One of the hardest parts of playing a mage build inSkyrimis how quickly the Dragonborn can run out of Magicka. Especially early on in the game, even fairly easy spells tend to burn through spellcasting power quickly. For someone who relies on fireballs to kill andmagical armor to protect them, this can be a deadly situation.
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That’s why it’s often essential for mages to pack plenty of potions on their adventures. Luckily, Skyrim is brimming with flowers, fungi, and otherworldly minerals that will restore the player’s Magicka and get them back in the fight quickly. Here’s a guide to collecting and combining those reagents.
Updated on June 24, 2025 by Demaris Oxman:Skyrimplayers are forever searching for new ways to play, from mods to challenges to simply trying out different builds. For some, that means attempting one of the game’s harder play styles: the pure mage build. To further aid players taking on a magic-only playthrough in this open-world RPG, this list has been updated to help the Dragonborn keep their Magicka reserves up. Below, players can find additional info on where to find Restore Magicka ingredients, and the best recipes for utilizing them.
The Restore Magicka Effect
As the title states, potions with this effect willrefill the player’s Magicka bar.The amount that a crafted potion refills depends on the Dragonborn’s alchemy level, so spend time grinding potions to raise the skill.
Additionally, be sure not to confuse this effect withFortify Magicka.“Fortify” will increase the player’s maximum Magicka, while “Restore” will replenish it up to the current maximum.
Ingredients
Plenty of ingredients throughout the game carry Restore Magicka as one of their four effects. Some are bountiful and easy to gather, while others are a bit trickier. All of the following ingredients can be purchased (or stolen, if the player is so inclined) fromalchemist merchantsthroughout the land. However, tracking down one’s own components can be a fun adventure.
Easy To Find
These ingredients are fairly common, and don’t require the Dragonborn to risk life and limb to get them. For players trying to whip up as many Restore Magicka potions as possible, they’re great to gather.
Note:Playersshould not mix Red Mountain Flower with either White Cap or Ectoplasmfor a Restore Magicka potion, as these ingredients share detrimental effects. The former imparts Ravage Magicka, which will result in the drinker losing Magicka instead. Meanwhile, the latter will result in a Damage Health potion.
Harder To Find
Some players may be able to find these fairly easily, but generally, they’re not worth hunting down as the above ingredients are. They tend to be in fixed locations, or require a lot of legwork to get. Once found, though, they can be incredibly useful, and many have valuable effects in addition to Restore Magicka.
Compatible Effects
Packing multiple effects into a single potion allows Skyrim’s alchemists to kill several birds with one stone. Fortunately, several Restore Magicka ingredients have other effects in common, allowing players to use them to buff their spellcasting abilities in more ways than one.
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Additionally, certain Restore Magicka potions aren’t necessarily useful in battle, but are highly valuable due to boasting several effects that fetch high prices. Not only can the following potions be sold for a high profit, but making them will increase the player’s Alchemy skill by quite a bit.
