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 breath 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.
 * 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 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).

Quests
The following Miscellaneous Quest increases 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 Alteration, Enchanting, Conjuration, Destruction and Restoration)
 * 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:
 * 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 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 is false on 360)
 * 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. 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 mana costs to zero, allowing you to keep from releasing the hold to recharge Magicka.
 * Stand in shallow water and repeatedly cast Waterbreathing.
 * 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).
 * If the Dragonborn reaches a high level of enchanting and receives the perks that enhance enchantments, items enchanted with Fortify Alteration and Magicka Regen essentially permit unlimited spell-casting without noticeably decreasing the Magicka pool.

Behind the scenes

 * The first obtainable Alteration spell is Oakflesh, purchasable from Lucan Valerius in Riverwood.

Videos

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