Oblivion:Mysticism

Skill: Mysticism
Governing Attribute: Intelligence
Specialization: Magic

The school of mysticism includes spells that absorb, reflect, and dispel magic, move objects, sense life, and bind souls.

Mastery

Mastery Perks

• A Novice can only cast Novice level Mysticism spells.
• An Apprentice can cast Apprentice and Novice level Mysticism spells.
• A Journeyman can cast Journeyman, Apprentice and Novice level Mysticism spells.
• An Expert can cast Expert, Journeyman, Apprentice, and Novice level Mysticism spells.
• A Master can cast all Mysticism spells.

Skill Benefits

As your mysticism skill increases, the Magicka cost to cast mysticism spells decreases, according to the following equation:

Cost = BaseCost * (1.4 - 0.012 * Skill)

The maximum value for Skill in this equation is 100; increases past 100 will not continue to decrease spell-casting cost.

Skill Increases

You gain 3 experience points every time a mysticism spell is cast upon an appropriate target, regardless of the magicka cost.

General tips for increasing spell-casting skills are provided at General Magic Strategies.

The best standard mysticism spell for practice is Minor Life Detection: it is the cheapest mysticism spell, and since it is cast on self you can always repeatedly cast it to gain experience.

Detect Life is also the best effect to use if creating a custom practice spell, since it is significantly cheaper than any other mysticism effect.

See also:

• Increasing Skills: General tips on how to improve your skills semi-naturally.
• Trainers: Pay for mysticism lessons.
• Mysticism Training: You must begin to repel the forces of Oblivion before the master mystic will train you.
• Skill Books: Books that provide lessons in mysticism.
• Increasing Attributes: Tips on training skills to improve the Intelligence attribute.
• Free Skill Boosts: Vampires gain a free mysticism skill boost.
• Magic Items: There are multiple generic items with the fortify mysticism enchantment.
• There are no Unique Items that fortify the mysticism skill. These do not include Leveled Items such as those received from quests, or Artifacts.

Dialogue

When your skill reaches 70 or higher, NPCs will start saying: "There's an air of Mysticism about you."

Character Creation

The following races provide initial skill bonuses in mysticism:

• +5 bonus: Argonian, Dunmer
• +10 bonus: Altmer, Breton

The following standard classes include mysticism as a major skill:

• Battlemage, Mage, Sorcerer, Witchhunter

If you choose Mysticism as one of your major skills, you will start with two Mysticism spells: Minor Dispel and Minor Life Detection.

Magical Effects

A list of all standard mysticism spells can be found on the Spells page. The following individual effects are all considered to be part of the school of Mysticism (see the individual effect pages for full details on availability; the Magical Effects article also provides a summary):

Detect Life				Soul Trap
Dispel				Spell Absorption
Reflect Damage				Telekinesis
Reflect Spell

Messages

The following table provides the messages that are displayed when your Mysticism skill levels up.

Level	Message
Apprentice	The mysteries of magic are slowly revealing themselves to you. You are now an Apprentice of Mysticism and can cast Apprentice level Mysticism spells.
Journeyman	The mysteries of magic are slowly revealing themselves to you. You are now a Journeyman of Mysticism and can cast Journeyman level Mysticism spells.
Expert	The mysteries of magic are slowly revealing themselves to you. You are now an Expert of Mysticism and can cast Expert level Mysticism spells.
Master	The mysteries of magic are slowly revealing themselves to you. You are now a Master of Mysticism and can cast Master level Mysticism spells.

Notes

• Mysticism is especially handy for thieves. Detect Life is very useful to "see" around corners while Telekinesis can be used to move items out of the owner's sight without having them alert the guards.
• Mysticism's Dispel effect can be used to nullify magic (not including powers or enchantments). This applies to both beneficial and malignant magical effects. Using a Dispel spell on one's self when one is afflicted with a negative spell that an enemy used while also under the effects of a beneficial spell casted on the self will dispel both. Although it can be used for both beneficial uses on the self and for nullifying enemy buffs, it is not considered assault when used against nonaggressive NPCs.
• The Leyawiin Mages Guild specializes in mysticism; Alves Uvenim and Agata sell the most mysticism spells.
• Once your renown reaches 50, you can visit the Magnus heaven doomstone to receive the greater power Skein of Magnus. One of several benefits of this power is that it fortifies your mysticism skill 15 points once a day for 120 seconds.