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 the 6 skills in Skyrim that falls under The Mage play-style. Alteration skill is raised by the use of certain kinds of spells that the in-game character can use; these spells will identify themselves as Alteration spells, as well as by training via certain NPC characters.

Since The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim doesnt feature custom spell creation, all Alteration spells are learned through Spell Tomes. Open Lock spells have been removed. The first obtainable Alteration spell is Oakflesh, purchasable from Lucan Valerius in Riverwood.

Governing Guardian Stone: The Mage

Books
The following books provide a permanent skill up to Alteration.
 * Breathing Water (Locations: Ilinalta's Deep and Kraldar’s House, northern side of the island just east of the College of Winterhold on a barrel by the skeever cage. )
 * Daughter of the Niben (Locations: 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).
 * Reality & Other Falsehoods (Locations: Snowshod Farm's basement and on a table in the Yngvild throne room, next to Arondil's throne).
 * Sithis (Location:Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary).
 * The Lunar Lorkhan (Locations: Faldar's Tooth and Solitude Lighthouse).

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

Alteration Starting Spells
None of the races start with Alteration spells.

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

Trainers

 * Tolfdir at The College of Winterhold is a Master-level Alteration trainer. He is often found in the Hall of the Elements, studying the Eye of Magnus.

Leveling
One can easily level up Alteration with these tactics:
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * Casting Detect Life is a very quick way to level Alteration. The more "Life" you detect, the faster this method works. A good way to do this is in The Bannard Mare in Whiterun at night when the down stairs is full of people and just hide and cast away. Then waiting one hour to restore Magickaor equipping items that give extra Magicka is beneficial to this method also. Four items enchanted with 25% casting cost reduction will allows continious 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. Once the item is as close as it can be, throw it back to the other side and repeat. It appears that experience is only gained while the item draws towards the player, so a large room will be more effective. On the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Skyrim, experience is gained while the item is held using Telekinesis regardless of whether or not it is being pulled towards the player. In PC version you also can just "telekinetic" hold item, which is extra effective with enough enchanted items to reduce alteration mana costs to zero.
 * Stand in shallow water and repeatedly cast Waterbreathing.
 * Sit next to an immobile enemy (like the caged wolf in Tolvald's Cave) and repeatedly cast Stoneflesh (Level 100 in very little time with no perks invested in the skill [watched TV the whole time]).
 * On the Xbox, if you have 100 enchanting and the perks that enhance enchantments, you can get any item with an Alteration enchantment, tear it apart, and put it on any ring, amulet, helmet, and body. With Grand souls, this gives you free Alteration spells. Cast Detect life in one hand, and hold anything in the other with telekinesis.