How do you know how much damage the Bound Sword does?
As a passionate Skyrim gamer and battlemage extraordinaire, I‘ve forged my path to power using the mighty Bound Sword spell. But a key question arises – how much damage does this weightless beauty actually inflict? Read on for everything you need to know about the Bound Sword‘s base damage, damage scaling, and how to view its full damage potential.
Equipping The Bound Sword
The Bound Sword is an Apprentice-level Conjuration spell, only costing 39 magicka to cast. Simply equip it into either hand:
Don‘t be fooled by its ghostly, spectral appearance – the Bound Sword hits with the force of forged steel while weighing nothing at all!
Base Bound Sword Damage
Upon first obtaining the spell, the Bound Sword‘s base damage stats are:
| Stat | Damage |
|---|---|
| Base Damage | 9 points |
| Base Damage (with Mystic Binding perk) | 14 points |
Without any other bonuses, those are the minimum and maximum damage values possible. But as your power grows, so too can your Bound Sword‘s wrath.
Scaling Bound Sword Damage
The true potential of the Bound Sword lies in how rapidly it scales. As a Conjuration spell, all damage increases with your Conjuration skill. But even more importantly, as a spectral sword it also scales with One-Handed perks and gear.
This dual scaling makes the Bound Sword uniquely powerful among bound weapons. The damage bonuses stack multiplicatively, quickly exceeding all but the strongest unique swords and daedric weapons.
One-Handed Skill Bonuses
The One-Handed skill tree offers 5 levels of the Armsman perk, each granting +20% more damage. At One-Handed skill 100 with all perks, the Bound Sword receives a mammoth +100% damage bonus.
My current character has 87 One-Handed skill. With just 3 levels of Armsman, my Bound Sword‘s base damage increases from 14 to 18 points.
Conjuration Skill Bonuses
The Conjuration tree also boosts bound weapon damage. At skill level 20, the Mystic Binding perk makes the Bound Sword truly deadly, raising its base damage from 9 to 14.
Higher level perks like Soul Stealer (30 skill) add specific bonuses against creatures like +10 damage against enemies with souls.
| Skill Level | Damage Bonus |
|---|---|
| Skill 20 | +5 base damage (Mystic Binding) |
| Skill 30 | +10 damage vs enemies with souls (Soul Stealer) |
| Skill 40 | Banish summoned creatures (Oblivion Binding) |
| Skill 70 | Turn raised creatures to ash (Twin Souls) |
Enchantments, Potions and Poisons
The Bound Sword receives damage buffs from:
- Fortify One-Handed enchantments
- One-Handed potions
- Poisons applied to the blade
It lacks an enchantment itself, but with such immense physical damage that‘s rarely an issue.
The Bound Sword‘s Damage Scales Insanelely High
Fully perked, the Bound Sword can match or exceed even the vaunted Daedric Sword.
| Weapon | Base Damage | Maximum Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Bound Sword | 14 | 28+ with perks |
| Daedric Sword | 14 | 18 base damage |
With max gear and potion buffs, experienced players report Bound Swords with over 40 damage.
And that‘s not even factoring poisons and power attack damage!
Viewing The Bound Sword‘s Full Damage
Unlike crafted weapons, the Bound Sword‘s damage isn‘t fixed. As your powers develop, neither will the fury of your Bound Sword.
Thankfully, you can view the Bound Sword‘s current damage bonus at any time:
- Open your inventory and select the Weapons tab
- Locate the Bound Sword and select it
- The Damage stat at the bottom shows your Bound Sword‘s real-time power
So unlock the Bound Sword‘s true damage potential with smart perk investment and power leveling! Conjuration offers extremely rewarding damage scaling.
I hope this guide has been insightful. Stay tuned for more Skyrim battlemage tips and in-depth spell mechanics. The path to power beckons!
