Hey Everyone,

So basically my character is a Lvl 46 Nord that uses primarily one handed weapons and so forth.. Throughout my play through I haven't barely used any mage spells or things of that nature. I've been wanting to boost my mage skills lately just to kind of balance out my character (specifically Alteration spells). And I was wondering if any of you out there had any tips on how to boost your use of alteration spells? I've trained to the fullest with Esbern's help, but I'm still at lvl 22-23 alteration. So besides training thru Esbern, what else could I do? Thanks.

For any magical skill you want to train, ideally you will have a set of gear to provide 0% cost. You should also be rested and using the Mage stone when training.

Alteration: Telekenisis and Detect Life can be used outside of battle. Detect Life grows faster the more targets you highlight, so use it in a market.
Conjuration: use Soul Trap on dead things. (bug?)
Destruction/Restoration: hard to train one without the other. Use simultaneously on a target to raise both.
Illusion: Muffle and Invisibility can be used outside of battle.
Restoration: see above, but note that the Regeneration perk will not give you 50% more experience.

I see... I tried to go out and purchase the Telekenisis book but no one had it available. I think its because your alteration level has to be a minimum of 30 or more? I read that online on the skyrim wiki page.. But anyway, I think I'll go out and try to find more alteration spell books.Oh and I'll def be switching back to the mage stone.

For Alteration:
-Spam Oakflesh in battle until 25. Spam Stoneflesh in battle (and/or Magelight at night - best used to attract hostile attention) until 50. Spam Detect Life and Telekinesis in Riften's marketplace during the day until 100 (at 50, you can buy both from Riften's court wizard.) For TK, you'll want to be careful not to touch anyone with the item - and it's better to use one of your own dropped items, so that you don't accidentally steal something.

Since Detect Life and TK are both hideously expensive, you'll want Alteration reducing gear.

ETA: Yes, you need 50 Alteration to buy Adept Alteration spells. Detect Life can be obtained through a quest, "Infiltration," but it's probably easier to just buy it.

I tried using the crap out of oakflesh but it seemed not to do much over a period of time as far as boosting goes. But that's a good point I'll def try more of those.

For Alteration use Detect Life until Tolfdir sells you the tome for Telekinesis then use that on everything.

Also if you want to raise Illusion since that'd a magic skill, buy Muffle from any court wizard and spam that. Once you have 75 Illusion, Fervid Neloren at the College of Winterhold will sell Invisibility. Buy that and spam it as well and you're good.

You can buy spells when your skill is 10 lower than the associated perk; that is to say Telekenisis, an adept-level spell, can be purchased at 40 skill.

Until that point, wearing 0% Alteration gear, just put Oakflesh in both hands and continuously cast it near Horkers.

I may be wrong, but I believe you have to be engaged in battle (or maybe even get hit with an attack) for the ___flesh line of spells to grant exp. I am fairly sure you won't skill up by "spam" casting while standing around or walking the roads in peace.

Yeah that's probably why is wasn't doing anything. I'll try using it next time during battle.

I may be wrong, but I believe you have to be engaged in battle (or maybe even get hit with an attack) for the ___flesh line of spells to grant exp. I am fairly sure you won't skill up by "spam" casting while standing around or walking the roads in peace.

You only need to be in combat. Standing in front of caged hostiles (like the pit-wolves at Cragslane Cavern) or where enemies can't path (consider the frostbite spider boss in Bleak Falls Barrow) will work.

You have to be in battle. Do you see red dots anywhere?

For Alteration, the easiest way is to get your hands on a Waterbreating spell. I believe you should be able to buy it from Tolfdir at around 30 or so (someone feel free to correct me if need be). Then go stand ankle deep in a river, or even in the pool by Dragonsreach in Whiterun, and spam away. It levels you up really fast.

For Illusion, get Calm and spam it at a stationary NPC like a bartender because they never move or move only slightly. You can buy Calm at really low levels.

Cast until you're out of magicka, wait one hour, cast again. Rinse and repeat.

Someone already mentioned it but it's worth repeating. For conjuration spam soultrap at any dead animal. It goes up fast.

Trying to spam Oakflesh in battle seems like a losing or at least very slow proposition. Do Waterbreathing if you can get it.

Restoration - Cast that one spell that drains your health and increases your magic while at the same time cast a healing spell on yourself.

Alteration - Don't do the above. You'll only get like 1-2 levels of this after getting 100 Restoration. Instead, us telekinesis at on object and when magicka is out, a simple 'wait' will do. Also, casting Shield Spells while in combat helps a lot.

Illusion - Cast Muffle or Invisibility. You'll gain experience as long you do this near someone. I believe that works. You could also just cast a Calm spell on someone over and over again. That spell is considered as friendly, I think.

Conjuration - Soul Trap Dead Bodies.

Destruction - Blow things up!

I'm pretty sure you can just be near wildlife like Deer, Elk, Foxes, Goats, etc. And do Oakflesh on yourself. I think it works like Illusion/Conjuration does. If your near enemies/NPCs of some kind it'll boost. It's not like Oblivion where you could just keep doing the spell over and over again and boost it. They put a stop to that, lol. (Always boosted Restoration, hehe)

Also get the Candlelight spell. It doesn't raise it much, but if used constantly it will help out as well. I <3 Candlelight > Torch.

You have to do it while enemies are hostile, otherwise it does not contribute to your xp points. Alteration is spellsword's best friend. Once you get paralyze, every battle becomes easy, except the dragons.

Whenever you are traveling cross country you can use telekinesis while you run around. That way its not so boring to skillup.

Good one. I'm off to find that book. It's in Labyrinthian, right?

Yes. It is in there.

I figured it out last night. Just messed with a small group of Horkers while dual casting Oakflesh and equilibrium. Actually worked pretty well and gained xp pretty quickly. thanks for the help everyone!