A Briar Heart is the strange, flower-like heart that Hagravens put into the chests of Forsworn Briarhearts in place of their real ones. Take it and the Briarheart dies on the spot – which makes pickpocketing one of the most efficient assassinations in Skyrim. At 20 gold it’s one of the pricier ingredients, and Paralysis makes it great for poisons.
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.
- Restore Magicka – instantly restores spent Magicka. Also on: Creep Cluster, Dwarven Oil, Ectoplasm, Elves Ear, Fire Salts, Frost Salts, Giant Lichen, Grass Pod, Human Flesh, Moon Sugar, Mora Tapinella, Pearl, Red Mountain Flower, Taproot, Vampire Dust, White Cap.
- Fortify Block – lets your block absorb more damage for a while. Also on: Bleeding Crown, Honeycomb, Pearl, Slaughterfish Scales, Tundra Cotton.
- Paralysis – a poison effect that leaves the target paralysed and helpless for a few seconds. Also on: Canis Root, Human Flesh, Imp Stool, Swamp Fungal Pod.
- Fortify Magicka – raises your maximum Magicka for a while. Also on: Ectoplasm, Histcarp, Jazbay Grapes, Red Mountain Flower, Tundra Cotton, Void Salts.
Tips and trivia
You’ll need one to repair the White Phial during “Repairing the Phial” – while that quest is active, Briar Hearts count as quest items. Neloth asks for one too in Dragonborn.
Values from the Skyrim game files (Skyrim.esm): base value 20 gold, weight 0.5.