Character Build: The Aspirant Alchemist

Greetings and salutations my fellow Skyrimmers, to my entry into the latest Flash Event: Elevated Origins. Now, I'm sure you've seen them countless times while dungeon crawling in any (J)RPG. You're low on potions and poisons, you've got a shit ton of shiny loot to sell, and you’re desperate to see a friendly face. Suddenly, upon approaching the boss of the dungeon or rounding a corner, an NPC appears behind a counter stocked with goods or opening their cloak and asking you What're you buying?. This build will focus on one of these dungeoneering dealers, on the tale of one young woman’s journey in mastering alchemy, and also providing for herself and her fellow citizens. Welcome to…

Classic Traveling Music

Sophitia Alchimia was born in a family of brilliant artificers and crafty merchants, and spent most of her formative years in her birth city of Riften, growing up alongside her childhood friend Mjoll.

Wishing to follow in her ancestors’ footsteps, she soon left to study with her grandmother in her alchemical atelier, taking over once she passed, acting as both mixer and merchant to all those who came to her door. Having a taste for adventure, Sophitia would often trek into the wilderness, heading into dank caves and rwrk, . However, when word reached her of her old friend Mjoll’s fiancee requiring a tonic, Sophitia packed up her supplies, and headed towards Skyrim….

Build Overview


Race: Breton, primarily for the boosts, however minor, to Alchemy and Speech, Dragonskin and an innate Resist Magic to help keep oneself alive when facing dragons or mages. Alongside that, it fits the backstory.

Inspiration: Sophie Neuenmuller (Atelier Sophie and The Mysterious Book) alongside Anna (Fire Emblem series)

Standing Stone: The Thief to start out with, followed by The Advanced Lady, for extra regen, especially helpful when running away from a difficult fight, and to keep yourself alive

Stat Spread: 0/1/3 in Magicka, Health, and Stamina. What few spells this character uses, such as Healing Hands and Flames, don't need any more Magicka than the base 100. Health will be capped at 170, as Sophitia, while decent in a fight, is still unarmored, and the majority into Stamina, especially for all the epic boss chest loot and alchemical ingredients and potions you'll be carting about.

Skills: Alchemy and Speech

Blessing: Zenithar

Alignment: Lawful Good

 

(Levels 1-10)

Once you bum rush into Helgen with Hadvar (my personal start choice even if I'm eventually going with the Stormcloaks), you'll want to grab the Alto and Wine around the place, alongside any food and especially Alchemy ingredients you can, which unless RNGJesus smiles upon you and has Salt Piles in the sacks and barrels, will mostly be some Garlic, Frost Mirriam, Spider Eggs, etc. You'll also wanna pick up the Steel Dagger off the Torturer, and the Novice Hood and Robes off of the dead mage in the cell.

Once you exit Helgen, you'll want to pick up any ingredients in your path, alongside Salmon Roe if you have Hearthfire, as if you mix these with some common Garlic and fairly common Nordic Barnacles, you'll not only get a high value potion, worth an easy 400 or so Septims even at level one, but also one that can raise your Alchemy skill, and your Speech skill when bartering, fairly quickly.

Companion wise, I had good ol’ Faendel (Sven is a scrublord-tier follower), equipped him with some smithed and enchanted leveled armor, and made my way, after Bleak Falls Barrow, to Snapleg Cave for a free Staff of Paralysis. Though lil Sophitia ain't no all powerful Dragonborn, I did have dragons fapping about the province.

Combat during these first few levels will be more support based, using Fortify Restoration and Illusion potions to give your Healing Hands and Courage more a bit oomph. The Staff of Paralysis will help you control who you and Faendel deal with, and alongside a Steel Dagger to apply poisons with positive effects to Faendel or to take quick swipes, the damage buffed with Fortify One-Handed potions and Enchantments, alongside poisons for non-resistant foes, at paralyzed enemies.

Quest wise, and adventure wise, I mostly did random jobs for NPCs, like getting a Mammoth’s tusk for Ysolda, or helping Amren find his ancestral blade, picking up any reagents on the way, and dove into any dungeon I could.

Once you hit Level 11 however, and have recovered both the Ring of Pure Mixtures and the Damaged White Phial, Sophitia goes from an aspirant to…

(Levels 11-20)

 

It is here Sophitia comes into her own as a merchant and an Alchemist. She'll have Speech and Alchemy both at 100, or at least Alchemy will be 100. You'll also have acquired Mjoll and Vorstag as recruitable followers.

Here you'll, to take a page from Tyosha’s book, combine Companions Insight, which negates any negative effects of attacks, Shouts, and yes, poisons, to your followers. Using Nettlebane, or any dagger of choice, applying a poison with any sort of positive effect to it, hit your Ally, and they'll only get the positive effects of the poison. Alongside your how husband Mercurio, (I originally wanted Sophitia to marry Teldryn Sero, but you can't, so Mercurio will do, this will allow you think buff his damage, or with any follower, included alongside Courage type spells.

Once you hit up Neloth (That wonderful asshole of a Telvanni we all know and love from Morrowind), grab an Unenchanted Staff of Alteration, or really any that suits your fancy. With this in our main hand, when blocking, it's possible if you quickly tap whatever bash is set to, to do a series of quick, albeit weak, bashes. Think of it like light attacks from a fighting game. This coupled with the occasional poisoned dagger or potion buffed spell will, with the help of a follower, make you more offensive.

Adventure and Quest wise, I now wandered about, taking quests from whoever and whenever, provided they aren't obviously up to no good, and collected ingredients whenever I could grab them.

Home wise, I lived either in comfy Breezehome, or for those of you who have Hearthfire, Lakeview Manor. To RP having a shop, you can, with Mercurio's aid, get money from him every so often by asking if the store’s made any money, or if you're on PC, use Your Merchant Stall.


Elixir of Life-Life - A far more potent variant of the bog standard healing poultice, said to have been discovered by Curalmil long ago.

(Restore Health+Fortify Health+Fortify Stamina. Blue Mountain Flower+Wheat+Boar Tusk)

 

 




Of Sea and Land - This high selling tonic combines both the (non literal) fruit of the earth, and the sea's bounties to form this highly priced beauty.

(Regenerate Health+Regenerate Magicka+Waterbreathing. Garlic+Nordic Barnacles+Salmon Roe)

 




Corpseblight - A foul smelling tonic that, when applied to foes, renders them immobile and saps their life essence, but to foes it bolsters their mystic might.

Elves Ear+Human Flesh+Nightshade Restore Magic+Paralysis+Damage Health)

 

 

 

Internal Furnace-This spicy little concoction, mixed in with a little mead, not only fuels the internal fires of the drinker, boosting their destructive magics, but also bolstering their magical reserves.


(Fortify Destruction+Restore Magic Glowing Mushroom+Pearl/Dwarven Oil+Ectoplasm)



Roleplay

  • Never commit crimes unless you ABSOLUTELY have to, like with Dengeir and getting him Lod's letter, or killing Grelod for abusing children.

  • While you are an Alchemist, you aren't a drug dealer, so no selling Skooma, Moon Sugar, or Sleeping Tree Sap to any merchants or Ysolda.

  • Don't eat raw meat, human flesh, or human hearts.

  • Don't drink any alcohol prior to dungeoneering. Afterwards is alright.

Thanks

Well Deebs, I gotta thank you for hosting this fun little Event my friendo, and for the wonderful Perk and Equipment spreads I have to give props to Curse Never Dying. Also thank you for reading through the build. If any readers play through the build, please recount your adventures down below in the comments.

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Replies

  • We had a flash event? What’s that?

    • It was a thing on Tamriel Vault. Basically create a build in only two weeks based on a theme. This one was basically a start from a humble beginnings to something big

      • Two weeks?! It takes me that long just to put a concept together. 

        • They were mostly minibuilds

This reply was deleted.