Conjuration is the school that turned countless Dragonborn into one-person armies. Whether someone is summoning a Dremora Lord to tank hits or swinging a Bound Bow that out-damages most enchanted weapons, Skyrim conjuration spells offer some of the most flexible, build-defining magic in the game. This guide breaks down what conjuration actually does, the fastest way to level it, the best skyrim summon spells worth slotting, perks that matter, and where to track down the rare tomes most players miss.
Key Takeaways
- Skyrim conjuration spells split into three core types: atronachs and daedra summons, necromancy for reanimating corpses, and bound weapons that function as Daedric-tier gear.
- The Soul Trap exploit on dead corpses is the fastest leveling method for conjuration, capable of reaching level 90 in under an hour.
- Top-tier summons like Dremora Lord and Dead Thrall provide unmatched late-game support, while Bound Bow serves as one of the best weapons available until endgame enchanted gear is acquired.
- Twin Souls and Mystic Binding are the most essential conjuration perks, allowing dual summons and guaranteed Daedric damage output on bound weapons.
- Phinis Gestor at the College of Winterhold sells the rarest high-level conjuration spell tomes, with the most powerful spells locked behind level 90 requirements and specific quests.
What Conjuration Magic Does in Skyrim
Conjuration governs two main things: summoning creatures from Oblivion (and raising the dead) and binding weapons or armor made of pure magical energy. It’s the school that lets a mage stop being a glass cannon and start fielding a Flame Atronach as a meat shield while they cast from the back line.
At its core, the school splits into three flavors:
- Atronachs and Daedra, temporary allies summoned for 60 seconds (longer with perks).
- Necromancy, reanimating corpses to fight alongside the player.
- Bound weapons, Daedric-tier weapons conjured on demand, perfect for hybrid builds.
Unlike Destruction, Conjuration scales beautifully into the late game thanks to the Twin Souls perk and the Skyrim Mages Guild questline, which unlocks access to advanced tomes.
How to Level Conjuration Fast
Conjuration is one of the quickest skills to grind in Skyrim, and there’s no shame in exploiting it. The skill levels each time a summon is cast in or near combat, not just when the player connects with an enemy.
The classic methods still work in the Anniversary Edition build:
- Soul Trap a corpse, Grab the Soul Trap tome early, cast it on a dead draugr or wolf repeatedly. Each cast counts.
- Bound Sword spam in combat, Casting Bound Sword while an enemy is nearby gives steady XP. Pair it with a low-level bandit camp.
- Rest with the Mage Stone, A 20% XP boost stacks with the Well Rested bonus for +35% total. The full list of stat-boosting Skyrim Guardian Stones is worth checking before any grind.
Guides over at community-tested leveling routes consistently rank Soul Trap on a fresh kill as the single fastest method, capable of hitting level 90 in under an hour.
The Best Conjuration Spells by Tier
Not every tome is worth the gold. These are the picks that actually carry builds from early game to endgame, ranked by practical impact rather than raw magicka cost.
Top Summoning Spells for Combat Support
For pure damage and crowd control, these summons dominate the meta:
- Conjure Dremora Lord (Expert), The undisputed king. Wields a Daedric greatsword, hits like a truck, and tanks effortlessly.
- Conjure Storm Atronach (Expert), Ranged lightning damage with a shock aura that staggers enemies.
- Conjure Flame Atronach (Apprentice), Cheap, summons fast, and explodes on death for AoE damage. The go-to early-game pick.
- Dead Thrall (Master), The crown jewel of skyrim necromancy. Permanently reanimates a corpse up to level 40, and players can even equip it with custom gear.
For stealth-focused builds, pairing summons with invisibility-based playstyles creates devastating ambush setups.
Essential Bound Weapon Spells
Bound weapons are secretly some of the best skyrim conjuration spells in the game because they count as Daedric-tier for perk purposes:
- Bound Bow (Adept), Arguably the best bow in Skyrim until late-game enchanted gear. Comes with 100 Daedric arrows.
- Bound Sword (Novice), Cheap, fast, and pairs perfectly with the Mystic Binding perk for a free Daedric one-hander.
- Bound Battleaxe (Adept), Highest base damage of the bound weapons, ideal for two-handed warriors dabbling in magic.
According to breakdowns of weapon damage tiers, a fully perked Bound Bow with Mystic Binding outdamages most enchanted Daedric bows until smithing is maxed.
Must-Have Conjuration Perks and Build Synergies
The Conjuration perk tree is compact but packed with build-defining nodes. These are the non-negotiables:
- Mystic Binding, Bound weapons deal Daedric-tier damage. Mandatory for any bound build.
- Soul Stealer, Bound weapons auto-cast Soul Trap. Free filled soul gems forever.
- Atromancy, Doubles atronach summon duration to 120 seconds.
- Twin Souls, The endgame goal. Summon two atronachs or thralls simultaneously.
- Dark Souls, Reanimated zombies get +100 HP, huge for necromancy builds.
Conjuration synergizes hardest with One-Handed/Archery (bound weapons) and Restoration (keeping the player alive while pets tank). For a true battlemage, pairing it with Skyrim alteration spells like Ebonyflesh adds the armor rating most pure mages desperately need.
Roleplayers building a necromancer from scratch should also consider the Skyrim Unbound alternative start to skip Helgen and dive straight into the dark arts.
Where to Find Rare Conjuration Spell Tomes
Phinis Gestor at the College of Winterhold is the primary vendor for high-level Conjuration tomes, but a few of the rarest spells require specific quests or locations.
- Dead Thrall, Sold by Phinis once Conjuration hits level 90.
- Conjure Dremora Lord, Reward from Phinis’s “Conjuration Ritual Spell” quest at level 90.
- Flame Thrall, Frost Thrall, Storm Thrall, Also gated behind the Ritual Spell quest.
- Bound Bow, Found in Fort Amol’s Prison or sold by Phinis at level 35+.
- Conjure Mistman/Boneman/Wrathman, Unique Dragonborn DLC summons tied to the Ghosts of the Tribunal questline and Ash-related content on Solstheim.
The Dragonborn DLC also added Bound Dagger and the Ash Guardian conjuration, both worth hunting if the player owns the Anniversary Edition. Detailed location databases on PC modding and lore hubs cover every tome’s exact coordinates if a specific one keeps slipping through the cracks. For absolute completionists, cross-referencing tome locations with Skyrim shout locations makes for efficient cleanup runs across Tamriel.
Final Thoughts
Conjuration rewards commitment more than almost any other school. The early grind to Bound Bow and Flame Atronach pays off the moment Dremora Lords start clearing draugr crypts solo. Whether someone leans into necromancy, atronach summoning, or a bound-weapon battlemage, the school stays relevant from level 1 to 100. Pick a flavor, grab Twin Souls, and let the Daedra do the heavy lifting.
