10 Best Restoration Spells in Skyrim (2024)

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Ariana loves playing immersive video games like Cyberpunk 2077, the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and any Assassin's Creed game. She hopes to share her love for games through her writing!

Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

As Colette Marence of the College of Winterhold says, “Restoration is a perfectly valid school of magic.” More than that, however, it’s one of the most valuable schools of magic in Skyrim. Restoration is a school of healing and protection, granting you skills that regain your health and prevent you from losing any in the first place. Below, we’ve ranked some of our favorite Restoration spells in Skyrim, including where to find them. We’ve also added tips on Restoration leveling to help you make the most of your spells.

Top 10 Skyrim Restoration Spells, Ranked Least to Most Powerful

Let’s get right into our list of the best Restoration spells in Skyrim!

10/10

Healing

Level: Novice (Level 0)
Cost: 12 Magicka per second

If you are new to Skyrim or just starting a new Mage playthrough, Healing is a fantastic spell. It heals the caster for 10 points per second, and comes built into your magic kit. You will already have the spell in your inventory when you begin playing, so you don’t have to purchase it or locate the spell tome.

To make the most of this spell, you should invest in the Novice Restoration and Regeneration perks in the Restoration skill tree. The first halves the cost of any Novice spell you cast, and the second increases the healing effect of your spells by 50%.

9/10

Steadfast Ward

Level: Apprentice (Level 25)
Cost: 58 Magicka

Steadfast Ward is one of the most beneficial Restoration spells to have if you don’t have a high armor rating and are susceptible to magic effects and spells. Steadfast Ward allows you to cast a ward that can defend against 60 points of spell damage or effects, as well as increase your armor rating by 60 points.

Wards act as a magical shield that absorbs magical effects or spells, which can be incredibly useful when fighting enemies that use spells often. The perk Ward Absorb can make Steadfast Ward even more helpful, as it allows your ward to absorb your enemy’s spells and replenish your Magicka.

You can purchase the spell tome from Colette Marence at the College of Winterhold, or from various court wizards. There is also a chance to find the spell tome in Labyrinthian, an ancient Nordic ruin just Southeast of the city Morthal.

8/10

Fast Healing

Level: Apprentice (Level 25)
Cost: 75 Magicka

Fast Healing is a great spell to have when you are learning how to manage your resources and need to be healed quickly. It instantly heals you for 50 points, which is helpful when first learning combat because you can quickly restore some of your health and continue attacking your opponent.

You can find the Fast Healing spell tome in a chest in Cronvangr Cave, which is located South of Windhelm. You can also purchase the spell from Colette Marence at the College of Winterhold or Sybille Stentor in the Blue Palace.

7/10

Heal Other

Level: Adept (Level 50)
Cost: 60 Magicka

Heal Other is a useful spell to have when you have a follower joining you for adventures through Skyrim, as you can restore their Health during fights and ensure that their health doesn’t get too low. Heal Other allows you to restore 75 points of your ally’s Health. Healing your companions is also a good way to level your Restoration skill.

The perk Restoration Dual Casting allows Heal Other to do double the amount of healing the spell can normally do.

You can purchase the Heal Other spell tome from Colette Marence at the College of Winterhold, though it may also appear in boss chests or as various other loot drops. The Heal Other spell tome can also be carried by hostile mages throughout Skyrim.

6/10

Close Wounds

Level: Adept (Level 50)
Cost: 126 Magicka

Close Wounds is a great spell to use once you have a few more Restoration magic levels under your belt. Close Wounds restores 100 points of your Health when cast, which increases to 150 with the Regeneration perk. It is important to note that the spell does require you to charge it up before casting it.

The Close Wounds spell tome can be found in chests or in random loot in various locations around Skyrim. You can also purchase the spell tome from Colette Marence at the College of Winterhold.

5/10

Stendarr’s Aura

Level: Adept (Level 50)
Cost: 200 Magicka

Stendarr’s Aura creastes an aura around you that deals 10 points of Sun Damage per second to all Undead targets within range for 60 seconds. The best part of Stendarr’s Aura is that it stays active after you cast it, meaning you can equip other spells while it’s dealing damage.

To purchase this spell, you will have to side with the Dawnguard during their questline. Once you complete the quest to recruit Florentius Baenius to the Dawnguard, he will have the spell tome available for purchase.

4/10

Greater Ward

Level: Adept (Level 50)
Cost: 86 Magicka

Greater Ward is the stronger version of Lesser Ward and Steadfast Ward, increasing your armor rating by 80 points and absorbing 80 points of spell damage or poison. It provides you with extra protection from powerful spells, creatures that can poison you, and can even protect against some shouts.

The Ward Absorb perk is helpful here, as it lets you absorb any spell or poison damage and use it to replenish your own Magicka. All you have to do is cast the ward spell as you normally would and wait for it to absorb the damage.

The Greater Ward spell tome can be purchased from Colette Marence at the College of Winterhold, but will not be available till you reach Restoration Level 40.

3/10

Vampire’s Bane

Level: Adept (Level 50)
Cost: 58 Magicka

Vampire’s Bane damages any undead target within 15 feet of you when you cast the spell. When you cast Vampire’s Bane, it causes an explosion of sunlight that does 40 points of damage for 2 seconds. Though Vampire’s Bane only works against the Undead, it is one of the most useful spells to use when in a dungeon and surrounded by several undead enemies.

The Necromage perk is great to invest in if you’re using Vampire’s Bane. It increases the spell’s damage by 25% and the duration by 50%. The Necromage perk makes any spells against Undead more effective.

To purchase the Vampire’s Bane spell tome, you will have to complete the “Bolstering the ranks” quest for Isran and recruit Florentius Baenius to the Dawnguard. Once he has reached Fort Dawnguard safely, Florentius will have the Vampire’s Bane spell tome available for sale. If you side with the vampires, you can still purchase the spell from Florentius by using a Pacify spell or Calm spell on him so he does not attack you.

2/10

Grand Healing

Level: Expert (Level 75)
Cost: 254 Magicka

Grand Healing is one of my favorite spells to use because it heals you and any ally close to you for 200 points. Investing in Regeneration makes Grand Healing even more powerful, letting you heal for up to 300 points (as shown above). The Expert Restoration perk is another great one to invest in, as it allows you to cast any Expert Restoration spell for half Magicka.

If your character is above Level 45, you can find the Grand Healing spell tome in loot, boss chests, or on corpses around Skyrim. You can also purchase the spell tome from Colette Marence at the College of Winterhold.

1/10

Bane of the Undead

Level: Master (Level 100)
Cost: 988 Magicka

Bane of the Undead uses two hands to cast and sets Undead enemies up to Level 30 nearby on fire, dealing 50 points of fire damage for 4 seconds. It also makes them flee from you for up to 30 seconds. This is especially powerful when dealing with multiple undead enemies that may overwhelm you.

The cost can be daunting, but with the right perks and gear, it becomes more manageable. Check out our guide on the best Mage gear in Skyrim to learn more about helpful gear that makes it easier to cast higher-level spells.

The Master Restoration perk is useful to have because it reduces the cost of casting any Master-level spell by 50%. The Necromage perk is another good one to unlock when Bane of the Undead — it will increase the duration and power of the spell, affecting Undead up to Level 37. The Necromage perk also makes all spells against Undead enemies more powerful. Finally, Augmented Flames from the Destruction tree is a good perk to invest in, as it increases the effectiveness of the spell.

To get the Bane of the Undead spell tome, you will have to complete the quest “Restoration Ritual Spell” for Colette Marence at the College of Winterhold. You will have to reach Master Level Restoration (Levels 90–100) to be able to trigger the quest, but once you’ve completed it, you’ll receive the spell tome as a reward.

Helpful Tips for Leveling Up Restoration Magic in Skyrim

To help you make the most of these spells, here are some helpful tips for leveling up Restoration in Skyrim:

Everyone starts off their game with Healing already in their inventory. Use this spell while exploring Skyrim and fighting enemies to help level Restoration early on in your playthrough.
Visit and activate the Mages Stone to get a buff that allows you to learn magic skill lines 20% faster. You can check out our Standing Stone Guide if you want to learn more about the Mages Stone.
Prioritize putting points into your Magicka attribute to build it up early on, but don’t forget about adding to Health and Stamina occasionally.
Restoration leveling and training can be done with Colette Marence, an Expert Mage in the College of Winterhold.
Invest your skill points into Restoration magic perks. You can reduce the Magicka cost of Restoration spells, increase their potency, restore Stamina, and more.
Unlock the Regeneration Perk, as it allows all your Restoration spells to recover 50% more Health back to you and anyone else you heal.
Complete the “Frostflow Abyss” quest, which can be started by reading Habd’s Journal in Frostflow Lighthouse. Frostflow Lighthouse is located Southeast of Dawnstar. To complete the quest, take Habd’s remains to the brazier at the top of the lighthouse and activate it. The reward is a permanent effect called “Sailor’s Repose” that allows all your healing spells to restore 10% more Health to you when you cast them.

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10 Best Restoration Spells in Skyrim (2024)