The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom has welcomed the green beam-blasting machine that is the Arcanist to its class lineup. The last time Tamriel’s ever-filling continent saw a shiny new class run rampant across its varied regions was in 2019 when the Necromancer class debuted alongside Elsweyr. Now, longtime players have a strong reason to start another alt, while new players can chew through the massive amount of content in The Elder Scrolls Online as arguably one of the most enjoyable classes.
Whether you are new or returning to The Elder Scrolls Online, we have put together a rundown of every Arcanist ability and their associated morphs so that you may begin building your ideal Arcanist as you barrel towards level 50 (once again).
Arcanist Class Guide
Herald of the Tome
Ultimate Abilities
The Unblinking Eye: Tear open the fabric of the Aurbis to summon a scion of Hermaeus Mora. This being casts forth a beam that rends asunder reality for 6 seconds and deals [X] Magic Damage to enemies within 5 meters every 0.5 seconds.
The scion’s beam can be repositioned by recasting The Unblinking Eye.
- The Tide King’s Gaze: Beam duration is increased, automatically follows the initial target, and searches for new targets if it is slain.
- The Languid Eye: Also applies a snare to enemies hit and damage increases over time.
Active Abilities
Runeblades: Craft a series of Apocryphal runes before launching them at a foe, dealing [X] Magic Damage three times and generating Crux.
This ability deals 3% increased damage for each active Crux when cast.
- Writhing Runeblades: Has increased Critical Chance for each active Crux.
- Escalating Runeblades: Deals increased damage and the last rune deals damage in an area.
Fatecarver: Harness pure knowledge into a beam of energy that scars the world in front of you. Channel the beam for up to 4 seconds, dealing [X] Magic Damage ever 0.3 seconds.
Casting Fatecarver consumes all Crux and increases damage done by 33% per Crux spent.
- Exhausting Fatecarver: Applies a snare to damaged enemies. Consuming Crux also increases the duration and snare strength.
- Pragmatic Fatecarver: Gain a damage shield while channeling and immunity to interrupts while the shield is active. Consuming Crux also reduces the cost.
Abyssal Impact: Infuse your arm with abyssal magic to form tentacles that lash out at your foes, dealing [X] Physical Damage. Enemies are immobilized for 3 seconds and marked with Abyssal Ink for 20 seconds.
You deal 5% increased damage to enemies drenched in Abyssal Ink.
- Cephaliarch’s Flail: Infuse your arm with abyssal magic to form tentaxles that lash out at your foes dealing [X] Physical Damage, healing yourself for [X], and generating Crux. Enemies are immobilized for 3 seconds and marked with Abyssal Ink for 20 seconds. Deals up to 100% more damage to enemies with less than 50% Health. You deal 5% increased damage to enemies drenched in Abyssal Ink.
- Tentacular Dread: Converts into a Magicka ability and deals Frost Damage. Consume Crux to increase the base damage and Abyssal Ink strength.
Tome-Bearer’s Inspiration: Etch a series of runes onto your weapon that pulse with power once every 5 seconds. Each pulse enhances your class abilities, and striking an enemy with one deals an additional [X] Magic Damage and generates Crux if you have none.
While slotted on either ability bar, gain Major Brutality and Major Sorcery, increasing your Weapon and Spell Damage by 20%.
- Inspired Scholarship: Increases the frequency of damage.
- Recuperative Treatise: When dealing damage, restore Magicka and Stamina.
The Imperfect Ring: Summon a flawed rune under an enemy that etches foes nearby with scrawled glyphs, dealing [X] Magic Damage over 20 seconds.
An ally near the initial target can activate the Runebreak synergy, dealing [X] Frost Damage to enemies within 7 meters.
- Rune of Displacement: Places a rune under the target that deals damage and pulls nearby enemies after a delay.
- Fulminating Rune: Deals additional area damage after a delay. Up to 3 allies can use the Runebreak synergy.
Passive Abilities
Fated Fortune: Warp fate when you generate or consume Crux, increasing your Critical Damage and Critical Healing by 12% for 7 seconds.
Harnessed Quintessence: You master the warp and weft of your very soul. When you are restored Magicka or Stamina, increase your Weapon and Spell Damage by 5% for 10 seconds.
Psychic Lesion: With a Herald of the Tome ability slotted, your attacks wound the mind with heretical knowledge, increasing damage dealt by Status Effects by 15% and Status Effect Chance by 75%.
Splintered Secrets: What they don’t know can kill them. Increase your Physical and Spell Penetration by [X] per Herald of the Tome ability slotted.
Soldier of Apocrypha
Ultimate Abilities
Gibbering Shard: Gather the true strength of Apocrypha around you, forming protective tentacles and a damage shield that absorbs 60% of all damage for 10 seconds, up to a max of [X] damage, scaling off your Max Health.
When the shield collapses you lash out, dealing all of the damage absorbed as Magic Damage to enemies within 5 meters over 10 seconds.
- Sanctum of the Abyssal Sea: Damage shield gains an increase in strength.
- Gibbering Shelter: No longer deals damage to enemies and grants allies a damage shield when you are hit.
Active Abilities
Runic Jolt: Craft a defensive Apocryphal rune that deals [X] Magic Damage and applies Minor Maim for 15 seconds, reducing their damage done by 5%.
The rune also taunts for 15 seconds if it would not cause taunt immunity, and generates Crux. While slotted, damage taken is reduced by 2% per active Crux.
- Runic Sunder: Converts into a Stamina ability and deals Physical Damage. Reduce your target’s Armor and gain Armor.
- Runic Embrace: Heal yourself and apply Minor Lifesteal.
Runespite Ward: Like the rune knights of old, summon a shield that absorbs [X] damage for 6 seconds, scaling off your Max Health.
The first time you take direct damage, the shield retaliates and deals [X] Magic Damage to the attacker, scaling off your Armor.
Consume Crux to heal yourself for [X] Health, scaling off your Max Health, per Crux spent.
- Spiteward of the Lucid Mind: Consume Crux to refund cost.
- Impervious Runeward: Drastically increases the size of the damage shield for the first second.
Fatewoven Armor: Forge defiant runic armor around you, granting Major Resolve for 20 seconds, increasing your Armor by [X].
While the armor persists, taking damage applies Minor Breach, reducing the Armor of your attacker by [X] for 6 seconds.
- Cruxweaver Armor: Increases the duration and when damaged, creates a Crux.
- Unbreakable Fate: Gain bonus Block Mitigation and consume Crux to increase the bonus.
Runic Defense: Cast forth a complex rune granting you and your group members Minor Resolve for 20 seconds, increasing your Armor by [X].
You gain Minor Protection for 20 seconds, reducing your damage taken by 5%.
The first time you are damaged while below 50% Health, the Minor Protection is consumed to heal you for [X] Health, scaling off your Max Health.
- Runeguard of Still Waters: Immobilizes nearby enemies.
- Runeguard of Freedom: Also grants Armor and Crowd Control Immunity when the heal occurs.
Rune of Eldritch Horror: Etch an incomprehensible rune on your enemy’s mind, paralyzing them in fear after a 1 second delay, stunning them for 4 seconds. This terror applies Minor Vulnerability for 10 seconds, increasing their damage taken by 5%.
If used against a monster, the paralyze lasts for 8 seconds.
This ability cannot be dodged.
- Rune of Uncanny Adoration: Charms the target and causes them to move towards you.
- Rune of the Colorless Pool: Applies Minor Brittle to the target.
Passive Abilities
Aegis of the Unseen: Form a secret soldier within your mind, a defense against arcane forces without. While a beneficial Soldier of Apocrypha ability is active on you, increase your Armor by [X].
Wellspring of the Abyss: Apocryphal knowledge bubbles up from the depths of your psyche, increasing your Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery by [X] for each Soldier of Apocrypha ability slotted.
Circumvented Fate: Casting an Arcanist ability warps the weave of fate around you, granting you and your group members Minor Evasion for 20 seconds and reducing damage from area attacks by 10%. This effect can occur once every 5 seconds.
Implacable Outcome: The will of an Arcanist is absolute. When you consume Crux, gain 4 Ultimate. This effect can occur once every 8 seconds.
Curative Runeforms
Ultimate Abilities
Vitalizing Glyphic: Summon an Apocryphal glyphic, which you and your allies can heal. The glyphic spawns at 30% Health and grows stronger the more you heal it.
The power within the glyphic grants up to [X] Weapon and Spell Damage and heals you and your allies around it for up to [X] Health every 1 second in proportion to its Health.
- Glyphic of the Tides: The glyphic spawns at a higher Health percentage and grants additional damage reduction when it is fully powered.
- Resonating Glyphic: Dealing damage to the glyphic powers it up instead of healing it.
Active Abilities
Runemend: Craft a series of precist Apocryphal runes, then propel them at yourself or an ally in front of you. The runes heal for [X] Health three times and generate Crux.
Each active Crux reduces the cost of this ability by 3%.
- Evolving Runemend: Heals for an additional amount over time.
- Audacious Runemend: Healing low Health targets grants them Ultimate.
Remedy Cascade: Channel the abyssal sea to coalesce a beam of restorative energy. The beam heals you and your allies in its path for [X] Health over 4.5 seconds.
Consume Crux to also restore [X] Magicka and Stamina per Crux spent to your allies over 4.5 seconds.
- Cascading Fortune: Heals for more on low Health targets.
- Curative Surge: The beam gradually heals for more the longer you channel it.
Chakram Shields: Carve the runes of the Blind Man to call forth spinning mystical discs. Discs surround you or up to 4 allies in front of you, granting a shield that absorbs [X] damage for 6 seconds.
Discs prefer your reticle target, or low-Health targets without shields.
- Chakram of Destiny: Creates a Crux. Recasting the shield on a target increases the maximum strength of the shield.
- Tidal Chakram: Consumes Crux to heal based on the shield’s strength every second it persists.
Arcanist’s Domain: Draw forth your tome and invoke the vigoratum of Hermaeus Mora to conjure a vortex of eldritch power. Standing in this vortex grants you and your allies Minor Courage, Minor Fortitude, Minor Intellect, and Minor Endurance, increasing your Weapon and Spell Damage by [X] and your Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery by 15%.
- Zena’s Empowering Disc: The effects remain on you and your allies for a short duration after leaving the area.
- Reconstructive Domain: Heals you and your allies in the area over time.
Apocryphal Gate: Breach the world walls to create a portal at a target location. Its twin appears directly before you. Crossing the threshold allows you to teleport from one to the other for as long as the portal remains open.
Apocryphal Gate generates Crux each time you teleport.
- Fleet-Footed Gate: Increases your Movement Speed after teleporting.
- Passage Between Worlds: Grants a synergy to allies allowing them to teleport from one portal to the other.
Passive Abilities
Healing Tides: Your mastery of weaving fate and abyssal water increases your healing done by 3% for each active Crux.
Hideous Clarity: You’ve stared too long into the abyss. When you generate Crux, you restore [X] Magicka or Stamina, whichever maximum is higher.
Erudition: Knowledge is power. Your excessive scholarship increases your Magicka and Stamina Recovery by 18%.
Intricate Runeforms: Your status as illuminatus reduces the cost and increases the strength of your damage shields by 10%.
