the Stoneweaver in Kynesgrove
 * Find Pantea's Flute for Pantea Ateia in the Bards College in Solitude (Note: also increases Illusion, Enchanting, Conjuration, Destruction and Restoration)
 * Discerning the Transmundane
 * When reading the Oghna Infinium, select the Path of Magic to boost your Alteration skill by 5, along with all other Mage skills.
 * Tolfdir, at the College of Winterhold, gives you the quest Alteration Ritual Spell, which allows for the purchase of Master-level Spell Tomes when the Dragonborn's Alteration reaches level 90.

Alteration Spells
The following are the spells that are governed by the Alteration class of magic: * Special Spells

Perks
The following are the perks that become available to select as the skill is leveled up

Trainers

 * Melaran (Adept): Solitude
 * Dravynea (Expert): Kynesgrove
 * Tolfdir (Master): Hall of the Elements at The College of Winterhold

Leveling
One can easily level up Alteration with these tactics:
 * With 100 Enchanting, it is possible to enchant armor to reduce Alteration spell magicka usage (Fortify Alteration effect) to 0. With this armor equipped, it is a simple matter to raise the skill using virtually any spell.
 * If the player has a Telekinesis (Adept) spell, then they can use it repeatedly to boost up their alteration spell really quickly. However, it is very magicka-costly, as it is an Adept Alteration spell.
 * Cast as much Magelight and Candlelight as possible. Very slow, but since the spell levels are Novice-level, they are easily attained early on.
 * Using Transmute Mineral Ore to convert Iron Ore into Gold Ore (Iron -> Silver -> Gold), purchasing the starting ore from a blacksmith. From there, craft Gold jewelry to repay the losses. The use of this method is time-consuming. Using Magicka Regen items or the Highborn Power (exclusive to Altmer) helps the process. Crafting the Gold jewelry raises Smithing, and if you like, you can take the gold rings and level Enchanting using your collected Soul gems and adding whatever you like to the rings, then selling them. You will make more money this way than by simply selling the gold rings, and you get to level Enchanting and Speech to boot.
 * Casting Equilibrium and Healing simultaneously causes both Alteration and Restoration to receive experience points, without much of a shift in the character's Health or Magicka. Eventually, however, Equilibrium will sap more Health than Healing can keep up with. (This may not be the case, depending on perks)
 * When battling an opponent, Equilibrium can be cast, while striking with a weapon enchanted with Absorb Health. This causes a stasis to occur, where the player's Magicka and Health remain about the same, while both One-Handed and Alteration are leveled up. (If Equilibrium would give any xp)
 * Casting Detect Life is a very quick way to level Alteration. The more "Life" the Dragonborn detects, the faster this method works. A good way to do this is in The Bannered Mare in Whiterun at night when the down stairs is full of people and just hide and cast away, or if you have restored the thieves guild The Ragged Flagon has a minimum of 8 people at all times (4 vendors, the inn keeper Vekel The Man, Dirge,Vex and Delvin), Tonilia and Brynjolf spend most of their time there for a total of 10. Alternately, if you have chosen to side with the stormcloaks, the Blue Palace in Solitude will be full of the Jarls and their Housecarls from the various territories you have conquered. Simply use detect life as soon as you walk in the door to the palace and your level will quickly increase. Then waiting one hour to restore Magicka or equipping items that give extra Magicka is beneficial to this method also. Four items enchanted with 25% casting cost reduction allows continuous casting with zero cost but requires 100 enchanting skill to create.
 * Using Telekinesis is a very quick way to level up Alteration. Stand on one side of a big room and grab something at the other end. The Dragonborn gains experience simply by maintaining a telekinetic hold of the object. This can be especially effective if you have enough enchanted items to reduce alteration magicka costs to zero, allowing you to keep from releasing the hold to recharge Magicka.
 * Stand in shallow water and repeatedly cast Waterbreathing.
 * Wearing Master Robes of Alteration, Morokei (Mask), The Apprentice Stone, and an Amulet of Akatosh, can get you a base 375% mana regen. This can be brought even higher with an enchanted ring of mana regen depending on enchanting skill.
 * Sit next to an immobile enemy (like the caged wolves in Cragslane Cavern) and repeatedly cast Stoneflesh (Level 100 in very little time with no perks invested in the skill).
 * Warning: Cragslane Cavern is involved in the quest Skooma Trade, a bug exists that may prevent that quest from being completed if it is visited before the quest sends the player there.

Videos

 * Master Level Alteration Spells- Guide to obtain (youtube)