Ash Shell

Dragonborn spell that encases a target in hardened ash for 30 seconds – they can’t act, but can’t be hurt either.

Ash Shell is a Telvanni twist on Paralyze from the Dragonborn add-on. Hit a target and they’re frozen inside a shell of ash for 30 seconds. The catch: while encased they can’t be damaged either, so it’s a crowd-control spell rather than a kill setup. Ash creatures, dragons and Dwarven automatons are immune. It comes from the Dragonborn add-on.

Tips

Best used in big fights to take one enemy out of the battle while you deal with the rest – for example a bandit who joins in while you’re fighting a dragon. Guards hit with it don’t turn hostile, though Redoran guards in Raven Rock do.

Spell details

  • School: Alteration (Adept)
  • Effect: Targets that fail to resist are immobilized in hardened ash for 30 seconds.
  • Base Magicka cost: 251
  • Casting: Fire and Forget, aimed
  • Spell tome: Spell Tome: Ash Shell – value 425 gold, ID 040177AC

More Alteration spells

Candlelight (Novice), Equilibrium (Novice), Oakflesh (Novice), Magelight (Apprentice), Stoneflesh (Apprentice), Detect Life (Adept), Ironflesh (Adept), Telekinesis (Adept), Transmute (Adept), Waterbreathing (Adept), Ash Rune (Expert), Detect Dead (Expert), Ebonyflesh (Expert), Paralyze (Expert), Dragonhide (Master), Mass Paralysis (Master).

Cost, effect and tome value read from the Skyrim game files (base values before skill, perks and gear).

Effect

Targets that fail to resist are immobilized in hardened ash for 30 seconds.

Where to buy or find the tome

  • Sold by Talvas Fathryon in Tel Mithryn on Solstheim (Dragonborn).

Lore notes

Quest reward from

Characters connected to it

Where to find it

More spells from this school

Destruction
Magicka 343
A powerful lightning strike – 60 shock damage to Health, half that to Magicka.
Conjuration
Magicka 302
Reanimates a very powerful corpse to fight for you for 60 seconds.
Conjuration
Magicka 107
Fills a soul gem if the target dies within 60 seconds.
Destruction
Magicka 1106
Master spell: a huge ice storm around you that hurts everything for 10 seconds.
Conjuration
Magicka 57
Summons a burning familiar that charges the nearest enemy and explodes.
Illusion
Magicka 153
Makes creatures and people up to level 9 flee for 30 seconds.
Sources checked: Skyrim game files (Skyrim/Dawnguard/Dragonborn.esm + strings, read 2026-10-11); Elder Scrolls Fandom spell articles (tome locations)