Ok I'm either overlooking something, or all the higher level destruction spells harm the target, plus someone else. Please tell me this isn't the case. Fireballs have a huge AOE, so I always hit someone with it. Even chain lighting feels that it must jump to someone nearby, friend or foe.

I can't tell you how many times I've aggro-ed allies or killed an innocent bystander just by trying to use destruction in a fight in a city. Or how many times I've offed my companion by catching them in the splash of my attack.

Is there nothing that's upper level that I can use that won't cause collateral damage? Any element? Anything?

Firebolt, has no AoE

if you want to use those spells dont take a companion. i guess bethesda wasnt really thinking when they made ALL the high end spells AoE instead of half aoe and half single damage.

I kind of like it
it's like they're more powerful explosions as opposed to just an increase in damage
feels more real like that or someting
makes more sense IMO

I actually wish they had stronger area effect. As in you cast Fireball and it kills anyone within 5 meters of the target.

I understand the desire for a big Boom, trust me, 99% of the time it's really fun.

But there are some situations where you only want to hit 1 guy, and those situations call for a very powerful, very targeted, ice or bolt spell. I can't imagine why there isn't even one high power, single target destruction spell.

Incinerate, Thunderbolt, Ice Spear?


Anyways, I would really like a spell where I could throw a Blizzard at people, lol. Also as a mage I say just forget companions. I've killed Khajro like 5 times and Aranea once. It is easier to use summoned friends than reload after killing regular people.

Like the posting above me said, Incinerate, Ice Spear and Thunderbolt are all single target spells, but honestly you can kill stuff with firebolts at higher levels. i'm level 59 and firebolt is still my main spell. I use to kill ancient dragons, deathlords, hagravens, pretty much everything. Incinerate costs to much, lightning spells dont always stagger with Impact perk and well, I already put 2 points in Aug Fire, otherwise Ice Spike would work just as well, and Firebolt/Incinerate has a short duration DOT on it as well, so it does slightly more damage then ice variants.

My best friend and companion is my summoned dremora lord who is always available and ready to tell me how all my challanges that I required his help for were a waste of his time and a pathetic test of his mightiness.... hes not a very good friend in that regard but he gets the job done.

I hate it too. Dragon attacks a city, and I think I cause more damage than it does. -.-

But nothing truly higher level that does single-damage. :sadvaultboy:

Lightning Storm is sort of single damage as well, as in no AoE (I beleive) but it hits anything you cross the beam over.

Isn't incinerate and thunderbolt just on target?