Forums » Elder Scrolls

• Paul

  

  • 773 posts
   

  January 7, 2012 2:39 PM EST

  I was thinking about making a flat out RPG character who would live an independent life with no desire to 'beat' the main quest or join any of the Guilds.

  Now, I love collecting and reading the books in Skyrim, so I was wondering about creating a Librarian character. Yes, you read that right....a Librarian!!!

  The focus would obviously be on collecting, storing and studying every available book in the game. Since I would need to enter dangerous places to collect many of them, I would need some sort of offensive skill, and I'm thinking sneak attacks with a dagger. Also the use of illusion to avoid unnecessary aggro. Dwemer studies would be a sideline!

  So here's my challenge to the character build gurus - yes, I'm looking at you Mason  - can you create a Librarian Build for me? Suggestions on race, skills, perk choices, equipment etc

  If this is feasible and viable, I'm willing to journal the experience here on the site 

• Ponty

  

  • 708 posts
   

  January 7, 2012 3:09 PM EST

  I actually did this in Morrowind - I loved reading all the books about the Dwemer and Chimer. At the moment I'm thinking a a mage/assasin with skills like Illusion, Conjuration, Restoration, Alteration, Sneak and One-Handed. I'll try and post up a build when I work out the specifics.

• Paul

  

  • 773 posts
   

  January 7, 2012 3:15 PM EST

  Cool..... thanks Ponty 

• Mason

  

  • 739 posts
   

  January 7, 2012 3:45 PM EST

  (grins)

  Love the idea! I'm actually using the correct skillset for you right now on my current character. I'm level 26 now with 8 perks in the bank that i cant decide what to do with.

  I'll put it all together over in character building as a treat.

   

   

• Ponty

  

  • 708 posts
   

  January 7, 2012 4:21 PM EST

  Heh, I'll let you do it. Gives me more time to work on demonstration videos! (rendering my Witch one as I write)

• Guy Corbett

  

  • 426 posts
   

  January 9, 2012 4:30 AM EST

  Love the idea of this. Extreme challenge. Would the librarian go as far as to clean out the college of winterhold or would they be upstanding member of the community?

• RuneRed

  

  • 856 posts
   

  January 9, 2012 1:33 PM EST

  Wow, great idea.    Perhaps you can find a mod that has a player house with a library room (enough book shelves to hold all of those books).

  Here are some thoughts on a build - not an actual build, but rather ideas. Mage skills in general,  they are more scholarly, but I would avoid destruction - you wouldn't want to damage any books.  I especialy like your illusion idea. Stealth would be good (you have to be quiet in the library), this fits in with the illusion spells/perks nicely.  Also, both Alchemy and Enchanting seem to be scholarly pursuits.  For dwemer studies, lock pick skill would help - you can't study places that you cannot get into; but I find the perks in lockpicking to be unnecessary.  As far as race, any could work, Altmer seems a decent choice, but we've even seen orsimer book sellers / librarians.

• Paul

  

  • 773 posts
   

  January 9, 2012 2:23 PM EST

  There's a write up on the Build in the Character Build Group here

  I've gone for a Dunmer. Early days yet, just about to hit level 4, and I only got through Bleak Falls Barrow with the help of Sven. I think I've collected 11 books so far. The only problem is where to put them, since it will be a good while before I can even afford Breezeholme

• Paul

  

  • 773 posts
   

  January 9, 2012 2:26 PM EST

  Good point, and I thought about that.

  I think the motivation of my character is to collect what books he can by reasonable means, only killing hostile enemies etc. But in the final analysis, the desire to obtain all the books will compel him to turn to kleptomania! 

  I'm sticking to the idea that he is too fiercely independent to join a Guild, so I won't to be able to access the College until I have enough speech skill to flatter the gate guard at the College into letting me in. Then it will be a case of waiting for the best time to help myself to the lovely books.

• Jordan Butler

  

  • 29 posts
   

  January 9, 2012 3:50 PM EST

  I have done part of this before in Oblivion. However, my character was an Orc warrior who just happened to love collecting books.

• Mason

  

  • 739 posts
   

  January 9, 2012 3:53 PM EST

  Next stop, broken fang cave to get you some fangs!! Hope to god your not skipping vampirism, champion of the night ability is essential to the librarians build!

• Zurin Arctus

  

  • 3 posts
   

  January 9, 2012 4:19 PM EST

  Hey paul, I dont know if you've seen it but a guy called chris livingston does a crack up blog for oblivion called living in oblivion an now he's doing one for skyrim called elder strolls. He makes a character thats supposed to be an npc and he tries to avoid adventure and actually live inn the world of the elder scrolls, he may not be a librarian but you might still want to check it out. he could help with your build, he has a lot of experience

• Anonymous Lex

  

  • 29 posts
   

  January 9, 2012 4:37 PM EST

  Would Imperial be good?  I think joining the College might be good (at the end of your RP) because of the massive Arcaneum.  

• Jordan Butler

  

  • 29 posts
   

  January 9, 2012 5:51 PM EST

  I love his series! Just read it, and he is awesome!

• Paul

  

  • 773 posts
   

  January 10, 2012 8:31 AM EST

  Have you got a link buddy?

• Paul

  

  • 773 posts
   

  January 10, 2012 8:33 AM EST

  I went there last night met the vampires. Unfortunately, I didn't realise there were only two in there and killed them both, so had to re-load! 

  Now, I'm just waiting to become a Vamp

• Piper Jo

  

  • 80 posts
   

  January 10, 2012 9:01 AM EST

  I love this idea and would probably be inspired to play a "This is just my life" character.  I did something similar in Oblivion, creating a Trader custom class who specialized in speech, mercantile, smithing and alchemy.  I think he had illusion as a magical skill for better trading ability.  We played him up to level 5 and never left the Imperial City.  The Emperor put his faith in the wrong man that time!

• Piper Jo

  

  • 80 posts
   

  January 10, 2012 9:05 AM EST

  Should there have been a link on that first sentence, Paul?

• Paul

  

  • 773 posts
   

  January 10, 2012 9:33 AM EST

  Yeah sorry

  The Librarian 

• Paul

  

  • 773 posts
   

  January 12, 2012 6:08 PM EST

  I don't think I'm going to have the time to do a proper blog-style journal for this character, so I'll use this thread to post periodic updates.

  The Librarian is currently just about to hit Level 7. The Main Quest has been completed up to getting Lydia on-board as Housecarl, and then abandoned, and all the Guilds have been politely declined. 

  Here she is... I went for a weather-beaten looking Dunmer with straggly white hair. Having now become a fully developed Vampire adds a further touch of gaunt haggard look to the character.

  As you can see, I'm outside the newly purchased and decorated Breezehome where I have just enough room to store my current collection of 28 books. Getting the 5000 gold to buy the house, plus over 1000 for the upgrades took a good deal of radiant quest chasing around. And since I don't want to miss any books tucked away in dark corners, every dungeon needed to be thoroughly and painstakingly searched.

  I'm taking the initial perks for Illusion, Sneak and Light Armour, focusing on those three skills, plus a little Restoration for survival. I'm using a Fine Steel Dagger for any necessary offensive action, and One Handed is gradually upgrading through 'natural' means.

  The biggest challenge is when I come up against a reasonably high level enemy. I can take out bandits and wolves no problem, but Bandit Chiefs and stronger are a considerable challenge since don't use Destruction magic or ranged weapons. A sneak attack, followed by a hasty retreat to let Lydia finish the job is the usual tactic - the alternate tactic is to hit a group of enemies with Fury, let them take out each other and then 'jump' the survivor.

  My next focus will be to develop sneak to the point where it actually becomes potent and lethal.

  Here is the Librarian settling down in front of the fire and contemplating which book to take from the shelf for a quiet evenings reading.

  

• Mason

  

  • 739 posts
   

  January 12, 2012 6:21 PM EST

  Yay! Glad that your doing this build! How are you finding being a vamp? Its not all bad is it? Oh and you should be very interested in the discussion ive just posted:

  Role Playing Spells

  One of the biggest problems i had with the Librarian was that you didnt want to join any factions, ive just found a work-around for getting you your advanced illusion spells though your not likely to need them until level 25+.

• Ponty

  

  • 708 posts
   

  January 12, 2012 6:34 PM EST

  Ha! Sounds good, much more orderly than my book collection in Morrowind...

  

• Paul

  

  • 773 posts
   

  January 12, 2012 6:35 PM EST

  

  Yes, the 'clickable' book cases in Skyrim are a big step forward

• Paul

  

  • 773 posts
   

  January 13, 2012 3:37 PM EST

  OK, I've run into a problem

  I contracted Vampirism as Mason suggested, and have gone through the various stages to the point where everyone is now hostile. I didn't realise that I needed to feed on someone to prevent that.

  Of course, its now a vicious circle. I can't enter any town or village to feed on some unsuspecting person, because everyone attacks me on sight. But I can't do anything worthwhile until I can get back to a non-hostile relationship with NPCs

  I'm hardly likely to stumble on a sleeping NPC out in the Wilderness, so what should I do next 

• Mason

  

  • 739 posts
   

  January 13, 2012 3:59 PM EST

  LOL!!! Oh yeah... forgot to mention that!

  Hmmm, a safe bet would maybe be the fisherman below the guardian stones, wait for him to sleep then savage his neck, use your vampiric greater powers to charm him if he wakes up, you should also have an improved invisibility spell if things get really hairy. You will have probably aquired a 1000g fine that you will have to pay off in whatever hold you bared your fangs in, i never got to stage 4 so i dont know the procedure.

  Hopefully they havent burned down Breezehome when you get back to Whiterun, your boooooks! LOL!