All Arcanist abilities in The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO)

The Arcanist class was added to The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) with the Necrom DLC. This class sources their abilities from the realm of the Daedric Prince of Fate and Forbidden Knowledge —Hermaeus Mora.

When starting a new character, you’ll also have to choose a race for your Arcanist. For that, you can choose want to think of what role you’ll play as you decide on your build.

The best race for Magicka DPS is the High Elf, while Stamina DPS players should go with the Khajiit. But if you wish to play a tank, choose Nord, and for healers, we recommend Breton.

How the Arcanist class works in ESO

The Arcanist skill lines are Curative Runeforms, Soldier of Apocrypha, and Herald of the Tome. Each class has three unique skill lines that allow you to choose what ultimate, active, and passive skills your character can use.

The ultimate and active skills are the attacks you can use during battle while the passives are effects you can get after triggering a condition. As you gain experience, you can morph that skill to make it stronger.

I recommend picking one skill from each skill line to have a better chance of facing different types of enemies. You can choose other skills later if you need them and retrieve the points to redistribute them.

In this guide, we’ll explain how each Arcanist skill works based on the game’s description. We also simplified the descriptions to make it easier for beginners to understand.

Crux system

The Arcanist class brings a new mechanic with the Crux system. Some skills generate Crux that you can consume or accumulate. Cruxes can grant extra damage, healing, and other effects. You can recognize Crux by the green glowing triangles that flow around the character.

An example is the Runemend skill, which generates Crux and reduces the cost of the ability with each active Crux. The Runic Jolt ability, on the other hand, reduces damage taken by two percent per active Crux.

Related: How to create a Sip of Health in The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO)

All Arcanist Ultimates, Active, and Passive skills in ESO

Arcanist’s Curative Runeforms skill line in ESO

Curative Runeforms’s Ultimate

• Vitalizing Glyphic: Summon an Apocryphal glyphic, which you and your allies can heal. The glyphic spawns with low Health and grows stronger the more you heal it. The power within the glyphic grants Weapon and Spell Damage and heals you and your allies around it for every second in proportion to its Health.
  • Morphs
    • Glyphic of the Tides: The same, but the glyphic spawns with more Health plus it reduces damage taken by 10 percent when at full Health.
    • Resonating Glyphic: The same, but instead of healing the glyphic, you have to damage it. The glyphic spawns at 70 percent Health and grows stronger the more you damage it. It also heals a bit more.

Curative Runeforms’s active skills

• Runemend: Craft a series of precise Apocryphal runes, then propel them at yourself or an ally in front of you. The runes heal three times and generate Crux. Each active Crux reduces the cost of this ability.
  • Morphs
    • Audacious Runemend: The same, but the runes heal a bit more and healing a target under half their Health generates Ultimate over time.
    • Screaming Cliff Racer: The same, but it heals an additional amount of Health over time.
• Remedy Cascade: Channel the abyssal sea to coalesce a beam of restorative energy. The beam heals you and your allies in its path over time. Consume Crux to also restore Magicka and Stamina per Crux spent to your allies over time.
  • Morphs
    • Cascading Fortune: The same, but it heals more and the beam heals for up to 50 percent more in proportion to the severity of the target’s wounds as you reweave fate itself.
    • Curative Surge: The same, but it heals more and the beam gradually grows stronger the longer you channel it, healing for up to 192 percent more at the end of its duration.
• Chakram Shields: Carve the runes of the Blind Man to call forth spinning mystical discs. Discs surround you or up to four allies in front of you, granting a shield that absorbs damage for six seconds.
  • Morphs
    • Chakram of Destiny: The same, but you carve different rune and recasting on a target already shielded grants a new shield that is 30 percent stronger.
    • Tidal Chakram: The same, but it absorbs more damage, and consuming Crux cause the shields to heal for 33 percent of the shield’s remaining strength every second per Crux spent.
• 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 increases your Weapon and Spell Damage and your Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery by 15 percent.
  • Morphs
    • Reconstructive Domain: The same, but the vortex also heals you and your allies over time.
    • Zenas’ Empowering Disc: The same, but the effects cling to you and your allies for up to 10 seconds after leaving the vortex.
• 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 portals remain open. Apocryphal Gate generates Crux each time you teleport.
  • Morphs
    • Fleet-Footed Gate: The same, but after teleporting, you increase your Movement Speed by 30 percent for five seconds.
    • Passage Between Worlds: The same, but you also reduce damage from area attacks by 10 percent while the skill is slotted.

Curative Runeforms’s passive skills

• Healing Tides: Your mastery of weaving fate and abyssal water increases your healing done by three percent for each active Crux.
• Hideous Clarity: You’ve stared too long into the abyss. When you generate Crux, you restore Magicka or Stamina, whichever maximum is higher.
• Erudition: Knowledge is power. Your excessive scholarship increases your Magicka and Stamina Recovery by 18 percent.
• Intricate Runeforms: Your status as illuminatus reduces the cost and increases the strength of your damage shields by 10 percent.

Arcanist’s Soldier of Apocrypha skill line in ESO

Soldier of Apocrypha’s Ultimate

• Gibbering Shield: Gather the true strength of Apocrypha around you, forming protective tentacles and a damage shield that absorbs 60 percent of all damage for 10 seconds, scaling off your Max Health. When the shield collapses you lash out, dealing all of the damage absorbed as Magic Damage to enemies within five meters over 10 seconds.
  • Morphs
    • Gibbering Shelter: The same, but when the shield absorbs damage, pseudopods lash out at up to six allies within 15 meters, granting them a damage shield for four seconds. These shields can be applied once every second.
    • Sanctum of the Abyssal Sea: The same, but it protects from more damage.

Soldier of Apocrypha’s active skills

• Runic Jolt: Craft a defensive Apocryphal rune that deals Magic Damage and applies Minor Maim for 15 seconds, reducing a little their damage done. The rune also taunts for 15 seconds if it would not cause taunt immunity, and generates Crux. While slotted, damage taken is reduced by two percent per active Crux.
  • Morphs
    • Runic Embrace: The same, but it also heals you, and when damaging enemie, you and your allies heal overtime.
    • Runic Sunder: The same, but the runes deals Physical damage instead of Magic Damage and steals Armor rating from the target.
• Runespite Ward: Like the rune knights of old, summon a shield that absorbs damage for six seconds, scaling off your Max Health. The first time you take direct damage, the shield retaliates and deals Magic Damage to the attacker, scaling off your Armor. Consume Crux to heal yourself per Crux spent.
  • Morphs
    • Impervious Runeward: The same, but it absorbs much more damage in the second, and the rest five seconds absorb less, but still more than Runespite Ward
    • Spiteward of the Lucid Mind: The same, but you can consume Crux to refund cost.
• Fatewoven Armor: Forge defiant runic armor around you, increasing your Armor for 20 seconds. While the armor persists, taking damage reduces the Armor of your attacker for six seconds.
  • Morphs
    • Cruxweaver Armor: The same, but the effect lasts longer and blows against your armor also generates Crux, up to once every five seconds.
    • Unbreakable Fate: The same, but grants five percent Block Mitigation and Consume Crux to gain five percent additional Block Mitigation per Crux spent.
• Runic Defense: Cast forth a complex rune increasing your and your group members’ Armor for 20 seconds. You get your damage taken reduced by five percent for 20 seconds. The first time you are damaged while below 50 percent Health, you consume the effect to heal you, scaling off your Max Health.
  • Morphs
    • Runeguard of Freedom: The same, but you gain Armor rating and Crowd Control Immunity for 6 seconds. This immunity can occur once every 30 seconds.
    • Runeguard of Still Waters: The same, but after 1 second, the spellweave immobilizes enemies within seven meters for three seconds.
• Rune of Eldritch Horror: Etch an incomprehensible rune on your enemy’s mind, paralyzing them in fear after a second delay, stunning them for four seconds. This terror increases their damage taken by five percent. If used against a monster, the paralyze lasts for eight seconds. This ability cannot be dodged.
  • Morphs
    • Rune of Uncanny Adoration: The same, but this eldritch attraction causes the enemy to move toward the player instead of paralyzing them.
    • Rune of the Colorless Pool: The same, but the enemy’s Critical Damage is taken by 10%.

Soldier of Apocrypha’s passive skills

• 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.
• Wellspring of the Abyss: Apocryphal knowledge bubbles up from the depths of your psyche, increasing your Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery 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 percent. This effect can occur once every five seconds.
• Implacable Outcome: The will of an Arcanist is absolute. When you consume Crux, gain four Ultimate. This effect can occur once every eight seconds.

Related: What are the best classes in Elder Scrolls Online (ESO)?

Arcanist’s Herald of the Tome skill line in ESO

Herald of the Tome’s Ultimate

• 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 six seconds and deals Magic Damage to enemies within five meters every 0.5 seconds. The scion’s beam can be repositioned by recasting The Unblinking Eye.
  • Morphs
    • The Languid Eye: The same, but it also snares them by 50 percent for three seconds. Every 0.5 seconds, the beam’s damage increases by seven percent.
    • The Tide King’s Gaze: The same, but the duration is increased and the scion’s beam automatically follows the initial target, and hunts for a new one within 8 meters if it is slain.

Herald of the Tome’s active skills

• Runeblades: Craft a series of Apocryphal runes before launching them at a foe, dealing Magic Damage three times and generating Crux. This ability deals three percent increased damage for each active Crux when cast.
  • Morphs
    • Escalating Runeblades: The same, but deals more damage and the last rune explodes.
    • Writhing Runeblades: The same, but this ability gains Weapon and Spell Critical rating for each active Crux when cast.
• Fatecarver: Harness pure knowledge into a beam of energy that scars the world in front of you. Channel the beam for up to four seconds, dealing Magic Damage every 0.3 seconds. Casting Fatecarver consumes all Crux and increases damage done by 33 percent per Crux spent.
  • Morphs
    • Exhausting Fatecarver: The same, but it also and snaring enemies hit by 15 percent and a bonus snare by 15% per Crux spent.
    • Pragmatic Fatecarver: The same, but while channeling, you also gain a damage shield that absorbs damage, grants interrupt immunity, and nd decreases cost by 16% per Crux spent.
• Abyssal Impact: Infuse your arm with abyssal magic to form tentacles that lash out at your foes, dealing Physical Damage. Enemies are immobilized for three seconds and marked with Abyssal Ink for 20 seconds. You deal five percent increased damage to enemies drenched in Abyssal Ink.
  • Morphs
    • Cephaliarch’s Flail: The same, but you also heal yourself, generates Crux, and deal up to double more damage to enemies with less than half their Health.
    • Tentacular Dread: The same, but it deals Frost Damage instead of Physical Damage and when you consume all Crux, it increases Tentacular Dread damage by 20 percent and damage to foes drenched in Abyssal Ink by two percent per Crux spent.
• Tome-Bearer’s Inspiration: Etch a series of runes onto your weapon that pulses with power once every five seconds. Each pulse enhances your class abilities, and striking an enemy with one deals an additional Magic Damage and generates Crux if you have none. While slotted on either ability bar, you increase your Weapon and Spell Damage.
  • Morphs
    • Inspired Scholarship: The same, but you can cause damage more frequently while the additional damage is lower.
    • Shimmering Shield: The same, but it also restores Magicka and Stamina.
• The Imperfect Ring: Summon a flawed rune under an enemy that etches foes nearby with scrawled glyphs, dealing Magic Damage over 20 seconds. An ally near the initial target can activate the Runebreak synergy, dealing Frost Damage to enemies within seven meters.
  • Morphs
    • Fulminating Rune: The same, but it deals additional area damage after a delay, plus three allies instead of one can activate the Runebreak synergy.
    • Rune of Displacement: The same, but after a couple of seconds the rune pulses, pulls in foes, and etches them with scrawled glyphs that deal Magic Damage over time.

Herald of the Tome’s passive skills

• Fated Fortune: Warp fate when you generate or consume Crux, increasing your Critical Damage and Critical Healing by 12 percent for seven 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 five percent for 10 seconds.
• Psychic Lesion: Your attacks wound the mind with heretical knowledge, increasing damage dealt by Status Effects by 15 percent and Status Effect Chance by 75 percent.
• Splintered Secrets: What they don’t know can kill them. Increase your Physical and Spell Penetration per Herald of the Tome ability slotted.