Arcane Archery
Bind spells to your arrows and trigger them on impact. Works for the player and NPCs.
This mod requires SKSE, Address Library, SkyUI, and MCM Helper. Install all of them first.
What Does This Mod Do?
Arcane Archery lets you attach a spell to your arrows. When the arrow hits something, the spell goes off at the point of impact. You keep your archery gameplay and add magic on top of it.
- Equip a spell and arrows at the same time, then press a hotkey to link them.
- Every arrow you fire with that ammo type will carry the spell.
- The spell costs magicka when you fire (not when you bind it), at a configurable rate.
- Bindings are saved with your game. They survive save/load and even load-order changes.
How to Use
Binding a Spell
- Equip a bow and arrows (or crossbow and bolts).
- Equip a spell in either hand. It must be a fire-and-forget spell (not a concentration spell like Flames).
- Press
Numpad 1(default hotkey). You will see a notification confirming the binding. - Fire your bow. The spell triggers wherever the arrow lands.
Clearing a Binding
Set a clear hotkey in the MCM (disabled by default). Press it with arrows equipped to remove the spell from that ammo type.
Which Spells Work?
Any fire-and-forget spell, lesser power, or scroll can be bound. This includes most destruction spells, healing spells, and utility spells.
These do not work:
- Concentration spells (like Flames or Sparks)
- Shouts
- Greater Powers
- Abilities
- Enchantments
Spell Targeting
How the spell triggers depends on its delivery type:
- Aimed / Touch / Target Actor spells fire at whatever the arrow hits.
- Self spells (like healing) cast on you, the archer, when the arrow lands.
Settings
All settings are in the MCM under "Arcane Archery", or edit the INI file at Data/SKSE/Plugins/ArcaneArchery.ini.
Spell Cost
- Cost Multiplier (default 0.50): How much magicka spell-arrows cost compared to normal casting. 0.0 = free, 1.0 = full cost.
- Require Magicka (default on): If your magicka is too low, the arrow fires normally without the spell.
Trigger Mode
- Living Targets Only (default off): When enabled, spells only trigger on NPCs and creatures. Arrows that hit walls or the ground fire normally.
NPC Settings
- NPCs Require Magicka (default off): When enabled, NPCs also need magicka to cast their arrow spells.
Notifications
- Show Bind Notification (default on): Shows a message when you bind or clear a spell.
- Show Cast Notification (default off): Shows a message every time a spell triggers on impact.
- Show Low Magicka Warning (default on): Shows a warning when you lack the magicka for a spell-arrow.
NPC Spell-Arrows
Mod authors can configure NPCs to fire spell-arrows by editing the INI file. Add entries to the [NPCBindings] section:
; Format: PluginName|NPCHexID|PluginName|AmmoHexID = PluginName|SpellHexID ; Example: Faendal fires Fireball with iron arrows Skyrim.esm|01348E|Skyrim.esm|038341 = Skyrim.esm|04DEDC
Each entry needs four pieces of information:
- The plugin and form ID of the NPC (their base record, not their reference in the world).
- The plugin and form ID of the ammo type.
- The plugin and form ID of the spell to cast.
You can find these IDs using SSEEdit or the console (help "npc name").
Troubleshooting
Nothing happens when I press the hotkey
- Make sure you have both a spell and arrows equipped at the same time.
- Check that the spell is fire-and-forget, not concentration.
- Make sure you are not in a menu.
The spell does not trigger on impact
- Check if "Living Targets Only" is enabled in the MCM. If so, spells will not trigger on walls.
- Check if "Require Magicka" is on and your magicka is too low.
- Enable debug logging in the MCM and check the log at
Documents/My Games/Skyrim Special Edition/SKSE/ArcaneArchery.log.
The spell triggers but has no visual effect
Some spell effects are subtle or instant. Try a spell with obvious visuals like Fireball to confirm the mod is working, then test other spells.
Compatibility
- Works with Skyrim SE (1.5.97+), AE (1.6.x), and VR.
- Compatible with most other archery mods.
- Compatible with spell mods that add new fire-and-forget spells.
- Uses a trampoline hook on the engine's projectile launch function. Mods that also hook this function may conflict. If you experience issues, check for conflicts in your SKSE log.
Link to This Page
Copy a link to share this wiki from your Nexus description or documentation: