Foreword
In looking for inspiration for my next build, I went through previously existing builds and noticed there aren't many antihero builds. To remedy this, I am adding one more to the list. In terms of backstory, he is your stereotypical Paladin, but the Oathbreaker has always straddled the line between good and evil. He was born into poverty and had to resort to theft to get by, which was aided by the use of his familiar. One day his crimes caught up with him when a gang leader hired the Dark Brotherhood to kill him. He was saved by a Vigilant of Stendarr, who rushed in and ended the assassin with one swift swing of her mace. The Vigilant took him in and raised him as a trainee, teaching him some basic self-defense and a healing spell. The pair were eventually sent to dispatch a coven of Hagravens in the province of Skyrim. The pair was stopped at the border and, while his teacher escaped, the fledgling Paladin known as Anrem was taken into Imperial custody. Luckily, Alduin attacked, allowing Anrem to escape in the confusion. Now he has a new mission: destroy Alduin. If he can root out more evil along the way, even better.
All mods were purely cosmetic, aside from the Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch. The build requires Anniversary Edition due to the use of Creation Club.
Racial Bonuses: As a Breton, Anrem has an increased Conjuration skill, which helps, since this build focuses on his descent into darkness. Along with this comes the ability to summon Atronachs, a vital skill in the late game. Later on, he will become a Vampire Lord for reasons explained later.
Standing Stone: Atronach (Combines with Breton heritage and various perks to grant massive magical resistances.)
Name: Anrem
Gender: Cisgender Male
Age: 21
Religious Views: Used to worship the Divines, but now worships nobody. He believes that if they were good deities, they would have helped humanity in the fight against Alduin.
Morality: Chaotic Good. Anrem's intentions are good, but his methods are not accepted by society, for the most part. These methods range from torture to just killing the perpetrator outright. He usually has an oath he uses to guide his actions, but in recent years he has become more and more disconnected from this vow.
Level: 57
Health (Before enchantments): 380
Magicka: 250
Stamina: 230
Early Game Gear:
- Steel Armor
- Bound Battleaxe
Late Game Gear:
- Daedric Plate Armor (Must be crafted at a Forge so that we can enchant it properly.)(Enchanted with Fortify Magicka + Fortify Health)
- Jagged Crown
- Ebony Blade
- Bloodskal Blade
- Daedric Greatsword (Enchanted with Absorb Health + Chaos Damage)
Ring: Vampiric Ambition
Amulet: Tainted Grail
Main Quest: While his methods may be questionable, Anrem seeks to end the World Eater's tyranny.
Dawnguard (Volkihar): Anrem wants to punish the evil, but he needs power. Perhaps Harkon may have an answer to this issue.
Destroy the Dawnguard: The Dawnguard seeks to end the vampires. This poses a potential threat to Anrem, so he would seek to end them.
The Black Star: Rumors tell of a Daedric artifact that acts as an infinite soul gem. Seize this power.
The Whispering Door: Root out evil cultists and claim a powerful blade.
The Final Descent: Obtain a worthy weapon.
Destroy the Dark Brotherhood: Settle a score.
Dragonborn: Miraak poses a threat to your power. Eliminate him.
Civil War: Claim the Jagged Crown to secure your place in Skyrim's future.
Smithing (90): Steel Smithing, Dwarven Smithing, Orcish Smithing, Arcane Blacksmith, Ebony Smithing, Daedric Smithing
Heavy Armor (100): Juggernaut 3/5, Well Fitted
Block (100): Shield Wall, Deflect Arrows, Elemental Protection, Block Runner, Shield Charge
Two-Handed (100): Barbarian 3/5
Conjuration (100): Novice Conjuration, Mystic Binding, Apprentice Conjuration, Soul Stealer, Summoner 2/2, Atromancy, Oblivion Binding, Adept Conjuration, Expert Conjuration, Elemental Potency
Destruction (100): Novice Destruction, Apprentice Destruction, Augmented Shock 2/2, Augmented Flames 2/2, Adept Destruction, Intense Flames, Disintegrate, Expert Destruction
Restoration (70): Novice Restoration, Regeneration, Recovery 1/2, Respite, Necromage
Alteration (100): Novice Alteration, Apprentice Alteration, Magic Resistance 3/3, Adept Alteration, Expert Alteration, Atronach
Enchanting (100): Enchanter 1/5, Insightful Enchanter, Corpus Enchanter, Extra Effect
So now, how does the Oathbreaker play? I've found that it depends on two things: if you prioritize roleplay and if you're in the early game. For an early game Oathbreaker, you will play as a stereotypical Paladin, righting wrongs, fighting undead, and all those things. Given Anrem's moral code at the beginning of his journey, I tried to spare most foes, unless they were so strong I literally could not. Later on, Anrem adopts a much more ruthless style of combat. He usually summons Atronachs and utilizes an Alteration spell to boost his armor rating before charging in and trying to destroy his opponent. The Oathbreaker will not hesitate to use more questionable Conjuration spells, such as the Dremora Lords. He will only use the Vampire Lord form at night, as maintaining a good reputation is imperative to his mission, until the end game where he kills Miraak and claims the Jagged Crown. At that point, to him at least, his mission has been accomplished and he will retire to his estate in the Tundra Homestead. This is where I left Anrem Oathbreaker off. He accomplished everything he set out to do, regardless of how much it changed him.
Replies
I recommend adding in a gameplay section
My bad, I forgot. I'll start working on that.