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Character Build: The Penitent Warrior

Tags: #Character Build Healer  #Character Build Pilgrim  #Character Build Scout  #Rank:Exemplar 
  • Member
    April 25, 2013

    The Penitent Warrior

     “Gonna lay down my sword and shield, down by the riverside, and study war no more.”

    - “Down By the Riverside,” traditional spiritual

    The Penitent Warrior has known battle and conflict all her life, but such constant struggle has taken its toll on her and she has struck out on the road in search of religious enlightenment. Although it is hard to leave a life of war behind and she bears more scars than just physical ones, it has prepared the Penitent for life on the road; she knows how to protect herself should the need arise. Whatever her past, she is doing her best to change her life and follow the teachings of the Eight (or Nine) Divines. But such a goal is not easy to accomplish, particularly in war-torn Skyrim…

    Backgrounds

    You were a soldier in the Imperial Legion. You joined to serve the Empire, to make something out of yourself. You trained hard, pushing yourself to your physical limits to prove your worth. But none of that training could prepare you for your first time in battle. The blood and screams of your friends and the other soldiers around you still haunts your nightmares to this day. You tried to toughen up because that’s what soldiers do, but every engagement filled you with shock, terror, disgust, and anger. You did things you’re not proud of, things you can’t even admit to yourself, both on and off the battlefield. You’ve seen the darkness that lurks in the hearts of men, and you’re appalled by how much of it lurks in yours. You wanted out. After a particularly brutal battle, you ran – you didn’t know where and you didn’t care, anywhere else was better than the battlefield. Stripping your armor off as you ran, you bathed yourself in a nearby lake and decided then and there to repent for what you’d done by paying homage to the Divines. For weeks, you lived off the land and took shelter wherever you could, until a Legion patrol found you and took you prisoner for deserting. As the caravan rattles along the rocky road to the nearest Imperial keep, all you can do is murmur humble prayers to the Divines; when a dragon interrupts your execution, you briefly wonder if the gods are listening, before running for your life…

    You’re a mercenary, offering your sword arm to the highest bidder or whoever can otherwise keep you knee deep in ale and pleasure. Or at least you were, for most of your life. You grew up on the streets with almost nothing to your name, and you hated the way the upper crust looked at you with disdain, how they didn’t have to work at all to live a life of luxury. You quickly learned how to get what you wanted, through words, deft hands, or brute force; your meals were catch-as-catch-can and you never knew if the next day would be your last. When you grew old enough you struck out as a sellsword, guarding caravans and shops, and killing rats in basements; you even got a little taste of war. When that wasn’t enough, you turned to banditry and ran with a group of other folks like yourself looking for money, power, and recognition. But your leader started getting more and more aggressive, and instead of stealing from travelling merchants, you found yourself burning farms and killing common folk in their beds – people like you, trying to scrape out a living however they could. It didn’t sit right with you and so you gathered your things and left to try and turn your life around. On the road, you had a glimpse of something holy, something greater than you, calling you to Skyrim. When the Imperials captured you at the border, you gave yourself up willingly; if you were meant to be executed, you consider it just penance for your crimes. Yet whatever forces drew you here intervened and now you are free once more…

    Build

    This build takes inspiration from the Pilgrim class of previous TES games, with slight alterations.

    Race: Any. The former soldier background is best suited to an Imperial, Orc, or Redguard. The reformed mercenary/bandit can be of any race. This build is strongly focused on roleplay rather than racial powers or skill bonuses. That being said, the Imperial skill bonuses and Voice of the Emperor synergize very well with this concept.

    Major Skills: Speech, Block, Restoration. You know how to negotiate for better prices, living on the road; your military experience helps you protect yourself and your allies; and you have begun practicing the healing and protective powers of Restoration magic, as well as how to smite undead in the name of Stendarr and Arkay.

    Minor Skills: Light Armor, Alchemy, One-Handed. You know how to make good use of lighter armors to stay mobile; you’ve learned the names and properties of many useful plants during your travels; and you know how to deal a deadly blow with a weapon when push comes to shove.

    Optional Skills: Archery, Sneak, Illusion. If you are sneaking, it’s because you want to avoid a fight instead of setting yourself up for a kill; if you want to sneak better, only take perks that affect detection. Archery is primarily for creating distractions, hunting for food and hides to sell, and bringing down dragons. I tried using Illusion magic with this character and it didn’t feel quite right, even though it’s been a staple of the classic Pilgrim class; take Calm spells and Muffle at most if you go this route. I imagine it feels better with the former bandit background, which I haven’t played much with.

    Suggested Shouts: Aura Whisper, Become Ethereal, Clear Skies, Dismay, Kyne’s Peace, Unrelenting Force, Whirlwind Sprint

    Standing Stones: Mage or Warrior -> Lady, Lover, or Steed

    Equipment: You’ll be wearing robes, a hood, light gauntlets, and light boots; your weapons will be a mace and light shield. Stick to Fur armor for its warmth, or Leather if you need comfortable footwear and a little more protection. At later levels, swap these out for Scaled gauntlets and boots; they’re lined with fur to keep you warm, but provide much better protection from the dangers you’ll encounter on your pilgrimage. Of course, if you become more martially focused, you might prefer Elven armor (primarily for aesthetics, since Scaled armor has marginally better defense).

    Try to acquire one of each Amulet of the Divines as well, and switch out as necessary. In my head, I imagine my character dripping with little trinkets, tokens, and amulets to show his devotion.

    Attributes: A 1:1:1 ratio works out alright for this build. Add more Health or Magicka as necessary.

    Sample Perk Spread: Level 20 - http://skyrimcalculator.com/288321

    Level 50 - http://skyrimcalculator.com/288092

    Roleplaying

     “You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it's a little thing, do something for others - something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it.”

    – Albert Schweitzer

    You have committed atrocities and crimes in the past, deeds you aren’t proud of, and now you’re doing your best to set things right while following the teachings of the Divines. To this end, seek out any and all shrines and temples to the gods. When you find a shrine, kneel and say a brief prayer; leave an offering of some kind too, preferably one appropriate to the god. You might leave flowers at a shrine of Dibella, since she is often depicted carrying flowers or with flowers for hands, a sword at the feet of a statue of Talos, or you might invoke the Call Storm shout while praying at an outdoor shrine of Kynareth, in reverence of her role as mistress of the heavens and elements. Gold is always an appropriate offering.

    It goes without saying that you should also always offer to help any priests with their needs. Be proactive about this. This charity should extend to the poor as well. Always give coins to beggars. The common folk often have many problems that need solving and you are happy to oblige them. Talk to everyone and have as deep a conversation as you can with them; you are personable and want to make strong human connections to everyone you meet. In addition, try to use your words to solve problems whenever possible. If you have the option of Persuading or even Intimidating someone, take it; you believe in avoiding open conflict whenever possible and if it takes a silver tongue to do so, so be it.

    Take your time when travelling; part of your spiritual journey is to explore new ideas and places, and to seek out sacred sites. Avoid Fast Travelling as much as possible since you will miss out on a lot of content and opportunities, and if you must, try to use the carriage services whenever possible. Spend a little time just walking through the wilderness and appreciating the natural beauty of the world. If you’ve been running for hours, take a break to sit, eat, and read a book for a while; you can even take a nap for an hour. Be sure to leave that book in a safe place where someone else can find it later, too.

    One final note: you are a penitent, not a saint. You’re allowed to have momentary lapses of judgment – murder, stealing food – as long as you try make up for it. For example: while exploring, my character stumbled upon an injured hunter who asked him for help back to his camp; upon arrival, he called out his bandit friends and attacked. Overcome with frustration at the betrayal of his trust, my character killed them all but upon seeing his hands and clothes soaked in blood, he immediately felt remorse and disgust. He stumbled away, without touching their gear or camp, found a nearby river, stripped off his armor and weapons, and washed himself for an hour; he then prayed to the Divines for forgiveness.

    Combat

    You aren’t a pacifist, but you’re also not looking to pick fights. If you can avoid fighting someone, do so however you can, whether that’s talking them down, sneaking past them, or simply leaving in the case of many bandit camps. If you’re caught, of course, defend yourself as best you can, but always consider the option of a tactical retreat.

    In terms of actual combat style, you fight as a sort of mobile tank. You’ll want to keep your shield up to deflect arrows and absorb an initial power attack, then retaliate with your mace for a swing or two and pull back. Your goal is to wear the enemy down over time, through blocking, falling back to heal and reposition, shield basing, and landing well-timed power strikes.

    Don’t underestimate the power of a shield bash; you can make mages much less dangerous by closing the distance as fast as possible, then bashing them to keep them from casting spells. In melee, you might swap between shield and ward in case they keep trying to cast spells like Flames or Frostbite. A Power Bash against a single opponent can create a good opening for a Fast Heal or a withdrawal.

    Special Moves

    This particular build doesn’t have the same kinds of crazy combat abilities that others do, but here are some ideas:

    Moment of Respite

    By the power  of your Imperial blood, you invoke the authority of Akatosh himself to cow your foes into temporary submission so that you can attend to your wounds and those of your allies; alternatively, you invoke your Thu’um in the name of Mara who shelters you from harm briefly.

    Requires: Voice of the Emperor/Become Ethereal + Heal Self/Heal Other spell of your choice + Respite perk.

    Fist of Stendarr

    You rush to grant Stendarr’s mercy to the undead, Daedra worshipers, and other enemies of the Divine, in the form of your shield and mace.

    Requires: Whirlwind Sprint + Power Bash + Power Strike.

    Lover’s Spite

    With the aid of Dibella, you soothe a hostile member of the opposite sex with her Divine grace, only to follow it with the crushing sting of a poisoned weapon.

    Requires: Agent of Dibella + Calm spell + poisoned Power Strike.

    Breath of Kynareth

    You invoke your Thu’um in the name of Kynareth to blow away choking poisonous gases.

    Requires: Clear Skies shout + gas trap.

    Fear of God

    You momentarily channel the full glory of the Divines through your mortal vessel, causing your foes to flee in awe and terror.

    Requires: Dismay shout.

    Recommended Quests

    "Which shrine? Well, I...I'm going to them all. Yes. One at a time. Until I've visited all the shrines to all the gods in Skyrim."

    - Traveling Pilgrim

    Greybeards: The Way of the Voice is another potential path to enlightenment and as a religious scholar it should fascinate you. Since this is the main storyline of the game, you will probably complete these quests anyway, but go into it with a more spiritual focus than others might. You're genuinely interested in the Way of the Voice and you may endeavor to become besties with Paarthunax.

    The Blessings of Nature: Keep Maurice alive with Restoration spells, then take his side when you find the Eldergleam. This is an important lesson in humility and patience.

    The Book of Love: Travel to Riften and complete these quests early, as having the Magic Resist is very useful. If you want to be very efficient, take the first quest before heading to visit the Greybeards.

    The Heart of Dibella: Get caught on purpose and locate the new Sybil. The Agent of Dibella reward may be more universally useful for female characters, but either way you have aided the Church of Dibella and gained the favor of the goddess.

    Kyne’s Sacred Trials: More for flavor than the rewards, although the Mark of Kyne can be useful while exploring; the bow isn’t awful but you won’t be shooting it too often. Animal Allegiance can make this quest much easier, especially against the mammoth – unless you shoot it from a distance and make use of Whirlwind Sprint to reposition.

    Miscellaneous Quests: You want to leave the life of war as far behind you as possible, and the easiest way to do that is to help people with the mundane tasks of everyday life. Gathering crops isn’t really a quest but it does get you a bit of gold and the satisfaction of a hard day’s work. Getting a mammoth tusk for Ysolda in Whiterun can grant you a useful boost to Speech early on; I ended up buying one for her off a hunter I found while exploring, which seemed appropriate enough with the theme of charity.

    This is my first build so any and all comments and criticism are welcome!

     

     

     

     

     

  • Member
    April 25, 2013

    This is a very good build with nice presentation and well detailed gameplay! +1

    Can I ask about the Breath of Kynareth move? By gas trap do you mean the flammable gas that just floats around like in Stony Creek Cave? Can you clear gas in Calcelmo's laboratory with Clear Skies? 

  • Member
    April 25, 2013

    Thanks for the response and the feedback! You make a good point about the DLC; I only recently got back into Skyrim and haven't fully explored all the DLC, though I'm working through Dawnguard with a separate Witchhunter build. I think Dawnguard works fairly well for this character concept, especially the conflict that comes from helping/working with a vampire; because of the inner turmoil, I could see people taking either path and making it work. Plus, a crossbow is probably more useful to this guy in the long run.

    On the subject of the Markath quest: I hadn't thought of that. I've played this concept for a while and I still haven't done any of the Daedra quests, but I think you can justify them pretty well as part of the penitent's struggle to find "the Truth" wherever it may lie. "Good Daedra" quests work fairly well -- I'm thinking of Meridia here, and heck, even Sanguine -- and even if you take quests from the more questionable Daedric Princes, I take that as the simple temptation of a mortal soul which proves that you're still fallible. 

    Great suggestion on the perks; I'll add those in soon.

  • Member
    April 25, 2013

    I should clarify that; I meant poison gas traps from trapped chests. Since Clear Skies can only be used outdoors, you would not be able to clear out the gas in Calcemo's Laboratory.

  • April 25, 2013

    Nice work! Blinding for a first build! Welcome to the group!

    The format for your class tag would be "Character Build Pilgrim" so that it shows up with everyone elses builds on this page.

  • Member
    April 25, 2013

    Trapped chests gas traps which are outdoors?? 

  • April 25, 2013

    And although it has been mentioned, make sure you use the quotes.

  • Member
    April 25, 2013

    UESP says that the only places with these gas traps are: Stony Creek Cave, Knifepoint Mine, Gloombound Mine, and Aftland. The ones in Calcelmo's Lab are different than normal.

    I'm not sure how often you'll use that ability, but I think this is a good first build anyway, Slaughterbot

  • Member
    April 25, 2013

    Yeah, I looked that up too, that's why I'm confused. UESP page on Clear Skies says that "It can also clear poisonous gas away from traps"

  • Member
    April 25, 2013

    Whoops, I'll fix the tag ASAP. Thank you for your praise!