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Character Build: The Vampire Hunter

Tags: #Character Build Witchhunter  #Character Build Nightblade  #Character Build Werewolf  #Rank:Exemplar 
  • Member
    December 23, 2012

    "So what's the story with the hood and the dull mood, stranger?"

    What does this half-drunk, smelly tavern crawler want with my business, you wonder, but decide to indulge him with your story, after all, legends and fear come from stories.

    "I was a child, 13 or 14 years old, asleep in a warm bed in a warm house my father had worked his hands to the bone to earn us, when there was a noise, and a scream. Leaping from my rest I grabbed the small iron dagger I kept, eager to assist my father in defending our homestead. I entered the living area to see a tall man, pale skinned with eager eyes, orange eyes, hungry eyes.." you begin..

    "Sounds like one of dem Vampires" your new acquaintance interrupts..

    "Yes, he was, a Volkihar, no less, one of the bolder to venture from their keep, all the way to High Rock, no less. He stood tall in front of the fire, with an assistant in the corner, on their knees in front of him, his hand vice gripped on her head, my mother, in the other hand, held off the floor by her throat, my sister. He muttered something about her being acceptable, before throwing her to his assistant. He then drained my mother of her blood through her neck, before tossing her into the fire. My father entered, the family battle-axe above his head, a war-cry on his lips cut short, the vampire drained his life, entirely. Then turned to me, aware of my presence, and raised my father as his undead thrall, setting him upon me. I then killed my own father with an iron dagger. His assistant gripped me and held me still as his master attacked my sister, slashing at her, mutilating her before my eyes. He then approached me, carving my face with his claws, three deep, scarring lines down my cheek."

    You move your hood, showing the scars to the patron.

    "They left, and I approached my weeping sister. She made no noise, but she wept. She looked at me, the blood rushing from my face, and with all she had left, she ripped part of her dress away, and held it too my face to staunch the blood. She nodded, and I plunged my dagger into her heart."

    "I, I see.. now you.. go round killin' them i spose.."

    "Correct."

     

    The Vampire Hunter.

    Scarred mentally and physically, this master of the 3 aspects of combat has a pained past and an unnerving wolfish grin.

    Race: Breton (Nord is viable too, as they both are resistant to the Frost spells vampires use)

    Major Skills:

    One-Handed - Trusted blade, coated in flame, many will fall in your wake.

    Destruction - Fire is life. Fire is death. Fire begins and ends all things.

    Archery - Death unseen, death from afar, death so simple, so elegant.

    Minor Skills:

    Light Armour - Protection is key though movement is necessary.

    Sneak - One with the shadows, unseen, unheard, unknown.

    Enchanting - Assistance is needed by many, and provided by few.

    Stone: Lord (Lover for levelling)

    Distribution: 3/4/3 per 10 levels.

    Questlines: Companions, ASAP. Hircine's quest for better control of your blessing. Dawnguard. (There are no restricted quests, except the Vampire Lord side of Dawnguard)

    General overview:

                     The Vampire Hunter stands in a ready position, sensing his surroundings and preparing for anything.

    Combat

    Combat is the time-tested Archery standard. Drop a rune down first so you can retreat if needed and fire away. I don't recommend staying in sneak all the time, maybe to get the bonus hit when they haven't noticed you, your character likes a challenge, hiding from them won't bring one. Get the bonus hit then show yourself, let them come.

    Once they're in range, switch out to your sword and spell. Use your environment. I found that choke points like corridors were especially effective utilising the Fire Breath shout, laying down rune traps or even just spraying them with flame. You're collecting a nice stamina pool as you level, use it to keep them staggered with your sword and move around them quickly.

    Light Armour. You're quick and nimble, light on your feet. You won't be overly protected, but you won't need to be.

    Beast Form is a huge part of this build. It will keep you alive when nothing else will. Potions will sustain you, but not like your beast form. When you become surrounded, or simply when you feel you need to dominate, turn into a werewolf. Non shall stand in your path. It doesn't take much more explaining than that.

    Recommendations

    Always wear a hood, to suit the role-play. I suggest a magicka increasing one, the Adept hood looks good.

    This is a morally bad build. He is mentally broken and cursed by his beast blood, and it afflicts his mind.

    Level 50 Perk Spread: http://skyrimcalculator.com/#248537
    This is a guideline, alter it as you wish.

     

    Things take a turn for the worse? Dip into your ability with...

    Lycanthropy

    When the going gets tough, the tough turn into werewolves and destroy everything.

    This part is pretty much essential to the build. Throughout mythology and tales, Vampires and Werewolves have had a speckled past, but generally hate each other. One a magically talented bloodsucker, the other a ferocious man-beast. Your choice? The Man-Beast.

    You hate vampires. Werewolves hate vampires. It's the perfect combination. Driven by revenge, your beast blood is a blessing. Enjoy it. Revel in it. Capitalise on it. Destroy with it.

    Special Weaponry:

     

     

    Embodiment of Justice: Bow/Crossbow with Fire/Turn Undead. This will be your primary weapon against Vampires, their fire weakness and their being undead meaning this weapon will destroy everything they are.

    Embodiment of Wrath: Sword (or other 1h weapon) specialised in channelling your hate. Add fire enchant with another of your choice, be it fear or even frost damage.

     

     

     

    Normal Equipment:

    Head: Assorted Hood
    Body: Stormcloak Officer Armour
    Hands: Stormcloak Officer Bracers
    Boots: Stormcloak Officer Boots
    Ring: Ring of Hircine
    Neck: Resist Frost

    Special Abilities:

     

     

    Purging Inferno:

    You emit flames in all directions, exploiting the dead's weakness to the wrath of fire. Be it Flames or Fire Storm, this ability causes a rain of death that a rage unconstrained like yours can produce. 

     Fire Storm (or other fire spell) -> Fire Breath shout

     

     

    Elemental Wind:

    You send a storm of ice and then your thu'um carries you in chase, where you land a volley of sword blows and engulf the opposition in a torrent of flames. This utter destruction from all angles leaves all enemies with a weakness.

    Ice Storm -> Whirlwind Sprint -> Melee attacks and Fire spells

     

     

     

    Call of the Blood

    Your hatred toward Vampire's stirs something unholy from within. You feel yourself lose control, even though Hircine has granted you it, you lose your mind and your body takes over, unleashing your true form, you attack without concern.

     

     

    After becoming surrounded unleash Beast Form

     

     

    This is my first build, I hope you like it, constructive criticism is welcome. 

     

     

     

     

     

  • December 23, 2012
    Reading this made me feel very sad... Not that the build is bad, but the backstory depressed me way too much. This build needs a little work, I'm sorry if that sounds rude. Also, can you make the backstory less depressing? You can keep the dead father thing, but don't make him a thrall and then have the vampire rape his sister... That's just sick.
  • Member
    December 23, 2012

    I disagree, the raping sister yes is over the top, but the killing the father bit was good, it brings a reason to kill for the role play reasons, a reason to hate, however, i agree with you that the build needs a little bit of work done, as it seems less like a build but more like a role play idea.

  • Member
    December 23, 2012

    I agree partially with you Bryn, but I agree with Ryan that the dead father part helps with the roleplaying aspect. Though the backstory does need some work and the build overall could use a little more polish to make it a little nicer to the eye. Almost seems to simple and therefor not so appealing. Good start, just needs work done to it.

  • Member
    December 23, 2012

    Altered slightly, the back story is less.. rapey and the play style is cleared up a little. This build isn't meant to be strict, it's meant to give you the way to play and the reasons to play it and allows you to still have the atmosphere of customisation that Skyrim is designed for.

  • Member
    January 24, 2013

    Made the build more attractive, fleshed out areas, added perk spread and special moves and weaponry. Also has a large overhaul in styles. This isn't a morally good build anymore..

  • Member
    January 27, 2013
    I ended up with the Dawnguard armour and and an Adept hood.
  • Member
    January 27, 2013
    The backstory is dark but I enjoy dark stories so I didnt mind. I like the creativity in this build though may I suggest another weapon choice being the dawnguard rune war axe for every undead it kills it does an extra 10 sun damage until you kill 10 undead with it and it does 100 sun damage! Only downside is it loses its enchantments power after the sun sun rises and it resets.
  • Member
    January 27, 2013
    It's any 1h really. I always prefer swords. Just personal preference, feel free too use any you like.
  • Member
    January 29, 2013
    Dont get me wrong I love dawnbreaker and it is my favorite undead killer I only bring up the war axe because I recently used it in a dawnguard based character and its a fun and overlooked weapon.