Bone Meal is what’s left when you grind up the dead – and in Skyrim the dead are rarely in short supply. You’ll pull it off draugr and skeletons by the handful. In alchemy it’s mainly used for Fortify Conjuration and Resist Fire, and it also has uses outside the alchemy lab.
Alchemy effects
The effects are listed in the order you discover them by eating the ingredient or using it in a potion. Two ingredients make a potion when they share at least one effect.
- Damage Stamina – a poison effect that drains the target’s Stamina on the spot. Also on: Berit’s Ashes, Blisterwort, Blue Butterfly Wing, Canis Root, Crimson Nirnroot, Cyrodilic Spadetail, Giant’s Toe, Jarrin Root, Nirnroot, Rock Warbler Egg, Spider Egg.
- Resist Fire – reduces the fire damage you take for a while. Also on: Berit’s Ashes, Dragon’s Tongue, Elves Ear, Fire Salts, Fly Amanita, Mudcrab Chitin, Snowberries.
- Fortify Conjuration – makes your Conjuration spells last longer for a while. Also on: Berit’s Ashes, Blue Butterfly Wing, Blue Mountain Flower, Frost Salts, Hagraven Feathers, Lavender.
- Ravage Stamina – a concentrated poison that lowers the target’s Stamina for a while. Also on: Bee, Berit’s Ashes, Deathbell, Honeycomb, Thistle Branch.
Tips and trivia
With Dragonborn installed, Bone Meal is also used to craft and improve Bonemold armor, and with Hearthfire it’s needed for skeleton and draugr trophies. Dawnguard adds a special “Finely Ground Bone Meal” for entering the Soul Cairn – that’s a separate quest item. Shares every effect with Berit’s Ashes.
Values from the Skyrim game files (Skyrim.esm): base value 5 gold, weight 0.5.