What I fixed:
- Removed the crafting skills.
New problems (as of right now):
- Takes a while to level up all the skills ( though I do think it's worth it).
It all started with Lord Harkon of Castle Volkihar. He led a single experiment in an attempt to gain control of the sun. Harnessing powers beyond his understanding, he created life. Sort of. Born not completely human, but still mortal, a dark creature formed from Nord blood, Orc flesh, and a thirst for blood. Once Lord Harkon realized he could not control his creation, he stripped him of his vampiric gifts and forgot about the incident. Now, thirsting for vengeance as well as blood, this creature has decided that, to add insult to injury, he will manipulate and humiliate the Vampire Lord before turning the horde of vampires against Harkon. However, he will spare Lady Serana. She was good to him when her father was not. She saw him not as a means to an end, but as an equal.
But Skyrim's laws aren't what they used to be. Nowadays, you cannot even cross the border the wrong way without being arrested. While he likely could have taken them, he instead decided to play along and go to Helgen. In Alaric's eyes, it was a little foolish to arrest someone for crossing the border the wrong way. While his original plan was for him to seize power in Cyrodiil and raise an army against Harkon, the Empire took him to the chopping block and he slipped away in the confusion of Alduin's attack.
Name: Lord Alaric of the Volkihar Vampires
Race: Orc/Vampire Lord
Powers: Berserker Rage, Vampire Lord form
Vampire Lord Perks: All of them (Go for the right side of the skill tree until completion and work your way left)
End Level: 42
Attribute Distribution (M/H/S): 4/7/2 (Doesn't have to be EXACTLY that ratio, it just works best for me because I'm more used to a tanky playstyle, so I needed the extra health.)
Health: 350
Stamina: 150
Magicka: 250
Shout: Soul Tear, Summon Durnehviir
Major Skills
Illusion (100) - To exact vengeance on Harkon, you will need to gain his trust. As Illusion can muddle the mind, this may help.
Two-Handed (100) - You have the body of an Orc, meaning you are gifted with beastlike strength. Two-handed weapons are the way to go here.
Restoration (75) - Aside from the statistically good reasons to pick up the Necromage perk, Restoration magic can help even the odds in particularly tough boss fights.
Heavy Armor (100) - Another innate ability, heavy armor will give you a naturally better defense as opposed to Harkon.
Conjuration (100) - While the final kill will be yours, having an Atronach by your side to help protect Serana can't hurt.
Destruction (100) - Vampires, including Harkon, are naturally weak to fire. Prioritizing this school of magic may help grant you the edge.
Quests
The Companions - A group of honorable warriors who are less likely to betray you than Harkon is. Learn from them.
Beyond the Grave - Claim a powerful armor set.
The College of Winterhold - While not as noble as the Companions, they can still teach you valuable skills you will need for your battle against Harkon.
Main Quest - Save the world from Alduin. You cannot take vengeance on a dead man, and Serana, wherever she may be, is in danger as long as you let Alduin live.
The Black Star - Acquiring Azura's Star (or rather the Black Star) may just be the key to enchanting your equipment without needing to take dozens of lives.
Civil War (Empire) - The Stormcloak uprising has thrust Skyrim into chaos. Though you had a bad first impression of the Empire, they might be more honorable than you think and besides, Ulfric Stormcloak needs to be put down.
Dawnguard (Volkihar) - Time to gain Harkon's trust. Betray him when the time is right.
(After defeating Harkon, Alaric is left without a purpose, which leads him to wander Skyrim in search of his new reason for being.)
Missing Merchant - Investigate a missing person's case to get Serana better armor.
The Final Descent - A quest in which Alaric will obtain the Bloodskal Blade, a powerful greatsword that utilizes something similar to blood magic. No weapon could possibly be more fitting for Lord Alaric of the Volkihar Vampires, except for maybe one...
The Cursed Tribe - Help some orcs with a giant problem. Perhaps Malacath can guide both you and the tribe in the right direction.
Hearthfire DLC - Get a home
The Book of Love - Recieve Mara's favor and with it magic resistance.
The Bonds of Matrimony - Marry Serana and enjoy your new, peaceful life.
Roleplay
Most of this will only affect how Alaric roleplays after the Dawnguard questline because, prior to that, he is much more angry and ruthless than usual.
Habits & Quirks
- Alaric really likes to eat, especially meats and cheese.
- He likes animals and poetry because they bring him brief moments of peace.
- Will do everything he can to protect Serana.
- As previously stated, Alaric has a love for the sciences.
Phobias
- Megalophobia (Fear of large things, in Alaric's case: giants)
- Thanatophobia (Fear of death or the dying process. For Alaric, this fear comes from his fear of someone hurting Serana.)
Prejudices
- Criminals
- Dragons, though Parthurnaax eventually earned his trust.
- Nazeem
- Belethor
Defining Characteristics
- Vengeance is the reason why Alaric is on his quest. It's what started him on his journey, it led to him finding his long-lost love and led him to happiness. Because of this, Alaric refuses to become a victim and will never let others be victimized.
- Compassion is another defining trait of Alaric's. He could have killed every vampire in Harkon's court, but he instead chose to give them a second chance even though they likely would have never done the same for him. It led to him and Serana falling in love and as such is a large reason for his joy.
Weaknesses
- Refuses to wear armor belonging to vampires and will not use Dragon Priest masks (he believes the magical apparel might influence him in a way he doesn't like).
- Will never attack first, except against Harkon, but he has reasons for that.
Combat
I recommend adapting to your opponent because, while this build probably could fight some strong foes, that's not what it's there for. It specializes in roleplay and combat that stays within the confines of those traits and values. Therefore, you will probably need to adapt. Use ranged attacks on melee fighters and giants. For those ranged combatants, get up in their faces. This is especially true with dragons, where you will be staying on their sides and swinging a massive weapon to cripple them since their wings do less damage than their breath weapons.
Mods
- Marriable Serana
- Daedric Plate CC
- 50% More Perk Points
Lord Alaric
- Daedric Plate Armor
- Daedric Plate Helmet
- Daedric Plate Gloves
- Daedric Plate Boots
- A Tale of Two Vampires (Gold Ruby Necklace enchanted Fortify Health + Fortify Magicka)
- Ring of Castle Volkihar (Gold Ring enchanted with Fortify Enchanting + Fortify Alchemy)
- Volendrung
- Bloodskal Blade
Lady Serana
- Daedric Mail Armor
- Daedric Mail Helmet
- Daedric Mail Gloves
- Daedric Mail Boots
- A Tale of Two Vampires (Gold Ruby Necklace enchanted with Fortify Health + Fortify Magicka)
- Ring of Castle Volkihar (Gold Ring enchanted with Fortify Magicka + Fire Resistance)
Replies
Hey, man! Nice work on this one. I can see you really enjoyed playing him, and that's good because I believe it's the first and most important step. However, there are some inputs I want to address that can hopefully help.
- Format: Really good. Love the pics chosen and the headers. Just a little nitpick, I would suggest adding a blank line/space before each header so the overall text doesn't feel too cramped. Also, on the Perks section, If you could, I would suggest using a perk spread on a pic and moving the skills explanation on the General Info section down to the Perks section. Because, compared to the rest of the text, the skills and perks look like a list with a huge free space on the right.
- Intro: The first paragraph already explains his origin and motive clearly. Great job! It gives enough info on what his purpose is in Skyrim. But the second paragraph feels like a retelling of the game's Intro, which doesn't really add anything significant to his backstory. Why did he choose to cross the border?
- Skills & Perks: I agree with the problems you stated. Three crafting skills perked heavily are just... too much, at least for me. With Destruction, Conjuration, and Illusion (not to mention you're also going with a tanky and high-damage dealer character), I would argue that this build doesn't need crafting to begin with and can still flourish on a higher difficulty.
- Gameplay & Combat: You stated, "Revamped Alaric's skills and equipment with the intention of working well with Serana and beating Harkon," but I don't see how he will complement Serana's playstyle. Serana is a full mage, so I would imagine if you tag along with her, you will act as tanker and melee damage dealer, which you accomplish partially, but again, the Conjuration, Destruction, and Illusion skills can be reconsidered as they are very similar to what Serana uses in combat.
- Roleplay: Sorry to say this, but I have a hard time grasping his morality and personality. What kind of a character he actually is? The Intro tells that he seeks vengeance on Harkon, giving me an impression of at least an anti-hero. But then, the Roleplay turns him into almost a quirky, wholesome, and humorous hero. I love personality progression builds, but in this case, I don't really see any progression as someone who started as Harkon's experimental rabbit seeking vengeance to a person with a rich personality who loves eating meats and cheese and likes science and reading poetry.
Overall, this is already a solid build, but I believe some elements can be elaborated better. Good job!
Okay, I implemented some of those changes, though I'm still working on how to roleplay him in between those two opposite points in his life.