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Contest Build: The Acolyte

Tags: #Character Build Elementalist  #Character Build No Crafting  #Character Build Villain  #Rank:Mythic  #Contest Bronze  #Contest1 
  • July 13, 2013

    "In my first arm, a storm. My second, the rush of plagued rain. The third, all the tinder of Anu. The fourth, the very eyes of Padhome."

    "When I walk the earth again, the faithful among you shall receive your reward... As for the rest, the weak shall be winnowed, the timid shall be cast down, the mighty shall tremble at my feet and pray for pardon.”

    Mysterium Xarxes

    For our build, we wanted to accentuate the Fearless Agent of Chaos that a Mythic Dawn Acolyte represents.  Those who support Dagon do not fear anything.  This is why the choice of Orc was such a an essential one for their incredible Berserker Rage ability.  Most unarmored mages tend to hang back and retreat while firing spells at his charging foes.  With the ability to halve taken damage, the Acolyte can stand his ground and raze destructive hell upon his foes without fear.  Yet the Mythic Dawn are not limited to the brutish approaches of the Orsimer.  With the Altmer's Highborn ability as well as innate buff to their magicka pool, they can cut a wide swath of destruction through a crowd of enemies in a matter seconds.  Additionally, the Dunmer make excellent Acolytes with their ability to burn anyone too close to them as well as their innate resistance to fire--they truly are natural inhabitants of Dagon's fiery realm.

    I have seen these men lying safe in their cradle of civilization.  Their minds are dulled.  Their backs are wet and limp. Their ways are stagnant.  I watch them scratching in the middens they call cities, the sewage of thousands festering in the gutters.  But I will bring them out into the Open.  I will cleanse them and show them the right Way.

     

    My Lord, Dagon, lend me but one of your mighty arms.  Bless me with the power to shape, uproot, rend.

     

    I will do what my brothers failed to do two centuries ago.  Before they were corrupted.  

     

    Together, my Lord, we will shatter the Earth-Bones and leave Kynareth to bleed on the soil.  Nirn shall be made anew, and from the ashes you, Dagon, will rise.  

     

    They will be grateful. In the end, their hearts will cry for your benevolence.  They will come to you, even as their bodies burn and their limbs freeze, as their homes blow away in wind and flame.  They will come to you, my Lord, and it is your name that will tumble from their frantic lips.

    Mehrunes Dagon, the Daedric Prince of destruction, change, revolution, natural disasters, friend of usurpers . As a former Acolyte of the Mythic Dawn, you see all forms of authority as repugnant and futile.  No government can resist the might of a ferocious cyclone or a raging wild fire.  No building can withstand the powerful shaking of an earthquake.  Therefore, you must force these organizations to see their folly and bring them to their knees.  They must adapt or die, and you care not which occurs.

    All who oppose you shall fall under the weight of Dagon's power. Show no mercy, but spare those who might aid you in the subsequent rebirth.  Let the stray and errant forces lend you their arms. Let those who would profane the most scared of beliefs run free.  Let those bent on damage and catastrophe for the sake of power and ambitious dreams reign those who demurely accept what is.

    Wanton chaos and destruction are not your goals.  You have a mission.  Do not raze the world to the ground lest you lose everything that might be of worth.  Instead, sow seeds of chaos among your enemies, and leave standing only those worthy to dare dream of hope.

    Race: Orc/Altmer/Dunmer

    Stone: The Atronach (General stone) - Earth (80% armor for 30s), Sun (100 fire damage), Wind (20 frost damage for 10s), Tree (All spells 75% cost reduction for 60s) Stones

    Dragon Shouts: Cyclone, Disarm, Dismay, Drain Vitality, Fire + Frost Breath, Ice Form, Marked for Death, Slow Time, Unrelenting Force, Whirlwind Sprint

    Major Skills: Destruction, Illusion, Conjuration

    Minor Skills: Alteration, Restoration, One-Handed

    Perks: See perk spread here.

    Equipment:

    Head - Diadem of the Savant

    Chest - Mythic Dawn Robes (unhooded)

    Hands - Mythic Dawn Gloves

    Feet - Boots (Unique 40% Shock Resist - Archmage's Quarters)

    Ring/Amulet - Fortify Magicka + Conjuration/Destruction

    Weapons:

    Mehrunes' Razor - instant chance to kill, very fast attack to achieve effect often
    Bound Dagger - useful at early levels until you get Mehrunes' Razor
    Staff of Paralysis - put down charging enemies quickly, controlling crowds easily*
    Conjuration Staves - fire, frost, lightning atronachs - saves on magicka during battle
    Destruction Staves - allow magicka to recharge while still putting out damage

    *A Staff of Paralysis may be found in Snapleg Cave at any level.

    Quests:

    Pieces of the Past
    The Black Star (aid Nelacar)
    College of Winterhold (recommended for expert spell and full Ice Form shout access)
    Main Quest (for access to full Unrelenting Force and Whirlwind Sprint)

    Destruction mages often have disadvantages in battle with charging enemies.  This is why illusion plays such an integral role as a main skill to distract and confuse enemies, allowing you to surround your foes with a fiery, icy, or stormy rage from your spells.  Illusion is often seen as an offensive skill, making enemies turn on each other, but it is one of the most powerful defense skills as anything that keeps damage from harming you is extremely valuable.  The Mythic Dawn is known for utilizing the element of lightning which, later in the game with the perk Disintegrate, mimics the powerful instant-kill effect of Mehrunes' Razor when enemies are weak and on the run.

    Conjuration allows the Acolyte to call upon Daedric forces from the planes of Oblivion to aid him in battle.  All elements are represented here along with Dremora Lords, strong commanders to charge the field and lay waste to all in your path.  Conjuration is one of the most powerful schools of magic in the game and the Mythic Dawn are experts at it.

    With Alteration, the Acolyte is capable of creating a layer of earth on their skin, increasing their defense and durability.  With their mastery of the earth and winds, they can send small earthquakes to paralyze nearby enemies; be it with Paralysis or control of a tempest's power in the form of Frost magic.  By allowing a few perks into One-Handed, you add in the satisfying ability to decapitate your foes. Every kill with Mehrunes Dagon's powerful artifact, Mehrunes' Razor, in this manner is an offering to the great Daedric Prince, and with each offering, his magnanimity towards the Acolyte grows.  As the danger for your own livelihood grows, Restoration offers a reprieve, providing just enough healing to counteract the many punishments you may receive, and occasionally allowing you to cheat death.

    Gameplay for this build can be wrapped up into one of my favorite phrases thrown around in all of Character Building:  No Crafting.   Without ever being bogged down crafting anything, the roleplaying experience is boosted so much more in a seamless style of questing and destruction.  A Mythic Dawn Acolyte is not one to spend time bent over an alchemy table, workbench, or enchanter.  Using souls to regenerate staves on the go is a skill to give your magicka pool a rest at times.

    So go forth, Acolytes of the Dawn, and bring into being a New Era.

    To begin with, we would like to thank Ponty for hosting this contest in the first place.  It was a marvelous idea and we hope we have more in the future.

    On a personal note, I want to thank my teammates Jo'Daro and Henson.  They are wonderful people to work with and full of brilliant ideas and strategies.

    For those interested, the division of labor was as follows:

    Jo'Daro: Concept, playtesting, mage script translations and design, gameplay write-up
    Henson: Concept, playtesting, gameplay write-up, perk selection
    Kyrielle: Lore research, backstory, roleplay, final build write-up, screenshots and design

     

     

     

     

  • Member
    July 13, 2013
    It has been an absolute pleasure working with you two! This concept turned into an absolute powerhouse of a build that was so much fun to play.
  • July 13, 2013

    First like! ~(-_-)~

    I wanted to use the mythic dawn robes sometime because they really look cool.

    The problem I have with these builds which use destruction and one handed is that I end up never using the sword at all.

  • Member
    July 13, 2013

    This build looks amazing you guys! 

    I knew it would come out great, but I didn't know how great. I'll be creating my Dunmer Agent in a few seconds and start spreading the chaos of Dagon! 

  • July 13, 2013
    No derpy armor set? I love it already :P
  • Member
    July 13, 2013

    Very nice! I'd like to see this build win! :D

  • July 13, 2013
    I feel the sudden urge to dedicate myself to Mehrunes Dragon after reading this build. Well done
  • July 13, 2013
    No, just derpy bathrobes.
  • July 13, 2013
    I'll take derpy bathrobes over something that even a blind person would say "that armor looks stupid"
  • July 13, 2013

    Seems you've put in the wrong word, stupid, I think you meant to say awesome.