curse never dying - THE SKY FORGE2024-03-28T16:14:01Zhttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/feed/tag/curse+never+dyingEvent Build: The Deathknightshttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/draft2019-04-12T08:43:26.000Z2019-04-12T08:43:26.000ZCursehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/members/Hantz<div><p>A collaboration between Ben W & Curse...</p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Disclaimer:</strong> The builds you are about to read below require the mod <a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/35339/" target="_blank">Forgotton Magic Redone</a>, a unique spell pack mod that offers 39 unique spells broken up into 8 different archetypes and categories. Each of the 39 spells level up as they are used, unlocking new perks to choose from, and up to 5 can be chosen for any given spell. In total there are hundreds of combinations at your disposal.</span> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1955572254,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1955572254,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="150" alt="1955572254?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a></p>
<p><em><span style="font-weight:400;">In the Planemeld crisis of the Second Era, Mannimarco set forth to sacrifice enough souls to his Lord, Molag Bal, to set the Planemeld into motion. The King of Worms, however, had other ideas in mind. Some unlucky souls were not sent to Coldharbour like so many before. No, instead these poor souls were kept in soul gems for his own machinations at a later time. Some were powerful souls, unwilling to bend, while others broke like grass to a blade.</span></em></p>
<p><em><span style="font-weight:400;">When the time was right, Mannimarco, who had tortured the souls of each victim, placed them back into their original, well-preserved bodies. Only a select few ‘survived’ the process. Those that did not went mad only to be cut down by the Altmer’s powerful magics. But those that lived held their loyalty only to him. Their lich king. Their King of Worms.</span></em></p>
<p><em><span style="font-weight:400;">With powerful magics to bend the chilling frosts of the north, the blood magics of powerful vampires and deathly diseases, all who stood against these abominations quickly fell like wheat.</span></em></p>
<p><em><span style="font-weight:400;">Molag Bal had always known what was taking place, biding his time to punish his foolish devotee for raising a legion of ‘death knights’ to usurp his role as the Daedric Prince of Domination. Whilst Mannimarco was dragged to the depths of Coldharbour to face his lord’s wrath, the God of Schemes placed all of the successful ‘death knights’ into stasis and scattered them to the winds of Tamriel.</span></em></p>
<p><em><span style="font-weight:400;">Centuries later a death knight has awakened, free at last from eternal slumber. With the King of Worms gone from this world, none remain who can bind this death knight to their will….</span></em></p>
<p><em><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1946432396,RESIZE_1200x{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1946432396,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="769" height="314" alt="1946432396?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Knights Long Forgotten ….</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Welcome to the first, and hopefully not the last, collaboration between Ben W and Curse. You’ve probably already guessed the inspiration for this build, but for the uninitiated read on and we’ll tell you at the end. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">And as you’ve likely gleaned from the title of the build, this is not one build but rather three builds. Each death knight plays radically different from each other and each is incredibly powerful in their own way. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The Scourge, death knight of frost, crushes enemies utterly with overwhelming physical damage enhanced even further by debilitating frost damage and effects. They are icy harbingers of doom, channeling merciless cold into every vicious strike.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The Blight, death knight of the unholy, excels in dealing massive damage over time through unholy darkness and sickening disease, as well as afflicting enemies with numerous crippling status ailments. They are masters of death and decay and command the countless legions of dead.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">And lastly, the Accursed, death knight of blood, trades offensive might in favor of survivability and nigh impenetrable defenses built on the blood bone and sinew of many an unworthy foe. They are dark guardians who twist the laws of mortality to sustain themselves in the face of enemy onslaughts. </span><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1946737699,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1946737699,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="150" alt="1946737699?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a></span></p>
<p><em><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1911213468,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1911213468,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="444" alt="1911213468?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></span></em> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}2110942038,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}2110942038,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="791" height="492" alt="2110942038?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><span style="font-weight:400;">"Combining indomitable strength with supernatural cold, frost death knights leave their enemies chilled to their very bones— beaten, broke and devoid of the will to fight. The Scourge does not simply draw from Aetherius to conjure their frost magic. Rather, they are monsters born of winter, ice gripping their decaying hearts. These frozen abominations inflict their deathly cold upon anyone who would be so foolish as to stand against them."</span></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> </p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The Scourge acts as a heavy armor clad DPS bruisers wreaking havoc on the front lines of battle. Their merciless offence is augmented by powerful frost enchantments and spells. Three powerful spells found within Forgotten Magic’s cryomancer category help bring the frozen ferocity that is the frost death knight to life in Skyrim.These spells offer both a small measure of protection but more importantly lay down some serious pain, and in the hands of this monster they're enough to chill even a Nord vampire to the bone.</span></p>
<p><strong>Race</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Orc Vampire. Deathknights are undead, and so within the limits of Skyrim’s character creation that means Vampirism. Frost Death knights are known for their crushing damage and no race does that better than Orcs. Berserk Rage will nearly double your potential damage output while halving the damage you receive.</span></p>
<p><strong>Stone</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Lady stone. </span></p>
<p><strong>Stats</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- 1 magicka, 1 health, 1 stamina. Cap magicka and stamina at 200 and distribute remaining points into health</span></p>
<p><strong>Major skills</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- One Handed, Destruction, Enchanting</span></p>
<p><strong>Minor skills</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Alteration, Heavy Armor</span></p>
<p><strong>Weapons</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Frigid Fangs - Twin Stalhrim swords enchanted with frost damage (both blades), Fear, and 1pt of stamina drain. Frost enchantments on Stalhrim weapons do enhanced damage. Fear has enhanced effectiveness when enchanted onto a Stahlrim weapon.</span></p>
<p><strong>Armor</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Dukaan, Talos Amulet, Modded heavy armor, boots and gauntlets of choice</span></p>
<ul><li><span style="font-weight:400;"> Head - Dukaan</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:400;"> Torso - Fortify Health</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:400;"> Pendant - Talos Amulet</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:400;"> Ring - Ring of One-Handed</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:400;"> Gauntlets/Boots - Fortify One-Handed</span></li>
</ul><p><strong>Shouts</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Become Ethereal, Frost Breath, Drain Vitality (glitches version learned with each word of Marked for Death)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Powers</strong> - Blessing of Talos, Berserk Rage</span> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}2013613720,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}2013613720,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="791" height="447" alt="2013613720?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a>"A thousand atrocities are etched in the eyes of every death knight, and foes who gaze into them too long will feel the warmth pulled from their bodies, replaced with cold steel."</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>- Forgotten Magic Spells -</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>Frost Armor:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Alteration Apprentice</span><span style="font-weight:400;"><br /></span> <span style="font-weight:400;">Protects the caster with 100pt of Frost Armor for 60 sec.</span><span style="font-weight:400;"><br /></span> <span style="font-weight:400;"><br /></span> <span style="font-weight:400;">Upgrades:</span><span style="font-weight:400;"><br /></span></p>
<ul><li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Winter’s Gift:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Increase your spell damage by 0.5% per level</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Synergize:</strong> Increases magicka by 3 per character level</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Arctic Chill:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Whenever hit by a spell, freezes the attacker for 5 sec.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Cold Touch:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Chance to slow attacker by 50% for 5 sec. when hit.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Frost Barrier:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">If your health drops below 15%, protects you with a shield that negates </span>all damage for 5sec. 30 sec. cooldown.</li>
</ul><p> </p>
<p><strong>Winter Woe:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Destruction Expert</span><span style="font-weight:400;"><br /></span> <span style="font-weight:400;">Does 8pt/sec. frost damage for 12 sec., over a 40 ft area (like a weaker version of Blizzard).</span> <span style="font-weight:400;"><br /></span> <span style="font-weight:400;"><br /></span> <span style="font-weight:400;">Upgrades:</span><span style="font-weight:400;"><br /></span></p>
<ul><li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Exposure:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Reduce frost resistance for all targets by 50%</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Glacial Ice:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Applies Glacial Fortress to the caster</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Biting Cold:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Damage and casting cost increased by 25%</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Wind Caller:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Increases duration by 50%.</span></li>
<li><strong>Piercing Cold:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Physical attacks do 10pts of additional frost damage</span></li>
</ul><p> </p>
<p><strong>Glacial Fortress:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Alteration Expert (lesser power)</span><span style="font-weight:400;"><br /></span> <span style="font-weight:400;">Encases the caster in invulnerable (but immobile) ice for 10 sec., to provide a respite from combat while slow-acting spells or summoned allies wear down the opposition. Some upgrade effects linger for a while after the main effect wears off. There is a 3 min. cooldown.</span><span style="font-weight:400;"><br /></span> <span style="font-weight:400;"><br /></span> <span style="font-weight:400;">Upgrades:</span><span style="font-weight:400;"><br /></span></p>
<ul><li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Recuperation:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Increases health recovery by 100% for the duration.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Crushing Ice:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Increase frost spell damage by 50% for 20 sec. afterwards.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Glacial Touch:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Applies Frost Cloak to the caster.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Arctic Roar:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Cut shout cool down time by half for the duration.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Deep Winter</strong>: Reduces cooldown time to 2 minutes</span></li>
</ul><p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Special Tactics</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The Scourge is meant to be played very aggressively, dual blades cleaving through enemies one by one with reckless abandon. Murderous Efficiency applies monstrous damage while hindering the enemy’s ability to retaliate in kind. Howling Blast will freeze enemies solid making it easier to set up Wrath of Winter, which has a long charge time. Wrath of Winter is your trump card and a great counter against large groups of enemies. It restores your health and stamina while greatly empowering your frost damage, damaging enemies and making them weaker to frost.</span></p>
<p>The Scourge is almost unbeatable against a single target but can have trouble against mobs. The Scourge pairs best with tanky warrior types. They can draw much of the mob away from you allowing you to more chances to attack uninterrupted. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1946461519,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1946461519,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="150" alt="1946461519?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>Murderous Efficiency</strong> <strong>-</strong> <em><span style="font-weight:400;">Relentlessly cleave through hordes of your enemies with deadly frozen blades. Your every strike robs your enemy of both their stamina and will to fight, and every successful power attack allows for yet more power attacks.</span></em></p>
<p><strong>Requires</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Frigid Fangs + Dukaan + Drain Vitality + Blessing & Amulet of Talos + Frost Armor</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Twin blades with frost damage will rapidly tear through an enemy’s stamina. Drain vitality will ensure they never gain that stamina back while staggering anything it hits. Thanks to the single point stamina drain enchantment you’ll always be able to execute a dual wield power attack regardless of remaining stamina. So long as your power attacks are connecting you can keep mashing power attacks. The Fear enchantment will force enemies to flee while slowed by frost damage, making them easy defenseless targets. The Blessing and Amulet of Talos reduces shout cooldowns by 40% total, allowing for more frequent use of Drain Vitality. Lastly the Dukaan mask and Frost Armor spell will further increase the damage of your frost enchantments.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1946469354,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1946469354,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="150" alt="1946469354?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>Howling Blast -</strong> <em><span style="font-weight:400;">Unleash a furious roar like a raging blizzard, freezing foes in their tracks</span></em></p>
<p><strong>Requires</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Frost Breathe. Dragonborn Frost, Blessing & Amulet of Talos, Dukaan</span></p>
<p>This combination is meant to maximize the damage and utlility of Frost Breath. Dukaan will enhance the shout's damage over time by 25% while the Blessing and Amulet of Talos will reduce the shout's cool down by a total of 40%. The Dragonborn Frost power will allow Frost Breath to freeze opponents solid, rendering them unable to move. Unlike Ice Form, which renders enemies immobile but immune to further harm, you may still inflict damage against your frozen targets, although they will taken reduced damage until they unfreeze. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1946482045,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1946482045,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="150" alt="1946482045?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>Wrath of Winter -</strong> <em><span style="font-weight:400;">Imprison yourself within an impenetrable tomb of ice as a furious blizzard rages around you, destroying all in its wake. You emerge from this frozen tomb restored and ever stronger.</span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Requires</strong> - Winter Woe + Frost Armor + Glacial Fortress + Augment Frost 2/2 + Deep Freeze</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Using Winter Woe will auto trigger Glacial Fortress unless the latter is on cool down. Enemies caught in the blizzard will take frost damage over time, and become more vulnerable to frost damage. While encased in ice you are invulnerable to damage and restore health at a much higher rate. Upon breaking free of the ice, Murderous Efficiency will deal significantly more frost damage for the next 20 seconds and you will also be granted a frost cloak for 60 seconds.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1911077653,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1946490216,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="150" alt="1946490216?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a></span></p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1913929145,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1913929145,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="1913929145?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a></p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}2013958914,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}2013958914,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="791" height="451" alt="2013958914?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><span style="font-weight:400;">While free from Mannimarco’s grasp, the Blight still embodies the ever-corrupting nature of the Worm King whose evil once threatened to consume all of Tamriel. No matter the knight’s allegiance or cause, they remain defilers of life; and nowhere is the blight’s callousness more on display than when threatened. </span></em><em><span style="font-weight:400;">Inflictor of the most aggressive of diseases—and, like his former master, adept at raising unhallowed minions from the ground—this unholy death knight is a vicious combatant, capable of striking with the force of an undead legion and unleashing pestilence that would bring even the mightiest of foes to ruin.</span></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> </p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The Blight is the embodiment of disease and pestilence. Whereas frost death knights favor powerful, heavy strikes, the unholy death knights prefer dealing damage over time through plagues and disease, watching their enemies literally rot and fester before their eyes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">To bring such horrors to life in Skyrim we’ve utilized three spells within the Warlock category and one spell from the Druid category of Forgotten Magic Redone. The spells chosen are meant to give the Blight access to powerful and unique undead minions and deadly damage over time effects and status ailments to inflict upon enemies.</span></p>
<p><strong>Race:</strong> <strong>High Elf</strong><span style="font-weight:400;">. The Blight is a more magically inclined than his blood and frost counterparts, so the extra 50 magicka helps.</span></p>
<p><strong>Stone</strong><span style="font-weight:400;">:</span> <strong>The Ritual Stone</strong><span style="font-weight:400;">. Unholy death knights are masters of the undead and can raise a legion at will to do their bidding. Minions raised by the ritual stone will not count against your summoning limit.</span></p>
<p><strong>Stats</strong><span style="font-weight:400;">: 1 magicka, 1 health, 1 stamina. Cap stamina at 200 and place remaining points evenly between health and magicka.</span></p>
<p><strong>Major skills</strong><span style="font-weight:400;">: One Handed, Alteration, Conjuration, Destruction</span></p>
<p><strong>Minor skills</strong><span style="font-weight:400;">: Enchanting, Restoration, Heavy Armor</span></p>
<p><strong>Weapon</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- The Festering Blade - An Orcish war axe enchanted with damage stamina.</span></p>
<p><strong>Armor</strong><span style="font-weight:400;">: Modded heavy armor of choice</span></p>
<ul><li><span style="font-weight:400;"> Head - Fortify Destruction</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:400;"> Torso - Fortify Health</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:400;"> Gauntlets - Fortify One Handed</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:400;"> Boots - Fortify One Handed</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:400;"> Ring - Ring of Erudite</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:400;"> Pendant - Fortify One Handed</span></li>
</ul><p><strong>Shouts</strong><span style="font-weight:400;">: Drain Vitality (glitched version learned alongside Marked for Death)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Accessories</strong>: Ring of Erudite</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/oqFy_xruX_p5Mbhr_ILscB9otXEhsaOe-B9F7XYXQdJGc93TDG_9uIXlc2zmkCjfBFqMxHH6rCZme-OKLT-UvKjRKlljKWhnnPC201ud" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1946530151,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="791" height="412" alt="1946530151?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><em>Despite the potential loss of free will, some powerful mortals, intrigued by the promise of immortality, pledged their souls freely to the Worm King to achieve it.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>- Forgotten Magic Spells -</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>Blight Curse:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Destruction Apprentice</span><span style="font-weight:400;"><br /></span> <span style="font-weight:400;">Curses the target, causing 7pt of disease damage per sec for 12 sec</span></p>
<ul><li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Lingering Pain:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">increases duration by 50%, casting cost by 25%.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Desecrate:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">infects living targets with Desecration, causing disease damage over 15 sec.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Mark of the Death:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">chance to stagger the target on each tick.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Soul Reaper:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">When targets dies under the effect of Blight Curse, increases spell damage by 10% for 10 min. Stacks up to 3 times.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Bond of Corruption:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">When targets dies under the effect of Blight Curse, spreads the curse to all nearby enemies.</span></li>
</ul><p> </p>
<p><strong>Summon Deathguard:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Conjuration Apprentice</span><span style="font-weight:400;"><br /></span> <span style="font-weight:400;">Summons a deathguard</span></p>
<ul><li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Possession:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">increases your health by 100 while Deathguard is active.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Boethiah’s Embrace:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Grants Deathguards Poison Cloak spell</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Death’s Grasp:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Deathguards deal 50% more damage to feared targets.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Wrath of the Dead:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Increase Deathguard’s weapon damage by 1% per caster level</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Grim Fortitude:</strong> Increase Deathguard’s health by 3% per caster level</span></li>
</ul><p> </p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Deathly Pall:</strong> Alteration Apprentice<br /> Casts an aura upon yourself that increases the damage of Blight Curse by 25%</span></p>
<ul><li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Curse of Frailty:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Blight Curse applies the effect Curse of Frailty, which causes enemies to sustain extra disease damage based on their armor. Up to 50 damage/second.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Visions of Death:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Targets that come too close may panic and flee for 5 seconds.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Puppet Master:</strong> Summon Deathguard costs nothing and lasts 50% longer so long as Deathly Pall is active.</span></li>
</ul><p> </p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Veil of Nature:</strong> Alteration Adept<br /> Casts an aura upon yourself that reduces poison resistance of nearby enemies<br /></span></p>
<ul><li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Poison Sting:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Deals 6-9 poison damage/sec to targets with negative poison resistance.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Wither:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Drains up to 10 stamina from targets with negative poison resistance. Drains health when targets have less than 10 remaining stamina</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Soporific Poison:</strong> Targets with negative poison resistance are paralyzed for 5 sec. 30 sec. Cooldown per each affected target.</span></li>
</ul><p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Special Tactics</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The Blight brings many status ailments and damage over time sources to bear against enemies. Individually each source of damage over time deals decent damage, but together the total damage can only be described as monstrous. Virulent Plague allows the Blight to quickly spread disease among the ranks of his enemies, and each enemy that falls only makes the disease stronger. Army of the Dead introduces thralls that will empower you so long as they’re in play while spreading poison damage to any enemy close by. Festering Wounds allows the Blight to bleed his foes dry of both health and stamina and those who succumb to their wounds fall over, barely clinging to life.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1946551714,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1946551714,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="150" alt="1946551714?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>Virulent Plague</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">-</span> <em><span style="font-weight:400;">Unleash a deadly contagious plague upon your enemies. As enemies fall to this plague, it grows stronger, spreads to others, and empowers the caster with each life claimed by the plague.</span></em></p>
<p><strong>Requires</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Deathly Pall + Blight Curse + Ring of Erudite + Recovery 2/2</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Deathly Pall causes blight curse to deal 25% more damage in addition to extra damage over time based on its victim’s armor rating. Anything killed while blighted spreads this plague to nearby enemies while granting +10% spell damage. The Ring of Erudite greatly increases both total Magicka and Magicka Regen, making it easy to stack Blight Curse’s effect.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1946553268,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1946553268,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="150" alt="1946553268?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>Army of the Dead -</strong> <em><span style="font-weight:400;">Summon up to two disease ridden skeletal soldiers to fight at your side. Both master and minions are empowered each other's foul presence.</span></em></p>
<p><strong>Requires</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Deathly Pall + Veil of Nature + Death Guard + Twin Souls</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Deathly Pall allows Death Guard to be cast at no cost so long as deathly Pall is active. These skeletal soldiers grant their master bonus health and cause constant poison damage over time to enemies close by. Your Veil of Nature will reduce the poison resistance of nearby enemies, making your minions poison cloaks more effective. Deathly Pall will frequently afflict enemies with fear enabling your minions to deal bonus damage.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1946554720,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1946554720,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="150" alt="1946554720?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>Festering Wounds</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">-</span> <em><span style="font-weight:400;">Every cut, every scrape, every gash leave behind bloody festering wounds that never heal. In short time your foes succumb to their wounds, lying helplessly as death inevitably claims them.</span></em></p>
<p><strong>Requires</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">-Veil of Nature + Festering Blade + Hack and Slash 3/3 + Drain Vitality</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">This combination is designed to a rapidly drain stamina and health by way of constant bleeding and poison damage. Drain Vitality prevents your enemy from regenerating either. Veil of Nature deals will drop your foes’ poison damage into the negatives and deal constant poison damage. That damage is further intensified against any foe whose stamina drops below 10 points. A condition drastically hastened by the stamina damage damage enchantment of your weapon, which on its own deals significant bleed damage. As if all that wasn’t enough enemies with negative poison resistance may fall over paralyzed for several seconds.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ThJ3VfWwaRE" width="671" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1911077653,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1946559771,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="150" alt="1946559771?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a></span></p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1915798598,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1915798598,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="490" alt="1915798598?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1980867209,RESIZE_1200x{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1980867209,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="791" height="500" alt="1980867209?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em><span style="font-weight:400;">"In their eternal state of undeath, some death knights possess a special affinity for the blood and bone of the living. They carve into their enemies, sustaining themselves with deadly sanguine strikes, while using the bloody, shattered remains of the dead to further fortify their own defenses. These blood-soaked knights bend the very rules of mortality to command the frontlines of the battlefield"</span></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> </p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Blood death knights act as the tank role among the three death knight paths. They are possessed of powerful life stealing abilities that compliment what is already an impressive level of durability. Blood death knights wage a deadly war of attrition against their foes who will find themselves withering and dying as they try hopelessly to breach what is essentially an impenetrable wall.</span></p>
<p><strong>Race</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Breton. 25% magic resistance along all three perks of magic resistance is invaluable for tanking enemy magic attacks. Dragonskin synergizes well with a warlock spell which will be covered later.</span></p>
<p><strong>Stone</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Atronach Stone. The chance to absorb magicka pairs nicely with this build’s already high magic defense and certain warlock spell effects can be absorbed which helps to refill spent magicka.</span></p>
<p><strong>Stats</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- 1 magicka, 2 health, 1 stamina. The major focus is on health for tanking and survivability. Not a whole lot of magicka is needed since this build possesses means of replenishing it. Cap magicka and stamina at 200 and put all remaining points into health.</span></p>
<p><strong>Major skills</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Two Handed, Destruction, Enchanting, Block</span></p>
<p><strong>Minor skills</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Alteration, Heavy Armor, Illusion</span></p>
<p><strong>Weapons</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Bloodlust - Two handed sword of choice enchanted with absorb health.</span></p>
<p><strong>Armor</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Ebony Mail, Ebony Gauntlets + Boots , Heavy Helm of Choice</span></p>
<ul><li><span style="font-weight:400;"> Head - Fortify Illusion</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:400;"> Torso - Ebony Mail</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:400;"> Gauntlets - Fortify Block</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:400;"> Boots - Fire Resistance</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:400;"> Ring - Ring of the Beast</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:400;"> Pendant - Fortify Health</span></li>
</ul><p><strong>Shouts</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Drain Vitality (glitches version learned with each word of Marked for Death)</span></p>
<p><strong>Powers</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Dragonskin</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}2861888030,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}2861888030,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="829" height="433" alt="2861888030?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><span style="font-weight:400;">“All that I am I bestow upon you, my chosen knight. I have granted you power and immortality so that you may herald in a new dark age and bathe Tamriel red with the blood of the innocent." - Mannimarco, King of Worms</span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;font-size:12pt;"><strong>- Forgotten Magic Spells -</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>Deathly Pall:</strong> Alteration Apprentice<br /> Increases damage of Blight Curse and Necrosis by 25%</p>
<ul><li><strong>Shadow Orb:</strong> Chance to spawn a shadow orb when hit. Shadow orb explodes 5 sec. later, restoring 50 health to you and all friendly targets in a 10ft radius.</li>
</ul><p> </p>
<p><strong>Cursed Rune:</strong> Illusion Apprentice<br /> Places a Cursed Rune which deals some direct damage in addition to a variety of curses to weaken your opponents.</p>
<ul><li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Mage Wreck:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">drains magicka in 10 ft.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Curse of Pain:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">+10 damage from any dot effect</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Curse of Weakness:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">reduced attack damage for 30 sec.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Curse of Susceptibility:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">weakness to magic for 30 sec.</span></li>
<li><strong>Tanglefoot Curse:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">slow movement by 50% for 30 sec.</span></li>
</ul><p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Special Tactics</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The Accursed is all about survivability through heavy tanking and devouring massive amounts of health from enemies. Mark of Blood is meant to make health absorption much more effective by lowering enemy magic resistance. It also weakens enemy attack damage and slows them down making it easier to tank damage with Grim Bulwark. Speaking of which, Grim Bulwark is designed to reward you for focusing on tanking by granting a large chance to receive healing every time you take a hit from any source. Lastly Corrupted Vessel will see your enemies wither and die long before they’ve breached your nigh impenetrable self sustaining defenses. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">High defense and aggressive life stealing make the Accursed better equipped than the other death knights to fight solo. But should you desire a follower we suggest a strong aggressive mage type. The Cursed Rune severely weakens enemy magick resistance which will in turn make your ally more effective. </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/gjcR_ORFUKDD3Qg4O7qC1dF9VuF6xZdy3OjUPMoAkl1npJ1qNcJFeAZdPhiwyuvQ8kZW4XWqxcO1KevIlX6eesgfTsaGn1TLx0rNDvzD" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1946567327,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="150" alt="1946567327?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>Mark of Blood</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- <em>Brand your foes with the accursed mark of blood. Those who have been marked are weakened and forfeit a lion's share health whenever struck by your weapon.</em></span></p>
<p><strong>Requires</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Cursed Rune + Bloodlust + Sweep</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Cursed Rune will reduce a mob’s magic defense causing your absorb health enchantment to drain more health from each enemy. If the enemy clusters together use a two handed sweep attack to absorb health from multiple enemies in one swing. The end result is an absurd amount of health in one wide swing of your blade.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/WyhNPl0keRrnc3VGoJVJ3K0D86vbVzO3_nZ3hqEEZYFW3TM_ed_kCxPuq3SPgpizOP97YckCI6R_9tI-HobI_Icw4e_zpUWmYTAikg9n" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1946568742,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="150" alt="1946568742?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>Corrupted Vessel</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- <em>Your mere presence befouls the blood within those around you, causing enemies in melee range to take continuous magic damage over time. Those cursed with the Mark of Blood suffer even greater damage. .</em></span></p>
<p><strong>Requires</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Cursed Rune + Ebony Mail + Drain Vitality</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Enemies hit by cursed rune will take 10+ damage per second more on top of the base 5 damage per second from the ebony mail. This combination is a very powerful against large mobs of melee enemies. Drain Vitality ensures affected enemies cannot regenerate any health and adds additional damage over time as the ebony mail’s cloak slowly eats away at them.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wOA-gtL0avWS58cYiLXo2QDL5ccZP5B3BN3YHL6ABvOzmmpXPo9d8ERyXNgrVNXk-ttNziA5-MlHW1wNL-Lr_iJ6lxVBpIUOQQvH525" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1946570532,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="150" alt="1946570532?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>Grim Bulwark</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- <em>Your armor is a grim fortress built upon the backs of the weak. When struck by an attack of any kind you may spawn an orb of darkness which will burst and restore 50 pts to either health or magicka. Each burst may spawn a new orb.</em></span></p>
<p><strong>Requires</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Deathly Pall + Stability + Atronach Stone + Dragonskin (optional)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">When deathly pall is active, being struck from any source may produce an orb of darkness which will burst 5 seconds later, healing you and all allies within 10 ft by 50 health. This burst of healing may instead be absorbed by the atronach stone, restoring 50 magicka. Dragonskin can be used to increase the magic absorption rate of these orbs by 100% and also grant temporary immunity to magic damage at the cost of this method of healing having no effect on health restoration.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GOfia2-HEz4" width="670" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1946572894,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1946572894,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="150" alt="1946572894?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Roleplay & Recommended Quests</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">A deathknight’s personality is essentially what they were like before undeath had unwittingly consumed them. Were you a kind hearted farmhand who evolved into a murderous machine after your freedom was given back? Or were you a highwayman robbing passersby whenever possible?</span> <span style="font-weight:400;"><br /></span> <span style="font-weight:400;"><br /></span> <span style="font-weight:400;">Maybe you never were as crude as that. Perhaps a convicted serial killer that Mannimarco found intriguing. The perfect specimen that killed without remorse to begin with augmented by magics to give you strength and power beyond what you thought possible.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">As far as the source lore goes, deathknights don’t feel much emotion aside from those that are considered darker like anger and hatred. Much of the time it is directed at themselves over the horrible acts that they committed while dominated by the King of Worms. Positive emotions are as fleeting to a deathknight as they can come. Rarely do they feel such emotions and when achieving such a blessing it does not last very long.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Despite all that these knights are put through, hell and back and hell again, some are able to act as they did before becoming a soldier of death.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">But the most important question: What about you?</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;font-size:14pt;"><strong>Recommended Mods</strong> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/97107" target="_blank">Arvak Replacer</a>- Replaces that ugly plastic looking Arvak with a badass armor clad steed worthy of a death knight.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/87895" target="_blank">Floating Damage Numbers</a> - Gives the game a more MMO like feel by displaying damage and healing numbers for all combatants including yourself.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/25846" target="_blank">TERA Armors Collection</a> - WoW armors are known for their spectacular , over the top designs and no armor collection captures that better.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=144587974" target="_blank">Undead Races</a> - Undead Races adds a playable undead version of all existing playable races in skyrim. This mod uses the Undead FX visuals on the player in order to achieve a fairly unique and spectacular undead look. These races come with fitting attributes such as 100% immunity to poison and disease.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/12933" target="_blank">Extensive Follower Framework (EFF)</a> - Overhauls the game's follower system enabling multiple followers among many other features.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Closing Remarks </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1955367328,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1955367328,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="86" height="182" alt="1955367328?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a></strong><span style="font-size:10pt;">And finally we have arrived at the end of the build, or should I say 3 builds in 1. For those of you who've reached this point and are still unfamiliar with the source material, these 3 builds are based on the 3 seperate death knight paths found World of Warcraft. Using the Forgotten Magic Redone spell pack we sought to capture the feel of every death knight as best we could within the limits of Skyrim. These builds have been in the works for a long time and we hope we did the source material justice.</span></span></p>
<p> We cant thank you guys enough for taking the time to read this build and we hope you enjoyed it. </p>
<p> </p></div>Character Build: The Maleficarhttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/character-build-the-maleficar2019-02-11T00:25:12.000Z2019-02-11T00:25:12.000ZCursehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/members/Hantz<div><p><span style="font-weight:400;">It's been awhile since I’ve put together a full fledged mage build, and given the huge success of the Force Adept build over the years, I’ve been eager to explore new ways to subvert the limits of Magick.</span></p>
<p><strong>Disclaimer:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">This build requires the perk overhaul mod Ordinator in order to function as described below.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1022500631,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1022500631,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="1022500631?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="509" /></a></span></p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1022536743,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1022536743,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="1022536743?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><em>Among scholars of magick, few are regarded with more fear and suspicion than those branded maleficarum. A maleficar is one who has wholly devoted themselves to the study of the dark arts, relentless in their pursuit of greater arcane power. Never will a maleficar burden themselves with concern over the moral quandaries nor dangers of forbidden magick - and for that, they are often reviled as evil or simply insane.</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}3685603977,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}3685603977,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="3685603977?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="204" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>- Build Basics -</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Great power comes at great cost. In keeping with that theme this build will grant the player some truly incredible powers, but for every power a terrible price must be paid in exchange. At the core of this build is blood magick by way of the Equilibrium spell, but this build is unlike any blood mage you've read before.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Many blood mage builds inevitably run into the problem of exhausting a finite supply of health to replenish and even more finite source of magicka. But this blood mage is different.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Through the Infinite Concentration Casting exploit, I've created a build that may cast concentration magick freely and always have the health available to sacrifice for spells with set costs. But therein lies the catch: your Health and Magicka resources are forever locked in a sordid tug-of-war where one must be depleted to replenish the other.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">But what would necessitate using anything but concentration magick? That’s where the Ordinator perk overhaul comes in. Within the conjuration tree is a special perk called ‘Edge of Oblivion’. It acts just like the vanilla perk Twin Souls with the added benefit of making summons last 50% longer, and it can be accessed much much earlier than its vanilla counterpart, but there’s a catch. Your armor rating will suffer a sharp decrease, even diving into the negatives, whenever you fail to have at least one summoned minion in play. </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Concentration spells, while powerful, are not enough on their own, and you are at your stronger with your summons at your side than you are without them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Basically: The more you rely on your concentration spells the less magick you'll have available to summon minions. And you'll most certainly want your minions around. </span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}3685603977,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}3685603977,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="3685603977?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="204" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Race: Dunmer.</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">I chose to play a Dunmer mostly for their aptitude for Destruction magic, but members of any race who study magic can be tempted by the dark arts. If Dark Elves aren’t your thing Bretons make a solid choice due to their huge starting boost to conjuration.</span></p>
<p><strong>Stone: Lord Stone.</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">The extra 50 armor points and 25% magick resistance pairs well with what little armor is gained through the combination of armor and flesh spells, ensuring you aren't a completely soft target. The majority of your combat will be at close to mid range so that little bit of damage resistance might just save you.</span></p>
<p><strong>Stats: 0 Magicka, 1 Health, 0 Stamina</strong><span style="font-weight:400;">. We will be using the Infinite Concentration Casting glitch so do not place points into magicka and dump everything into health. Your health will act as a large resource to draw from via equilibrium.</span></p>
<p><strong>Skills:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">Destruction, Enchanting, Conjuration, Illusion, Restoration</span></p>
<p><strong>Weapon</strong><span style="font-weight:400;">: Staff of Miraak</span></p>
<p><strong>Spells</strong><span style="font-weight:400;">: Wall of Storms, Healing, Greater Ward, Conjure Flame/Frost/Storm Atronach, Conjure Dremora Lord, Frenzy, Rally</span></p>
<p><strong>Shouts:</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">None</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Powers:</strong> Secret of Arcana, Mora’s Boon</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Moral Alignment:</strong> Any non good alignment</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}3685603977,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}3685603977,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="3685603977?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="204" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>- Gameplay -</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1022553754,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1022553754,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="1022553754?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><span style="font-weight:400;">“Within blood lies the power to subvert the limits of mortal magic.”</span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">For the most part the Maleficar can be leveled up quite quickly and easily once you get the core exploit going. Until that level came what I did was hang around the College and the Winterhold area progressing through the College questline slowly until I acquired equilibrium. Invest in gear that boosts magicka and magicka regen, and keep a stock of useful staves scrolls and magicka potions. You'll likely have infinite concentration casting up and running by that point. My point is to take slow. The drastic jump in power is huge and well worth the wait.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Destruction and Restoration will level very quuckly since you'll be using their concentration spells a lot. Conjuration will also level very quickly as summon spells will be used very often. Enchanting will level up at a decent pace once you get a hold of the Staff of Miraak. Expect Illusion to trail behind the other skills as its only perked for its passive effects. Dont hesitate to invest in Illusion training. </span></p>
<p><strong>Destruction</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">-</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">For this build our attention will be focused exclusively on the perks that augment shock damage. Your only means of delivering direct damage comes by way of destruction concentration spells. Infinite concentration casting can be achieved as low as level 10 so expect to level up destruction fairly quickly. You’ll start out early on with the novice spell Sparks but you’ll switch to Wall of Storms as soon as you find/purchase it. Shock perks such as ‘Electro Convulsions’ and ‘Magnetization’ will make it a bit easier to keep enemies at a safe distance.</span></p>
<p><strong>Conjuration</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Concentrated destruction magic alone will not ensure victory. The perks within this tree will give you access to stronger and longer lasting minions to supplement your destruction damage. Be sure to join the college as early as possible to gain access to these summon spells. You’ll want to use them often as having the extra allies around gives enemies something to target other than you, which is fairly important given this build’s poor defense. Once this tree is mastered your minions will become stronger and gradually heal lost health whenever you are by their side casting concentration spells.</span></p>
<p><strong>Illusion</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Rather than a focus on messing with our enemies’ heads we’ll be focused on buffing minions, and this skill tree comes packed with a plethora of perks that do just that and quite well. ‘Commanding Presence’ alone grants your minions a 20% boost to both attack damage and critical strike chance. ‘Crown of the False King’ adds 80 armor and 20% magic resist to that mix. To top it off the perk ‘Imperious Splendor’ makes both previously mentioned perks twice as powerful so long as you remain above 75% health. The downside is you’ll need the ‘Master of the Mind’ perk before your summoned minions can enjoy any of these benefits. Frenzy can prove useful to set enemies against each other even without investment in illusion buffing perks. This can buy you valuable time to harness your blood magic in battle. You can use Rally to further bolster your minions' stats.</span></p>
<p><strong>Restoration</strong> <span style="font-weight:400;">- Whenever equilibrium is used to build up magicka for summoning you’ll be using the novice ‘Healing’ spell to restore health. It may not seem like much but with the listed perks taken this low level spell can restore upwards to 35 health per second. Those same perks allow wards to block significantly more spell damage. Healing and wards are in constant use in battles so expect Restoration to level up very quickly.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Enchanting</strong> - The Staff of Miraak is an invaluable tool for keeping aggressive enemies at bay while you balance out your health and magicka. The perks taken in this tree are designed to help staff charges last much longer and even allow staves to gradually regain soul energy over time.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}3685603977,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}3685603977,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="3685603977?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="204" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>- Unshackled Power -</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-weight:400;">The Maleficar draws most of her spell-casting prowess by way of the Infinite Concentration Casting Exploit. Through this her destructive capability becomes unbound from the natural limits of magicka, allowing her to cast concentration spells innately regardless of remaining Magicka.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The steps to completing this ritual, so to speak, are quite simple. This character is not an alchemist, nor does she have to be since the potions we need can be reliably found in any apothecary usually around level 20. The necessary accessory is even easier to find.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">1 X Draught of the Healer</span><span style="font-weight:400;"><br /> </span> <span style="font-weight:400;">2 X Philter of the Healer</span><span style="font-weight:400;"><br /> </span> <span style="font-weight:400;">Ring or Pendant of Fortify Magicka +50</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Once the above items have been collected you need to consume the potions in the order listed below and then equip the accessory…</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Philter + Draught + Philter -> Equip Accessory</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Source: <a href="https://tamrielvault.com/groups/topic/view/page/1/group_id/6/topic_id/4313" target="_blank">https://tamrielvault.com/groups/topic/view/page/1/group_id/6/topic_id/4313</a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">If you did everything right you will be granted 78 extra magick on top of your base 100. But more importantly you'll now possess the ability to cast any concentration spell infinitely. This effect is permanent so long as that ring remains equipped. We will be using Wall of Storms, Greater Ward and Healing quite frequently in battle. The above combination grants you the most Magicka one can possibly possess while using infinite concentration casting.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The most wonderful thing about an everlasting Wall of Storms, aside from that Emperor Palpatine vibe, is how quickly debilitating effects and damage can pile up against a mob thanks to Ordinator’s unique array of shock damage effects.. The Vanilla Disintegrate perk may be missing entirely but what we get instead is far more powerful. Combined with the Staff of Miraak, the Maleficar is quite capable of keeping her enemies just out of melee range as her spells and minions make short work of them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Because Healing is a concentration spell you can freely restore health as needed after sacrificing it to cast normal spells. This circumvents a common problem found in most blood mage builds: Exhausting a finite supply of health after exhausting an even more finite supply of magick. The Maleficar instead can replenish either Health or Magicka at will and Equilibrium and Healing are the levers by which this twisted balance is controlled.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The last and arguably greatest boon offered by Infinite Concentration Magic comes in the form of a limitless Greater Ward. This prohibitively expensive spell can now be held as long as you wish, and with the right restoration perks can block well over 120 magic damage. You are essentially immune to magic damage so long as your ward blocks it.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}3685603977,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}3685603977,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="3685603977?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="204" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>- Blood and Oblivion -</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}2097823726,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}2097823726,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="2097823726?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a>“A secret once scoured from the endless halls of Apocrypha, blood magic allows life to be offered in exchange for dominion over immensely powerful daedra”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The second major pillar of this build lies in the symbiotic relationship between the you and your summoned minions. From you they draw strength, gaining drastically increased stats and powerful new attacks when you remain close to them. Your survival in turn is quite literally dependent on their presence, for in exchange for the ability to summon more daedra you will suffer a MASSIVE drop in physical defense (-250 armor) when you have no daedra in play. With so little armor to begin with your total armor rating will likely dip into the negatives.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">With such a small amount of max magicka you will often find yourself sacrificing your own health to muster enough Magicka to summon your minions. It is imperative to keep at least one daedra active at all times in battle, and knowing which daedra to summon may be the difference between an easy or difficult battle. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The ‘Unleash Hell’ perk grants each summoned minion a unique special attack available to them upon being summoned and every 30 seconds thereafter.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Flame Atronach</strong> - Powerful but delicate. Flame atronachs deal good damage from afar, and their Flame explosion special attack possesses incredible range, damage, and accuracy. They are very cheap to cost so if tapping into blood ever gets risky you'll be thankful for these guys. Summon them behind you and use the Staff of Miraak to block the enemy off, allowing them to provide range support with impunity.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Frost Atronach</strong> - Very useful for slowing enemies down and their special attack will temporarily freeze an enemy while reducing their defenses. Their heavy melee attack will stagger groups of enemies for several seconds and for that they make invaluable allies in close range encounters. Defensively they are weaker than Dremora Lords but far less costly to summon. They make excellent blockers given their massive size.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Storm Atronach</strong> - Their chain lightning spells make these daedra an invaluable ally against dragons. Their special ability will temporarily immobilize an enemy. They are about as sturdy as a Frost Atronach but it would be a waste to send these daedra to the front lines. Against normal enemies treat them as you would Flame Atronachs and keep them in the rear. These guys are especially helpful against dragons given the sheer range and speed of their chain lightning spells.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Dremora Lord</strong> - They are the ultimate front line soldiers, boasting massive attack damage and defense, but the cost of summoning even one is steep. You will be dipping into your health reserves guaranteed if the need arises to summon one of these guys. As with the Frost Atronach, summon these daedra to assist you on the front lines and stay close to them to maximize their power. Their special ability grants them increased attack damage for a short duration, which combined with your illusion perks make the Dremora Lord immensely powerful.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}3685603977,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}3685603977,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="3685603977?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="204" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>- Forbidden Techniques -</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1022730865,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1022730865,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="1022730865?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="133" /></a>Blood Magic</strong></span> <span style="font-weight:400;">-</span> <em><span style="font-weight:400;">Barter with Oblivion itself, trading life essence in exchange for magick power, or magicka in exchange for life. Your life blood and Magicka are forever locked in a perverse cycle where one cannot be replenished without sacrificing the other.</span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Requires</strong> - Equilibrium, Healing, Infinite Concentration Casting, Edgewalker perk, Restoration Mastery (2/2)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">With infinite concentration casting your main damage dealing spell will be wall of storms, which while powerful comes at the cost of being able to cast anything with a set magic cost. Blood Magic counters that by letting you sacrifice health for more magicka. Coupled with the Healing concentration spell, you will always have the Magicka to cast your spells and the blood to sacrifice for summoning.. But do keep an eye on your health. Getting careless with this will kill you.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1022751618,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1022751618,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="1022751618?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="133" /></a>Malevolent Storm</strong></span> <span style="font-weight:400;">-</span> <em><span style="font-weight:400;">Sends forth a violent torrent of dark energy that decimates enemies as it surges through their ranks. But such overwhelming power completely suppresses your ability to cast normal spells.</span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Requires</strong> - Infinite Concentration Casting, Wall of Storms</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">With this we’re taking full advantage of the infinite concentration casting exploit by employing Wall of Storms, the second most costly concentration spell in the game, as our go-to standard attack. All shock effects will proc at near regular intervals making this quite a nasty combination particularly against mobs of enemies. Like with all concentration effects this is going to reduce your Magicka to nil preventing you from casting non concentration spells without first sacrificing blood.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1022799035,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1022799035,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="1022799035?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="133" /></a>Bound Shield</strong></span> -</span> <em><span style="font-weight:400;">Summons a powerful bound shield to block incoming hostile spells. The shield is impenetrable to all but the most powerful magick but the immense concentration required to hold its form suppresses your ability to cast normal spells.</span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Requires</strong> - Restoration Mastery (2/2), Greater Ward, Infinite Concentration Casting</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Again we’re taking advantage of infinite concentration casting, this time in the form of a perfect magick defense. Without the worry of magick costs Greater Ward becomes an invaluable tool against enemy mages, some of whom can dish out catastrophic damage thanks to Ordinator: Restoration Mastery enhances the power of all restoration spells allow Greater Ward to block an excess of 120 points of damage, and even more if you choose to dual cast it.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1022847243,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1022847243,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="1022847243?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="133" /></a>Dark Symbiosis</strong></span> <span style="font-weight:400;">-</span> <em><span style="font-weight:400;">Your pact with oblivion allows you to summon more daedra and bind them more permanently to your will, and both master and minions benefit from each others presence in perfect symbiosis. But beware the terms of this pact, for if ever there are no daedra at your side, you will be afflicted with a terrible curse.</span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><strong>Requires</strong> - Commanding Presence, Crown of the False King, Imperious Splendor, Master of the Mind, Edge of Oblivion, Signed in Blood, Unleash Hell, Pact Magic</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">This combination takes advantage of the incredible synergy between several Conjuration and Illusion perks to create summoned minions far more powerful than they’d normally be. Whenever you stand within range of your minions they enjoy drastically increased stats, gain new abilities and even heal lost health over time at the expense of your health regeneration. You in turn gain increased spell damage and staving off that nasty armor penalty brought on by ‘Edge of Oblivion’ is pretty important too.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}3685603977,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}3685603977,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="3685603977?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="204" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>- Tactics -</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Make frequent use of your summoned minions. They will add tremendously to your damage potential but more importantly they’ll keep your enemies’ attention diverted, buying you time to replenish health or magicka with Blood Magic. </span>Don’t wait until you’ve lost both your summons in battle to sacrifice the health needed to summon more. If it’s clear your minions are losing, fall back while the enemy is occupied and apply Blood Magic as needed to summon new minions.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Any combination of Bound Shield, Malevolent Storm, or Blood Magic (healing only) can be used simultaneously. With that one can multitask attacking, defending, and recovery as needed. The Staff of Miraak may also be used simultaneously.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The easiest way to foil troublesome mages is to summon an atronach that matches the element they’re using against you. When pitted against an atronach immune to their spells they’ll resort to weak, pitiful physical attacks rendering them harmless to you and your minions. </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Archers are your most dangerous threat. With little in the way of physical defense you won’t last long under fire, and if you’re caught without a minion summoned you almost certain to die in 1 or 2 shots. Counter archers by summoning a close range minion such as a frost atronach right on top of their position. They’ll be forced to switch to close range weapons to deal with the threat directly on top of them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Storm atronachs will be your best friend against dragons. Their attacks combined with your Malevolent Storm technique will sap a dragon’s magick entirely, preventing them from using breath attacks.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The Staff of Miraak is an excellent territory denial tool. Use it to block off m avenues of approach, turn narrow paths into death traps, or buy time to restore health or magicka.</span> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>- Roleplay -</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>“</strong><em><span style="font-weight:400;">Common wisdom dictates there exists no benevolent means of wielding blood magic. Even the noblest of mages can feel the dark allure of power coursing through their veins with every use.” </span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Dangerous, reclusive, and perhaps even insane, those branded maleficar may occupy a variety of moral alignments, though seldom are their motives noble. Practitioners of foul arts most dare not even speak of, their work is at best viewed with suspicion, and the threat of persecution remains constant. With that in mind here are some roleplay ideas to consider.</span></p>
<p><strong>Malignant Evil-</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Knowledge is power and power is everything. Mages who live by this creed are rightfully shunned and feared. As a power hungry mage your interests in forbidden magick lie purely in furthering your own nefarious schemes. Be it utter destruction or total domination, whatever your machinations may be, no price is too high and no life is too precious to sacrifice to realize your ambitions. </span></p>
<p><strong>Seeker of Knowledge -</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Forbidden is not a warning, but rather, an invitation. Though your pursuit of the dark arts remains mostly academic, your disregard for morality and the ethics surrounding your experiments make you no more trustworthy than those who would use this knowledge for evil. You seek answers others run from in ignorance, willingly cohorting with the daedra to expand your own knowledge. </span></p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1768875209,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1768875209,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="1768875209?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>- Recommended Mods - </strong></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/33914/?" target="_blank">YY Animation Replacer - Mystic Knight</a> - An excellent animation pack geared towards mages and spell swords. Completely does away with the awkward cave man like stance of the vanilla game.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/36849/?" target="_blank">Immersive College of Winterhold</a> - The ICoW mod completely revamps every aspect of the college from the ground up. Schedules are revamped, new rooms, exhibits and study areas have been added, and the senior professors have access to far more powerful spells - So they truly look and feel like masters of their chosen school of magic. All n' all, ICoW makes the College of Winterhold truly feel like an actual, serious college for magical study.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/16225" target="_blank">Apocalypse Magic</a> - If you'd like to add more variety to your collection of summoned minions this mod is perfect. Apocalypse Magic adds over two dozen </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/77863/" target="_blank">Red Healing Magic</a> & <a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/77887/" target="_blank">Tinted Wards</a> - Changes up the color of your healing spells and Ward spells to better match the aesthetic of a blood mage.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/76752" target="_blank">Daedric Entitiy Restoration Project aka D.E.R.P</a> - Anyone whose played previous TES titles may notice Skyrim's woefully inadequet roster of summonable minions. D.E.R.P fixes this by reimplimenting, in painstaking detail, the many daedric entities featured in previous TES titles and even some found in Elder Scrolls Online!</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}3685603977,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}3685603977,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="3685603977?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="204" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> </p>
<p> Well, thanks for reading guys and I hope you liked it. If you have any questions about the build be sure to ask in the comments. </p>
<p><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/curse+never+dying" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905267?profile=RESIZE_480x480" alt="905267?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="610" height="207" /></a></p></div>Character Build: The Dancer of the Two Moonshttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/character-build-the-dancer-of-the-two-moons2018-03-13T22:36:10.000Z2018-03-13T22:36:10.000ZTeccamhttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/members/Teccam<div><p><strong>Disclaimer:</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">This build is intended to be played with a small suite of essential gameplay enhancing mods.</span> <em><span style="font-weight:500;">Most</span></em> <span style="font-weight:500;">of these are available on PC (both LE and SE) as well as XBox 1 - sorry, PS4 and legacy console players. These mods allow for vastly more interesting character builds and more exciting, rewarding combat. Please see <a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/modding/forum/simple-baseline-gameplay-mod-suite-for-skyrim-le" target="_blank">the list / guide here</a></span><span style="font-weight:500;"> for full details. Additionally, this build should be played with <a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/21120/" target="_blank">Heavy Armory</a></span><span style="font-weight:500;">, a mod which adds the quarterstaves this character ideally employs in combat to complement his flaws.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">This was a truly fun character to play and write. We sincerely hope anyone who is able to download the necessary mods is willing to give it a shot -- we are confident you will not be disappointed! Thank you for reading, and enjoy.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/13966731?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/13966731?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="13966731?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="550" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><span style="font-weight:500;">A collaboration between Mr. C. N. Dying & Teccam</span></em></p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}158935626,RESIZE_1200x{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}158935626,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="158935626?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="764" height="436" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><span style="font-weight:500;">For centuries, the greatest martial artists of Tamriel have hailed from the temples of Elsweyr, where Khajiit monks train for decades to hone their bodies, minds, and spirits. The greatest among them are capable of sensing blows before they even begin, and facing hordes of foes single-handed. Their grace and poise are unparalleled, turning combat into a lethal, beautiful art.</span></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><span style="font-weight:500;">When word of the Dragon Threat reached them, the temples dispatched their greatest prodigy to serve the moon gods and help end the danger. This is his story...</span></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><span style="font-weight:500;">-</span></em></p>
<p><strong>Race:</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">Khajiit - Imperious Races is a race overhaul mod that seeks to breathe new life into Skyrim’s playable races by adding new and unique abilities to each. The natural athletic agility of the Khajiit race is emphasized, and they receive a substantial boost to movement speed which synergizes well with unarmed damage perks found in Ordinator.</span></p>
<ul><li style="font-weight:500;"><em><span style="font-weight:500;">Feline Agility:</span></em> <span style="font-weight:500;">Move faster and also sprint faster at the cost of more stamina</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:500;"><em><span style="font-weight:500;">Prowl:</span></em> <span style="font-weight:500;">Sneak silently and perform a power leap whenever you jump while sneaking</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:500;"><em><span style="font-weight:500;">Rawlith Khaj:</span></em> <span style="font-weight:500;">Claw attacks deal bonus damage based on total stamina</span></li>
</ul><p><strong>Stone:</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">The Shadow - Aurora does for standing stones what the Imperious mod does for the playable races. Each standing stone has been dramatically overhauled with unique and powerful active and passive effects. We won't be using the active ability Shadow Step with this build, but the passive movement speed synergizes perfectly with the unarmed damage perks within Ordinator.</span></p>
<ul><li style="font-weight:500;"><em><span style="font-weight:500;">Blur:</span></em> <span style="font-weight:500;">Increases movement speed while in combat</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:500;"><em><span style="font-weight:500;">Shadow Step:</span></em> <span style="font-weight:500;">At will, use the power of shadow stones to teleport behind a target a short distance away</span></li>
</ul><p><strong>Attributes:</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">1</span> <span style="font-weight:500;"><span style="color:#000080;">M</span></span> <span style="font-weight:500;">/ 2</span> <span style="font-weight:500;"><span style="color:#800000;">H</span></span> <span style="font-weight:500;">/ 1 <span style="color:#008000;">S</span>. Cap Stamina at 200 and Magicka at 150 points and invest all points afterward into Health. (You may choose to instead prioritize stamina over health if you instead value lethality over survivability. In this case cap Magicka at 150, Health at 250, and invest everything into Stamina/, or find a middle ground that works for you!)</span></p>
<p><strong>Skills:</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">Light Armor, Alteration, Two-handed, Block, Alchemy</span></p>
<p><strong>Equipment:</strong></p>
<ul><li style="font-weight:500;"><span style="font-weight:500;">Your choice of quarterstaff (consider keeping a silver one for use against undead foes)</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:500;"><span style="font-weight:500;">Your claws</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:500;"><span style="font-weight:500;">Light armor of choice -- see our recommended mods below</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:500;"><span style="font-weight:500;">Jewelry: Ring and Pendant of Fortify Health and/or Stamina (Optional: Amulet of Talos)</span></li>
</ul><p><strong>Shouts:</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">Slow Time, Dragonrend</span></p>
<p><strong>Spells:</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">Flesh spells</span></p>
<p><strong>Alignment:</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">Neutral Good</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">-</p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>- Lore -</strong></span></p>
<p><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}158756013,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="158756013?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="764" height="299" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> <em><span style="font-weight:500;">Throughout recorded history nearly all races have adopted one form of martial arts or another, however martial arts hold an especially prominent place within khajiit culture. The relatively foreign appearance and behavior of the khajiit people have oft made them the targets of fear, discrimination and far worse. Kidnappings, enslavement, persecution, and numerous invasions upon their homeland have inspired the khajiit to take a deadly serious interest in self defense.</span></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> </p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">Many unique forms of martial arts have emerged from the great temples of Elsweyr: The Goutfang Style, the Whispering Fang, and the Rawlith Khaj are some of the most renowned disciplines, although precious little is known of these styles outside of Elsweyr. Whatever the discipline, their practitioners are trained to move like water and strike like the wind, with razor sharp claws honed through years of training into lethal weapons.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">A Khajiit’s chosen discipline and status are often reflected in the prefixes adopted in their names. These prefixes act as formal titles as well as badges of honor. It is common for esteemed warriors to adopt the prefix ‘Do’, meaning “warrior”. Such a prestigious title is reserved exclusively for the likes of master martial artists and the Mane’s personal guard. The Dancer of the Two Moons, however, is a unique title once granted to a great prodigy skilled in the ways of Rawlith Khaj and the Bo Jutsu style. The monk wielded both his staff and claws in perfect harmonious dance the elders liken to the moons themselves dancing among the stars.</span></p>
<p><br /><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>- Gameplay -</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}416419094,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}416419094,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="416419094?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a></strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em> <span style="font-weight:500;">Well versed was the monk in the history and ways of his people, as were all khajiit who lived and trained within the temples. His kind had endured centuries of derision, distrust and slavery at the hands of the other races of man and mer. Reasonable it was then for the monk to question the task passed down to him by the temple elders. Foolish it was in his mind to aid those who did not see fit to allow khajiit within their walls. Nevertheless the monk journeyed to Skyrim, remembering the words of wisdom of his elders: “Foolish is Khajiit who does nothing as his neighbor suffers, for trouble can walk and will surely find Khajiit next.”</span></em></p>
<p><br /><span style="font-weight:500;">At the core of this build is Ordinator, an ambitious perk overhaul mod that scraps boring vanilla perks entirely and replaces them with over 400 unique perks. Overall the Dancer of the Two Moons levels at a fairly decent pace. Block as well as your primary attack skills, Two-handed and Light Armor, by way of unarmed damage perks, comprise the bulk of your skills and are in constant use. Alchemy may lag behind depending on your taste for crafting skills. Consider using an alchemy trainer to keep pace with your combat skills.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">-</p>
<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}158793380,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}158793380,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="158793380?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="138" /></a>Light Armor</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">- For those new to Ordinator, you may be surprised to find that our main offensive skill tree is Light Armor. With Ordinator, light armor offers other benefits such as increased movement speed, evasion, and unarmed damage. Within the light armor tree are all the unarmed perks that enable the Dancer of the Two Moons to deal some</span> <em><span style="font-weight:500;">very</span></em> <span style="font-weight:500;">heavy unarmed critical damage.</span></p>
<p><strong>Key Perks:</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">Sweeping Wind, Rushing Tide, War Dancer, Breaking Waves, Tempting Fate</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">Among the key perks, the most critical is Sweeping Wind, which causes unarmed attacks to deal 2% more damage for every 1% movement speed gained. Thanks to the Imperious Races and Aurora Standing Stones mods, this character comes with a significant movement speed bonus right from the start. Wind Runner grants an additional 10% movement speed on top of that just for wearing all light armor. Rushing Tide causes every unarmed attack to further increase movement speed by 5%.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">Tempting Fate takes things further and adds an additional 20% movement speed whenever you successfully dodge a power attack without attempting to block. Lastly we have War Dancer and Breaking Waves. The former will cause unarmed strikes to deal 20% more critical damage provided you do not sustain damage from any unblocked source in battle. Breaking Waves will make ALL attacks automatic critical hits so long as War Dancer is active.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-weight:500;">-</span></p>
<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}158791390,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}158791390,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="158791390?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="138" /></a>Two-handed</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">- The Two-handed tree acts as the secondary offensive skill tree and also works in tandem with the Block skill tree to provide the bulk of the Dancer’s defensive needs. The weapon of choice will be quarterstaves, which are much like warhammers but significantly faster (and weaker, for balance).</span></p>
<p><strong>Key Perks:</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">Avalanche, The Pendulum</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">The Two-handed tree is not being perked predominantly for offensive damage potential, but rather for two key perks, Avalanche and Pendulum, which offer unique means of disrupting enemies. What makes this skill tree so dangerous in the hands of the Dancer is how quickly one can chain together power attacks with a quarterstaff.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">Avalanche activates whenever a forward power attack is executed. If it connects, it will cause an enemy to stagger almost to the point of falling over completely whenever they take unblocked damage from any source. This even includes unarmed attacks. The Pendulum will cause all but the most massive creatures hit by two opposite sideways power attacks within ten seconds to be completely knocked off their feet and scattered. The perfect way to thin the herd when fighting a large group, as getting knocked over by the pendulum will take enemies out of the fight for several seconds.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-weight:500;">-</span></p>
<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}158789253,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}158789253,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="158789253?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="138" /></a>Block</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">- The defensive half of the Dancer's quarterstaff use, this tree is used primarily for the timed blocking perks which reward the Dancer for his reflexes and awareness of enemies."</span></p>
<p><strong>Key Perks:</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">Timed Block (2/2), Timing Streak, Deliverance, Break Their Teeth, Dragon Scales, Quick Reflexes</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">Between Two-handed and Block, your staff is essentially more of a shield than a weapon. Block takes the disruptive options offered by the key two handed perks even further with massive bonuses to be gained from skillful timed blocking. </span><span style="font-weight:500;">With that being said, the most essential perk of all the key block perks is Timed Blocking. The way it works is whenever an enemy attacks you while blocking within one second of raising your defenses, that triggers a timed block. Doing this will mitigate more damage than a standard block, and stagger your attacker. Three successful timed blocks in a row trigger bonus effects</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">Timing Streak will restore 75 stamina. Deliverance grants you 10% attack damage for 90 seconds which will stack if you can continuously perform trios of timed blocks within 90 seconds. Break Their Teeth will stagger everybody within an 8 foot radius and violently disarm your last attacker. Last but not least, Dragon Scales will completely negate all damage taken during a timed block so long as you have stamina remaining.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">Quick Reflexes works just the same as it does in vanilla Skyrim and is invaluable for dodging those heavy power attacks. Just as in vanilla Skyrim you can trigger Extended Slow Time if you use the Slow Time shout while Quick Reflexes is active. If you find yourself having difficulty engaging enemies unarmed, this will help tremendously.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-weight:500;">-</span></p>
<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}158784664,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}158784664,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="158784664?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="138" height="138" /></a>Alteration</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">- Ordinator’s rendition of Alteration does not deviate much from the overall purpose of its vanilla counterpart (particularly for the Dancer’s purposes) - to provide utility and augmentations. While lightly perked in this build, Alteration provides some well needed bonuses to the build’s resistances and defense.</span></p>
<p><strong>Key Perks:</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">Alter Self: Fire & Frost Resistance, Alter Attributes: Health, Home Mythal</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">One thing that makes Alteration unique in Ordinator is that certain perks offer branching choices when selected. For the perk Alter Self we chose fire and frost resistance since those are the two most common elements you’ll likely run into when fighting enemy mages.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">For Alter Attributes the recommended choice is Health. As a lightly armored melee combatant Health will be key to your survival. Ample Health and the added boost from flesh spells will prevent stronger enemies from turning your first mistake into your last. But as stated before, if you prefer lethality over survivability, then choose Stamina instead.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">Last but certainly not least is Home Mythal, a perk which grants up to 20-times Alteration spell durations whenever they are cast within the vicinity of the Mythal. You should hold off on taking that perk until you’ve settled on a suitable player home. The exact spot you’re standing on when you activate the perk becomes the permanent spot of your Home Mythal. So plan accordingly.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-weight:500;">-</span></p>
<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}158796308,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}158796308,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="158796308?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="138" /></a>Alchemy</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">- Alchemy receives a considerable boost in Ordinator over its vanilla counterpart. With key perks unlocked, you gain not only the benefits of your concoctions but other additional stat boosts simply for imbibing a potion, many of which synergize well with potions within your repertoire</span></p>
<p><strong>Key Perks:</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">Stimulants, Advanced Lab, Crimson Haze, Physician: Stamina</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">Stimulants will increase your Stamina Regen by 2% of your maximum Stamina per second for 30 seconds whenever you consume a potion. It's worth noting that this will stack with Stamina Regen effects from potions. Crimson Haze causes Stimulants to also increase your movement speed by 10% for 30 seconds. Since movement speed also determines your unarmed attack power, you're basically getting a free attack boost with every potion you drink.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">Advanced Lab will boost the potency of your potions further, but only at the alchemy station you choose to turn into an ‘advanced lab’. For this reason you’ll want to be careful what location you choose. Our recommendation is to turn the alchemy lab within your player home of choice into an advanced lab. It makes sense to have your Home Mythal and Advanced Lab situated in the same home.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">Last up is the Physician perk which offers three branching choices. We picked Stamina. Your attack power is largely predicated on how much current stamina you have. So it’s to your advantage to get the most out of your stamina replenishing potions regardless of whether you prioritized Health or Stamina in your stat distribution.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>The following potions will best aid you in your travels:<br /><br /></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><em><strong>Inner Balance</strong></em></span></p>
<p><strong>Ingredients:</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">Torchbug Thorax, Histcarp, Lavender</span></p>
<p><strong>Effects:</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">Fortify Stamina, Restore Stamina, Lingering Damage Magicka</span></p>
<p><strong>Argument:</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">Maximizing Stamina is crucial to ensuring your attacks continue to operate effectively, and that your blocks properly mitigate inbound damage. This is a fairly cheap and simple recipe that you can use often to ensure your Stamina is always charged. The Lingering Damage Magicka effect can be bypassed with other recipes, but as Magicka is really only needed when casting Ebonyflesh from your Home Mythal origin, we can spare the Magicka in normal combat.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p> <span style="font-size:12pt;"><em><strong>Grace of Khenarthi</strong></em></span></p>
<p><strong>Ingredients: <span style="font-weight:500;">Blue Mountain Flower, Wheat</span></strong></p>
<p>Effects: <span style="font-weight:500;">Fortify Health, Restore Health</span></p>
<p>Argument: <span style="font-weight:500;">A simple and classic potion that is pretty much universally helpful on any alchemist, and no exception here. Also an easy option to trigger the Stimulants perk from Alchemy on command, as the ingredients are cheap and sustainable, and the Fortify effect is useful even at the start of a skirmish..</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p> <span style="font-size:12pt;"><em><strong>S'rendarr's Might</strong></em></span></p>
<p><strong>Ingredients: <span style="font-weight:500;">Bleeding Crown, Tundra Cotton</span></strong></p>
<p>Effects: <span style="font-weight:500;">Resist Magic, Fortify Block</span></p>
<p>Argument: <span style="font-weight:500;">The Dancer’s primary defensive tonic. Critical against mages, and also gives a nice buff to blocking physical attacks. Consider keeping a small stock of secondary elemental resistance potions as well, using Snowberries as a base to further provide Resist Frost and Resist Fire. Good for particularly powerful mages and dragons.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p> <span style="font-size:12pt;"><em><strong>Lunar Essence</strong></em></span></p>
<p><strong>Ingredients: <span style="font-weight:500;">Grass Pod, River Betty</span></strong></p>
<p>Effects: <span style="font-weight:500;">Fortify Alteration</span></p>
<p><strong>Argument:</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">A simple potion, mainly for use when casting Ebonyflesh at your Home Mythal origin to significantly augment its duration.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">-</p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong> - Fighting Styles -</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}158803423,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}158803423,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="158803423?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="762" height="298" /></a></strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> S<em><span style="font-weight:500;">kyrim was a land under siege, desperate for aid. Dragons were very much real and posed a grave threat to more than just Skyrim. Little did the monk know, his destiny laid at the center stage of this turmoil...</span></em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">As there are two moons in the sky, the Dancer of the Two Moons is a master of two distinct fighting styles.</span> <em><span style="font-weight:500;">Rawlith Khaj</span></em> <span style="font-weight:500;">is an aggressive hand to hand fighting style with tremendous damage potential in the hand of a master.</span> <em><span style="font-weight:500;">Bojutsu</span></em> <span style="font-weight:500;">is a stalwart defensive style utilizing a quarterstaff that favors a strong defense with the ability to keep enemies off balance.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">-</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:12pt;">Rawlith Khaj</span></strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">- Fast, powerful strikes delivered with deadly precision, Rawlith Khaj is a deadly hand-to-hand fighting style that favors swift dodging and deadly counter attacks. As you dodge attacks and deliver blows of your own, your movement becomes even faster and your power attacks become more lethal, chaining together to make you exponentially quicker and stronger as your enemies tire.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">Dodging is imperative. If you take unblocked damage of any kind, you lose your War Dancer buff for several seconds, severely reducing your unarmed damage. Conserve your Stamina and avoid attacking head-on. Let your opponents make the first move and leave themselves open. Each unarmed attack will increase your movement speed slightly, and dodging a power attack will increase your movement speed by 20% for the duration of combat. With heightened movement speed and high remaining Stamina, your power attacks will do much more damage, turning power attacks into devastating critical blows.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}158976983,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}158976983,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="158976983?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="91" /></a></p>
<p><strong>One-Thousand Fold Fury</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">- <em>Strike your opponent repeatedly, building momentum for a single devastating power attack. If you remain undamaged while building momentum, this power attack will be a lethal critical hit striking with the fury of a thousand claws.</em></span></p>
<p><strong>Requirements:</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">Slow Time, War Dancer, Breaking Waves, Sweeping Wind, Rushing Tide, Tempting Fate</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">This is the ultimate end result of all unarmed perks working in tandem. A single power attack easily capable of exceeding 600+ critical damage, but only if you build enough movement speed and stamina while keeping that war dancer buff active.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">-</p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Bojutsu</strong></span> <span style="font-weight:500;">- The shield to the sword that is the Rawlith Khaj style. Quarterstaves, although weak, have a long reach and are quite fast, perfect for keeping enemies at a distance, creating openings, and disrupting and scattering the enemy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">Masters of the Bojutsu style believe the path to victory lies in a strong and tactical defense. They prefer to time their blocks or use their quick reflexes to avoid attacks rather than simply stand ground and absorb damage. A timed block will deflect all of an enemy’s power and cause them to stagger while also replenishing your Stamina. A timed block streak will violently disarm an attacker as well as stun everyone around him, creating a massive opening.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">Power attacks are invaluable with this style and each one can disrupt enemies in a unique way. Forward power attacks will daze their target, so much so that all unblocked attacks that follow for the next few seconds will cause heavy staggering, even with unarmed attacks. A sweep done twice in quick succession will sweep all enemies clear off their feet and toss them aside. An invaluable tactic for thinning the herd when faced against a group.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}158945197,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}158945197,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="158945197?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="91" /></a>Harsh Lesson</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">- <em>Teach your opponent the error of their ways with a hard knock over the head. This skull rattling blow will leave your opponent dazed for several seconds, causing them to stagger from any unblocked attack.</em></span></p>
<p><strong>Requirements:</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">Avalanche, Forward Power Attack, Basic Attacks</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">A simple yet powerful combination. A forward power attack with your quarterstaff will cause any unblocked follow up attacks for the next 8 seconds, including unarmed attacks, to send your enemy reeling. This is especially helpful because unarmed attacks aren't normally able to stagger enemies. Or you could continue to batter your opponents with light and fast strikes from your quarter staff, essentially stun locking your dazed opponent for several seconds. </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}14526959,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}14526959,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="14526959?profile=original" width="91" /></a></strong><span style="font-weight:500;"><strong>Lunar Balance </strong></span><span style="font-weight:500;">- <em>In the heat of battle you achieve an extended state of perfect mental clarity and perception whereby enemy attacks are much easier to anticipate and evade. </em></span></p>
<p><strong>Requirements:</strong> Quick Reflexes + Slow Time, Lunar Essence (optional)</p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">Trigger Quick Reflexes by dodging a power attack and immediately activate Slow Time. If succesful Slow Time will last far past its normal duration. Your combos become easier to perform and enemy attacks become much easier to evade. A vital technique against large enemy groups, exceptionally strong foes and other overwhelming odds. </span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-weight:500;">-</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O1SrXpNsfKs" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p><br /><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>- Mods - </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}158811069,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}158811069,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="158811069?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="762" height="298" /></a></strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> <em><span style="font-weight:500;">Skyrim is at last at peace, and so the time has come for the monk to leave this land he has slowly come to cherish as dearly as his native sand...</span></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> </p>
<p><span style="font-weight:500;">As mentioned in the introduction, this build relies on</span> <span style="font-weight:500;">a core suite of gameplay expansions and overhauls</span><span style="font-weight:500;">. It is highly recommended that you use the entire suite in the link, however, the following are absolutely <strong>essential</strong> to unlock the full synergies the build relies upon:</span></p>
<ul><li><span style="font-weight:500;">Ordinator - Perks of Skyrim</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:500;">Aurora - Standing Stones of Skyrim -OR- Andromeda Standing Stones of Skyrim</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:500;">Imperious - Races of Skyrim</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:500;">Heavy Armory</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight:500;">Mortal Enemies - De-aimbot your foes</span></li>
</ul><p> </p>
<p><strong>Additionally, we recommend the following mods to further enhance your playthrough:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Animated Armory - </strong>A neat mod suggested by SirrocTheSentinel which adds a number of new weapons types to the game with their own unique third person animations. Most notable of these additions are the new quarter staves. They share the same speed and damage as the staves added by Heavy Armory, but have unique animations befitting a skilled monk. </p>
<p><strong>Warmonger Armory</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">- This mod adds a handful of excellently crafted armor sets to the game, available in leveled lists (i.e., worn by enemies, sold by vendors, etc.). They use entirely vanilla assets, meaning they all look and feel at home in Skyrim, and even pick up the textures from any armor/clothing texture mods you may have installed. For this character, the Sand Assassin Armor works very nicely.</span></p>
<p><strong>Ultimate Combat</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">(LE) -OR-</span> <strong>Smilodon Combat</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">(SE) - These mods take a similar approach to combat. Rather than bogging you down with micromanagement of wounds, or worrying about being vulnerable if your Stamina depletes, they focus more on keeping combat frenetic and on natural advantages caused by player/enemy movement.</span> <em><span style="font-weight:500;">Note: Ultimate Combat users should disable its Timed Block system and use Ordinator’s instead. Smilodon users should additionally install Combat Behavior Improved to get block canceling and better hitframes for attacks.</span></em></p>
<p><strong>Enhanced Skyrim Factions: The Companions Guild</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">(LE only) - As a warrior at heart, your character may feel very much at home within the halls of Jorrvaskr. Enhanced Skyrim Factions greatly expands the length and depth of the Companion quest and adds a plethora of new features such as the ability to spar with your fellow companions in challenging one-on-one duels, and allowing your character much more autonomy as they progress. ESF also allows you to progress through the Conpanion questline without having to become a werewolf.</span></p>
<p><strong>Khajiit Speak</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">- Since this character is a Khajiit, he ought to talk like one! This mod overhauls all dialogue to be more fitting for a Khajiit, including taking into account the formality of each conversation and the relationship of the player character with each NPC. Highly recommended for any Khajiit playthrough.</span></p>
<p><strong>Jaxonz Renamer</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">- A very nifty utility that allows you to rename just about any item in the game. Normally, this does not work for custom potions, but thanks to a clever workaround discovered by Avispon, it can in fact be done. Perfect for your stock of hotkeyed potions as listed previously in the build.</span></p>
<p><strong>Moonpaths of Elsweyr</strong> <span style="font-weight:500;">- Trouble has reared its ugly head back home in Elsweyr where the Thalmor are up to no good. This is a medium sized quest mod wherein you join forces with a ragtag group of khajiit resistance fighters on their mission to undermine the Thalmor.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><br /><em>Thank you for reading!</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> </p></div>Character Build: The Wolf Spiderhttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/character-build-the-wolf-spider2017-11-03T14:47:37.000Z2017-11-03T14:47:37.000ZCursehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/members/Hantz<div><p dir="ltr">Hey guys, I'm back with yet another build. While slightly more complex than most of my previous entries I do hope you all enjoy this one regardless. I've always wanted to give spider scrolls a try because I feel they are a widely underestimated weapon. So here I am to gross you out with a build centered around spiders. And to the arachnaphobes in the audience, I am sorry in advance. </p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905873?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905873?profile=RESIZE_480x480" alt="905873?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" /></a></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/906563?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/906030?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="906030?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center;"><em>The Brotherhood is home to many fearsome and cunning killers, but none more so than the one known as the Wolf Spider, a cannibalistic huntress aptly named for her chosen hunting party - an endless swarm of man eating spiders.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>The Wolf Spider is the perfect predator - silent, deadly, and ruthlessly efficient. She and her kin hunt in perfect harmony and know both the lands and their prey in deadly detail. But so little is known of her, for none have lived through the mistake of wandering into her many traps. Yet her calling cards are easy enough to find - Desiccated corpses left discarded across the dark reaches of Tamriel, often hung by strands of webs. A grim reminder of the terrible fate awaiting her next target.<br /></em></p>
<p><em>.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center;"><strong>The Build</strong></p>
<p><strong>Race:</strong> Wood Elf. What better race is there to play a cannibalistic hunter? Wood elves start with a nice bonus to sneak and archery, oh and they also have that whole cannibalism thing going.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Stone:</strong> Steed Stone. You will be hauling all manner of creepy crawlies, so all the extra carry weight you can get matters. The extra pockets perk in conjunction with the steed stone grant an extra 200 carry weight.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Stats:</strong> 1 magicka, 1 health, 1 stamina. Follow this distribution until both Health and stamina reach 200 points. Place everything from that point on into magicka. The Ring of Namira helps offset the low health levels and 200+ stamina is more than enough for what this build does</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Weapon:</strong> Ebony Bow enchanted with paralysis (1 second duration)</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Armor:</strong> Chitin Armor Set. </p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Accessories:</strong> Necklace of Fortify Archery, Ring of Namira</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Shouts:</strong></p>
<ul><li><strong>Aura whisper:</strong> This seldom used shout is invaluable for sensing enemies long before you make contact, allowing you to devise plans. And like a spider you have highly attuned senses.</li>
</ul><ul><li><strong>Throw Voice:</strong> The ability to lure enemies exactly where you want them is invaluable to this build.</li>
</ul><p dir="ltr"><strong>Spells & Scrolls:</strong></p>
<ul><li>Ash shell</li>
<li>Magelight</li>
<li>Flames</li>
<li>Poison cloak spider</li>
<li>Mind control spider</li>
<li>Oil Spider</li>
</ul><p dir="ltr">Spider scrolls. You had to know it was only a matter of time before I made a build centered around these creepy things. You may have come across these in your adventures in Solstheim. But if you're like most players you've likely dismissed these strange, disgusting creatures as mere novelties. Follow this build and you'll find that these creatures are quite deadly despite commonly held beliefs.</p>
<p>At the core this build is a lone archer/summoner hybrid supplemented by large packs of deadly spiders. The wolf spider and her swarm work in tandem to keep enemies locked in disarray, disabled and confused. Various species of spiders, each with their own unique properties and use, provide her with a diverse array of tactics.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><br /><strong style="text-align:center;">Gameplay and Perks</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/906089?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/906089?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="906089?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>Never underestimate the threat posed by a well coordinated swarm. </em></p>
<p dir="ltr">For this build I've steered away from crafting. In lieu of traditional crafting skills you will be “crafting” spiders, which I will cover more in depth later on.</p>
<p>The build maxes out at a fairly manageable level of 40. Archery will be your main offensive skill and give how frequently it will be used it will max out quite quickly. Bulls eye is a game changer within that skill tree. Combined with a 1 second paralysis enchantment it grants you a large chance of paralyzing enemies.</p>
<p>Sneak will max out quickly but for the impatient types you may also utilize the Helgen exploit. Simply back stab Hadvar/Ralph repeatedly with a dagger as they crouch down in the caves. Deadly aim is intentionally avoided in this build, so the player cannot forgo the tactics described within in favor of plain boring sneak archery. Shadow warrior is a key perk that works wonderfully in tandem with the spiders. It's use in battle forces enemies to target your spiders rather than you.</p>
<p>Alteration is needed solely for ash shell and stability as well as cost reducing perks make that spell more effective. Pickpocketing is perked solely for the extra pockets perk, enabling you to carry more spiders. Lastly we have illusion which is perked solely for quiet casting. Using spider scrolls normally produces noise just like any other spell, which we don't want. Which is you're investing in quiet casting.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><br /><strong>An Endless Swarm...</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/906117?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/906117?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="906117?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>Enjoy this lovely image I found. Because if this build fails to impress, at the very least I hope to ensure none of you sleep soundly tonight.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">Spiders can be crafted in an Imbuing chamber found within White Ridge Barrow on Solsthiem. The albino spider pods you encounter on the island are combined with misc items like jewels to create spiders. Below you'll find the ingredients required to create the spiders used in this build.</p>
<p>Perhaps the number one reason spider are overlooked is how rare spider pods are once you've exhausted your initial supply from White Ridge Barrow. Fortunately there is a way around this by way of the duplication exploit. Fortunately the duplication glitch is quite easy to perform, and if you’re playing on any platform with access to console commands your life will be even easier.</p>
<p><strong>- Duplication Glitch:</strong></p>
<ol><li>Get a secure location close to an entrance for a separate cell and a follower. </li>
<li>Make your follower wait outside the entrance</li>
<li>Drop the items you wish to duplicate one at a time.</li>
<li>Have your follower pick up everything you drop</li>
<li>As soon as everything is picked up leave enter the new cell.</li>
<li>Walk back to the previous location and talk to your follower. They should have additional copies of whatever you made them pick up. </li>
</ol><p style="text-align:center;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_oX0nAI9SAY" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p>If the explanation I gave you is proving difficult to understand, watch this video. It might help. </p>
<p><strong>- Console Commands:</strong></p>
<p>Those of us playing on the Remastered Version or on PC are lucky enough to have access to console commands. Which means we can completely skip the duplication glitch and just generate as much of these creepy crawlies as we want. Just open up the console and enter the following below. In this example ## represents the amount of the item you wish to spawn in your inventory. XX represents where the Dragonborn DLC falls within your load order on either Nexus Mod Manager or Mod Organizer. </p>
<ul><li>Poison Cloak Spider - Player.Additem <strong><a title="Xx" href="http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Xx">XX</a></strong>01CAB0 ##</li>
<li>Mind Control Spider - Player.Additem <strong><a title="Xx" href="http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Xx">XX</a></strong>016E1C ##</li>
<li>Oil Spider - Player.Additem <strong><a title="Xx" href="http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Xx">XX</a></strong>02749D ##</li>
</ul><p>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center;"><strong>Special Tactics </strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">The techniques you'll learn below are designed to keep your enemies crippled and confused. Your basic game-play will consist of keeping enemies focused on your spider minions, and shielding your spider minions wish ash shell to protect them and grant your invulnerable decoys. Paralyzing enemies buys your spider minions time to pile onto a single enemy causing heavy poison damage without fear of being killed off. Lastly a lone oil spider can act as a deadly explosive, obliterating anything in range. </p>
<p dir="ltr">As you can see this build has quite a few options at its disposal, but the majority of them require spider scrolls. So as you can likely guess this is a heavily resource driven build. Think tactically and use the best option possible in every scenario. It really helps to use Aura Whisper before hand to get a good tactical understanding of the present situation before committing to anything. </p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center;">-</p>
<p><br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/VRJl4HKad9yB7_LWvFZjQY7W4gxm2GNYyz6rZiXnJwqQU6RB3_CNMhkRVOcgbqgKy_6UI_sgUCtpFqx3ORHRFQdKcptt7ElOaXuoOWs7LRSjM9z0ztvJ39vuhHVsWGAguyViL88t" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/906144?profile=original" alt="906144?profile=original" width="132" /></a><strong>Venomous Sting - </strong> "F<em>ires an arrow laced with a touch of black widow venom. Any living target that fails to resist the venom's effect is left temporarily paralyzed for several seconds."</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">Requires: Paralysis Enchantment + Bulls-eye + Power-shot</p>
<p>The Paralysis Enchantment & Bulls eye perk stack with each other thus making the total chance of afflicting an enemy with paralysis purely additive. Failing that Power-shot offers a high chance of staggering a target. This high chance of preventing enemy action coincides well with...</p>
<p> </p>
<p>.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/906169?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/906169?profile=original" alt="906169?profile=original" width="132" /></a>Seeker Swarm -</strong><em>"Spawns up to six spiders that secrete a foul, noxious vapor from their bodies. These spiders will aggresively seek out and swarm their prey and enemies exposed to the noxious swarm take poison damage over time. Exposure to multiple spiders results in far more severe poison damage over time."</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">Requires: Shadow Warrior + Poison Cloak Spider</p>
<p>Individually these spiders are weak. When two or more are gathered they can deal quite a lot of damage very quickly against anything in range of their poison cloaks. They are however lacking in durability. Venomous Sting against your enemies buys these little guys ample time to pile onto enemies and quickly kill them with their combined DoT.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/906194?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/906194?profile=original" alt="906194?profile=original" width="132" /></a>Stone-Silk Cocoon -</strong><em>"Encapsulates a spider within an impenetrable cocoon of silk, rendering the spider immune to all damage. The affected spider can still be targeted and attacked by enemies."</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">Requires: Poison/Oil Spider + Ash Shell + Stability + Shadow Warrior</p>
<p dir="ltr">An invaluable technique that lets you create an invulnerable decoy that will last for 45 seconds. Very useful when a distraction is needed and un-shielded spiders alone will not suffice. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/906214?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/906214?profile=original" alt="906214?profile=original" width="132" /></a>Death Trap - </strong><em>"Lure your prey into a deadly trap with sights and sounds too enticing to ignore. Once spotted, they will be too enthralled by your lure to attempt an escape."</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">Requires: Stone Silk Cocoon, Mage Light, Stability, Throw Voice</p>
<p>This technique involves luring enemies to an invulnerable spider prepared in advance. Mage light will light the spider up like a beacon making it too difficult not to notice. And once an enemy locks onto a target they dont relent until it dies which wont happen to this target for a long while. </p>
<p>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/906238?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/906238?profile=original" alt="906238?profile=original" width="132" /></a>Parasitic Spawn - </strong><em>"Deploy a deadly parasitic spider that must latch onto a living host to survive. Once attached the spider will compel nearby enemies to attack its victim. Both the Spider and its victim can be encased within impenetrable stone silk, creating an invulnerable decoy."</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">Requires: Mind Control Spider + Shadow Warrior + Ash Shell (Optional)</p>
<p dir="ltr">A very powerful technique because it essentially turns any enemy into an unwilling ally without the annoying level caps that hamper illusion spells. I like to use this to remove the most troublesome enemy from the fray.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/906262?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/906262?profile=original" alt="906262?profile=original" width="132" /></a>Volatile Walking Bomb - </strong><em>"Deploy a spider that secrets a high flammable trail of oil when threatened. Once ignited with fire the oil trail will run ablaze and the spider will explode, dealing potentially tremendous damage based on how much oil was secreted."</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">Requires: Oil Spider, Flames </p>
<p dir="ltr">A powerful trump card to be used in dire situations. Up to 6 of these can be spawned at once, but given how powerful just a single one can become you never really need more than 2 at a time. I prefer to save this for powerful machines and undead, which are immune to poison damage. Use this in conjunction with a distraction and these spiders will have plenty of time to build up a massive oil pile leading to catastrophic damage. </p>
<p> </p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center;">-</p>
<p dir="ltr">Venomous Sting should be used often in combat. Not only will it stall advancing enemies, it will also buy your poison cloak spiders ample time to swarm onto an enemy and stack their cloaks. Seeker Swarm allows you to confuse your enemy, forcing them to target a poison cloak spider rather than you whenever shadow warrior is used. Against 1-2 enemies the swarm in conjunction with venomous Sting can easily overwhelm enemies.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Seeker Swarm combos into Stone Silk Cocoon. If your swarm is being decimated, use Stone Silk Cocoon to render a spider invulnerable. This will force enemies already targeting your swarm to eventually target an invulnerable spider. Against a large group you may wish to begin the battle with Death Trap. Get as many enemies huddled around an invulnerable target as possible and you'll be able to clear many of them out before the ruse wears off.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Parasitic Spawn will seize control of any living enemy regardless of level with the exception of enormous creatures like dragons as well as undead and mechanical enemies. This is best used against the toughest enemy you can sneak up on before a fight. Doing so will remove the strongest enemy from play, and if you manage to encase said enemy within ash, they become an invulnerable decoy. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Lastly Volatile Walking Bomb deals heavy indiscriminate damage so use with caution. Its best used against tough enemies who are immune or highly resistant to poison damage brought on by seeker swarm. Avoid using this against anything capable of fire based attacks. The oil spiders will explode on contact. </p>
<p> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}19890938,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}19890938,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="19890938?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="769" height="440" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Recommended Quests & Roleplay</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left;">Roleplay with this build was simple yet quite enjoyable. You're a skilled assassin, hunter and tracker. One blessed with a peculiar talent for controlling spiders but cursed with an insatiable cannibal appetite. Perhaps this was Namira's doing - A blessing and a curse all wrapped into one. The ability to command a loyal horde but at the cost of gradually losing oneself to the unending hunger for human flesh, leaving nothing behind but predator's desire to hunt and feed. In this regard the Wolf Spider isn't entirely evil, at least no more evil than one would consider a sabre cat who preys upon an unsuspecting traveler. </p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left;"><strong>A Taste of Death</strong> - You can't turn Skyrim into a morbid all you can eat buffet without first showing up to this dinner date. For your efforts in luring the unsuspecting priest to his demise you're awarded the Ring of Namira. Keep in mind getting caught in the act of cannibalizing someone will cause you to incur a bounty. So be smart and subtle about satiating your voracious appetite. Drag bodies away to more secluded spots if you have to. </p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left;"><strong>The Dark Brotherhood</strong> - The life of an assassin meshes very well with that of a cannibal. Kill your assigned target, eat to your hearts content, and get paid to do it? What could be better? But money isn't your true motive. With the brotherhood you get to enjoy the hunt and the kill as well as the meal. Perhaps you're a picky cannibal killer who enjoys the thrill of a heavily guarded meal. </p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left;"> </p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left;">.</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center;"><strong>Recommended Mods</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left;"><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/15703/?" target="_blank">Pretty Combat Animations</a> - A more fashionable replacement for the clunky bow animations we're left with in vanilla Skyrim. Because you deserve better than looking like a chimpanzee parading around with a stick when running with a bow. </p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left;"><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/71239/?" target="_blank">Kthonia's Unique Weapon Pack - Dragonborn Weapon</a> - Adds three well detailed weapons scattered across Solsthiem, most notably the chitin recurve bow, a weapon reminiscent to Morrowind chitin-based weapons. Matches very well very well with chitin armor in Dragonborn</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left;"><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/24273/?" target="_blank">Ethereal Elven Overhaul</a>- A comprehensive revamp of the elf races of Skyrim. It alters every aspect of their facial features to a more appealing look, while remaining faithful to the original work and striving for realism. EEO also affects every elven NPC in the game and comes with new presets.</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left;"><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/16846/?tab=1&navtag=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nexusmods.com%2Fskyrim%2Fajax%2Fmoddescription%2F%3Fid%3D16846%26preview%3D&pUp=1" target="_blank">Bloody Cannibalism -</a> This mod makes feeding on victims leave behind bloody remains, be it as a werewolf or with the Ring of Namira. The Ring of Namira buff is slightly changed, and can be further improved by consuming Namira's Blight, an otherwise toxic sludge. Cannibalism is also considered a more serious crime.</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left;"> </p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NRkbFqYfRO8" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center;"><strong>Closing Remarks</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left;">And that's everything. I hope you enjoyed my newest character build. There will be plenty of more new builds to come. </p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905267?profile=RESIZE_480x480"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905267?profile=RESIZE_480x480" alt="905267?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" /></a></p>
<p> </p></div>Character Build: The Lusty Argonian Maidhttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/character-build-the-lusty-argonian-maid2017-07-13T22:05:25.000Z2017-07-13T22:05:25.000ZCursehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/members/Hantz<div><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;">Ah, coin… Was there anything better in this world? Gleaming, glinting, shiny gold coins…</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">“My name? Oh, don’t worry about that, darling,  just sit back and relax.  I promise this night will be unforgettable…” I purred in the ear of the fat noble. A fool, just like all Nords, always with his mind in his pants. His stomach jiggled as he grew excited, all the while I slipped my tail into his pocket and extracted his safe key. Magicka appeared in my hand behind his skull and I weaved a spell, soothing the man and filling his mind with all manner of erotic illusions...</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">It seems my time at this place has come to an end. Cyrodiil had run it’s course and where else was there to go next but Skyrim? The Nord fell asleep in his chair, thanks to the poisoned drink I slipped him earlier, and I left the tavern, my tail flicking as I descended into the dark streets. A knight was passing by, riding upon a horse and he looked down at me with interest.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">“Bit late for a lady to be walkin’ about… Where you headed?”</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">I didn’t answer him, but merely put an arrow through his knee. “Sorry dear, but I need to borrow your horse…” I smirked before mounting the beast and heading off.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Hmph. Men. All fools.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/yYB7FD_V-6ArZwCmMrXepwQgHyyR28xpIFmevv4lr_HASukI0QTC-GR0Uczryz2S1jvWYCdRhWq53xKCgzTvAxZcaMgRYeuvSAGukFk4fao6aqAjFVFVYZCY18a8DbuA_CFPS3U" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-center" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/yYB7FD_V-6ArZwCmMrXepwQgHyyR28xpIFmevv4lr_HASukI0QTC-GR0Uczryz2S1jvWYCdRhWq53xKCgzTvAxZcaMgRYeuvSAGukFk4fao6aqAjFVFVYZCY18a8DbuA_CFPS3U?width=624" width="624" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905098?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905098?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></p>
<p>One of the most interesting challenges of bringing what was originally a joke build (because that’s how all the best builds start) to life in Skyrim was deciding what archetype fit the Lusty Argonian Maid best. Sure, there's plenty of suggestive references to spears in the books, but we just couldn't imagine Lifts-Her-Tail swinging around a hefty, blood stained pole-arm and getting up close and personal against Skyrim’s toughest bruisers.</p>
<p>With that being said, our rendition of the Lusty Argonian Maid is a seductive and charming maid by day and daring master thief by night. With nothing but her wits and charm our lusty lizard is constantly a step ahead of both her enemies and admirers. And really, who can honestly bring themselves to fight back against such a beautiful maiden, hmm?</p>
<p>As you may have guessed by now,  Speech is the centerpiece of this build and it proves itself to be far more than just some throwaway skill most builds only use for RP. Its greatest quality is eliminating the need for crafting, and who doesn’t love a no crafting build? Stores often sell items that would require heavy crafting investment to match and they tend to cost more than a house! Literally. Speech perks drastically drop the cost of all items and increases the worth of everything you sell. The end result is walking away with exceptionally powerful trinkets  with no training and no need to empty out your wallet!</p>
<p>Exotic scrolls, staves, concoctions and more can all be added to your bag of tricks, and all you have to do is sweet talk a few shopkeepers. With such a wide range of possibilities at her disposal, the Lusty Argonian Maid can become among the most versatile and deviously unpredictable build to ever tread the roads of Skyrim!</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905107?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905107?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="50" /></a></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><em><strong>The Basics</strong></em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Race:</strong> Female Argonian (duh). Argonians get a great boost to Sneak and can recover health in a pinch. We will be playing an argonian female, unless you choose to play as the Sultry Argonian bard ;)</p>
<p><strong>Stone:</strong> Lady Stone. You’ll be rolling and maneuvering a lot so naturally the improved stamina regen will come in handy.</p>
<p><strong>Stat Distribution: 1M 1H 1S</strong>. Once health & stamina reach 200, place all points into magicka from then on out.  Your goal is to avoid damage so health isn't so important here. Magicka is key especially with dual casted illusions.</p>
<p><strong>Shouts:</strong> Lusty maid, master thief, and hero of Nordic legend?!? I think not. Lifts-Her-Tail just isn’t the heroic, dragon slaying type, thus she uses no shouts.</p>
<p><strong>Powers:</strong> Lover’s Insight, Gift of Charity, Agent of Dibella</p>
<p><strong>Blessing:</strong> Dibella’s Blessing</p>
<p><strong>Equipment: </strong></p>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li><strong>Weapon - </strong>Any bow of choice enchanted with Paralysis ( 1 second duration)</li>
<li><strong>Clothes</strong> - Tavern Cloths</li>
<li><strong>Boots</strong> - Any boots you want enchanted with Muffle</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>This is technically a no crafting build because not a single perk is invested into a crafting skill. But a select few enchantments maintain the same potency regardless of your enchanting level ... So we're gonna cheat a lil' bit. Paralysis is an invaluable enchantment for your bow. Even a duration of 1 second will knock an enemy down, forcing them to waste several seconds getting back up. Muffle, along with the Silence and Light-foot perk will make you much better at sneaking around, so be sure to acquire that enchantment as soon as possible. </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905127?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905127?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> <em>One-Handed is also an option, if you know what we mean... ^_^</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Speech</strong> - The silver tongue is mightier than the sword, as they say, and  you’ll easily see the truth behind the phrase soon enough. Speech is such a powerful skill tree, that does SO much more than just liven up one’s role-play experience. And it’s made even stronger when paired with its partner in crime, Pickpocketing. With those two skills in hand, every city becomes a sprawling five-finger discount store, and the guards will happily let you carry on once buttered up with a few honeyed words.</p>
<p><strong>Pickpocketing</strong> - The jelly to speech’s peanut butter. As it turns out, the most precious valuables aren’t locked away in safe boxes, but rather stored in pockets. Watch and be amazed and how fast pickpocket allows you to amass both levels and gold. The pace gets even more ludicrous once you get into pickpocketing money back from trainers. Sweet talk a guard and throw some septims his way, and then pick the gold right back out of his pockets.</p>
<p><strong>Archery</strong> - Lifts-Her-Tail prefers to keep her distance from her enemies, thus she prefers bows. It’s a wise choice, given her rather meager health and defense. Fortify Archery accessories are very common in stores, and our sweet talking argonian will be flush with enough septims to buy these very early in her adventure. In the end you’ll be able to deal respectable damage with a bow without any crafting necessary.</p>
<p><strong>Sneak</strong> - Quite an important skill for the Maid, especially considering the fact that this build plays it rather dangerously with zero armor.  Remaining unseen when needed is critical in battle, and fortunately the Maid is quite adept at doing just that. Light clothing, combined with various sneak perks make the Maid exceedingly difficult to detect.</p>
<p><strong>Illusion</strong> - Lifts-Her-Tail is a master of manipulation, addling the minds of men from the safety of the shadows like a master puppeteer. Quiet casting is critical, allowing her to use all manner of spells and magical items in complete silence. Illusion is an invaluable third partner to the dynamic duo of speech and pickpocketing. For a calmed enemy cannot report crimes and can do not but blissfully watch as that pretty argonian makes off with all their valuables.</p>
<p><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905107?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="50" /></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>Gameplay</strong></em></p>
<p dir="ltr">As soon as you leave Helgen, head to Riverwood and Whiterun pickpocketing along the way. Sell everything you steal to raise speech to level 30 for the bribe perk, Speech and pickpocket can be leveled in tandem by bribing guards and pickpocketing the money back from them. At level 50 speech you can grab the persuade perk which will make pickpocketing even easier to get away with. Once you’ve gained a few thousand septims, head to Radiant Raiments in Solitude. It’s the easiest place to find an Amulet of Dibella early on (before you grab the Amulet of Articulation, course) and to find a nice enchanted Circlet too!</p>
<p dir="ltr">We highly recommend joining the Thieves Guild as soon as you can. It is a phenomenal source of money, and a great opportunity to level up all of your thief skills, especially sneak and pickpocket. Archery will level up naturally as you progress. The best way to get a head start on it is to complete the love letter quest in Faendel’s favor and take him on as a follower. You will be able to trade back any money you give Faendel towards archery training. Illusion will also be a fast leveling skill, considering you will start off most of your bouts with some illusion spells.</p>
<p dir="ltr">If you’re the highly impatient type, you can take advantage of the Mystic Tuning Glove exploit to max out illusion in mere minutes. All you have to do is accept the quest to cleanse the magick focal points from Drevis Neloran of the College of Winterhold. The second focal point bestows a unique buff that boosts magicka regeneration through the roof. Take advantage of this by spamming muffle in both hands. You’ll never run out of magicka to cast it. Be advised that this buff only lasts two real time hours.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905157?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905157?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>What a lovely night for larceny.</em></p>
<p><em><strong>So, what’s a girl to do with all this money?</strong></em></p>
<p dir="ltr">One of the more vexing concerns that come about with a speech and pickpocket heavy builds is what to do with all those ill-gotten septims. Well, money is meant to be spent as the saying goes. Scrolls, staves, potions, poisons, you name it. Anything goes when money's no object. Store bought goodies open up a wide range of powerful options and offer a level of variety you couldn’t even scratch the surface of.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The best part of all this is unloading all of these powerful toys in battle with no training at all. Merchants sell goodies that often rival what a master craftsman could make. Here’s a few shopping suggestions for you. These are what we used, but don’t be afraid to buy and try what you want. The sky’s the limit here.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Staves</strong> - Your top choices here are going to be the staff of chain lightning, ice storm, and staffs of storm atronach. Pretty much anything that can slow down or pre-occupy a group of aggressors in a pinch. Staff of chain lightning staggers enemies and the staff of ice storm has a chance of slowing enemies to a crawl.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Scrolls</strong> - Lots of potent options here! Scrolls of Mass Paralysis will incapacitate an entire room while you run off with everything not bolted to the floor. Scrolls of Guardian Circle will help tremendously should your adventures in larceny and seduction happen lead you to any of the deadly Nordic crypts that dot Skyrim’s landscape.</p>
<p> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Potions & Poisons</strong> - The best potions to buy are ones that boost your  bow  damage, as well as the potency of your illusion spells. Be on the lookout for fortify illusion, and marksman potions. Invisibility potions invaluable when you need a quick get-away. Other useful concoctions to consider  include fortify speech, magicka and stamina. And As far as poisons go, you can't go wrong with paralysis.</p>
<p dir="ltr">-</p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>Tricks of the Trade</strong></em></p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905272?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905175?profile=original" width="100" /></a>Lusty yet Deadly</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Requires: Agent of dibella + Lover’s Insight + Allure perk</p>
<p><em>Why are the pretty ones always so dangerous? The men in your life just can't seem to stay focused around you and take 20% extra damage from all of your bow attacks. You’ll also find male shopkeepers to be 20% more generous with their prices.</em></p>
<p><em>-</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905289?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905187?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="100" /></a></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Dead in Their Tracks</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Requires:  Bow w/ Paralysis Enchantment + Bulls Eye Perk + Powershot + Quickshot</p>
<p><em>Most thieves prefer not to kill if it can be helped. It’s bad for business after-all. When faced with a pursuing aggressor our lovely maiden can stop them dead in their tracks with one well placed shot. Each attack has a very high chance of stunning or outright paralyzing an enemy for several seconds.</em></p>
<p><em>-</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905204?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905204?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="100" /></a>Escape Artist</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Requires: Histskin +  Shadow Warrior + Invisibility Potion</p>
<p><em>Even the best thieves need a proper exit strategy, and when the best of plans go awry our lusty friend prefers flight over fight. Escape any dicey situation in a snap and rapidly replenish any lost health.</em></p>
<p><em>-</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905219?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="100" /></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Strip Tease</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Requires: Pacify/Calm + Misdirection + Perfect Touch + Extra Pockets, Dual-casting (optional), Illusion Potion (optional)</p>
<p><em>Help your enemies slip into something a little more...comfortable,  if you know what we mean. Your dexterous yet sensual touch can strip the armor and weapons right off a man’s back before he even notices, and your sultry charm will leave him unwilling to stop you even if you’re caught.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905107?profile=RESIZE_180x180" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905107?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="50" /></a></p>
<p>  </p>
<ul>
<li>Thieves generally dont enjoy leaving a messy trail of dead bodies, and Lifts-Her-Tail is no different. These tricks of the trade are designed to render enemies harmless or enable a fast getaway if all else fails. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>'<strong>Lusty yet Deadly</strong>' takes advantage of the fact that the majority of enemy NPCs encountered are men. Multiple passive abilities are combined to make male enemies more susceptible to physical damage. And as an added bonus male shop keepers are even easier to butter up. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>'<strong>Dead in Their Tracks</strong>' is a passive combo that makes it much easier to escape pursuers since each shot will have a very high chance of staggering or paralyzing an enemy for several seconds. By the time the enemy has recovered from paralysis, Lifts-Her-Tail will be long gone.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>'<strong>Escape Artist</strong>' is best used in dire emergencies where a fast getaway and some healing is required. While you're invisible you will have ample time to assess your current predicament. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Sometimes the best strategy is to render enemies harmless from the start. <strong>'Striptease'</strong> is a devious combination that lets you strip and enemy of all their equipped weapons and armor and get off scott free even if your pickpocketing fails. Casting calm on an enemy before pickpocketing them renders them unable to retaliate even if they catch you pickpocketing. This is a pretty useful combination should you find yourself having to sneak past multiple enemies or want to keep a particularly strong enemy from being a threat. Dual casting and illusion potions will give your calm spells a much needed boost against higher level enemies.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>You're by no means limited to just the tactics and combinations above. Shop often for powerful staves, scrolls, and concoctions and you will be well prepared to handle any situation. </li>
</ul>
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905255?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905255?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></p>
<p><em><strong>Role-play & Quests</strong></em></p>
<p>With her sultry charms acting as a cover for larceny, one of the easiest agreements we came to was joining the Thieves Guild. The many guards and mercenaries guarding the prize behind every major heist prove, in many cases, to be an overwhelming challenge to those lacking the wit and guile to evade them. Luckily those happen to be this character's specialty, and the quest-line leaves no shortage of opportunities to apply said specialties. </p>
<p>While you're out there pilfering everything of value, resist the urge present in most pickpocketing builds to reset your game when pickpocketing fails. Just roll with it, and sweet talk the authorities into letting it slide. Apply your calming charm to your mark prior to picking their pockets and they wont even bother alerting the guards if you're caught red handed. </p>
<p>Despite the Thieves Guilds rather lax attitude toward killing everyone that stands between you and the prize, do try your best not to. Its a greater test of ones skill as a player to complete a heist with as few deaths as possible, and it fits better with the character as well. </p>
<p>And lastly. Try befriending NPCs by performing quests on their behalf. Many of them will welcome you into their home as a result, and make them much easier to rob blind. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em><strong>Recommended Mods</strong></em></p>
<p>This build was tested on Vanilla Skyrim, but if you're lucky enough to have access to the game on PC consider using these mods to enhance your gameplay experience. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/29624/?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Racemenu</a> - The difficult challenge for some may be creating an attractive female argonian. Racemenu opens up countless additional customizatio options  </p>
<p><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/61361/?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sadistic Mage Mash-up Outfit</a> - Adds a beautifully rendered light armor set that almost resembles the Lusty Argonian Maids trademark french maid outfit, but with a fitting roguish upgrade. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/63874/?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Immersive Speechcraft</a> - A simple mod that add some much needed value to the Speech skill and give the player the ability to interact with NPCs in interesting ways. With a high enough speech level, one can convince an NPC to do all sorts of things. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/73236/?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Simply Knock</a> - A simple mod that allows you to knock on doors and potentially be invited into homes, if your speech levels are high enough.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/15703/?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pretty Combat Animations</a>- A fully customizable pack of animation geared towards making combat animations less clunky and more graceful. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em><strong>Closing Remarks & Credits</strong></em></p>
<p>As always we hope you enjoy this build as much as we enjoyed making it. I'd like to thank Tae-Rai who has been an invaluable partner throughout the collaborative process. </p>
<p> </p>
</div>Character Build: The Hex Bladehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/character-build-the-hex-blade2017-05-21T09:23:25.000Z2017-05-21T09:23:25.000ZCursehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/members/Hantz<div><p dir="ltr">Mods. I’ve been ranting for ages about the infinite possibilities that they offer to Skyrim character builders. What excites me most about modded builds is the chance to explore classes and archetypes that simply can’t be replicated with anything available in the vanilla game. So today I present to you an archetype I’ve been dying to work with for ages. So boot up your PCs and get ready to play my latest build....</p>
<p> <img class="align-center" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/npdymITZMdCqPJurOWMfnX6je_gvpSTwIihk6Gr-zk7f35zZjcpm1wsbAk2PtHwMELqLwRf2FsuFwijvv4p51FZqgWf8QlwtfQ-ZIDWfwaoEzqHv4ZWcw0O613jt_UqQ1aX9jaRq" alt="cooltext208268019783038.png" width="509" height="93" /></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905411?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904849?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="904849?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center;"><em>Combining the might of the blade and the power of the arcane, a Hex Blade is a vicious force to be reckoned with. While certainly capable of fighting toe to toe, Hex Blades rely instead on their knowledge of long forgotten dark magicks to afflict their enemies with terrible curses, rendering their enemies weak, helpless, and inept</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>In many ways, the Hexblade is the antithesis of the Paladin. Whereas Paladins seek to aid and defend in service to benevolent gods, Hex Blades invoke chaos and ruin much to the amusement of malevolent daedric lords, to whom they have sacrificed much in exchange for the immense power they wield.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/0Hf-BwHrdbklQvIZIDlR7_JF_DdJAfmOzG7iknxW6m4FCTcUg5y9RElcqGDThIIsJu4XhpyX6sbZvZ4T2d-jrESY1sBDoBqkFHZFSaX_6CTIAoiGLIugXkmG49ubFFVv4GCheUjX" alt="the build .png" width="326" height="33" /></p>
<p dir="ltr">A Hex Blade is essentially a spell sword, and like most spell swords they’re skilled fighters as well as adept spell casters. But whereas spell swords use magic to augment their own capabilities, Hex blades instead use a variety of evil spells to cripple the capabilities of their enemies. The mechanics and concept of cursing enemies plays a heavy role in this build. In most fantasy settings where they can be found, hex blades afflict their enemies with terrible curses that leave them fighting at a mere fraction of their former strength..</p>
<p>In Skyrim this translates to afflicting enemies with a wide array of status ailments, via magic, that force enemies to fight with some pretty severe handicaps. Everything from slowed movement, staggering, weakness to magic, crippled defenses, confusion, fear, and far worse are thrown at your enemies. Anything that manages to survive such a malicious onslaught are fairly easy to cut down.</p>
<p><br /><strong>Race:</strong> <strong>Breton.</strong> The Bretons make capable hex blades given their impressive magic defenses. This gives them a handy advantage against enemy mages that warrior classes tend to lack.</p>
<p><strong>Stone:</strong> <strong>Atronach</strong>. The Atronach stone is valuable for the +50 magicka as well as the 50% chance to negate all spell damage and absorb it. The spell *Discord has a perk that causes magicka to be replenished upon successfully hitting an enemy, so the -50% magicka regen becomes a non issue. </p>
<p><strong>Stats: 1 Magicka, 1 Health, 0 Stamina</strong>. Stamina won’t be necessary for this build since our weapon of choice will ensure we always have stamina available. You'll also find that enemies can be weakened to the point where even a light slash will cause heavy damage. Instead, we’re going to evenly distribute points evenly between magicka and health.</p>
<p><strong>Major Skills:</strong> One Handed, Enchanting, Illusion, Block</p>
<p><strong>Minor Skills:</strong> Destruction, Sneak</p>
<p><strong>Shouts:</strong> Drain Vitality (glitched version) </p>
<p><strong>Spells:</strong> *Cursed Rune, *Discord, *Phantom Shroud, *Blight Curse</p>
<p><strong>Powers:</strong> Secret of Protection, Dragonskin</p>
<p><strong>Armor</strong> - Whatever you want. Go nuts. Since this is a modded build the choices as far as armor are virtually limitless. So I’m not going to list what armor to get. Instead I leave it up to you. Pick whatever you find aesthetically pleasing.</p>
<ul><li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Gauntlets/Boots - Fortify Stamina</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Ring - Fortify One-handed</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Amulet of Talos</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Helmet - Fortify Magicka</p>
</li>
</ul><p><strong>Weapon</strong> - Nightingale Blade</p>
<p>I am honestly quite surprised how rarely I see this weapon used in builds given how much potential it has. The Nightingale Blade bears a unique enchantment that drains 25 health and stamina from anything it strikes. One drawback with this weapon, however, is how quickly it can run out of soul charge. Be sure to pack plenty of soul gems. If the Nightingale Blade doesnt suit your looks, there are plenty of mods out there that allow you to disenchant unique weapons and armor.</p>
<p>So why use this weapon? Simple. Arguably the most dangerous status ailment the Hex Blade can inflict upon enemies is a severe weakness to magick damage. So what is already an impressive amout of magick damage in the form of health absorbtion gets taken to insane levels. Expect to deal upwards to 45+ damage of health absorb damage on top of the blade's physical damage. In the hands of a Hex Blade the Nightingale Blade is a truly terrifying weapon. </p>
<p><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/SoPzvKwxRxABqmZ2z3hfeNpvtPpFzAHk26eLXpV1SRW9_iKzx0Bn60f-lbKd47v2Uzw1x-c7-3XlAzHVLFqc3nwiKv3-hh31aU-AvA6wtDiJUm2F5-jcZjiwoWAqEHsU-KboYIGO" alt="forgotten magic.png" width="345" height="35" /></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/35339/?" target="_blank">Forgotten Magic Redone</a> is a spell pack mod by 3JIou and sward66 which adds 39 new spells to your game, each with 10 possible improvements to the spell, making 390 improvements in total. Spells gain experience as you use them, which allows you to unlock a new effect each time they level up. Up to 5 of these effects can be unlocked per spell. These improvements, as well as the spells themselves can be combined for potentially greater effects.</p>
<p>The 39 base spells are broken down into 10 categories. For the purposes of this build we’ll be focusing on 3 spells from the Mystic category, one from the Warlock category, as well as 1 spell from the Pyromancer category.. What follows is a brief description of the base spells in addition to a list of effects you must select for each spell as they level.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p><strong>Cursed Rune:</strong> An apprentice Illusion spell found in the Mystic category. It places a rune which will deal a minor amount of direct magic damage, and afflict affected enemies with a variety of curses.</p>
<ul><li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Curse of Pain: take 10pt extra damage on any hit for 30 sec.</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Curse of Weakness: reduced attack damage for 30 sec.</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Mirror Curse: small chance to trigger doppelganger spell on affected enemy</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Curse of Susceptibility: weakness to magic for 30 sec.</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Tanglefoot Curse: chance to slow movement by 50% for 30 sec.</p>
</li>
</ul><p>-</p>
<p><strong>Discord:</strong> An adept level illusion spell whose base effect is exactly like frenzy. But much like cursed rune, a variety of debilitating effects can be added.</p>
<ul><li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Clumsiness: chance for each target to stumble over</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Rage Eater: restores magicka to the caster if spell connects</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Susceptibility: reduces magic resistance for all targets.</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Phantom Pain: deals arcane pain damage to all targets.</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Recklessness: reduces armor effectiveness for all targets.</p>
</li>
</ul><p>-</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Phantom Shroud:</strong> An adept illusion spell that shrouds the caster in an ethereal shroud. At its core, the shroud makes stealth more effective and grants the caster a small chance to evade physical attacks.</p>
<ul><li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Vengeful Aura: chance of affecting attacker with fear when hit with magic</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Wraithform: increase duration of Phantom Shroud.</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Phantasmagoria: increase duration of Illusion spells by 50%.</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Dread Aura: chance of affecting attacker with fear when hit with physical attacks</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Elusiveness: improved chance of evading an attack.</p>
</li>
</ul><p>-</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Blight Curse:</strong> An apprentice destruction spell that curses an enemy causing 7 points of disease damage per second. </p>
<ul><li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Bond of Corruption: if the target dies under the effect of Blight Curse, spreads the curse to all nearby enemies. </p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Soul Reaper: if the target dies under the effect of Blight Curse, increases caster's spell damage by 10% for 10 min. Stacks up to 3 times.</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Siphon Vitality: siphons 4-8 health from the target to the caster on each tick.</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr"> Lingering Pain: increases duration by 50%, casting cost by 25%.</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">Mark of Death: May cause target to periodically stagger. </li>
</ul><p>-</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Doppelganger:</strong> An illusion spell, found in the Pyromancer category, that summons a fiery shade in the shape of the affected enemy. This spell has a small chance of being casted automatically against enemies hit by cursed rune.</p>
<ul><li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Cauterize: restores health equal to 2% of target's total each second for 10 sec. If the effect ends with caster below 50% health, restores an additional 10% health.</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Devouring Flames: recover 5-10 magicka per sec. as long as the target attacks the doppelganger.</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Phantom Pain: target takes 5-10 damage per sec. as long as it is not attacking the caster.</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Immolate: decreases target melee damage 30% for duration.</p>
</li>
</ul><p> </p>
<p>If this is all flying over your head dont worry. Take a look at this quick video recap on Forgotten Magic Redone. </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-92SXTGtnYA" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904942?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904942?profile=RESIZE_480x480" alt="904942?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="385" /></a></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/W1tMCX_7fAsXotCo4ezdFGtN7Lr7ibnfoTxhW8jmLl8acg1m29b3Nbc_xfbSxzIxO1qLxanMQysE3a9L2xi4-YNiKtHhOigjh9ZnmIroBmjsvl5QSxn8YUG_BBMHWr0krHJJJcui" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905049?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="905049?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></p>
<p dir="ltr">You will want to join the College of Winterhold as soon as you can. Although spells included within Forgotten Magic can be found anywhere, it’s much quicker to buy them from the college. Forgotten Magic spells use an experience point system that rewards experience towards mastering spells as you use them. If you’re the impatient type, the exp rate can be modified in the MCM menu. You’ll be almost entirely dependent on your sword until you invest some levels into those Forgotten Magic spells. </p>
<p>All of the spells utilized for this build fall under the Illusion category, so expect to master Illusion very quickly. Overall skill progression should come quite quickly as you’ll be using your major skills quite frequently. You may ask yourself, however, why include sneak perks in a warrior/mage build like this. The reason goes once again back to luck. The ability to wade through deadly traps without triggering anything is as much as useful perk as it is a great roleplay mechanic.</p>
<p>As you get further along you should join the thieves guild quest line to gain the best version of the Nightingale Blade. Prior to that you should enchant a blade with an absorb health enchantment. The glitched version of Drain vitality can be gained simply by learning Marked for Death, provided you have the Dawnguard DLC.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905068?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905068?profile=RESIZE_480x480" alt="905068?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="385" /></a></p>
<p><br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CYyqXAdgoxcZ_nVPZXT3Wlfng-GjrzUuOT9aNPKYTWkg9MsSKon2ZHX8v01U_QpRwfwoFozU9VlQgjiLxOWszhbLI5JGjXG2xRnOnPmjM4wG3cfHmFRc8aI4tgRLg3_ZVXg3kx1d" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CYyqXAdgoxcZ_nVPZXT3Wlfng-GjrzUuOT9aNPKYTWkg9MsSKon2ZHX8v01U_QpRwfwoFozU9VlQgjiLxOWszhbLI5JGjXG2xRnOnPmjM4wG3cfHmFRc8aI4tgRLg3_ZVXg3kx1d?width=127" alt="CYyqXAdgoxcZ_nVPZXT3Wlfng-GjrzUuOT9aNPKYTWkg9MsSKon2ZHX8v01U_QpRwfwoFozU9VlQgjiLxOWszhbLI5JGjXG2xRnOnPmjM4wG3cfHmFRc8aI4tgRLg3_ZVXg3kx1d?width=127" width="127" /></a><strong>Touch of Malice</strong> - <em>Weave a malicious hex that deals magic damage and curses enemies with a multitude of horrific ailments. Possible ailments include: slow, reduced attack, reduced armor, reduced magic defense, rag dolling, frenzy, and more. </em></p>
<p>Requires: Cursed Rune, Discord</p>
<p>This combination lets you quickly inflict enemies with a wide array of debilitating status ailments. Each ailment from cursed rune and discord have a certain percentage chance of occurring, and a few are voided entirely if the enemy is resistant to that particular effect. Every successful hit with disord will replenish a large chunk of magicka which is useful since this combination costs a considerable chunk of magicka. So as long as you're hitting something you'll always have enough magicka to keep the havoc coming. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}14308437,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}14308437,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="14308437?profile=original" width="134" /></a><strong>Entropic Curse - </strong><em>Creates a sinister parasitic bond between the caster's life force and that of their victim. With each passing moment the enemy slowly loses health and may stumble over in pain, all the while the caster gradually heals. Should the enemy be slain while under the effects of this hex it will jump to a new target and sharply increase the caster's spell damage. </em></p>
<p>Requires: Touch of Malice, Blight Curse</p>
<p>A nasty follow up to Touch of Malice. Thanks to their new found weakness to magick any enemy hit with this will be drained of 10-15 health per second while periodically stumbling over as if staggered. Killing the affected enemy causes the curse to leap to all surrounding enemies and also amplify your spell damage by 10% each time, up to 3 times. </p>
<p><br /><br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/hJu9UU6jKXZMApjeRGU8RHEFWYw5iUbNVBD3DsEIU5GOUTY8RshthpV1bVayyzp0vvbXBo8zQfIspickpjEtsVNBIWgCPOssyQ0erabmP9l97vpS9vMkQqJqlzXkqzZmD9BqIW8-" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/hJu9UU6jKXZMApjeRGU8RHEFWYw5iUbNVBD3DsEIU5GOUTY8RshthpV1bVayyzp0vvbXBo8zQfIspickpjEtsVNBIWgCPOssyQ0erabmP9l97vpS9vMkQqJqlzXkqzZmD9BqIW8-?width=127" alt="hJu9UU6jKXZMApjeRGU8RHEFWYw5iUbNVBD3DsEIU5GOUTY8RshthpV1bVayyzp0vvbXBo8zQfIspickpjEtsVNBIWgCPOssyQ0erabmP9l97vpS9vMkQqJqlzXkqzZmD9BqIW8-?width=127" width="127" /></a><strong>Misdirection Hex</strong>- <em>A sinister hex that seeks to confuse its victims with illusory shades. Should the enemy fail to see through this ruse and attack the shades rather than the caster, they are severely weakened while the caster gains a significant regen bonus. </em></p>
<p><em> </em>Requires - Cursed Rune, Doppelganger</p>
<p>If you’re lucky, using cursed rune will auto trigger the doppelganger spell against the affected enemy. The doppelganger comes with all the perks you selected from the doppelganger spell itself. So long as the doppelganger is being targeted instead of you, you enjoy a sharp increase in health and magicka regen.</p>
<p><br /><br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FhuHuNCo7xmAKaFqHdB5HGLK1Niq0jJ2vskhkTyMuMoSVk3wsYBFyA4tCbbyQoDY612cec-7j_aKouyHlNSo8KCuiAr_BMkVdykkkX28bhv5gUMYtFvd26coh0_34NVIE27loMr2" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FhuHuNCo7xmAKaFqHdB5HGLK1Niq0jJ2vskhkTyMuMoSVk3wsYBFyA4tCbbyQoDY612cec-7j_aKouyHlNSo8KCuiAr_BMkVdykkkX28bhv5gUMYtFvd26coh0_34NVIE27loMr2?width=127" alt="FhuHuNCo7xmAKaFqHdB5HGLK1Niq0jJ2vskhkTyMuMoSVk3wsYBFyA4tCbbyQoDY612cec-7j_aKouyHlNSo8KCuiAr_BMkVdykkkX28bhv5gUMYtFvd26coh0_34NVIE27loMr2?width=127" width="127" /></a><strong>Bane of Life</strong>- <em>A hex blades weapon is an unholy, unnatural thing that steals life from its victims, leaving wounds that never heal. Each strike from your blade steals health and stamina over time from your enemies that cannot be regenerated. Enemies cursed by Touch of Malice lose significantly more health and stamina per strike. </em></p>
<p>Requires: Malice, Drain Vitality, Nightingale Blade</p>
<p>Touch of Malice will make your enemies weaker to magick effects, which in turn will make health and stamina draining effects of the Nightingale Blade much deadlier. To top it off, the Drain Vitality shout will keep the enemies health and stamina from regenerating, which will quickly deprive warriors of the ability to execute power attacks or run.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> <br /><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}14308482,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}14308482,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="14308482?profile=original" width="134" /></a><strong>Aura of Despair</strong>- S<em>hroud yourself in a malevolent aura that devours magick and repels physical blows. As your enemies begin to realize the futility in their attacks they may become stricken with fear and run away. Enemies slowed by Malice will be too slow to flee.</em></p>
<p>Requires - Secret of Protection, Dragonskin, Atronach Stone, Phantom Shroud</p>
<p>It is easy enough for a hex blade to weaken the impact of physical attacks, but there's nothing in their arsenal to weaken the damage of magick users. It's best to save this for battles against powerful magic users. The combination of the atronach stone and Dragonskin racial power will negate all magic damage, and Secret of Protection will halve all physical attacks. Any enemy that takes the bait and attacks you with anything may find themselves stricken with fear. </p>
<p>-<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905162?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905162?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="905162?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Touch of Malice </strong>should be used right away in every battle to weaken enemies, making their attacks less threatening and thier defenses easier to penetrate. Every other combination builds off of the devastation left by Touch of Malice so use often. The Hex Blade wont last very long against most enemies fighting at their full strength, but against weakened foes the Hex Blade becomes an offensive powerhouse, so its imperative to keep enemies weakened to maintain your advantage. Keep in mind the spells within Touch of Malice<strong> </strong>are still just illusion spells, and as such their efficacy is based on the targets level. Regardless of the enemy's level Touch of Malice is guaranteed to successfully reduce physical and magic defenses.</p>
<p><strong>Entropic Curse</strong> should follow up Touch of Malice when fighting groups of 3 or more enemies. Killing the enemy affected by Entropic Curse will cause the effect to leap to new targets. The random staggering enemies will suffer should help out tremendously against large groups, and your amplified spell damage only serves to further widen the gulf between your spell damage and the enemy's crippled magick defenses. </p>
<p><strong>Bane of Life </strong>is where the Blade part of a Hex Blade comes into play. Because enemies are now weak to magick, an absurd amount of health and stamina will be stolen with every attack. Touch of Malice has a chance of slowing enemies down, and Bane of Life ensures they cannot regenerate stamina, meaning some enemies will find themselves slowed down to a pitiful crawl.</p>
<p>Save <strong>Aura of Despair</strong> for fights against powerful magic users. You only get one chance a day to use it. Despite a large arsenal of status conditions you can inflict upon enemies, nothing else you do will reduce damage dished out by enemy mages. Aura od Despair will temporarily nullify enemy spells and possibly afflict them with fear.</p>
<p>If you’re going to bring along followers always take mages or archers. Melee followers will only end up getting caught within your abilities. Even marginally effective mages such as Serana benefit tremendously from your ability to weaken magick defense. If you decide instead to take an archer along, I recommend enchanting their bow with any magick effect that deals direct damage. Your abilities and their attacks will mean huge bonus damage for them. </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/99Vu0OOBnUc" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905179?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905179?profile=RESIZE_480x480" alt="905179?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="379" /></a>Hex Blades bear an unsavory reputation among scholars of magick, given their knowledge of the dark arts and propensity to use said knowledge for personal gain. While rarely entirely evil, they are by no means entirely committed to acts of good for its own sake. Hex blades typically care little for what is evil and what is just, fighting solely for whatever cause aligns best with their personal interests. Like spellswords a hex blade's moral alignment and purpose is as flexible as their skillset. </p>
<p>That being said, I envisioned and role-played my hex blade as a light hearted adventurer with a penchant for mischief making and treasure hunting. I ventured through Skyrim seeking powerful magick artifacts, unconcerned with the potential danger. With that anything from the Thieves Guild to random dungeon crawls could be justified. Luckily, there's no shortage of magick relics to hunt down in Skyrim. With this objective in mind it was easy to justify taking on just about all types of quests and adventuring alongside all sorts of characters. </p>
<p>Like all practitioners of the arcane, I joined the College of Winterhold. As luck would have it there is a superb mod called Immersive College of Winterhold that does wonders to make your time in the college a far more immersive experience. And of course all the mysteries surrounding the Eye of Magnus among other strange phenomena are too intriguing for any mage type to pass up. </p>
<p>Along my playthrough journey I also found myself joining the Thieves Guild. You might ask how does this work from a roleplay perspective, which is a fair question. It would not be unusual for a hex blade to seek out powerful weapons tied to the Daedric Princes, and the Nightingale Blade is one such weapon. </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905196?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905196?profile=RESIZE_480x480" alt="905196?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="357" /></a></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/33914/?" target="_blank">YY Animation Replacer - Mystic Knight</a> - An excellent animation pack geared towards mages and spell swords. Completely does away with the awkward cave man like stance of the vanilla game.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/36849/?" target="_blank">Immersive College of Winterhold</a> - The ICoW mod completely revamps every aspect of the college from the ground up. Schedules are revamped, new rooms, exhibits and study areas have been added, and the senior professors have access to far more powerful spells - So they truly look and feel like masters of their chosen school of magic. All n' all, ICoW makes the College of Winterhold truly feel like an actual, serious college for magical study.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/56614/?" target="_blank">Enchanted Arsenal</a> - This mod gives you complete and total freedom to customize the appearance and visual effects of all weapon enchantments. So now you can complete your dark look by giving your weapon some very ominous looking effects.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/8157/?" target="_blank">EzEs - Artifact Disenchantment</a> - A simple mod that allows most unique enchantments, to include the nightingale blade's, to be disenchanted and applied to other items. </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905230?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905230?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="905230?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905248?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905248?profile=RESIZE_480x480" alt="905248?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" /></a></p>
<p>A huge shout out and thank you goes out to 3JIou and sward66 of the Skyrim Nexus community for creating the Forgotten Magic mod. </p>
<p>I hope you all enjoy this build. Please stay tuned for more builds</p>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/curse+never+dying" target="_blank"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/905267?profile=RESIZE_480x480" alt="905267?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" /></a></p></div>Character Build: The Healerhttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/character-build-the-healer2017-04-28T03:00:01.000Z2017-04-28T03:00:01.000ZCursehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/members/Hantz<div><p style="text-align:left;">This build is a collaboration between Curse Never Dying. Shin Jin, and Lozhar</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: ~<br /> <em>Just as the roots of the Hist are all interconnected, so also are all living things—the suffering of one sends out ripples that affect many. Perhaps this is why I have always felt compelled to share my gift. I didn’t choose to be a healer; it’s just who I am. So I was hardly surprised as I sat among my hatch-mates on our day of naming when the tribal elders gave me mine. You would never be able to pronounce it, but the Cyrodilic equivalent of my name is ‘Heals-Hurts.’ It makes sense… it’s what I do. But as I looked at the elders around me I detected faint traces of amused, ironic, and knowing smiles—never a good sign. First exposure to Hist sap is an overwhelming experience and leaves events… hazy. Because you remember so little, the elders relish the opportunity to share embarrassing anecdotes that occurred while under the sap’s sway. These stories are shared frequently in large gatherings and tend to follow you the rest of your life (and possibly into the next one). I groaned inwardly… what in the name of the Hist had I done?</em></p>
<div align="center">~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: ~</div>
<div align="center"><br /> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830850627?profile=original" target="_blank"><img class="bbcode-attachment" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830850627?profile=RESIZE_480x480" alt="" width="393" border="0" /></a></div>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651931?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651931?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="7651931?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></p>
<div class="size_fullsize" style="text-align:center;"> </div>
<p><br /> Typically you don’t think of a kick-butt-and-take-names character when you think of healers. Perhaps it is because healers… well, heal. UESP’s description perpetuates this further: When threatened, (healers) defend themselves with reason and disabling attacks and magic, relying on deadly force only in extremity.</p>
<div class="size_fullsize"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7652220?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651964?profile=original" alt="7651964?profile=original" width="296" /></a></div>
<p dir="ltr">But the elements are there: in addition to their knowledge of Restoration, healers are well versed in the arts of Alchemy, Illusion, Alteration, and One-handed—a combination with some major potential for bringing the pain. Now consider that UESP also says this of the Morrowind healer class:</p>
<p dir="ltr">They have also learned that preventing harm to others often requires a more active opposition to monsters and malefactors, so they have studied both the unarmed, unarmored martial arts of the Khajiit and the light armored and blunt weapon styles of the Imperial West, both for self-defense and for disabling or killing dangerous opponents.</p>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;">The upswing, ladies and gentlemen, is that healers <strong>BRING IT!</strong></p>
<div class="size_fullsize"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8563390886,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="618" alt="8563390886?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></div>
<div align="center">~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: ~</div>
<p>…It wasn’t until the night before my departure from Argonia that Jeetum-Ja, one of the tribal elders, finally shared my story:<br /> <br /> “As the effects of the Hist sap set in, one of your hatch mates got up and started flinging elbows into the faces of the others. He would drop them, and you would heal them… both of you moving in a circle. But as his frenzy increased you started to fall behind. Finally, after reviving a hatch mate with a particularly nasty cut over the eye, Iron-In-His-Elbows made his way back around the circle and dropped her to the ground again. Evidently you reached your limit. You picked up a stick about as round as my upper arm and relieved him of the burden of consciousness—then you healed him.<br /> <br /> Hence your name: you have always healed hurts and afflictions, but now the Hist has taught you how to inflict them as well… and blessed you with the wisdom to know when. Remember this in your travels: sometimes the best way to heal wounds is to eradicate the cause of them…”</p>
<div align="center">~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: ~</div>
<p><br /> <strong>Race</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Argonian—we’re usually all about choice when it comes to race in our builds, but for this one we wanted a healer straight out of Blackmarsh whose intimate connection with the Hist has directed him to where his gift is needed most… Skyrim.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Stone</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Mage—go ahead and grab it when you roll out of Helgen. It will help level Restoration, but…</li>
<li>Atronach—you’ll want this one as soon as you can get it. Offers serious protection against magical threats, gives you a quick-and-easy +50 to magicka, and has some serious synergism with Restoration once you master the school (more on this later)</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Stats</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>1 magicka/1 health/</strong><strong>0 stamina</strong> —your typical entrance to conflict will entail flesh spells, Illusion to manage threats, and Restoration to minimize damage for you and your follower… you’ll need that magicka. The health will help you get in there and tank when you have a hankering to mix it up</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Major Skills</strong><br /> <br /> <strong>Restoration</strong><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8563385253,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8563385253,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8563385253?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><br /> Any healer’s main focus. The Respite perk combined with Close Wounds let’s you pile on power attacks (should you feel so inclined), and Bane of the Undead is just plain awesome when you’re delving draugr dungeons. The real fun, however, lies in the power of the Atronach Stone and Guardian Circle spell (GC)… anytime you are within the circle the Atronach Stone starts absorbing magicka. Imagine this scenario:<br /> <br /> You enter a cave and immediately notice two Falmer Nightprowlers, a Shadowmaster, and two or three charus reapers—there’s gonna be some melee going on for sure. Dragonhide would be helpful here, but that leaves you very little left for Frenzy, Calm, and Heal Other. Cast GC and watch your magicka fill up. Next, cast Dragonhide and watch your magicka fill up yet again. Now you’re ready… protected and with a full tank of magicka. Concerned about your ward spells draining you dry? You aren't when you're in the circle! As a sidenote: this will work with Circle of Protection (CoP) as well, but CoP is a glitchy glitch and will eventually break on you... Guardian Circle doesn’t.<br /> <br /> <strong>Useful spells:</strong> Poison Rune, All Healing Spells, Turn Undead.<br /> <br /> <img class="bbcode-attachment align-center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/1lR_xbWJey-oFwv3I2R6eZV_rSrMfXtLmuV45kRcvlFn1Z90wMKcAtAfrcoPdX9EcwAiR_RiBjdWTdr_YpIXGFqFwVKUweXOnjNp8dCPpT89Ywl0dxRBch9rlKNcvPHd0A" alt="" border="0" /><br /> <em>Healing it and bringing it!</em><br /> <br /> <strong>One-handed</strong><br /> <br /> As difficult as it is to believe…Healers. Smash. Faces. While there isn’t technically a Blunt skill in Skyrim, the Bonebreaker perks serve that function nicely… we perked all three, but found that with Alchemy, Alteration and Restoration you really only need 3 of the 5 Armsman perks to keep you dangerous.<br /> <br /> <strong>Alchemy</strong><br /> <br /> Good healers know their way around an alchemy table… it makes you healthy, makes you fearsome, and makes you money. If you are one of those people who has been putting off Alchemy (like me two or three months ago) you really ought to get over that—Alchemy lets you do just about anything! Here are a few of the alchemical creations we found helpful:<br /> <br /> <strong>Heals:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Intensity: Fortify One-handed + Fortify Marksman (Elves Ear + Canis Root + Hanging Moss)
<ul>
<li>It probably comes as no surprise that Fortify One-handed fortifies your One-handed skills, but Fortify Marksman fortifies any melee damage… including One-handed. In essence, you get a potion that stacks Fortify One-handed twice—bad news for the malignant things of Skyrim</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Spirit Healing: Fortify Restoration (Salt Pile + Yellow Mountain Flower/Abcean Longfin )
<ul>
<li>Heal an entire health bar in seconds! Burn the undead with a double-powered blast of sun rays! Poison your enemies twice as much with the Poison Rune! Just plain awesome</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Ultimate Defense: Fortify Alteration (River Betty + Grass Pod)
<ul>
<li>There are situations when you just don't have time to keep refreshing Dragonhide, or when enemies need to be frozen for more than 10 seconds while you take care of their friends. When those times arrive, this is the potion for you!</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Hurts:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Final Stages: Ravage Stamina + Ravage Magicka + Damage Health (Jazbay Grapes + Scathecraw+ Spawn Ash)
<ul>
<li>A great all-purpose poison that hurts and weakens at every level... doesn't matter if you're up against a warrior, thief, or mage—it'll have at least two things in there that they're gonna hate</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>No Cure: Damage/Ravage Health + Weakness to Poison (Deathbell + Giant Lichen + Skeever Tail)
<ul>
<li>For difficult enemies, stack this on… problem solved!</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Minor Skills</strong><br /> <br /> <strong>Alteration</strong></p>
<div class="size_fullsize"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7652060?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7652060?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="7652060?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="600" /></a></div>
<p><br /> Flesh spells are handy, but not always necessary (unless you want to barrel in full tank-style). But Paralysis is glorious. Add a Lingering Damage Health poison or Marked for Death, and let time do the work for you while you take care of other business.<br /> <br /> Useful spells: Flesh Spells, Paralysis<br /> <br /> <strong>Illusion</strong><br /> <br /> This school is all about enemy management, and you really don’t need to go any further than Adept to do it. Too many red dots on your HUD? Some dual cast Frenzy spells will get them working for you, and Calm takes many high-level enemies right out of the action so you can deal with the riffraff.<br /> <br /> Useful spells: Boosts (Courage, Rally & etc), Fear, Fury and Calm.<br /> <br /> <br /> <strong>Speech</strong><br /> <br /> I was happy to see this as part of the character class… all those high-end potions and poisons, and you can only unload them on Alchemists and general goods mechants? That's just not right. Hello Merchant perk, goodbye potions and poisons, hello gold (and training).<br /> <br /> <br /> <strong>Followers</strong><br /> <br /> In the beginning you really want to focus on bringing your Restoration up because (a) it’s what healers are all about, and (b) it actually makes you pretty powerful once you hit Adept. But that makes you awfully squishy in the early game, so you’ll want someone to help out (and someone you can heal) as soon as possible.<br /> <br /> Good news! You can get a decent follower right out of Helgen and get 100 septims for doing it! Go to the Bannered Mare in Whiterun and strike up a conversation with Uthgerd. If you don't take any guff from her she'll eventually challenge you to a fistfight... your unarmed bonus as an Argonian insures an easy win, and she'll pony up the 100 gold and offer to follow you in your adventures. Not bad for a septim-less drifter out of Helgen!<br /> <br /> <strong>Whomever</strong><br /> <br /> Afterwards, feel free to pick up any follower you like. I grabbed Lydia a few levels later, and if you can get past the diva attitude she’s not so bad—we got separated outside one of the Forsworn redoubts; I walked in and no Lydia (turns out she entered an upper level), but I met her somewhere in between… we passed quite a few slaughtered forsworn on the way out (she must have been VERY busy <img class="inlineimg" title="Big Grin" src="https://www.nuka-scrolls.com/core/images/smilies/biggrin.png" alt="" border="0" />)<br /> <br /> <strong>Shouts</strong><br /> <br /> Drain Vitality, Marked for Death, Slow Time, Battle Fury, Become Ethereal<br /> <br /> <strong>Powers</strong><br /> <br /> Companion’s Insight</p>
<div align="center">
<div class="size_fullsize"> </div>
</div>
<p><strong>Gear</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8563386870,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8563386870,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8563386870?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><br /> <br /> For our late-game setup, we felt the Temple Priest robes and hood with Thalmor boots was a great look for a Grand Healer. An alternative for those too cheap to get the excellent DLC Bethesda has available (ShinJin, I'm looking at you) is the Archmage Robes. The quest to get the Gauldur Amulet is a perfect fit for a Healer, and the amulet itself is a decent reward: +30 to health, magicka, and stamina... booyah! We chose the Ring of Regeneration because (a) we found it, and (b) it fits the roleplay rather nicely, but just about any ring with a buff you like will do.<br /> <br /> For early and mid-level gear we suggest Tavern Clothes + Brown Boots + Gloves—a combo we call “The Humble Pilgrim,” but you can go with just about any combo you find aesthetically pleasing. ShinJin, for example, opted for Farmer Clothes + Thalmor Boots and Gauntlets… really, the goal here is a simple, but cool, look.<br /> <br /> <strong>Weapon</strong><br /> <br /> We worked our way up with maces as we found them until we got a hold of an ebony mace. Enchantments are not absolutely required but some useful ones include Stamina Absorb or Paralysis. A useful combo you might consider would be Staff of Paralysis paired with an Ebony Mace with just a single point of Absorb Stamina. You'll always have something in the tank for power attacks so long as your hits connect, and you'll have access to paralysis at no cost to your magicka pool. <br /> <br /> <strong>Combat</strong><br /> <br /> <strong>Spell-mace</strong></p>
<div class="size_fullsize"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7652109?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7652109?profile=original" alt="7652109?profile=original" width="618" /></a></div>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>Skilled with the mace and an ability to heal almost instantly, Healers aren’t afraid to let followers follow...</em></p>
<p><br /> Mace in one hand, Healing, Wards, Illusions and Flesh spells in the other. This the "aggressive support" style in which you jump out in front of your follower and smash some faces yourself (she’s not going to steal all the fun)! Remember to change your tactics against whatever you’re facing: when faced with many weak enemies, healing is a great way to keep the ass-kicking going, but against one stronger opponent you may want to debuff him with multiple poisons, spells and shouts (MfD, DV, Paralysis, Poison Rune and your wide array of Poisons) and then smash whatever is still alive when you’re done.<br /> <br /> <strong>Full Support</strong></p>
<div class="size_fullsize"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7652131?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7652131?profile=original" alt="7652131?profile=original" width="618" /></a></div>
<p><br /> ...but they are equally dangerous behind the scenes: manipulating enemies, supplying allies with a constant stream of health and morale… if you are one of the malignant folk of Tamriel, pray you never run across a Healer!<br /> <br /> Keep followers alive and strong, boost them before going into battle, use Fear in weaker enemies and let followers battle the stronger one. Enemies locked on to your follower will ignore you entirely, so you can continuously heal your follower without reprisal whenever she/he takes damage. It’s a good move against groups of strong enemies and against that Dwarven Centurion that you will surely find someday. Remember that using Fear spells can alert enemies in near rooms, if you don’t want to take that risk, Calm works equally well (and you don't have to chase anyone down).<br /> <br /> Although not listed, carrying a long bow may prove useful for hitting enemies with a poisoned arrow when the situation calls for it (like a Slow poison on fleeing bandit, or Ravage Magicka on a powerful spell-caster to start draining his magicka reserves from a distance). Again, not necessary, but a potential option for those lovers of archery with an itch to fling the occasional arrow... think of it as a long-range hypodermic needle.<br /> <br /> Special Tactics—Necromancers and Minions: Against powerful necromancers and their minions, make sure that the most powerful servant(s) die while affected by Paralysis, so when the necromancers try to reanimate them they will be raised permanently immobile and unable to attack you, providing the Necromancer with just a frozen minion who will be banished back to the depths of oblivion when his master dies.</p>
<div class="size_fullsize"><a href="https://www.nuka-scrolls.com/filedata/fetch?id=475&d=1473551617&type=full" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7652156?profile=original" alt="7652156?profile=original" width="618" /></a></div>
<p style="text-align:center;">Necromancers beware: your strongest minions aren’t going anywhere!</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><br /> Dragons—You can stop a Dragon’s fire and frost breath by Draining all of their Magicka, Drain Vitality and a poisoned strike of Ravage Magicka (be it with a bow or with your mace) will make sure that he drops to the ground soon (it’s like a free Dragonrend!) With Lesser Ward you can block the breath of any dragon, so take advantage of that! You can use it as a way to hold your ground while your debuffs take effect. Become Ethereal is also a great option when the magicka runs out.<br /> <br /> <strong>Perk Spread</strong></p>
<div align="center"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8563386261,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8563386261?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" />~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: ~</div>
<p><em>We ran across a bandit camp today... it ended quickly. As I looked around at the bodies of the innocent people they looted, a thought occurred to me: in just under three minutes we put an end to a lifetime of misery and suffering. I dislike killing—but that doesn't mean I won't...</em></p>
<div align="center">~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: ~</div>
<p><br /> <strong>Roleplay</strong><br /> <br /> As an Argonian born with a strong affinity to the Hist, a strong feeling of connectedness to all races, and the good will to spread healing to the world, the Healer has left Argonia, wandering the land as a humble pilgrim, helping those who deserve it and removing those who would destroy that work. Heals still feels a strong tie to the Hist, and can call upon his power when needed. He’s a kind soul and will always search for a non-violent way out, but he also knows that the end of one corrupt soul often ensures that dozens of pure ones will live.<br /> <br /> Heals is not concerned with the civil war, fearing that his involvement may worsen the suffering he seeks to alleviate. Thus, he feels it is not a conflict in which he should take part. Nor will he destroy the Dark Brotherhood, for he holds a respect to the Hist, and by extension, to Sithis. But he will not join them either, for he knows that’s not something that he was meant for. He will not join the Companions either. Money and glory aren’t what he’s searching for, and he feels something... unnatural... coming from them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Special Techniques</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong> </strong></p>
<p><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150319170726/https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/1fYcOVnWfegwxnyoaDAs2NnHTUYQT7m41kS0NKznn7gpUuMv6wapFMad9z4ihmInTb_SGuXs2UYCVjCndKwJm3nH9VkRCpz1PXYNhfc3c74GDcrovcQEfmI73DtWpCfFhQ" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7652167?profile=original" alt="7652167?profile=original" width="117" height="117" /></a></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Crippling Blow -</strong> The healer strikes a glancing blow against an opponent that sharply reduces stamina /magicka and temporarily prevents stamina/magicka from regenerating.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Requires</strong>: Final Stages Poison, Basic attack, Drain vitality</p>
<p dir="ltr">A quick and effective way to shut down a troublesome opponent and turn the tables in favor of your follower.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150319170726/https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/uj6YC0IwOpG0JWkFYzNyxECdj69K0FFL6zfXpyOwE148S8A8iODQSsnwovJF8oTKOXiFuniT3ghnXdmlKtZVa3OwSvjJ2Ssev8QbKYFfrybPexHKwH9HZDuUnWcM0oc-Pw" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7652177?profile=original" alt="7652177?profile=original" width="118" height="118" /></a></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Hero's Charge:</strong> The healer blesses an ally improving their health, attack power, attack speed. These effects stack making allies super powerful! Effected allies are also more courageous and will not run from the enemy.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Requires:</strong> Courage, Rally, Call to Arms, Battle Fury</p>
<p dir="ltr">Word of warning: because allies feel no fear, they don’t take a knee when they have nothing left in them… this hightened courage could lead to a follower’s death if you aren’t careful</p>
<p dir="ltr">-</p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150319170726/https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/oH9-N2TxtabGoLERaD-ujNClXFCpaKJ3mXsSVubna1qWHeK0a_WxcGbeibKL9i5SlVAbtwLfJv4aBYANgsRYfLjUIcuHJ3pahB-21995l_VZ7f3m4TFva5GHHCEKBnzO4A" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7652187?profile=original" alt="7652187?profile=original" width="121" /></a></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Rejuvenation</strong><strong>:</strong> The Healer converts the life energy of the hist into magickal energy, allowing him to replenish his magicka reserves.</p>
<p>Requires: Equilibrium and Hist Skin or Close Wounds</p>
<p dir="ltr">A fast and effective way to replenish magicka whenever needed. Don't over do it with this technique. Equilibrium will kill you if you get carried away. </p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr">-</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Tree of Life<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150319170726/https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/wiBWr8jzzowULtI1lLwFzSy7ZxwmGZJpIMmX-8chNBXItSR5BMUzQrtAkNtiDeu_06W0gB-8d7YMbIFR0oT735GMowKkPbpeNF2cp7SWkdbuhluzMB-r5TAO_DLOhzFJnA" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7652195?profile=original" alt="7652195?profile=original" width="121" /></a></strong><strong>:</strong> The healer becomes a living conduit of self sustaining healing energy, transferring the rejuvenating power of the hist to an ally.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Requires: </strong>Atronach stone, Become Ethereal, Guardian Circle (Spell or Scroll), Heal Other, Secret of Protection (optional)</p>
<p dir="ltr">A powerful option for full support. Tree of life allows you to do what a lot of healer builds have a hard time doing, which is keeping an ally effectively healed. The healing is amplified if the target is within the circle as well.</p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr">-</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150319170726/https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Ryp444bjE-rInztSl6MxmtHLcsdVei5l5bkNLskv5pIBDhz-84X6oFX3umyINx9UGARXecYtIwjcQrJYacZjFgfeglofKIknILORcd-oqfafyJ8Ihz0iU_OnfcTHamfA2w" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7652204?profile=original" alt="7652204?profile=original" width="121" /></a></strong><strong>Wither & Decay:</strong> The healer traps an enemy within a powerful binding spell that slowly tears and eats away at the body, gradually reducing both health and armor over time.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Requires:</strong> Marked for Death + Multiple Poison Runes + Paralysis </p>
<p dir="ltr">A powerful offensive tool that wrecks enemy defenses and stacks deadly poison damage over time debuffs. Consume a Spirit Healing potion before hand to deal even heavier damage over time. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: ~</em></p>
<p><em>There is a saying amongst the people of my tribe... "Home is where the Hist is." It is a message the elders tell the young people, a way of saying, "The world is wide, but an Argonian is at peace only in Argonia."</em><br /> <br /> <em>It's true that I miss my homeland and my people, but the Hist is in my heart. All places are home to me so long as I am true to the Hist... and the Hist would have me here.</em></p>
<div align="center">~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: ~</div>
<div align="center"> </div>
<div align="center"><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/curse+never+dying" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7651984,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="7651984?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a></div>
<div align="center"> </div>
<div align="center"> </div></div>Character Build: The Infiltratorhttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/character-build-the-infiltrator2017-04-25T00:43:45.000Z2017-04-25T00:43:45.000ZCursehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/members/Hantz<div><p>This build has given me the pleasure of doing two things - combining some of my favorite builds into one awesome package, and exploring rogue skills previously left untouched. Keep reading and you might even recognize some of the builds that inspired the tactics I use here. I proudly present my latest project...</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}34007094,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}34007094,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="561" /></a></p>
<div class="size_fullsize"><a href="https://www.nuka-scrolls.com/filedata/fetch?id=65&d=1472871743&type=full" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651889?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></div>
<div align="center"><em>Just imagine Batman minus the emotional baggage or the hesitation to kill you.</em></div>
<p><br />
<em>There's getting the job done, and then there's getting the job done right. And when you're dead serious about the latter, and coin is no object, you hire the best; You hire an infiltrator. These elite rogues bring a level of professionalism seldom seen in unruly underworld of cutthroats, thieves, and hired thugs. Far more precise than any fighter or mercenary, and more resourceful than just any assassin, the infiltrator is the go-to blade for hire when it absolutely has to be killed today, and failure is not an option....</em></p>
<p>Infiltrators are deadly tactical fighters and the embodiment of surgical precision, combining stealth and fighter tactics to form a fluid, versatile, and highly agile guerrilla fighter, capable of seamlessly shifting back and forth between the shadows and the fray.<br />
<br />
The infiltrator achieves so much in one awesome package. It perfectly captures the look and feel of a ninja, and I ask you, who doesn't like ninjas!? The wide range of tactics at your disposal make the infiltrator so much more fun to play than your typical sneaky assassin. The build also takes full advantage of alchemy, turning out deadly concoctions that only add to the lethality of already respectable physical damage potential. By stealth, sabotage or skirmish, the Infiltrator has many tools of elimination at his disposal.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Race: </strong><em>Bosmer</em> - Before you ask, no. The infiltrator is not just another sneak archer. In fact archery takes a distant backseat in this build in favor of far more enjoyable close quarters combat. I have chosen the wood elf due to their massive starting boost to alchemy as well as their starting boost in sneak. Their resistance to poison is very fitting for a character well versed in the use of poisons.<br />
<br />
<strong>Stone: </strong>The <strong>Warrior</strong> followed by <strong>Lady </strong><br />
<br />
Stone: You will take the warrior stone initially to raise block, and one-handed. Once you've mastered block, take the Lady stone. The 25% boost to stamina regeneration stacks with that of the 50% granted by Wind Walker for total stamina recovery speed of +75%. As an agile fighter who will be dodging, running, blocking, and parrying, this is quite valuable.</p>
<p><br />
<strong>Stat Distribution:</strong><strong> 0 Magicka 1 Heath 2</strong> <strong>Stamina</strong></p>
<p>The infiltrator is able to stand toe to toe with his enemies, but his agility is what allows him to survive these encounters. As such your stat distribution focuses on granting you a large pool of stamina for all of your agile maneuvers, and just enough health to survive a strike or two. But don't get carried away. You aren't built to take a beating. </p>
<p><strong>Gear:</strong> Nightingale Hood, Gauntlets, and Boots. GuildMasters Armor</p>
<p>While somewhat time consuming to obtain, the time is very well spent. Completing the thieves guild quest line in its entirety not only nets you a considerable some of money, but a bad ass armor combination. This combination comes with an assortment of enchantment effects such as carry weight and one handed damage that you will find quite helpful with this build. </p>
<p><strong>Weapons:</strong> Blades Sword, Imperial Bow</p>
<p>The blade's sword is very easy to obtain. Simply kill the man at Nightgate Inn who is in possession of one. The Imperial Bow can be obtained pretty much from the start of the game. As with all low tier bows, the Imperial Bow has a fast firing rate, making it an effective long range poison delivery system.</p>
<p><strong>Shouts:</strong> Slow Time</p>
<p>Slow time is an essential for giving the infiltrator time to stack poisons onto a target without retaliation. Combined with Quick Reflexes, Slow Time will last substantially longer allowing the Infiltrator to easily outmanuever enemies. </p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Gameplay & Perks:</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}399152754,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}399152754,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" /></a></strong></span></p>
<p>For the most part the Infiltrator is quite easy to manage level wise. Most every skill are in near constant use, but you may find light armor and block trailing behind due to how infrequently you will be sustaining damage. </p>
<p>One Handed is the main damage dealer alongside alchemy. The most important perk to pick up here is critical charge. Combined with Silent roll, the infiltrator is able to execute a devastating running slash that deals lethal damage in excess of 700-1100 points of damage. You wouldn't be a good infiltrator without Sneak. Everything in this skill tree is taken here, minus assassin's blade & deadly aim as we will not be using a dagger nor silently sniping our targets. Shadow warrior is a true game changer. With this, the infiltrator becomes very difficult for enemies to keep track of in battle as he weaves in and out of view by merely crouching.<br />
<br />
Block introduces another major game changer in the form of Quick Reflexes. Using Slow Time while Quick Reflexes is active will cause Slow Time to last much longer, granting you a means outmanuevering your enemies in open combat. While Sneak, One-handed, and Light armor will take care of themselves, Block takes special attention to level. The easiest way to level block for more frail types is to lower the difficulty rate down to novice, and block blows from giants. Up until about lvl 50 you'll gain roughly 1 level per attack, so block can be leveled at an amazing rate. Those stolen potions from apothecary shops will come in handy for this.<br />
<br />
Alchemy is arguably the most important skill tree of this build, and what would an infiltrator be without a large array of poisons? Poisons takes a build capable of quite respectable damage as is, and turns the dial to 11. Crafted invisibility potions are not only an essential piece of this builds kit but quite possibly the easiest way to level up alchemy. The cost of your concoction is used to determine how much alchemy experience you get for making it, and invisibility potions sell for quite a lot. <br />
<br />
In this build Archery serves merely as a long range delivery mechanism for poisons. Its useful to have when faced with something it would be unwise to hand deliver poisons to (ie: dragons, mages). Archery is fairly easy to get out of the way. As soon as you arrive at Riverwood, perform the necessary quest to enlist Faendel as a follower. As both an archer trainer and a potential follower, you'll be able to buy your way to level 50 archery without actually spending a single septim. Just trade back the money you spend on his lessons. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Toxic Concoctions</strong></span><br />
<br />
<strong>Blood Thinning Agent</strong> - Lingering Health Damage<br />
<br />
Imp Stool, Mora Tapinella, Slaughter Fish Scales/Eggs, Scathecrow (DB)<br />
<br />
Description: Introduces a toxin into victims blood system that stops the blood from clotting and prevents wounds healing. Victim will bleed profusely from even the most minor cuts. Causes X amount of health damage a second for 10 seconds. Can be stacked numerous times for lethal effect. </p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Argument: Exceptionally powerful supplement to your damage. Stacking multiple instances of this poison will leave victims suffering damage over time that can easily exceed 40 points per second. Best saved for particularly strong foes.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">-<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Flesh Eating Toxin</strong> - Damage Health<br />
<br />
Death Bell, Falmer Ear, NightShade, Red Mountain Flower. Skeever Tail<br />
<br />
Description: Destroys the victim's tissue in and around the freshly made wound, causing extra damage in addition to that of the cut itself. The poison itself causes a brief but intense burning sensation. Flesh Eating Toxin provides a quick and dirty means of supplementing your basic attack damage.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Argument: A quick and dirty way to further increase your damage. The Ingredients are very cheap and easy to come by so use liberally as this poison is meant to be used in place of Blood Thinning Agent against weaker enemies. </p>
<p>-<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Paralytic Agent</strong><span data-mce-mark="1"> - Paralysis</span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-mark="1">Imp Stool, Briar Heart, Canis Root, Swamp Fungal Pod</span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-mark="1">Description: Attacks the victim's nervous system, causing the body's motor functions to shut down. Victim will remain conscious but unable to move. An excellent way to temporarily move a high level threat from battle, allowing you to focus on eliminating weaker enemies.</span></p>
<p><span data-mce-mark="1">Argument: Very helpful for thinning out herds of enemies, or taking particularly strong or troublesome enemies out of the fight long enough to mop up their less formidable allies. Useful for removing a threat that stands between you and your objective that you do not wish to fight. </span></p>
<p>-<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Smoke Screen</strong> - Invisibility<br />
<br />
Ice Wraith Teeth, Vampire Dust, Chaurus Egg, Nirnroot, Luna Moth Wing<br />
<br />
Description: Causes a plume of smoke to emerge which cloaks and conceals the user. Useful anytime a quick get away is needed.</p>
<p>Argument: Self Explanatory</p>
<p>-</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Special Tactics</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>-</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830850809?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830850809?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="134" /></a></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-3" data-mce-mark="1">Tactical Cloak - </span></strong><em>Deploys a smoke bomb allowing the Infiltrator to instantly conceal his whereabouts from enemies.</em></p>
<p><em><span data-mce-mark="1">Requires: Shadow Warrior + Smokescreen</span></em></p>
<p> Useful for avoiding detection as enemies conduct their search, and equally as useful as a means of escaping a fight to regroup. The combo will work even without shadow warrior, but shadow warrior will dramatically improve the effectiveness of this combo</p>
<p> <span data-mce-mark="1">-</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830851764?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830851764?profile=original" width="134" /></a><strong><span class="font-size-3" data-mce-mark="1">Predator Strike - </span></strong><em>The Infiltrator leaps from the shadows, quickly closing distance and striking at his opponent's vitals with a lethal critical strike.</em></p>
<p><em>Requires: Critical Charge + Backstab + Silent Roll </em></p>
<p>Silent rolling counts as running as far as the game's logic is concerned. Executing Critical Charge while rolling lets you combine the 2x critical damage bonus gained from critical charge but also the 6x critical damage bonus from Backstab all in one swift leaping attack. The beauty of this skill is that not only will it cause massive critical damage, but that it closes a huge gap between you and your intended target. Far more effective and proactive than slowly skulking up to an enemy to deliver the lethal blow. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830851764?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}34280741,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="134" /></a><strong><span class="font-size-3" data-mce-mark="1">Diversion Tactic - </span></strong><em>The Infiltrator fires well placed shots against a hard surface creating sounds just loud enough to distract surrounding enemies.</em></p>
<p><em>Requirements: Steath, Bow & Arrows</em></p>
<p>While hiding, firing an arrow at any object will cause sound which will immediately cause every enemy in the vicinity to leave their post and investigate. You can effectively lead your enemies whereever you wish by shooting specific at specific points. In many ways this acts as a cheap and dirty alternative to Throw Voice. You can force enemies guarding an objective to walk away from their post, trick enemies into walking right into traps, or get them to turn their back just long enough to ambush them. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830854040?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}14196290,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="134" /></a></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-3" data-mce-mark="1">Surgical Counter Strike - </span></strong><em>Upon dodging an enemy attack the infiltrator initiates a swift and deadly counter attack with each strike coated in a deadly poison agent.   </em></p>
<p><em><span data-mce-mark="1">Requirements:  Slow Time + Quick Reflexes + Blood Thinning Agent</span></em></p>
<p>Slow time cast during quick reflexes will cause time to slow for a dramatically longer period than normal.  In the mean time you have plenty of time to stack as much poison as you can into the bodies of your enemies. For best results use lingering damage health. Each lingering damage health poison acts on its own, dealing its respective damage over the course of its individual 10 second counter. The slowed down time lets you stack on multiple poisons onto multiple enemies, making this combination highly effective in situations where you're forced into open combat. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830852878?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830852878?profile=original" width="134" /></a></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" data-mce-mark="1"><strong>Concentrated Fire - </strong></span><em>The infiltrator fires a concentrated volley of poison tipped arrows at a single enemy. </em></p>
<p><em><span data-mce-mark="1">Requires: Slow time + quick shot + Blood Thinning Agent</span></em></p>
<p>Works much the same way Venom Strike does except this is ideal for enemies you ought never get close to, such as dragons. This combo grants you ample time to land 4-5 good shots on a target. The high damage dealt by stacking poisons more than makes up for the negligible damage dealt with archery.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Tactics</strong></span><br />
<br />
<strong>Stealth & Diversion</strong><span data-mce-mark="1"> - </span><strong>Stick close to the shadows...</strong><br />
<br />
Although capable of going head to head against enemies stealth remains your strongest weapon. Survey every situation before jumping into combat. The advanage of studying your enemy and devising a plan to crush them utterly cannot be understated. Neither can the advantage of being able to choose your battles. You need not fight every single enemy that stands in the way of your objective. Diversion Tactic can be used to lure enemies away from where you need to go or get them looking off in the wrong direction long enough to take them by surprise with Predator Strike. </p>
<p>Diversion Tactic also forces alerted enemies to draw their weapons as they search for you. You can use that time to scout for enemies with troublesome weapons and magic and plan accordingly with this newly gained intel. </p>
<div class="size_fullsize"> <br />
<strong>Open Combat</strong> <span data-mce-mark="1"> – </span> <strong>Cant kill what you can't catch...</strong><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-mark="1">A predator strike is a great way to open up the fight given it’s crazy high damage potential. Use it to swoop in and eliminate the toughest enemy in the room. Your advantage with this move lies in its speed and your likelihood of remaining undetected even when used in the vicinity of multiple enemies. Use it to dart in an out of the shadows taking out enemies one swift move at a time. </span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-mark="1">Shadow warrior will make it much easier to surprise your enemy in open combat and thus should be used liberally. Crouching underneath the shade of a cliff, I've seen bandits in the middle of trying to lob my head off lose track of me in broad day light. Shadow warrior will open up brief windows of opportunity to get in a quick power attack.</span></div>
<div class="size_fullsize"> </div>
<div class="size_fullsize"><span data-mce-mark="1">Arguably your biggest advantage in open combat is being able to dictate the pace of battle by slipping in and out of hiding. Battle going poorly? Hide, regroup, perhaps eliminate a hapless target or two unseen, then resume the battle. This is where tactical cloak and shadow warrior come in handy.</span></div>
<div class="size_fullsize"> </div>
<div class="size_fullsize"><span data-mce-mark="1">Do not hesitate to use your paralysis poisons to force troublesome enemies out of the fight. Sometimes it’s best to identify potential problem enemies and tag them with a paralysis poison from afar with your bow. </span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-mark="1">Sometimes whether various quest scenarious leave you no choice, or you've messed up, you will be forced into open combat. Against large groups of enemies or a few very powerful ones Surgical Counter Strike will quickly even the odds. During the window of extended slow time lingering poison damage can be stacked over and over again onto multiple enemies. Along side power attacks enemies will suffer massive damage in a short time frame while struggling to catch you. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>The Hit-list</strong> <span data-mce-mark="1"> – </span> <strong>The infiltrator is always prepared no matter the target.</strong><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-mark="1">Living humanoids are your easiest target since they are susceptible to sabotage measures. When you see mages, make them your first target. If you cant get in close enough to ambush them you ought to at the very least take them out of the fight with a Paralytic Agent. </span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-mark="1">There are numerous enemies immune to poisons. Draugr, and Automatons are the most notable ones. Even against such enemies you still have agility and stealth to work with. Surgical Strike is still a lethal combo even without poisons. These enemies are no better at keeping up with you than the living, so use your speed and the shadows to your advantage.</span></div>
<div class="size_fullsize"><br />
<span data-mce-mark="1">Concentrated Fire becomes you best friend when pitted against a dragon. Ensure you are in an area that offers some cover. If not, run to such an area. The dragon will likely follow. They're pretty persistent. When you have a clear shot use concentrated fire. If you don't the tools and perks that combo requires, the strategy still remains the same: Duck, Dodge, Hide, and shoot poison into the beast when you have a clear shot. A fight against a dragon is more or less a hide and seek game.</span></div>
<div class="size_fullsize"> </div>
<div class="size_fullsize" style="text-align: center;"><span data-mce-mark="1"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BGgfJTm5WpY" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></span></div>
<p> </p>
<p><span data-mce-mark="1"><strong><em>Recommended Mods</em></strong></span></p>
<p><span data-mce-mark="1">This mod was tested on the vanilla version of Skyrim. But if you want to take your experience with this character even further below are some mods you just simply can't go without. Given the nature of stealth builds there's actually quite a lot to choose from to enhance your gameplay. </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span data-mce-mark="1"><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/19447/?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sneak Tools</a> - Hands down the most essential mod in this list. Sneak Tools gives you access to every tool and tactic you need to be an elite infiltrator. You can knock unsuspecting enemies out with your bare fist, shroud your face to throw off pursuing guards and bounty hunters, and even rig and climb ropes. And there's so much more than that. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/38386/?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contractor Armor</a>/<a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/5696/?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arise Ch1 Black Sacrament</a>- The Contractor armor mod adds a high quality set of black leather armor to the game. It comes in several varients, so pick which ever one you prefer. The Black Sacrament mod adds a large collection of Dark Brotherhood themed armors to include some awesome looking ninja face masks which will look amazing when paired with the contractor armor. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/27644/?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Immersive Weapons</a> - The most popular weapon mod on the Nexus comes with an impressive array of katana style weapons that perfectly compliment the above armor mods.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/70108/?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oriental Swordsmanship</a> - Replaces the clunky 1-handed vanilla sword animations with awesome stylish sword style. I highly recommend using this alongside FNIS PCEA 2 which will make these animations exclusive to you.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/27153/?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Field Alchemy</a> - It's such a pain in the ass to have to wait til you make it to an Apothecary before you can mix your ingredients. Field Alchemy allows you to craft your potions and poisons anytime and anywhere. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/61255/?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Immersive Detection of NPCs</a> - I personally think this should be a requirement for any stealth focused build. This mod changes how NPC detection works to make sneaking more challenging, but more importantly more realistic. This mod goes perfectly along side any mod that darkens interior cells and dungeons. Each type of enemy npc is affected differently by this mod. For example Falmer are now 100% unable to "see" you, but are far more keen to even the slightest noise. Animals such as wolves have very keen senses and are thus very difficult to sneak around. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p><strong>Closing Remarks</strong><br />
<br />
And there you have it. I hope you all enjoy playing this build as much as I have. This is easily the most fun I've had playing Skyrim so far. Be sure to check out my previous builds on my page and stick around, there's still plenty more builds to come.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Credits:</strong><br />
<br />
-Raidriar for the armor combo "shadow thief" that inspired this build.<br />
<br />
- Ben C and Vazgen for helping me name some of these deadly poisons<br />
<br />
- Zimbu for his awesome screen shot.</p>
<p><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/curse+never+dying" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}399185199,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="550" /></a></p>
</div>Character Build: The Shadowcasterhttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/character-build-the-shadowcaster2017-04-24T14:31:20.000Z2017-04-24T14:31:20.000ZCursehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/members/Hantz<div><p>For this build I wanted to create a character that could combine stealth and magic in a unique, perhaps never before seen fashion. What I ended up with was an amazingly effective decoy and ambush specialist. I proudly present...</p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-6"><strong>The Shadowcaster</strong></span></p>
<p><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903997?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="903997?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>"There are no order or organization of Shadowcasters - they are self taught elite assassins, masters of concealment and ambush. They strike from darkness, often employing daedra as personal decoys and illusions to addle the minds of their foes before thrusting their blades through their victims' backs."</em></p>
<p>The shadowcaster is a lethal combination of dual wielding assassin, conjurer, and illusionist; The end result being arguably one of the most effective ways to play a dual wield assassin! Dual wielding alone is normally a messy venture, what with the blocking with your face part. But the aforementioned lethal combo of skills allows the shadowcaster to capitalize on a key vulnerability in all enemies' AI that compels them to relentlessly attack the first target they spot until it dies. Once employed, this tactic allows the shadow caster to remain completely unnoticed all the while viciously cutting the enemy down with impunity. </p>
<p><strong>Race:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Khajiit</strong> work best for this class. Sneak is by far the most important skill tree of this build and the khajiit get a fantastic bonus of 25 levels to sneak right from the start. They also get a nice starting bonus of 20 to One Handed. Night eye is always useful for those dark places and your claws deal solid damage until your weapon attack starts to improve. </p>
<p><strong>Stone:</strong></p>
<p>Take the <strong>Mage Stone</strong> early on to level up the Illusion and Conjuration skill trees. Take the <strong>Shadow</strong><strong>Stone</strong> once those trees are maxed out. On those rare occasions you happen to mess up and the enemy is hot on your tail, you'll want to disappear immediately, without delay. The shadow stone provides an instantaneous escape for those situations.</p>
<p><strong>Skills:</strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830852135?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904092?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="904092?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="186" /></a></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Sneak:</strong> Essential for staying hidden while moving about and setting up ambushes. Also serves to make you very difficult to detect, standing or not, once the fighting breaks out</p>
<p><strong>Enchantment: </strong>Enables you to keep your magicka levels full by simply attacking. Prevents running out of magicka to summon decoys from ever becoming an issue</p>
<p><strong>Conjuration</strong>: Used to create decoys and keep enemy attention diverted. </p>
<p><strong>Illusion:</strong> Used in conjunction with conjurations to divert enemy attention away from you and to ensure frenzy rune will work on just about anything</p>
<p><strong>O</strong><strong>ne-Handed:</strong> The main damage dealer. The dual wielding perks are vital. They will grant you both the speed and power to end enemies very quickly. </p>
<p><strong>Smithing:</strong> Steel smithing and arcane smithing are the only perks you will need here. The blades sword has strong base damage, and only requires steel smithing to improve, and arcane smithing will allow you to boost your nightingale armor a bit.</p>
<p><strong>Destruction: </strong>Invested into solely for rune master, which will give frenzy rune a much needed range boost </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Equipment:</strong></p>
<ul><li><strong>Armor</strong> - <strong>Nightingale Armor, boots and gloves; Silver circlet<br /></strong></li>
</ul><p> <strong> </strong><strong> Armor:</strong> Stamina Boost, Frost Resistance<br /> <strong>Boots:</strong> Muffle<br /> <strong>Gloves:</strong> Fortify Lockpicking, Fortify One Handed<br /> <strong> Circlet:</strong> Fortify Conjuration</p>
<ul><li>Although the quest to attain the Nightingale armor is a bit lengthy, you'll come out of it with a very high sneak level and a lot of coin. The Nightingale armor set is both aesthetically and functionality wise, perfect for a shadowcaster. The boost to illusion and one-handed damage are especially helpful. </li>
</ul><ul><li><strong>Weapons</strong> - <strong>Blade's Sword and Daedric Dagger</strong></li>
</ul><p> <strong>Sword:</strong> Absorb Magicka </p>
<p><strong> Dagger:</strong> Absorb Stamina (1 point) </p>
<ul><li>The great thing about the blade's sword is how early in the game you can attain it, and the fact that it only requires steel smithing to upgrade. Simply make the trip to Nightgate Inn and kill the man who has it. The daedric dagger can also be attained relatively early with no smithing skill required. Just take a trip to the <strong><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150319233924/http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Atronach_Forge" target="_blank">Atronoch forge</a></strong> in the Midden and dump in the necessary ingredients. The enchantments on these weapons are designed to enable the shadowcaster to maintain a high magicka pool and keep the vicious volley of power attacks going regardless of remaining stamina. </li>
</ul><ul><li><strong>Ring/Pendant</strong> - <strong>Fortify</strong><strong> One-Handed Damage</strong></li>
</ul><ul><li>Conjurations, particularly dremora lords and storm atronochs, cost a ton even with mastery perks. Fortify conjuration helps reduce the cost to very manageable levels. One-handed damage is essential for heightening the shadowcaster's damage and ending battles quickly once the decoy bait is taken. </li>
</ul><ul><li><strong>Misc. Tools</strong> - <strong>Azura's Black Star</strong></li>
</ul><ul><li>This nifty daedric artifact acts as an infinitely reusable grand soul gem. With this, you'll be able to easily maintain the charge levels on your weapons without needing to haul around tons of soul gems. </li>
</ul><p><strong>Spells:<br /></strong></p>
<ul><li><strong>Illusion</strong> - Invisibility, Frenzy Rune </li>
<li><strong>Conjuration</strong> - Wrathmen, Flame, Frost, and Storm Atronach</li>
</ul><p><strong>Shouts:</strong></p>
<ul><li><strong>Throw Voice</strong>: A staple in many rogue builds. Enables you to lure your hapless enemies to one location to be ambushed.</li>
</ul><ul><li><strong>Slow Time: </strong>Useful for taking an enemy out before they can react. More on this below.</li>
</ul><ul><li><strong>Marked For Death:</strong><strong> </strong>The perfect way to worsten the plight of your enemies once they've fallen for your ambush tactics. </li>
</ul><p> </p>
<p><strong>Perks & Stats </strong></p>
<p><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904132?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="904132?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></p>
<p><strong>Magicka 2; Health 1; Stamina 1</strong></p>
<p>You are going to want to prioritize magicka as the shadowcaster is highly reliant on two schools of magick with high spell costs. Once your Health totals hit 200 you will want to switch to a <strong>2:1 ratio</strong> between <strong>Magicka and Stamina</strong>. This ensures your spell costs are met while ensuring you have enough Health to scrape by if you slip up, and enough stamina to get in a good number of power attacks. </p>
<p>Sneak, Enchanting and One Handed are the top priority to level up. Luckily you can have sneak and one handed maxed out within an hour if you're willing to use the Ralof/Hadvar exploit. Sneak alone can be maxed out in mere minutes this way. </p>
<p>Enchant your dagger with soul trap as soon as possible. You'll find that Enchanting is a very easy crafting skill to level up. Soul gems are easy to come by. Draugr infested tombs make excellent hunting grounds for souls. Convert all the dwarven junk you come across into dwarven ingots. Making dwarven bows is the most effective way to level up Smithing. You're only going to need to get Smithing to 60 to get all the needed perks, a task which should be simple.</p>
<p>Illusion is very easy to level up with the muffle spell. Once you have access to frenzy rune and invisibility, mastering the Illusion tree becomes a cake walk. Destruction need only be trained up to level 40 for rune master, which is essential for getting the distance necessary to make frenzy rune usable.Lastly, Conjuration can be leveled up to max very easily by casting soul trap on dead bodies.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904334?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904334?profile=original" alt="904334?profile=original" width="286" /></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Gameplay</strong></p>
<p>The overall strategy surrounding this build is simple: Keep the enemy distracted using your conjurations to act as a diversion and illusions and stealth to break line of sight as necessary. For whatever reason enemies never switch targets unless one of three conditions are met: Their target dies, line of sight is lost, or a new target enters their line of sight for too long. Ideally you want to keep as many enemies as possible huddled around your decoys attacking them.</p>
<p>Various Conjuration work best against different enemies. Creating the best distraction requires knowing the best decoy to use in every situation. Generally you want to force enemies into melee range against your decoys. </p>
<p><strong>Flame Atronach:</strong> Very good for the early game. It works especially well against fire wielding mages and dragons. By mid and late game the flame atronach is rendered obsolete by the storm atronach which performs better against dragons, and the frost atronach which perform far better at melee range. Flame atronachs have a tendency to back away from the fray to fight at range, which is the opposite of what you want unless you're against a dragon.</p>
<p><strong>Frost Atronach:</strong> Very good even in late game against most enemies. It comes with frost cloak which does wonders against warriors. While not as durable as the Wrathman, it remains the go to option against frost magic users. If you're lacking Dawnguard, stick to this decoy for all your melee needs</p>
<p><strong>Storm Atronach:</strong> Much like the Flame atronach this guy prefers to fight at range, but its chainlightning attack absolutely wrecks dragons. Enough zaps from these guys make it harder for dragons to use their breath attacks. These guys are strong enough to take down even an elder dragon on their own given enough time. </p>
<p><strong>Wrathmen:</strong> The overall best summon to use. Summoning cost is quite cheap for an expert level spell, and wrathmen come with nearly as much durability as a dremora lord. The only flaw with these guys is having to get a fair ways into the Dawnguard questline to get them. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Special Techniques</strong></p>
<p><strong><br /><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830848294?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830848294?profile=RESIZE_180x180" alt="830848294?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="92" /></a>Shadowcloak </strong></p>
<p><strong>Requires: </strong> Invisibility + Shadow Warrior</p>
<p><em>The Shadowcaster vanishes in a shroud of darkness causing all enemies to lose sight of their target. Enemies are forced to seek out more readily visible targets</em></p>
<p>Shadow warrior causes enemies to lose track of you and invisibility keeps it that way. This combo lets you disappear anywhere anytime, no running and hiding required. Combine this nifty trick with conjurations and you get.....</p>
<p>-</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830848463?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830848463?profile=RESIZE_180x180" alt="830848463?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="92" /></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Decoy</strong></p>
<p><strong>Requires:</strong> Any Summon(s) + Shadow Warrior</p>
<p><em>The Shadowcaster vanishes in a shroud of darkness leaving up to two daedric minions behind to act as decoys. Enemies focused on decoys are left vulnerable.</em></p>
<p>With this combo you can not only vanish briefly, but also shift your enemies' focus onto your summoned daedra. Enemies will not bother targeting you until those daedra die. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830849714?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830849714?profile=RESIZE_180x180" alt="830849714?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="92" /></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Devious Harm</strong></p>
<p><strong>Requires:</strong> Slow Time + Shadow Warrior + Dual Wield Power Strikes </p>
<p><em>A poor unsuspecting target is singled out and mercilessly slaughtered with a series of deadly precision strikes. </em></p>
<p>Enemies far enough from the fray have a small chance of turning their attention towards you once attacked. This combo allows you to counter this by making it impossible for them to retaliate or retreat fast enough. When you're within range of an enemy use shadow warrior followed immediately by a dual wield power strike. If you're lucky you'll deal critical sneak attack damage. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830850926?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830850926?profile=RESIZE_180x180" alt="830850926?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="92" /></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Pandemonium</strong> </p>
<p><strong>Requires:</strong> Throw Voice Lvl 3 + Frenzy + Summon(s) </p>
<p><em>The Shadowcaster weaves a malicious spell that leaves all enemies confused and frenzied. Affected enemies will attack allies as well as decoys, and are left highly vulnerable to attacks at their flank.</em></p>
<p>A more powerful version of Ambush which enables you to take on an overwhelming number of enemies by turning their numbers against them. Lure enemies to a single point with throw voice. Cast Frenzy Rune in the middle of the mob, then send out your decoys. A frenzied, confused mob makes for a very easy target.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p><strong style="font-size:32px;"><u><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830853312?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651873?profile=original" alt="7651873?profile=original" width="750" /></a></u></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align:left;"> <strong><u>Tactics</u></strong></p>
<ul><li>Your goal in battle is to contain your enemies by forcing them to engage your decoys at melee range. This allows you to freely attack your enemies with deadly dual wield power strikes. Their attention will be so intensely focused on your decoys that standing right behind them attacking will not cause them to turn around.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Against a small group decoy works just fine. If they're scattered far away from each other, find a good hiding spot with a good vantage point and start setting up for an ambush, but if the enemy is very numerous (6+), use pandemonium instead.</li>
</ul><ul><li>When fighting a group consisting of mostly mages, try to use an atronach that matches the element they plan to use. If they're lacking back up elements, they'll be forced to resort to melee attacks</li>
</ul><ul><li>Atronachs are very useful against mages. Always seek to match the atronach you summon with the element the enemy mage is using. Doing so will force them to forgo magic in favor of melee attacks, which is exactly what you want. </li>
</ul><ul><li>When up against mostly archers try to place your decoys as close to them as possible. This will often result in them switching to a melee weapon.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Go after anyone attacking from a long range first. They have a small chance of spotting you from their distant vantage point. If they turn to engage you, use Devious Harm to take them out. Alternatively you can cast frenzy rune on them. Enemies unaffected by frenzy will still attack any of their affected allies.</li>
</ul><ul><li>When up against dragons, use storm atronachs as your decoy of choice (flame atronachs if you havent gotten storm atronachs yet) and attack with marked for death. By the time the dragon works up the courage to land, it will have been severely weakened by marked for death, making it easy to take out at close range. </li>
</ul><p style="text-align:center;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uVG5e6A32-E" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"> <strong>Recommended Mods:</strong></p>
<ul><li><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/76752/?tab=3&navtag=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nexusmods.com%2Fskyrimspecialedition%2Fajax%2Fmodimages%2F%3Fuser%3D0%26id%3D76752%26gid%3D110" target="_blank">Daedric Entity Restoration Project</a> - If you're looking to vastly improve on Skyrim's limited variety of summonable monstrocities, look no further. This mod reintroduces almost all of the daedra seen in previous elder scrolls titles. Everything from scamps, clanfears, and even oghrims are now yours to summon. </li>
</ul><ul><li><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/5941/?" target="_blank">Cover Khajiit</a> - A simple Hi-Res texture replacer for Khajiit faces. If you're going to go on a killing spree, you may as well look good doing it.</li>
</ul><ul><li><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/56614/?" target="_blank">Enchanted Arsenal</a> - Grants you complete and total freedom to customize the appearance of all weapon enchantments.</li>
</ul><ul><li><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/1560/?" target="_blank">Capeless Nightingale Armor</a> & <a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/5860/?" target="_blank">Nightingale Phoenix</a> - As the name suggests, the Capeless Nightingale Armor mod removes the cape from the Nightingale Armor. The Nightingale Phoenix mod is an awesome looking black Hi-Res texture replacer thats compatible with the afor mentioned capeless mod. Together they make a bad ass Nightale Armor set.</li>
</ul><ul><li><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/1002/?" target="_blank">Jaysus Swords</a> - A large selection of beautifully rendered, superb looking swords and daggers, for your hack n' slashing amusement. All of these weapons are craftable and also included within the game's leveled lists. So pick out your favorite blades and go nuts. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/60/?" target="_blank">Enhanced Blood Textures</a> - A must have for any savagely violent character build. This mod offers you a much more satisfyingly bloody and gruesome combat experience. Now get out there and paint the streets red!</li>
</ul><p><strong><u>Closing Remarks:</u></strong></p>
<p> Any compliments or constructive criticism is very much welcome. I really enjoyed creating this build and hope you enjoy it as well. If you enjoyed my build and would like to see more like this, be sure to 'like' it. You support means a lot. Thanks. </p>
<p><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/curse+never+dying" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651918?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="7651918?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="550" /></a></p></div>Character Build: The Berne Clanhttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/character-build-the-berne-clansman2017-04-24T07:55:12.000Z2017-04-24T07:55:12.000ZCursehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/members/Hantz<div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}2745258139,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}2745258139,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="651" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903820?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903820?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="745" /></a></p>
<div align="center"><em>Just one more reason to be afraid of the dark</em></div>
<p><br />
<em>"Our enemies dare to claim the night as their own. In their arrogance they think of the darkness as their ally but they merely adopt it, shrouding themselves in the shadows to hide their true nature from the world. They are mere day walkers; They no more attuned to the dark than the prey we feast upon. We in turn are the true masters of shadow; Darkness given form. We alone bear the right to call ourselves the children of the night, and in the end the darkness will betray them because it belongs to us."</em><br />
<br />
- Raxle Berne<br />
<br />
<em>The Berne clan are one of three prominent vampire clans hailing from the region of Vvardenfell. Unlike the Quarra who boldly proclaim their intentions and lay waste to entire villages, members of the Berne clan prefer stealth and secrecy. The Berne clan are rumored to be far more attuned to the shadows than any other vampire clan in existence. They are the true masters of the night; Sliding effortlessly through the darkness, and invisible in the shadow. They hunt their prey in secrecy and silence, and their enemies disappear without a trace. </em><br />
<br />
<em>The Berne clan are forever locked in a bloody war for supremacy against the Aundae and Quarra clan. A war that has withstood both the test of time and the disaster of Red Mountain. Throughout many centuries of bloodshed the Berne clan has undermined enemies and allies alike in order to survive against impressive adversaries. No tactic has proven too underhanded for the Berne, who have infiltrated and sabotaged their enemies numerous times; At times they've even gone as far as stealing blood from other clans, chemically altering the blood to use against their enemies or augment their own abilities. Records on the Berne clan are scarce at best. Hardly anyone who has encountered these twisted creatures has lived to tell about it.</em></p>
<div class="size_fullsize"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903846?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903846?profile=original" width="250" /></a></div>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br />
Along with stealth and agility, the Berne clan are master blades-men and hand to hand combatants. These guys are essentially vampire ninjas. We'll let you take a moment to consider the sheer awesomeness of that combination...<br />
<br />
The challenge with this build was in creating synergy between stealth, daggers, and unarmed combat. Alchemy becomes the glue that binds these three seemingly incompatible skills together. The end result is beautiful synergy between assassin and monk fighting tactics; A powerful necro brawler / shadow mancer hybrid that slips in and out of the darkness like its nothing, stack lethal poison damage like nobody's business, and beat down enemies with style.<br />
<br />
Unique to this build is a means of raising from the dead a specialized minion capable of withstanding all manner of attacks. Alchemy and necromancy together allow for the creation of the perfect decoy; an enticing target that can not be killed by any means.<br />
<br />
Ultimately my personal favorite part about this build is the viable unarmed damage without the use of game breaking gauntlet stacking. Concepts from James's discussion on Marked for Death as well as Teccam's character build, The Regulator, are used to drastically increase unarmed damage without the need to stack gauntlets. Poisons together with unarmed fighting allow the berne to deal respectable levels of damage with very few perks invested into offensive skills.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>The Build</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Race:</strong> Imperial Vampire. Imperials make sense from a lore standpoint as all members of the Berne clan are Imperials. In addition, Imperials start off with a bonus in many key skill trees critically important to this build, most notably restoration and heavy armor. You can never go wrong with Voice of the Emperor either. This powerful racial ability will buy time to escape a bad situation.<br />
<br />
<strong>Stone:</strong> Ritual Stone. The Ritual Stone allows you raise a thrall of any level, which is perfect for those situations where even Dread Zombie cant get the job done. Even better, standard thralls wont disintegrate when the spell wears off, and the undying thralls will last indefinitely (More on that below)<br />
<br />
<strong>Stat Distribution:</strong> 1M;1H;1S until magicka hits 200. Change over to 0M;1H;1S from that point onward. This gives you enough magicka to work with for the resurrection of undead minions and poison runes, as well as plenty of base health and stamina to survive.<br />
<br />
<strong>Major Skills:</strong> Sneak, Conjuration, Alchemy, Restoration<br />
<br />
<strong>Minor Skills:</strong> Heavy Armor, Illusion<br />
<br />
<strong>Shouts:</strong> Marked for Death, Slow Time, Drain Vitality (glitched version learned along side Marked for Death), Throw Voice<br />
<br />
<strong>Black Book Powers:</strong> Seeker of Shadows. </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Spells:</strong> Novice - Expert level Raise Undead spells</p>
<div align="center">
<div class="size_fullsize"><a href="https://www.nuka-scrolls.com/filedata/fetch?id=433&d=1473540949&type=full" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903867?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="745" /></a></div>
</div>
<div align="center"><em>Beware what lurks in the shadows</em></div>
<p><br />
Sneak grants this build many great advantages to both offense and defense. Combined with the vampire's 25% additional proficiency with sneak, you will be all but impossible to detect; a true master of the night able to move freely in the shadows. But sneak is valuable for more than just prowling around undetected. In combat your ability to slip away from the fray is an invaluable tactical advantage, enabling you to dictate the pace of battle. Sneak is also a valuable offensive asset, allowing you to approach a target undetected and attack with lethal poisons.<br />
<br />
Alchemy is the true center piece of this build, leaving sneak in the dust at a distant second place. Expect to make use out of a lot of different potions and poisons. The Berne are master alchemists specializing in lethal and crippling poisons. Poisons are how you will level the playing field against powerful enemies who will just end you instantly. Such enemies become more manageable with stamina/magicka depleted and a sizeable chunk of their health gone.<br />
<br />
Conjuration provides you with useful meat-shields that can be used as dummy targets for your enemies, enabling you to flank and attack your enemies with impunity. Its an invaluable tactic as you wont have much physical defense to rely on with this character. Since you're taking the entire necromancy branch, anything you revive will have a boat load more health, making even the weakest of enemies a worthwhile minion. Leveling this skill to 90 enables you to gain a sweet pair of daedric gauntlets and boots at a very early level.<br />
<br />
Illusion and Restoration play very singular but vital roles in this build. Illusion is taken purely for quiet casting, which is a nifty perk to have if you want to cast magic and shout without alerting every enemy in the room. Restoration is taken purely for the Necromage perk, a powerful perk choice for any vampire build as it causes all beneficial spells, abilities, enchantments, and effects cast upon oneself to be 25% more effective and last 50% longer. Did we mention this glorious effect applies to potions as well? <br />
<br />
Lastly Heavy Armor is taken purely to improve your unarmed damage. Daedric gauntlets are used to get the most damage possible out of the 'Fists of Steel' perk.</p>
<div class="size_fullsize" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904151?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903909?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>"The Berne clan are masters of alchemy, and it is through the use of deadly poisons that they earn their reputation for silencing enemies quickly, quietly, and permanently."</em></p>
<p><br />
One thing you'll come to appreciate very much about this build is how fast it can be power leveled. Most of the above skills can be trained to their required levels quickly and easily. For those who aren't into power leveling these skills level fairly fast naturally as well.<br />
<br />
The highest priority skills are alchemy and sneak. Your unarmed damage wont be strong enough at the start of the game so focus on developing alchemy for more lethal poisons and sneak for protection. You can reach 30 heavy armor skill easily with a visit to a heavy armor trainer. Adding your gauntlets' base armor rating to your unarmed damage is an invaluable boost. Other items and skills that boost unarmed damage are very easy to find, making unarmed combat more reliable early on thus allowing you to save poisons for more strategic situations.<br />
<br />
Sneak can easily be maxed and fully perked before you even leave Helgen. All you need to do is sneak attack Ralof/Hadvar repeatedly while they crouch down to hide from that bear in the caves. It literally takes less than 20 minutes to max sneak this way. I personally feel that it does the Berne clan justice to start out right away as a master of stealth, but again if power leveling isn't your thing, the Thieves Guild quest line offers an easy way to level sneak naturally. Conjuration will level quickly from raising corpses, but if you're looking to speed that train along casting soul trap repeatedly on a dead body will level conjuration at an amazing pace.<br />
<br />
You wont use much any illusion spells or restoration spells in your play-through but both are very easily power leveled. For illusion simply cast courage repeatedly on any non hostile target. You need only reach 50 in illusion. For restoration grab the atronach stone and head into <a href="http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Cronvangr_Cave" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cronvangr cave</a>, which is incidentally right next to where you get the stone. There is a flame pressure plate trap that separates the vampire and frost spider dwellings. Use the flame trap to damage yourself while healing and simultaneously absorbing magicka from the trap to keep the cycle going. Necromage will be yours before you know it.<br />
<br />
Lastly, the multitude of easily crafted 3-effect poisons make alchemy incredibly easy to level. Avoid fast traveling and rob and purchase from alchemy shops frequently and you'll have no trouble gathering the ingredients.<br />
<br />
<strong>Equipment</strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904167?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903947?profile=original" width="750" /></a></strong></p>
<p>Above you can see your final load out. Aesthetically it looks absolutely amazing. Its so very dark and savage looking. The heavy gauntlets and boots have no impact on your stealth ability as its way too high to even matter. The Morag Tong armor can be gained from the quest <a href="http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Served_Cold" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Served Cold</a>, or through random encounters with the Morag Tong if you join the Dark Brotherhood (more on that below). The Atronach Forge will provide the Daedric gear needed. Check out the recipes <a href="http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Atronach_Forge_Recipe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HERE</a>.</p>
<p>It is impossible to forge unenchanted daedric boots. Instead you must use the random pre enchanted daedric armor piece recipe ( way to go Bethesda). Try to score something useful like 'shock resistance' or 'fire resistance', or 'fortify stamina'. Even without enchanting perked, its worthwhile to enchant your gauntlets with 'fortify unarmed damage'.<br />
<br />
The Ring of the Beast can be gotten very early in the Volkihar quest line. Make this item a priority. The additional health and unarmed damage is huge. With this item your health is boosted to roughly 400+ at level 40 if you follow the ratio. Its just high enough to somewhat compensate for your horribly low defense.<br />
<br />
The twin shivs are both to be enchanted with paralysis lasting for 1 second each. The paralysis on the shivs are meant solely to stun enemies long enough to complete the series of strikes needed to stack the poisons. They are to be named so that they appear separately in the item menu as well as the quick menu, making the application of poisons a more streamlined process. The Shivs can be obtained from the quest <a href="http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:No_One_Escapes_Cidhna_Mine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">No One Escapes Cidna Mine</a>.<br />
<br />
<strong>On the topic of shouts:</strong> Certain shouts are far more potent with just 1 word when used in quick succession. Become ethereal outlasts its cool down, whirlwind sprint can be used to effortlessly glide through rooms, drain vitality can be used to essentially seal an opponents magic and power attacks indefinitely, and 1 word of marked for death can be stacked 4-5 times in the time it would take for its 3 word version to cool down. The Talos amulet and blessing reduce shout cool downs by a total of 50% (thanks necromage!) making the above 1 word shouts available for use very frequently. Many more options open up when you're able to use shouts almost on demand.</p>
<div class="size_fullsize"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/QUnybRJ.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903981?profile=original" width="750" /></a></div>
<div align="center"><em>Their feral appearance and savagery belies a subtle and cunning nature that has kept them a step ahead of their enemies for centuries.</em></div>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Concoctions</strong><br />
<br />
The Berne clan are master alchemists and it is through the use of deadly poisons that they earn their reputation for silencing enemies quickly, quietly, and permanently. Below are some of the concoctions you have at your disposal. This list may seem intimidating, but don't be put off. The ingredients are actually very easy to come across. The vast majority can be found exploring, and most of these are common in alchemy shops. Speaking of alchemy shops, robbing them blind is never a bad idea.<br />
<br />
The real here kicker are the poisons, all of which have effects that can be rapidlyy stacked up to 4 times! A lingering damage health poison with a magnitude of 20 will deal a whopping 800+ damage over the course of 10 seconds. You'd need heavy investments in 'One handed', 'Smithing', as well as the 'Assassins Blade' perk to rival that kind of damage. You're getting all that with just 'Alchemy' and two measly shivs'.<br />
<br />
The potions are designed to make you a more effective brawler and a more effective escape artist. The fortify marksmen effect, oddly enough, will improve damage dealt with any attack, even your fists. At higher levels you'll more than double your damage output<br />
<br />
It should be noted that ravage magicka does not work the way the game advertises. Instead of reducing max magicka by a set amount, they work exactly like their lingering damage counterparts. This makes ravage magicka far superior to the lingering variety as the ravage variants have twice the magnitude.<br />
<br />
Don't be afraid to deviate from what is listed below and experiment on your own. Half the fun of alchemy is experimentation</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Poisons</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830848092?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830848092?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="83" /></a><strong>Agony:</strong> <em>Damage Heath + Ravage Health + Lingering Health Damage</em></p>
<p><em>Imp stool + scathecraw + skeever tail</em></p>
<p>A vile concoction of what seems and feels like concentrated hatred and malice. Violently eats away at victims blood vessels as it courses through the veins. </p>
<p><span style="color: #c0c0c0;">-</span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830849449?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830849449?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="83" /></a><strong>Misery:</strong> <em>Paralysis + Lingering Health Damage + Damage Health</em></p>
<p><em>Human flesh + imp stool + (orange dartwing, scathecraw, mora tapinella)</em></p>
<p>A sadist's best friend. Attacks the victims nervous system, causing paralysis. The victim remains conscious while being able to feel every ounce of pain </p>
<p><span style="color: #c0c0c0;">-</span></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830850689?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830850689?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="83" /></a>Silence:</strong> <em>Damage Health+Lingering Damage Health+Ravage Magicka</em></p>
<p><em>Imp Stool+Orange Dartwing+Red Mountain Flower</em></p>
<p>A trump card against those of the Aundae clan. A deadly poison that strikes at the source of the victim's magical power.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color: #c0c0c0;">-</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Potions</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830850772?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830850772?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="83" /></a><strong>Ferocity: </strong><em>Fortify Marksmen</em></p>
<p><em>Canis root, juniper berries, spider egg, elves ear</em></p>
<p>Blood stolen from the Quarra and refined into a potion created to match their immense physical strength and ferocity. Improves all damage to include unarmed damage.</p>
<p><span style="color: #c0c0c0;">-</span></p>
<p><em><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830850799?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830850799?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="83" /></a></em></p>
<p><strong>Blood Lust: </strong><em>Fortify Conjuration+Fortify Health+Restore Health</em></p>
<p><em>Bone meal / frost salts/ lavender + blue mountain flower + wheat</em></p>
<p>The stolen blood of the Quarra was also made into a potent elixir meant to allow its consumer to match the Quarra clan's absurd level of endurance. Conjuration spells are also fortified creating longer lasting thralls.</p>
<p><span style="color: #c0c0c0;">-</span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830850689?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830850689?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="83" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Flight:<em> </em></strong><em>Invisibility + Fortify Health Regeneration</em></p>
<p><em>Luna Moth Wing + Vampire Dust</em></p>
<p>A simple potion enabling both a quick escape and the chance to regroup when needed</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color: #c0c0c0;">-</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #c0c0c0;">-</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Special Techniques</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a style="font-size: 10pt;" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830850913?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830850913?profile=original" width="118" height="119" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Pinpoint Strikes</strong></p>
<p><strong>Requires:</strong> Agony or Misery poisons, Concentrated Poison perk, Dual Wield Power Attacks, Paralysis Enchanted Shivs (1 second stun)</p>
<p>Deliver a series of deadly pin point strikes to an opponent's vitals using concealed poison tipped blades. Opponents may be temporarily stunned and suffer fatal poison damage, and/or severe crippling effects, based on the poisons used.</p>
<p>Two quick dual wield power attacks allows each blade's poison to be applied twice, resulting in poisons stacking up to 4 times. The chance of paralysis from the enchantment is also applied 4 times, granting you a large chance to stun enemies in the process. Stunned enemies always end up being knocked down, which means having to waste time getting back up. The high chance of paralysis also denies them the chance to step out of the way of your attacks </p>
<p><span style="color: #c0c0c0;">-</span></p>
<p><a style="font-size: 10pt;" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830851047?profile=RESIZE_180x180" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830851047?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="133" height="122" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Silencer</strong></p>
<p><strong>Requires:</strong>  Silence poison, Drain Vitality (glitched version 1 word), Talos Amulet & Blessing, Necromage</p>
<p>Cripples an opponent, instantly depleting magicka while halting regeneration. Affected enemies are unable to use abilities that require magicka for a significant duration. Drain vitality can be reapplied on opponent to keep their abilities locked. </p>
<p>Silence is a powerful tool against powerful opponents such as dragons, and powerful mages. Without magicka most mages become completely useless in battle. It is especially useful against dragons, because their breathe attacks are tied to a 150 pt magic pool. Removing their ability to use breathe attacks forces them to land and use melee attacks. Your necromage enhanced shout cooldown ensures Drain Vitality's effect far outlasts its cool down, meaning you can easily keep an enemy silenced for good.</p>
<p><span style="color: #c0c0c0;">-</span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830853736?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651851?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="122" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Agile Shadow</strong></p>
<p><strong>Requires:</strong> Slow Time (1 word), Talos Amulet & Blessing, Necromage</p>
<p>Harness your affinity for the darkness and become like a shadowy blur to your enemies, striking them seemingly from all sides. </p>
<p>An invaluable technique in an open brawl which makes it much easier to out maneuver your enemy. In this state its all too easy to land multiple hits on an enemy before they have time to react. Slow Time will last significantly longer thanks to Necromage and your necromage enhanced shout cooldown ensures it lasts almost as long as its cooldown. Pin Point Strikes, a technique normally reserved for stealthy attacks is quite easy to use in this state as well. </p>
<p><span style="color: #c0c0c0;">-</span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830851166?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830851166?profile=original" width="122" height="122" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Shadow Shifter</strong></p>
<p><strong>Requires:</strong> Shadow Warrior, Undead Minion </p>
<p>Vanish suddenly, forcing enemies to shift  their focus to a different target. Invisibility potions greatly improve the effectiveness of shadow shifter when fighting in close quarters. </p>
<p>A simple yet invaluable technique that make good use of undead minions. Shadow shifter takes advantage of the fact that once the AI is fixated on a target, they will not relent until that target is destroyed. Dark souls and necromancy perks as well as  fortify conjuration potions come into play by offering you sturdier, longer lasting minions. </p>
<p><span style="color: #c0c0c0;">-</span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830852275?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830852275?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="122" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Corpse Puppet</strong></p>
<p><strong>Requires:</strong> Pin Point Strikes w/Misery poison, Any Raise Undead Spell, Bloodlust Potion</p>
<p>Creates a decoy target using the body of  a slain enemy. The decoy will attract the attention of all enemies in range compelling them to attack it relentlessly. The decoy is impervious to all forms of damage but cannot move or deal damage in return. Up to two of these specialized thralls can be in play at one time. </p>
<p>Alchemy and Necromancy bring new meaning to the word synergy. Enemies killed while under the effects of a paralysis poison can be resurrected as a damage immune zombie. Enemies never stop attacking their chosen target until it dies. The trap lies in forcing them to attack a target that cannot die. What lies next is swooping in from the shadows and decimating an entire room full of enemies with no one aware of your presence. Dual casting a raise undead spell allows the decoy to last much longer. Shadow shifter will force anyone focused on you to shift focus back to the decoy.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830852298?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830852298?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" height="502" /></a><em>Before you ask, this picture was not accidentally flipped upside down.</em></p>
<p><strong>Gameplay</strong></p>
<p>You're not meant to rush blindly into the fray with this build. That'll just get you killed. The Berne possesses more health than a typical stealth build, but don't get reckless. It is by no means a replacement for a strong armor rating. Preventing you from getting one shot by a single strong attack is about all the extra health is good for.  Become accustomed to scouting, assessing the enemy, and planning your moves before you act.</p>
<p>Ultimately your goal in most fights is to put enemies into a situation where they are focusing on your undead minions rather than you. <strong>Corpse Puppet</strong> takes this a step further and forces enemies to focus on an undead minion that cannot be killed. </p>
<p><strong>Pinpoint Strikes</strong> will kill just about anything in one go, but it is a resource dependent combination so its best used against strong enemies you want to quickly remove from play. Its also best used from stealth or under the effects of slow time as it takes a bit to set up. If your victim dies under the effects of paralysis they can be raised as in invulnerable <strong>Corpse Puppet</strong> should the need arise. </p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Silencer</span></strong> is an invaluable technique against dragons. Breathe attacks can be quite devastating, especially from fire breathing dragons. <strong>Agile Shadow</strong> makes it easier and safer to approach dragons and other dangerous magick users to strike them with the poison. </p>
<p>In open combat make liberal use of <strong>Agile Shadow</strong> as without the ability to block this is your only effective means of survival in this situation. You'll find <strong>Pinpoint Strikes</strong> quite easy to land in this state so take advantage of this. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/19/d6/1d/19d61d1a630d4bcf297dce13c528a970--warrior-girl-warrior-women.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-center" src="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/19/d6/1d/19d61d1a630d4bcf297dce13c528a970--warrior-girl-warrior-women.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Impossibly silent and unnaturally agile. Most never see them coming until its too late</em></p>
<p><strong>Quests</strong></p>
<p>Among the quickest things we came to an agreement on where what quests to take on and why? Our master of shadows is among the last of the clan. Centuries of bloodshed between the Berne, Aundae, and Quarra have left the clans all but annihilated. Your goal in Skyrim is to rebuild your clan and restore it to its former glory. But beware. What remains of the Aundae and Quarra will surely think to do the same, and will no doubt thwart your plans if given the chance. As if that were not enough, you have the Dawnguard and the Vigilants of Stendarr to contend with as well. Nobody said this would be easy.</p>
<p>Rolling with this we decided that missions we took on would all revolve around the acquisition of power, the forging of alliances, and the elimination of those who pose a threat to our plan. Naturally we picked our allies very carefully as not everyone would willingly aid a vampire. That being said, you're not looking to become the thane of every hold. Your allegiances are of a darker variety. Ultimately these considerations left us with a fair bit of freedom as far as what quests we could tackle but what is listed below are essential. </p>
<p><strong>Volkihar Clan</strong> - Cruel beyond all reason and powerful beyond all belief, Harkon will prove to be a formidable opponent. Defeat him, however, and all that was and ever will be his can be yours. The dismantled Volkihar clan will be the foundation from which you rebuild the great Berne clan. The castle makes for one hell of an upgrade from those old Dwemer ruins. No doubt the destruction Skyrim's most powerful resident vampire clan will also draw the attention of your enemies, which brings us to...</p>
<p><strong>Destroy the Dawnguard</strong> - The Dawnguard will be after your head more fervently than ever after ousting Harkon. End this threat once and for all by taking the fight to their front door. With the Dawnguard's leadership dead, the faction can be crossed off the list of obstacles standing in the way.</p>
<p><strong>The Dark Brotherhood</strong> - Its up to you how you want to address these guys as either joining them or killing them have their advantages. Kill them and you eliminate a potent threat your enemies will no doubt employ to stop you. Join them and you have the most infamous band of assassins on your side. I personally prefer joining them as the questline yields many valuable rewards. Aside from that, being able to sneak in and kill the Emperor himself will stand as an absolute testament to the power of the Berne clan. Try to avoid killing anyone except for the Emperor himself when sneaking aboard his ship. Nothing says "I am one with the shadows" like sneaking past dozens of armed guards and killing what they're trying to protect. </p>
<p><strong>The Thieves Guild</strong> - Rebuilding will require funds, and as a vampire you're short on friends willing to throw money at you. That's where the thieves guild comes in. They don't care what you are so long as you get the job done. You have your own agenda however and have little interest in helping the Thieves guild restore themselves to full power. Walk away from the Thieves guild for good with the Skeleton Key in hand. You could care less about the Thieves guild falling out of favor with Nocturnal. The key will serve your ambitions and become a valuable tool for infiltrating Quarra and Aundae strongholds. </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830852389?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830852389?profile=original" width="602" height="440" /></a><br />
<strong>Roleplay</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Avoid traveling during the day time. If you must do so for questing or merchanting purposes, wear a disguise. Wear common cloths or hooded robes to move about unnoticed among mortal kind. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Avoid incurring any bounties. A bounty suggests that the wrong people know who and what you are. Drawing unneeded attention to yourself goes against the whole notion of stealth and secrecy.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Feed regularly but do not get caught. Feed at least once every 3 day under the cover of night. Gameplay wise this will help reduce your weakness to fire attacks.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>If tasked with killing an individual, you must eliminate him quickly and quietly. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Kill off any Vigils of Stendarr you happen to come across. Better to kill them off while they're still a weak faction than allow them to grow in power and become a threat.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Take on all daedric quests with the exception of Meridia. She doesnt exactly get along with the undead. The securing of powerful daedric artifacts deprives the Aundae and Quarra the chance to use them against you. </li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Recommended Mods</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/50416" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unarmed Warfare</a> - An excellent animation pack that replaces those clunky unarmed power attacks by changing all unarmed power attacks into various kicks. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/52871" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sokco's Guild Starter</a> - With Guild Starter, you can now start your very own guild, and all that talk of restoring the Berne Clan is no longer left to just your imagination but actually possible in game.  Recruit almost anyone to join a guild commanded by you. You can choose virtually any location to act as your base of operations and up to 10 members can be recruited. You can send your guild members out on missions, have them follow you, and level up your guild. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/24475" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unique Vampire Dens</a> - This mod adds five unique "hidden" vampire dens to Skyrim. Each of the major cities (Solitude, Whiterun, Markarth, Windhelm, and Riften) has a vampire den somewhere within the city. The perfect place to establish a base of operations for your clan.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/9717" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Better Vampires </a>- Changes the dynamics and benefits of feeding. Feeding now strengthens rather than weakens you and as you feed you will begin to see an increase in your abilities such as slightly faster movement and attack speed and stronger unarmed damage etc. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Closing Remarks</strong></p>
<p>I hope you have enjoyed our take on easily one of the most kick ass vampire clans in Elder Scrolls. We hope you enjoy reading this build and we are eager for you to try it out yourself. </p>
<p>I'd like to thank Raidriar who has been a thrill to work with once again. There seems to be no limit to what we can produce when we put our minds together. I look forward to what we might produce next. </p>
<p>I thank Mason for hosting the Factions event that inspired this build. </p>
<p>I thank Teccam for his valuable input and criticism, as well as his Regulator build from which I drew inspiration. </p>
<p>Lastly, I thank James for his brilliant research into both Marked for Death and Drain Vitality</p>
<p><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/curse+never+dying" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651917?profile=original" width="593" height="201" /></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
</div>Character Build: The Skaal Crusaderhttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/character-build-the-skaal-crusader2017-04-23T06:19:10.000Z2017-04-23T06:19:10.000ZCursehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/members/Hantz<div><p><em>This build is a collaboration from</em> <em><a href="https://web-beta.archive.org/web/20150221202634/http://theskyrimblog.ning.com/profile/Raidriar">Raidriar</a> </em><em>and</em> <a href="https://web-beta.archive.org/web/20150221202634/http://theskyrimblog.ning.com/profile/HansJLouis?xg_source=profiles_friendList"><em>Curse Never Dying</em></a><em>.</em></p>
<p>After a short case of builders block, I’m back with another build. After grasping for ideas, and getting distracted by playing some of the awesome builds on here, Phil inspired me to use the Bloodskal Blade on my Crusader build. After thinking about if for a while, I decided to create a Crusader who follows the ways of the Skaal. Curse Never Dying thankfully agreed to collaborate with me on this idea, and it grew into what you see before you! This build utilises some criminally underused weapons, and embodies the true skill of a Skaal in battle. The Bloodskal Blade is an awesome weapon, and needs to be used in the way I believe it was intended; a noble weapon designed for a unique style of melee combat. That means no stealth, no subterfuge, no assassinations, nothing that goes against your honour and pride as a Skaal. So be prepared for the great knight and elementalist that is the Skaal Crusader!</p>
<p align="center"><em>“Sit quietly, child, and listen, for the story I tell you is a story of the ages.”</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}830848262,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903965?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="903965?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>“In a time before now, long before now, when the Skaal were new, there was peace in the Land. The sun was hot and the crops grew long, and the people were happy in the peace that the All-Maker provided. But, the Skaal grew complacent and lazy, and they took for granted the Lands and all the gifts the All-Maker had given them. They forgot, or chose not to remember, that the Adversary is always watching, and that he delights in tormenting the All-Maker and his chosen people.”</em></p>
<p align="center"><em>However, the All-Maker has not forsaken his people. He will send a hero, a holy one, a warrior who will hear the Skaal and aid them in their time of need. He will send…</em></p>
<p align="center"><em><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903995?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903995?profile=original" alt="903995?profile=original" width="709" /></a></em></p>
<p align="center"> </p>
<p style="text-align:left;" align="center"><strong>The Build</strong></p>
<p><strong>Race:</strong> Nord. All Skaal are Nords, making this choice obvious, but if you really can’t stand them any could work, as the Skaal accept anyone who helps them as Skaal-friend. I feel that the resistance and racial power of the hardy Nords suits this character though.</p>
<p><strong>Stone:</strong> Steed. An underused stone in my opinion, but incredibly useful for the Crusader. The advantage of armour weighing nothing and creating no movement penalty is too good to pass up, allowing more room for potions and more stamina for charging.</p>
<p><strong>Shouts:</strong> Become Ethereal, Dragon Aspect, Cyclone, Storm Call</p>
<p><strong>Stats:</strong> 200 Magicka :400 Health :200 Stamina</p>
<p><strong>Major Skills:</strong> Two Handed, Alchemy, Destruction</p>
<p><strong>Minor Skills:</strong> Alteration, Smithing, Heavy Armour, Block</p>
<p><strong>Weapons:</strong> Bloodskal Blade, Stormfang</p>
<p><strong>Apparel:</strong> Nordic Carved Armour, Boots and Gauntlets, Dawnguard Full Helmet, Ring of Destruction, Amulet of Talos</p>
<p><strong>Spells:</strong> Lightning Cloak, Wall of Storms, Ash Rune, Flesh Spells</p>
<p><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904014?profile=original" alt="904014?profile=original" width="250" /></p>
<p>The Skaal Crusader is a noble and strong fighter who utilises two different swords in synergy with two separate melee fighting styles. These styles are amplified by the Crusader’s use of Alchemy, with potions linked to the gifts of the All-Maker herself.</p>
<p>Two ancient blades of Solsteim form the Crusader’s weapons arsenal. Experienced with both swords, the Skaal Crusader is unbeatable in combat, felling the enemies of the Skaal tribes with ease. He can dance around enemies with the Bloodskal Blade, taking them by surprise with his exceptional speed and footwork. He can fade in and out of reality using the power of the tongue, becoming invulnerable and able to whirl effortlessly around his stunned and staggered foes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Using Stormfang, the Skaal Crusader embodies the wrath of lightning, with bolts, cloaks, runes and walls of thunder at his disposal. Only the incredibly brave or incredibly stupid would dare to approach a lightning-charged warrior of the Skaal.</p>
<p>Both of these styles are made stronger with the Crusader’s use of the All-Maker’s powers and benefits for the Skaal, making his sword arm stronger, his body and armour harder, his magic better. His magic consists of spells of the earth, strengthening his hide and encasing his opponents in hardened ash and soil, as well as storm incantations.</p>
<p>As well as this the Skaal Crusader has knowledge of warrior skills, and knows how to parry attacks and guard himself with both armour and blade from his enemies’ strikes. Smithing comes naturally to him, and his weapons and armour are all of legendary quality.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904144?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904144?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="904144?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>"For I must stay to lead the Skaal, and tell our people what is law."</em></p>
<p>Two Handed perks alongside critical damage is a powerful combo when used in conjunction with charges. Two Handed combat turns into a sort of dance, with quick reflexes and sweep making dodging round enemies easy. Great critical charge also becomes a key perk, making starting combat easier and keeping enemies surprised and staggered. Destruction has also been tanked up, with Shock spells being an obvious focus, particularly walls and cloaks.</p>
<p>With a combination of Heavy Armour, Smithing and Alteration perks, the Skaal Crusader can reach the armour cap with little perk investment into the actual armour skill. Alteration also provides access to the new ash spells, to keep enemies inactive while you dual with their friends. Alchemy is used to provide useful buffs and deadly poisons to strengthen your combat styles and increase the power of the All-Maker stones.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904161?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904161?profile=original" alt="904161?profile=original" width="750" /></a></p>
<p align="center"> <em>"Was he made a warrior? Or taught the ways of the shaman? Did he lead the Skaal in battle?"</em></p>
<p align="center"><strong>Equipment</strong></p>
<p>While unenchanted, the armour provides a great look for the Skaal Crusader as well as suiting both themes. The Dawnguard Helmet gives the look of a holy warrior, while Nordic Carved Armour fits in with Skaal cultures and styles. Enchanted pieces aren’t required, though they are very helpful, particularly Fortify Two Handed, Destruction, and Alteration. I myself found some gauntlets that augmented Alchemy, Armour of Destruction and Boots of Two Handed enchants.</p>
<p>For the necklace and ring slot, I recommend a ring of destruction (whatever amount you can get) and an Amulet of Talos. The Amulet, combined with a blessing of Talos, provides a 40% shout reduction, allowing Become Ethereal to be used fluidly throughout combat. This also helps to reduce the costs of Cyclone and Storm Call, which really help with crowd control on the Unending stance.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;" align="right">The two greatswords, Stormfang and the Bloodskal Blade, both suit in terms of lore and gameplay. The Bloodskal Blade is a brilliant weapon, capable of damaging many enemies at a time with both blade and energy wave. The wave does 30 points of damage, which can be increased with weakness to magic potions. Stormfang is equally impressive, if not more so, and does 30 points of shock damage. This damage can be increased to 45 with augmented shock perks, making it a truly deadly weapon, especially against magic using enemies.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;" align="right"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904187?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904187?profile=original" alt="904187?profile=original" width="750" /></a></p>
<p align="center"> <em>“The All-Maker cursed ancient warriors with undeath for committing acts of cannibalism, thus creating the draugr.”</em></p>
<p align="center"> </p>
<p align="center"><strong>Gameplay</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;" align="center"><strong>The Bloodskal</strong></p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}830848461,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904212?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="904212?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" /></a></p>
<p>This first stance involves the pure strength and power of a charging Skaal Warrior. Using a combat stance developed from his Bloodskal ancestors, the Skaal Crusader can effortlessly charge opponents, keeping injuries to him to a minimum with a clever combination of spells, shouts and potions.</p>
<p>Obviously this stance will be focused on the Bloodskal Blade. Alteration spells will be brought to full effect, using Ash Spells to immobilize foes and Ebonyflesh to enhance defence further. Potions of Fortify Two Handed, Health and Stamina Regen are used, as well as Weakness to Magicka poisons to further the Bloodskal Blade’s wave damage. Great Critical Charge and Become Ethereal become the final pieces to this puzzle, and when used in conjunction with each other create a powerful and deadly tactic for beginning combat.</p>
<p>I typically opened battles with a flesh spell, and then used <strong>Bloodskal Charge</strong> to close the gap between me and the enemies. Choose the weakest enemy to charge in a group to take them out of the fight immediately, then use a couple of Ash spells to thin the heard to just a single standing foe to duel with. This stance excels against small groups of melee opponents or single strong opponents, as it keeps them staggered and isolated to the Skaal Crusader’s fury. Mix in Become Ethereal to preserve stamina and get back some health. Use<strong>Lash</strong> for some crowd control if you’re having trouble and <strong>Bloodskal Mastery</strong> for utter annihilation.</p>
<p><strong>The Unending</strong></p>
<p align="right"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}830849773,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904239?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="904239?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" /></a></p>
<p>This second stance embodies the pure wrath and immortality of the All-Maker. The Skaal Crusader wields the ancient Stormfang, blade of the noble Ulfgar the Unending, a Nord searching forever for Sovngarde. Combining the skill of the Unending himself and the electric fury of your patron god, you can decimate your opponents with this combat style.</p>
<p>Lightning is the name of the game here, creating some epic synergy between spell and blade. Storm walls, cloaks and runes are your go to spells, and these are used to create areas for camping. Weakness to shock poisons make these camping points all the more deadly, as foes quickly succumb to the lightning from your traps and greatsword. As you level destruction, you should definitely take the Augmented Shock perks, to enhance Stormfang’s damage. A fully powered Stormfang is deadly in conjunction with Weakness to Shock, doing over sixty damage in shock alone. Fortify Magicka and Destruction potions are also very helpful in increasing magical capabilities. For shouts use both Storm Call and Cyclone, to completely slaughter outdoors and provide great crowd control as enemies are flung around amidst a sea of lightning.</p>
<p>For combat, first survey the foe. If they’re a mage or archer, make a run for them and camp right on their position with a <strong>Storm Bastion</strong>. Ideally back them into a corner so they can’t run and are taking constant DoT from lightning walls, cloaks and poisons. Against melee enemies, use <strong>Storm Bastion</strong> in an open position and let them come to you. Use Cyclone to create even more chaos, and <strong>Smite</strong> when facing massive groups. With a 40% shout cool down, the cool down only lasts double the time of the storm.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904258?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904258?profile=original" alt="904258?profile=original" width="750" /></a></p>
<p align="center"> <em>“The Adversary has many aspects. He appears in the unholy beasts and the incurable plague.”</em></p>
<p align="center"><strong>Achieving Oneness with the Land</strong></p>
<p>The Skaal strive to achieve oneness with the land. They worship the All-Maker, and have their own religion and culture based around him. When something dies, their spirit flows back into the All-Maker, to be remade into something new. Everything the Skaal believe in is based upon balance: in what they take, do, and act in accordance with their religion. All life is sacred to the Skaal, as they only hunt what they need, and gather firewood from dead trees and materials from the earth. They must also remain ever vigilant, for the Adversary, Herma-Mora, and even the traitor himself are constant threats to their ways of life.</p>
<p>To follow the ways of the Skaal Crusader you must uphold this balance. Only kill those who deserve it, and never craft, take or buy more than you need. This means that when creating your armour, only mine the necessary amounts of materials to make and upgrade it, and no more. The Skaal Crusader abhors sneaking or dishonourable tactics, as well as murder and criminal activites. Violence should only be used as a last resort, as the Skaal draw power from peace and harmony. When Harmony is upheld, the Skaal join with the grace of the All-Maker; when it is upset, their power dwindles.</p>
<p><strong>The Ristaag and Ritual of the Gifts:</strong> </p>
<p>The Skaal, when in times of great need, perform rituals to honour the All-Maker. One of these is called Ristaag, a ritualistic hunt to show their gratitude for the All-Maker. This is easily enough translated to Skyrim; the Skaal Crusader would hunt animals across both Solsteim and Skyrim. The Ritual of the Gifts is another way the Skaal honour the All-Maker. They embark on a pilgrimage to each of the sacred stones, and leave offerings there. This restores Oneness with the land, and brings the Skaal closer to the All-Maker. I chose to leave gifts linked to each stone (eg. Animal pelts at the Beast Stone, ores at the Earth Stone, wood and plants at the Tree Stone, etc) for my ritual, although you may find items more fitting if you chose to begin the ritual.</p>
<p>For quests, I’d recommend the <strong>Dragonborn</strong> questline, at least up to <strong>The Throat of the World</strong> in the Main Quest, and generally any quest in Solsteim, to protect and guard your homeland from evils like Ash Spawn, minions of Apocrypha and other malevolent creatures.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904284?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904284?profile=original" alt="904284?profile=original" width="750" /></a></p>
<p align="center"> <em>“There, in the dark, he found the Waters of Life”</em></p>
<p align="center"><strong>Gifts</strong></p>
<p><strong>Armour of the Earth</strong> - Fortify Block+Fortify Heavy Armour+Resist Frost</p>
<p>Bleeding Crown+Slaughterfish Scales+Thistle Branch</p>
<p>Uses: Helpful in situations where you’re being surrounded, use the gifts of the Earth to enhance your physical defenses. This gift is most useful against tough enemies when your defense isn’t enough.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Strength of the Beast</strong> - Fortify Two Handed+Regenerate Health</p>
<p>Emperor Parasol Moss+Fly Amanita+Garlic</p>
<p>Uses: When in battle, take on the strength of the Beast, attacking stronger and with faster regenerative capabilities. This gift is helpful when you need an extra damage boost.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Sanctuary of the Wind</strong> - Fortify Alteration+Restore Magicka</p>
<p>Elves Ear+Grass Pod+River Betty</p>
<p>Uses: Using the magical protection of the Wind, your mystical armour and spells are powered, and your Magicka restored. Best used in conjunction with the Bloodskal stance to enhance your duels.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Blaze of the Sun</strong> - Fortify Destruction+Resist Magic</p>
<p>Glowing Mushroom+Lavender+Wisp Wrappings</p>
<p>Uses: The Sun’s fire and anger fills you, strengthening your destructive abilities and resistances. Essential for<strong>Storm Bastions</strong>, and increasing the damage of Solar Flare.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Calm of the Water</strong> - Restore Health+Restore Stamina</p>
<p>Blue Mountain Flower+Charred Skeever Hide+Netch Jelly</p>
<p>Uses: In the water’s surface there is always calm and serenity, restoring physical attributes. Netch Jelly’s restore stamina effect is doubled, allowing more opportunities for bashes and power attacks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p align="center"><strong>Curses</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Howling Wind</strong> - Slow+Weakness to Poison+Weakness to Shock</p>
<p>Deathbell+Giant Lichen+Trauma Root</p>
<p>Uses: A violent tempest weathers away at your enemy’s very soul, weakening them to the elements and poisons.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Furious Waves</strong> - Damage Stamina Regen+Ravage Health+Weakness to Magic</p>
<p>Creep Cluster+Jazbay Grapes+Skeever Tail</p>
<p>Uses: Waves and water lash against your foe, weakening them to further magical attacks. Great for setting up enemies to use <strong>Smite.</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904394?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904394?profile=original" alt="904394?profile=original" width="750" /></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong> </strong><em>“The Winds rushed out with gale force”</em></p>
<p align="center"> </p>
<p><strong>Special Tactics:</strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904415?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904415?profile=RESIZE_180x180" alt="904415?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="100" /></a>Bloodskal Charge</strong> - "<em>Shrouded by the All-Maker's protection and wielding the legendary blade of his people, the Skaal Crusader charges toward the enemy. The first strike while in this state costs no stamina and deals heavy damage.</em></p>
<p>This combo is the Skaal Crusader's chosen method of opening combat using the offensive stance to surprise the enemy. Wielding the blade of his Bloodskal ancestors, he uses the voice to become Ethereal, and charges the enemy with no effort. They are caught off guard, surprised and staggered from the Crusader's devastating charge.</p>
<p> Requires: Bloodskal Blade, Become Ethereal (1 word), Great Critical Charge</p>
<p>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}830849816,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904429?profile=RESIZE_180x180" alt="904429?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="100" /></a>Lash</strong> - "<em>The crusader lashes forward with his blade in a wide arc, afflicting those he strikes with the curse of Furious Waves. Under this curse enemies take significantly more magick damage from the crusader's mighty weapons." </em></p>
<p>The Bloodskal Blade is coated with a deadly weakening poison, before the Crusader swings it in a wide arc, striking multiple, contaminated foes with both blade and energy wave. This move is most effective against two opponents, allowing you to strike both of them with the weakness at once. Used with Stormfang, enemies will take significantly more lightning damage with every sweep.</p>
<p>Requires: Concentrated Poison, Sweep, <strong>Furious Waves</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}830849962,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904463?profile=RESIZE_180x180" alt="904463?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="100" /></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Bloodskal Mastery</strong> - <em>"Invoking both the powers of the All-Maker and Herma-Mora's forbidden secrets, the crusader takes on the aspect of a raging dragon, dealing colossal damage for a short time."</em></p>
<p>The Skaal Crusader is a master of his chosen weapon, and wields it with eminent skill. Taking on the aspect of a dragon, he gains stronger armour and attacks, and uses Herma-Mora's forbidden knowledge against him to aid the wills of the Skaal.</p>
<p>Requires: Bloodskal Blade, Dragon Aspect, Secret of Strength, <strong>Strength of the Beast</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}830850938,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904482?profile=RESIZE_180x180" alt="904482?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="100" /></a>Storm Bastion</strong> - <em>"Become a living conduit of the All-Maker's fury. Enveloped in raw arcane power, your very presence threatens to reduce all those who approach to ash."</em></p>
<p>Utilizing wall of storms and a lightning cloak, the crusader can create a formidable entrenched position that threatens severe continuous shock damage against any who approach. Combined with Stormfang which will deal heavy shock damage thanks to the gift of the Blaze of the Sun, this special technique will obliterate just about anything foolish enough to approach in seconds.</p>
<p>Requires: <strong>Blaze of the Sun</strong>, Lightning Cloak, Wall of Storms</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}830852163,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904502?profile=RESIZE_180x180" alt="904502?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="100" /></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Smite</strong> - <em>"The crusader's voice tears open the sky itself, calling forth the All-Makers wrath to smite those marked with the curse of the Howling Wind. "</em></p>
<p>After priming all opponents in the vicinity with a weakness to lightning, use Storm Call to call down a vicious aerial bombardment of lightning bolts which will deal heavy damage to those afflicted with the Howling Wind poison</p>
<p>Requires: Storm Call, Lash w/multiple <strong>Howling Wind</strong> poisons</p>
<p>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904521?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904521?profile=original" alt="904521?profile=original" width="750" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>“You have done well. You, the least of the Skaal, have returned my gifts to them. The Greedy Man is gone for now, and should not trouble your people again in your lifetime. Your All-Maker is pleased. Go now, and live according to your Nature."</em></p>
<p align="center"> </p>
<p style="text-align:left;" align="center"><strong>Recommended Mods:</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;" align="center"><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/24909" target="_blank">AmidianBorn Book of Silence</a> - A massive collection of high resolution retexture of all vanilla Skyrim's weapons and armor. The nordic carved armor set looks simply amazing. A must have. </p>
<p style="text-align:left;" align="center"><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/16351/?" target="_blank">YY Anim Replacer - Zweihander</a> - Lug your sword over your shoulder like the bad ass warrior shaman you are. This animation mod replaces the default two handed weapon idle animations with something far better than the batting stance Bethesda gave us. </p>
<p style="text-align:left;" align="center"><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/51166" target="_blank">Storm Wrath Lightning - Fixed Storm Call</a> - This mod makes a few critical changes to the Storm Call Shout. Now it targets only enemies, rains down lightning more frequently and has improved accuracy. The storm also now has a wider radius and follows you as you move. </p>
<p style="text-align:left;" align="center"><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/27153" target="_blank">Field Alchemy</a> - This mod is for the alchemists out there who would like to practice alchemy at any time during their travels. <br /> Now you can create potions and poisons at any time as long as you have your trusty mortar and pestle with you.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;" align="center"><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/56614" target="_blank">Enchanted Arsenal</a> - A brilliant mod that allows full customization of all visual effects of any enchantment. </p>
<p style="text-align:left;" align="center"><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/1558" target="_blank">Alchemists Have Ingredients</a> - This mod alters the inventory of all alchemy shops so they sell all ingredients in much much higher quantities</p>
<p style="text-align:left;" align="center"><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/16553" target="_blank">Harvest Overhaul</a> - This mod allows you to harvest a realistic amount of ingredients, while keeping the balance of Skyrim, and not conflicting with other mods. Every plant and flower (but not ingredients) has been tweaked to yield a realistic amount of ingredients, but with the element of luck. </p>
<p align="center"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2vvHhynft6Q" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p><strong>Credits:</strong></p>
<p>Raidriar for being a great partner and help in the creation of this build</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:line-through;">Phil for original idea</span></p>
<p>Ponty for notes on All-Maker stones</p>
<p>Zimbu for absolutely brilliant screenshots. He’s been going through a lot, and obviously put a hell of a lot of work into these</p>
<p>the Tman for sorting out issues with potions</p>
<p>Quotes are from the in game book "Aevar Stone-Singer"</p>
<p><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/curse+never+dying" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904553?profile=original" alt="904553?profile=original" width="593" height="201" /></a></p></div>Character Build: The Dark Sovereignhttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/character-build-the-dark-sovereign2017-04-22T21:29:57.000Z2017-04-22T21:29:57.000ZCursehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/members/Hantz<div><p><em>This build is a collaboration between <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20160323210137/http://theskyrimblog.ning.com/profile/Raidriar" target="_self">Raidriar</a> and <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20160323210137/http://theskyrimblog.ning.com/profile/HansJLouis" target="_self">Curse Never Dying</a></em></p>
<p>Hello and welcome to Curse’s and my newest collaboration! This has been a long time in the making, and originated as a Dark Crusader, following the success of our Skaal Crusader. Evolving over time, it went through several name changes and revisions to what you see before you; our darkest, deadliest build yet. We’re stepping out of the shadows with the most unapologetic, relentless and chaotic character ever, which will leave Mannimarco and the Berne crippled and broken in the dust. Let us introduce you to....</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903772?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903772?profile=original" width="695" /></a></strong></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903849?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903849?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>They watch....</em></p>
<p align="center"><em>They sit and they watch as the daedra toy with the lives of mortals. They watch as the dragons of old return to this world, and rain fiery destruction from the sky, They watch as the night's children envelope their world in eternal darkness. All of this they witness, and yet as the wicked ravage the world what do the gods do...?</em></p>
<p align="center"><em>Nothing....</em></p>
<p align="center"><em>They do NOTHING! </em>They allow this insanity to continue, watching as their faithful are slaughtered in the name of all that is unholy. But in the end perhaps they don't care. Perhaps they're even laughing. Laughing as the weak, pitiful masses pray for salvation. They do not answer yet still the people pray. They pray that these impotent gods will deliver them from the darkness. They pray to Stendarr for mercy in their dying breaths. They pray to Mara for love where none is to be found. No. These fools do not need love, nor do they need mercy. They need a new sovereign to look upon. They need to be wrested free from the grip of their false gods. </p>
<p align="center"><em>They need a savior...</em></p>
<p align="center"><em>I shall open their eyes and shake them from their false beliefs. I shall rip their notion of nonexistent safety as I destroy everything they hold dear. I will defy their absent gods, and wrench away their believers from underneath them as I desecrate all that they stand for. All will kneel before me and I will show them just how weak and feeble their gods truly are. And when the world burns, when Oblivion itself cowers before me, they will finally see that their false gods have gone deaf to their prayers and abandoned them. Through the ensuing chaos, I shall be the salvation this world needs...</em></p>
<p align="center"><em>And if I must destroy the world to save it, so shall it be...</em></p>
<p style="text-align: right;" align="center"><em>- Ravings of a</em><em> Mad H</em><em>eretic </em><em> </em></p>
<p align="center"><em><strong>  </strong></em></p>
<p><strong>Race:</strong> Altmer. No other race commands such presence and power, and their immense height augmented by a badass armour combo makes for a truly intimidating foe. Extra Magicka and starting with the Fury spell are just an added bonus.</p>
<p><strong>Stone:</strong> Ritual. Nothing like amassing an army from your recently slain foes.</p>
<p><strong>Shouts:</strong> Drain Vitality, Marked for Death, Summon Durnehviir</p>
<p><strong>Stats:</strong> 1 Magicka :7 Health :2 Stamina. The bonus Magicka from being a High Elf allows the majority of points to be put into health, giving this build excellent survivability.</p>
<p><strong>Major Skills:</strong> One Handed, Illusion, Conjuration, Alchemy</p>
<p><strong>Minor Skills:</strong> Heavy Armour, Destruction</p>
<p><strong>Weapons:</strong> Mace of Molag Bal</p>
<p><strong>Apparel:</strong> Daedric Helmet, Heavy Falmer Armour, Daedric Gauntlets, Daedric Boots, Locket of Saint Jiub, Ring of the Erudite</p>
<p><strong>Passives:</strong> Seeker of Shadows, Sinderion’s Serendipity</p>
<p><strong>Recommended Quests:</strong> Volkihar, Conjuration Ritual Spell, Mourning Never Comes, House of Horrors, Rings of Blood Magic, Impatience of a Saint, From the Ashes</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em><strong>The Build</strong></em></p>
<p>Vampiric Grip is undoubtedly the most awesome spell in the Vampire Lord’s arsenal, capable of rendering some of the game’s toughest enemies incapable of mounting any sort of offence against you. It really makes playing a Vampire Lord so much fun, and was always the spell I went for first after accepting Harkon’s gift.</p>
<p>If you couldn’t tell, chaos is the name of the game, and Vampiric Grip is only the tip of the iceberg. Not only is the Dark Sovereign able to throw enemies around like they were toys, he can also create havoc through Illusion spells. Our chosen spell is the Frenzy Rune, which can still affect nearly every enemy in the game despite the lack of dual casting, with perks and the vampire bonus. It also has a wider radius than the other AOE Illusion spells, making hitting groups much easier.</p>
<p>Individual enemies can be dragged from the fray so you can clobber them with your mace. The Mace of Molag Bal was such an obvious choice for us. Its dark enchantments and brutal aesthetics synergize incredibly well with some chosen perks and shouts. The Damage Stamina and Magicka enchantments leave nothing but a trail of crippled, silenced bodies in your wake, and soul trap keeps this nightmare fueled up and running.</p>
<p>Conjuration allows you to raise your armies, and nothing suits the Dark Sovereign better than a pair of Wrathmen. These tanks sport a whopping 900 Health with the Dark Souls perk, and can shrug off hits from the likes of giants and dragons with ease. They provide excellent distractions, and can keep enemies busy for a while due to their hardiness, allowing you to focus down individual opponents. If you need range, the other Soul Cairn summons are happy to oblige, with Mistmen.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830848827?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903880?profile=original" width="750" /></a></p>
<p><em>Burn the world. Burn it all.....</em></p>
<p><em><strong>Weapons and Armor</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>Armor</strong> - As you can see from both Curse’s fabulous art and Okan's amazing screenshots, the armor combo looks badass. The Daedric Armour is made at the Atronach Forge, and the Heavy Falmer Armour can be found on random Falmer Warmongers or on the specific Warmonger in the Forgotten Vale forest which can be accessed via the Ruby Paragon. For best results you're looking for your daedric armor pieces to bear these enchantments.</p>
<ul>
<li>Daedric Helmet of Extreme Magicka</li>
<li>Daedric Gauntlets of Peerless Wielding</li>
<li>Daedric Boots of Peerless Stamina</li>
</ul>
<p>Expect to make an appearance at the Atronach Forge fairly soon in your play through. Conjuration can be leveled exceptionally fast whether you choose to power level or go the more natural route. The Heavy Falmer Armor will take a bit of time to find. You wont start encountering Falmer Warmongers until your late 20's or early 30's. If you're looking for a sinister look to hold you over til then, dont hesitate to forge the daedric chest plate.</p>
<p><strong>Accessories</strong> - Locket of Saint Jiub, Ring of the Erudite</p>
<p>With the Locket of Saint Jiub, Ring of the Erudite and the Altmer racial bonus you’ll gain 120 extra Stamina and 220 extra Magicka, allowing more points to be placed into Health. “Blocking with your face”, a term Curse frequently used, makes sense when you consider holding vampiric grip denies you the ability to block. Luckily, with all that health, you’ll tank harder than any death knight should be capable of and alchemy will boost your health even further. Both accessories can be gained from side quests as part of the Volkihar quest line. </p>
<p><strong>Weapon</strong> - Mace of Molag Bal</p>
<p>No weapon strikes more terror into the hearts of men than Molag Bal's signature artifact. This sinister weapon comes with both soul trap and enchantments that drain both stamina and magicka. Combined with the right poisons the Dark Sovereign can effectively shut down an enemy offensive entirely. A little known fact about the mace: Its stamina and magicka damage are further boosted by taking the 'Augmented Flames' perks. </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830850146?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903897?profile=original" width="750" /></a></p>
<p><em>None can escape my grasp....</em></p>
<p><strong><em>The Inescapable Darkness</em></strong></p>
<p>The main source of inspiration for the Dark Sovereign is none other than World of Warcraft's Death Knight class. Anyone'whose had the misfortune of meeting these unholy warriors in combat can recount the much dreaded experience of being pulled away from what they thought was safe distance, only to face a bludgeoning at their destination.</p>
<p>Imagine our amazement when Bryn discovered that such a power was possible in human form! By following the simple directions below you'll gain access to Vampiric Grip in your left hand, giving you a tool of unlimited chaotic potential. The only enemies who resist this effect are Dragons, Mammoths, Dragon Priests, Mistmen, Bonemen, Wrathmen and Skeletons. All other foes are susceptible to Vampiric Grip, which allows for unprecedented crowd control against almost all types of adversaries!</p>
<ol>
<li>Equip Conjure Bound Sword in your left hand</li>
<li>Use Vampire Lord power and immediately Cast bound sword</li>
<li>When transformed, equip the left hand spell you want to have.</li>
<li>Change power to Revert Form</li>
<li>Use Revert Form, wait until your screen gets blurry and then VERY QUICKLY bring up the quick select menu. It should show that your left hand spell is still equipped, this is a lie.</li>
<li>VERY QUICKLY Press to equip the spell, when you do everything should disappear except Vampire's Sight</li>
<li>Exit quick select menu and quickly charge left hand spell until you revert</li>
<li>You should now have the left hand Vampire Lord spell in your human hand.</li>
</ol>
<p>Vampiric grip offers much in the way of crowd control but carries with it one major flaw - you cant block with the spell equiped. To de-equip the spell would mean having to redo this exploit. With that in mind it is crucial to deny enemies a chance to mount a strong offensive. </p>
<p>The spell can also be used to halt an enemy's advance should the need arise. With a decent supply of magicka, a troublesome enemy can be flung skyward and left to fall to his death. Enemy momentum also affects this skill. If an enemy is running towards you, you’ll pull them faster, and if you let go before they reach you they’ll actually fly past you! This allows for some epic crowd control, especially when outdoors, as foes will often die from being launched across the ground and over a hill. </p>
<p> </p>
<p align="center"><em><strong>Infernal Alchemy</strong></em></p>
<p>Almost everything can be grown in a greenhouse or fish hatchery if you choose. Salt Pile can be found in barrels throughout Skyrim, with Riften being a good farming location. Hanging Moss can be found in the Solitude catacombs. Scathecraw can be harvested in the hundreds around Solsteim, with Raven Rock being a great farming ground. Other than that, Heljarchen Hall should be able to grow everything else you need. If building a home and growing ingredients isn't your thing, that's ok. You'll spot these ingredients quite frequently out in the wilderness. </p>
<p>With two pieces of Peerless Alchemy (I usually go for a circlet and necklace from Radiant Raiment), one of Major Alchemy, and Muiri’s Ring, you can achieve 82% Fortify Alchemy. While that may seem like a random number, combined with Seeker of Shadows (which increases your entire Fortify Alchemy, including Alchemist 5/5, by 10%), you can attain 100% Fortify Alchemy. It works out as 182 + (10% * 182) = 200, so all concoctions are twice as powerful!</p>
<p>This makes your poisons incredibly deadly, particularly Ravage Magicka, which can deprive mages of their entire Magicka pool in seconds. Due to a nifty little bug Ravage Magicka and Stamina poisons act like lingering damage poisons on steroids, unaffected by difficulty and doing <u>four times</u> their damage per second on Master. This makes up for the fact they cannot stack, but you’ll never notice the difference when you’re silencing an Arch Warlock’s 500 Magicka pool in a mere 9 seconds. This provides some crazy synergy along with Drain Vitality and the Mace of Molag Bal, giving you the ability to prevent mages from casting and warriors from power attacking or sprinting.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Grim Fortitude</strong></span> – Fortify Conjuration 150% + Fortify Health 120pts + Restore Health 188pts</p>
<p>Blue Mountain Flower + Lavender + Wheat</p>
<p>Uses: Empowering himself alongside his minions, the Dark Sovereign can wade into battle alongside hordes of undead and decimate his enemies with ease. Summons will last you for whole dungeons when you factor in Conjuration perks, allowing you to reserve your Magicka for more Vampiric Grip or Frenzy Runes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Essence of Might</strong> – Fortify Health 120pts + Fortify One Handed 120%</p>
<p>Canis Root + Hanging Moss + Wheat</p>
<p>Uses: This concoction enables the Dark Sovereign to hit over twice as hard, making his mace a truly deadly weapon. The extra health lets you survive much longer as well, so you needn’t worry about additional healing while fighting.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Mark of Affliction</strong> <strong> </strong>– Lingering Damage Health 30pts + Paralysis 30s</p>
<p>Canis Root + Imp Stool + Mora Tapinella</p>
<p>Uses: A truly sadistic poison, which leaves an opponent crippled and dying a slow, painful death. One for the sadist, this allows you to engage with the Dark Sovereign’s chaotic and brutal side. Best used when your enemy is too close for comfort and you lack the magicka to cast him aside with your vampiric grip. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-family: "";"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Magebane</strong> </span>– Lingering Damage Health 30pts + Ravage Magicka 60pts</span></p>
<p>Frost Miriam + Mora Tapinella + Scathecraw</p>
<p>Uses: When combating mages, the Dark Sovereign can empower his mace and quickly draining their Magicka and Health. What’s so great about this poison is it does 60 Magicka damage <u>every second</u>, and they aren’t affected by difficulty. The most powerful mage opponents (Arch Pyro/Cryo/Electo/Necromancers) only have 500 Magicka, so after 10 seconds they’ll have lost a quarter of their Health and their entire Magicka pool.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Curse of Weakness</strong></span> – Lingering Damage Health 30pts + Ravage Stamina 60pts</p>
<p>Deathbell + Mora Tapinella + Scathecraw</p>
<p>Uses: A similar poison which is instead applied to warriors to prevent them from power attacking, bashing, or running away. They’ll be limited to their base attacks, and unable to stagger you or your minions.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830847332?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830847332?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;" align="center"><em><strong>Gameplay</strong> -</em>You’ll start the game with a basic Fury spell so you can level your Illusion immediately. Priorities are to get to level 10 so that you can start Dawnguard and acquire Vampiric Grip as soon as possible. During this leveling phase you should also aim to complete House of Horrors, giving you your weapon with some stat draining capabilities. </p>
<p style="text-align: left;" align="center">Destruction should be trained with the money made from crafting potions, empowering your mace and preparing you for Frenzy Rune. Once you’ve reached level 60 you can leave that skill behind, and focus on the remaining five. Once you’ve accepted Harkon’s gift you should play as the Vampire Lord for a while to get three key perks: Power of the Grave, Vampiric Grip, and Unearthly Will. The former is mandatory, and the latter two give you your spell and reduce its cost by 33%. With the Altmer bonus and the Ring of the Erudite you can sustain a grip for quite a long time, giving you massive crowd control against almost all enemies. </p>
<p style="text-align: left;" align="center">Vampiric Grip can be a lifesaver early on. Ever ran into a bear or sabre cat and been mauled without any chance of resistance? We feel your pain. Tougher animals can be a bitch at earlier levels, but Vampiric Grip nullifies their danger as you can simply pick them up and throw them off a cliff! If they get back up you can rinse and repeat.</p>
<p>After you’ve obtained Vampiric Grip, leveling Conjuration should become a priority. Getting the Sigil Stone early so that you can craft your armor at the Atronach Forge is a must. The chestpiece can be acquired later in the Forgotten Vale, or from random Falmer encounters. Heavy Armour will likely need training, as it lags behind compared to other skills. Once you feel confident enough you should get to Solsteim to buy the Frenzy Rune from Talvas and get Seeker of Shadows from White Ridge Barrow.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em><strong>Role-play</strong></em> - As for role-play, I liked to compare this character to Heath Ledger's Joker from the Dark Knight (RIP). He has no rules, no boundaries, and will stop at nothing to accomplish one thing and one thing only: chaos. This is the type of character you can do almost anything with, since the Dark Sovereign can justify any action. Feel like razing a town? Just practicing. Joining the Dark Brotherhood? Smashing faces is fun. Saving the world from a murderous dragon? Less competition. He's a mad man with no plan, and exists only to bring a little chaos into everyone's life. Vampiric Grip allows for some brilliant roleplaying oppurtunities, and if you feel like throwing Jarl Balgruuf off of a cliff, do it! He might just glitch out and get stuck down there. Chaos is all he knows, and he's itching to introduce some anarchy in the most diverse ways. Just make sure you do so with as much cheerful sadism as possible, and you'll certainly have as much fun as we did!</p>
<p>Curse took a more lawful evil approach with his play through as a Dark Sovereign who sees himself as a savior, in a twisted sense of the word. Chaos is still the order of the day, and this RP angle is just as boundless as my more chaotic evil approach. Here the dark sovereign seeks to purge the world of the influence of the Divines, and does so by wreaking havoc to show the world how absent from this world the gods truly are. Every major quest and event in the game is seen as something that can be used to further the Dark Sovereign's goals, or a threat to the plan that must be eradicated. Needless to say you'll be heavily invested in the vampire side of the Dawnguard questline. There you'll usurp Harkon's position and proceed with his diabolical plan to blot out the sun. It will truly seem as thought the world as we know it is ending as the sun is replaced with an ominous red void. </p>
<p>Whatever flavor of evil you choose, one thing remains consistent: chaos. And oh the fun you'll have causing chaos throughout the land. You wont find a better character suited for razing entire cities. </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830851197?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651841?profile=original" width="750" /></a><em>Gaze upon what I have wrought and despair....</em></p>
<p><em><strong>Abilities</strong></em></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830852506?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651865?profile=original" width="133" /></a>Oblivion Grasp</strong> - <em>The Dark Sovereign harnesses the dark energy that surrounds and binds all matter, and forcibly pulls a chosen enemy towards his location.</em></p>
<p>A classic death knight technique. While enemies are too busy slaughtering each other in the ensuing chaos, the dark sovereign can rip opponents of his choosing away from the fray and eradicate them one by one.</p>
<p>Requires: Vampiric Grip in human form</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: "";"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830852506?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651898?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="128" /></a></span>Divide & Conquer</strong> - <em>The Dark Sovereign sows chaos and dissent among the ranks of his enemies, causing all affected to turn on each other. Afflicted foes lose armour and deal ever increasing damage to each other every second.</em></p>
<p>Sow Chaos allows the Dark Sovereign to turn an enemy's large, clustered numbers into a liability. This buys the sovereign some time to pull enemies away from the fray to deal with individually and also serves to make each subsequent enemy weaker than the last.</p>
<p>Requires: Marked for Death, Frenzy Rune, Rune Master</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830852506?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651939?profile=original" width="135" /></a>Soul Crusher</strong> - <em>There are many ways to kill a man, but the Dark Sovereign knows that to crush a man's spirit is to truly destroy him. This sinister technique rapidly depletes an enemy's stamina and magicka, and prevents them from regenerating.</em></p>
<p>This vicious combination of debilitating effects renders a single opponent completely defenceless and tips the scale in favour of the Dark Sovereign. With power attacks and magic effectively cut off, no one enemy can mount a decent counterattack once he's been singled out.</p>
<p>Requires:  Drain Vitality, Bone Breaker 3/3, Mace of Molag Bal, Augmented Flames </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830852431?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651976?profile=original" width="128" /></a>Legion of the Dead</strong> – <em>Assembling an army of darkness and death, the Dark Sovereign leads his battalion of evil minions into battle alongside a mighty undead dragon.</em></p>
<p>Durnehviir in conjunction with the Ritual Stone makes for a formidable army when the need arises to match the numbers of a large enemy force. Best used outdoors, as Durnehviir can struggle inside. He is also capable of summoning his own thralls, further increasing the size of your dark army, and these merciless underlings can be strengthened further with Courage and Rally.</p>
<p>Requires: Ritual Stone, Durnehviir, Master of the Mind, Courage/Rally</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830852711?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7652012?profile=original" width="676" /></a></p>
<p><em>"Prostrate yourselves before me and beg for a place in the new world I offer. Your so-called heroes and your gods struggle against inevitability - powerless to stop what is to come." </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><em>Tactics</em></strong></p>
<ul>
<li>The Dark Sovereign excels at decimating both crowds as well as individual foes. If you've ever played World of Warcraft's death knight class, you'll grasp how the Dark Sovereign functions fairly quickly. His abilities are designed to flow into each other smoothly, and if performed correctly destroy his foes with little chance of retaliation.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The inability to block is the Dark Sovereign's one glaring weakness. Most of your abilities are centered around diversion, debilitation, and crowd control. Use all of that to your advantage because you wont last long if multiple enemies form a united attack against you. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Don't hesitate to use vampiric grip to halt the advance of a troublesome enemy. If terrain conditions allow it, hurl enemies off ledges and let the fall damage kill them. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Always try to initiate combat with <strong>Divide & Conquer</strong>. It is an invaluable tool for taking enemy focus off of you. It also leaves enemies highly vulnerable to your other techniques</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>While enemies are busy slaughtering each other, use <strong>Oblivion Grasp</strong> to start pulling individuals towards you. Once an enemy is pulled into melee range use <strong>Crush Their Spirits</strong> to deal heavy damage and destroy any chance your foe has of effectively retaliating. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Soul Crusher</strong> is especially effective against mages and dragons. Mages become utterly useless once their magicka has been sapped, and dragons are left with only their melee attacks. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Speaking of dragons. Conjuring minions to distract the beast is a very good idea. Once they land use your minions to keep it busy and destroy the dragon flank. With minions distracting the dragon, and his breathe attack neutralized, a dragon becomes much less of a threat. Just be wary of the dragon's tail smash and wing attacks. </li>
</ul>
<p>  </p>
<p><strong>Closing Notes and Credits:</strong></p>
<p>First of all I'd like to thank Curse for being such a fantastic collab partner. He also made me a kickass signature down below, so thanks again! It's been a brilliant project and I look forward to the next!</p>
<p>Bryn, for posting a discussion on the glitch.</p>
<p>James' discussions on Ravage poisons and Drain Vitality.</p>
<p>HeroicXVC for his fantastic video.</p>
<p>A huge thank you goes out to Okan Zeeus for the amazing screenshots. </p>
</div>Character Build: The Night Reaverhttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/character-build-the-night-reaver2017-04-22T20:50:50.000Z2017-04-22T20:50:50.000ZCursehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/members/Hantz<div><p>This build beautifully combines many of my first time experiences into one awesome mix. Never before have I tried a no crafting build. But, not content to try just one new thing, I threw in vampirism, archery, bound weaponry, and necromancy in for good measure. Never would I have imagined all of these separate things working together so perfectly. Read on and you'll come to appreciate the beautiful synergy yourself. I present to you the.....</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>The Night Reaver</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830847899?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903831?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="903831?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="756" height="508" /></a></p>
<p align="center"> <em>Nothing inspires wild-eyed terror among witch hunters quite like a night reaver. These sinister stalkers of the night are those among the dead who hunt witch hunters, turning what was once the predator into prey. Whether for vengeance, self preservation, or the thrill of a meal that fights back, these undead hunters flip an age old food chain upside down. Night Reavers make a mockery of their prey, often employing their target's own tactics against them, but whereas witch hunters abhor necromancy, night reaver revels in the psychological torture of turning one's dead friends against them. .…</em></p>
<p align="center"><em><span class="font-size-5">The Build</span></em></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">The Night Reaver is a master marksmen as well as a powerful necromancer, able to transform mass carnage into loyal undead thralls, who will fearlessly charge enemy ranks. The advantage of numbers rapidly deteriorates into liability as even a lone night reaver can quickly amass an army to send charging back after whatever remains of their former allies. The Night Reaver combines two unlikely partners, archery and necromancy, into an absolute powerhouse necro-archer that can easily walk into a 10 on 1 fight and come out unscathed and on top.</p>
<p>The night reaver is capable of activating slow time for substantially long periods of time. Combine that with the absolutely ludicrous speeds you can fire a bound bow, and you'll essentially be firing a bound semi automatic weapon, while side stepping attacks like a boss. Arguably this build's best feature? No Crafting!! You wont find yourself bent over crafting tables. Its fast paced running and gunning from start to finish.</p>
<p><strong>Race:</strong> <strong>Nord Vampire</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>A Nord may seem like an odd choice for an archer/necromancer, but in actually the Nord's resistance to frost damage synergizes well with that of the vampire's, offering the night reaver near total immunity to frost damage. Battle Cry is also an essential piece to a rather nasty special combo. </li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Stone:</strong> <strong>Ritual & Atronach Stone</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Atronach & Ritual Stone - The atronach stone bestows a nice 50 magicka bonus, which is essential for using the bound bow as soon you find the spell book. In addition the 50% chance of absorbing spell damage comes in handy for those occasional fire spells you might neglect to dodge.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The Ritual Stone worn on the Aetherial crown will allow you to raise the dead without the need to switch out your bound bow. In addition, there are no limits to the number and level of undead you can raise. Perfect for raising cannon fodder to divert the enemies' attention.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Stats: 0 Magicka 1 Health</strong> <strong>2 Stamina</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>*Important*</strong> You'll be putting your first 5 points into magicka before switching to this ratio. From there follow the above ratio until your health hits 200 points then dump everything into stamina from there on out. This in addition to the atronach stone allows you to use the bound bow as soon as you get it. The ample stamina allows for many focused shots and evasive maneuvers</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Gear: Vampire Royal Armor, Vampire Gauntlets & Boots, Ring of Erudite, Aethereal Crown, Talos Amulet</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>This loadout is designed to grant you a large magicka pool that regenerates quickly with minimal investment into magicka. The Talos amulet coupled with its respective blessing lowers slow time's cool down by 40%. At this build's peak, you will be able to slow time down for about 45 seconds with a mere 5 second wait in between shouts.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Spells:</strong> <strong>Bound Bow, Frenzy Rune, Invisibility</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Bound Bow will be your main weapon. Its a very strong early game weapon; About as strong as having an unsmithed daedric bow right at the start of the game. Frenzy Rune is a great tool for initiating combat when combined with Throw Voice. Lastly, invisibility makes for a nifty scouting tool. I can walk into a hold with bounty over my head unnoticed. Within an enemy camp, I can scout around and safely get a visual on the strongest enemy of the group, or the weak easy pickings.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Shouts: Slow Time, Throw Voice, Become Ethereal, Marked for Death</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Slow time offers a much needed speed boost which enables quick evasions and swift attacks. Throw Voice is the perfect way to misdirect foes and initiate combat when used with frenzy rune. Become Ethereal finds its use when jumping down from lethal heights or surviving a dragon's fire breathe if caught off guard. Marked for Death is useful for those encounters with fire breathing dragons, affording you the ability to play more defensively while still applying damage and armor reduction. And, oh yeah, its part of a really nifty combo I'll discuss further down. </li>
</ul>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}14320576,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}14320576,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="14320576?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="759" height="405" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Archery:</strong> The main damage dealing skill. Once all the necessary perks are taken, each shot will have a 50% chance of staggering, 20% chance of a critical hit and a 15% chance of paralyzing a target. Nothing is getting close to you without a fight at that point.</p>
<p><strong>Conjuration:</strong> This skill tree is all about augmenting the bound bow by reducing its cost and increasing its damage. The soul stealer perk is great for making some gold, and oblivion binding will prevent enemy necromancers from effectively using their raised dead.</p>
<p><strong>Restoration:</strong> Necromage is such an awesome perk for a vampire to pick up. It affects everything from self casted spells to even archery perks like power-shot and quick shot, granting them 50% bonus effectiveness. </p>
<p><strong>Alteration:</strong> You wont be casting any alteration spells on yourself, but stability is a key perk to pick up in order to increase slow time's duration.</p>
<p><strong>Illusion:</strong> This tree carries many perks essential to both surveillance and survival. Invisibility and Frenzy Rune are powerful tools but cost a ton of magicka to use until masteries are perked. Quiet Casting makes readying your bow for a preemptive strike easier.</p>
<p><strong>Sneak:</strong> Deadly aim is intentionally left out of this build to make it very difficult to play this build as a sneak archer. You'll be fighting out in the open with nothing but your evasive skills to keep you alive. Silent roll makes for a thrilling evasive maneuver while under the effects of slow time. Nothing's more satisfying than dodging a power attack with a roll and firing an arrow into the attacking enemy's back.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903979?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903979?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="903979?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="760" height="428" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Gameplay</strong></p>
<p> Immediately pick up a bow at the start of your adventure until you get access to the bound bow. I recommend a run through Bleak Falls Barrow (It seems everyone starts there) to build up your archery and dump those first 5 levels into magicka. Make friends with Faendel before you leave Riverwood. As both a follower and trainer, you can use him to level up archery to 50 for free. Pick up the bound bow in Fort Amol and the Atronach stone on your way to Riften. </p>
<p>It's good to get into the Thieves Guild questline early as it is a good source of money and provides excellent sneak training. While you're in Riften head over to Fort Dawnguard and begin the Dawnguard questline. Join the Vampire's side as soon as you're able. </p>
<p>Archery, Conjuration, and Sneak will be very easy to level along the course of your adventure. Restoration can be trained via Collete at the College of Winterhold. Along side that turn undead spells will grant you fairly quick levels in restoration. If that's not fast enough healing yourself while standing on a fire trap will also level restoration very quickly. Ustengrav is an easy location to find such a trap, although you must make a little progress in the main quest to access it. </p>
<p>Lastly, Alteration can be leveled up easily by spamming detect life spells in crowded cities. I walked away with enough levels to grab Stability on my first trip to Riften. Illusion is even easier to level. Simply spam courage spells on any living thing you come across. </p>
<p> <strong>Breaking the Game - The Slow Time and Ritual Stone Exploits</strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830849680?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904033?profile=RESIZE_480x480" alt="904033?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="360" /></a></strong>I normally avoid using more than one exploit in a build, but in this case I feel these two exploits bring much in the way of power to the build while still keeping things balanced. Its all fair game when you're sporting 200 health and less than 50 armor. </p>
<p>The Slow Time exploit allows you to extend slow time's duration's duration well past its normal limits. To utilize it you must become a vampire and pick up the necro mage and stability perk.</p>
<p>Necromage makes anything cast on the undead 50% more effective. Due to faulty coding, you reap the increased benefits of self casted spells and shouts as a vampire. Stability further increases the duration by another 50%. The Talos amulet and blessing reduce the cool down time of slow time by 40%. The end result is appearing as a swift moving blur to your enemies for just shy of 30 seconds ( 2 words) with only a 5 second cool down in between. </p>
<p>The ritual stone exploit is even simpler. All you need to do is get the aethereal crown and attach the ritual stone to it. Once that's done you'll be able to bypass the ritual stone's daily use limit. You need only take off and reequip the aetherial crown to reuse the stone. The ritual stone completely beats out any necromancy spell. There are no level caps or limit to the number of undead that can be raised, and best of all you wont need to de-equip your bow to use it. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Advanced Archery Techniques</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830847571?profile=original"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830847571?profile=original" alt="830847571?profile=original" width="362" height="203" /></a>For the expert archers in the audience, these are advanced techniques that help bring out this build's full potential. None are absolutely necessary to make the build viable, but they're worth perfecting for this and any other archer build you might like to try. I tend to use the first technique pretty much all the time, while the other two I use more sparingly.</p>
<p><strong>Reload Canceling -</strong> </p>
<p>Reload canceling allows you to skip through some of the animations your character performs after firing an arrow, thus allowing you to ready a new arrow much quicker. To perform a quick reload press the fire and sheathe button simultaneously. Once mastered your DPS will be significantly higher. </p>
<p><strong>Bow Bashing -</strong></p>
<p>Bow bashing allows you to do full attack damage with a bow bash. This technique comes in handy when attacked by enemies that can get into melee range very quickly. To perform this technique notch an arrow and then sheathe it. While sheathing the arrow immediately hit the bash button. If performed correctly an enemy hit by the bash will take damage equal to what he would have taken if hit by your arrow. </p>
<p><strong>The Double Shot -</strong></p>
<p>I've rarely ever found myself using this outside of those rare clutch moments. The double shot allows you to essentially fire two arrows in a single draw. The second arrow will not travel nearly as far as the first nor will it deal as much damage, but it will still apply on hit effects such as staggers, paralysis, and critical damage. The double shot is performed by pressing attack - sheathe - attack in rapid succession immediately after firing the first arrow. Its a useful technique for those close quarter fights. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> <strong>Special Combos </strong></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830851001?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651849?profile=original" alt="7651849?profile=original" width="134" /></a><strong>Agility</strong></p>
<p>Requires: Slow Time + Necromage + Stability + Talos Amulet & Blessing</p>
<p>The Night Reaver is uniquely gifted with both super natural agility and perception. Through intense focus she can move many times faster than her enemies and anticipate attacks long before they even begin.</p>
<p>The Night Reaver's most essential combo. Agility is what will keep this frail character alive when up against overwhelming numbers. Agility will enable you to anticipate and dodge attacks with ease. It will also allow you to quickly create or close distances as well as circle around and flank enemies before they can react. Agility is a great tool to use especially in close quarters.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651879?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651879?profile=original" alt="7651879?profile=original" width="134" /></a>Strafe</strong></p>
<p>Requires: Agility+ Quick Shot + Reload Canceling</p>
<p>The Night Reaver fires a continuous rapid volley of arrows at multiple targets. Strafe is at its deadliest when focused on a single target and applies all on hit effects from archery perks</p>
<p>This combo goes hand in hand with Agility. The bound bow alone does not scale all that well damage wise. Raw firing speed, however, is more than enough to make up for the drop off in damage. Performed right, this will allow you to send more than enough arrows down range to suppress an approaching squad, or quickly kill off a strong enemy or two with a deadly concentrated volley. You can also, as the move name suggest, move while performing this technique, making you a more difficult target to hit. The only downside to Strafe is the inability to zoom in on a target. At later levels, when powershot and bullseye are unlocked, strafe can potentially induce staggering or paralyze </p>
<p>-</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651915?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651915?profile=original" alt="7651915?profile=original" width="135" /></a><strong>Dark Whispers</strong></p>
<p>Requires: Throw Voice + Frenzy </p>
<p>Projects a mysterious taunting voice that calls out to unsuspecting foes, luring them into a fatal mind trap.</p>
<p>A useful way to initiate combat against a large number of enemies, especially when theyre spread out. This combo leaves enemies completely vulnerable to the night reaver's other combos. Once activated, go nuts with strafe and produce as much carnage as possible while the enemy is too busy killing each other. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651945?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651945?profile=original" alt="7651945?profile=original" width="134" /></a>Dark Pulse</strong></p>
<p>Requires: Aethereal Crown + Ritual Stone</p>
<p>The Night Reaver conjures a pulse of dark magical energy, raising all previously slain enemies within a wide range for 60 seconds.</p>
<p>By now Strafe has produced quite a few kills. What to do with all these corpses? The age old crown + ritual stone combo allows you to raise anything you've killed within its casting range. Dark pulse enables the night reaver to keep on the offensive by turning anything dead into a free decoy and meat shield. These newly raised minions are great for taking much needed pressure off the night reaver, allowing her to flank the enemy and produce even more casualties to raise. Even one undead minion will be enough to distract most, if not all enemies in the area.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830852090?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830847674?profile=original" alt="830847674?profile=original" width="135" /></a><strong>Torment</strong></p>
<p>Requires: Battle Cry + Marked for Death</p>
<p>The Night Reaver torments an enemy, afflicting his mind with unspeakable horrors and his body with a terrible curse. Tormented enemies are unable to attack and take gradually increased physical damage from all sources for 30 seconds.</p>
<p>The most deviously evil thing you can do to an enemy, and the perfect way to turn the tables on a single powerful enemy. Torment gives you free reign to attack an enemy while they cower defenselessly, taking ever increasing damage each second. Combined with a group of undead minions, the damage caused by this combo can rack up at insane rates.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> <strong>Tips & Tactics</strong></p>
<p><strong>Prey on the weak -</strong> Its almost always to your advantage to focus on weak enemies first. The sooner you're able to<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830847874?profile=original"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830847874?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="830847874?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" height="528" /></a> raise yourself an undead meat shield, the sooner enemy focus will shift away from you, allowing you to produce more casualties and more undead. Failing that, focus on the enemies closest to your position. </p>
<p><strong>Keep Moving - </strong>In a large battle its important to keep moving to dodge incoming attacks and to avoid being surrounded. Even with the advantaged gained from agility, you wont likely see attacks from behind coming. Always look for opportunities to flank the enemy while they're busy fending off your undead minions. </p>
<p><strong>Start the Fight with a Bang - </strong>Always open with dark whispers when faced with a large enemy force that's spread out (I'm lookin at you Hag's End) While they're busy killing themselves, start strafing targets down starting with the weakest. In no time you'll produce a small army from the chaos that will easily overrun anyone left standing. </p>
<p><strong>Enemy Types -</strong> Most enemy fights will go about the same way with the exception of automatons, who cant be brought to life, and the undead, who along with automatons will not succumb to the effects of illusions (its only fun to toy with mortals after all). The undead can still be brought back to life (again) so take advantage of that. Don't hesitate to go nuts against enemy necromancers. They use mostly ice spells (which you're practically immune to), and their undead can be turned thanks to the oblivion binding perk. </p>
<p><strong>VS Dragons - </strong>Ice dragons are no challenge at all. Just avoid letting them get close enough for a bite and you'll be fine. Now fire dragons are your worst nightmare. One breath will all but disintegrate you. Play very defensively against fire breathers. Use Marked for Death to soften the beast up. If you're having a really hard time against fire dragons, consider luring them into populated areas. Any non essential NPC killed can be raised over and over to fight by your side. Living or dead, guards and innocent bystanders provide excellent distractions (what's a mortal's life worth anyway?) </p>
<p><strong>The Unkillable Meatshield - </strong>If you kill an enemy while hes paralyzed and then raise him, he will not move from where he was killed, and will just walk in place. Undead in this odd state can still be targeted by the enemy, but they will not take damage nor can they deal damage. Take advantage of this by focusing on slaying any enemy you manage to paralyze. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Recommended Mods</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/35717/?" target="_blank">Belt Fastened Quiver</a> - Repositions all quivers (including bound bow) to hang from the waist instead of the back.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/16975/?" target="_blank">New Animation for Running with Bows</a> - Replaces that awkward vanilla bow running style with something much more natural looking</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/42169/?" target="_blank">Demon Hunter Armor</a> - A bad-ass, yet ironic choice of armor for the aspiring hunter of hunters.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/58139/?" target="_blank">Humanoid Vampires</a> - Becoming a vampire will no longer alter your facial appearance and features</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/36158/?" target="_blank">Undead FX</a> - Introduces a new effect to all necromancy spells. Upon reanimation, the undead slowly begin to rot away until they are nothing but walking hunks of flesh and bones. A very gruesome must have.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/14532/?" target="_blank">Stickier Arrows</a> - The perfect mod for any archer. It increases the number of arrows that can protrude from the body to 150 arrows and drastically increases the duration arrows will stick inside the body.</li>
</ul>
<p>-</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IrnDwxcBDgI" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mwszM-eezAk" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JV5nwKOO6Hk" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p><strong>Closing Remarks</strong></p>
<p>Nothing much to say here. As always enjoy the build and if you have any questions ask them below. </p>
<p><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/curse+never+dying" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651984?profile=original" alt="7651984?profile=original" width="548" height="186" /></a></p></div>Character Build: The Force Adepthttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/character-build-the-force-adept2017-04-22T18:43:33.000Z2017-04-22T18:43:33.000ZCursehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/members/Hantz<div><p><span style="color: #000000;">I wanted to explore ways to bring out the full potential of destruction magic, without employing the usual combo of illusion and conjuration spells to cover its many weaknesses. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">So every aspect of this build revolves around making the destruction school, a much underrated school in my opinion, truly shine. This build will be quite a treat for destruction school fans looking for something unique as well as powerful.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>The Force Adept</strong><em style="font-size: 10pt;"> </em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><em><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903751?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903751?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"></a></em></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #000000;">"<em> Much like blood magic, force magic poses considerable risks to the foolish or inexperienced. When one taps into the power of this uncommon school, they draw power from the very forces that bind the fabric of our world together, forces that have crushed more than one foolish apprentice into a singularity. However, those who master force magic are a fearsome sight in battle, bending the fabric of space and time to their whim, crushing their foes like rag dolls, and showering them in an endless volley of magical energy."</em></span></p>
<div align="right">
<em>-Excerpt from 'Forbidden Arts: Catalog of Banned Magic Schools' 3E 201</em>
</div>
<div align="right">
</div>
<div align="right">
-
</div>
<div align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<span style="color: #000000;">Whereas normal mages are limited by their supply of magicka, force adepts are able to tap into infinite magicka reserves by generating powerful gravity wells, allowing them to rapidly absorb energy from external sources. This self-generated, infinite power source can grant a lone force adept the power to easily decimate entire squads in an unending barrage of offensive spells.</span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;">In addition to launching deadly magic salvos, Force Adepts are able to greatly hinder their opponents' ability to fight effectively; distorting the flow of time to slow enemies down, weakening molecular bonds within armor and flesh, flattening opponents with powerful kinetic shock waves, or rendering their opponents completely motionless within powerful stasis fields. All this, coupled with the ability to render enemy spells all but useless, make force adepts a force to be reckoned with.</span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;">The purpose of this build is to become an offensive powerhouse as early in the game as possible. This means no enchantment grinding or or advanced atronach stones. On its own, destruction does fairly sub-par damage at higher levels, a fact which becomes even more problematic due to the high cost of destruction spells early on. This build drastically ramps up the DPS of destruction magic by allowing you to completely ignore magicka costs and continually rain down pain on your enemies.</span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;">This build is also designed to somewhat upset the balance on how a typical pure mage is played. Most mages are not the stand your ground types. Getting the full benefit out of this build requires you plant your position and stand firm. But never fear, the endless firepower at your disposal however makes it incredibly difficult, and downright impossible in many situations, for enemies to ever reach you.</span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Race:</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> Breton. Their naturally high magic resistance make them the perfect fit for this class. Bretons also start with a bonus to many key magic schools. Dragonskin is also a life saver early on when faced with strong mages.</span></span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Stat Distribution:</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> 2 (M) : 1 (H) : 0 (S). A large magicka pool is important but you can afford to invest more into health than most mages, given your unique means of replenishing magicka</span></span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Standing Stone:</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> Atronach. The atronach stone will absorb magic from your self generated gravity wells (more on that in a bit) and magic from enemies. Coupled with the atronach perk and all three levels of magic resistance, the Force Adept has very little to fear from enemy magic</span></span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Spells:</strong></span>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Destruction:</strong> Chain Lightning, Ice storm, Ice spear, Thunderbolt, Lightningstorm, Whirlwind Cloak</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Alteration:</strong> Ebony Flesh, Paralyze, Telekinesis</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Restoration:</strong> Close Wounds, Circle of Protection</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Conjuration:</strong> Storm Atronach, Ash Guardian</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Powers:</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> </span><strong>Blessing of Talos</strong><span style="color: #000000;">, coupled with its respective amulet, grants you a nice 40% shout cool-down. You'll be using Slow Time a lot so this will come in handy. </span><strong>Secret of Arcana</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> is helpful if you're caught outside your gravity well and you need a quick supply of magic. Lastly </span><strong>Companions insight</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> will stop those powerful spells and shouts of yours from incinerating your buddies along side the enemy.</span></span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Major Skills</strong></span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Destruction:</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> Your sole means of dealing damage. All aspects of this build revolve around bringing forth the full potential of this school. Shock and frost spells happen to work very well when paired together. This build takes full advantage of that.</span></span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Alteration:</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> All of your defensive needs are covered with alteration. Since you'll be using heavy gauntlets and boots (I happen to think mages look bad ass in robes and heavy gauntlets & boots), you wont be getting any use out of mage armor, but this matters very little since your primary strategy is to keep your enemies at projectile range.</span></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<strong>Alchemy:</strong> You've got the magickal equivalent of infinite ammo, but sometimes you'll need some added fire power to go along with that. That's where alchemy comes in. At a high enough level you can effectively double your spell damage. Use your enchanting skill to create strong fortify alchemy gear to get the most out of your potions.
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Restoration</strong><span style="color: #000000;">: The Circle of protection spell needed to create the “gravity well” is rather expensive to cast. With 50% of the cost cut, one can generate a gravity well with only a sliver of magicka remaining. Restoration will also be your only means of restoring health</span></span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Minor Skills</strong></span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Enchanting:</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> Much of the force adept's combos call for dual casting spells, which increases the cost of these spells by 200%. Enchanting equipment for additional magicka ensures the force adept has a large enough pool of magicka to handle any spell.</span></span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Conjuration:</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> To give your gravity well its magicka absorbing properties, a storm atronach is required for reasons which will be made clear soon.</span></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;" align="right">
<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903783?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903783?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"></a>
<em>The creation of a well of gravity to attract ambient magicka is but the most basic application of force magic, but there is so much more to be rediscovered. </em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<span style="color: #000000;">The Force Adept maxes out at a fairly manageable level. Destruction will be easy enough to level over the course of your adventure, as will Enchanting. Alteration can be maxed out in mere minutes by spamming the detect life in densely populated cities. Once you're able to absorb spells either through the atronach perk, stone, or both, restoration can be leveled up to 65 or so using any fire trap. The quest to recover the horn of Jurgen Windcaller is one place to find these traps. Lastly, Conjuration merely requires a dead body and a soul trap spell to quickly level. Leveling is made even easier once you can cast "gravity well" which, as luck would have it, you can obtain very early in your adventure.</span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Quickest Method:</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> The quickest way to get into this build is to grab the Atronach stone and use a fire trap to level up restoration to 65. From there you can travel to the College of Winterhold and buy circle of protection. While you're there visit the Midden and create a storm atronach spell tome. Follow the instructions below on the circle of protection exploit and, along the way, spam detect life in Riften to max alteration and get the atronach perk.</span></span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Shouts:</strong></span>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Slow Time:</strong> By creating a large field of dense gravity, a force adept can disrupt the flow of time within a limited space, causing everything within this space to move slower.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Unrelenting Force: </strong>A powerful kinetic shock wave, useful for launching opponents like rag dolls. Enemies are left vulnerable to follow up attacks either by yourself or your allies, provided they haven't been knocked clear off a cliff.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Equipment</strong></span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>●Armor - Arch Mage Robes, Daedric Gauntlets/Boots</strong></span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Robes: </strong><span style="color: #000000;">+50 Magicka, 100%Recharge, -15%Spell Cost</span></span>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Boots:</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> Fortify Stamina</span></span>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Gloves:</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> Fortify Magicka</span></span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;">The Arch Mage's Robes come pre enchanted with many powerful magic effects. The Force Adept does not make use of Mage Armor perks, so feel free to match the robes with whatever armor or clothes you want. In my initial play through I went with Daedric Gauntlets and boots, but don't feel like you have to go with those if you dont find them as aesthetically pleasing as I do. I enchanted my boots for stamina, because why not? You wont find any helpful magic effects to enchant your boots with. The Daedric Boosts and Gauntlets can be obtained rather easily through the atronoch forge. It requires the completion of the master conjuration ritual quest, but that is hardly a hurdle as conjuration can be leveled to 90 in minutes by casting soul trap on dead bodies. As luck would have it, this build can easily train any magic skill tree to max level.</span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>●Circlet - Mage's Circlet - Fortify Magicka</strong></span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;">The Mage's Circlet provides a significant boost to your magicka pool. It can grant up to 70 extra magicka depending on your level when you reach that point in the College quest-line. The Mage's circlet can easily be replaced with any enchanted circlet if you get the mage's circlet too early</span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>●Ring - Fortify Magicka</strong></span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;">Same deal as with the circlet. You want as much magicka as you can pack on. A sizable magicka pool is a good back up when standing within the "gravity well" is unfeasible.</span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>●Pendant - Talos Amulet</strong></span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;">The Talos amulet grants you an invaluable 20% cool down reduction which allows for more frequent use of Slow time. Combined with the Blessing of Talos you're looking at a 40% cool down reduction on all shouts.</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;" align="right">
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Infinite Magic - Generating the Gravity Well</strong></span>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #000000;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904022?profile=original" target="_self"><span style="color: #000000;"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903805?profile=original" width="270" height="202"></span></a></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<span style="color: #000000;"><span style="color: #000000;">This exploit is rather simple, especially once you get the hang of it. You will need the atronach perk, stone or both, as well as a storm atronach and Circle of Protection spell. The storm atronach spell can be obtained at any point in the game. Just walk into the Midden with the required ingredients ( mammoth tusk, ruined book, void salts, deathbell). You don't even need to talk to anyone once you've gained entrance to the College to access the Midden.</span><br> <br> <span style="color: #000000;">Once you have what is needed, all you need to do is summon the storm atronach (might take a few tries depending on your absorption rate). Use a weak spell like flames or frost bite to agitate the atronach. Once he's turned on you, your goal is to get hit with its explosive burst attack. Once that has happened, kill or expel the atronach. From here on out every time you cast Circle of Protection, your magicka will be rapidly refilled so long as you are within the circle.</span><br></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<span style="color: #000000;"><span style="color: #000000;"> </span></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
-
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;" align="right">
<span style="color: #000000;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2JQ0DGglu9I" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;" align="right">
<span style="color: #000000;">-</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<span style="color: #000000;">As the video touched on briefly, getting hit by any explosive spell ( ie anything that would normally cause you to stagger) will dispell the effect. If that happens, dont fret. The well can be regenerated through the above method easily. What I've found out while testing this is that even if I was hit by an explosive spell I could still draw magicka from the well just fine until the battle I was currently in ended.</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<span style="color: #000000;">Its worth it to note that you will always be able to absorb magicka from the spell guardian circle, and nothing will change that unlike with circle of protection. The only draw backs to guardian circle over circle of protection is that the former takes longer to set up and does not last as long as the latter. </span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<span style="color: #000000;">-</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<span style="color: #c0c0c0;">-</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<strong><span style="color: #000000;">Chemical Augmentations</span></strong>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<span style="color: #000000;">Originally Alchemy was not a part of this build, but on a recent play through of this build I thought about seeing what alchemy could do for this build. Needles to say, holy crap was I missing out. A potion of fortify destruction (hence forth referred to as "augmentation elixir") can effectively doubles spell damage, making the Force Adept truly a mage to be reckoned with. It also amplifies the range of whirlwind cloak making it significantly more effective of keeping enemies at a comfortable distance. </span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<span style="color: #000000;">The Timeflux Tincture increases the duration of all alteration spells and effects. For those of you who don't know already, Slow Time is categorized as an alteration affect, meaning its duration can be effectively doubled with this potion. This is especially helpful for those moments where you need some time to set up your position or you need time to elude your enemy if overrun. </span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<span style="color: #000000;" data-mce-mark="1">Alchemy is also helpful in the early on where a simple potion to restore magicka will go a long way to helping you in the early game. </span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<span style="color: #000000;" data-mce-mark="1"> </span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903829?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/14178860?profile=original" width="50"></a>Timeflux Tincture</strong>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<strong>Effect: </strong>Fortify Alteration. Alteration spells cast within 60 seconds last 75% longer.
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<strong>Ingredients:</strong> Spriggan Sap, Grass Pod
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<span style="color: #c0c0c0;">-</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903864?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/14178863?profile=original" width="50"></a>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<strong>Augmentation Elixir</strong>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<strong><span class="font-size-2" style="color: #000000;">Effect:</span></strong>
<span class="font-size-2" style="color: #000000;">Fortify Destruction. Destruction spells are 100% stronger for 60 seconds</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<strong><span class="font-size-2" style="color: #000000;">Ingredients: </span></strong>
<span class="font-size-2" style="color: #000000;">Nightshade, Glowing Mushroom</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<span style="color: #c0c0c0;">-</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<strong><span class="font-size-2" style="color: #000000;">Special Techniques</span></strong>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
-
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="right">
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830847356?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830847356?profile=original" width="133"></a><strong>Gravity Well</strong></p>
<p><em>Requires: Circle of Protection or Guardian Circle, Atronach Stone, Atronach Perk</em></p>
<p><em>Creates a localized gravitational anomaly that redirects and draws magical energy towards the caster, replenishing magicka instantly. The caster must remain within the anomaly to maintain this bonus.</em></p>
<p>This combo creates a space on the battlefield where magicka can be instantly replenished. It opens the way to a devastating array of combos and allows high cost spells to be cast freely without worry over magicka costs. If you're using this with guardian circle you'll likely need the Master Restoration perk.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830847356?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651882?profile=original" width="133"></a></p>
<p><strong>Temporal Distortion</strong></p>
<p><em>Requires: Slow Time, Stability, Blessing + Amulet of Talos, Timeflux Tincture (optional)</em></p>
<p><em>Magnifies the gravitational field surrounding the caster resulting in a massive localized temporal distortion. Time will flow significantly slower within the field, granting the caster a significant speed advantage over their enemies.</em></p>
<p>This combination will cause time to slow down for a significant duration. Its perfect for those situations where the enemy is advancing upon you quickly and you need to evade them. Works wonders for setting up Gravity Well with Guardian Circle as you'll have ample time to charge the master spell.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830848354?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830848354?profile=original" width="133"></a>Arc Flash</strong></p>
<p><em>Requires: Gravity Well, Dual Casting, Chain lightning, Impact, Augmentation Elixir (optional)</em></p>
<p><em>The Force Adept fires off a deadly continuous volley of electricity that jumps from enemy to enemy.</em></p>
<p>Chain lightning is quite powerful against small groups of closely clustered enemies, but if not for the "gravity well" you'd quickly run out of magicka, especially when dual casting. The Impact perk stuns targets on each hit making it easier to keep groups of enemies at bay. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830848376?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830848376?profile=original" width="135"></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Absolute Zero</strong></p>
<p><em>Requires: Gravity Well, Temporal Distortion, Ice storm, Deep Freeze Perk, </em>Augmentation Elixir (optional)</p>
<p><em>The Force Adept charges a massive sphere of energy of near absolute freezing temperature that is sent barreling towards the enemy. Enemies caught in the blast are slowed, take massive health/stamina damage, and are even frozen if weakened enough. </em></p>
<p>The continuous fire of dual casted ice storms, while under the effects of Slow Time, creates a massive ball of frost that quickly barrels its way towards enemies. Enemies hit by this take damage from every ice storm in the combo. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830848376?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651928?profile=original" width="133"></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Vortex</strong></p>
<p><em>Requires: Dual Casting, Whirlwind Cloak, Augmentation Elixir</em></p>
<p><em>The Force Adept generates and surrounds herself with a massive vortex of energy. Any enemy within range of this field of energy will be knocked back</em></p>
<p>Destruction dual casting and a potion of fortify destruction greatly enhances the range of whirlwind cloak. Enemies will likely find themselves flung back well before they get within melee range. This means less instances of having to retreat from your gravity well to escape approaching enemies. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830849683?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830849683?profile=original" width="134"></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Particle Beam Cannon</strong></p>
<p><em><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Requires: Gravity Well, Lightning Storm, Disintegrate Perk, <em>Augmentation Elixir (optional)</em></span></em></p>
<p><em>Fires a focused stream of un-quantifiable destructive energy. Enemies caught in the blast take immense damage per second and are reduced to ash if weak enough.</em></p>
<p>Releases immense levels of raw destructive energy against your enemy in the form of a focused stream of pure energy. This combo is able to reduce most anything it touches to dust within seconds. Aside from its slow charge up time, this combo cannot stagger opponents. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p><strong>Tactics <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830849807?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830849807?profile=original" width="254" height="572"></a></strong></p>
<p>Gravity Well is the center piece of the build and you'll be opening most battles with it. The well can be rapidly placed, as circle of protection is a fairly quick spell. This is especially helpful should you need to re-position yourself in the middle of battle, or the enemy has succeeded in overrunning your position. In a long range fire fight against archers, you can place the well behind cover, and strafe your enemies, while ducking back into cover to dodge arrows and replenish magic.</p>
<p>Temporal Distortion allows these combos to rapidly pile on damage on their target. It also gives you much needed time to act. Even at near point blank range, it enables you to hit your enemy multiple times before they finally make it close enough to hit you. Most enemies are typically dead or very close to dying after enduring one of these combos under the effects of slow time.</p>
<p>Absolute Zero is a very valuable combo against swift moving enemies such as archers and mages, who typically like to strafe targets, as it covers a lot of horizontal ground as it lurches forward. Its also helpful against massive crowds of enemies (ie 5 or more) as there is no cap to the number of enemies that can be targeted. Everyone in the way is going to be in a world of trouble.</p>
<p>As any decent tactician is aware of, its not a smart move to clump together, especially against a mage. Should your enemies make this fatal flaw show them the error of their ways with Arc Flash. </p>
<p>Vortex makes melee enemies much less of a hassle. If you're opting to use Guardian Circle to summon your Gravity Well you'll welcome the breathing room this combination will give you. </p>
<p>Dragons are just about the only magic wielding enemy that can effectively hurt you. but with Particle beam you're able to sap them dry of their magicka and put them on the defensive. Just remember Particle beam does not stagger targets, so be wary of your target's movements while using this.</p>
<p>Gravity well performed with circle of protection can occasionally be disrupted by explosive attacks or magic effects that induce stagger. The version performed with guardian circle does not have this issue, although it takes more magicka and more time to prepare that version of gravity well. If you've opted for the guardian circle for reliability sake, consider bringing long a follower to help cover you while you charge you spell. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Recommended Mods</strong><br> <br> This build was originally tested on the console version. So everything mentioned in this build works just as well on console as it does on PC. But if you're a PC player who wishes to take this character further, here are some recommended mods to improve your experience.<br> <br> <strong><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/33914/?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YY Anim Replacer - Mystic Knight</a>:</strong> This is an animation replacement pack for magic casting animations. If you're sick of your character hunching over to cast spells like some scrub apprentice, you definitely want to try this out. The animations are meant to make you look more confident, elegant, and experienced as you cast spells.<br> <br> <strong><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/14692/?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Burn Freeze Shock Effects</a>:</strong> Adds devastating burning, freezing, and calcification effects to all destruction spells and effects. So now when you blow enemies away with a barrage of destruction magic, they may be left completely calcified or frozen solid in ice.<br> <br> <strong><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/8479/?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spells Will Give Off Light</a>:</strong> Since you're slinging spells like there's no tomorrow, you might as well treat yourself to a dazzling light show while you do it. As you hold and cast spells, they will give off light appropriate to the color of the spells themselves.<br> <br> <strong><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/40190/?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Immersive Sounds - Magic</a>:</strong> This mod adds a ton of diversity to the sound effects spells. The destruction sound effects are especially impressive. Shock spells erupt with powerful thunderous boom, and the sound of roaring winds can be heard as you lay waste to enemies with Ice Storm.<br> <br> <strong><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/20077/?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tribunal Robes</a>:</strong> Force Adepts are magicans of strange, and unfathomable power, so for a look that screams just that look no further than the Tribunal Robes mod. This mod comes in several colors and armor classes. There are other mods out there that offer even more color texture options. The armor pieces are all unenchanted so its easy enough to compensate for the stats you'll miss out on by choosing this over the Arch-mage's robes.<br> <br> <strong><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/36849/?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Immersive College of Winterhold</a>:</strong> No play through as a mage is truly complete without a run through the College of Winterhold. The ICoW mod completely revamps every aspect of the college from the ground up. Schedules are revamped, new rooms, exhibits and study areas have been added, and the senior professors have access to far more powerful spells - So they truly look and feel like masters of their chosen school of magic. All n' all, ICoW makes the College of Winterhold truly feel like an actual, serious college for magical study.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lXHGmOF2u1k" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><strong>Closing Remarks</strong><br> <br> As always thank you for taking the time to read my build. I hope you all enjoy the Force Adept as much as I did. Feel free to check the link below to view my other character builds.</p>
<p><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/curse+never+dying" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651986?profile=original" width="613" height="208"></a></p>
<p> </p>
</div></div>Character Build: The Brutehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/character-build-the-brute2017-04-22T17:59:59.000Z2017-04-22T17:59:59.000ZCursehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/members/Hantz<div><p>I've wanted to revamp this creation a bit for quite some time. There were 4 major areas I focused on with this revamp: I trimmed a lot of fat from the build making this character build much easier to level and thus more accessible to players. I shed away what I felt were needless aspects of the build. What was once a level 54 character build now maxes out at a much more accessible 43. Things were added and changed to further emphasis what makes the Brute stand out. Lastly, I gave the build a slight format and visual update as well. </p>
<p>All the core components you know and love about this build are still intact. You'll still tear through the enemy like a force of nature, and you'll be able to enjoy that power much sooner than ever before. Overall, I'm quite proud with how this revamp came out and I'm happy to present once again...</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}50705900,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}50705900,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="376" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830852930?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830852930?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a>        <em>"Brutes rely on their immense strength and relentless fury to overwhelm their enemies. Regardless of the injuries they suffer, they battle on. They are like avalanches or onrushing floods in battle, veritable forces of nature that cannot be stopped, merely endured until they have vented their boundless rage. Easily a match for ten of any hold’s best soldiers, a single colossal blow from a brute’s war hammer is enough to outright kill or grievously injure anyone caught in its path."</em></p>
<p>The brute is a different take on playing a warrior. Rather than taking defensive measures to ensure survival in battle, the brute prevents his enemies from mounting a decent attack to begin with. With the constant threat of being scattered like weakling rag dolls, the brute is able bully his enemies and utterly crush them. Enemies face an uphill battle against a veritable monster, whose health regenerates faster than they can deplete it.</p>
<p> If you’re not afraid to throw down, fight dirty, and crush your opponents into a fine bloody paste as they lie battered and beaten in the dirt, begging for mercy, then look no further than the build that puts the brute in brutality.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>The Build</strong></p>
<p><strong>Race:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Argonian</strong> works best for this build. They make capable warriors and their Histskin ability compliments the brute’s already impressive regenerative capability.</p>
<p><strong>Orcs </strong>are another awesome choice for this build. Their racial ability, berserk rage, allows them to push the brute's offensive capabilities to ungodly levels.</p>
<p><strong>Nords</strong> are another solid choice. Although they lack the survivabiity of the argonian, or the terrifying strength of the orc, nords get a nice starting boost to many warrior skills. Battle cry can prove useful early on and it just makes sense for enemies to turn tail and run from a maniac wielding a 50lbs sledge hammer.</p>
<p><strong>Stats: <span style="color: #ff0000;">Health 4</span>/ <span style="color: #339966;">Stamina 1</span>/ <span style="color: #000080;">Magicka 0</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Stone:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Lady</strong> <strong>Stone</strong>. The Brute is all about maintaining offensive momentum above all else. The Lady stone offers an increased 25% regeneration rate to both health and stamina, which compliment the enhanced regeneration from skills and enchantments quite well.  </p>
<p><strong>Skills: </strong></p>
<p><strong>Two Handed:</strong> The main damage dealer. The immense damage dealt by your hammer will enable you to overwhelm blockers, stagger enemies, and penetrate defenses.</p>
<p><strong>Block:</strong> Keeping opponents off balance, scattered, and otherwise unable to attack is a vital. Bashing and shield charging enable you to do just that.</p>
<p><strong>Smithing:</strong> Strong weapons are essential. A strong enough damage rating enables you to take a sizeable chunk out of an enemy’s health bar, blocking or not.</p>
<p><strong>Enchanting:</strong> Provides powerful health regenerating enchantments, which will be your only source of healing other than potions you may find along the way. Don’t underestimate how quickly a brute can recover health in combat</p>
<p><strong>Light Armor:</strong> Invested into solely for the wind walker. Without stamina regeneration, your offensive momentum will run out very quickly. Coupled with the Lady stone and the Bardic Knowledge skill, you will have an impressive 125% stamina regeneration rate. Feel free to go nuts with the power attacks!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Equipment & Enchantments:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Armor - Dragon scale helm, boots & gauntlets, Forsworn Armor</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>     <strong>Armor:</strong> Fortify Health & Health Regeneration<br />
<strong>     Boots:</strong> Fortify Stamina & Two-Handed Damage<br />
<strong>     Gloves:</strong> Two-Handed Damage <br />
<strong>     Helmet:</strong> N/A</p>
<ul>
<li>A brute always dresses to intimidate, and nothing screams intimidation more than wearing a suit of armor made from the carcasses of your slain enemies. The enchantments used focus on maximizing damage and health regeneration. The dragon scale armor pieces and the extra effect perk take a bit of time to obtain, but are well worth the effort. In the meantime you should focus on enchanting armors with health regeneration and boots and gauntlets with two handed damage.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Weapon: Dragon Bone Warhammer</strong></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>You'd be hard pressed to find a more fitting weapon. There's simply nothing more brutal than beating the ever living shit out of a dragon with the bones of his own brethren. Elemental fury is the reason you shouldn't enchant your warhammer. Health absorb might be tempting, but its not worth it. Health regeneration is more than enough and warhammers swing way too slowly to gain much from absorption enchantments.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Ring/Pendant - Two Handed Damage & Health Regeneration</strong></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Go for health regeneration over two handed damage until you get the extra effect perk. Amulets and rings pre enchanted with health regeneration are relatively common random loot in dungeons. If you find them, keep them until your enchanting levels are high enough to craft better ones.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>The Bottom Line</strong>
<ul>
<li>To recap: 100%+ health regen from enchantments (I've gone a high as 33% per item), and 25% from the Lady Stone = approx. <strong>125% health regeneration at all times</strong>.</li>
<li>Wind Walker perk and the Lady Stone = <strong>75% constant stamina regen</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Spells, Powers & Shouts:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Dragon Aspect:</strong> A brute's rage and intensity in the heat of battle is enough to give even dragons pause.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Become Ethereal:</strong> When the going gets tough, a brute is able to buckle down and summon the will power to endure their opponents' blows, no matter how vicious the attacks.</li>
<li><strong>Elemental Fury:</strong> When coupled with Dragon Aspect, a powerful and fast offensive combo is created.</li>
<li><strong>Powers:</strong> Seeker of Might</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}55286084,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}55286084,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p>Most of your stats will be invested into HP to compensate for your low defenses. With the lady stone and wind walker, a constant 75% stamina regeneration rate is possible. You'll also be enchanting for extra stamina so large investments into stamina are unnecessary. Two Handed and Blocking are your first priority. The sooner you're able to shield charge, the much safer combat against large groups will be. During your early levels your priority enchantment should be health regeneration and two handed damage, be it from accessories you find or craft yourself.</p>
<p>If you're looking to get those two skills out of the way as quickly as possible, take advantage of the Hadvar exploit while escaping Helgen to level up two handed. Just keep smashing him with a two handed weapon repeatedly when he stops to point out the sleeping bear in the caves. Block can be leveled up from 15 to 100 in about an hour by taking advantage of the giants by Whiterun. Simply lower your game difficulty to Novice and equip your best shield. Allow the giants to wail on you as you block. You'll gain about a full level for every single attack up until about 60 or so.</p>
<p>Dont let yourself get discouraged by the need for dragon smithing. Smithing is a fairly manageable skill to level up. Take advantage of the warrior stone you start out with as well as the easily attainable dwarven smithing perk. Many dwarven ruins house tons and tons of dwarven ingots as well as scraps that can be melted down into more ingots. Use those in conjunction with iron ingots to make mass amounts of dwarven bows. You'll hit level 100 easy and come away with a decent chunk of change to boot.</p>
<p><strong>**Improving your armor at a forge is not necessary as keeping enemies from attacking to begin with is the point of this build. Low armor and high attack power is more in keeping with what this build is about**</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Special Combos:</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830854204?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830854204?profile=original" width="135" /></a><strong>Rampage:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Requires:</strong> Shield Charge </p>
<p><em>The Brute charges full steam ahead into enemy ranks, scattering everyone and everything in the way like a rag doll</em></p>
<p>As you know by now Shield Charge can be done without a shield by simply mashing the block button while sprinting. Its a simple and very effective tool for bullying your enemies and keeping them too scattered to mount a credible offense. Use it whenever enemies are crowding you and you'll take most of them out of the fight for several seconds. </p>
<p> -</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830854317?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830854317?profile=original" width="136" /></a><strong>Unbreakable:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Requires:</strong> Become Ethereal + Become Ethereal Meditation + Health regen enchantments + Lady Stone</p>
<p><em>Through shear force of will the Brute is able withstand all manner of attacks, becoming invulnerable to damage for a brief duration. Unbreakable also grants a bonus to health regeneration and plenty of time for it to take effect.</em></p>
<p>This combo takes advantage of your incredible health and stamina recovery speeds, allowing you to recharge a sizable portion of health while immune to harm. You can easily replenish over 50% of your health over time. While bidding your time, you can toss enemies around with Rampage and it wont cost an ounce of stamina nor break the ethereal effect. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830854289?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830854289?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="135" /></a><strong>Unstoppable:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Requires:</strong> Dragon Aspect + Histskin + Seeker of Might + Elemental Fury</p>
<p><em>The Brute flies into a blind rage, becoming an unstoppable force of destruction. Unstoppable Force grants massive bonuses to health/stamina regen, attack speed and attack damage.</em></p>
<p>Once the brute gains momentum, he cannot be stopped. This combo pushes your offensive and regenerative capability to the limit. It's best saved as a last resort against very powerful bosses, as it is a combination of 3 once-a-day skills. Substitute histskin for health regeneration potion and throw in Berserk Rage if you're using an Orc.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Strategy:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Your goal in every battle is to bully your enemies by keeping them scattered and on flat on their backs, and then hit them hard while they’re vulnerable. Your survival depends on disrupting enemy action, as brutes lacks the armor rating to tank repeated blows. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Don't hold back on power attacks. With such a high stamina regen rate feel free to slam down power attacks with reckless abandon. Damage output is far more important than conserving stamina. Most enemies don't last very long against the full might of the Brute. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Shield Charging with a Two handed weapon can be done by running while repeatedly tapping the block button. The knock down chance is calculated every time your "shield" is raised or lowered.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>You will want to be wary of archers. If present, take them out first. Dont hesitate to use Unbreakable and walk right up to them and crush them. Apply this same tactic against mages.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Use Rampage to throw enemies off ledges. It doesn't take much distance to kill enemies through fall damage.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>If the enemy manages to deplete more than 50% of your health, use Unbreakable. With 150% health regeneration, and 3 word 'Become Ethereal', you can restore over 50% of your total health easily.</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Closing Remarks</strong></p>
<p>Its been a blast creating this build. I hope you guys will give it a try and enjoy it as much as I have. As always, thanks for the continued support.</p>
<p><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/curse+never+dying" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7652008?profile=original" width="622" height="211" /></a></p>
</div>TES Character Build Archiveshttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/tes-character-build-archives2017-04-22T06:18:14.000Z2017-04-22T06:18:14.000ZCursehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/members/Hantz<div><p><a href="https://www.nuka-scrolls.com/filedata/fetch?id=4103&d=1477798799" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903627?profile=original" alt="903627?profile=original" width="600" /></a><br /> <em>Welcome to The TES Character Build Archives! On this page all of the sites Elder Scrolls character builds can be navigated to quickly through our ever expanding tag network. Builds found here are categorized by archetype and play-style so you can refine your search and find the perfect Skyrim character.<br /> <br /> Adding a tag is as simple as entering the name of the tag itself in the field at the very bottom of the page and hitting enter. No quotation marks are needed. Adding tags is an excellent way to make it easy for others to find your build. Use as many tags as you wish, within reason, that adequately describe your build. To help you along we've included a list of commonly used tags below. Each play style tag comes with a brief description.</em></p>
<div align="center"> </div>
<div align="center"><strong><em>______________ Play-style Tags_____________</em></strong></div>
<div align="center"> </div>
<div align="center">-</div>
<div style="text-align:left;" align="center">
<ul>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/archer" target="_blank">Archer</a> - Peerless marksman who rely almost entirely on bows or cross bows to get the job done. </li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/juggernaut" target="_blank">Juggernaut</a>- Tough, resiliant characters covered head to toe in nigh impenetrable heavy armor</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/knight" target="_blank">Knight</a>- Honorable defenders willing to take the brunt of any attack in place of their allies</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/barbarian" target="_blank">Barbarian</a> - Brutish, aggressive fighters who prefer an overwhelming offense over a cautious defense</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/monk" target="_blank">Monk</a> - Combatants who rely almost entirely on hand-to-hand combat.</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/warrior" target="_blank">Warrior</a> - Pure fighters proficient in all manner of arms and armor, seldom relying on stealth or magic </li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/blacksmith" target="_blank">Blacksmith</a> - Characters that create and/or temper their equipment</li>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/crusader" target="_blank">Crusader-</a> Holy warriors devoted to the eradication evil</li>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/dual-wield" target="_blank">Dual-Wield</a> - Aggressive fighters who wield weapons in both hands </li>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/duelist" target="_blank">Duelist</a> - Agile fighters who prefer finesse over brute strength </li>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/defender" target="_blank">Defender</a> - Stalwart warriors whose proficiency with shields make them nigh unassailable opponents. </li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align:center;">-</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/necromancer" target="_blank">Necromancer</a> - Dark mages whose foul magicks can raise the dead and cripple their foes.</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/healer" target="_blank">Healer</a> - Supportive mages who specialize in life saving restoration magic and powerful buffs. </li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/mage" target="_blank">Mage</a> - Pure spell-casters skilled in many schools of magic. Entirely reliant on magic.</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/witchhunter" target="_blank">Witchhunter</a> - Skilled mage archers who hunt down daedra, vampires and other abominations.</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/spellsword" target="_blank">Spellsword</a> - Powerful melee combatants who augment their fighting skills with various spells</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/illusionist" target="_blank">Illusionist</a> - Mages who specialize in manipulating minds, altering perceptions of friend and foe alike.</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/summoner" target="_blank">Summoner</a> - Mages who specialize in the summoning all manner of otherworldly beings </li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/enchanter" target="_blank">Enchanter</a> - Characters that imbue their equipment with magical effects</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/battlemage" target="_blank">Battlemage</a> - Mages who thrive in the heat of battle, preferring deadly close range spells</li>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/sorcerer" target="_blank">Sorcerer</a> - Heavily armored mages who often cannot generate their own magicka but typically absorb it through other means.</li>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/entropist" target="_blank">Entropist</a>- Mages who specialize in poison, decay, disease, and other damage over time spells as well as status ailments.</li>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/warlock" target="_blank">Warlock</a> - Those who harness magical power through unconventional means such as, but not limited to blood magic or pacts with higher beings. </li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align:center;">-</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/adventurer" target="_blank">Adventurer</a> - True generalists who use martial prowess, skull-duggery, and sorcery in equal measure.</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/scout" target="_blank">Scout</a> - Mobile and tactical warriors who focus on combat skills with a dash of guile or finesse.</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/assassin" target="_blank">Assassin</a>- Quiet killers, these types attack from the shadows against unsuspecting prey.</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/thief" target="_blank">Thief</a> - Pure stealth characters who use quick hands and a sliver tongue, and prefer not to fight.</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/acrobat" target="_blank">Acrobat</a> - Agile fighters who use speed and agility to their advantage</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/alchemist" target="_blank">Alchemist</a> - Characters skilled in the crafting and use of powerful potions and deadly poisons</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/agent" target="_blank">Agent</a>- Social, charming types when they want to be seen, and nearly invisible when they don’t.</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/nightblade" target="_blank">Nightblade</a> - Mages who work from the shadows, using stealth to supplement their magical abilities.</li>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/rogue" target="_blank">Rogue</a> - Scoundrels willing to employ dirty, underhanded, and often illicit tactics to get their way. </li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align:center;">-</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/bound+weapons" target="_blank">Bound Weapons</a> - Characters who make use of conjured weapons</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/no+crafting" target="_blank">No Crafting</a> - Characters who do not use any crafting skills</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/mage+armor" target="_blank">Mage Armor</a> - Characters who rely primarily on flesh spells for defense</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/unarmored" target="_blank">Unarmored</a> - Characters with little to no armor rating</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/dragonborn" target="_blank">Dragonborn</a> - Characters who make heavy use of shouts</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/werewolf" target="_blank">Werewolf</a> - Characters who use their werewolf form extensively</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/vampire" target="_blank">Vampire</a> - Characters who utilize vampirism</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/hero" target="_blank">Hero</a> - Characters devoted to good and justice</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/villain" target="_blank">Villain</a> - Characters wholly devoted to evil</li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/mods" target="_blank">Mods</a> - Characters that rely heavily on game modifications</li>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/ordinator" target="_blank">Ordinator</a> - Character Builds that utilize perks from the Ordinator perk overhaul. </li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong style="text-align:left;"><em>______________ Race Tags_____________</em></strong></p>
<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903833?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903833?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="903833?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="481" height="345" /></a>
<p>If your character's race plays a critical role in your build, or you want your build to be easier to find for anyone looking for a particular race, you can add a race tag. Simply type the race you want in the tag bar just like you would for playstyle tags. </p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/altmer" target="_blank">Altmer</a></li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/argonian" target="_blank">Argonian</a></li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/bosmer" target="_blank">Bosmer</a></li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/breton" target="_blank">Breton</a></li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/dunmer" target="_blank">Dunmer</a></li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/imperial" target="_blank">Imperial</a></li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/khajiit" target="_blank">Khajiit</a></li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/nord" target="_blank">Nord</a></li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/orsimer" target="_blank">Orsimer</a></li>
<li><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/redguard" target="_blank">Redguard</a></li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align:center;">__________<em><strong>Character Build Ranks</strong></em>___________</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/77/34/29/773429709b4434bb6fc8d36df1c9ed5b.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/77/34/29/773429709b4434bb6fc8d36df1c9ed5b.jpg?width=600" alt="773429709b4434bb6fc8d36df1c9ed5b.jpg?width=600" width="600" /></a></p>
<p>You may have noticed the 5 tier rank structure that now occupies the group's front page. Build ranks are but one of many methods we use to keep our growing collection of builds well organized and easy to find. In this case builds are separated based on their quality, as determined by the number of <strong>'likes' </strong>awarded to them. What makes this rank system fair is that you, the members decide which builds to 'like', thus deciding which builds advance in rank and which ones do not.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/rank%3Anovice" target="_blank">Rank:Novice (0 - 5 likes)</a></strong> The lowest rank of builds is reserved for brand new builds, builds that could use a lot of improvement, and sometimes builds the author clearly didn't care to put effort into. Any and all new builds posted to the group start here and work their way up as more 'likes' are gained.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/rank%3Aapprentice" target="_blank">Rank:Apprentice (6 - 8 likes)</a></strong> The second rank, reserved for builds that have advanced passed the Novice rank. While the builds that ultimately settle here aren't usually the best the group has to offer, they're definitely worth a look.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/rank%3Aadept" target="_blank">Rank:Adept (9 - 12 likes)</a> </strong>The third rank, for quality builds that have been well-accepted by the community, as proven by the number of 'likes' accrued up until this point. This rank and above is a good place to start looking if you're after inspiration for your own builds.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/rank%3Aexpert" target="_blank">Rank:Expert ( 13 - 19 likes)</a></strong> the fourth rank, is for high quality builds that have received more than 12 likes. These builds are excellent examples of what Character Building is all about.</p>
<p>The coveted <strong><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/rank%3Amaster" target="_blank">RankMaster rank ( 20+ likes)</a></strong> is reserved for highly popular builds with 20 likes or above. The builds within this rank show off the best this community has to offer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;">__________<em><strong>Events & Contests</strong></em>___________</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CVAm1GhWsAAJpcU.jpg" alt="The Elder Scrolls Online on Twitter: "Reason 777: Getting a ..." width="510" height="288" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> </p>
<p><strong>~ Events ~</strong></p>
<p><strong>- 2018 - </strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/event%3Ateams" target="_blank">Teams</a> - An event where participants joined together in teams of two or more to create a character build. </li>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/tales+of+tamriel" target="_blank">Tales of Tamriel</a> - A book themed character building event where participants created builds based on characters from various TES books or TES fan fiction works</li>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/halloween" target="_blank">This is Halloween!</a> - In this event participants explored their favorite creepy folklore, myths, and legends and translate them into the world of the Elder Scrolls as builds</li>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/secret+santa" target="_blank">Secret Santa</a> - A festive Secret Santa Style build events. Each participant entered by proposing a build idea based off popular Holiday figures, and that idea was randomly given to another participant to craft into a Skyrim build. </li>
</ul>
<p><strong>- 2019 - </strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/crossworlds" target="_blank">Crossworlds</a> - In this event, participants brought characters from outside TES sources, translating those character into the world of The Elder Scrolls in the form of character builds. </li>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/contest1" target="_blank">Pirates of Tamriel</a> - The Sky Forge's first character building contest. Contestants created builds revolving around the theme of piracy.</li>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/contest2" target="_blank">Bloodlines</a> - In this contest contestants created builds centered on the theme of vampirism or lycanthropy. </li>
</ul>
<p><strong>- 2020 - </strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/contest3" target="_blank">Back to Basics</a> - A contest challenging contestants to forgo the use of mods and create builds using only what is available in the vanilla game.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>-2022-</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/event%3A+witches+warlocks+and+wizards" target="_blank">Witches Warlocks and Wizards</a> - In this event, participants focused on all things magical! Character concepts varied greatly but they all shared the common theme of the arcane. </li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>We have special tags reserved for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place contest builds. Click any of the tag links below to browse a list of every contest gold, silver, or bronze placed build from previous character building contests. </p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/contest+bronze" target="_blank">Contest Bronze</a></li>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/contest+silver" target="_blank">Contest Silver</a></li>
<li><a href="https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/contest+gold" target="_blank">Contest Gold</a></li>
</ul>
<p><strong><em> </em></strong></p>
<p> </p>
</div>
<div align="center"> </div>
<div class="size_fullsize"> </div></div>Character Build: The Samuraihttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/character-build-the-samurai2017-04-20T03:50:59.000Z2017-04-20T03:50:59.000ZCursehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/members/Hantz<div><p>After what seems like forever and a day ago since I last contributed to this fine community, I am back with yet another character build. This build is my take on the ever popular master swordsman concept, and it has been many months in the making. It is my pleasure to share with you all my own take on the master swordsman, easily my favorite class type. Without further delay I present...</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903546?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903546?profile=original" alt="903546?profile=original" width="441" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903700?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903700?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="903700?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a><em>"No common warrior can match the fierce discipline, the tactical brilliance, nor the peerless swordsmanship of a samurai warrior. Samurai are disciples of the ancient Akaviri art of warfare and combat, who dedicate their lives to seeking out honorable warriors to test their mettle against. Always seeking to obtain greater strength and skill, Samurai are martial perfectionists who wield their weapons with deadly purpose."</em></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#c0c0c0;"><em>.</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">The Samurai is a heavily armored close quarter combat specialist; A cross between a defender and a duelist. Like any tanky character, the samurai is fairly durable. However, the samurai lacks the sheer staying power of a full fledged defender, and instead relies on deft movements to gain the advantage. To that end, samurai are just as capable as any tank at engaging multiple foes directly - albeit with much more finesse and style.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830851202?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830851202?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="830851202?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" height="231" /></a>As masters of both single and dual wield sword stances, the samurai are able to seamlessly switch stances in combat to suit both offensive and defensive needs. The stances compliment each other quite well, in an almost perfect yin & yang relationship. A single blade allows for blocking, countering, and positioning, but lacks the offensive capacity to inflict enough damage. Two blades working in tandem are able to deal impressive damage but leave the wielder vulnerable. The Extended Slow Time glitch further increases the potential of these stances while granting the samurai an impressive speed advantage. </p>
<p>But you'd hardly be playing this build anywhere close to its full potential using this trick for mere speed. Extended Slow Time grants you the ability to pull off some pretty sweet combos. Knocking an enemy sky high and slicing him to ribbons before he even lands is just one of many awesome things the samurai is capable of. The samurai has much to offer, both to players looking for a fun balanced warrior to enjoy the game with, as well as advanced players looking to show off the many ways you can chop a milkdrinker into pieces.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong style="text-align:center;font-size:16pt;">* The Build *</strong></p>
<p><strong>Race:</strong> Redguard. You wont find a race better suited. Redguard start with an impressive 10 bonus levels to One-handed, as well as a bonus 5 levels to most warrior skill trees. Their racial ability, Adrenaline Rush, is a life saver in critical moments when a strong offense is crucial. </p>
<p><strong>Stone:</strong> Lord. Lacking in magical talent, the samurai is somewhat vulnerable to enemy mages. The lord stone is crucial for mitigating magic damage.</p>
<p><strong>Stat Distribution:</strong> <span style="color:#0000ff;">0 Magicka</span>/ <span style="color:#ff0000;">2 Health</span>/ <span style="color:#339966;">1 Stamina <span style="color:#000000;"> The Samurai possesses various means of conserving stamina while on the offensive, meaning a large stamina pool unnecessary. A large health pool will be needed to effectively engage multiple enemies head on.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Major Skills:</strong> Heavy Armor, One-Handed, Block</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Minor Skills:</strong> Alteration, Smithing</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Shouts:</strong> Slow Time, Become Ethereal, Unrelenting Force, Dragon Aspect, Elemental Fury</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Powers:</strong> Secret of Protection, Dragonborn Force, Force Without Effort</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Blessing:</strong> Blessing of Talos</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-2" style="color:#000000;"><strong>* Equipment *</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-2" style="color:#000000;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904173?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904173?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="904173?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;">The Orcish Helmet combined with the Blades Armor set makes for a very aesthetically pleasing combination. This awesome looking armor combo is what inspired this build in the first place. Your first blades sword can be obtained at Nightingate Inn. Just "politely" challenge its owner to a duel (to the death) for it. A second blades sword can be obtained in Delphine's secret room.</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">Bolar's Oath Blade can be used as your second blade until you get the second blade's sword. Dragonsbane is also gained at the temple and possesses a powerful enchantment that deals up to 40 extra damage against dragons as well as 10 points of shock damage against non dragons. Its enchantment is level based so try to pick it up around lvl 30 or 40 to get the most out of it. Lastly, the Talos Amulet, in conjunction with the Blessing of Talos provides you a constant 40% shout cool down reduction. Combined with Extended Slow Time glitch, Slow time's effect will easily outlast its cool down, allowing you to combine slow time with other shouts for devastating effect. </span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><br /> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904232?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/904232?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="904232?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>One Handed:</strong> The sole source of damage for the samurai. The dual weapon perks are especially important as the samurai is highly reliant on dual wield power strikes for damage. Easily leveled by taking advantage of the Hadvar/Ralof exploit. This skill will level fairly fast naturally if you'd rather not abuse that exploit.</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Block:</strong> Grants quite a bit of utility to the build. Blocking, parrying, dodging, and knocking opponents off balance are all taken care of within the block tree. You can level this quite easily by using giants for training. Just drop the difficulty to Novice (No cheating. Put that shit back on Master when you're done), grab your best sheild and blocking their blows gets you fast levels. Remember the more damage you mitigate the faster block levels.</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Heavy Armor:</strong> As a tanky fighter, you're going to need a fair bit of physical protection. Blocking does no good if chip damage still takes a sizeable chunk of your health. Conditioning is a key perk in this tree. Once you get it, you'll expend stamina much more efficiently. Completing the Companion's</span><br /> <span style="color:#000000;">quest line grants you access to Farkas as a follower. Simply trade back the money you pay him for training.</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Alteration:</strong> In the early game, flesh spells will help supplement your defenses. The key perks within this tree are stability and magic defense. Being able to defend against magic is equally as important as defending against physical attacks. Stability allows the slow time + quick reflexes combo to last 50% longer. The easiest way to level alteration is to cast detect life in a crowded city.</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Smithing:</strong> Necessary to bolster the damage of your swords and improve armor. Dwarven smithing is taken to take advantage of the fast levels granted by the crafting of dwarven bows. You'll need the arcane blacksmith perk in order to improve the damage of dragonsbane. </span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830861757?profile=original"><span style="color:#000000;"><img class="align-center" style="width:741px;height:494px;" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830852469?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="830852469?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="630" height="427" /></span></a></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-2" style="color:#000000;"><strong>* Special Techniques *</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Basic - </strong></span><span style="font-size:10pt;">These techniques are relatively simple to perform and chain into each other quite nicely</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong style="font-size:16pt;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830853753?profile=original"><span style="color:#000000;"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830853753?profile=RESIZE_180x180" alt="830853753?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="100" /></span></a></strong><span class="font-size-5"><span class="font-size-2"><strong>Fearless Charge -</strong> </span></span><em>The samurai charges towards an enemy, deflecting all in coming attacks for a brief duration. Fearless charge does not expend stamina while running and the next power attack used while under its effect also costs no stamina.</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;"><em>Requires: Become Ethereal, Great Critical Charge, Force Without Effort, Single Blade Stance</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;">The Samurai has no means of dealing damage at long range. Fearless charge allows you to rush at a long range opponent, who'd normally be free to pelt you with impunity, without the mess of wasting stamina and taking damage along the way. The heavy stagger induced from this technique gives you ample time to abuse your opponent. Fearless charge combos well into both 'Breach the Line' and 'Unlabored Flawlessness' </span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;">-</span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong style="font-size:16pt;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830854830?profile=original"><span style="color:#000000;"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830854830?profile=RESIZE_180x180" alt="830854830?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="100" /></span></a></strong><strong><span style="color:#000000;">Breach the Line - </span></strong><em>The Samurai executes a forward lunging strike leading with the hilt of the blade, throwing enemies in range off balance and scattering them into the air.</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;"><em>Requires: Shield Charge, Single Blade Stance</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;">As you may or may not know, shield charge can be performed with a sword. Simply tap the block button repeatedly as you run. 'Breach the Line' is useful for a multitude of reasons. Its great if you need to break away from a mob of enemies. Its also very useful for taking troublesome enemies out of the fight for a short duration. Most importantly it leaves an enemy off their feet and defenseless; a perfect target for the technique 'No Mercy'. </span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;">-</span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830856130?profile=original"><span style="color:#000000;"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830856130?profile=RESIZE_180x180" alt="830856130?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="100" /></span></a><strong>Flawless Strike -</strong> <em>The Samurai focuses on the accuracy and efficiency of his swings rather than raw power and speed. The effect is a 4 hit combo that costs no stamina whatsoever but deals damage at a slower rate than a standard dual power attack</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><em>Requirement: With dual blades equipped, initiate a dual power attack and immediately tap both left and right triggers as the attack begins. </em></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">Dual wield attacks deal hefty damage, but have very high stamina costs. 'Unlabored Flawlessness' allows you to maintain your offensive momentum and conserve stamina. Fearless Charge combos transitions smoothly into this technique resulting in 5 devastating power attacks in a row without spending an ounce of stamina. </span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">-</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830856303?profile=original"><span style="color:#000000;"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830856303?profile=RESIZE_180x180" alt="830856303?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="100" /></span></a><strong>Iron Focus -</strong> <em>Upon successfully parrying or dodging an incoming power attack, the samurai achieves a state of perfect focus and clarity. In this state the samurai gains a substantial speed advantage over enemies and the ability to chain techniques together more easily. </em></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><em>Requires: Quick Reflexes, Slow Time, Stability, Talos Amulet/Blessing Single Sword Stance</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">Activating slow time while under the effect of quick reflexes triggers the extended slow time effect. This is what enables you to effectively engage multiple enemies. It allows you to easily anticipate, dodge, and counter enemy attacks. More importantly it makes any recovery time an enemy suffers from being knocked on their ass substantially longer. </span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">-</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Advanced - </strong></span>Master Iron Focus and master it well. To get the most out of the techniques listed below, Iron Focus must be active. </span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">-</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830857366?profile=original"><span style="color:#000000;"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830857366?profile=RESIZE_180x180" alt="830857366?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="100" /></span></a><strong>No Mercy -</strong> <em>The Samurai capitalizes on the opportunity to deal heavy continuous damage against any opponent launched into the air or knocked to the ground</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><em>Requirements: (Against airborne or downed opponent) Iron Focus, Dual Blade Stance, Unlabored Flawlessness (optional)</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">Anything knocked into the air or on its ass while Iron Focus is active will take forever to get back on their feet. 'No Mercy' allows you to deal massive amounts of damage against a defenseless enemy. If you're skilled enough, this move can be used to strike an opponent as they flail through the air too. This technique is faster when used without 'Unlabored Flawlessness', but runs through stamina quite quickly as well.</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">-</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830857386?profile=original"><span style="color:#000000;"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830857386?profile=RESIZE_180x180" alt="830857386?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="100" /></span></a><strong>Dragon Pulse -</strong> <em>The samurai channels ki energy into a powerful blast knocking multiple enemies in a massive frontal area off their feet, leaving them highly vulnerable. Enemies with below 50 health are outright killed.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><em>Requires: Iron Focus, Unrelenting Force lvl 3, Force Without Effort</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">Slow time will far outlast its cool down. Once that happens, using Unrelenting Force while still under the effect of slow time will knock multiple enemies off their feet leaving them all vulnerable for a long period of time. This gives you ample time to kill a few of them off while they're knocked down. </span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">-</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><em><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830858900?profile=original"><span style="color:#000000;"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830858900?profile=RESIZE_180x180" alt="830858900?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="100" /></span></a><strong>Dragon Slayer -</strong> </em>The Samurai gathers ki energy, taking on the aspect of a raging dragon. In this state the samurai is whirlwind of death, gaining massive bonus to attack speed and damage, armor, elemental resistance, and stamina regeneration.</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><em>Requires: Iron Focus (optional), Adrenaline Rush, Secret of Protection, Dragon Aspect, Elemental Fury, Dual Blade Stance.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">This technique combines multiple once a day powers for devastating effect. Its best to save this technique for bosses. While it is possible to use this without Iron Focus active, it is far more lethal to use it with Iron focus active. Equip dragonsbane in your right hand, when using this on dragons. Elemental Fury will only check your left handed weapon for enchantments when dual wielding. </span></p>
<p>-</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-2" style="color:#000000;"><strong>* Tactics *</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span class="font-size-2" style="color:#000000;"><strong>Know Yourself - You must master yourself in order to master the enemy</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span class="font-size-2" style="color:#000000;">You can take a few hits, but at only 300-350 Armor and 40% magic resist by end game on Master, enemies will still tear through you if you get cocky. Activating 'Iron Focus' goes a long way to ensuring your survival. You also lack the stamina of most duelists, so take advantage of 'Fearless Charge' and 'Unlabored Flawlessness' to conserve stamina whenever possible.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span class="font-size-2" style="color:#000000;">It is important to note a flaw within the extended slow time glitch. Triggering Quick Reflexes while already under the affects of slow time will cancel the effect. You'll notice the tell tale blue hue of slow time remaining while the world moves at its regular pace. In a sense <strong>'Iron Focus'</strong> penalizes you for blocking rather than exercising some finesse and dodging attacks. </span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span class="font-size-2" style="color:#000000;">Know the advantages and disadvantages of both single and dual blade stances. With one blade you are able to block, dodge, and counter, but you deal minimal damage. With two blades its all too easy to shred your opponent, but you have nothing to block with other than your face. Use the single blade stance to knock opponents off balance and dual blades to finish them off. In case you were not aware, your left hand weapon can be swapped in and out without delay. You can switch seamlessly between single and dual wield stances at any time.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span class="font-size-2" style="color:#000000;">Outside of <strong>'Dragon Pulse'</strong> you lack any means of attacking multiple enemies. So be aware of where enemies are so you dont get surprised when focused on one of them. 'Iron Focus' makes it easier to keep track of enemy positions, but still keep an eye on your back and flank.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><span class="font-size-2"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830859020?profile=original"><span style="color:#000000;"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830859020?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="830859020?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" /></span></a>Know Your Enemy - Knowledge is your greatest weapon</span></strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;">Its important to prioritize certain enemy types over others. The biggest threat in any given fight are going to be mages and archers. Failing to prioritize them first gives them ample opportunity to pelt you from afar while you're busy fighting melee enemies. <strong>'Fearless Charge'</strong> is your best friend in these situations. Once you're in their face, let em have it! If you can, try to trigger 'Iron Focus' prior to engaging ranged enemies.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;">Melee enemies are your best friends. Take advantage of their power attacks to trigger <strong>'Iron Focus'</strong>. This is especially important when up against multiple enemies as your armor will only hold up so long against that many attackers. Once <strong>'Iron Focus</strong> is triggered it will be much easier to dodge and counter attack.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;">Against a single melee opponent you need not bother with 'Iron Focus' unless they are that damn strong. Its usually easier to follow up <strong>'Breach the Line'</strong> with slow time. This is a quick and dirty way to chain into <strong>'No Mercy'</strong>. Against a single ranged opponent its best to start with <strong>'Fearless Charge'</strong> and go from there. </span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;">Dragons are somewhat of a pain in the ass in the early game. Become Ethereal has a short cool down time so it should be available everytime the dragon decides to use a breath attack. Once you've at least gotten Secret of Protection, dragons become easier. They become even easier once you're able to utilize <strong>'Dragon Slayer'</strong>. Don't be afraid to take a follower along, preferably a mage, to take on dragons early on. Don't forget to equip dragonsbane for that extra damage. Additional enemies interfering in a dragon battle is a blessing. Use them to trigger <strong>'Iron Focus'</strong>. It will make the dragon's attacks easier to dodge, and make <strong>'Dragon Slayer'</strong> far deadlier.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Know Your Surroundings - There lay the keys to turning the tide</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;">Another way of dealing with ranged enemies is to use cover to your advantage. Use terrain and walls to block their attacks while you deal with melee enemies. Ranged enemies rarely follow so doubles as a good way of separating the enemy, making them easier to take down. Steering a battle into a narrow passage is a good way of preventing enemies from being able to flank you. It also forces them to fight you one at a time. </span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;">Cliffs and other high ledges are your best friend. Using <strong>'Breach the Line'</strong> or Unrelenting Force to knock enemies off high ledges is a quick and easy way to instantly take an enemy or two out of the fight permanently. </span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-2" style="color:#000000;"><strong> * Recommended Quests *</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;">Samurai tend to be Lawfully Good. They are staunch supporters of law and order and hold their honor in the highest regard. You may adopt a different moral alignment if you wish. A samurai can be roleplayed as any alignment, but regardless of how your morals lean, maintaining a veneer of honor and civility is a must. </span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;">Most of the recommended quests below center around testing your mettle against powerful adversaries, and gaining notoriety as a powerful warrior. </span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>The Companions -</strong> If you're looking to prove yourself as a warrior, there is no better place to start than in the halls of Jorrvaskr. The Companions quest line offers you some challenging fights, and a the conclusion of the quest line a whole host of warrior skill trainers. You will gain great notoriety as the Harbinger of the companion which is very fitting. </span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>The Main Quest -</strong> Like the Akaviri warriors of old, the Samurai is a slayer of dragons. The main story offers you the chance to cement your place in history as the brave warrior who slew the World Eater, Alduin, and saved Tamriel. </span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>The Civil War -</strong> Being the lawful sort, few samurai would suffer the existence of the rebel Stormcloaks. Join the Imperial Legion, destroy these rebel upstarts, and restore law and order to the province. </span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Dragonborne -</strong> An ancient dragon priest, hearing word of your exploits, seeks to destroy you and add your power to his own. Your motive for pursuing Miraak may be to do the reverse and add his power to your own, or for the safety for Solsthiem. In either case the mead halls of Solsthiem will sing songs of your endeavors for years to come. </span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>The Old Orc -</strong> While not exactly a quest, one of the most enjoyable moments I had playing the samurai was challenging the Old Orc in a battle to the death. I met him very early in my play through and despite knowing how strong he was at early levels, I challenged him to uphold my honor. He proved to be a challenge but ultimately I prevailed. </span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830860512?profile=original"><span style="color:#000000;"><img style="width:699px;height:421px;" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830860512?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt="830860512?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="600" height="374" /></span></a></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-2" style="color:#000000;"><strong>* Role-Play *</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;">To help you get into character here are some additional roleplay suggestions:</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="color:#000000;">Never back down from a challenge. Nothing would be more dishonorable than shying away when another warrior challenges you.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color:#000000;">Become thane of at least one hold. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color:#000000;">Take on bounty missions and regularly complete radiant quests offered by the Companions</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color:#000000;">You are above dishonorable methods of fighting. This means no sneak attacking. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color:#000000;">You must never steal from anyone, but the spoils of a fallen adversary are fair game with exception of their armor. It is dishonorable to disrobe a fallen opponent, leaving their naked carcass exposed to the elements. </span></li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align:right;"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EzEFMUtNbHE" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-6" style="color:#000000;"><strong><span style="font-size:small;">* Recommended Mods *</span></strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;">Looking to take your experience with this character even further? Here a</span>re some suggestions:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/22650/?" target="_blank">ESF: Companions</a>- This is a massive overhaul of the Companions quest line. With this mod the Companions questline feels like an entirely new and expansive experience. Countless lines of additional dialogue has been added to further flesh out the characters. You now have the option to duel your fellow companions and through the MCM menu you can set entry requirements to join the Companions and determine what must be done to advance within their ranks.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/70108/?" target="_blank">Oriental Swordsmanship</a> - This is an animation overhaul for one handed sword animations, and a vast improvement over the uncoordinated, clunky animations of the vanilla game. I highly recommend using this alongside FNIS PCEA 2 to make these animations exclusive to your character.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/34155/?" target="_blank">Dual Sheath Redux</a> - This mod can be somewhat of a technical challenge for some to set up but its well worth the effort. As the name implies you'll be able to see both your swords at all times when sheathed.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/39748/?" target="_blank">New Slow Time Visuals</a> - You'll be making frequent use of the Slow Time shout, so you might as well</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align:center;"> </p>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-2"><strong>* Closing Remarks *</strong></span></p>
<p>I would like to thank this fine community for all their support over these many months. I'm glad to be back on the saddle making character builds. Stay tuned for more character builds coming soon. </p></div>Character Build: Riften's Most Wantedhttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/character-build-riften-s-most-wanted2017-04-20T03:05:01.000Z2017-04-20T03:05:01.000ZCursehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/members/Hantz<div><p dir="ltr">Hello and welcome to another classic Raidriar and Curse Never Dying collab. A long time ago Raid and I released this build as part of a character building contest. The theme of the contest was Holds of Skyrim. Every entry was to embody at least one hold in Skyrim. For our entry we chose Riften, and with crime being the first thing people think of when you mention that place, we knew exactly what we wanted to do. So without further delay, here's the contest entry that blew every other entry out of the water and took first place without so much as breaking a sweat. .....</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>“Lets make a deal. Click the ‘like’ button at the top of this page, and you won’t end up sleepin with the fishes.”</em></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903587?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903587?profile=original" width="743" /></a></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830854933?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830851429?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><em>“Headed to Riften, eh?  Well, you won’t find a more beautiful city in all of Skyrim. Its the perfect place to call home, really -- At least that’s what I would be saying if the city wasn’t a cesspool of corruption….</em></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Black-Briar’s own this city, friend, and lemme tell you thats a name you don’t ever wanna cross. They got this entire city in their pocket. Might as well be the Daedric plane of lies and greed.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Right, I can see you’re a brave one, or is that stupidity? Sigh, right.... Listen closely. There’s one man you wanna avoid at all costs. They call him “Riften’s Most Wanted” - Maven’s right hand man and the worst criminal scum to ever come outta Riften. You want my advice? Keep your head down, don’t ask questions, and whatever you do don’t be a hero...”</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em> </em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Race:</strong> Nord. As a native of Riften we feel Nords are the most fitting racial choice. Battle Cry is a very useful ability early on if you get overwhelmed and in later levels helps you turn the tide.</p>
<p><strong>Stone:</strong> Lady Stone. Bashing plays a critical role in the build so a little bit of extra stamina regen goes a long way</p>
<p><strong>Shouts:</strong> None! You’re a thief dammit, not a hero.</p>
<p><strong>Stats:</strong> 0 Magicka, 1 Health, 2 Stamina. Papa never sent you off to the college to learn all that fancy magic. (Spits) Who needs it anyway? You got your wit, a few tricks, and that bloke you hired to break some kneecaps.</p>
<p><strong>Major Skills:</strong> One Handed, Block, Alchemy, Sneak</p>
<p><strong>Minor Skills:</strong> Speech, Light Armour</p>
<p><strong>Weapons:</strong> Orcish War Axe</p>
<p><strong>Apparel:</strong> Blackguard’s Armor, Blackguard’s Gloves, Blackguard’s Boots, Targe of the Blooded</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>The Build</em></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">We set out to create, first and foremost, a dirty fighter. A thug who lacks skill in the arts of pickpocket and lockpicking, who would rather rob your still warm corpse than pick your pockets. A badass mafioso, the lord of the criminal underworld.</p>
<p>Riften’s Most Wanted knows that this is a harsh world; Skyrim is no place for a faint hearted thief. So he always brings along a hired goon to take out foes, or just to provide a distraction. Hirelings work best here, as they have no moral compass whatsoever, and will happily engage in the most savage of crimes by your side. Not to mention they work from a roleplay standpoint, as you’re actually paying these guys money to take hits for you. Our personal favourites were Stenvar and Vorstag, as both are hardy warriors capable of tanking hits. Stock them up with healing potions for extra survivability.</p>
<p>While your hired goon takes the hits, you can be sneaking up behind your opponents, ready to bury an axe in their head. Make use of stagger to get some free hits for yourself and your follower. If the worse comes to the worse, and your follower is down on his knees, remember the golden rule of crime - look after number 1. It’s a harsh world, and Riften’s Most Wanted’s conscience will not mind him abandoning his companion to save his hide.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651846?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651846?profile=original" width="750" /></a></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><em>“Trust me Delvin, we got this contest in the bag. We got all the officials on our side and we took care of the snitches. This Kal shin whatever they call themselves aint got a chance”</em></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>Tools of the Trade</em></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>The Blackguard Armor Set</strong> - This set gives you a very fitting look and comes with quite a few beneficial preset enchantments like carrying capacity. You can get the armor set quite early in your play through as well. Simply follow the thieves guild questline until you’re able to talk with Delvin, Vex, and Brynjolf about the guild’s run of bad luck. Once you’ve done that set sail to Raven rock and talk to Glover Mallory. Completing his quest will earn his trust and give you access to his private storage where you’ll find the Blackguard armor.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Orcish Axe</strong> - We specifically picked out this weapon for its menacing appearance and the ridiculous bleed damage it deals. Its bleed damage is so high it’s on par with daedric and dragon weapons. With all three Limpsplitter perks taken you’ll be dealing 9 damage per second worth of bleeding damage that stacks! The orcish axe is quite easy to come by in shops. You’ll be swinging one around as early as level 12 if you’re lucky.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Targe of the Blooded</strong> - If the ax dont scare em that spikey shield sure will. As you probably guess from something called ‘Targe of the Blooded’ this weapon specializes in bleeding damage. The bleed damage here supplements the damage done by disarming bashes. The targe is yet another item you can get your hands on early. Simply head to the Alftand ruins up north between Winterhold and Dawnstart. Just be ready to fight the angry red guard wielding it.</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830852657?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830852657?profile=original" width="667" /></a><em>“Pull up a chair and lets talk business”</em></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">As you can see we’ve got a set of perks heavily geared towards a dirty, underhand guerilla-style fighter, who’s not afraid to resort to cheap tactics in order to win. Finesse? No such thing in this mafioso’s mind. It’s all about getting the job done; everything is a means to an end. Levelling is very efficient and simple with Riften’s Most Wanted as almost every skill is getting used in almost every situation. The only exceptions are Speech and Light Armour, which we’ll get onto later. But if you’re feeling impatient, power leveling is just as easy for those looking to dive right into this build.</p>
<p>Straight away your most important skills are going to be Alchemy and Block. Block gives you access to the invaluable perks that disrupt, debilitate and weaken enemies. We veered away from Shield Wall to prevent this guy turning into a tank, and keep combat as sneaky and dirty as possible. Why block a hit when you can just have some street tough you hired take it for you, and ask for more?</p>
<p>Complimenting everything Block offers you is Alchemy. Years of skooma making and trafficking have made you quite the knowledgeable alchemist, and allowed you to boil down most drugs to allow only the negative symptoms to remain. Slow, fear, and paralysis are just a few of the nasty tricks you have up your sleeve. Many of your poisons are two or three effect variety and consist of ingredients that are pretty easy to come by, making alchemy quite easy to level up. Don’t hesitate to spend lavish amounts of gold on Hearthfire manors to build your own remote drug factories, where you can manufacture your concoctions far away from society.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The king of the underworld needs a silver tongue, right? That’s where Speech comes in. Once you reach the Bribery perk crime becomes far easier to commit, as you can simply slip some gold into a greedy guard’s pocket if he comes investigating. Haggling lets you make even more of a profit from your ill-gotten gains. As you progress up the tree you’ll eventually get Intimidation - usually picked up in the later game, it shows the perfect transition from a more greasy criminal to threatening crime boss.</p>
<p>Sneak will make it easier to keep enemies focused on your hireling rather than you, and allows for the occasional sneak attack. Keep in mind a silent roll counts as a run so its possible to chain that into a critical charge for some hefty backstab damage. Sneak will level up to 50 in no time through the thieves guild, but you can powerlevel it in minutes with the Hadvar/Ralof exploit.</p>
<p>Hack and Slash and Critical Charge are the key perks in One Handed. The Orcish War Axe is glitched in such a way that it inflicts almost as a much bleed damage as a Daedric Axe, and swings as fast as a sword. Combine that with the Targe of the Blooded and you’ll bleed your enemies dry in no time.</p>
<p>Light Armor can be a difficult skill to level, but luckily Riften comes with its very own trainer, Grelka! Any excess gold can be dumped her way to allow your character to take a few extra hits, should the need arise.</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><strong><em>Potions and Poisons</em></strong></em></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><strong><em><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20151212015501/http://www.miscellaneoushi.com/thumbnails/detail/20121028/skulls%20flowers%20old%20medicine%20mushrooms%20poison%20books%20magic%20alchemy%20scales%20potion%20herbs%201680x1050%20wa_www.miscellaneoushi.com_26.jpg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20151212015501im_/http://www.miscellaneoushi.com/thumbnails/detail/20121028/skulls%20flowers%20old%20medicine%20mushrooms%20poison%20books%20magic%20alchemy%20scales%20potion%20herbs%201680x1050%20wa_www.miscellaneoushi.com_26.jpg?width=600" width="600" /></a></em></strong></em></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><em>Somewhere in here is a poison with your name on it"</em></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Alchemy is a critical tool in your arsenal. With two pieces of Peerless Alchemy (Circlet and Necklace), one piece of Major Alchemy (Gauntlets) and Muiri’s Ring, as well as Seeker of Shadows, you can double the effects of your concoctions.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This is especially useful for Panic poisons, as Fear normally has a very low magnitude (12 with all perks and max level), but it can now reach 24. This becomes even more powerful with the Enervate poison, which increases the magnitude of other poisons. This turns fear into an incredibly useful weapon, as it can now be used on almost every living enemy.</p>
<p>The Endurance potion is meant to enhance your stamina recovery which allow for more bashes and shield charges. It’ll also be useful if you find yourself needing to run away. The Vigor potion will help keep your goon alive and more than make up for your lack of healing spells. The slow effect provides excellent synergy, as not only will enemies be running away, they’ll be running away half as fast, making them much easier to hit. Keep in mind all ingredients can be grown in a greenhouse or fish hatchery.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Endurance -</strong> Regenerate Stamina</p>
<p dir="ltr">Fly Amanita + Scaly Pholiata</p>
<p dir="ltr">--</p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Vigor -</strong> Fortify Health + Restore Health</p>
<p dir="ltr">Blue Mountain Flower + Wheat</p>
<p dir="ltr">--</p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Debilitate -</strong> Lingering Damage Health + Paralysis</p>
<p dir="ltr">Canis Root + Imp Stool + Mora Tapinella</p>
<p dir="ltr">--</p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Panic</strong> - Damage Stamina + Fear</p>
<p dir="ltr">Blisterwort + Cyrodilic Spadetail + Namira’s Rot</p>
<p dir="ltr">--</p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Enervate -</strong> Damage Health + Slow + Weakness to Poison</p>
<p dir="ltr">Bleeding Crown + Deathbell + River Betty</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Abilities</strong></em></p>
<p><br />
<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20151212015501/https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/bygXLlJOzXdBNlqukB317ThQMadC1ESSzVsESMjl6Vb8RvH64MqshN8fAf2-lza5o1P3daUOUgIPwhbbDevO82rn4Yjto4iM4oBM96Q4H-NWGcJXaJ8fLIDIfGqgQtzEHXxUy8w" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><img class="align-left" src="http://web.archive.org/web/20151212015501im_/https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/bygXLlJOzXdBNlqukB317ThQMadC1ESSzVsESMjl6Vb8RvH64MqshN8fAf2-lza5o1P3daUOUgIPwhbbDevO82rn4Yjto4iM4oBM96Q4H-NWGcJXaJ8fLIDIfGqgQtzEHXxUy8w?width=128" width="128" /></a><strong>What’s Yours is Mine</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Requires: Disarming Bash, retrieving disarmed weapon</p>
<p>“What’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is also mine…”</p>
<p>Its pretty hard to hang on to a sword after your hands been smashed by a spiked shield. Once your enemy is disarmed retrieve their weapon and they will be rendered virtually harmless. This is very useful against strong enemies with powerful weapons. Definitely try this out on anyone who looks like they can cleave you and your goon in two swings.</p>
<p><br />
<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20151212015501/https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/JxzO6L1nyu3RqyxALYgsgbGh0eXkd-AQ5FXPc0Gtrur48Jfa3VUE51L2h3_g5asyElOgUGNqmPHLdA9QmBryMi2WqFTnhNCTdWl-yETkhrJ1yuvWWH4jX0xnQxBLSB58ycMSKjY" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><img class="align-left" src="http://web.archive.org/web/20151212015501im_/https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/JxzO6L1nyu3RqyxALYgsgbGh0eXkd-AQ5FXPc0Gtrur48Jfa3VUE51L2h3_g5asyElOgUGNqmPHLdA9QmBryMi2WqFTnhNCTdWl-yETkhrJ1yuvWWH4jX0xnQxBLSB58ycMSKjY?width=128" width="128" /></a><strong>Cheap Shot</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Requires: Shield Charge, Debilitate</p>
<p>“The best attack is the one they never see coming”</p>
<p>This combo involves following up a shield charge with a poison of paralysis and lingering health damage. This ensures that anyone you knock down wont be getting back up for a long long time. While your enemy is on the ground writhing in agony, why stop there? This brings us to…..</p>
<p><br />
<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20151212015501/https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/3d2zsYsl2gWAZ3LHDhtJ-7PbF8_WqOsLhpqCOPTXwKYtu_LwJmCDYT05FTz3J4_7lhhiX-rsJeW8I8CqoxwhkATVqI_8I-dgMSJoy6LFQS4akflHAhWPDnbdJjGGa1QUTYSNkVk" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><img class="align-left" src="http://web.archive.org/web/20151212015501im_/https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/3d2zsYsl2gWAZ3LHDhtJ-7PbF8_WqOsLhpqCOPTXwKYtu_LwJmCDYT05FTz3J4_7lhhiX-rsJeW8I8CqoxwhkATVqI_8I-dgMSJoy6LFQS4akflHAhWPDnbdJjGGa1QUTYSNkVk?width=128" width="128" /></a><strong>Make em Bleed</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Requires: Cheapshot, Targe of the Blooded, Orcish Axe, Hack and Slash 3/3</p>
<p>“It’s ain’t enough to make em sorry. You gotta make em bleed.”</p>
<p>A great tie-in to the Cheap Shot. This is absolutely lethal against a grounded enemy, who won’t be getting up for a while. The bleed damage from both the targe and the orcish ax will cut right through armor as will the poison damage from Cheap Shot. The combination of bleed and poison damage is enough outright kill most enemies before they can ever get up</p>
<p><br />
<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20151212015501/https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/29-r1JA2FLzG8C9lzdyzDlX8iMukFGJBysERFXJQRYJkpQTp1E8sN4tPOOr1GTxcuY5ceXSavKZCToRDHBgbFnRSmE9ZOhMDiADFSHax5NavhN6n4L6RM76Nh1Z0IIfQs0J45h8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><img class="align-left" src="http://web.archive.org/web/20151212015501im_/https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/29-r1JA2FLzG8C9lzdyzDlX8iMukFGJBysERFXJQRYJkpQTp1E8sN4tPOOr1GTxcuY5ceXSavKZCToRDHBgbFnRSmE9ZOhMDiADFSHax5NavhN6n4L6RM76Nh1Z0IIfQs0J45h8?width=128" width="128" /></a><strong>Scare Tactic</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Requires: Enervate + Battle Cry OR Enervate + Panic</p>
<p>“You keep running so I can stab you in the back!”</p>
<p>A great way to peel enemies off your goon or yourself, but also a great way to turn the tide if things are going south. Scare tactic will force your enemies to run away in fear, but the slow poison will ensure they make their escape at a fraction of their normal running speed. Fear will keep the enemy from doing anything else but run at a snail’s pace, meaning you wont have to worry about slow’s effect being negated by changing animations. While they’re vulnerable take the time to lay the smack down on em for free.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong style="text-align: center; font-size: 12pt;"><em>Tactics</em></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Your abilities are all tailored towards keeping your hired goon from getting overwhelmed and making him much more effective. Taking troublesome enemies out of the fight is also a big part of the larger picture.</p>
<p><strong>Cheap shot</strong> and ‘<strong>Make em Bleed</strong>’ will be your bread and butter abilities. In fact cheap shot transitions nicely into ‘‘<strong>Make em Bleed</strong>’, ensuring your enemy will be quite bloodied provided he ever does get up. All that bleed damage goes right through armor too. Bleed damage even affects the undead, making this ability chain very useful against them.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20151212015501/https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/tVjOOrthekWyKI0_DM0PZcXq-veuPKT2t1bZ8S3NNPUJb6Rz8dtm3J9SduwQbg79WPCR2lOQ4a0eNUs4zQqrvsf7AN_BZgpskFBU-1PdCG34gh76xlZvXyG9cpYyg07hJ5XF-Ho" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><img class="align-left" src="http://web.archive.org/web/20151212015501im_/https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/tVjOOrthekWyKI0_DM0PZcXq-veuPKT2t1bZ8S3NNPUJb6Rz8dtm3J9SduwQbg79WPCR2lOQ4a0eNUs4zQqrvsf7AN_BZgpskFBU-1PdCG34gh76xlZvXyG9cpYyg07hJ5XF-Ho?width=286" width="286" /></a><strong>Whats Yours is Mine</strong>’ and ‘<strong>Scare tactic</strong>’ are designed to help make life easier for your hired goon. ‘<strong>Whats yours is mine</strong>’ will rip the weapon right out of an enemy’s hand regardless of level, so use that to severely weaken tough enemies with powerful weapons. And if you’re feeling particularly sinister, equip your enemy’s weapon and beat em to death with it!</p>
<p>Use <strong>Scare Tactic</strong> to force enemies off your goon if he gets overwhelmed. The more powerful variant of this ability is done with the battle cry power and will work on multiple opponents of any level making it useful to force groups away. In either case scare tactic leaves your enemy vulnerable to free hits, so hit em hard while their back is turned. Keep in mind <strong>Scare Tactic</strong> wont work against the dead. The poison effect from <strong>Cheap Shot</strong> wont work either so keep that ind mind. The bright side is they're still vulnerable to having their weapons stolen, being knocked over, and for some inexplicable reason bled to death.</p>
<p>Your goon is there to take the hits so you don't have to (I mean what else are you paying him for?) so you want to avoid entering the fray before him. Get used to ordering your goon to attack via follower commands. This forces him to be the first one to enter a fight. Enemies generally focus on the first thing they see to the exclusion of everything else. This'll leave you ample opportunity to get at your foes from behind. </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651896?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651896?profile=original" width="750" /></a></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;">Just so we're clear, you didn’t see nothin’”</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Roleplay and Quests</strong></em></p>
<p>Easily the quickest thing we came to an agreement on was role play and quests. Riften is a hold absolutely rife with corruption. Law enforcement is entirely corrupt, a mafia like criminal element operates right under everyone's noses, and maven sits as the king pin, or rather queen pin, running the whole outfit. You couldn't find a better place for an unscrupulous criminal scumbag to call home.</p>
<p>Riften’s brand of corruption is pretty far reaching, worming its way into other holds, and before you know it half of Skyrim is as lawless as Riften. Rolling with that we decided the best quests to take on would revolve around expanding the influence of both Maven and the thieves guild.</p>
<p><strong>The Thieves Guild</strong> </p>
<p>What’s the fundamental issue with the Thieves Guild of Skyrim? The fact that it’s little more than a small time mafia, with quests that are put to shame by those from Morrowind and Oblivion (where you actually engage in thieving activities). <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20151212015501/http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=14422" rel="nofollow">Heck, somebody has written a five part article on the Thieves’ Guil...</a> It forces every thief build to step out of their comfort zone and act like some common thug. Well, that is no problem for Riften’s Most Wanted, the thief who would rather steal your valuables off your dead body than from sneakily picking your pockets or unlocking your safes! The Thieves Guild suits Riften’s Most Wanted perfectly.</p>
<p>As you rise to the top of the guild you'll find yourself venturing to other holds securing alliances with other shady families of inordinate wealth. Before you know it you'll be operating with impunity in every major hold. As your wealth increases don’t be afraid to show it; build houses to hide loot (or bodies), in particular the hearthfire manors so you can produce your own little drug factories, hidden deep in the wilderness.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830853801?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/830853801?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="335" height="264" /></a><strong>The Civil War: Imperials </strong></p>
<p>Now we know what you’re thinking - why the hell would a wanted crimelord sign up with the Legion?  Well, it all comes down to expanding influence, namely that of Maven Black-Briar.</p>
<p>From the shadows you’ll influence the outcome of the Civil War and your schemes will culminate with Maven becoming the jarl of Riften. If the political establishment weren’t in her pocket then, they certainly will be now. </p>
<p>I don’t think we need to go over the perks that come with helping your largest benefactor secure even more political power. Be aware that you will have to advance the Main Questline past 'Dragon Rising' (Where you fight your first dragon) to advance the the Civil War. Don't bother pursuing that questline any further. Theres no profit to be made chasing legends and old wives tales. </p>
<p><strong>The Drug Trade </strong></p>
<p>Running your own little drug trade is another step towards becoming a criminal mastermind. Hearthfire houses provide an excellent base of operations; they’re remote and can be decked out to keep up the guise of a noble, not to mention each can  be built with a greenhouse and alchemy lab! Furthermore, you can even appoint a trusted accomplice as a steward, to oversee production.</p>
<p>Here is where we bent the rules a little. Skooma making? Puh-lease, that’s far too low for the Riften’s Most Wanted. No, we’re going to be making our own drug!</p>
<p>Something we did once we had built our greenhouses and alchemy labs was come up with our own little “drugs” (actually just potions with multiple effects) that we could sell to merchants in exchange for a lot of money. Get experimenting with ingredients that can be grown in a greenhouse and create your own concoctions until you come up with something suitably expensive with some addictive effects. Then, once you’re happy with your drug, start producing it en masse, and fill as many planters as you can with the ingredients. With the Merchant and Investor perks you can even have your own little drug pushers - these guys will take all the drugs off your hands for a hefty sum, then sell them on for you. So get experimenting! We’d like to hear all about what combinations of ingredients you used, and what “drugs” you’ve created! Give them names, descriptions, details, make them come alive like we did with ours.</p>
<p>Don’t forget to wipe out the competition too. Redwater Den and the Skooma trade in Riften should be stopped, to prevent anybody getting in on your territory. You can even look into Sleeping Tree Sap, and start peddling that stuff to Ysolda in Whiterun. And don’t forget to take out people who ask too many questions. Mjoll may be too tough to be physically broken, but she can sure as hell be mentally traumatized into silence. Kill her weak little boyfriend Aerin and beat her to within an inch of her life (sadly an inch will have to do since shes essential). The guards will no doubt notice but they can easily be paid off. </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651935?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651935?profile=original" width="750" /></a></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;">"Raid and Curse send their regards. Maybe next time you'll be smart and like the right build!"</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Closing Remarks</strong></em></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">And there you have it folks. We thank you all for your continued support and hope you enjoy this build as much as we did. A huge shout out goes to Okan Zeeus for pulling through with those AMAZING photos on such short notice. I'd like to thank Raid for being such an awesome partner as always.</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/curse+never+dying" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651996?profile=original" width="504" height="171" /></a></p>
</div>Character Build: The King of Wormshttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/character-build-the-king-of-worms2017-04-19T02:58:48.000Z2017-04-19T02:58:48.000ZCursehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/members/Hantz<div><p><em>This build is a collaboration between <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150319172418/http://theskyrimblog.ning.com/profile/Raidriar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raidriar</a> and <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150319172418/http://theskyrimblog.ning.com/profile/HansJLouis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Curse Never Dying</a></em><br />
<br />
We have decided to take on one of the most infamous characters of the Elder Scrolls universe, Mannimarco. Not only is this a difficult character to pull off, but it was also once a creation of Mason’s, which made it doubly hard to produce a build that wouldn’t leave anything to be desired. But I think we might have just done it.<br />
<br />
In this build we bring everything to the table; rich lore, unique game-play, intense role-play, and most of all, synergy. So with that in mind, let us tell you a story…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903938?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903614?profile=original" width="750" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>“Relinquish your form so that I may be reborn”</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><strong>Race:</strong> Altmer Vampire. Vampirism plays a crucial role in some of the mechanics of the build, and help fit with the whole undead theme.<br />
<br />
<strong>Stone:</strong> Lord and Ritual. Use the Lord as your primary stone and the Ritual under the Aetherial Crown for a massed undead army whenever one’s needed.<br />
<br />
<strong>Shouts:</strong> Become Ethereal, Marked for Death, Soul Tear. Become Ethereal is useful for avoiding damage, and both Marked for Death and Soul Tear suit a Lich brilliantly.<br />
<br />
<strong>Stats:</strong> 5:3:2. Magicka is incredibly important to this build, so pump that up early. Health and Stamina are less important<br />
<br />
<strong>Major Skills:</strong> Conjuration, Alchemy, One Handed, Alteration<br />
<br />
<strong>Minor Skills:</strong> Sneak, Restoration, Pickpocket<br />
<br />
<strong>Weapons:</strong> Blade of Woe<br />
<br />
<strong>Apparel:</strong> Aetherial Crown, Thalmor Robes, Jester’s Gloves, Thalmor Boots, Necromancer’s Amulet, Ring of the Beast<br />
<br />
<strong>Quests:</strong> College of Winterhold, Dark Brotherhood, Dragonborn, Lost to the Ages, Volkihar</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><a href="http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/elderscrolls/images/0/0f/TESIV_Banner_Black_Worm.png/revision/latest?cb=20161015151642" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-left" src="http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/elderscrolls/images/0/0f/TESIV_Banner_Black_Worm.png/revision/latest?cb=20161015151642&width=200" width="200" /></a>Mannimarco. No name quite inspires so much darkness and evil. King of Worms, lich, dark mage, deadly assassin, each one a persona of our ultimate embodiment of evil.<br />
<br />
While it may not be the skillset you’d expect from an evil overlord build, do not be disappointed. You will have ample opportunity to exercise your inner commander of chaos as well as your stealthy shadowmancer.<br />
<br />
First off we have Conjuration. Without this skill you would not be a necromancer, and thus not Mannimarco. Initially Conjuration might drag a bit, but mid to late game it will really shine. Obviously, we’re going full necromancy route, to allow us the most powerful zombies.<br />
<br />
Expect to make use of a </em><u>lot</u> of alchemical concoctions during this playthrough. You’ll have a powerful array of potions and poisons at your disposal as Mannimarco, which act as valuable buffs for yourself and your minions, as well as cruel debuffs for your enemies. With a couple of unique recipes we’re about to give you, buffing your thralls will become much easier, and really bring out the best in your dead.<br />
<br />
One Handed is taken purely for damage, and is used in both combat styles. Either sneaking in the darkness or basking in the destruction of your enemies, a dagger is your best friend. Using the Blade of Woe as your weapon of choice, bothering about healing will become a thing of the past, with every hit absorbing some of your enemies’ health. Sneak is used very offensively in this build; rather than hanging back and killing from the shadows, you can step into the light and vanish in a blink of an eye, to reappear with a recently made corpse’s blood fresh on your blade.<br />
<br />
Alteration and Restoration make up your defence though aren’t necessarily restricted to this. Keeping up the damage is just as important, and both schools of magic provide just the thing. Alteration’s situational utility spells help massively; paralysing powerful enemies for free hits, searching out potential victims with Detect Life/Dead, and immobilising foes with ash spells that are just a little too close for comfort are all accepted into Mannimarco’s spellbook.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em>Restoration brings forth Heal Undead, a useful buff when you cannot be bothered to use a healing poison, as well as Poison Rune to slowly cripple enemies while they battle your zombies. Because undead are immune, the runes can be fired off like there’s no tomorrow, allowing for drastic amounts of DoT. Pickpocket makes up the final skill, and is solely used to plant poisons while sneaking. This tactic is very deadly when used effectively, letting you drop foes inconspicuously while sneaking.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903645?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903645?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>"The faint glow of a dark power emanates from the pendant, like cold black tendrils clenching tightly around my hand as I hold it. My better judgment tells me to destroy it, and yet I cannot bring myself do what I know must be done. Rather, I find myself drawn to the amulet; compelled to study it and unlock its many mysteries. I know not whether curiosity or hubris has gotten the better of me. A part of me fears that it may perhaps be something far worse…."</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><strong><em>Lich Form: Doubling your potential</em></strong><br />
<br />
This is mine and Curse’s method for really becoming Mannimarco. Before we proceed, you’ll need to know a bit about liches. To become a lich, one must bind their soul to an object, called a phylactery. Whenever a lich dies, as long as their phylactery is still intact, the lich can regenerate.<br />
<br />
Something crucial to this build is the Necromancer’s Amulet. It is the ultimate symbol of Mannimarco, and really lets you become a lich. Once you put it on, you immediately start to feel the effects of Mannimarco upon you; Fortified Magicka and Conjuration at the cost of a loss of Health and Stamina Regen. This is the foundation of Lich Form.<br />
<br />
Acquire the amulet as soon as possible. As soon as you reach Whiterun Stables, take the carriage to Windhelm and complete Blood on the Ice. <strong>Make sure you find the Strange Amulet in Hjerim and give it to Calixto before finishing the quest!</strong> Otherwise you’ll be stuck with a useless build which cannot fully accomplish what Mannimarco is capable of. After finding the amulet, wear it at all times, and get used to the lack of regen. This is the beginning of Lich Form. Once you get a bit further into the Volkihar Questline (I did this around level 20ish) you can start to become a full lich again.<br />
<br />
Becoming a Lich is completed as follows; first, become a vampire lord by siding with Harkon. Duplicate the amulet using your favourite duplication glitch, and then give a follower both copies so you can equip them using the stacking glitch. This results in 50% Fortify Conjuration (nullifying the need for rank perks) and 100 extra Magicka at the cost of -150% Health and Stamina Regen. This is further enhanced by being a vampire and having Necromage perked, increasing the values to 62.5% Fortify Conjuration, 125 extra Magicka, and -187.5 Health/Stamina Regen. That means no passive regen for those stats, ever. Bask in it, as you witness the full extent of the power a lich can hold.<br /></em></p>
<div class="size_fullsize"><a href="https://www.nuka-scrolls.com/filedata/fetch?id=3927&d=1477673167" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903669?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="690" /></a></div>
<div align="center"><em>"I’m left with more questions than answers as I delve deeper into research. A faint, indecipherable whisper now accompanies the emanating glow, and again I am resisted at every turn by my own hands as my conscience pleads with me to be rid of this accursed artifact. My dreams are scarred with horrid visions of profane rituals and grotesque experiments – of pain and suffering wrought by my own hands. The visions are frightening yet intimately familiar – as though I have committed these terrible acts myself. Are these visions of a past life or a vision of my future?"</em></div>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em>Conjuration is taken purely down the necromancy branch for maximum undead potential, excluding the rank perks due to Lich Form. Alchemy is the most decked out tree, giving us access to the most impressive elixirs. Green Thumb doubles your effectiveness with gathered ingredients, so your potions and poisons can be created en masse. The key perks of an assassin are acquired, allowing you to sneak well and kill from the shadows.<br />
<br />
The Alteration tree is taken up to Expert for Ebonyflesh and Paralyse; the former creates a powerful defence when combined with Mage Armour 3/3, Necromage and Stability, and the latter is very useful for getting free hits on foes. Restoration is perked up to Adept for efficient use of Heal Undead and Poison Rune, as well as up to Necromage to enhance your vampiric prowess and increase the level of undead you can raise. Pickpocket is solely perked for Poisoned<br /></em></p>
<div class="size_fullsize"><a href="https://www.nuka-scrolls.com/filedata/fetch?id=3935&d=1477675442" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903684?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></div>
<div align="center"><em>"I look on helplessly, a prisoner within my own mind, as my hand plunges the dagger into the woman’s heart. A sadistic smile befitting a Daedra creeps across my face as I tear the organ out of her body. A strange, unfamiliar incantation escapes my lips and the woman’s lifeless body begins to rise - her heart still beating in my hand…."</em></div>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><br />
<strong><em>Combat</em></strong><br />
<br />
The best bit of the build, in my opinion. You have two options on how to approach combat, each unique in their own way. Both can flow into each other, and be used multiple times in each encounter.<br />
<br />
<strong>Death's Herald</strong> – The first style of combat is that of a typical shadowmancer, with a couple of twists. Sticking mainly to stealth, assassinating enemies becomes critical here. The focus is on how much damage you can do and how many corpses you can leave before being discovered.<br />
<br />
With the Jester’s Gloves, Assassin’s Blade and Armsman 5/5, you’re certainly not lacking for damage. Combined with the Blade of Woe, one of the most powerful daggers in the game, you’ll pretty much one hit kill anything. Your weakness here is your lack of armour. Since you don’t have Quiet Casting, summoning up a flesh spell would reveal your position, and make you an easy target. So staying hidden is of upmost importance. Make liberal use of Invisibility, Fortify Sneak and Fortify Marksman potions in this stage, but stick away from the majority of poisons, unless you’re pickpocketing them onto unaware enemies. By the time you’re detected, you’ll hopefully have a couple of corpses to work with and have weakened the enemy numbers somewhat, so now it’s time to become the…<br />
<br />
<strong>King of Darkness</strong> – Arguably the more interesting of the two combat styles. Focusing on debilitating foes while buffing your minions, this is not a path for the cowardly assassin. No, this is the path of the Lich King of Worms, Mannimarco.<br />
<br />
Since you’re detected, it’s time to go guns blazing. Throw everything you have at your opponents, and don’t hold back. You ever wanted to feel like Voldemort, able to raze armies without lifting a finger? Then the King of Darkness is for you. Start with using the Ritual Stone. This raises all fallen foes in the immediate vicinity, and turns them against their former friends as mindless zombies. You could sit back as the army you created effortlessly decimates your enemies, but where’s the fun in that? Instead, this style focuses on active buffing/debuffing, getting in the thick of things while lesser mortals fight around you.<br />
<br />
Firstly, begin with beefing yourself up with your strongest flesh spell, and coating your dagger with some deadly poison. Equip either Poison Rune or Paralysis in your other hand, as well as Marked for Death for even more carnage, and get to work devastating your foes with poison, spell and shout. Don’t forget about the powerful buffs you can apply to your zombies, and raise any opponents who happen to fall. If things seem to be going badly, you can always return to the shadows using Shadow Warrior for a quick getaway, leaving a final zombie to distract remaining opponents.<br /></em></p>
<div class="size_fullsize"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903715?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903715?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" height="471" /></a></div>
<div align="center"><em>"The visions, the whispers, the madness – only now, as the last vestige of my conscious mind fades into oblivion, do I understand what has become of me, and the horror I have unleashed upon the world. The King of Worms has returned and I am his vessel. Divines help us all…."</em></div>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><br />
<strong><em>Equipment</em></strong><br />
<br />
The equipment you’ll be using is fairly easy to acquire, and incredibly suitable for Mannimarco. Obviously you have the Necromancer’s Amulet (for Lich Form), the Aetherial Crown (for unlimited Ritual Stone), and the Jester’s Gloves (for assassinations). Complete the look with Thalmor Robes and Boots to really feel epic and evil, as well as the Ring of the Beast for a major boost to health.<br />
<br />
The Blade of Woe is your weapon of choice, and is used for all purposes. The Blade required you to go fairly deep into the Dark Brotherhood questline<br />
<br />
At early leves I simply went with the Shrouded Clothes set and the strongest dagger I could get my hands on. The apparel provides useful enchantments for a sneaky character, and can be found at early leves, making it a win-win.<br /></em></p>
<div class="size_fullsize"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903734?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903734?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a></div>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><br />
<strong><em>Poisons</em></strong><br />
<br />
These are a couple of cool poisons we made heavy use of. While I mainly stuck to simple one or two effect creations, these proved exceptionally useful in buffing your minions and debuffing your foes. Something to note is that the Lich's Blood/Intelligence poisons won't work on thralled vampires, since they have 100% resistance to poison as a living enemy.<br />
 <br />
<strong><br />
Lich’s Blood</strong> – Damage Magicka Regen+Fortify Health+Restore Health<br />
<br />
Blue Mountain Flower+Nightshade+Wheat<br />
<br />
Uses: A simple poison used to enhance your minions, which can be harvested en masse with a Hearthfire House. Because the first effect is negative, this actually counts as a poison, so can be applied to other beings. Use it to buff up non magical zombies.<br />
 <br />
<strong><br />
Lich's Intelligence</strong> – Damage Health+Fortify Magicka+Restore Magicka<br />
<br />
Briar Heart+Ectoplasm+River Betty<br />
<br />
Uses: The hardest of the poisons to create, so use sparingly. I recommend simply buying the Briar Hearts, which makes creation a lot simpler. Although Damage Health is a lot more impacting, it isn’t as bad as it seems because that health can just be healed up.<br />
 <br />
 <strong><br />
Rotting Curse</strong> – Damage Health+Lingering Damage Health+Paralysis<br />
<br />
Human Flesh+Imp Stool+Scathcraw<br />
<br />
Uses: Your go-to poison. Don’t be afraid to use this on any enemy you deem fit, and watch them die a slow, painful death.<br />
<br />
</em></p>
<div align="center"><strong><em>Abilities:</em></strong></div>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><strong><br />
<a href="https://www.nuka-scrolls.com/filedata/fetch?id=3929&d=1477674102" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903747?profile=original" width="134" /></a>Last Breath</strong> - </em><em>Mannimarco vanishes into an intangible shroud of shadows then instantly reappears behind his opponent, killing them instantly. </em><br />
<br />
This move allows Mannimarco to quickly produce corpses to resurrect. Aside from the advantage of producing a quick easy casualty, this technique will leave you with one less enemy to deal with, or in rare cases a severely wounded enemy just waiting to die. <br />
<br />
<strong>Requires:</strong> Slow Time, Shadow Warrior, Assassin’s Blade, Jester’s Gloves</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><strong><br />
<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903762?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903762?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="134" /></a></strong></em><em><strong><em><strong>Blood Ritual</strong> - </em></strong></em>Mannimarco coats his dagger with a strange alchemic mixture and his own unnatural blood. His next two basic attacks against his own undead thralls will heal himself and his thralls as well as granting his thralls buffs based on the mixture's contents.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Mannimarco's unique way of buffing his minions. This approach allows him to use alchemy rather than magic to buff his thralls, which allows Mannimarco to both stay close to his thralls, and save his magicka for other purposes such as healing his thralls and disrupting the enemy<br />
<br />
<strong>Requires:</strong> Zombie, Blade of Woe, any buffing poison, Concentrated Poison</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><strong><a href="https://www.nuka-scrolls.com/filedata/fetch?id=3931&d=1477674181" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903776?profile=original" width="134" /></a></strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><strong>Dark Chalice</strong> - </em>Mannimarco sacrifices an enemy, using their life force rather than his own to replenish his magicka, and its soul to replenish the charge of his enchanted dagger. A sacrificed foe will return as a vengeful soul to fight by Mannimarco's side for 60 seconds.<br />
<br />
In true lich king fashion, Mannimarco is able to replenish both his magicka, and the charges on his weapon at no cost to his own life. This combo grants Mannimarco a high level of sustainability. Used wisely, this combo will allow Mannimarco to keep his health, magicka, and soul charges from ever running dry.<br />
<br />
<strong>Requires:</strong> Equilibrium, Blade of Woe, Soul Tear</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><br />
<strong><a href="https://www.nuka-scrolls.com/filedata/fetch?id=3932&d=1477674205" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903798?profile=original" width="134" /></a>Decrepifying Prison</strong> - </em>Mannimarco afflicts an opponent with a virulent plague that rapidly eats away their body. He then entraps the enemy within a magical prison, and leaves him to wither and rot away within. The affected enemy cannot move and lose massive amounts of health and armor per second.<br />
<br />
This technique provides Mannimarco with an excellent means of initiating combat, as it almost guarantees taking an enemy out of the fight for long periods of time and severely crippling him in the process. Used wisely, this will allow Mannimarco to focus on the weaker enemies of the group while the strongest among them lies motionless, rotting away.<br />
<br />
<strong>Requires:</strong> Rotting Curse, Poisoned, Marked for Death, Poison Rune</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903823?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903823?profile=original" width="134" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Mass Resurrection</strong> - Mannimarco summons an innumerable horde of undead to his aide. Corpses raised by through mass resurrection do not disintegrate when defeated nor when time runs out. </p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Once you've produced a sizable amount of bodies, this combination gets them all up and going at once. What makes this combination so awesome is the opportunity to keep a large squad of undead minions at your side all through your trek through any dungeon so long as you keep reviving them. Necromage will ensure the thralls last 50% longer than the posted duration. Deadly moves like Last Breath only add to the horde's head count. </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Requires:</strong> Aetherial Crown, Ritual Stone, Necromage</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903857?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903857?profile=original" width="808" height="441" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><strong>Tactics</strong><br />
<br /></em> <em>You will want to keep close to your thralls in order to provide timely buffs and healing. Be careful of how much agro you draw as Mannimarco is not equipped to safely dispatch multiple opponents on his own.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em>Use your thralls to draw the focus of tougher enemies while you pick off the weaker enemies within the group. Look for opportunities within the battle to disrupt your enemies either through magic or poisons.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em>Decrepifying Prison makes for an excellent way to start off the battle. Pick out the strongest enemy you're able to sneak up to and use the skill on him. Once he's down, be prepared to fight as Mannimarco is not capable of silent casting. Once Decrepifying Prison's expires the previously trapped enemy will be severely weak to physical attacks if not outright killed beforehand.</em><em><br />
<br /></em> <em>Gauge what level of marked for death to use with Decrepifying Prison based on how urgently you will need a shout available. One word Marked for Death will still lower armor by a massive 1500 points with a drastically lower cool down than its three word version</em><em><br />
<br /></em> <em>Last Breath is a powerful tool against any enemy focused on Mannimarco. Once the combo is initiated, the enemy will shift from engaging Mannimarco to searching for him, exposing the enemy to a lethal sneak attack. Last Breath is very useful for providing a quick extra body for resurrection.</em><em><br />
<br /></em> <em>Due to Soul tear's massive cool down time, Dark Chalice is best used close to the end of a fight or out of combat. Dark Chalice can still greatly benefit Mannimarco in the midst of combat by allowing him to siphon free magicka from his enemies.</em></p>
<div class="size_fullsize">
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903878?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903878?profile=original" width="750" /></a></p>
</div>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><strong>Conclusion and Credits:</strong><br />
<br />
Let us first say, it has been an absolute pleasure creating this build. Curse and I have loved it, and we hope you do too! Let me apologize about the length as well, it’s pretty large but we managed to get across everything we wanted to in this. Be glad it wasn’t 4000 words like the first draft!<br />
<br />
A massive thanks for Curse, for agreeing to put up with me again on this collaboration<br />
<br />
Thanks to Sage for opening me up to the concept of poisoning zombies<br />
<br />
Thanks to the various artists from Thraen, Deviantart and Google<br />
<br />
And thank </em>you for reading!<br />
<br /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/curse+never+dying" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903900?profile=original" width="545" height="185" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
</div>Character Build: The Knight Clerichttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/character-build-the-knight-cleric2017-04-19T02:01:28.000Z2017-04-19T02:01:28.000ZCursehttps://TheSkyForge.ning.com/members/Hantz<div><p>Good day and welcome to my first addition to this awesome shiny new site of ours. This build came about from my desire to build a dedicated support character in Skyrim. Drawing much inspiration from the Templar Knights of the Dragon Age series, I sought to create the perfect mix of defender, crusader, and supporter fighting styles. It is my pleasure to share with you all a labor of love that has been in the works for nearly a year. Without further delay allow me to introduce....</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903580?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903580?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="530" alt="903580?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}14749037,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}14749037,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="14749037?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>"Walk always in the light....or perish"</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>Steadfast, relemtless, unshakable in their convictions. Knight Clerics are formed out of the brave few who heed the call of the Divines during times of chaos, rallying the armies of man and mer to face the darkness. Faithful to the point of zealotry, these holy knights follow without question the will of the Divines to the letter, and if necessary to the death....</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Race:</strong> Breton. Bretons come with a 25% resistance to magic from the start meaning we wont be needing to grind alteration to get the magic defense this build needs. Dragonskin is a key component of a rather useful special combo we’ll discuss in detail later on</p>
<p><strong>Stone:</strong> Lord. The Lord Stone combined with the Bretons natural magic resist and the agent of Dibella buff grants a total of 65% magic resist. The additional 50 armor is useful as we will not be smithing armor at all.</p>
<p><strong>Stat Distribution:</strong> 1 Magicka, 2 Health, 0 Stamina. Plenty of health will be required to effectively tank enemy blows. Blocking does no good if chip damage kills you anyhow. Investment into magicka is not as important as health since we have the means of replenishing it. We need not invest in stamina because we have the respite perk. Refraining from investing into stamina keeps things balanced and challenging. </p>
<p><strong>Major Skills:</strong> Block, Restoration, Enchanting, Illusion</p>
<p><strong>Minor Skills:</strong> One Handed, Heavy Armor</p>
<p><strong>Armor:</strong> Heavy Dawngard Armor (White), Dawnguard Heavy Gauntlets & Boots, Ebony Shield, Circlet</p>
<p><strong>Weapon:</strong> Silver Sword</p>
<p><strong>Spells:</strong> Grand Healing, Close Wounds, Stendarr's Aura, Circle of Protection, Courage, Rally</p>
<p><strong>Shouts:</strong> Drain Vitality (glitched version learned alongside MFD), Become Ethereal</p>
<p><strong>Powers:</strong> Agent of Mara, Companion’s Insight, Force without Effort, Secret of Protection, Dragonskin</p>
<p><strong>Blessing:</strong> Blessing of Arkay</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><em>The Build</em></strong></span></p>
<p dir="ltr">The knight cleric is a fluid mix of crusader, defender, and supporter fighting tactics. The knight cleric's role is primarily that of a tank, taking the brunt of the enemies’ attacks so a follower may attack with impunity. The knight cleric is also responsible for keeping allies alive and buffed. Against the undead or mages, the knight cleric takes on a more offensive role, dealing increased damage against the undead and rendering enemy mages all but useless.</p>
<p>The knight cleric is heavily inspired by the templar knights of Dragon Age. The ability to resist magic as well as suppress that of others is translated smoothly into this build. The lyrium dependency of the templars is translated into Skyrim as the constant need for soul gems to power the enchantment that allows the knight cleric to suppress magic. Siphoning magicka away from the enemy ensures allies take minimal damage from magicka while ensuring a plentiful supply of magicka for support spells. </p>
<p>A much different approach to tanking is taken with this build. Heavy investment into Armor, Smithing, and flesh spells are traded in favor of skillful use of a strong shield. Skill will be required to keep enemies from attacking your exposed flank, but players skilled with the shield will enjoy the same, if not greater damage mitigation than a traditional tank touching the armor cap. Coupled with an impressive repertoire of healing spells, the knight cleric is a difficult adversary to take down. </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Weapons and Armor</strong></em></p>
<p>The overall aesthetics of this armor set is quite nice. The white armor and circlet give the set a very clerical and knightly feel. The ebony shield, though seemingly an odd choice, matches very well with this set. The set is also very easy to get. The focus with enchantments is on improving melee damage to make up for the lack of smithing as well as fortifying health and magicka further. The enchantment on the shield allows for maximum damage mitigation of any successfully blocked attack. For best results follow the enchantment guidelines below. </p>
<ul><li>Dawnguard Heavy Armor - Fortify Health</li>
<li>Dawnguard Gauntlets/Boots - Fortify One-Handed</li>
<li>Pendant/Ring - Fortify One-handed</li>
<li>Circlet - Fortify Magicka</li>
</ul><p>The above items are quite easy to come across. You'll have everything you need minus the Ebony Shield as soon as you recruit Gunmar and Sorine back into the Dawnguard. Aside from getting into the right gear early (and who doesnt like that), the above gear is easy to repurchase and re-enchant as your enchanting skills improve. </p>
<p><strong>Tranquility</strong> - Silver sword enchanted w/ Absorb Magicka</p>
<p>This somewhat underrated weapon comes with a permanent enchantment that a flat 20 points of extra damage against the undead. When Necromage is thrown in the mix that damage is upped to an impressive 25 points. The best think about this weapon is that it can be enchanted further and thats where Absorb Magicka comes in. You're getting two enchantments in one weapon without the hassle of craft grinding to get the extra effect perk. </p>
<p>*If you choose to perk all the way up to Extra Effect in the Enchanting tree I highly recommend pairing Absorb Magicka with Damage Magicka to rid enemy mages of their magic even faster. </p>
<p><strong>Divine Tower</strong> - Ebony Shield enchanted w/ Fortify Block</p>
<p>The shield is as much a weapon as the sword. The Ebony Shield becomes available in shops around level 25. As an ebony armor piece it offers very good base protection. With all enchanting perks this build calls for acquired, the fortify block enchantment will come out to about to just under 40%. Coupled with the Shield Wall perks, the damage mitigation cap for shields is reachable. There's more. The 50% elemental protection offered by the Elemental Aegis perk stacks with the knight clerics high magic resistance, negating magic damage almost entirely when a spell is successfully blocked. </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><em>Perk Placement </em></strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong><em><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903643?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/903643?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" alt="903643?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" /></a></em></strong> <em>"Divine intervention comes not at the hands of the Gods, but at the hands of those who answer their call, take up the sword, and intervene on their behalf"</em></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Level wise the knight cleric is a very manageable build, whether you prefer to level naturally or power level. As a support character your life will be made much easier by picking up a follower as soon as you can. Lydia makes a good early follower (I can hear you all groaning already) until you find someone stronger. Plow through the Dawnguard quest-line up until you've recruited Sorine and Gunmar to gain access to better followers and gear. </p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Block is easily your most vital skill tree. Much of your survivability is derived from here. If you're the impatient type, block can be leveled incredibly fast by taking advantage of giants. Remember, Block does more than brush off damage. Bashes are as much a part of your offensive game plan as a well placed strike from your sword. Take advantage of the various disrupting effects available to deny your enemy chances to attack. </p>
<p>Restoration goes hand in hand with block making the knight cleric a very tough tank to take down. The Respite perk obviates the need for stamina investment. At 100 stamina even the weakest healing spells will fully restore stamina. It only takes a sliver of stamina to bash or shield charge. You'll be using healing spells constantly, so expect Restoration to level up pretty fast. </p>
<p>Enchanting covers most of your offensive boosts and like many of your other skills is designed to level naturally. The seldom used Soul Squeezer and Soul Siphon perks are prized perks in this build. Soul Squeezer will give much more bang for your buck from low tier soul gems, allowing you to recharge much more of your weapons energy. This enables you to save higher tier soul gems for item crafting. The charge from a simple lesser soul gem rivals that of a grand soul gem with this perk. Soul Siphon will restore a small portion of your charge every time you score a death blow against a creature. </p>
<p>Illusion is capped at Adept Illusion since the highest level courage spell aside from Call to Arms is an adept level spell. There is no fool proof way to draw enemy aggression to the player rather than the follower, so courage spells become an important means of keeping your follower alive should things go wrong. </p>
<p>A few points are taken in the Juggernaut perk of Heavy Armor to supplement your defenses, but don't get cocky. Fail to use that shield and you're gonna be hurting. 40 Levels of Heavy Armor is easy to gain either through training or over the course of your adventure. Armsman is maxed out in the One Handed tree to offer an extra boost to damage. With all relevant perks and enchantments you're looking at roughly 55 or so damage. Enough to hold your own should the worst come to pass, but not enough to eliminate the need for a follower. </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Techniques</strong></em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Shield Mastery:</strong> <a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/V2H7KtjlfN4LDNLBCp7mV2Jpsk4jUz6UA8cVfjfbDWXsxlfeLAJYLAVKw7KQ1g0F2kKYvm9C-Zg5TD7xU805yVS5QhGIBZET2rc_XoJXWGd6WJ8r7VB1qEJXzKaIePKdE2yh8j0" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/V2H7KtjlfN4LDNLBCp7mV2Jpsk4jUz6UA8cVfjfbDWXsxlfeLAJYLAVKw7KQ1g0F2kKYvm9C-Zg5TD7xU805yVS5QhGIBZET2rc_XoJXWGd6WJ8r7VB1qEJXzKaIePKdE2yh8j0?width=134" width="134" alt="V2H7KtjlfN4LDNLBCp7mV2Jpsk4jUz6UA8cVfjfbDWXsxlfeLAJYLAVKw7KQ1g0F2kKYvm9C-Zg5TD7xU805yVS5QhGIBZET2rc_XoJXWGd6WJ8r7VB1qEJXzKaIePKdE2yh8j0?width=134" /></a></p>
<p><em>The knight-cleric’s shield is an impenetrable fortress of protection. When blocking, all frontal attacks deal 85% less physical damage and 50% less elemental damage. Arrows that hit the shield are deflected and deal no damage.</em></p>
<p><strong>requires:</strong> Divine Tower, Shield Wall 5/5, Elemental Aegis perk, Deflect Arrows perk</p>
<p>The knight cleric’s defenses are very direction oriented. With that said, the knight cleric possesses nigh impenetrable frontal defenses but must be wary of flank attacks at all times. Anything not blocked is going to deal significantly more damage. This form of tanking requires constant vigilance of enemy positions as you'll take considerably more damage from attacks you fail to block.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}14720357,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}14720357,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="134" alt="14720357?profile=original" /></a><strong>Spell Purge:</strong></p>
<p><em>Knight-clerics do not simply resist magic, they outright deny it, and deny others the ability to use it. Every successful strike depletes and suppresses enemy magic. Once drained of magic, enemies are unable to regenerate more.</em></p>
<p><strong>requires:</strong> Tranquility, Drain Vitality </p>
<p>The knight cleric is able to render enemy mages useless by damaging and saping their magicka and preventing them from regenerating more. This skill even works against dragons whose powerful breathe attacks are tied to a 150 point magicka pool. Purge helps keep the knight cleric’s magicka full so healing spells and buffs are never in short supply.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/vO6GlfMJlV4kLecSWk3tFvNlZdaeeSNhfSgJhmUGmpElZiSbWzAfXAh-6OPZuzczBMsLMziOHWYPx01YSvrGvoRWaOZ1_jx5rY6_RWNkXmMrszZjrbgEaDuI9Q81r1PTu0OjF_4" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/vO6GlfMJlV4kLecSWk3tFvNlZdaeeSNhfSgJhmUGmpElZiSbWzAfXAh-6OPZuzczBMsLMziOHWYPx01YSvrGvoRWaOZ1_jx5rY6_RWNkXmMrszZjrbgEaDuI9Q81r1PTu0OjF_4?width=134" width="134" alt="vO6GlfMJlV4kLecSWk3tFvNlZdaeeSNhfSgJhmUGmpElZiSbWzAfXAh-6OPZuzczBMsLMziOHWYPx01YSvrGvoRWaOZ1_jx5rY6_RWNkXmMrszZjrbgEaDuI9Q81r1PTu0OjF_4?width=134" /></a><strong>Cleanse Evil:</strong></p>
<p><em>Imbued with divine power, the undead can hardly stand in the presence of the knight-cleric let alone withstand the might of her attacks. Cleanse Evil deals sun damage over time, and increases the damage dealt with basic attacks against the undead.The effectiveness of Spell Purge against the undead is also passively increased</em></p>
<p><strong>requires:</strong> Tranquility, Stendarrs Aura, Necromage</p>
<p>The knight cleric becomes an offensive force when fighting the undead. Tranquility does an additional 20 damage against the undead. Stendarr’s Aura deals 10 sun damage per second. Necromage will increase the magnitude of both by 25% resulting in 25 damage per strike and 12 sun damage per second. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p><br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/iqLrXbsOUzwkW5ZV7YzkgmJEmd6kqzqwBm3AtvUsQqugKA-l01FKtQv7hqUQHcXycIrzxMfZ-lUh4DHeBY_-yZHM-BdxMnDvDI8CfiK4lzgBfRTtQ7_6gxVIP22xnhAmHFkKjy8" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/iqLrXbsOUzwkW5ZV7YzkgmJEmd6kqzqwBm3AtvUsQqugKA-l01FKtQv7hqUQHcXycIrzxMfZ-lUh4DHeBY_-yZHM-BdxMnDvDI8CfiK4lzgBfRTtQ7_6gxVIP22xnhAmHFkKjy8?width=134" width="134" alt="iqLrXbsOUzwkW5ZV7YzkgmJEmd6kqzqwBm3AtvUsQqugKA-l01FKtQv7hqUQHcXycIrzxMfZ-lUh4DHeBY_-yZHM-BdxMnDvDI8CfiK4lzgBfRTtQ7_6gxVIP22xnhAmHFkKjy8?width=134" /></a><strong>Divine Blessing:</strong></p>
<p><em>Through righteous fervor your allies are inspired to fight harder than ever. Allies will not run from the enemy and gain increased health, stamina, and weapon damage,</em></p>
<p><strong>requires:</strong> Scroll of Call to Arms, Rally, Courage</p>
<p>All courage spells stack, making any ally far stronger than they normally are. This skill is far more useful when used on a warrior or rogue, but mages can still enjoy the increased survivability granted by the increased health. Purge makes it very easy to always have magicka on hand to use this combo. Rally and Courage alone will suffice in most situations. The full combo should be reserved for tough battles and bosses.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Sanctuary:</strong><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/DRapWQcrNby4pVi48f0ps2F_0pnLS4PP3hjta7djOz0XIpDucSUWb4fsoz9Ph0BJd1T7NEZS1j-_2n11ZOTLEt6EnJ804EeutcmzwWd6a3gnZxurvkOTg7On_HFfuRsF9WqUUgM" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/DRapWQcrNby4pVi48f0ps2F_0pnLS4PP3hjta7djOz0XIpDucSUWb4fsoz9Ph0BJd1T7NEZS1j-_2n11ZOTLEt6EnJ804EeutcmzwWd6a3gnZxurvkOTg7On_HFfuRsF9WqUUgM?width=134" width="134" alt="DRapWQcrNby4pVi48f0ps2F_0pnLS4PP3hjta7djOz0XIpDucSUWb4fsoz9Ph0BJd1T7NEZS1j-_2n11ZOTLEt6EnJ804EeutcmzwWd6a3gnZxurvkOTg7On_HFfuRsF9WqUUgM?width=134" /></a></p>
<p><em>Invoking the power of the Divines, the knight cleric sanctifies a space on the battlefield. While standing in this space, the knight-cleric regenerates health, as well as magicka at a phenomenal rate. Outside this space, the knight cleric still enjoys 50% damage resistance and 50% spell absorption. Undead that fail to resist are turned.</em></p>
<p><strong>requires:</strong> Become Ethereal (optional), Scroll of Guardian Circle, Secret of Protection, Dragonskin</p>
<p>Guardian Circle, when combined with respite and dragon skin creates a space on the battlefield that will restore health and magicka, as well as grant substantial physical and magical protection. The constant flow of healing and the improved protection grants you ample opportunity to turn the tide. This is best saved for bosses or a massive number of enemies. This is particularly useful against the undead.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}14751794,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}14751794,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="14751794?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><em>Tactics</em></strong></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Notes on Followers</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">A key aspect of this build is going to be followers. The knight cleric is designed to work well with just about anyone leaving much room to tailor your follower as you please.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Melee followers tend to lack the means to deal damage to groups but more than make up for it with good single target damage. There are many routes you can when considering what enchantments to bestow on their weapons. I personally prefer elemental damage. Frost damage will help deplete enemy stamina reserves. Even more useful is shock damage which will help deplete magicka. Dual wielders are especially powerful, able to tear through enemies with enchanted weapons. Frea of the Skaal is perhaps the strongest of such characters and is my go-to follower. </p>
<p style="text-align:left;">The most useful mages are the ones with AOE spells and conjurations. Ice Storm and chain lightning are among my favorite AOE spells. Conjuration spells bring an additional ally into the mix to keep enemies occupied. I find frost atronachs to be the most useful summon. Its a big target but a sturdy one, and its heavy attacks will keep multiple enemies staggered. If pure mages aren't your think, but you still want a little magic in your life, you can try outfitting a swordsman with a staff in his off hand. The staff of ice storms or chain lightning are your best bet there.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Keeping Everyone Alive</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">It all comes down to keeping enemies focused on you. Keep ahead of your follower. You want to be the first thing enemies come into contact with. Keeping enemies focused on you allows your follower to attack with impunity. </p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Keep in mind theres no fool proof mechanism to aggro enemies. Sometimes a stray opponent will doggedly pursue your follower. A shield charge will knock the enemy off his feet, forcing him to get up and find a new target. Shield charging is also useful if you need to buy a few seconds to heal or apply a buff. Consider Disarming Bash a means of de-buffing your enemy's attack power. When up against a powerful attacker disarm him and confiscate his weapon. He'll be much less of a threat to you and your follower. </p>
<p style="text-align:left;">When working with a mage you'll want to keep the fighting a good distance away from them at all times. Try to keep enemies clustered together so your mage can kill them off with AOE spells. With melee followers you want to keep the enemies' backs turned to them at all times. Enemies almost never turn around to engage someone attacking their flank if theyre already focused on another target. Regardless of who you're with, you want to cast <strong>Divine Blessing</strong> on them before every battle to boost their stats. Grand Healing will be your go to healing spell should your follower find himself on the wrong end of a beating. Whats so awesome about this spell is it heals you as well as your follower. <strong>Sanctuary</strong> is a potent desperation technique that allows for much breathing room should things start getting dicey. </p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Taking the Fight to the Enemy</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Against living enemies you'll be playing very defensively. This is where <strong>Shield Mastery</strong> comes in. Keep enemies from flanking you and you'll absorb what they throw at you just fine. The Drain Vitality shout is a great way to stagger enemies at range and has a very short cool down. I find that its helpful to stay ahead of your follower and hit as many enemies as possible with it. If you're the closest to the enemy and that shouts the first thing to hit them, that usually draws most of the aggro to you. Against the undead you can be much more aggressive thanks to <strong>Cleanse Evil</strong>. Against mages you'll be using <strong>Spell Purge</strong> to render them useless. Both abilities can be used simultaneously which is excellent considering vampires typically use magic. </p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Dragon breathe attacks are tied to a 150 point magicka pool. Hit them with <strong>Spell Purge</strong> as soon as they land and save everyone the grief of being blasted by fire. In no time you'll render the beast useless at range. He'll be forced to land and attack you up close. <strong>Shield Mastery</strong> is a strong enough defense to mitigate the damage from their bite, even from an elder dragon! Enjoy an epic close encounter with the dragon and keep the pressure up with <strong>Spell Purge</strong> to keep the beast from breathing. </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><em>Quests & Roleplay</em></strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Strictly speaking Knight Clerics are Lawfully Good. They are staunch enforcers of law and order who abhor evil in all its forms. They act as instruments of the Divines, restoring order where none can be found, though their methods are often extreme. Tamriel's history is a litany of chaos and darkness run rampant. Throughout the ages evil has arisen many times only to be driven back by the Divines' faithful enforcers and their allies. </p>
<p style="text-align:left;">A crusader set on restoring order has always been an appealing roleplay angle for me. There's no shortage of evil that will plunge Skyrim, and perhaps all of Tamriel, into chaos if left unchecked, making a wide variety of quests easy to justify doing. </p>
<p style="text-align:left;">The main quest as well as the Dawnguard and Dragonborne questlines are perfect for the knight cleric to take on. Each one culminates in an epic battle against a great force of evil. Perhaps the best part about these quests are the friends you will encounter along the way who will aid you. There personalities add much your adventure. Hell, I even liked adventuring with Lydia. Serana makes for a very interesting follower, given how odd the pairing of holy knight and vampire is. I roleplayed a strong distrust in her up until the tail end of the Dawnguard questline.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">The Civil War puts your religious convictions to the test as there is no middle ground; You support either a pantheon made up of 8 gods or 9. A knight cleric who supports the notion of 8 Divines, and only the 8, will see Talos worshipers as heretics that must be dealt with. Naturally this will lead to siding with the Empire if only to route out these heretics.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Daedric quests are interesting to try justifying. I avoided quests where it was impossible to defy the princes. The Divines are no friend to the princes, and so neither are you. Nothing good can come of Daedric artifacts, so hide them well or destroy them lest they fall into the hands of someone more easily corrupted.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Roleplaying the knight cleric is a matter of being unshakable in your beliefs and faithful to the will of the gods no matter the consequence. Heretics, necromancers, the undead, and any practitioners of the dark arts are part of a long list of people that must be killed with extreme prejudice. Anyone that gets in the way of divine justice will be dealt with all the same - that includes the guards that take offense to you slaughtering vampires disguised as citizens in their city. You are above the law. You answer to the Divines and the Divines alone. </p>
<p style="text-align:left;"> <img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}14748889,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="14748889?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><em>Recommended Mods</em></strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/64559/?" target="_blank">Dawn of the Dawnguard Armor</a> - This mod is a stunning, HD re-texture for all dawnguard armor sets. Because if you're going to purge the wicked, you may as well look good doing it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/53442/?" target="_blank">R</a><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/77315/?" target="_blank">esplendent Armor</a> - If you're looking for something more splendid than the Dawnguard Armor, than look no further than the Resplendent Armor mod. The Resplendent armor perfectly blends the aesthetics of both a holy knight and a cleric. It even comes with HDT physics allowing the battle dress to flow realistically as you move.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/3780/?" target="_blank">Real Silver Swords</a> - A beautiful and elegant high quality texture replacer for both the silver sword and silver great sword.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/5916/?" target="_blank">Steel Heater Shield</a> - Adds a collectible and craft-able shield quite similar to the design and shape of the shield seen in my knight cleric character art.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/56614/?" target="_blank">Enchanted Arsenal</a> - This mod gives you complete and total freedom to customize the appearance of all weapon enchantments. You can make your weapon glow with an ethereal aura and more. The possibilities are vast.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/33914/?" target="_blank">YY Anim Replacer - Mystic Knight</a> - This is an animation replacement pack for magic casting animations.While it is geared towards pure mages and spell swords, it looks very nice with a sword and shield as well.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b_1D4V5k0Fs" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> <em><strong>Closing Remarks</strong></em></p>
<p>Stay tuned for more of my old work and in due time some of the new builds I've been working on. </p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong> <a href="http://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/forum/list/tag/curse+never+dying" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7651868?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="550" alt="7651868?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" /></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align:left;"> </p></div>