Spells

To equip a spell, open the Magic Menu and find the spell you want to equip. Use or  to assign a spell to a specific hand. You can equip a spell in one hand or both hands, or different spells in each hand.

All spells cost Magicka. The cost of a spell is determined by your skill and perks in that spells school of magic. If you don't have enought Magicka, you can't cast the spell.

Many spells take a moment to prepare. Hold down or  until the hand position changes, then releast  /  to cast the spell. You can hold a spell 'ready' as long as you like, but your Magicka will not regenerate during this time.

Other spells require active concentation. To cast these spells, hold or. The spell is usually cast immediately, and continues until you release /  or you run out of Magicka.

Some spells are cast at the location of the reticle. If the spell has a limited range, the reticle will turn red over an invalid location.

Spells are available to all players irrespective of their chosen approach to gameplay. They are usually acquired by reading spell tomes. Scrolls also provide access to spells, but they are one-time applications and do not allow the wielder to learn the spell. Similarly, Staves do not require the user to know a spell to use one and do not allow the wielder to learn the spell.

Schools of magic
Spells are divided into five different schools:

Zauber