Important note: While I had no problem with the Silent Moon Enchantment working, it's a known issue that there is a bug since version 1.3 of Skyim where the enchantment does not work properly. As pointed out in the comments, I'm doing new tests on the enchantment (and making sure I didn't miscalculate the damage), so if you plan on using this build, or the enchantment itself on your characters, I'd recommend downloading the fix for this issue.
I'm afraid this build might be all over the place. It's primarily a concept, supplemented by the skills that justify it, and some are possibly abandoned halfway, which might be... Unsatisfactory for some. Who knows. Nonetheless, it provides varied gameplay during the early, mid and late stages of the game because it focuses on three “stages” of character development, most often (ab)used in paladin lore: growth, fall and redemption. Plus, the final stages of the build are geared towards Dawnguard content, but anyone can rework it into vanilla Skyrim.
Also: level 81 build, kinda.
The Moonblade
Few are those who call themselves Moonblades; much less are those who resist the calling to become one. Often mistaken by a splinter cult of Hircine, Moonblades have no distinct origin nor can they be reduced to a communal “group” or faction. Their will is shaped by the whispers of the moon, and their soul is bent to its whims. A fighter, a poet, a king, a simple errant – any and all can feel its pull. Someone may spend their entire life not knowing of the existence of others.
These warriors come from all walks of life, which they promptly abandon once the influence of lunar cycles is felt. Like vampires and werewolves, Moonblades are night hunters, but their only lust is to defeat such abominations. To aid in their struggle against vampires, werewolves and other undead, they make use of special weapons, imbued with otherworldly enchantments. These instruments of battle can take any form and burn brighter when the sun sets and the night unleashes its darker creatures.
Gameplay
At first, the build won't be too demanding play-wise, as it rests on a basic concept: melee fighter who doubles as ranged attacker, with sprinkles of Restoration and Enchanting. However, the second part will introduce vampirism, only to – spoilers – remove it later on. I know, cheap move. Hey, it's my build. But later on you'll return to your normal self with newfound power and equipment, some of which has been greatly boosted by your previous vampiric trip. Which is cheap in another way, maybe. The main constant is the forging and enchanting of the special weapon, the Moonblade (this faux bit of lore I came up with doesn't require the Moonblade to be a sword; I'll also suggest applying the same effects on your bows).
Race and Stones are particularly malleable here. Atronach is fine, particularly if you want to exploit higher level spells and the chance to have some of their power restore your Magicka pool. My sample character is Estoril, a female High Elf, with the Atronach Stone, though on occasion I switched to the Lord Stone and didn't really felt a huge difference (at later levels, mind you).
You can easily swap it for a Breton, since the build relies on Magic Resistance rather than Absorption. Orcs have higher damage through berserking and Redguards can provide a large amount of Stamina for special attacks, and both are fine choices. Finally, you can also consider the Dunmers, because they negate half of the vampiric weakness to Fire, although the transition is temporary either way.
The Build, Part One – The Moonblade
~Levels 1 to 25~
Light Armor: Agile Defender 1 > Custom Fit > Agile Defender 2 > Unhindered
Archery: Overdraw 1 > Eagle Eye > Overdraw 2 > Steady Hand 1
Block: Shield Wall 1 > Quick Reflexes > Shield Wall 2
One-Handed: Armsman 1 > Fighting Stance > Armsman 2
Restoration: Novice Restoration > Regeneration > Apprentice Restoration > Recovery 1
Enchanting: Enchanter 1 > Enchanter 2 > Insightful Enchanter > Corpus Enchanter
Smithing: Steel Smithing > Elven Smithing
I guess it's time to explain why create a weapon to hunt undead when the Dawnbreaker does a very good job at it. Now, the Dawnbreaker is a very good weapon. Its base damage is 12, it burns the target for 15 points and can trigger an explosion on enemy death that damages undead nearby. But I wanted something custom-made and that reflected the character.
One starts with a Silver Sword. The Silver Sword, you'll note, reads “Especially effective against the Undead”. The base, unmodified damage of the sword is 9 (“boo” I hear you say), but it deals an additional 20 points of damage against undead. Bonus fact: werewolves are also affected. Since the effect cannot be disenchanted, we use a basic Silver Sword and apply two effects on it – Fire Damage and Silent Moons Enchant. The first can be found on a good number of generic enchanted gear throughout the game, while the second requires you to head out to Silent Moons Camp and look for Lunar Weapons.
So in the long run we will be forging a sword made out of a material that naturally damages undead, enchanted with fire which damages undead and an effect that burns targets “when the moons are out” (between 9 PM and 5 AM). If you're not into the idea on a role-playing basis, remember that the Dawnbreaker requires Ebony Ingots (costly and rarer early on) and does not benefit from any smithing perk. While the Silver Sword also does not benefit from any perk (and cannot be improved at a grindstone, unlike the Dawnbreaker), enchanting it under the effect of Fire Enchanter (25% bonus to fire enchantments), Augmented Flames 1 and 2 (together improve it by 50% if I'm not mistaken) boosts the fire damage – and under the strain of vampirism, every enchantment gains another 25% boost on top. This is all in addition to its original 20 points vs. undead. Factor into it 5 ranks of Enchanter (20% stronger per rank) and whatever Potions, Elixirs or Draughts of Enchanting and, as my math teacher once said, that's a lot of numbers.
In the above image, we can see a standard Steel Sword being enchanted with Fire Damage and the Silent Moons Enchant. That's two 46 damage bonuses, one with Damage over Time, and the character is *still* not under the effect of vampirism or potions. Note that “Especially effective against the Undead” description on a Silver Sword overrides any other bonus description – the enchantments will be there, but won't be mentioned, hence why I'm using another sword to show the damage.
Variations of the Moonblade can also focus on other useful effects such as Paralysis, Absorb Health or Stamina, or Turn Undead, with the caveat that neither is elemental – so, less bonuses. Note that Bows can also use the Silent Moons Enchant.
The Build, Part Two – The Fallen Moonblade
A misjudged course of action has allowed the undead to corrupt you. Torn between the soul rot that demands bloody tribute and the night voices that reveal new ways to understand the world, you are now a broken being, torn between old duties and new desires. Vampirism flourishes inside you, and only sheer willpower can prevent your irreversible descent into the abyss. But how can one resist the call of a powerful vampire lord and his plans of domination?
Time for infection! The best way to gain Sanguinare Vampiris is to place some distance between yourself and a vampire so that they cast Vampiric Drain on you instead of charging in melee. Morvath's Lair is fine for this.
You'll note some changes now, which I'll briefly explain. Some Skills are meant to reflect vampiric traits, such as seduction or an easier time to move in shadows. The boost to Restoration, RP-wise, can represent the character's attempt to understand her condition as well as taking advantage of it to fight undead more effectively, but also has obvious gameplay uses, mainly better undead turning. Other skills will move towards a logical extension of the character's initial traits and finally allow you to create the best possible Moonblade, or close enough. The Enchanting and Destruction Perks should receive your immediate attention, since they let you refine your Moonblade as soon as possible (though you can wait a bit to find Enchanting potions too).
~Levels 26 to 50~
Speech: Haggling 1 > Bribery > Persuasion
Smithing: Arcane Blacksmith
Sneak: Stealth 1 > Muffled Movement > Light Foot > Silent Roll
Destruction: Novice Destruction > Augmented Flames 1 > Augmented Flames 2
Enchanting: Fire Enchanter > Enchanter 3 > Enchanter 4 > Enchanter 5 > Extra Effect
Restoration: Respite > Recovery 2 > Adept Restoration > Necromage > Avoid Death
Alteration: Novice Alteration > Adept Alteration > Magic Resistance 1
The Build, Part Three – Follower of Auri-El (in which I finally explain why I told you to stick with Elven Armor)
Harkon lies dead, his influence no longer tainting the land. Your bloodlust has subsided, and a restoration is at hand through an ancient ritual. Having found a way to reverse your blood curse, you can now claim to be human again. But what will the future hold for a former Moonblade who has found peace through Auri-El?
Quick RP notes. When Lord Harkon is destroyed, this can be understood by the character as several things, chief among them an example of how a vampire's existence can end, which segues into finding Falion in Morthal and performing the ritual to regain your humanity. The reference to Auriel, or Auri-El, stems from the unique equipment carried by the fallen snow elves, and because the character believes that Auri-El's presence, manifest both in these items and the Dawnguard prophecy, is a sign of the Elven god's favor.
In terms of gameplay, take the time to fully enchant and improve your Ancient Falmer gear and Moonblade before regaining your humanity. At the end of Dawnguard you should have the following equipment:
Ancient Falmer Cuirass
Ancient Falmer Gloves
Ancient Falmer Boots
Auriel's Shield
Auriel's Bow
Aetherial Crown
And here we go. Ancient Falmer Armor shares the exact same specifications of Elven Armor: both benefit from the Elven Smithing Perk and require Refined Moonstones. The same applies to Auriel's Bow and Shield. Which makes this select equipment pretty useful (no more work than improving regular Elven Armor) and powerful (because you've already attained the Perk when you get it, hopefully). Coupled with Enchantment bonuses, potions and Arcane Blacksmith, it's looking pretty good.
It's also an aesthetic preference. The armor suggests some sort of purity, a time before corruption – fitting, since it's modeled off Snow Elves, the ancient, purer version of the Falmer.
The Crown, on the other hand, lets you carry the bonuses of two Guardian Stones simultaneously. The applications are tremendous, and I can't wait to see future builds on the Skyrim Blog explore this. If you're playing as a Breton, you can take the Atronach and Apprentice stones, which gives you normal Magicka regeneration, 50 extra Magicka points and 50% spell absorption. The Weakness to Magicka can be offset through Agent of Mara (15%), the Dragonskin racial ability if you're a Breton (25%) and Alteration's Magic Resistance (30% with all three Perks). All that's left is a 30% Weakness to Magicka, and Elemental Protection from Block already nullifies 50% of elemental damage. This is not counting custom gear or quest rewards such as the White Phial (which can grant 20% temporary resistance to Magicka).
~Levels 51 to 75~
Alteration: Magic Resistance 2 > Magic Resistance 3
Light Armor: Wind Walker > Matching Set > Deft Movement
One-Handed: Critical Charge > Savage Strike > Armsman 3 > Armsman 4 > Armsman 5
Block: Deflect Arrows > Shield Wall 3 > Elemental Protection > Shield Wall 4 > Shield Wall 5
Archery: Overdraw 3 > Power Shot > Steady Hand 2 > Overdraw 4 > Quick Shot > Overdraw 5
Restoration: Adept Restoration > Expert Restoration > Master Restoration(*)
(*) - Once you hit Skill level 90 in Restoration, go to the College of Winterhold for the Master Restoration Spell Ritual quest.
This is basically the last stage of the build. Nothing to add, really. The Moonblade is healed of the vampiric curse, and has considerably good equipment and powerful enchantments with which to carry on her struggles.
Where's my Level 81? LIES!
There are 6 levels between 75 and 81, and rather than tell you what to develop, I prefer to offer some suggestions. Besides, it's entirely possible you may get close to 81 with less Perks to choose from given how other skills progress. But assuming you have those six to spare...
One suggestion is to take more points into Sneak and go for Deadly Aim. Six Perks actually fill that out (Stealth 2, Stealth 3, Stealth 4, Stealth 5, Backstab, Deadly Aim). Another is to go with Conjuration – the ability to banish Daedra doesn't feel out of place in the character, nor does summoning Atronachs feel wrong. In this case, you can try Novice Conjuration, Apprentice Conjuration and Adept Conjuration on the right, and Summoner, Atromancer and Elemental Potency on the left (or take Expert Conjuration and drop Elemental Potency). I didn't go with undead resurrection because it doesn't seem to fit the concept. Alchemy would be a good investment but since you already have the Moonblade, it's not like you need to make enemies weaker to Fire.
Since I needed Arcane Blacksmith, one thing that did not make it to the final version of the build was Allure. If you don't mind going a bit around the mindset of the character, feel free to add it later on.
Spells and Incantations Shouts
Restoration: Part of this school's spell selection depends on you taking a companion NPC or not. Anything that heals others should be taken if that's the case; otherwise avoid it. I did not use companions when testing this build. All variations of self healing and undead turning are suggested. Wards are a good choice before you invest into Magic Resistance, and aren't totally useless even then.
Destruction: Flame-based spells only. Since the build doesn't venture beyond Novice Destruction, spells like Fire Rune and Flame Cloak are more expensive, but still useful. When a vampire, you can't go wrong with Vampiric Drain either.
Alteration: Transmute Mineral Ore is the usual suspect for characters looking to improve Enchanting and Smithing. This build was no different in this regard. There is a chance you might want to train up to Master Level to get Dragonhide, the reason explained for this in the Final Notes. If you go for it, remember to go to Winterhold once you hit 90 in Alteration.
Shouts: Become Ethereal, Slow Time, Throw Voice, Unrelenting Force, Whirlwind Sprint
Quests and Rewards
The Book of Love (Agent of Mara)
The Heart of Dibella (Agent of Dibella, more useful if your character is a female)
Dragon Research (Dragon Infusion)
Frostflow Lighthouse (Sailor's Repose)
Ill Met By Moonlight (the Savior's Hide is a nice armor until you get Elven and besides, it fits the character's role)
Meditation on the Words of Power (both Eternal Spirit and Force Without Effort are useful, it's your choice)
Also, I'd advise leaving out the Companions's questline unless you somehow want to look at the bright side of things (getting infected with lycanthropy so you may have a chance to cure Vilkas and Farkas). Even if you want Silver weapons, they're easy to get without following through the entire quest. Other noteworthy quests that fit the character are Laid to Rest (in Morthal), and here's a list of places where you can find vampires:
Alva's House
Bloodlet Throne
Blue Palace
Broken Fang Cave
Cronvangr Cave
Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary
Fellglow Keep
Haemar's Shame
Half-Moon Mill
Mara's Eye Pond
Movarth's Lair
Shriekwind Bastion
Castle Volkihar
Special Abilities
To be honest, I was a little weary of writing this section. It's too easy to get into specifics of things which are either obvious or go into too many details to the point where it seems I'm writing a beat'em up guide. I'll just highlight a few of them, with more probably to come once I get to test some DG spells and specifics.
Blade Crescent
Requires: Silent Roll + Critical Charge
Dread Hunger (when vampire)
Requires: Slow Time + Vampiric Drain
Lingering Punishment
Requires: Slow Time + Guardian Circle + Flame Cloak
Holy Terror
Requires: Auriel's Bow w/Sunhallowed Arrows + Slow Time + Flames or Fire Rune
Tip of the day: Become Ethereal can circumvent vampire weaknesses in daylight.
Final Notes
There has been talk of a Falmer Ancient Crown existing in the DLC, but how it might not be acquired through normal means (only through console commands) and all signs point to it having no armor rating and thus not benefiting from Custom Fit, Wind Walker, Matching Set and Deft Movement. If this is true, not everything is bad news as the perks are still useful with your regular Elven Armor. While the ability to get it through console/and or affix an appropriate armor rating through the Skyrim Creation Kit doesn't seem entirely out of place, using the aforementioned Aetherial Crown will be your best bet – it doesn't make up for four perks suddenly going to waste, but lets you have two Stone effects (and in this case, The Lord stone would be a good bet). But Dawnguard's still not out for PC, so revising this aspect of the build may be called for in the future.
Should this turn out to be true, an alternative would be to keep Unhindered and Custom Fit for as long as you plan on using Elven Armor, and to replace Wind Walker, Matching Set and Deft Movement with Adept, Expert and Master Alteration to get access to Dragonhide. Switching to the Lord Stone is also a good choice (50 points to AR, 25% to MR).
If you're planning on using this build without Dawnguard, remember to keep vampirism in check by feeding on NPCs. The DLC allows level four vampires to walk among mortals without a problem, as opposed to being hunted on sight in vanilla Skyrim. The benefit of not playing this in Dawnguard is that Custom Fit, Wind Walker, Matching Set and Deft Movement will always have a place in the build since you're using a matching set of Elven Armor.
Finally, if you end up missing Vampiric Drain, consider following up the Nightingale missions to receive the Nightingale Strife, which absorbs 100 Health points from the target. Once per day but... 100 points of Health.
To Do: Lacking pictures, I'll try to add some still today! Also, images of Ancient Falmer gear only in the near future.
Other builds by me:
Dungeon Runner- Ebon Scourge - Blight Priest - Avenger Druid
Important note: While I had no problem with the Silent Moon Enchantment working, it's a known issue that there is a bug since version 1.3 of Skyim where the enchantment does not work properly. As pointed out in the comments, I'm doing new tests on the enchantment (and making sure I didn't miscalculate the damage), so if you plan on using this build, or the enchantment itself on your characters, I'd recommend downloading the fix for this issue.
I'm afraid this build might be all over the place. It's primarily a concept, supplemented by the skills that justify it, and some are possibly abandoned halfway, which might be... Unsatisfactory for some. Who knows. Nonetheless, it provides varied gameplay during the early, mid and late stages of the game because it focuses on three “stages” of character development, most often (ab)used in paladin lore: growth, fall and redemption. Plus, the final stages of the build are geared towards Dawnguard content, but anyone can rework it into vanilla Skyrim.
Also: level 81 build, kinda.
The Moonblade
Few are those who call themselves Moonblades; much less are those who resist the calling to become one. Often mistaken by a splinter cult of Hircine, Moonblades have no distinct origin nor can they be reduced to a communal “group” or faction. Their will is shaped by the whispers of the moon, and their soul is bent to its whims. A fighter, a poet, a king, a simple errant – any and all can feel its pull. Someone may spend their entire life not knowing of the existence of others.
These warriors come from all walks of life, which they promptly abandon once the influence of lunar cycles is felt. Like vampires and werewolves, Moonblades are night hunters, but their only lust is to defeat such abominations. To aid in their struggle against vampires, werewolves and other undead, they make use of special weapons, imbued with otherworldly enchantments. These instruments of battle can take any form and burn brighter when the sun sets and the night unleashes its darker creatures.
Gameplay
At first, the build won't be too demanding play-wise, as it rests on a basic concept: melee fighter who doubles as ranged attacker, with sprinkles of Restoration and Enchanting. However, the second part will introduce vampirism, only to – spoilers – remove it later on. I know, cheap move. Hey, it's my build. But later on you'll return to your normal self with newfound power and equipment, some of which has been greatly boosted by your previous vampiric trip. Which is cheap in another way, maybe. The main constant is the forging and enchanting of the special weapon, the Moonblade (this faux bit of lore I came up with doesn't require the Moonblade to be a sword; I'll also suggest applying the same effects on your bows).
Race and Stones are particularly malleable here. Atronach is fine, particularly if you want to exploit higher level spells and the chance to have some of their power restore your Magicka pool. My sample character is Estoril, a female High Elf, with the Atronach Stone, though on occasion I switched to the Lord Stone and didn't really felt a huge difference (at later levels, mind you).
You can easily swap it for a Breton, since the build relies on Magic Resistance rather than Absorption. Orcs have higher damage through berserking and Redguards can provide a large amount of Stamina for special attacks, and both are fine choices. Finally, you can also consider the Dunmers, because they negate half of the vampiric weakness to Fire, although the transition is temporary either way.
The Build, Part One – The Moonblade
~Levels 1 to 25~
Light Armor: Agile Defender 1 > Custom Fit > Agile Defender 2 > Unhindered
Archery: Overdraw 1 > Eagle Eye > Overdraw 2 > Steady Hand 1
Block: Shield Wall 1 > Quick Reflexes > Shield Wall 2
One-Handed: Armsman 1 > Fighting Stance > Armsman 2
Restoration: Novice Restoration > Regeneration > Apprentice Restoration > Recovery 1
Enchanting: Enchanter 1 > Enchanter 2 > Insightful Enchanter > Corpus Enchanter
Smithing: Steel Smithing > Elven Smithing
I guess it's time to explain why create a weapon to hunt undead when the Dawnbreaker does a very good job at it. Now, the Dawnbreaker is a very good weapon. Its base damage is 12, it burns the target for 15 points and can trigger an explosion on enemy death that damages undead nearby. But I wanted something custom-made and that reflected the character.
One starts with a Silver Sword. The Silver Sword, you'll note, reads “Especially effective against the Undead”. The base, unmodified damage of the sword is 9 (“boo” I hear you say), but it deals an additional 20 points of damage against undead. Bonus fact: werewolves are also affected. Since the effect cannot be disenchanted, we use a basic Silver Sword and apply two effects on it – Fire Damage and Silent Moons Enchant. The first can be found on a good number of generic enchanted gear throughout the game, while the second requires you to head out to Silent Moons Camp and look for Lunar Weapons.
So in the long run we will be forging a sword made out of a material that naturally damages undead, enchanted with fire which damages undead and an effect that burns targets “when the moons are out” (between 9 PM and 5 AM). If you're not into the idea on a role-playing basis, remember that the Dawnbreaker requires Ebony Ingots (costly and rarer early on) and does not benefit from any smithing perk. While the Silver Sword also does not benefit from any perk (and cannot be improved at a grindstone, unlike the Dawnbreaker), enchanting it under the effect of Fire Enchanter (25% bonus to fire enchantments), Augmented Flames 1 and 2 (together improve it by 50% if I'm not mistaken) boosts the fire damage – and under the strain of vampirism, every enchantment gains another 25% boost on top. This is all in addition to its original 20 points vs. undead. Factor into it 5 ranks of Enchanter (20% stronger per rank) and whatever Potions, Elixirs or Draughts of Enchanting and, as my math teacher once said, that's a lot of numbers.
In the above image, we can see a standard Steel Sword being enchanted with Fire Damage and the Silent Moons Enchant. That's two 46 damage bonuses, one with Damage over Time, and the character is *still* not under the effect of vampirism or potions. Note that “Especially effective against the Undead” description on a Silver Sword overrides any other bonus description – the enchantments will be there, but won't be mentioned, hence why I'm using another sword to show the damage.
Variations of the Moonblade can also focus on other useful effects such as Paralysis, Absorb Health or Stamina, or Turn Undead, with the caveat that neither is elemental – so, less bonuses. Note that Bows can also use the Silent Moons Enchant.
The Build, Part Two – The Fallen Moonblade
A misjudged course of action has allowed the undead to corrupt you. Torn between the soul rot that demands bloody tribute and the night voices that reveal new ways to understand the world, you are now a broken being, torn between old duties and new desires. Vampirism flourishes inside you, and only sheer willpower can prevent your irreversible descent into the abyss. But how can one resist the call of a powerful vampire lord and his plans of domination?
Time for infection! The best way to gain Sanguinare Vampiris is to place some distance between yourself and a vampire so that they cast Vampiric Drain on you instead of charging in melee. Morvath's Lair is fine for this.
You'll note some changes now, which I'll briefly explain. Some Skills are meant to reflect vampiric traits, such as seduction or an easier time to move in shadows. The boost to Restoration, RP-wise, can represent the character's attempt to understand her condition as well as taking advantage of it to fight undead more effectively, but also has obvious gameplay uses, mainly better undead turning. Other skills will move towards a logical extension of the character's initial traits and finally allow you to create the best possible Moonblade, or close enough. The Enchanting and Destruction Perks should receive your immediate attention, since they let you refine your Moonblade as soon as possible (though you can wait a bit to find Enchanting potions too).
~Levels 26 to 50~
Speech: Haggling 1 > Bribery > Persuasion
Smithing: Arcane Blacksmith
Sneak: Stealth 1 > Muffled Movement > Light Foot > Silent Roll
Destruction: Novice Destruction > Augmented Flames 1 > Augmented Flames 2
Enchanting: Fire Enchanter > Enchanter 3 > Enchanter 4 > Enchanter 5 > Extra Effect
Restoration: Respite > Recovery 2 > Adept Restoration > Necromage > Avoid Death
Alteration: Novice Alteration > Adept Alteration > Magic Resistance 1
The Build, Part Three – Follower of Auri-El (in which I finally explain why I told you to stick with Elven Armor)
Harkon lies dead, his influence no longer tainting the land. Your bloodlust has subsided, and a restoration is at hand through an ancient ritual. Having found a way to reverse your blood curse, you can now claim to be human again. But what will the future hold for a former Moonblade who has found peace through Auri-El?
Quick RP notes. When Lord Harkon is destroyed, this can be understood by the character as several things, chief among them an example of how a vampire's existence can end, which segues into finding Falion in Morthal and performing the ritual to regain your humanity. The reference to Auriel, or Auri-El, stems from the unique equipment carried by the fallen snow elves, and because the character believes that Auri-El's presence, manifest both in these items and the Dawnguard prophecy, is a sign of the Elven god's favor.
In terms of gameplay, take the time to fully enchant and improve your Ancient Falmer gear and Moonblade before regaining your humanity. At the end of Dawnguard you should have the following equipment:
Ancient Falmer Cuirass
Ancient Falmer Gloves
Ancient Falmer Boots
Auriel's Shield
Auriel's Bow
Aetherial Crown
And here we go. Ancient Falmer Armor shares the exact same specifications of Elven Armor: both benefit from the Elven Smithing Perk and require Refined Moonstones. The same applies to Auriel's Bow and Shield. Which makes this select equipment pretty useful (no more work than improving regular Elven Armor) and powerful (because you've already attained the Perk when you get it, hopefully). Coupled with Enchantment bonuses, potions and Arcane Blacksmith, it's looking pretty good.
It's also an aesthetic preference. The armor suggests some sort of purity, a time before corruption – fitting, since it's modeled off Snow Elves, the ancient, purer version of the Falmer.
The Crown, on the other hand, lets you carry the bonuses of two Guardian Stones simultaneously. The applications are tremendous, and I can't wait to see future builds on the Skyrim Blog explore this. If you're playing as a Breton, you can take the Atronach and Apprentice stones, which gives you normal Magicka regeneration, 50 extra Magicka points and 50% spell absorption. The Weakness to Magicka can be offset through Agent of Mara (15%), the Dragonskin racial ability if you're a Breton (25%) and Alteration's Magic Resistance (30% with all three Perks). All that's left is a 30% Weakness to Magicka, and Elemental Protection from Block already nullifies 50% of elemental damage. This is not counting custom gear or quest rewards such as the White Phial (which can grant 20% temporary resistance to Magicka).
~Levels 51 to 75~
Alteration: Magic Resistance 2 > Magic Resistance 3
Light Armor: Wind Walker > Matching Set > Deft Movement
One-Handed: Critical Charge > Savage Strike > Armsman 3 > Armsman 4 > Armsman 5
Block: Deflect Arrows > Shield Wall 3 > Elemental Protection > Shield Wall 4 > Shield Wall 5
Archery: Overdraw 3 > Power Shot > Steady Hand 2 > Overdraw 4 > Quick Shot > Overdraw 5
Restoration: Adept Restoration > Expert Restoration > Master Restoration(*)
(*) - Once you hit Skill level 90 in Restoration, go to the College of Winterhold for the Master Restoration Spell Ritual quest.
This is basically the last stage of the build. Nothing to add, really. The Moonblade is healed of the vampiric curse, and has considerably good equipment and powerful enchantments with which to carry on her struggles.
Where's my Level 81? LIES!
There are 6 levels between 75 and 81, and rather than tell you what to develop, I prefer to offer some suggestions. Besides, it's entirely possible you may get close to 81 with less Perks to choose from given how other skills progress. But assuming you have those six to spare...
One suggestion is to take more points into Sneak and go for Deadly Aim. Six Perks actually fill that out (Stealth 2, Stealth 3, Stealth 4, Stealth 5, Backstab, Deadly Aim). Another is to go with Conjuration – the ability to banish Daedra doesn't feel out of place in the character, nor does summoning Atronachs feel wrong. In this case, you can try Novice Conjuration, Apprentice Conjuration and Adept Conjuration on the right, and Summoner, Atromancer and Elemental Potency on the left (or take Expert Conjuration and drop Elemental Potency). I didn't go with undead resurrection because it doesn't seem to fit the concept. Alchemy would be a good investment but since you already have the Moonblade, it's not like you need to make enemies weaker to Fire.
Since I needed Arcane Blacksmith, one thing that did not make it to the final version of the build was Allure. If you don't mind going a bit around the mindset of the character, feel free to add it later on.
Spells and Incantations Shouts
Restoration: Part of this school's spell selection depends on you taking a companion NPC or not. Anything that heals others should be taken if that's the case; otherwise avoid it. I did not use companions when testing this build. All variations of self healing and undead turning are suggested. Wards are a good choice before you invest into Magic Resistance, and aren't totally useless even then.
Destruction: Flame-based spells only. Since the build doesn't venture beyond Novice Destruction, spells like Fire Rune and Flame Cloak are more expensive, but still useful. When a vampire, you can't go wrong with Vampiric Drain either.
Alteration: Transmute Mineral Ore is the usual suspect for characters looking to improve Enchanting and Smithing. This build was no different in this regard. There is a chance you might want to train up to Master Level to get Dragonhide, the reason explained for this in the Final Notes. If you go for it, remember to go to Winterhold once you hit 90 in Alteration.
Shouts: Become Ethereal, Slow Time, Throw Voice, Unrelenting Force, Whirlwind Sprint
Quests and Rewards
The Book of Love (Agent of Mara)
The Heart of Dibella (Agent of Dibella, more useful if your character is a female)
Dragon Research (Dragon Infusion)
Frostflow Lighthouse (Sailor's Repose)
Ill Met By Moonlight (the Savior's Hide is a nice armor until you get Elven and besides, it fits the character's role)
Meditation on the Words of Power (both Eternal Spirit and Force Without Effort are useful, it's your choice)
Also, I'd advise leaving out the Companions's questline unless you somehow want to look at the bright side of things (getting infected with lycanthropy so you may have a chance to cure Vilkas and Farkas). Even if you want Silver weapons, they're easy to get without following through the entire quest. Other noteworthy quests that fit the character are Laid to Rest (in Morthal), and here's a list of places where you can find vampires:
Alva's House
Bloodlet Throne
Blue Palace
Broken Fang Cave
Cronvangr Cave
Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary
Fellglow Keep
Haemar's Shame
Half-Moon Mill
Mara's Eye Pond
Movarth's Lair
Shriekwind Bastion
Castle Volkihar
Special Abilities
To be honest, I was a little weary of writing this section. It's too easy to get into specifics of things which are either obvious or go into too many details to the point where it seems I'm writing a beat'em up guide. I'll just highlight a few of them, with more probably to come once I get to test some DG spells and specifics.
Blade Crescent
Requires: Silent Roll + Critical Charge
Dread Hunger (when vampire)
Requires: Slow Time + Vampiric Drain
Lingering Punishment
Requires: Slow Time + Guardian Circle + Flame Cloak
Holy Terror
Requires: Auriel's Bow w/Sunhallowed Arrows + Slow Time + Flames or Fire Rune
Tip of the day: Become Ethereal can circumvent vampire weaknesses in daylight.
Final Notes
There has been talk of a Falmer Ancient Crown existing in the DLC, but how it might not be acquired through normal means (only through console commands) and all signs point to it having no armor rating and thus not benefiting from Custom Fit, Wind Walker, Matching Set and Deft Movement. If this is true, not everything is bad news as the perks are still useful with your regular Elven Armor. While the ability to get it through console/and or affix an appropriate armor rating through the Skyrim Creation Kit doesn't seem entirely out of place, using the aforementioned Aetherial Crown will be your best bet – it doesn't make up for four perks suddenly going to waste, but lets you have two Stone effects (and in this case, The Lord stone would be a good bet). But Dawnguard's still not out for PC, so revising this aspect of the build may be called for in the future.
Should this turn out to be true, an alternative would be to keep Unhindered and Custom Fit for as long as you plan on using Elven Armor, and to replace Wind Walker, Matching Set and Deft Movement with Adept, Expert and Master Alteration to get access to Dragonhide. Switching to the Lord Stone is also a good choice (50 points to AR, 25% to MR).
If you're planning on using this build without Dawnguard, remember to keep vampirism in check by feeding on NPCs. The DLC allows level four vampires to walk among mortals without a problem, as opposed to being hunted on sight in vanilla Skyrim. The benefit of not playing this in Dawnguard is that Custom Fit, Wind Walker, Matching Set and Deft Movement will always have a place in the build since you're using a matching set of Elven Armor.
Finally, if you end up missing Vampiric Drain, consider following up the Nightingale missions to receive the Nightingale Strife, which absorbs 100 Health points from the target. Once per day but... 100 points of Health.
To Do: Lacking pictures, I'll try to add some still today! Also, images of Ancient Falmer gear only in the near future.
Other builds by me:
Dungeon Runner- Ebon Scourge - Blight Priest - Avenger Druid
