A Real Skyrim Beginner Guide

 I want to make something perfectly clear about starting out in Skyrim. There is NO best way to begin your adventures. Each play style requires certain skills and leveling to make the most of your time, and to keep you from turning into a stealth archer for every save. That being said, there are things you should never do early in the game. The most egregious error made early on is reading skill books or doing favors that increase a skill. One exception to this rule is Speech leveling. But do the speech checks first then collect skill books. I digress, it’s time to get a move on with the real best way to begin a save in Skyrim. 

There isn’t a best race in Skyrim. Some are better, but there isn’t a perfect race. Depending on the play style you choose, it might be more beneficial to use a specific race. If you aren’t sure what race to choose because you’re unsure of how you want to play, I recommend Breton or Nord. Why those two? Passive attributes. Bretons have a 25% resistance to all magic. Nords have a 40% resistance to frost, which a majority of enemies in Skyrim use in combat. 

The passive attributes are more of a factor in selecting a character build over starting skills. If you’re a stealth archer or stealth assassin, magic resistance may not be a factor. If you’re into alchemy, perhaps waterbreathing might be an option worth exploring to easily collect significant amounts of Nordic barnacle for super potions. Maybe you’re an upfront, teeth to teeth warrior who needs lots of stamina regeneration to perform power attacks or double the damage of those attacks. Maybe unarmed combat is something worth trying. Maybe you’re a vampire hunter who would benefit from disease resistance. Maybe you’re playing survival mode and everything I just mentioned no longer matters. There are lots of factors that might influence you into choosing a specific race. Ultimately, it comes down to who you want to play as. For me, I pick Bretons around 90% of the time. Combine their passive abilities and 90 minutes of time, you’ll be resistant to all magical attacks by 40%. That’s nothing to sneeze at. 

So, you’ve picked a race now it’s time to make a plan of attack. Archery, melee, magic, a mixture, vampire, werewolf. This is where the rubber meets the road. What’s your plan? The most spectacular appeal of Skyrim that makes it so replayable are the character choices. But in order to keep every character from turning into a stealth archer you need a hard plan. That is how you best start your character. Make a plan and stick to it. Be hard on yourself. Perhaps make a spreadsheet and map out your perks. Abide by that document and only make changes to the order perks become available. Never place perks in skills outside of your plan. Are you going to be a two handed, light armor warrior who hates magic? Then don’t put points in magic. Want to be something other than a stealth archer? No sneaking, no stealing, no archery equipment. Can’t be an archer without weapons. Don’t even loot those items. There is plenty of money available in Skyrim. 

Like so many people, I started playing Skyrim as a stealth archer. And like many people, I played that way for years. I never used magic, never used alchemy, never used a two-handed weapon. Always had followers in my way. Now, after years of playing, I rarely use stealth archery. Once I broke free on my chains to stealth archery, I quickly found I enjoyed the war hammer to be awesome. Then it was Destruction magic, then my favorite play style with a shield and one handed. I’ve recently found the glorious fun of Illusion magic combined with Conjuration.  I can just as easily play a melee only warrior as I can a mage or thief or assassin. I can play as a vampire or werewolf in any combination of build types. All this is possible because I don’t make errors with build choices, and I stick to the plan. I’m working on a prototype that only engages in outdoor combat while on horseback. And indoors won’t be using sneak. Looking at a legitimate unarmed build, late game (level 65-70) werewolf, and a guy who only uses a fishing pole. But I only ever played as a stealth character most of these builds wouldn’t even exist. 

Another concept people tend to struggle with when starting a new save is being patient. What’s your hurry? An open-world RPG is meant to absorb you fully. Cuddle you in a warm blanket. Erase the trials of real life. Why would you want to hurry those things? Take your time. If the only thing you do for ten levels is build a Hearthfire house or collect flowers, then do it. To tie patience with bad advice from seemingly thousands of quick start guides on the internet, I categorically oppose using skill books before you’re within a certain threshold of your build. And you should never use skill books without Scholar’s Insight from the Black Book The Winds of Change. Why get one training if you can get two? And you should always get the well-rested bonus before reading any skill books. If you need a follower to collect books for you, then do so. Use the correct Standing Stone, even two standing stones if you have the Aetherial Crown with the Lovers Stone stored in the crown.  Maximize your profits, folks. Use skill books when skill leveling is much more difficult. Simple math: Warrior Stone (20%) plus Lovers Stone (15%) plus Well-Rested (10%) is a 45% bonus to Warrior skills. And that’s per level. Nearly 3 full levels per skill book with Scholars Insight. Need I say more? Although it

an exception, you could read skill books that don’t level your character’s chosen skills, but you could fall into danger by leveling up a skill you always fall back on. Best just to avoid temptation until your build is complete, if then. 

I’ll post accompanying videos with each post as I go through given tips and tricks that will be useful. 

Treva's Watch from the "Saga of Regine" by Brunhilde the Bard.

 The following is an excerpt from The Saga of Regine (Biography of a Vampire) as told by Brunhilde the Bard. 

ONE

Regine approached Treva’s Watch from the shoreline of the Treva River. The fort sat large on the northern shore of the river. The southern wall faced the river, and a single gate secured the entrance. Several timber ramparts protected most of the wall sections, providing cover for archers or mages. The fort’s tower occupied the northwest corner, providing an elevation advantage agains any assaults from the north where enemies could attack along a hillside. A campfire provided some orientation on the northeast wall where bandits could rest and eat when not on patrol. 

East of the fort another campfire offered some illumination against the growing darkness of night. As Regine approached she notice three Nords sitting in a half-circle around the fire. They were engaging in conversation she couldn’t quite make out. 

A man named Stalleo sat on a wood stump. He had gray hair cut in a thick stripe and the sides of his head were shaved to the scalp. A large beard extended well beyond his chin, almost to the chest, and matched his hair in color. His eyes were deep set and blacked with war paint. Across from Stalleo a female donned in heavy steel armor sat, her features muddled by the firelight and steel helmet. A male in fur armor and a hunting bow sat to Stalleo’s left. He turned toward Regine, and asked if she was there to help, mistaking her for a mercenary. 

She told him he was and she would be better than anyone else he could find. Her fee was high though. Stalleo agreed, and told her a story.  

It was about three or four months ago when everything started going bad. My friends here, and my family, we’re doing work to the exterior of the fort when a Stormcloack courier arrived. He walked to the gate and asked if he could come inside to discuss the militia that was forming. As a good son of Skyrim, I agreed to hear him out. I opened the gate and let him in the courtyard. 

It turned out he was visiting every village and city in Skyrim. He didn’t have a horse, or carriage ride to hold capitals. Only his own two feet as mode of transportation. He looked exhausted and weary. He limped profoundly. His eyes were sunken and dark, the whites more red than not, and his cheekbones looked like they would burst free at any moment. “Come on in and have some meade,” I said.  He started to refuse but I cut him of with a hard glance. “You’re coming in for some meade and a meal. You look like you’re an hour away from being a draugr that escaped the Ansilvund crypt.” He mulled it over for a moment then nodded his head slightly as if too much movement would cause it to tumble off his neck and roll into the Treva River. I slapped him on the shoulder and guided him toward the door where my wife stood ready to ring the dinner bell. 

I led him into the dinning room and offered him a seat. “What’s your name, soldier?”

He sat down, slowly, and with a grimace splitting his face into one part pain and one part exhaustion. He sat for a moment before speaking, and when he did the words seemed just as pained as his face, “We aren’t supposed to give anyone our names, sir.” He shrunk farther into the chair, head bowed, arms limp to his sides. 

I finally noticed this man wasn’t in his late twenties or early thirties but not even out of his teens. He likely took the courier job to show his loyalty and patriotism, but didn’t account for the severe impact such a job would take on his health and body. Walking long distances for hours and hours, avoiding wolves, frostbite spiders, trolls, and Imperial patrols could age a man years within weeks. And here he sat so worn down from trying to prove himself to the Stormcloak cause he appeared to be decades older than his years actually accounted for. 

I felt a knot of sorrow and sympathy far deep inside tying up my guts and heart. This is the toll that war takes on not only those on the frontline but by everyone. When this conflict with the Imperials finally ended the whole of Skyrim and her people will bear the burden for generations. Friends and family will be dead from enemy attacks, others will die of starvation, and more still will succumb to disease and illness. Proof sat at the table, broken and scarred physically and emotionally. 

“Here you are,” my wife said, placing a bowl of tomato soup, a plate of carrots with apples and cabbage, and a platter with beef steak and crab cakes in front of our guest. “Ale or meade?” She waited for a moment, but he didn’t answer. She placed a flagon of ale on the table. My wife handed the rest of us a bowl of tomato soup and ale. Then she sat down and gave me a slight glance, I nodded in reply. 

The message bearer sat for a time, staring at the food and drink before him. I didn’t think he would eat on his own. “Go ahead. Dig in.” He grabbed a fork with a shaky hand and took a mouthful of crab cakes. It must’ve been tasty as he ate without so much as a look up. Every morsel of food was consumed in less than five minutes. None of the rest of us had done anything but watch him eat. 

Vampire Regine Journal Entry 6 (Skyrim Anniversary Edition)

Regine Journal Entry 6

Yesterday:

On my trip to Iverstead, I walked up a winding path. I rounded a corner and a thief stopped me. He wore a hood and clothes, likely something he stole from someone else he tried to (or succeeded) shakedown for money. But his blood spoke to me, and I felt his confidence was shaky at best. He approached with a threat and asked me for all my money. I wondered if I could kill him. But I didn’t try. Instead I narrowed my eyes at him, fixed my jaw, and told him I didn’t have any money and it would be in his best interest to walk away. 

He astonished me when he stammered and then agreed to just walk away. When he was out of sight, I smiled. It felt strange to smile. Then a question formed in my mind: was my powers of persuasion and seduction becoming stronger and more convincing? Would I soon be able to just talk my way into the homes and lives of others? Did I not have the appearance of a vampire? Aside from my pale skin, I didn’t know the answer to this curiosity. 

Further along the path and uneasiness crashed over me like a way from an icy sea. I sensed a presence, something terribly dangerous. I advanced cautiously, hoping my more comprehensive powers would alert me before I stumbled into something (or someone) ferocious. 

A guttural sound formed off in the distance. I saw the cave before I noticed the troll! Brown, aggressive, and extremely dangerous. I had heard stories about these creatures attacking wanderers. Feasting upon them and anything else that trespassed. I understood from tales they could regenerate their health, making them more formidable than other creatures in the wilds of Skyrim. 

I idled for a moment and watched. It patrolled near the entrance of the cave. It often growled and hoped up and down with a flailing of the arms. Then in would skulk to the opposite end of the cave and repeat the display. I watched as a rabbit skittered too close and enraged the troll. It shuffled after the intruder. I took my cue and made a break for the river in the opposite direction. I scrambled into the water and stumbled over moss-slicked rocks and stones, falling face-first into the cold water. 

I arrived in Iverstead to find a bear had invaded the village and most of the townsfolk were attacking it relentlessly, protecting their homes. I joined in and helped them dispatch the bear before heading for the inn for some rest. When I awoke I heard some conversation about a place called Treva’s Watch. A group of bandits had confiscated the outpost from a local. A man named Stalleo. He was seeking help to overthrow the thugs and would be willing to pay for any assistance. I wondered if he would be willing to pay with his life. I could tear his throat out and—

I shoved the thought away. But decided I would seek out this man and offer some help. If nothing else I would be able to sink my teeth into some bandits. They are, after all, relatively easy to manage as I learned in the Embershard Mine. 

Vampire Regine Journal Entry 5 (Skyrim Anniversary Edition)

Regine Journal Entry 5

The mine is well-lit with torches. I take them down as I creep along. They will definitely expose me and make the prey more difficult to subdue and feast upon. A tripwire stretches across the ground, it will trigger a rock trap if I’m not careful. I skirt around it carefully. 

The air is thick and cool. Damp and musty. Dust hangs in the air, sparkling from the flickering light of the torches. When I snuff out the torches, the dust recedes into the darkness of the cave as though it isn’t safe to be unexposed. 

As I creep forward, i can hear voices. A discussion about the guard securing the door; the guard i already dispatched. They are bandits and their blood won’t be the most flavorful, but being cautious is more important right now. I don’t need to be exposed. Vampires aren’t the most welcome of creatures, even by the lowlife of Skyrim. I image fear is why vampires are so loathed. 

I wait patiently, hungrily. The two men separate. This is beneficial as I can attack them individually. Although, I feel more and more powerful with every feeding, I am not confident I can take on more than one of the living. One of them walks down a lit corridor (I haven’t been able to remove all the torches), and the other lies on a bedroll. I advance on him. 

Back outside in the daytime, I cringe against the sunlight. The heat and brightness saps my strength and energy. But it doesn’t feel as powerful a drain as before. The eight bandits inside the mine fully satisfied me, and one in particular (the archer) tasted sweet. There was something in her blood that seemed to speak to me. A few words floated along her blood, within her veins. Riften. The Thieves Guild. 

I think I should attempt to join The Thieves Guild. If it actually exists. Ready access to homes, to people, to blood. They will know where people live. Yes, that would prove quite advantageous. 

Vampire Regine Journal Entry 4 (Skyrim Anniversary Edition)

Regine Journal Entry 4

I’m on my way to Riverwood, a small village south of Whiterun. I understand there are no guards protecting the small hamlet. A thought blazes through my mind. no guards, no protection. but from what? From me? Is it possible that i am now considering slaughter of everyone living. I shake the thought away, focusing instead on the trip. 

Wolves attack me shortly after I pass an Imperial patrol with what I assume is a Stormcloak rebel. I consider for a moment to decimate the entire contingent. But I don’t. Perhaps there is some humanity still left in this undead heart. This thought leads to another question: do I still have a soul? Moreover, does it matter if I do? 

Riverwood is close, I smell the residents. I enter the east side of town and find the local drunk hovering around the inn. I approach him and stop. Something is wrong with him, within him. Inside his blood. I offer him a drink. He takes it without hesitation.

I am weary from the trip and the excess sunlight. The sun seems to wear on me now. I believe I will miss it’s welcoming and rejuvenating rays. Now only blood reinvigorates me. 

Inside the inn I sense a human with unique blood. It calls to me, but she is awake and wandering the inn, engaging in an argument with the man behind the counter. He has something in his blood, too. But it isn’t alluring or enticing. 

My sleep is restless, devoid of dreams and wants and desires. I arise and leave the inn. Outside the sun stings my eyes, and I instinctively search for shade. 

The blacksmith is an intriguing person. He's passionate about his daughter and often bickers with his wife. He doesn’t tell me this but I know anyway. 

I leave town, and head west. Not far, I notice a mine. Bandits inhabit this mine. And I am hungry. 

Vampire Regine Journal Entry 3 (Skyrim Anniversary Edition)

Regine Journal Entry 3

(Font change)

The bandits at Silent Moons Camp are no match for my growing power. I dispatch them rather easily. New forms of magic arise within me and I use it to take them down. I’m sneaky, quiet, and bloodthirsty. Somehow I can even will myself to be unseen. My mother used to say powerful mages could bend light and become invisible. Somehow I can do this. It is intoxicating. Enrapturing! 

I leave the broken and battered and drained bodies behind and head for a walled city. I believe the community is Whiterun, the most well-known location in all of Skyrim. This is most likely because of it’s central location within the province. The mild weather and wide-open landscape is also a deciding factor. 

Whiterun reminds me of home. I grew up in Northpoint. My father fished the Etheric Ocean and my mother was a trader (selling my father’s catch most of the time). Seven years ago they died at the hands of some thugs from Evermore. The bandits were hired by a rival fisherman. They stole everything not fastened down and torched the rest, including my parents. Only their teeth remained after the fire finally snuffed out. After that, I left. Not knowing where I was going, but wherever it was would be okay as long as it was a long way away. 

Two guards stand on either side of the large doors. Their blood calls to me but I resist. I wonder if my control is accidental from recent feedings or if I can manage my thirst more now? They do not speak or stop me, and I’m allowed to enter unmolested. 

Inside, a man and woman are having a heated discussion, and although I’m not close to them, I can hear each word. I approach just as the conversation ends. The man in Imperial armor asks me something random. His heartbeat is all I can clearly make out. It’s powerful and steady. He is a strong human. I answer his question without ever hearing it. My reply pleases him. I wonder if he can feel that I now have control. I watch as he walks away. 

There are more heartbeats. All around me. Within me. The hunger begins to grow. A small bunkhouse to my left has three guards within. I don’t know how I feel this. I enter and feed on the two sleeping men. A third man sits, he’s the watchman. I need him. Want him. Want, want, want!

He suddenly stands, dazed, entranced. I take the risk and feed while he is unaware. Then, as starkly as he stood and offered himself to me, he sits back in his chair—none the wiser. 

I leave and head directly to the guardhouse. I seem to know exactly where I’m headed. An unseen power guiding me along the cobblestone to where more guards slumber. I’m getting bolder.

Vampire Regine Journal Entry 2 (Skyrim Anniversary Edition)

Regine Journal Entry 2

(changing format to present tense)

I exit the cave. Outside the darkness seems to warm me. The rain lit upon my skin, but it isn’t cold as most rain within Skyrim. I only feel the wetness.

And there is also moisture around my mouth, drying on my chin. The hunger had taken control of me, and the dead bandit was just there…

I shake away the memory, partially from fear and repulsion. Fear of the enjoyment and warmth of the blood. Repulsed by the act itself. Am I now a vampire? A vampire!

I break out in a run. Somewhere. Anywhere. As far from the cave as quickly as possible. I am disoriented. Just go. Run!

Someone in the distance. A guard. Another cave. Fear engulfs me. But so does something else. Hunger.

After I killed the bandit, I feed. It’s an instinct now. I am a vampire. A VAMPIRE! 

Revulsion overwhelms me again and I run. I need distance. But from what and to where? The more I leave my old life behind, the more my new life (as a vampire) begins. Still, I cannot help myself. My legs power themselves as though they are controlled of a different mind, body, or…force? 

I see something in the distance. A tomb maybe? Draugr inhabit tombs. But there aren’t any draugr in this tomb. This one has living blood. And lots of it, beaconing me as I get closer. A need wells up deep within. I must feed again… 

Vampire Regine Journal Entry 1 (Skyrim Anniversary Edition)

Regine Journal Entry 1

I regained consciousness slowly as if swimming up from a depth in dark, murky water. I’m confused, my memories no longer cohesive but a scattering of visions. I saw a man. Attractive and alluring. His eyes (a strange reddish hue?) seemed to have gripped me so powerfully and debilitatingly I couldn’t move nor resist. But did I want to? I felt no fear. Rather…curiosity? Was that it? Was I curios? And if so, why? 

The cavern? cave? dungeon? was dark. A woman mumbled something I didn’t or couldn’t fully comprehend. I heard a sound behind me. A creaky, racketing sound. Fear had gripped me then. 

I looked down and saw I was in new clothing. Gloves with sharp, pointed tips, a red gown, low cut, barely covered breasts, and dark boots. 

Pain rippled through me and I felt a hunger unlike anything I had before. I smelled something I would place within death, maybe the stench of…draugrs? I’d heard stories of the bone-walkers as a child, but waved away the stories of them as tales to keep children away from the tombs and crypts. 

The stone corridor was narrow with only one torch hung on the wall for light. I rounded the corner and saw a man. His skin was pale. He paced. A cage (torture chamber?) nestled against the opposite wall. Next to it appeared to be a dead female bandit. But why wasn’t she in the cage? Moreover, why was she here at all? Did she sneak in to steal? And if so, how did she get by the woman who was mumbling?

I approached the man. He said something that chilled me. I needed to get out. To escape! I took whatever I could and made a break for it. 

Back into the cavern, I saw what appeared to be living skeletons. Not draugr, but actual skeletons standing and wandering around, making a creaking noise. Then woman saw me but didn’t accost me or attempt to keep me from leaving as I approached the exit to the cave. I”m felt certain it was a cave now. 

I wondered if leaving would make me free. Or would I become a slave to something else? And if so, what?

Nosferatü Diary Day 5

Winterhold. A broken village in the north. Two buildings have been destroyed and still stand with their skeletons exposed. Off in the distance a man and woman are fighting over his drinking. He mentions the college. I can only assume he’s referring to the College of Winterhold. That’s where I must go. 

Sven trails behind me. As a good servant should. A steep ramp leads to the College. During our approach I notice a crumbling walkway overlooking a long drop to the water below. There must be some history here that I’m unaware of. Or just don’t care to remember. 

A woman elf stands watch at the first platform. The Eye of Magnus engraved in the stonework behind her. She stopped me and asked questions. I hardly heard her and gave some lame response. She agreed to let me pass as though I gave the correct answer. I think any answer would’ve been correct. 

She hands me off to a Breton who promptly tells me about the college. She commented about how many new students there are but I see none. Fellow students aren’t why I went to the College of Winterhold anyway. 

After the ra-ra speech from the Breton, I rushed away to meet up with a mage who specializes in Restoration magic. If I understand correctly, there's a special ability Restoration mages have that I could put to good use. 

The Restoration instructor is annoying. She’s constantly complaining about how she's treated although I never once seen her interact with colleagues. Maybe it’s her that’s the problem. 

I paid for several training sessions before leaving with Sven in tow. 

Nosferatü Diary: Day 4

Sven is a clunky dullard. He’s slow and loud, and unresponsive. Yes, he will do just fine. A general store merchant told me of a place called the College of Winterhold. Apparently it’s a place where magic can be taught. I’ll need to get there soon. 

Arrived in Whiterun, a Hold capital. A walled city with a busy marketplace. I think I’ll make it home. For now. 

Upon arrival in Whiterun, a gate guard stops me. He says the city is closed due to dragon activity. Seems odd as I watched people come and go from the city. I convince the dope to let me pass. I eluded to him I know about the dragons and have come to warn the Jarl. This, of course, seems odd since he should already know about the dragon given his guard stopped me for that very reason. Either way, I’m allowed to enter the city. 

Within the city I meet several women. A blacksmith having an argument with a man in Imperial armor. He asks me: Gray-Mane or Battle-Born? I’m assuming he wished to know where my support lies. I recognized the name Battle-Born from a farm outside the walls. I said Battle-Born and he approved. 

Ysolda, Hulda, and Carlotta all seem available, especially Ysolda and Hulda. I’ll approach them first. Hulda was easy to please by selling her firewood. This act grants me a free room for the time being. 

But the city is large with many prying eyes and strained ears. I’ll need to keep a low profile until the High Rock situation wisps away in the wind. I wonder if she’s coming for me?

Sólaire, are you out there somewhere? 

Nosferatü Diary: Day 1

Am I fleeing from some court intrigue? That’s what the Imperial soldier asked me. As if he might know what goes on in the rest of the world. What with the increasing decay of Skyrim due to the growing animosity between the locals and the Empire. Of course that countrywide fracture was nearly knitted back together as the Imperials hand the Bear of Markarth in bindings. Still, that Imperial soldier was much closer to the truth than he knows. Best to avoid him for now. 

Then that black dragon showed up. Of course stories of dragons have always been told, but as everyone else had done, I dismissed them as folktales to frighten children. Now, though, it appears they are real. No matter, its appearance garnered me freedom. I suppose I owe that dragon. 

The blond Nord said something interesting just before cutting me loose. He said something about the harbinger of the end times. That struck me in a familiar way. I can’t quite put my finger on it, though. I’m certain I have heard that before. But where? Or when? 

Riverwood. A small village with a mill and blacksmith. A tiny general store. A bed and bar. 

And Sven. A simpleton bard. He will do nicely. Or the wood elf. Nah. The bard. 

Morthal, Skyrim

Just south-southeast of the Karth Delta is the real miserable little town of Skyrim. Morthal is a gloomy village in the marshes of Hjaalmarch. And there are some strange things going on. A mysterious house fire consumed the lives of a wife and daughter. The waterwheel at the lumber mill runs in reverse to the flow of water. The town wizard takes late night sojourns into the marshlands. A mysterious woman is only ever seen at night. An orc is the local bard. And the jarl has visions. And not far away is a cave that houses a dark menace. What are we to make of all these...coincidences?

When you first approach the jarl’s longhouse there are a mass of people shouting at someone. As you wander closer you find out that locals are upset about the new wizard, and it’s almost immediately evident magic use is categorically mistrusted. After more grumbling from the crowd they are unconvincingly assured the jarl will be informed of all their concerns.

If you strike up a conversation with these folks you’ll find out who they are and what they do. Jorge’s is the mill owner. Thonnir is a lumberjack in the employ of the lumbermill, which is one of the few businesses in Morthal. Either of these men could mention the burned down house, the biggest concern in town. Except maybe the new wizard.

If you walk away from the mob scene without hearing about the mysterious house fire head on over to the inn. The innkeepers all love gossip and you will surely get an earful about the house fire. Once you finally get a few details about the fire head over and talk to the jarl. She’ll send you on a quest to find out what really happened. Completing the “Laid to Rest” quest is a requirement to becoming thane. This quest will take you to the burned down house, playing a game with a ghost, breaking and entering, and a showdown with evil residing in a nearby cave.

Skyrim SE: My Mods

Unlike many people using mods to play Skyrim, I only use a small handful. And some of those are completely convenience mods. Some mods just allow me to continue growing my characters without the need to declare skills legendary, and they let me build more rounded characters, but they certainly aren’t needed so I won’t include them here.

To be fair some of the mods I am going to share aren’t necessarily must-haves but the do make the game more enjoyable from my standpoint. And essentially that’s all this post offers: my experience with the mods I use and what they might offer you in turn. Now, keep in mind some of these mods may be viewed by you as cheats and that’s fair. But since this is a single player game you’re free to do whatever you want and only have the right to judge yourself.

Anyway, enough disclaimer jumbo-jumbo and let’s get to the mods, which may or may not be available on the platform you play on. I’m on Xbox One X.

The mod I use to make the environment more better (ha ha) is Dolomite Weathers and Lighting Overhaul by Megaloblast. A significantly darker evening requiring artificial light, more intense rainstorms, and different weather options. I’ll also include the A Quality World Map-Vivid with Stone Roads by Chesko. This is simple, it makes the map readable. And finally Dawnguard Map Markers by Arthmoor. This adds markers to nearly all Dawnguard related maps like the Soul Cairn and Forgotten Vale.

Now onto the gameplay mods. Immersive Citizens by Arnaud.dorchymont, which allows you to hear cut dialog and keep all your NPCs alive as you can set them to flee from danger and not attack you when you’re rampaging guards as a werewolf.  Immersive Patrols by Ameermohamedtt. This just adds various patrols throughout Skyrim, which may or may not be hostile. It also adds civil war battles in various locations and forts, which is a great boost to build your skills in my next gameplay mod: Moonlight Tales by Brevi 11. If you want to play as a werewolf this is fantastic. More werewolf perks and skins (even werebears but the skins are the only differences), the ability to be a werewolf right out of Helgen, the ability to cure lycanthropy at any time, the ability to set involuntary werewolf transformations, and the ability to summon blood kin (werewolves and/or wolves) to aid you in combat. I do not believe this mod is available for PS4 users. The mod Werewolf Perks Expanded does offer some additional perks to the beast form though. Moving on to Alchemist Respite, which is a small mod that changes the weight of potions from .5 to .1. Next up is Stones of Barenziah quest markers. This mod flags each location for all 24 gems except the on inside the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary. And finally my favorite mod for gameplay: Complete Smithing by ThordTV. A simple but exceptionally useful smithing mod. It completely overhauls smithing after Steel smithing. With this mod you no longer have to choose heavy or light as they are combined as you go. So Elven and Dwarven are level 30, Orchish and Advanced at level 50, Arcane and Faction (allows crafting of unenchanted faction clothing like Thieves Guild and Nightingale armor), Glass and Ebony at level 70, Daedric and Dragon at level 100 and Orsinic (higher quality lower-level armor using dragon bones) also at level 100. The mod also grants XP for turning hides into leather and ore into ingots.

Onto character creation. Unfortunately most of these won’t be available on PS4. Better Males by Alaan, Apachii Sky Hair Lite by Apachii, CBBE Body Slim from Jeir, and the superb clothing mod from Jeir: Keo’s Skimpy Outfits for CBBE Slim. Just go with the Forsworn Armor set and avoid the Nightingale armor. Most armor sets are changed to two piece and not one. Thieves Guild Armor, fur armor, elven armor are all tops with skirts. Is it realistic? Of course not. But neither is wearing glass against a warhammer or battleaxe.

Short and sweet. I’ll give my thoughts on the best Creation Club content I’ve purchased in the next post.

Skyrim SE: Light Armor vs. Heavy Armor

Welcome back to the blog. In this post I’m going to provide an argument for choosing light armor over heavy armor for all character builds aside from one. Now I realize this concept will go against popular sentiment but once the information is fully broken down I think you’ll agree my argument for light armor is more than valid.

I won’t actually be covering any true mage builds in this post because I haven’t spent enough time working on mage only characters. I’m not a fan of magicka-focused builds. I enjoy magicka but it’s far from a first choice and has thus far only been supplemental.

The most important aspect of armor we need to get out there straight away is the game’s armor cap. This number represents the most damage resistance a player’s character can withstand. And that number is 85% damage resistant. This figures out to 567 armor rating in total. What this means is your super powerful Dark Brotherhood armor set with 1,200 armor rating is only good for 567 armor. With the introduction of dragonplate (heavy) and dragonscale (light) armor with the Dawnguard DLC you can reach the armor cap with both light and heavy armor and light armor is within shouting distance of heavy armor in overall armor rating.

After doing a bit of digging and mathematics I came up with the base armor ratings of both Dragonplate and Dragonscale armor. The final numbers include double improvement and the 50% bonus from the combined Well Fitted and Matching Set perks available in both the heavy armor and light armor skill constellations, which are called Deft Movement and Unhindered. The Dragonplate (heavy) armor went over the armor rating maximum with an overall rating of 612. The Dragonscale (light) was below the armor cap with a 492 rating. Now, looking at these numbers you might say, “See the proof is in the pudding. Heavy armor eclipses the armor cap and guarantees I have the most damage resistance available and the light armor doesn’t.” Of course you are correct by saying this. And if you were not using any enchanting or potions in your gameplay then heavy armor would be more beneficial than light. But, I have one more card to flip over: The Dragonscale Armor misses the rating cap by 75 points. This seems like a lofty number but it actually isn’t all that lofty. With a weak blacksmith potion or a weak smithing piece of apparel (20%) the Dragonscale armor also eclipses armor cap at 590. And a potion of only 15% brings it to 565. So for the armor cap each type of armor, heavy or light, will easily reach 567.

Now that we’ve witnessed light armor being equally protective as heavy armor it’s time to explore the perk constellations for each set. There’s a significant detail that I can’t leave out. If you’re using the Guardian Stones to improve your character be aware heavy armor is under the Warrior Stone while light armor is under the Thief Stone. I always recommend using the Thief Stone as it boosts the only skill you can always improve, in or out of combat, which makes it invaluable for leveling your character and that’s the Sneak skill. As long as you’re in sneak mode and undetected your character continually levels up just by exploring Skyrim. You can also use the Illusion spell Muffle to level your character while outside of combat or the Alteration spell Transmute. But neither are as beneficial as Sneak.

I’ll start with the Heavy Armor constellation. I’m only focusing on non-armor rating improvement perks. It’s fairly obvious to use rating boosts so there’s no need to discuss those. Aside from the Juggernaut, Well Fitted, and Matching Set perks, you’ll find Unarmed, Conditioning, Reflect Blows, Tower of Strength, and Cushioned. You’ll find versions of Conditioning and Reflect Blows in the light armor constellation so I will discuss those with light armor. As for the other perks, two have benefits while one is practically useless. Unarmed and Tower of Strength are the beneficial perks that are specific to heavy armor. Unarmed will do the armor rating in damage, which is awesome, but is only needed for an unarmed build. You should never lose a brawl. Tower of Strength reduces stagger from incoming attacks by 50%. Another great perk but not necessarily all that special. You will better off by blocking the attack, or better yet, using a shield. I can promise you getting hit with Ebony arrows will cause a stagger with this perk. As for the most useless perk in heavy armor we find Cushioned. This perk reduces fall damage by 50%. If you’re jumping from any location far enough to take fall damage you need more than this perk. You can walk straight down a cliff face or use the Become Ethereal shout and leap off anything.

Let’s move on to the Light Armor perks constellation. Like heavy armor, the Reflect Blows and Conditioning perks are available but with different names, Deft Movement replaces Reflect Blows, both giving a 10% of taking no melee damage, and Unhindered replaces Conditioning, which makes armor weigh nothing and not slow you down. Conditioning is more valuable in terms of more encumbrance freed up as heavy armor has significantly more weight. A full set of Dragonbone Armor tipping the scales at 64 encumbrance whereas a full set of Dragonscale weighs in at 20 encumbrance. Now onto the other Light Armor perks and I’ll save the best perk, which also tips the scales to light armor being superior to heavy armor for last, which is the only other perk available for light armor. Light armor has 10 perks in the constellation and heavy has 12. So for the final perk left we will find Wind Walker. The Wind Walker perks grants the character the ability to regenerate stamina 50% faster. At face value this perk doesn’t look so special but hear me out.

Stamina may actually be more important than health. Stamina is used for sprinting, bashing, slowing time in archery, and power attacks. It’s also used for getting out of the way of giants and mammoths bearing down on you at level ten. Or maybe you use it to quickly avoid a fire/frost-breathing dragon. No matter what the reason stamina is critical for survival. So having the ability to regenerate stamina without enchanted armor or jewelry is invaluable. You won’t need to carry stamina potions or waste an enchantment slot of stamina regeneration or even carry supremely heavy food items like vegetable or beef stew (both regenerate stamina). If you recall the heavy armor perk Tower of Strength reduces stagger by 50%. But what if you could just close that gap against the archers and, using that stamina, perform a sprinting attack that staggers them instead. And with your stamina regenerating so quickly, you can follow up the sprint attack with another power attack. So long archers. And this is even better against mages as they typically have no armor.

In my two-handed build I used heavy armor for a long time but ended up switching over to light armor because of the stamina regeneration perk Wind Walker. I still used a stamina enchantment slot for an additional 35% stamina regeneration which basically makes me completely unstoppable in pitched battle. Using the Sweep perk in the two-handed skill, which requires stamina, gives me the ability to attack multiple foes while avoiding damage at the same time. And with my stamina regeneration at 85% these attacks are back to back to back to back.

In summary, we know light armor is equal to heavy in terms of overall protection from damage—with a little help. We know the unique perks in heavy armor are very specialized and often unnecessary or not too useful. We know that light armor requires two fewer perks to fill out and you get to ultra beneficial Wind Walker perk, which regenerates the all-important stamina at a 50% faster clip.

So the next character you build, be it a two-handed, one-handed, dual-wielding, or sword and shield, would you still opt for the ever popular heavy armor or consider the better option light armor?

References: http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Main_Page

Namira’s Ring and Boethiah’s Calling Skyrim

For the veterans of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim it is well known the Daedric quests are both useful and wicked. For any player with a conscience accomplishing Daedric quests can be tumultuous as completing these quests often require some shady practices. Boethiah’s Calling and The Taste of Death are no exceptions. But I’m here to offer you some peace of mind. You’ll be able to get both Daedric artifacts and offer some much needed justice.

To start these quests you’ll need to locate The Hall of the Dead in Markarth (The Taste of Death) and the Sacellum of Boethiah near Windhelm (Boethiah’s Calling). You will need to be level 30 to start Boethiah’s Calling and will likely be attacked by a Boethiah Cultist. Once you’ve slain this assassin just grab the book off the corpse, which will give you the quest update. Although there isn’t a prerequisite for The Taste of Death if you wait until level 30 you can knock out both of these quests in short order.

What you’ll want to do is go to Markarth first. You can gain access to the Hall of the Dead the first time you find Markarth. The priest is arguing just outside Understone Keep. Talk to him right after the argument for access. Once inside the Hall of the Dead a figure will appear. She will babble about you eating flesh. Just agree to help her clear the cave. In order to obtain Namira’s Ring you’ll need to indulge in minor cannibalism but you will earn your justice shortly.

Once you’ve cleared the location of Draugr, Eola asks you to convince a certain priest for a ceremony, which in Eola-speak is fancy jargon for feast. Either way, go get thoe priest and bring him to the dining room in Reachcliff Cave. Be sure to fast travel to the secret entrance to be sure the priest makes it alive. You’ll find the dining table has a few guests and they may recognize you from Markarth. This is when the quest goes sideways. You can either dine on the priest and earn Namira’s Ring, which grants you increased health and stamina (if partaking in more cannibalism) or you can kill Eola and get a reward. For the sake of this post, we will be eating the dead. Now that you have the ring, you’ll be finishing out your plan, and justice begins now. In my play through I attack and kill all the guests while in werewolf form but keep Eola alive. Maybe have her partake in the slaughter. Now the guests are shop owners or dog trainers so be prepared to lose some commerce. But killing them is worth it. If you commence the slaughter as a werewolf you can earn hearts for werewolf perks. Or just accomplish this goal in whatever fashion you choose and for whatever purpose you desire.

Now onto phase 2 of the double, double cross. Recruit Eola as a follower. She’s a capable spellsword so taking her along for some missions might make justice more fulfilling. However you chose take her to the Sacellum of Boethiah. Complete the ritual Boethiah requires and be sure to answer crudely and selfishly. Now the double, double-cross is complete. Only thing left is to get the unique Ebony Armor. Boethiah requires that only one cultist may live. Follow the others but stop at the top of the steps and watch the loons take each other out. Clean up the remaining survivor. Maybe even indulge Namira with some eating of the dead. Or if you’re a werewolf earn some levels for the next perk. Now off with you to Knifepoint Ridge to get special ebony armor which will poison enemies who are too close.

This is how I complete these two Daedric quests. For me, the priest gets some justice as the mastermind behind his killing is herself killed for the betterment of others. Maybe a little twisted but justified.