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Hey guys, as promised we're back once again with yet another Character Build Showcase! For those out of the loop this is a weekly(ish) feature where we show off the amazing content coming out of the character building communities here on the Skyforge. This week's featured build is The Emissary of Darkness by Oneness. As always I'd like to start out with an excerpt from the author themselves to give you an idea of what this build is all about. 

This build epitomizes synergy, and we all know how much I like synergy. By combining commonly overlooked things in the right manner you begin to become overpowered fairly quickly. Among these underrated things is utilizing Two-Handed and Sneak, actively trying to get off critical strikes, and even using bashing as a resource of significant damage. In order to combine all of these things into a sophisticated play style I found the synergy in each one and the glue that really brings it all together. The glue is the combination of the Ebony Blade and Marked for Death. 

As you can already guess the Ebony Blade, the ultimate boon of the Webspinner, is the core feature of the build. At first glance the weapon appears quite underwhelming for all the effort needed to acquire and empower it. It is a Two-Handed sword with the base damage of the average One-Handed weapon and worst of all it cannot be improved through blacksmithing. So if you're one of many players who doubt the power of Mephala's signature artifact, prepare to eat your words as the Emmissary takes this normally mediocre artifact and transforms it into a literal nightmare weapon. Base damage, bash damage, magical damage, hell even critical damage are all massively augmented through the core synergies at work.Combined with the Emissary's prowess as both fighter and assassin death comes quickly to Mephala's enemies.

And with that we shall wrap up this showcase. As always, I encourage you to give this build a try and don’t forget to leave a like and/or comment on the build if you enjoy it. It means the world to build authors when readers like you take the time to comment on their work.  

Keep building friends! Because you never know which build we'll feature next, and it might just be yours!

Hey guys, we're back once again after an embarrassingly long hiatus with yet another Character Build Showcase! For those out of the loop this is a weekly(ish) feature where we show off the amazing content coming out of the character building communities here on the Skyforge. This week's featured build is The The Undying by Teccam. As always I'd like to start out with an excerpt from the author themselves to give you an idea of what this build is all about. 

Although Altmer are blessed with long life beyond any other race, there are some among them who are unsatisfied with their life expectancy. Although vampires may live far longer still, there are some among them who are yet discontent. The Undying is such a being, an ancient creature who in his obsessive efforts to cheat death, took things ... too far. His experiments have left him a warped, twisted shell of the man he once was.

But despite their costs, the experiments were not unsuccessful. Indeed, those who have sought to defeat this creature — and there have been many — have all failed, to a man. Few have survived to speak of their encounters. And those lucky souls all agree: This is no human. It is a monster. A monster that cannot be slain by any means known to Man or Mer. It is ... The Undying

The core principle of the Undying is that — shocker — he can't be killed. Like ever. Like in the literal gameplay sense of the word this character can't die, trust me I played the build myself and I tried. An absolute, impenetrable defense forms the core focus of the Undying. In the endgame, the Undying is able to call upon a uniquely enduring form of Dragonhide which renders him virtually immune to physical harm against blocked attacks, reducing all such damage to just 3% of their original value! But what about magic damage you may ask. Well, the Undying boasts 100% Spell Absorption. All magic attacks have a 100% chance of being absorbed, thus nullifying thier damage, affording the Undying complete and constant immunity from all magical effects.

Adding further to the theme of invulnerability, the Undying is able to mend what insignificant damage can be done to him with the help of his chosen weapon, the Ebony Blade. Teccam has essentially created a monster with this build, one that strikes terror into the hearts of enemies as he strides effortlessly through their strongest attacks. The Undying is overpowered done right, and being overpowered has never been so much fun!

And with that we shall wrap up this showcase. As always, I encourage you to give this build a try and don’t forget to leave a like and/or comment on the build if you enjoy it. It means the world to build authors when readers like you take the time to comment on their work.  

Keep building friends! Because you never know which build we'll feature next, and it might just be yours!

After much delay thanks to a certain death plague we're pleased to announce the results of the 3rd Skyrim Character Building Contest - Back to Basics has finally been unvieled. This was a contest filled with a multitude of quality submissions and it was a tough call for the judges - we even had two builds tie for 3rd! But a grand winner has been chosen and coming in at 1st place is The Lamp Descendent by Ponty!

Ponty came out of retirement for this one like a old pro here to show us young whippersnappers how its done. And he absolutely blew the contest judges away with absolutely flawless presentation and brilliant incorporation of little known lore surrounding the Lamp Knights into his build. It's clear Ponty came out swinging for this contest and it shows with the extra mile he went in order to produce quite possibly one of the best, most memorable witch hunter builds the community has ever seen. Take a look at what the judges had to say:

"Exceptional in every sense of the word. This is an incredibly memorable spellsword, and the way you split skills into chapters makes developing the character more natural."

"One of my favourite things about builds is that they allow for headcanoning lore in a reasonable way. The Order of the Lamp was a bland faction from Daggerfall, but you’ve managed to rejuvenate it and provide a history in between the games in a way that I completely believe."

"Spellswords are easily my favourite class and I feel you hit all the high notes of fun things to do with them. There’s a lot of synergy of witch-hunting between the Rune Axe and Bound Sword, and the way that gameplay evolves through the different chapters ensures that it won’t become boring."

Its clear Ponty's still a master character builder even after such a legnthy hiatus from character building. It was obvious right away that something amazing was going to come out of Ponty jumping into this contest. Not only did he come out ahead in a contest filled with talented character builders, his entry has earned the highest judge's score ever given to a contest build. Ponty's more than earned his lifetime supply of vanilla ice cream. I think I speak for many when I say I'm hoping we see more Skyrim builds from Ponty in the future. 

Coming in behind the Lamp Descendent and placing 2nd is The Lurcher by Shadon. Shadon is a fairly new character builder on the scene who's been quick to establish a reputation for quality character builds. He's put the hard work in with every contest build, outdoing himself with each new entry, so its no surprise here that his hard work has paid off and earned him a well deserved spot at 2nd place. For Shadon's entry he decided to take the old saying of "'returning to your roots" quite literally with a daring take on the mysterious spriggans. Shadon has always been able to strike a solid balance between gameplay Here's some of what the judges had to say:

 "I love the tactics you use here, as they give the build a truly unique tone. "

"I didn’t expect to like a spriggan build so much. It’s extremely grounded in lore, but branches out (hehe) with the idea of the taproot. Very cool idea and entirely believable."

"I have to admit, I have a soft spot for builds that “tap” into the nature themes of the game, since they are seldom explored in-game through quests and the like. I love the interpretation of consuming a taproot to absorb the essence of a spriggan, and see nothing wrong with the lore you produce to compensate.."

Shadon has done a superb job of integrating elements of spriggan lore into the gameplay, and creating a natural sense of progression to go along with it. The Lurcher strikes a unique tone in its gameplay, pulling together a plethora of often ignored spells, and mechanics, allowing it to stand out amongst the numerous nature themed builds that have popped up over the years. Its truly one of the most unique builds ever packed into just twenty levels. A must play for anyone wanting to dive right into something new. 

Coming in at 3rd place is Blacklion by Telby. Telby is just one build into this community and has already turned heads by placing 3rd in a contest filled with seasoned character builders.

Here's what the judge's had to say:

"While there doesn’t seem to be a real lore foundation to the character directly, you’ve certainly taken great effort to cement your concept into the lore with the diaries and the narrative integration for the quests. This is a believable and interesting character that feels at home in Skyrim"

"As always, the most important part of invented lore is it being believable. I believe it and like the dark internal politics of the Thalmor being shown. This character definitely has a role in Skyrim."

The Blacklion follows the exploits of a disgraced agent of the Dominion on a mission to undo the Thalmor's work in Skyrim. Arguably the greatest aspect of this build is its versatility. The Blacklion takes an unorthodox approach to the assassin archetype and forgoes standard stealth gameplay entirely, relying instead and a wide assortment of tools, weapons, spells and tactics to undermine his foes.   

I would be remiss if I didnt give an honorable mention to the Bowdancer by asgard. Asgard, for those of you who dont know is an old pro with a long established reputation for awesome archer builds. For the first time since we've hosted these contests, two builds have actually managed to tie for 3rd place. The Bowdancer tied with the Blacklion, both with the exact same judges score of 41.65. High marks indeed! The community itself would be the ultimate decider, and the Blacklion was won out over the Bowdancer due to its higher number of total 'likes'.

And there you have it folks, the winners of the Back to Basics Character Building Contest. Take a moment to say congrats to the winners and let them know what you think of their builds. If you missed the chance to take part in this contest dont sweat it, we have many more contests planned for the future! 

Bloodlines have been judged, and after much deliberation the judges have determined the winners of the Bloodlines Character Building Contest. This was a contest filled with a multitude of quality submissions and it was a tough call for the judges. But a grand winner has been chosen and coming in at 1st place is The Chimera by Erinoth! 

Erinoth amazed the contest judges with an absolutely wonderful build presentation and brilliant incorporation of Reachmen lore into his build. It's clear Erinoth went the extra mile to produce quite possibly one of the best werewolf builds the community has ever seen. Take a look at what the judges had to say:

"Absolutely wonderful job, and not just for a first build. This is top tier. You clearly went above and beyond, especially with the artwork and visual design."

"You’ve clearly gone the extra mile here with your images and formatting. Everything is well set out and flows brilliantly."

"Strongly written backstory. The artwork is lovely, fitting with the aesthetic of the build..."

Its hard to believe that this is only Erinoth's first ever skyrim build. He came out of nowhere, and not five minutes into joining the commnity jumped into the contest, and came out ahead in a contest filled with talented character builders. He's just one build in and already it's clear he's set a very high bar for himself. I think I speak for many when I say I'm looking forward to what he produces in the future. 

Coming in right behind the Chimera and placing 2nd is The Blood & Moonlight by Kendrix Trixie. Anyone who knows Kendrix is already more than familiar with the quality she puts forth in everything she does. So its not surprising that for the second time Kendrix has placed in the top three in the contests, which is no small feat. For this contest Kendrix dared to try something entirely new with her submission and created two builds, a werewolf and a vampire, meant to be played simultaneously. Kendrix has been known to craft memorable characters you just cant help but fall in love with, and the supernatural duo of Blood and Moonlight are no different. Here is a sampling of what the judges had to say:

 "I confess, I was looking forward to seeing another build of yours after how much I liked reading the last contest entry of yours, and this holds up just as well in this category"

"As you said yourself the roleplay is the star of the show here. The motives and morality of the characters both individually and together are well established and made for a very entertaining read"

"I like the idea of a two-in-one that isn’t just a “paths build”, and also where the two styles are meant to actually be played together in a mod that may actually allow that to happen."

Kendrix has done a wonderul job of integrating elements of her build's short story into the gameplay. Her characters couldnt be more different. The reclusive, blood magic wielding nightblade presents a stark contrast to her carefree and headstrong companion, but the inseparable pair compliment each other well both in ability and personality. In a contest filled with blood thirsty lycanthropes and power hungry vampies, Kendrix's build stands out among the pack with its endearing tale of an unlikely friendship born of a shared desire to survive.

Coming in at 3rd place is the Sanguine Protector by JustJam. Just like Kendrix, JustJam has quickly established a strong reputation for quality Skyrim builds. As the first build submitted early into this contest, the Sanguine Protector set quite a standard for the other contenders. Jam combined unlikely archetypes and uncommon roleplay together to create possibly one of the most unique vampire builds I've read in a long time. 

Here's what the judge's had to say:

"The “benevolent vampire” is a fun and often under-represented archetype, and you’ve brought a pretty good take of it. It’s easy to just say that the sheer nature of being a vampire that hunts other vampires makes for an interesting enough character, but that is a disservice to the potential subtlety of this archetype. Your character is more compelling because of the recurring theme of the “greater good” being used to justify harming innocents -- this is a fun and twisted sort of ethics that works in a very ironic sense for a vampire"

"Like I mentioned in my comment I’m a big fan of the unconventional vampire roleplay you’ve got set up. The character growth around how they become more disciplined and overcome their vampiric nature certainly made things more believable."

The Sanguine Protector cleverly combines assets from the Ordinator and Sacrosanct overhaul mods to create an unconventional stealthy vampiric shield mage playstyle possessing a multitude of tools to destroy her enemies. Jam has done a remarkable job creating a fun, fast paced, and versatile build, but where the build truly shines is its roleplay. Playing as a benevolent vampire who struggles to fight for the greater good while controlling her hunger is an unexpected but welcome departure from the typical evil vampire build. 

And there you have it folks, the winners of the Bloodlines Character Building Contest. Take a moment to say congrats to the winners and let them know what you think of their builds. If you missed the chance to take part in this contest dont sweat it, we have many more contests planned for the future! 

Check out our contest thread to read the full break down of the judge's decisions and scores for the contest.

Hey guys, we're back again with another Character Build Showcase! In the spirit of our current Skyrim Character Build Contest we have a featured build that truly demonstrates the potential and synergy of werewolf form. This week's featured build is The Shaper by Ponty. As always I'd like to start out with an excerpt from the author themselves to give an idea of what this build is all about. 

The Shaper is a powerful magicka user, able to cast a wide variety of spells, as well as take on a fearsome beast form. In humanoid form, he is able to shape the energies of fire, frost and lightning to destroy his foes in all manner of grisly deaths, and summon a full variety of daedra from Oblivion to assist him. He can also mould the minds of others to his will to take control of any situation, and even heal the wounds of himself and others. A powerful mage for sure - but that's not all. When the situation calls for it, the Shaper can transition into a terrifying werewolf form, making him tougher and stronger, wreaking havoc across an already-chaotic battlefield.

A chief complaint of werewolf builds, and vampire lord builds for that matter, is the feeling of having one's own abilities and powers pushed aside in favor of those offered by their monstrous transformation. But such is not the case with the Shaper, a build that combines the terrifying versatility of a master wizard with the equally terrifyng brutality of a werewolf. 

Ponty's use of werewolf form is simple yet brilliant. As powerful as a mage can be they are still hampered by a multitude of weaknesses - archers, aggressive melee fighters, or simply exhausting their supply of magicka to name a few. The werewolf form exists not to override and replace the mage but rather cover his weaknesses by being everything the mage cannot be in human form. The end result is a mage who has an answer for every situation imaginable. 

And with that we shall wrap up this showcase. As always, I encourage you to give this build a try and don’t forget to leave a like and/or comment on the build if you enjoy it. 

Keep building friends! Because you never know which build we'll feature next, and it might just be yours!

Hey guys, we're back again with another Character Build Showcase! This week's featured build is the man, the myth, the legend himself, Divayth Fyr by Elysium. A builds that stands out among the rest as one of the few builds in our entire archive to take players all the way to level 81 mastering just about every skill tree along the way. As always I'd like to start out with an excerpt from the author themselves to give an idea of what this build is all about. 

At his heart of hearts, Divayth Fyr is a scientist and researcher, a true ancient scholar. He doesn’t have one area of interest, but is hungry for all knowledge and answers. He relishes ancient secrets. Collect all books, books from Morrowind or strange things, but even novels or poetry can fill his shelves. From the ancient civilizations of the Dwemer and the Nords to the obscure magic of Oblivion and beyond, he wants to know everything. Think of the weird and strange magical places and things in Skyrim, from the Gildergreen to the Relics of Ahzidal. He’s a magical tourist.

Visionary. Madman. Legend. Divayth Fyr is the oldest living mortal in the history of Tamriel, at an astonishing 4000+ years of age. He has bore witness of many of Tamriel's most historic events from the rise and fall of the Tribunal to the crowning of the first Emperor. A man as accomplished as Divayth Fyr has quite literally been everywhere, done everything, and got the t-shirt while he was at it.

Elysium's rendition of this famed figure lives up to the legend, aspiring to master everything, and all that and more is reflected in both the gameplay and roleplay. Througout your playthrough you'll master a whopping twelve skill trees as you journey through Skyrim, unlocking its many mysteries, and come away with unrivaled versatility. Battlemage, sorcerer, ranger, barbarian, and everything in between. With his vast knowledge and experience Divayth Fyr can be anything and do anything the battle calls for. So, if you've been searching high and low for the ultimate character build up for just about everything the game has to offer, I cannot recommend this build enough. Elysium's intimate knowledge of the lore surrounding the prolific sorcerer and brilliant gameplay mechanics are what truly sets this build apart. 

And with that we shall wrap up this showcase. As always, don’t forget to leave a like and/or comment on the build if you enjoy it. 

Keep building friends! Because you never know which build we'll feature next, and it might just be yours!

Hey guys, welcome back to another Character Build Showcase, where we  feature a Build on the Home Page. It could be any Build, from any Group on the Forge, it could even be yours. Last week, we had Pixel showcase Matt Feeney‘s The Way-Maker. This week, I decided to go with something that should give our participants some ideas for our Second Contest, Bloodlines. Our very own TexasC4’s The Spellsword Crusader, here’s a taste about it;

“Tamriel, Dawn’s Beauty in the language of the Aldmeris.  But amongst the beauty, evil lurks in the shadows… evil you will cleansing with Divine light.”

The Spellsword Crusader focuses on an ex-Vigilant to Stendarr, whom still upholds their ways - well most of them. While also using a combination of Schools which I rarely see - Illusion and Restoration. Both two very supportive skills, which actually are implemented rather well. TexasC4, also uses the Spellsword Crusaders’ backstory and RP in many ways, one such being the reasoning for certain Illusion spells, particular weapons as well as dealing with the Divines and Daedric Princes. 

All  in all, I highly recommend the Spellsword Crusader, from its RP and Skills, to its Backstory. Don’t forget to give it a like and comment too while you’re at it. Keep tuned in for next week guys, as who knows what Build will be showcased and from where, it might even be yours! So keep on building guys!

Welcome one and all to our newest event Stories of Skyrim! This is a unique cross over event between our Skyrim Character Building and Story Corner group where you'll be teamed up with a partner to craft both a short story and a build for an original character of your creation. 

Whether you like making character builds or writing stories theres something in this event for everyone.

Follow the link below to learn more details about this event and sign up to join!

https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/the-story-corner/featured-works/cross-group-character-build-event-stories-of-skyrim

After much deliberation we have finally determined the winners for The Sky Forge's first ever character building contest. The grand winner coming in at 1st place is The Sea Ghost by The Long Chapper! 

The Long Chapper, also known as Lissette, amazed the contest judges with her stunning build presentation and masteful incorporation of little known lore elements into her build. The end result is a haunting marauder who seeks souls rather than material plunder, set to send chills down your spine. Take a look at what the judges had to say:

"The build demonstrates a very acute and meticulous understanding and implementation of lore, with the in-world text as a foundation. You did a great job bringing it to life with your character. This is a book I hadn’t read before, and you sparked my interest."

"Holy crap, dude. That backstory piece at the top. It immediately drew me in and it amazes me how you took a relatively not well known piece of lore and expanded it into a full build and story. This bit of lore perfectly connected with the other aspects of the build."

"The build has excellent roleplaying aspects. The roleplaying seamlessly connects with the lore and gameplay. You know everything about the character that you need to know from reading and no recommended quest feels out of place. Great job!"

Just reading the build makes it abundantly clear that Lissettee put nothing less than her best effort forward, and the amount of research and testing that went into this build shows just how much pride Lissette takes in her creative work. The Sea Ghost is a definite must play for anyone seeking a deep and involved roleplay heavy character with some really neat gameplay to boot. I for one will certainly be giving this build a try soon!

Nipping right at the heels of The Sea Ghost and coming in at 2nd place is The Sea of Ghost Siren by Kendrix Trixie. Among the contest's numerous impressive entries it was the Sea of Ghosts Siren along with the Sea Ghost that stood out the most. Kendrix is well known for her attention grabbing writing and her latest venture, a long dead argonian lost at sea and hell bent on revenge, is no different. Take a look at what the judges had to say: 

"Amazing interpretation of real-world mythology. Lore fits neatly into TES lore and accomplishes everything it needs to. Informs the reader how the character would act whilst allowing interpretations of that background. Story is well crafted and shines with polish and thought."

"Build clearly presents a complex and authentic character with rules and motivations that feel consistent and appropriate. Some minor hand waving to make the different elements combine, but overall it’s pretty effective and interesting to me."

Kendrix has done a wonderul job of integrating elements of Argonian lore and real world siren myths into her build. In a contest where one would expect no shortage of scimitar waving rabble rousers, Kendrix went a completely different direction. A vengeful undead marauder driven to seek vengeance against those who enslaved and doomed her to die at sea is a far departure from what I expected, but a very welcome surprise nontheless. 

The gameplay is as unique and involved as the roleplay and lore, possessing quite a lot of different poison, bleed and disease aspects that compliment each other well. Perfect for exacting the revenge the Hist demands in the most gruesome ways possible. If you're looking to sow some chaos in the name of the Hist then I think you've found the right build!

Coming in at 3rd place is the Cutthroat by Lee Fiskilis Carpenter . I'd be remiss if I didn't note how tight the race for 3rd place was. 3rd place was was a very close call with at least 4 builds of exceptionally high quality vying for the spot, each no more than 2 points apart. But coming out on top was the Cutthroat, beating out the Dead Tide by NomadDash by just a fraction of a point!

As the first build submitted for the contest the Cutthroat set a very high bar and made for a tough contender to beat. Lee's build took the quintissential pirate and married it to the worst things everyone expects out of Khajiits - the theivery, the piracy, and skull-duggery and turned into this awesome pirate cat.   

Here's what the judge's had to say:

"While the concept isn’t super unique, it's still compelling and executed very well"

"The build does a very good job integrating a fringe lore faction in a believable and creative manner"

"I really like the use of mods. It feels mild, but also fits the build and the explanations of perks and how they fit the character."

The Cutthroat cleverly combines the unique pickpocket, one-handed, and stealth perks found in the Ordinator perk overhaul mod to create an underhanded duelist who sets his enemies up to fail well before the sabers start clashing. Lee's done a brilliant job creating a fun, fast paced build that rewards quick reaction, decisive strikes, and skillful sabotague. You couldn't ask for a build that feels more like a pirate than the Cutthroat!

And there you have it folks, the winners of the Pirates of Tamriel Character Building Contest. Take a moment to say congrats to the winners and let them know what you think of their builds. If you missed the chance to take part in this contest dont sweat it, we have many more contests planned for the future! 

Check out our contest thread to read the full break down of the judge's decisions and scores for the contest. 

 https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/character-build-events/pirates-of-tamriel-a-skyrim-character-building-contest

We've finally arrived at the judging portion of this contest. Ten contestants have submitted builds, and over the course of the next week and a half our panel of judges shall decide which build will reign supreme. 

The builds will be scored in 4 separate categories: Gameplay, Presentation, Lore, Roleplay. Each build will also be awarded bonus points based on number of likes up to 10. For more details on the judge's rubric be sure to check out the contest thread linked below and feel free to ask questions. 

The judges will post their decisions to that aformentioned thread on the 4th of July. Bountiful rewards await the contestants behind the top 3 builds. While we await the judges' decisions be sure to root for your favorite build. For those who missed out don't be dismayed. We have plenty of contests and challenges planned for the near future. 

https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/character-build-events/pirates-of-tamriel-a-skyrim-character-building-contest

Welcome everyone to our first ever character building contest! Here you can emjoy a friendly competition among friends and win fabulous prizes, but only if you prove you're the best of the best. For more details on the contest please click the link below. There you can sign up for the contest. Best of luck to all those who compete!

https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/character-build-events/pirates-of-tamriel-a-skyrim-character-building-contest