Enchanting in Skyrim is the ability to add magical effects to weapons, armor, and clothes. Increasing this skill increases the amount of charges available when creating an enchanted item and the quality of the enchantment that can be placed on that item. The Enchanting skill tree has a total of 9 perks, requiring a total of 13 perk points to fill. The more powerful the enchanter, the stronger the magic that can be bound to their weapons and armor.
Enchanting in Skyrim
Skyrim Enchanting Guide
How to Enchant in Skyrim
Enchanting in Skyrim requires 3 things, a learned enchantment, a filled soul gem and an appropriate item for the enchantment and can only be done at an Arcane Enchanter. The strength of the enchantment is increased based on the size of the filled Soul gem with additional bonuses from sources such as a Fortify Enchanting potion or through applicable perk bonuses from the Perk tree. With the Extra Effect perk players can place 2 enchantments on the item instead of just 1 enchantment.
To learn enchantments players have to bring items with an enchantment they have not learnt to the Arcane Enchanter. At the Arcane Enchanter there is an option to disenchant items and doing so will allow the player to learn enchantments from items if they have not already learnt it. This will destroy the item but the player will be able to learn and place the enchantment on other items of their choice often with stronger effects.
Soul gems can be found filled or filled by the player attacking targets and soul trapping their gems into gems of the right size.
When enchanting, the item has to be appropriate for the enchantment for it to apply, not every enchantment can be placed on every type of equipment. Specific enchantments such as Muffled have to be placed on boots and weapon enchantments cannot go on armor. The armor or damage values of the items being enchanted has no effects on the strength of the enchantment effects. Check the list of enchantments to see what types of items specific enchantments can be applied to.
Skyrim Enchanting Materials
Enchanting in Skyrim needs filled soul gems as well as the learnt enchantment. The soul gems are destroyed after the enchantment is made so players should try to collect many large soul gems for enchanting their equipment.
Soul gems can be found laying around the world of Skyrim and come in varying sizes ranging from petty soul gems to grand and even black soul gems. These gems may be found to be filled or unfilled. Gems can also be purchased through merchants with filled gems being much more expensive than unfilled ones. Humanoid races have grand souls that can only be placed in black soul gems or in the Daedric artifact The Black Star.
To fill a gem the Soul Trap spell must be used before killing the target or by using a soul trap enchanted weapon on them. Players using bound weapons with a Soul Stealer perk will also apply soul trap on their enemies. After killing the enemy afflicted with the spell effect the soul will be drawn into a gem of appropriate size, and will fill up larger capacity gems if none of the right size are found. This makes it possible for large gems to be filled with small souls and have reduced effects when used for recharging enchantments and for enchanting.
Skyrim Enchanting Skill Leveling
Enchantment skill gain is based on the task performed, there are 3 ways to increase Enchantment skill through enchanting. Levels can also be increased through the use of Trainers and by finding and using Skill Books. Players can also look for Pantea's Flute (Quest) to get a reward to gain 1 skill level in all magic skills, including enchanting.
Learning a new enchantment will grant you experience based on the power of the enchantment, enchantments can only be learnt once. Players can quickly increase their enchanting levels early by finding and disenchanting random magic items they find during their travels.
Enchanted weapons have charges that are consumed as the weapon is used. Recharging enchanted weapons will grant you experience based on the size of the soul gem used to recharge the weapon.
Enchanting items give a static amount of experience, the enchantment, item or soul does not affect the amount of experience gained. Therefore Fortify Enchanting potions do not increase skill gain.
Skyrim Enchanting Tips
- Use Soul trap enchanted weapons or bound weapons with Soul Stealer perk to conveniently fill Soul gems without having to repeatedly use the Soul Trap spell.
- Be wary of using up grand and black soul gems on smaller souls as these are rare and expensive.
- In general small or low-leveled creatures will have smaller souls than large and high-leveled creatures.
- Some houses can be installed with an Arcane Enchanter so players can store filled soul gems and do enchanting at home.
Skyrim Weapon enchantments
There are 18 weapon enchantments available. The enchantments wear out after successive use, and to keep the enchantment in effect, it has to be "refilled" by using soul gems to add more uses. The larger the soul used, the more uses given via recharging.
Destruction
Skyrim Armor and Apparel enchantments
Enchantment and item combinations that can be created at Arcane Enchanter
Enchantment | Helmet | Cuirass | Gloves | Boots | Shield | Amulet | Ring | Circlet |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Water Breathing | Yes | -- | - | - | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Resist Shock | - | - | - | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | - |
Resist Poison | - | Yes | - | - | Yes | Yes | Yes | - |
Resist Magic | - | - | - | - | Yes | Yes | Yes | - |
Resist Frost | - | - | - | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | - |
Resist Fire | - | - | - | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | - |
Resist Disease | - | Yes | - | - | Yes | Yes | Yes | - |
Muffle | - | - | - | Yes | - | - | - | - |
Fortify Unarmed | - | - | Yes | - | - | - | Yes | - |
Fortify Two-Handed | - | - | Yes | Yes | - | Yes | Yes | - |
Fortify Stamina Regen | - | Yes | - | Yes | - | Yes | - | - |
Fortify Stamina | - | Yes | - | Yes | - | Yes | Yes | - |
Fortify Sneak | - | - | Yes | Yes | - | Yes | Yes | - |
Fortify Smithing | - | Yes | Yes | - | - | Yes | Yes | - |
Fortify Restoration and Magicka Regen | - | Yes | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Fortify Restoration | Yes | Yes | - | - | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Fortify Pickpocket | - | - | Yes | Yes | - | Yes | Yes | - |
Fortify One-Handed | - | - | Yes | Yes | - | Yes | Yes | - |
Fortify Magicka Regen | Yes | Yes | - | - | - | - | Yes | Yes |
Fortify Magicka | Yes | - | Yes | - | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Fortify Lockpicking | Yes | - | Yes | - | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Fortify Light Armor | - | Yes | Yes | - | - | Yes | Yes | - |
Fortify Illusion and Magicka Regen | - | Yes | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Fortify Illusion | Yes | Yes | - | - | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Fortify Heavy Armor | - | Yes | Yes | - | - | Yes | Yes | - |
Fortify Health | - | Yes | - | - | Yes | Yes | Yes | - |
Fortify Healing Rate | - | Yes | - | - | - | Yes | Yes | - |
Fortify Destruction and-Magicka Regen | - | Yes | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Fortify Destruction | Yes | Yes | - | - | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Fortify Conjuration and Magicka Regen | - | Yes | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Fortify Conjuration | Yes | Yes | - | - | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Fortify Carry Weight | - | - | Yes | Yes | - | Yes | Yes | - |
Fortify Block | - | - | Yes | - | Yes | Yes | Yes | - |
Fortify Barter | - | - | - | - | - | Yes | - | - |
Fortify Archery | Yes | - | Yes | - | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Fortify Alteration and Magicka Regen | - | Yes | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Fortify Alteration | Yes | Yes | - | - | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Fortify Alchemy | Yes | - | Yes | - | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Skyrim School of Alteration Perks
Perk Points in Skyrim
Players gain 1 perk point every time they level up their character. A player will need 251 perk points to get every perk to the maximum level which is achieved at level 252.
Before spending perk points to get the bonuses from the perk, the player must first unlock the perk. Perks can be unlocked on their respective skill trees by having enough levels in the skill as well as the prerequisite perks leading to the perk. All skills have their base perks unlocked with perks further into the tree being unlocked as points are invested and levels gained.
Perks can have multiple levels to them giving increasing bonuses with more perk points invested in them. Different skill trees will need different number of perk points to fully unlock all the perks in each tree. Players may want to check and consider the number of perk points they need for their builds and at what level they will need to be to unlock everything they want to have.
Reclaiming Perk Points in Skyrim
There are 2 ways that players can reclaim the spent perk points in Skyrim that are quite difficult to get to so players do still want to be careful with their perk points. At level 100 players can set the skill to be Legendary. This will refund all perks invested into that tree as well as set the skill back to level 15. This will also allows players to increase the skill experience once again and gain new levels and more perk points.
Alternatively players who have completed the Dragonborn main questline will be able to reclaim points repeatedly by using the Black Book: Waking Dreams. This will require them to have a dragon's soul from hunting a dragon.
Click the header to sort the table.
Perk | Rank | Skill LVL. | Perk Requirement | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
Enchanter (1) | 1 | - | - | New enchantments are 20% stronger. |
Enchanter (2) | 2 | 20 | - | New enchantments are 40% stronger. |
Enchanter (3) | 3 | 40 | - | New enchantments are 60% stronger. |
Enchanter (4) | 4 | 60 | - | New enchantments are 80% stronger. |
Enchanter (5) | 5 | 80 | - | New enchantments are 100% stronger. |
Soul Squeezer | - | 20 | Enchanter | Soul gems provide extra Magicka for recharging. |
Fire Enchanter | - | 30 | Enchanter | Fire enchantments on weapons and armor are 25% stronger. |
Frost Enchanter | - | 40 | Fire Enchanter | Frost enchantments on weapons and armor are 25% stronger. |
Soul Siphon | - | 40 | Soul Squeezer | Death blows to creatures, but not people, trap 5% of the victim's soul, recharging the weapon. |
Storm Enchanter | - | 50 | Frost Enchanter | Shock enchantments on weapons and armor are 25% stronger. |
Insightful Enchanter | - | 50 | Enchanter | Skill enchantments on armor are 25% stronger. |
Corpus Enchanter | - | 70 | Insightful Enchanter | Health, Magicka, and Stamina enchantments on armor are 25% stronger. |
Extra Effect | - | 100 | Corpus Enchanter or Storm Enchanter |
Can put two enchantments on the same item. |