❋ THE SCHOLAR ❋
"You cannot open a book without learning something."
❋
The Scholar is a perpetually knowledge-hungry individual that roams all of Tamriel in his search for research material. What sets the scholar apart from the usual researcher, however, is his fascination for writings. Most other adepts would rather have a more tangible sort of archaeological material, like tools, relics or the sort, but the Scholar only concerns himself with written materials, which he hunts down with a passion like no others. From the furthest northern reaches to the sands of Elsweyr, the Scholar delves into the most dangerous crypts and ruins searching for rare books and scrolls to add to his ever-growing collection.
Don't mistake the Scholar for a defenseless professor, however. His hand and eye are as fast as lightning, as is his shooting, for the Scholar has been honing his marksmanship ever since he has dedicated his life to his collection. And if enemies do manage by chance to get too close, the Scholar has his faithful atronachs ready to rebuff them to a safe range, where they won't be able to escape his arrows. When the Scholar appears, enemies should prepare for a hail of both arrows and spells which rarely miss their target.
❋
This build is based on the Witchhunter class but Conjuration is chosen over Destruction as a main skill which makes the Scholar into a very versatile glass cannon. The Scholar keeps his enemies at bay using his summons while he turns them into pincushions from afar. Should the enemy get dangerously close, the Scholar sees no shame into retreating, albeit only temporarily. For when he escapes the range of his foes, he turns back and shoots a deadly salvo right at their faces.
❋
BUILD
●Race: Dunmer, Altmer or Bretons make the best scholars by looks and background, in my opinion. However, as you can see, the Scholar's background is rather open, so you should be able to pull off any race you like.
●Standing Stone: Lord or Lady. You'll be wearing clothes with this build, but you won't be using any Mage Armor spells, so both the Lord and Lady Stone should up your survivability a bit.
●Stat Distribution: 3/2/1. You'll need quite a pool of Magicka to be able to bring your atronachs quick enough to be able to defend yourself. Health is also important since, as stated above, this build is rather squishy. Some extra Stamina will help you maintain Eagle Eye longer.
●Vampirism: Optional. A vampire Scholar does make sense, as he gets all eternity to spend with his books. However, it's not mandatory, so the choice is up to you.
SKILLS
Major
❋Archery: Your main damage dealing skill. You'll be using your bow to dispatch your enemies from a safe distance while your atronachs hold them off. Focus on getting Eagle Eye, Steady Hand and Quick Shot as soon as possible, and the Overdraw perks for the damage boost, of course.
❋Conjuration: Your second most important skill. Except for your legs and hands, you won't be wearing armor, and Alteration isn't used either, so you'll rely on your summons to keep you alive. Atromancy, Elemental Potency and the rank perks are the most important perks here.
❋Enchanting: It makes sense that an individual as well read as the Scholar would be acquainted with Enchanting. Whether if it's applying hurty magic to your bow or skill boosts on your apparel, the Enchanter, Skillful Enchanter and Extra Effect perks will definitely help.
Minor
❋Destruction: It never hurts to have a bit of offensive magic at your disposal. Cloaks are the main point of interest here, though, with Frost Cloak being the best option in my opinion. If enemies get into your personal space, they'll have more than your arrows to worry about. Taking the rank perks up to Adept and Augmented Frost should be enough.
❋Alchemy: The Scholar is always on the run, so he usually prepares his own potions. A few perks in Alchemist coupled with Physician should maximize the strength of your potions and poisons, which can turn the tide of battle.
❋Light Armor: You'll be wearing light armor on your hands and feet, so some extra armor rating should make staying alive easier.
Perk Spread
Level 20| Level 40
SHOUTS
●Become Ethereal: I've already mentioned this countless times, but the Scholar is definitely not cut out for close combat. If you're ganged up on or cornered, Become Ethereal might just save your life.
●Disarm: Disarming an enemy is a quick and easy way of neutralizing even the more serious threats. This also staggers them, allowing you to dispatch them with ease.
●Slow Time: If your target is moving around a lot, Slow Time can net you an easy kill. Also useful for escaping sticky situations.
●Whirlwind Sprint: Useful for moving around the battlefield, both away or towards the enemy.
SPECIAL MOVES
❋Deadly Duo: Summon Flame Atronach + Quick Shot
The Scholar blazes into battle along his trusty flame atronach as they unleash a deadly volley of fire and steel.
I often use this as a roleplay device, competing with my flame atronach to see who kills the most. If she wins, she gets banished back to Oblivion.
❋Frostprey Charge: Summon Frost Atronach + Frost Cloak + Whirlwind Sprint
The Scholar disregards his personal safety and jumps into the front line next to his Frost Atronach. If they survive the freezing aura that greets them, his foes are quickly dispatched by a combination of his arrows and the atronach's heavy blows.
This is quite the fun move in that you switch your role, going fully on the offensive. Be careful with aiming your Sprint, though, or you might end up a little closer than you'd like. Frost Cloak is beast because it both damages and slows enemies, giving you plenty of time to step out of harm's way.
❋Blitz Shot: Summon Storm Atronach + Slow Time + Quick Draw
Which is faster - The atronach's lightning blast or the Scholar's draw? None can tell, for once this deadly competition begins, few men live to tell the tale.
If you Atronach's Chain Lightning won't do the trick, then an arrow through the heart definitely will. A devastating move if you manage to pull it off correctly.
❋Superhuman Reflexes: Slow Time + Steady Hand
The Scholar calms his body to the point where his muscles respond to his commands in less than milliseconds. No foe can escape his deadly aim.
If you just can't seem to hit an enemy that's getting closer and closer, use a combo of Slow Time and Eagle Eye to score a sure hit.
EQUIPMENT
●Armor - Archmage's Robes, Enchanted Glass Gauntlets/ Boots
The Archmage's Robes are the best for mages, of course, and they'll allow you to cast more often and use fewer potions. Your Glass Gauntlets should obviously be enchanted with Fortify Archery first, and Magicka Boost or Fortify Light Armor. For the boots, go for a Resist Fire and Shock enchantment to make yourself more resistant to magic attacks. Or you could use Fortify Stamina and Carry Weight for a roleplay-heavy playthrough, since the Scholar always carries lots of books with him.
●Weapon - Enchanted Ebony Bow
An Ebony Bow with a Frost Damage/ Stamina Drain Enchantment will slow enemies you don't 1HKO and allow you to use Eagle Eye all the time. And it looks awesome.
●Ring/ Amulet/ Circlet - Fortify Conjuration/ Archery
Enchant your circlet, ring and amulet with Fortify Conjuration & Fortify Archery for maximum efficiency.
TACTICS
As soon as you encounter your enemies, the first thing you should do is bring out your atronach. Have both your bow and your summoning spells in faveslot so you can switch with as little delay as possible, and make sure to summon your atronach as close to your enemies as possible, especially when in tight spaces. This way, you make sure that their attention is focused on your summon instead of you and you're free to concentrate on your offensive.
When attacking, make sure you begin with the enemies that are closest to you ,melee wielders and shock mages, since those pose the biggest threat. The bow is a deadly tool, and coupled with your atronach's attacks it shouldn't be long before the last of your foes bites the dust.
ROLEPLAY
A bit more on the Scholar's background; he comes from a wealthy, loving family that spent a fortune on his education. He discovered his inclination towards summoning magic through an incident that culminated with him setting the family's house on fire, but of which he refuses to speak to this day. Ever since he used magic for the first time, the Scholar felt the need to understand this volatile energy, to find its source, its meaning and its many, many uses. To fulfill his thirst for knowledge, he turned to libraries, reading everything he got his hands on. Very soon, the Scholar discovered that there was much aside from magic that he did not know of. The other races, which were so diverse one from another, beasts and fearsome creatures, undead, dragons, and Tamriel itself, with its endless supply of mysteries. The Scholar read and read, until his father's library had no more books that he hadn't finished, until the library in his city held no further secrets, until his friends and acquaintaces had nothing more to lend to him. Still aching for more, he left his family behind to journey all across the world. Tamriel is a perilous place; the Scholar picked up a bow in his travels, for which he seemed to have a knack, and found himself using it more and more to defend himself, both out in the open and in enclosed catacombs.
After many, many years of traveling, amassing an incredible collection of both books and mental knowledge, and seeing almost everything there is to see, the Scholar returns to Skyrim for the second time, hoping to be able to study both the Nordic Crypts and the Dwemer Ruins that dot its landscape. However, by some twist of fate, he was mistaken for a Stormcloak agent, captured and almost executed, but he managed to escape when a dragon attacked Helgen. Now separated from his beloved collection, the Scholar roams Skyrim with three purposes in mind: his original one of examining the Nordic and Dwemer ruins, the much more exciting study of the recently resurrected dragons, and, above all, the recreation of his lost collection, for which he will go to any lengths.
❋
In short, to act the character well during this playthrough, here's what you need to do:
Find and loot every book in game, but only once. The collection doesn't need copies.
The collection also demands Spell Tomes and Scrolls.
If you come across any Nordic crypts or barrows, or Dwemer ruins, clear them right away. Take some souvenirs for future studies (embalming tools, Dwemer metal objects etc.)
Join the College of Winterhold, and become Archmage. The College's library is most impressive, and through Urag's quests you can get your hands on some very rare books.
Do Hermaeus Mora's quest. The Oghma Infinium is every initiate's dream, and the Scholar is no exception.
If you own Dragonborn, do the main questline as soon as possible. Not going to include spoilers because I don't wanna annoy anyone, but for those who already know what the main plot is about, I think it's obvious why the Scholar would be interested in it.
On the same note, the Steadfast Dwarven Spider and Steadfast Dwarven Sphere followers are amazing study material, so feel free to have them tag along if you feel lonely. You can get them as followers if you finish the Kagrumez Trials, a quest included with the Dragonborn DLC. (credits to Brynjolf for the tip!)
If you own Hearthfire, buy a plot of land and use it to build yourself a home with a Library, of course. Use it to store your collection.
If you notice any burnt or ruined books in a human inhabited dungeon, take your time to punish them dearly. All those that have no respect for knowledge deserve what's coming for them.
Keep as much of your collection as you can on you. After what happened at the border, the Scholar loves having his babies close.
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
CONCLUSION
Well, my second build is done. This was supposed to be the first, but due to me being stupid and not saving my work, I lost a big part of it, got discouraged/ bored and ditched it. After writing the Crepuscular, though, I felt like giving this a shot again, as well, and I think it worked out okay. I can say from personal experience that this is an amazingly fun action build, and if you enjoy playing fast moving and attacking characters with a pinch of field control, the Scholar is definitely for you. Have fun!
MORE BUILDS
✥ The Crepuscular ✥
✽ The Warmaiden ✽
✠ The Anti-Paladin ✠
❋ THE SCHOLAR ❋
"You cannot open a book without learning something."
❋
The Scholar is a perpetually knowledge-hungry individual that roams all of Tamriel in his search for research material. What sets the scholar apart from the usual researcher, however, is his fascination for writings. Most other adepts would rather have a more tangible sort of archaeological material, like tools, relics or the sort, but the Scholar only concerns himself with written materials, which he hunts down with a passion like no others. From the furthest northern reaches to the sands of Elsweyr, the Scholar delves into the most dangerous crypts and ruins searching for rare books and scrolls to add to his ever-growing collection.
Don't mistake the Scholar for a defenseless professor, however. His hand and eye are as fast as lightning, as is his shooting, for the Scholar has been honing his marksmanship ever since he has dedicated his life to his collection. And if enemies do manage by chance to get too close, the Scholar has his faithful atronachs ready to rebuff them to a safe range, where they won't be able to escape his arrows. When the Scholar appears, enemies should prepare for a hail of both arrows and spells which rarely miss their target.
❋
This build is based on the Witchhunter class but Conjuration is chosen over Destruction as a main skill which makes the Scholar into a very versatile glass cannon. The Scholar keeps his enemies at bay using his summons while he turns them into pincushions from afar. Should the enemy get dangerously close, the Scholar sees no shame into retreating, albeit only temporarily. For when he escapes the range of his foes, he turns back and shoots a deadly salvo right at their faces.
❋
BUILD
●Race: Dunmer, Altmer or Bretons make the best scholars by looks and background, in my opinion. However, as you can see, the Scholar's background is rather open, so you should be able to pull off any race you like.
●Standing Stone: Lord or Lady. You'll be wearing clothes with this build, but you won't be using any Mage Armor spells, so both the Lord and Lady Stone should up your survivability a bit.
●Stat Distribution: 3/2/1. You'll need quite a pool of Magicka to be able to bring your atronachs quick enough to be able to defend yourself. Health is also important since, as stated above, this build is rather squishy. Some extra Stamina will help you maintain Eagle Eye longer.
●Vampirism: Optional. A vampire Scholar does make sense, as he gets all eternity to spend with his books. However, it's not mandatory, so the choice is up to you.
SKILLS
Major
❋Archery: Your main damage dealing skill. You'll be using your bow to dispatch your enemies from a safe distance while your atronachs hold them off. Focus on getting Eagle Eye, Steady Hand and Quick Shot as soon as possible, and the Overdraw perks for the damage boost, of course.
❋Conjuration: Your second most important skill. Except for your legs and hands, you won't be wearing armor, and Alteration isn't used either, so you'll rely on your summons to keep you alive. Atromancy, Elemental Potency and the rank perks are the most important perks here.
❋Enchanting: It makes sense that an individual as well read as the Scholar would be acquainted with Enchanting. Whether if it's applying hurty magic to your bow or skill boosts on your apparel, the Enchanter, Skillful Enchanter and Extra Effect perks will definitely help.
Minor
❋Destruction: It never hurts to have a bit of offensive magic at your disposal. Cloaks are the main point of interest here, though, with Frost Cloak being the best option in my opinion. If enemies get into your personal space, they'll have more than your arrows to worry about. Taking the rank perks up to Adept and Augmented Frost should be enough.
❋Alchemy: The Scholar is always on the run, so he usually prepares his own potions. A few perks in Alchemist coupled with Physician should maximize the strength of your potions and poisons, which can turn the tide of battle.
❋Light Armor: You'll be wearing light armor on your hands and feet, so some extra armor rating should make staying alive easier.
Perk Spread
Level 20| Level 40
SHOUTS
●Become Ethereal: I've already mentioned this countless times, but the Scholar is definitely not cut out for close combat. If you're ganged up on or cornered, Become Ethereal might just save your life.
●Disarm: Disarming an enemy is a quick and easy way of neutralizing even the more serious threats. This also staggers them, allowing you to dispatch them with ease.
●Slow Time: If your target is moving around a lot, Slow Time can net you an easy kill. Also useful for escaping sticky situations.
●Whirlwind Sprint: Useful for moving around the battlefield, both away or towards the enemy.
SPECIAL MOVES
❋Deadly Duo: Summon Flame Atronach + Quick Shot
The Scholar blazes into battle along his trusty flame atronach as they unleash a deadly volley of fire and steel.
I often use this as a roleplay device, competing with my flame atronach to see who kills the most. If she wins, she gets banished back to Oblivion.
❋Frostprey Charge: Summon Frost Atronach + Frost Cloak + Whirlwind Sprint
The Scholar disregards his personal safety and jumps into the front line next to his Frost Atronach. If they survive the freezing aura that greets them, his foes are quickly dispatched by a combination of his arrows and the atronach's heavy blows.
This is quite the fun move in that you switch your role, going fully on the offensive. Be careful with aiming your Sprint, though, or you might end up a little closer than you'd like. Frost Cloak is beast because it both damages and slows enemies, giving you plenty of time to step out of harm's way.
❋Blitz Shot: Summon Storm Atronach + Slow Time + Quick Draw
Which is faster - The atronach's lightning blast or the Scholar's draw? None can tell, for once this deadly competition begins, few men live to tell the tale.
If you Atronach's Chain Lightning won't do the trick, then an arrow through the heart definitely will. A devastating move if you manage to pull it off correctly.
❋Superhuman Reflexes: Slow Time + Steady Hand
The Scholar calms his body to the point where his muscles respond to his commands in less than milliseconds. No foe can escape his deadly aim.
If you just can't seem to hit an enemy that's getting closer and closer, use a combo of Slow Time and Eagle Eye to score a sure hit.
EQUIPMENT
●Armor - Archmage's Robes, Enchanted Glass Gauntlets/ Boots
The Archmage's Robes are the best for mages, of course, and they'll allow you to cast more often and use fewer potions. Your Glass Gauntlets should obviously be enchanted with Fortify Archery first, and Magicka Boost or Fortify Light Armor. For the boots, go for a Resist Fire and Shock enchantment to make yourself more resistant to magic attacks. Or you could use Fortify Stamina and Carry Weight for a roleplay-heavy playthrough, since the Scholar always carries lots of books with him.
●Weapon - Enchanted Ebony Bow
An Ebony Bow with a Frost Damage/ Stamina Drain Enchantment will slow enemies you don't 1HKO and allow you to use Eagle Eye all the time. And it looks awesome.
●Ring/ Amulet/ Circlet - Fortify Conjuration/ Archery
Enchant your circlet, ring and amulet with Fortify Conjuration & Fortify Archery for maximum efficiency.
TACTICS
As soon as you encounter your enemies, the first thing you should do is bring out your atronach. Have both your bow and your summoning spells in faveslot so you can switch with as little delay as possible, and make sure to summon your atronach as close to your enemies as possible, especially when in tight spaces. This way, you make sure that their attention is focused on your summon instead of you and you're free to concentrate on your offensive.
When attacking, make sure you begin with the enemies that are closest to you ,melee wielders and shock mages, since those pose the biggest threat. The bow is a deadly tool, and coupled with your atronach's attacks it shouldn't be long before the last of your foes bites the dust.
ROLEPLAY
A bit more on the Scholar's background; he comes from a wealthy, loving family that spent a fortune on his education. He discovered his inclination towards summoning magic through an incident that culminated with him setting the family's house on fire, but of which he refuses to speak to this day. Ever since he used magic for the first time, the Scholar felt the need to understand this volatile energy, to find its source, its meaning and its many, many uses. To fulfill his thirst for knowledge, he turned to libraries, reading everything he got his hands on. Very soon, the Scholar discovered that there was much aside from magic that he did not know of. The other races, which were so diverse one from another, beasts and fearsome creatures, undead, dragons, and Tamriel itself, with its endless supply of mysteries. The Scholar read and read, until his father's library had no more books that he hadn't finished, until the library in his city held no further secrets, until his friends and acquaintaces had nothing more to lend to him. Still aching for more, he left his family behind to journey all across the world. Tamriel is a perilous place; the Scholar picked up a bow in his travels, for which he seemed to have a knack, and found himself using it more and more to defend himself, both out in the open and in enclosed catacombs.
After many, many years of traveling, amassing an incredible collection of both books and mental knowledge, and seeing almost everything there is to see, the Scholar returns to Skyrim for the second time, hoping to be able to study both the Nordic Crypts and the Dwemer Ruins that dot its landscape. However, by some twist of fate, he was mistaken for a Stormcloak agent, captured and almost executed, but he managed to escape when a dragon attacked Helgen. Now separated from his beloved collection, the Scholar roams Skyrim with three purposes in mind: his original one of examining the Nordic and Dwemer ruins, the much more exciting study of the recently resurrected dragons, and, above all, the recreation of his lost collection, for which he will go to any lengths.
❋
In short, to act the character well during this playthrough, here's what you need to do:
Find and loot every book in game, but only once. The collection doesn't need copies.
The collection also demands Spell Tomes and Scrolls.
If you come across any Nordic crypts or barrows, or Dwemer ruins, clear them right away. Take some souvenirs for future studies (embalming tools, Dwemer metal objects etc.)
Join the College of Winterhold, and become Archmage. The College's library is most impressive, and through Urag's quests you can get your hands on some very rare books.
Do Hermaeus Mora's quest. The Oghma Infinium is every initiate's dream, and the Scholar is no exception.
If you own Dragonborn, do the main questline as soon as possible. Not going to include spoilers because I don't wanna annoy anyone, but for those who already know what the main plot is about, I think it's obvious why the Scholar would be interested in it.
On the same note, the Steadfast Dwarven Spider and Steadfast Dwarven Sphere followers are amazing study material, so feel free to have them tag along if you feel lonely. You can get them as followers if you finish the Kagrumez Trials, a quest included with the Dragonborn DLC. (credits to Brynjolf for the tip!)
If you own Hearthfire, buy a plot of land and use it to build yourself a home with a Library, of course. Use it to store your collection.
If you notice any burnt or ruined books in a human inhabited dungeon, take your time to punish them dearly. All those that have no respect for knowledge deserve what's coming for them.
Keep as much of your collection as you can on you. After what happened at the border, the Scholar loves having his babies close.
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
CONCLUSION
Well, my second build is done. This was supposed to be the first, but due to me being stupid and not saving my work, I lost a big part of it, got discouraged/ bored and ditched it. After writing the Crepuscular, though, I felt like giving this a shot again, as well, and I think it worked out okay. I can say from personal experience that this is an amazingly fun action build, and if you enjoy playing fast moving and attacking characters with a pinch of field control, the Scholar is definitely for you. Have fun!
MORE BUILDS
✥ The Crepuscular ✥
✽ The Warmaiden ✽
✠ The Anti-Paladin ✠
