Skyrim is a huge open-world game that provides players with an abundance of options in regard to how they go about creating and shaping their character. The Dragonborn can be a huge beastly warrior who always uses the same weapon in combat. They can be a sneaky trickster, an assassin shooting arrows out of the dark at their targets, or even a powerful mage.
If players choose to focus on the latter or want to try a new run of Skyrim with an especially underpowered or weirder build, there are some great magical options. Many of the magical spells and skills in Skyrim boil down to shooting fire or thunder at enemies, but some others are a bit less conventional in nature.
7 The Wabbajack's Enchantment
Everything about the Wabbajack is meant to seem as unusual as possible. Though it is not technically a spell, the magical capabilities of this staff, gifted to the Dragonborn by Sheogorath at the end of “The Mind of Madness” Daedric quest. This weapon can be used on any enemy, and against all but the largest enemies, it produces a completely unpredictable effect.
From making enemies stronger to turning them into goats, there is a wide array of effects that the Wabbajack can have on the creatures and inhabitants of Skyrim. If players are looking for a magically-inspired playthrough of the game with a level of fun unpredictability, get the Wabbajack as soon as possible and wreak confusing havoc.
6 Fenrik’s Welcome (Illusion)
This spell is included in one of the packs added for Skyrim’s Anniversary Edition, called Arcane Accessories. Fenrik’s Welcome is a strange but somewhat useful spell that can help players in sneaky situations, particularly in Thieves Guild missions or at key moments while engaging in some dungeon crawling action.
Fenrik’s Welcome is a spell that turns the Dragonborn invisible and allows them to automatically unlock any lock below Expert level. These are very useful abilities. The weird part of the spell is that it only lasts for five seconds, prompting players to use the spell and scramble to unlock or rush past whatever obstruction is in their way. Still, Fenrik’s Welcome isn’t the strangest part of the new Anniversary Edition materials.
5 Transmute (Alteration)
Tihis is a well-known spell to many veteran Skyrim players who are desperate to have more gold quickly available. Transmute allows the Dragonborn to turn a piece of iron ore into a piece of silver, or a piece of silver ore into gold ore.
If players can find a copy of the spell tome to learn Transmute (of which there are very few across the map) they will be able to increase their riches drastically if they can find enough iron ore. Often the best way is to buy as much as possible from merchants and Smiths, and then transform it and sell it back to them at a heightened price. This makes Transmute one of the best Alteration spells.
4 Mayhem (Illusion)
With a name that sounds like it should produce some pretty strange effects, the Mayhem spell is a high-level one that can only be unlocked by completing the Ritual Illusion Spell quest at the College of Winterhold. This is one of the master spell quests, meaning players need to reach an incredibly high level in their Illusion skill before the quest becomes available.
Mayhem causes absolute chaos, which is exactly the sort of weirdness that players on a repeat run of Skyrim would probably love to witness. The spell forces creatures and people level 25 or lower to attack everyone around them. If players are looking to cause a massive distraction, this is one of the best ways to wreak total havoc in Skyrim.
3 Telekinesis (Alteration)
Not many Skyrim players get to the point where they are fairly adept at Alteration magic. Since it doesn't cause damage to enemies, this school of magic isn’t as big a focus as the usual overpowered Skyrim skills which have become so popular over the years. However, Telekinesis can be a hugely useful magical skill for certain players, particularly thieves.
In the Thieves Guild, there are a number of times when players need to steal an item from a location. Sometimes, to get in and out with the item, players need to be invisible. Using Telekinesis, players can bring the item closer to them while staying hidden. Telekinesis is a very weird magical spell that has a single, very precise use.
2 Prowler’s Profit (Passive Effect)
One of the longest and most frustrating quests for Skyrim players is No Stone Unturned, the quest to find and retrieve every Stone of Barenziah. If players manage this and find the crown and replace all stones in it, the Dragonborn receives the Prowler’s Profit passive effect.
This skill is a useful one, providing the Dragonborn with a higher number of gems found in chests when searching them. However, it is a weird one to provide after such a lengthy quest. The Dragonborn can sell the crown for massive money and will have few money troubles late in the game, which is probably where they’ll be by the time they gain this perk.
1 Guardian Circle (Restoration)
Restoration magic is another school that is infrequently explored by Skyrim players, given their tendency to want to do damage to enemies instead of providing more healing possibilities for themselves. It is useful, however, and the master Restoration quest provides the option to buy the Guardian Circle spell tome from Colette Marence.
Guardian Circle forces undead creatures up to level 35 to flee while players are standing inside the circle created by the spell. Additionally, the Dragonborn will gain 20 health per second while standing inside the circle. This provides the perfect cover and escape for a difficult dungeon situation where the Dragonborn finds themselves surrounded by Draugr, making this one of the most underrated Skyrim spells.