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Character Build: Classes of the Elder Scrolls

Tags: #Battlemage  #Witchhunter  #Spellsword  #Crusader  #Character Build Warrior  #Character Build Thief  #Character Build Mage  #Rank:Mythic  #Archer  #Albino Skyrim Build  #Morrowind  #Oblivion  #Assassin  #Rogue  #Scout  #Sorcerer  #Monk  #Nightblade  #Pilgrim  #Healer  #Knight  #Barbarian  #Bard  #Acrobat  #Agent  #Arena  #Daggerfall  #Elder Scrolls Classes  #TES 
  • Member
    April 20, 2013

    Moth Priest (the guy who was originally doing this) lost interest in completing this project, so with his permission, I finished it for him. Credit goes to him for getting this started though. Anyway, this is an attempt at putting the Elder Scrolls classes as we know them into Skyrim. Be sure to check out my other (fully fleshed out) builds for more of my work, as well as the Classes event tag for other takes on Elder Scrolls classes.

    Warrior

    Build Info: This is your pure fighter class. A warrior’s strength comes not from the spells he knows, but the weapons he wields. Investing into One-Handed, Two-Handed, Archery, and Block enables a warrior to switch between fighting with dual war axes, sword and board, a massive warhammer, or a powerful bow. In fact, the key to playing a successful warrior is knowing when to switch fighting styles. In addition to his combat prowess, a warrior is well protected in Heavy Armor, and can improve his equipment via Smithing. Healing is limited to potions that are bought or found. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Race: Orcs receive boosts to every skill used except for Archery, including a +10 to Heavy Armor, and have an incredibly useful Greater Power for the class, making them the best choice. Alternatively, Redguards receive boosts to every skill used except Two-Handed and Heavy Armor, including a +10 to One-Handed, also have a good Greater Power for the class (though not as good as Berserker Rage), and a nice 50% Poison Resistance, making them a good second choice.

    Standing Stone: Obviously, the Warrior is very useful for leveling. For a permanent stone selection though, I’d go with the Lord, since the Armor Rating boost is nice and this build really needs some more Magic Resistance.

    Stat Spread: 0/2/1. No magic used here, but Health and Stamina are both very important.

    Shouts: I like keeping my weapons unechanted so I can go crazy with Elemental Fury. I also like Become Ethereal for safely closing the distance between enemies and Unrelenting Force for crowd control.

    Equipment: Smithed weapons and armor of your choosing, along with any useful artifacts you may find on the way. Rahgot and Otar both come to mind, as well as shields like Spellbreaker and the Shield of Solitude.

    Other Examples: Aside from using both Light Armor and Heavy Armor instead of just Heavy Armor, Ponty’s Veteran is the perfect example of how to play a warrior.

    Mage

    Build Info: The Mage, as you might suspect, is the pure magic class, drawing upon a variety of spells to defeat their foes. Conjured familiars and frenzied opponents provide suitable distractions while the Mage rains destruction upon them with fire, frost, and shock spells. Defensively, mages can cast flesh spells augmented with Mage Armor and heal wounds via Restoration. At higher levels, a master mage can even enchant items surpassing those found elsewhere in Skyrim. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Race: High Elves receive boosts to every skill used, including a +10 to Illusion, start off with Fury, have an extra 50 Magicka, and the awesome Highborn Greater Power. You’d be mad not to choose them.

    Standing Stone: The Atronach is great here. 50% Spell Absorption and 50 Magicka are too good to pass up, while the 50% penalty to Magicka Regeneration is negligible, and can be cancelled out with Recovery anyway. However, Spell Absorption will interfere with the summoning of Atronachs, unless you have a patch for it. For leveling, the Mage is obviously a good choice.

    Stat Spread: 1/1/0. I don’t think I need to explain the importance of Magicka to the build, and you’ll want a good health pool for survivability. Stamina isn’t really necessary.

    Shouts: Become Ethereal is really nice. You can use it to safely regenerate Magicka via Highborn, or to cast a Master level spell without any interruptions.

    Equipment: Ideally, custom enchanted clothing. Until you get your enchanting level high enough, the Mage’s Circlet, Savos Aren’s Amulet, Archmage’s Robes, Mystic Tuning Gloves, and the shock resistant boots found in the Archmage’s Quarters are all good choices in the meantime. In fact, the Archmage’s Robes are so good that you should use them for the rest of the game.

    Other Examples: There are a lot of good mage build examples to be had here on the blog, so I’d recommend that you instead search the Character Build Mage tag to find one you like.

    Thief

    Build Info: And here we have the pure Stealth class. Unlike the Warrior or Mage, the focus with the Thief is not on combat, but trying to steal things. To that end, Sneak, Pickpocket, and Lockpicking are all useful. Speech enables Thieves to get better prices for his ill-gotten goods, and talk their way out of trouble. For defense, they is skilled in using Light Armor, as well as creating potions and poisons via Alchemy. For offense, the thief sneak attacks with dual daggers dipped in poison, as well as dropping poisons into the pockets of enemies via the Poisoned perk. That being said, combat is best avoided altogether. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Race: Khajiit receive a +10 boost to Sneak, as well as lesser boosts to Alchemy, Lockpicking, and Pickpocket, and Night Eye is useful for sneaking around in the dark, making them a good choice. Lorewise, it fits too, given their reputation. Alternatively, you can go Imperial, since Imperial Luck is a great ability when the name of the game is getting gold.

    Standing Stone: Once you’re done using the Thief for leveling purposes, I’d recommend switching over to the Shadow.

    Stat Spread: 0/1/1. Health is obviously necessary for survival, while Stamina increases our carrying capacity and lets us run longer.

    Shouts: Aura Whisper and Throw Voice are great for stealth, so go ahead with those.

    Equipment: A full set of Thieves Guild/Guild Master’s/Blackguard Armor, depending on what you have access to, the Amulet of Articulation, a pair of daggers of your choosing, and whatever ring you find with a useful enchantment.

    Other Examples: Aside from the absence of Light Armor perks, Ponty’s Burglar is a perfect example.

    Assassin

    Build Info: The masters of sneak attacks, Assassins use bows and daggers to kill without being seen. They also use Alchemy to create poisons to dip their blades in, as well as potions should the need arise. Light Armor is used as it provides the perfect combination of protection and weight, while Lockpicking enables them to open doors silently without being detected. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Race: Khajiit get boosts to every skilled used except for Light Armor, including a +10 to Sneak, and Night Eye is ideal for sneaking around in the dark, making them the ideal choice.

    Standing Stone: The Shadow. Can’t go wrong with invisibility.

    Stat Spread: 0/1/1. Magicka isn’t used, while Health and Stamina are about equally important to the build.

    Shouts: Aura Whisper and Throw Voice are great for stealth, so go ahead with those.

    Equipment: The Dark Brotherhood Armor, upgraded to the Ancient set when you get it. Also use the Blade of Woe (or two), a bow of your choosing, and whatever jewelry you can find with a useful enchantment.

    Other Examples: Lots of options here, I’d just search the Character Build Assassin tag if I were you.

    Nightblade

    Build Info: These guys are the prototypical Mage Assassins. They approach situations from stealth using Illusion magic and sneak attacks and then switch to a sword and Destruction magic approach when their cover is blown. On the defensive end, Nightblades utilize Light Armor to protect themselves from harmful blows, and heal themselves with Restoration magic. As a final note, Nightblades make excellent Vampires, as that will augment their Illusion and Sneaking abilities, and Necromage can be easily picked up. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Race: High Elves receive a +10 boost to Illusion and +5 to Destruction and Restoration, start off with the Fury Spell, gain a nice +50 to Magicka, and start off with the Highborn Greater Power. On the other hand, Dark Elves get a +10 boost to Destruction and +5 to Illusion, Light Armor, and Sneak, start off with Sparks, and boast a 50% resistance to fire (particularly helpful should you choose to become a vampire). Both are good choices. Personally, I’d go with Dark Elf if you plan on becoming a vampire, and High Elf if not.

    Standing Stone: Use the Shadow up until you get the Expert Illusion perk, then switch to the Lord.

    Stat Spread: 3/3/1. Magicka and Health are about equally important. Stamina can be easily restored back via the Respite perk.

    Shouts: Aura Whisper and Throw Voice are always great for stealth. In open combat, I went with Elemental Fury as I used an unenchanted sword.

    Equipment: Personally, I went with the Diadem of the Savant, Ancient Shrouded Gloves/Boots, Gauldur Amulet, Vampire Royal Armor (Dawnguard required, if you don’t have it use the Ancient Shrouded Armor), Nightweaver’s Band, and an Ebony Sword.

    Other Examples: Psiberzerker's Nightblade is a fairly straightforward example.

    Archer

    Build Info: The best marksmen in all of Tamriel, Archers choose the bow as their primary weapon. While not particularly stealthy, they do try to get their first shot off undetected. They’re also skilled alchemists, dipping their arrows in poison and augmenting their abilities with potions. Should an enemy get too close to them, however, they can fight them off with a dagger, using Light Armor for protection. Finally, they can create and augment their equipment with Smithing. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Race: Redguards make nice archers with a +10 boost to One-Handed and +5 boosts to Archery and Smithing, not to mention a nice Greater Power, so they're probably the best choice. Bosmer have a +10 boost to Archery and +5 boosts to Alchemy, Light Armor and Sneak, and lorewise are known for being the best archers in Tamriel, making them a nice alternative choice.

    Standing Stone: I went with the Lady, for the regen boost.

    Stat Spread: 0/1/1. Health is always important, while Stamina is important for staying zoomed in via Eagle Eye.

    Shouts: Slow Time is incredibly useful for getting off a barrage of arrows in a short amount of time, while Unrelenting Force is useful for sending enemies flying back, and Whirlwind Sprint allows you to relocate yourself quickly.

    Equipment: Custom made light armor, bow and dagger.

    Other Examples: Matt Walker's Archer, as you might expect, is a good example of an Archer build.

    Barbarian

    Build Info: Barbarians have a ton of offense in the form of their massive Battleaxes, but this comes at the cost of minimal protection from Light Armor. They can also wield one-handed weapons, albeit not as well as two-handers, and block attacks with both weapon and shield. Barbarians are also known to be gifted speakers, giving rallying speeches before going off into battle, and intimidating others into doing what they want. However, they have no means of healing themselves save for any potions that are bought or found. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Race: Nords receive boosts to every skill used, including a +10 to Two-Handed, so they’re the ideal choice. They also happen to be aesthetically very much the Barbarian type.

    Standing Stone: Defense, particularly magical defense, is pretty shoddy with this build, making the Lord a good choice.

    Stat Spread: 0/2/1. As with all warrior builds, Health and Stamina are very important. No magic means no Magicka.

    Shouts: Elemental Fury to swing your Battleaxe faster, Become Ethereal to safely close in on distant enemies, and Unrelenting Force for crowd control.

    Equipment: I think Fur Armor with a Skyforge Steel Battleaxe, Skyforge Steel Sword, and Hide Shield provides a nice aesthetic.

    Other Examples: Wuldie’s Barbarian is obviously a good Barbarian example.

    Battlemage

    Build Info: A classic example of how to mix magic and melee into a deadly offense, Battlemages wield Two-Handed weapons with incredible skill to decimate enemies up close, and do the same to enemies at range with Destruction magic. Conjuration enables them to summon atronachs, raise the undead, or even conjure a Bound Battleaxe for them. Alteration magic, in conjunction with Mage Armor, gives them a solid defense, and they can heal their wounds with Restoration magic. Finally, they can enchant their own apparel. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Race: High Elves gain boosts to every skill used except Two-Handed, and both the extra 50 Magicka and Highborn are useful for the build.

    Standing Stone: The Lord’s defensive boost is pretty useful here.

    Stat Spread: 2/2/1. We’re using a lot of different magic types here, and we’ll be in the thick of combat a lot, making both Health and Magicka important. With no armor and possibly a weightless weapon should you use the Bound Battleaxe, Stamina isn’t as needed, and can be restored via the Respite perk anyway.

    Shouts: Become Ethereal is good for getting Master level spells off without a hitch and safely regenerating Magicka via Highborn, while Marked For Death for boosting damage with the Bound Battleaxe.

    Equipment: Either the Bound Battleaxe or a self-enchanted Battleaxe, and self-enchanted clothing of your choosing. Alternatively, you can go with some of the artifacts this game provides you with; Mage’s Circlet, Savos Aren’s Amulet, Archmage’s Robes, Mystic Tuning Gloves, and the shock resistant boots found in the Archmage’s Quarters are all good choices.

    Other Examples: Swap out Enchanting for Light Armor and Ponty’s Histmaster uses all the same skills as the Battlemage. You can even play as an Argonian instead of a High Elf to take advantage of Histskin the way he does.

    Spellsword

    Build Info: The Spellsword can be thought of as a sister class to the Battlemage. Both focus on mixing physical and magical combat, but the Spellsword focuses more on the former than does the Battlemage. True to the name, the Spellsword is adept with swords, as well as shields and Heavy Armor, while on the magical end, they utilize the powers of Destruction, Restoration, and Illusion magic. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Race: Imperials have boosts to every skill used except Illusion, including a +10 to Restoration, making them a good choice.

    Standing Stone: I went with the Atronach. The 50% Spell Absorption is our primary defense against magic, and the +50 Magicka is useful as well. The hit to Magicka Regeneration can be cancelled out with Recovery.

    Stat Spread: 1/2/1. Pretty similar to the Battlemage, but with less schools of magic used Magicka is less important.

    Shouts: Elemental Fury is good in conjunction with an unenchanted sword.

    Equipment: Your choice of sword, shield, and heavy armor. Nahkriin is a good helm to use.

    Other Examples: Magebane’s Spellsword, as the name would imply, is an example of a Spellsword build, though the skills are slightly different than the one here.

    Sorcerer

    Build Info: Sorcerers are pretty similar to Mages, with the primary difference being that they are skilled in Heavy Armor in addition to the usual repertoire of magic: Destruction for dealing damage, Alteration to augment their defenses, Conjuration to summon familiars and raise the undead, Restoration to heal wounds, and Enchanting to improve their equipment. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Race: High Elves gain boosts to every skill used except Heavy Armor, and both the extra 50 Magicka and Highborn are useful for the build.

    Standing Stone: I went with the Atronach. The 50% Spell Absorption is nice for magical defense, and the +50 Magicka is useful as well. The hit to Magicka Regeneration can be cancelled out with Recovery. However, Spell Absorption will interfere with the summoning of Atronachs, unless you have a patch for it.

    Stat Spread: 1/1/0. Staying alive and being able to cast magic is important to the build, while Stamina really isn’t necessary.

    Shouts: Become Ethereal is really nice. You can use it to safely regenerate Magicka via Highborn, or to cast a Master level spell without any interruptions.

    Equipment: Self-enchanted heavy armor. At higher levels, with the Augmented perks from the Destruction tree and enough perks in Enchanting, you can even enchant a weapon of your choosing and deal damage that way.

    Other Examples: Mason’s Sorcerer of course! Note that since this build (as well as the other builds) have a six skill limit, his uses Alchemy whereas this one doesn’t. Psiberzerker Anarchist's Oblivion Sorcerer is also a good example, being based on Oblivion's version of the Sorcerer.

    Knight

    Build Info: The most honorable fighters in Tamriel, these nobles have skill in both body and mind. They utilize swords, shields, and heavy armor for combat, which they are capable of improving via their smithing abilities. They are eloquent speakers, and use their gift to persuade others to their cause and obtain better prices for goods (particularly important since, aside from ones they find themselves, they need to buy potions for healing). Finally, they use Illusion to both calm their enemies and rally their allies. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Race: Orcs receive boosts to every skill used except Speech and Illusion, including a +10 to Heavy Armor, and their Greater Power is incredibly useful for the class, making them the ideal choice from a gameplay perspective. However, Imperials fit the knight look better.

    Standing Stone: The Atronach is a good choice. The 50% Spell Absorption is our primary defense against magic, and the extra 50 Magicka is nice as well. Since our spells will be cast at the beginning of battle, Magicka Regeneration isn’t as important.

    Stat Spread: 1/3/2. As with most melee builds, Health and Stamina are important. Magicka is only used for the occasional Calm or Rally spell, and receives a hefty boost from the Atronach stone, so it’s not as important.

    Shouts: Elemental Fury is good in conjunction with an unenchanted sword, and Become Ethereal can be used to safely close the distance between enemies.

    Equipment: Custom made sword, shield, and heavy armor. I like the Skyforge Steel Sword and Imperial Shield in conjunction with Steel Plate for that knightly look.

    Other Examples: The Noble Knight by Yvara follows the skillset to the letter, as does Tim Faroe’s Knight.

    Crusader

    Build Info: Holy warriors that strive to eliminate daedra, the undead, and other abominations from Tamriel, Crusaders utilize a variety of skills both physical and magical to get the job done. Enchanted maces, shields, and heavy armor are all used in the fight against evil, as well as flame magic, turn undead spells, and healing spells. They are a sort of sister class to the Knight in that they both draw from the paladin skillset, but the Crusader is more focused on the magical aspects than the Knight. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Race: Imperials receive boosts to every skill used, including a +10 to Restoration, making them the ideal choice.

    Standing Stone: I went with the Atronach. The 50% Spell Absorption is the primary defense against magic, and the +50 Magicka is useful as well. The hit to Magicka Regeneration can be cancelled out with Recovery.

    Stat Spread: 2/3/1. All three stat areas are pretty important here, but Stamina slightly less so since it can be restored back via Respite.

    Shouts: I liked using Fire Breath to fit in with the fire magic theme.

    Equipment: Self-enchanted mace, shield, and heavy armor. For an appropriate look, I recommend a steel mace and shield with steel plate armor.

    Other Examples: Ponty’s Priest is the best example I could find, just swap Smithing for Enchanting and put a greater emphasis on Heavy Armor (including swapping out that hood for a helm so you have a full armor set).

    Scout

    Build Info: Agile fighters that are in tune with nature, Scouts rely on a sword and board style of combat up close, and shower their enemies in a barrage of arrows from afar. They are skilled in Light Armor and improving their equipment with Smithing, and use Alchemy to create potions and poisons to suit their needs. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Race: Bosmer receive a +10 boost to Archery and +5 boosts to Light Armor and Alchemy, and fit the whole nature theme well.

    Standing Stone: The Lord is nice for augmenting defenses.

    Stat Spread: 0/1/1. Stamina is important for remaining agile, as well as power attacks, shield bashes, and staying zoomed in with the bow. Health is obviously important for staying alive, while Magicka isn’t needed at all.

    Shouts: Both Animal Allegiance and Kyne’s Peace fit in well with the nature theme, while Elemental Fury is good for getting your sword to swing faster.

    Equipment: Custom made sword, shield, bow, and light armor. The Bow of the Hunt and Kyne’s Token are also nice items for the whole nature theme.

    Other Examples: The Prince of Ravens by Christopher Perigoe has the exact same skillset as a Scout (provided you take the Archery path), making it an excellent example.

    Bard

    Build Info: A true bard isn't some pansy who sits in an inn all day playing on a lute for petty coin. They are the masters of mind-manipulation, and use Speech and Illusion to work their way around in the world. They are skilled at striking and parrying with blades, and are well protected in Light Armor. Personally, I’d ditch the Light Armor in favor of flesh spells augmented with Mage Armor and some bardish clothes, but bards of TES games past use Light Armor. Finally, they are skilled alchemists, capable of both potions and poisons. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Race: Breton get +5 boosts to Illusion, Alchemy, and Speech, and both their innate ability and Greater Power are useful for the build, so they’re probably the ideal choice.

    Standing Stone: This build is a little light on the defensive end, making the Lord a good choice.

    Stat Spread: 1/3/2. Having a good pool of Health is always nice, as is Stamina for bashing and power attacking. Since only one school of magic is being used, Magicka isn’t as important.

    Shouts: Elemental Fury is good for swinging your sword faster as well as Become Ethereal for safely closing in on enemies.

    Equipment: Your choice of sword and light armor.

    Other Examples: As one would expect, Ponty’s Bard is, in fact, a good example of a bard, though some of the skills used are different. Orangedragan's Traveling Bard is another example; this one focusing on follower-based combat.

    Healer

    Build Info: Whereas most classes rely upon themselves to get the job done, a Healer relies on a follower for combat, and as such, the Healer’s abilities are focused on supporting said follower. To that end, Illusion’s Rally spells are quite useful, while Restoration is used to heal the follower as well as the Healer themself. Should they be under attack, a Healer can use Alteration spells augmented with Mage Armor for defense, and can fight back via Destruction magic. Healers are also gifted Alchemists, and can get better prices for their goods via Speech. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Race: Bretons receive boosts to every skill used except Destruction, and both their innate ability and Greater Power are useful to the build.

    Standing Stone: I like the Atronach Stone for this build. The extra 50 Magicka is always nice, while the hit to Magicka Regeneration can be cancelled out via Recovery. The innate 50% Spell Absorption, combined with the Dragonskin Greater Power, allows for complete Spell Absorption while Dragonskin is running.

    Stat Spread: 1/1/0. With several different schools of magic being used, Magicka is essential, while Health is less important than usual due to the emphasis on not getting hit. Stamina isn’t really needed.

    Shouts: Should you find yourself beset with enemies, Become Ethereal is a good way to escape the carnage. It can also be used to cast a master level spell free of interruptions.

    Equipment: Mage’s Circlet, Savos Aren’s Amulet, Archmage’s Robes, Mystic Tuning Gloves, and the shock resistant boots found in the Archmage’s Quarters are all good choices. Just be sure to avoid using armor.

    Other Examples: Though skills are different, Constantine’s Party Leader exemplifies how to best play a Healer in Skyrim: by supporting your followers with things such as Illusion and Restoration spells while avoiding being the center of combat yourself.

    Monk

    Build Info: Now that Hand to Hand is no longer a skill in Skyrim, the Monk is a weird class to adapt to Skyrim since the focus is on unarmed combat. In addition to their fists, Monks are skilled marksmen and stealthy warriors, and rely on Alteration spells augmented with Mage Armor for defense. They can also use Restoration to heal themselves, Enchanting to imbue their equipment with magical effects, and Lockpicking to open containers and doors. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Race: Khajiit deal more damage unarmed than any other race in the game, can use Night Eye for sneaking around in the dark, get a +10 boost to Sneak and +5 boosts to Archery and Lockpicking, making them the ideal choice.

    Standing Stone: You’ll definitely want the Lord for increased defenses.

    Stat Spread: 1/2/1. All three stat areas are important.

    Shouts: Aura Whisper and Throw Voice are nice for sneaking around (though the Detect Life spell can be used in place of Aura Whisper). Unrelenting Force is also good for crowd control purposes.

    Equipment: Self-enchanted clothes and bow. The Monk’s Robes are nice for both the name and aesthetic.

    Other Examples: The Monk by Warlocksg is a good example, as the name would suggest, though it used Light Armor in place of Lockpicking. Another example is Kalsigur’s Whispering Fang, though it swaps Lockpicking for Heavy Armor.

    Acrobat

    Build Info: Despite having their namesake skill removed from the game, Acrobats are still plenty playable in Skyrim. Their agility shows in their ability in sneaking, lockpicking, and pickpocketing. They do not wear any armor, and have no skill in alteration, instead relying on agility for defense, quickly moving in and out of combat. However, they can are capable of blocking and parrying attacks that come their way. Their preferred weapon is the dagger for its quickness, as well as the bow for ranged offense. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Standing Stone: The Shadow Stone is nice for sneaking around.

    Race: Khajiit receive boosts to every skill used except for Block, including a +10 to Sneak, and can use Night Eye for sneaking around in the dark. They also seen in the lore as being a very agile race.

    Stat Spread: 0/1/2. Ideally, you’ll want to avoid being hit in the first place rather than relying on your Health pool for taking hits, making Stamina more important than Health. No magic means no Magicka.

    Shouts: Aura Whisper and Throw Voice are always nice for stealth, as are Whirlwind Sprint and Slow Time for moving in and out of combat.

    Equipment: Your choice of clothing, dagger, and bow. Cicero’s Clothes are a good choice though.

    Other Examples: My Alik'r Warrior is something of an Acrobat. No armor, relies on mobility, and a little thieving action on the side.

    Agent

    Build Info: Agents are known for being talented at pretending to be something they aren't, and are highly skilled at sneaking, pickpocketing, and lockpicking. They use archery as their offense when needed, but prefer to calm anyone who might discover them with illusion. They are deceptive, and are very good at keeping a low profile by using their skills at speaking. As an Agent, you may also want to consider becoming a vampire for the bonuses to Sneak and Illusion. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Race: Khajiit receive boosts to every skill used except Speech and Illusion, including a +10 to Sneak, can use Night Eye for sneaking around in the dark, and are known in the lore for being a stealthy race.

    Standing Stone: Use the Shadow until you obtain the Expert Illusion perk, then switch to the Lord.

    Stat Spread: 2/1/2. Stealth builds don’t require as much Health, meaning you can focus on Magicka and Stamina.

    Shouts: Aura Whisper and Throw Voice are good stealth shouts.

    Equipment: Your choice of bow and clothes. Cicero’s Hat, Robes of Illusion, and the Shrouded Shoes are good choices for clothing.

    Other Examples: Psiberzerker Anarchist’s Agents of Skyrim is a good example of the Agent class, but with a unique twist. Rather than post a single Agent, he has multiple agents that differ depending on who they work for (e.g. Nocturnal, the Aldmeri Dominion, etc.).

    Pilgrim

    Build Info: Wanderers that have seen all corners of Tamriel, Pilgrims are skilled at both fighting and lockpicking. In combat, they rely on maces, shields, and light armor, while in the marketplace, they can persuade vendors for better prices or improve their weapons and armor. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Race: Nords get the best skill boosts for the build (+5 One-Handed, Light Armor, Block, Smithing, and Speech), making them the ideal choice.

    Standing Stone: The Lord’s a good stone to choose, particularly since Pilgrims are lacking in magical defense.

    Stat Spread: 0/2/1. Pretty standard stat spread. Health and Stamina are both important for fighter builds, while Magicka obviously isn’t needed.

    Shouts: Elemental Fury for swinging your mace faster, Become Ethereal for safely closing in on enemies, and Unrelenting Force for crowd control.

    Equipment: Your choice of mace, shield, and light armor.

    Other Examples: Slaughterbot's Penitent Warrior is actually based off of the Pilgrim class.

    Rogue

    Build Info: Agile fighters with tongues as sharp as their blades, Rogues are known adventurers and opportunists. Their swords are deadly, and they can block and parry with them as well. For defense, they rely on light armor, and can augment their abilities via Alchemy. Those who are not persuaded by their silver tongue will find their minds bent by Illusion magic. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Race: I like Imperial for Rogues. Voice of the Emperor is a fitting power to use for getting out of tight situations, and Imperial Luck is fitting for a thiefesque character. They also get bonuses to One-Handed and Block.

    Standing Stone: The Rogue’s defenses tend to be a little on the light side, making the Lord a good choice.

    Stat Spread: 1/3/2. With only one school of magic being used, Magicka isn’t as needed, while both Health and Stamina are important.

    Shouts: Elemental Fury to swing your sword faster, Become Ethereal to safely close in on enemies, and Unrelenting Force for crowd control.

    Equipment: Your choice of sword and light armor.

    Other Examples: Though the skills chosen are somewhat different, my Dagger Duelist is like a Rogue.

    Witchhunter

    Build Info: A combination of mage and archer, Witchhunters are masters of ranged combat. They use the bow as their primary form of combat, but can also use the wall and rune spells provided by Destruction to slow their enemies down, or can distract them with atronachs and undead that are summoned via Conjuration. They can also use Alchemy to create potions and poisons, Enchanting to imbue their equipment with magical effects, and Lockpicking to open doors and chests. Example 30 Perk Spread.

    Race: It's an unconventional choice, but I like Argonian. Aside from the +10 to Lockpicking, Histkin's really useful for a 0AR build when combined with Health Regeneration enchantments. Provided you don't take too many hits simultaneously, you can recover all your health in between blows.

    Standing Stone: I'd use the Serpent Stone, if an enemy gets too close for comfort, you can simply paralyze them and run away.

    Stat Spread: 1/2/1. All three stat areas are equally important, with a slight emphasis on Health in the event you get hit.

    Shouts: Slow Time is useful for shooting off a ton of arrows in a short amount of time, while Whirlwind Sprint is good for making a tactical retreat. Finally, should enemies get too close, you can blow them away via Unrelenting Force. Other crowd control shouts work as well.

    Equipment: Self-enchanted apparel of your choosing, along with a powerful bow.

    Other Examples: The Witchhunter by Twisted Orthrus is an obvious example, though it uses Sneak and Illusion instead of Alchemy and Lockpicking.

  • AJ
    Member
    April 20, 2013

    Looking forward to see more classes! I'll give you a +1 

  • April 20, 2013

    Can't wait to see the other classes in the future! Looks good already. +1

  • Member
    April 20, 2013

    What happened to the original page it is gone now.  Love the concept keep it up +1

  • Member
    April 21, 2013

    Strange, I'll have to ask Moth Priest about that.

  • April 21, 2013

    On the Nightblade:

    That's a lot of skills, so you should at least warn people that it will take a while to train up to enough Perk Points to go around (Unless they just splash in a few minor skills, which is hard to do with the Magical trees.)

    Classically, Nightblades were always 1H, LA, Sneak, Illusion, Destruction, with Alteration, or Restoration as Options.  (Oblivion, Morrowind also had Archery, among others. Accounting for different Skills like "Short blade" and "Mysticism.")  Is this your personal take on the classes, or an attempt to emulate/replicate the classic versions?

  • April 21, 2013

    Also, I for one would offer my help, if you'd like.  There's a lot of classes to go through, unless you want go solo on it..?

  • Member
    April 21, 2013

    In general, this is more emulation than my personal take, though I'll occasionally make changes (for example, dropping Light Armor for the Nightblade). There's only six skills being used, how is that a lot? And I think I'll be able to handle this one myself since summer for me is less than two weeks away and then I'll have all the time in the world to work on it.

  • April 21, 2013

    This is all advice, so take it, or leave it.  However, the interpretation as presented reads more like a Wizard, with some Sneak, and 1H than an Assassin with some assistive magic, which is how I always interpreted the Nightblade Class.

    6 Skills doesn't seem like a lot, but in practice, it can complicate having enough Points for all those Peks.  Nighblades are a hybrid of all 3 Guardians (Thief, Warrior, Mage) so can suffer from lack of Focus, especially in the beginning.  It's one of my favorites, going all the way back to Morrowind, so IME, you can ruin the character by over-leveling, if you're not careful how you equip them, and distibute the early Perks. 

    For Example, too many in Alteration, instead of Armsman can leave you not doing enough Damage in a Backstab so they can draw their sword, and kill you because you're Unarmored.  Casting Oakflesh can help with the latter, but alert them to your presence, or leave you with just a minute to get close. 

    All of these are conflicts that I've run into through Playtesting, and can make the difference between Success, and Failure if you try it without warning.  This lack of Focus is the main thing that makes Nighblades advanced builds to the uninitiated.

  • Member
    April 21, 2013

    I've always thought Nightblades to be equal parts Mage and Assassin, which is probably why you see this interpretation as being more mage-like than yours. Honestly, I find that there are enough perks to cover everything, particularly since some of them don't need a ton of perks (Sneak comes to mind). Lack of focus can be an issue, but as long as you're smart about what skills to focus on (e.g. not having a Nightblade with Master Restoration) you should be good.