Skyrim:Lightning Storm

	Lightning Storm
School	Destruction	Difficulty	Master
Type	Offensive	Casting	Concentration
Delivery	Aimed	Equip	Both Hands
Spell ID	0007e8e5	Editor ID	LightningStorm
Base Cost	138/s	Charge Time	3.0
Duration	1	Range	(?)
Magnitude	75	Area	0
Tome ID	000a270e	Tome Value	1400
Purchase from (after Destruction Ritual Spell)
Faralda

Target takes 75 points of shock damage per second to Health, and half that to Magicka.

Lightning Storm is a master level destruction spell that deals massive shock damage to Health and Magicka.

Effects

• Lightning Storm, 75 pts for 1 sec
• Disintegrate, 200 pts for 1 sec; regardless of whether or not the Disintegrate perk has been unlocked

Perks

• Augmented Shock, raises damage to 93.75/s at first rank or 112.5/s at second rank

Notes

• Lightning Storm has roughly equivalent damage to dual-casting Lightning Bolt, and uses roughly equivalent magicka per second. However, it has almost unlimited range, making it highly effective against airborne dragons in particular. For closer-range combat, other spells that deal greater damage may be more effective.
• This is the only spell in the game that is a concentration spell that also requires casting with both hands. It is a Ritual spell, as well, with a 3-second delay before initially casting.
• Due to the fact that this spell cannot be dual-cast, its damage per second is significantly lower than most Expert level spells.
• Oddly, Lightning Storm does not kill hawks.
• There is a Master level fiery version of this spell, named "Dragon Breath", which is only available through console commands.
• Lightning Storm can be used to set off Shock Runes from a distance, though it might be overpowered for such a use in particular.
• Lightning Storm is the longest reaching concentration-type spell. All others (Flames, Frostbite and Sparks) have a much shorter range, though can be singly or dual cast. Lightning Storm is always dual-cast.
• Casting this spell in an enclosed area or a room with lots of objects will scatter them, resulting in a large mess, even if the spell wasn't aimed at them. The screen also shakes continuously when casting at close range.

Bugs

• Lightning Storm will not advance the Destruction skill.
  Mod Notes: The Skill Usage Multiplier for both magic effects of the spell is 0.
  • The Unofficial Skyrim Patch, version 2.1.2, fixes this bug.
• If a dragon is disintegrated with this spell, you will sometimes not absorb the dragon soul.
• If lightning storm is used to disintegrate respawning enemies, like invaders during the Battle for Whiterun, respawned enemies will be invisible.