Restoration (Skyrim)

''The School of Restoration involves control over life forces. This skill makes it easier to cast spells like Healing, Turn Undead, and magical wards.'' "I've a lot of respect for the Restoration School. Skyrim could use more healers."

- Guard

Restoration is a skill in and is one of the six skills that falls under The Mage archetype.

Description
Skill experience is gained by healing when injured and blocking damage with protective wards. This means that if the player is at full health when using healing spells, or is not absorbing damage when using wards, the player will not advance in the restoration school.

Restoration obviously proves to be a highly useful study for any character archetype. A wide variety of characters (especially the weapon master and berserker archetypes of the warrior skill set) find themselves utilizing these spells to supplement their prowess in combat. Every new adventurer starts with knowledge of the basic Healing spell. Additional restoration spells are learned from Spell Tomes found in dungeons or purchased from vendors like any other school of magic.

Books
The following books increase the Restoration Skill by one level the first time you read them:
 * 2920, Rain's Hand, v4
 * Mystery of Princess Talara, v2
 * Racial Phylogeny
 * The Exodus
 * Withershins
 * Oghma Infinium - If the player chooses the Path of Magic when reading the book, all magic skills (including restoration) will increase by 5 points, this is the only book that will increase a skill by more than one point.

Restoration Related Quests
The following miscellaneous quests increase the restoration Skill:


 * Find Pantea's Flute - In addition to restoration, this quest also raises all skills under The Mage skill set by one.

Spells
The following is a complete list of Restoration spells: Master spells can't be purchased initially. To unlock Master Restoration spells, the Restoration Ritual Spell quest must be completed upon reaching level 90 Restoration.

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

Note : Necromage 's vague description is actually 25% more effective. The effects against undead will even count on the player if they are a vampire. Spells cast on self and buffs gained from items will be 25% more effective.

List of trainers in order of proficiency:

 * Keeper Carcette (Expert): Hall of the Vigilant, south of Dawnstar and north west of Fort Dunstad
 * Colette Marence (Expert): The College of Winterhold
 * Danica Pure-Spring (Master): Temple of Kynareth, after completion of The Blessings of Nature.
 * Florentius Baenius (Master): Fort Dawnguard after completing the quest Bolstering The Ranks for the Dawnguard. (Dawnguard expansion only.)

Leveling techniques



 * The spell Circle of Protection may be cast anywhere and is understood to be a reasonable method of increasing the skill while you do your traveling and miscellaneous errands.


 * This method is for the players that want to level Restoration, but are a bit brave (or a bit foolish if VERY low level). First, find a way to obtain the Circle of Protection. Then, any healing spell, (Close Wounds recommended). Also, activate the Atronach Stone. Travel to a Giant camp, and use Circle of Protection. Then provoke a Giant/Mammoth. While they attack you, keep healing. This should work for players without too much Magicka, as the Atronach stone will absorb the spell, keeping your Magicka bar full at all time. When the spell goes off, recast it while healing all the time. This should level up Restoration, as well as the Armor type you are wearing.


 * When combined with level 100 Enchanting, the player can enchant four different items so that each item (head, chest, ring, necklace) reduces the magicka cost of restoration by 25% each, ultimately reducing the magicka cost of casting by 100%. This allows the player to cast restoration spells at no cost, allowing the player to level up even more effectively. It also allows the player to avoid putting skill points into perks like Master Restoration as magicka is no longer an issue. This allows for many more viable character builds and is viable for all schools of magic.


 * Additional methods of leveling the restoration skill includes but is not limited to:


 * Utilizing the Extra Effect enchanting perk to enchant a set of armor to grant 100% magicka reduction to destruction and restoration simultaneously, would allow you to both damage and heal companions or horses simultaneously, allowing essentially limitless experience in both schools.
 * Finding a dungeon with any number of Draugr or undead inside. The player can repeatedly use Turn Undead spells on them, quickly increasing the skill. Additionally the player can utilize their expertise in the conjuration school to reanimate corpses for this purpose.
 * Casting Equilibrium and Healing simultaneously will raise Restoration but will not raise Alteration. This will keep Magicka full, as such being a viable alternative to those who don't wish to follow the path of the enchanter; however, it will slowly drain Health. Eventually equilibrium will sap more Health than healing can keep up with. Fast healing or close wounds a far more effective way to level restoration as it allows greater amounts of health being healed and therefor should level the skill faster.
 * Finding a flame trap or flame turnstile, usually in Dwemer Ruins and step on it or approach it, cast Healing. If the player's hit points drain too quickly, wear fire resistance gear or use a shield and Elemental Protection while blocking.
 * Using a spike trap (such as the one at Halted Stream Camp or Pinewatch) the player may damage themselves by walking into the side of the trap and healing the damage. Jumping upon the spikes will kill the player far too quickly on any difficulty, inch up to them from the side until damage is received and then back peddle quickly.
 * Walking into the wind at High Hrothgar and healing while taking damage is a very efficient way to power level the school
 * Finding a low-level warrior without a follower, then equipping both your shield and your restoration spell. While blocking the foes blows, equipping a favorite healing spell (either sustained or burst) during the fight is effective to level both block and restoration.

Dawnguard Specifc:
 * Since Serana and Death Hounds can be recruited as followers during or after Dawnguard and count as undead, the player can recruit them and use Necromantic Healing or Turn Undead on them continuously, and they will not flee.

Trivia

 * Necromage also will affect the player if they are a vampire. As a vampire, the game will tag you as an undead, thus all spells/effects/buffs on yourself will have greater effect. Only armor and jewlery enchantments are affected not penalties, spells cast on self or weapon enchantments. This means, for example:
 * Enchanted equipment stats will improve somewhat. 100% magicka regen can become 125%. This also allows crafting to be improved considerably, as any fortify alchemy or smithing gear will gain a 25% bonus which in turn can apply to the creation of other fortify potions, such as enchanting elixirs.
 * Shouts last longer and cool-down is improved.
 * Dead Thrall can be cast on undead past the level 40 cap.
 * Conjuration summons will last longer.
 * Bear in mind this will also make the weakness to fire 25% weaker. It is wise to offset this with resist magic or fire enchantments even more than already if choosing to play a vampire with Necromage. The Dunmer fire resistance perk will improve and allow vampires to offset the increased weakness naturally.
 * Casting the Guardian Circle spell and standing inside it's area of effect counts as a spell affecting the player, and, as such, can be used to create a magicka-regenerating pool in synergy with the Atronach Stone or the Alteration "Atronach" perk.
 * Colette Marence, the Restoration trainer at the College of Winterhold, believes that restoration magic is looked down upon by the college. It is unclear if her belief is justified, or simply part of her paranoia.
 * Although she believes this, other mages within the college use wards (Which is a Restoration spell) in combat.