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Character Build: The Spectre

Tags: #Character Build Assassin  #Character Build Unarmored  #Character Build Vampire  #Race:Dunmer  #Rank:Exemplar 
  • December 22, 2012

    The Spectre

    The Spectre surveying a hunting ground.

     

    The body had died hours before. Sithis had received it’s soul and presented it to the Void. Unfortunately, the Dread Father had other plans for the body. In the past, Sithis had commanded certain souls to continue to serve in life even after death. The result was a ghost to aid it’s dark brethren… This time it’s different.

    It’s eyes snapped open just outside of a burning town. The body jerked before slowly standing. Viewing the horizon, one phrase escaped the corpse’s lips: ‘It has begun.’ A moment later, the body was gone.

    The Spectre is the result of the Dread Father’s will. It is a soulless body that is housing part of Sithis himself.  His powers, no matter how partial, course though this shell.

    The Build

    In this build, you will be playing as a conduit of Sithis. The character uses the power funneling through him to manipulate the various planes of existence, essentially pulling him from one to another and then back again. To simulate this effect, the character will heavily use the invisibility mechanic that is in-game. During combat, you would use the spell or one of the powers to ‘blink’ out of that plane of existence, making it look like you are teleporting about.

    To best use the tools given to you in this build utilizes the use of Shadow Warrior’s split second of invisibility. When you commence combat, obviously your invisibility will break. Throughout combat, you will be crouching and casting one of your forms of invisibility almost in unison. This way, enemies are forced to lose you, allowing you to score another sneak attack. And since Sneak is fully perked out, your steps will be muffled, allowing you to sprint instead of roll to a moving target. Personally, I attempt to position myself behind my next victim to add a fear aspect to roleplay(What’s scarier than seeing your buddy start gushing blood out of his neck?)

    For a more…entertaining way to introduce combat is to work your way into a group of enemies and cast Hysteria. Everyone would be scattering as a figure rises from nowhere(you standing after exiting invisibility) and you may simply use the aforementioned method to hunt down the fearful enemies.

    Finally, if you find yourself in some trouble, say some high level bandits that are getting lucky or a couple Draugr Death Overlords and such are gang raping you, you drop into invisibility and charge up Mayhem. While everything is fighting each other, you simply teleport about landing sneak attacks on the stronger ones in the group.

    Anyways, this play through is extremely enjoyable to me. Enjoy!

    Race: Vampire (the body is dead, so this way you are marked as so) before any of you ask, and I know you will, I used Dunmer for the fire resistance…

    Stone: Mage/Shadow

    Major Skills: Sneak, Illusion.

    Minor Skills: Restoration, Enchanting.

    Optional Skills: Alteration

    Primary Weapon: Mehrune’s Razor

    Armor: Mourner’s Clothes, Vampire Hood, Shoes (all enchanted), and Shrouded Hand Wraps

    Essential Quests:Pieces of the Past (for Mehrune‘s Razor), Darkness Returns(for Shadowcloak of Nocturnal)

    Essential Powers: Shadow Stone, Embrace of Shadows, Shadowcloak of Nocturnal

    Shouts: Slow Time, Throw Voice, Whirlwind Sprint

    Illusion plays a key role in this build. Invisibility is the bread and butter of The Spectre’s arsenal while Mayhem and Hysteria are entertaining tools of the trade. Since Quiet Casting affects all schools of magic, even shouts, some interesting pathways open up for character, such as using slow time to it’s fullest extent to make it seem you really are teleporting around.

    Sneak also play a large part of the build. With Assassin’s Blade, your attack are guaranteed to drop all but the toughest of enemies. Silence allows for you to have an extra enchanting slot instead of using it on a muffle enchantment, and it saves you from the hassle of switching spells before combat.

    Restoration is used mainly for the healing, as you will need healing if you are ever caught. Another use of this skill is for Nercomage. It increases all the ratings of the enchantments as well as increasing the duration of all of this character’s invisibilities.

    Alteration I have listed as an optional skill because I know some people would be turned away from a build without as form of armor. Alteration actually has quite a few uses in this build aside from the flesh spells. Detect Life and Death allows you to have a hunter's mindset and stalk you prey. Paralysis will instantly stop a fleeing prey as you creep towards their doom.

    I have listed a group of ‘Essential Powers.’ This build is based around the invisibility mechanic, and I have included and used all of these powers to achieve the closest thing the player character will get to teleportation. Each ability makes it easier for the player (that‘s you) to ‘blink’ out of existence. With the Necromage perk, all of these abilities last longer: The Shadow Stone will last ninety seconds, The Embrace will last a whopping 270 seconds*, and the Shadowcloak will last for roughly 240 seconds** of toggle-able invisibility.

    *Note, it does break upon action

    ** This is both a warning and an notification. While I was playing, I had an idea to see if I could get, say, five minutes of toggle-able invisibility through restoration potions and the Shadowcloak. Unfortunately, before I could get an accurate, in-game reading for a nercomage with the Shadowcloak to use as a control, I stumbled upon a rather amazing, yet disappointing glitch. When a character that has the Shadow Warrior perk uses the Shadowcloack, the effects of the Shadowcloak become permanent. Granted, this is awesome, but it can also become a game breaker. I posted this information on this build that way those who wanted to exploit it could try, while those who didn’t want to have a game breaking glitch could avoid it…

    So basically, if you want to try to get permanent Shadowcloak, get Shadow Warrior first. Otherwise, get the Shadowcloak before the Shadow Warrior.

    I want to thank Mason for helping me when I first started to think about this build, Ben C for being the one to help build up good ideas and destroy bad ones, and NobodyBeast for the equipment and perk spread.

     

  • December 22, 2012

    I was going to redo the art for you, seeing as how bad I made it look IMO. Still want me too?

  • December 22, 2012
    *raises eyebrow at name*