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Character Build: Dun Beled

Tags: #Character Build Healer  #Character Build Assassin  #Character Build Bard  #Race:Dunmer  #Rank:Exemplar 
  • Member
    November 29, 2013

    Beled's Log 201:
    I tracked those damn rebels for days after they murdered the high king and after I realised they were heading for Darkwater Crossing i sent an anonymous letter to the imperials informing them of their location, should have known I couldn't trust those idiots, instead of slaughtering them on the spot and ending the war before it had begun they decided to take them prisoner and mistaking me for one of them they threw me in the prison cart. At least when they execute me I can finally leave this frozen wasteland.

     Instead of using the usual format of illusion for a bard build i decided to go down a different route breaking more away from the classic bard style and creating a strong support character who using a combination of sneak, restoration and alteration is the perfect observer whilst staying constantly mobile.

    Dun Beled

    "Words carry weight, Mine far more then yours."

     The Dun Beled (meaning Dark Singers) are a guild of Dark Elf sleeper agents formed by the Tribunal in Morrowind after the eruption of Red Mountain to spy on the other provinces and better prepare locations for Dunmer refugees. One agent was sent to every province of Tamriel with the instructions to disguise themselves as travelling bards and remain incognito whilst gathering information and collecting relics and artifacts of power that might serve the Dunmer people, however if the need arose the agent was to make the land a safer haven for all Dunmer refugees using whatever means necessary.

     The Build

     Race: Dunmer

     Stone: The Shadow/The Lady.

     Shouts: Battle fury, Call of Valor, Become Ethereal

     Major Skills: Restoration, Alteration, Sneak

     Minor Skills: One handed, Enchanting, Smithing, Speech

     Clothes: Dunmer Outfit, Dunmer Boots, Vampire Hood, Gloves.

     Enchantments:

     Head- Fortify Alteration

     Boots- Stamina regen.(Dunmer boots use a torso enchant)

     Gloves- Sneak

     Ring- Fortify Restoration

     Amulet- Stamina regen.

     Weapons: Two Stalhrim daggers(Paralysis & absorb magica)

    Skills and Perks
    (Level 50 perks in brackets)

    Restoration: Healing allies and recovering from fights is essential for this build. During the early game when your sneak skill is low you will need restoration to keep you alive after detection. Even later on you will need healing when your flesh spells run out when you least suspect it although once unlocked 'Avoid Death' should lower the need for self healing. Using respite to restore your stamina is also useful, however restorations main purpose is to heal your allies and should be used to keep them at peak health. (Novice restoration all the way to Expert restoration, Regeneration, Respite 1/1, Recovery 2/2, Avoid Death)

    Sneak: One of the most important skills for the Dun Beled, remain in the shadows at all times casting healing spells whilst constantly moving around using the silent roll perk and attacking enemies from behind, if discovered Shadow Warrior allows easy getaways without using powers or Shouts.(Stealth 3/5, Muffled Movement , Light foot , Silent roll, Backstab, Deadly aim, Assassins blade, Silence, Shadow Warrior)

    Alteration: The main defensive skill for the Dun Beled. Paralysis, detect spells and of course mage armor! Use the armor spells at all times; when sneaking and when in open combat. Use paralysis as a support for your companions to disable enemies from attacking momentarily. (Novice all the way to expert alteration, Mage armor 3/3, stability 1/1, Atronach 1/1)

    One handed: Your damage skill. Using two Stalhrim or Ebony daggers combined with high stamina regen and respite you can constantly move behind enemies unleashing a whirlwind of fast power attacks before dissapearing back into the shadows and moving onto the next target, don't stay long enough to be discovered instead just deal as much damage as possible in a few seconds before silently rolling away.
    (Armsman 1/5, Dual flurry 2/2, Dual savagery 1/1, Fighting Stance)

    Enchanting: What gives your equipment power. Giving your daggers the power to absorb magica from enemies to replenish your supply and paralysing them at the same time and giving your armor the ability to replenish stamina more quickly whilst supporting your magic skills. (Enchanter 5/5, Insightful Enchanter 1/1)

    Speech: The Dun Beled are trained in the art of coercion. Able to bluff and bribe their way past the law and getting better prices on their stock of magica potions and other supplies, this skill is the forefront of a bard and the same goes for these dark elf spies as they direct their tongue towards those of the opposite sex to allure them and gain better deals at market. (Haggling 1/5, Allure 1/1, Bribery 1/1, Persuasion 1/1)

    Smithing: To craft the Dun Beled's powerful Stalhrim daggers he must learn the art of smithing from the Skaal tribes. The main focus of this skill is to craft and improve your two daggers however it can be further improved to make your companions better gear instead of using speech to buy the armor. (Steel smithing all the way to Ebony Smithing.)

    Gameplay

    The build requires a high stamina regeneration to keep moving through the battlefield, so constantly have the Bardic Knowledge spell activated, this will give you and your companions 50% stamina regeneration and combined with you're enchants your looking at 100% regeneration, if you do go low on stamina use respite to heal it back up.

    In terms of combat let your companions do most of the work, use a powerhouse of a warrior and a faithful hound to draw the threat and in tricky fights use the Call of Valor shout, or even summon a Were-bear. Whilst the enemies attack your team use your healing spells to keep them alive and paralysis to freeze a few enemies. Keep moving across the space taking out range enemies whilst sneaking and moving behind powerful targets to get in a few power back stabs (power attack+ back stab) If you do gain threat from the enemies then you have the option of either using the Shadow stone ability or the Become Ethereal shout.

    Whilst in combat keep up a strong mage armor spell to avoid any one hits from those powerful enemies you might be bugging, the mage armor does come in handy in dragon fights and the dragons large AOE spells are sure to hit you if you don't keep moving.

    If your shout bar is empty then the Battle Fury shout is an excellent choice of shout. It speeds up companions attack speed turning them into a demon on the battlefield.

    Roleplaying

    The racist Nords bother you every day and the cold tundra is not your preferred habitat your mission isn’t to enjoy Skyrim and you don’t.

    Do whatever it takes to finish your mission, do anything to get better gear and powers to aid you in your fight for Skyrim, whether that means shaking down an innocent to get information or killing those who find out your true identity. Recruit a mercenary and pay for their silence humans make good companions but your true friend is the dog they are clever enough to speak but wise enough to know not to and you should travel with one at you side always. When in public do not do anything you wouldn't do as a bard, no killing, no stealing, no threatening; you are a travelling minstrel. But when you're out of sight... do whatever it takes; if you here anyone making threats or plotting against the Dunmer follow them out of sight and eliminate them.

    Followers

    The Dun Beled is a support character and therefore requires a strong companion to compliment the builds skill set. For this I recommend a character that focuses on Heavy armor so they can soak up damage whilst using a shield and one handed to block enemies attacks. Make use of non-human followers as well to allow you to have two permanent followers (not including Call of Valor or Were-Bear summon) I have composed a list of the top followers i recommend.

    1) Uthgerd the Unbroken (Whiterun)- She is skilled in one handed block and heavy armor so ticks all 3 boxes however she has a high morality so you may have to make her wait out of sight whilst you tie up some loose ends.

    2) Vorstag (Markarth)- My number one choice. Ticking all 3 skill boxes again whilst fitting well roleplaying wise as he is a mercenary and to top it off he ignores all crimes and even joins in, perfect.

    3)Kharjo (Khajiit caravan)- One handed, Heavy armor and block are all specialties of his however he is hard to track down and doesn't stand for any crime so may not be the number one choice. I added him to the list as he's just a bit of a baddass, even if not the perfect choice.

    Non-Humans- You now have the choice between the armored war dogs in Fort Dawnguard and the armored trolls in the same location. The armored troll makes the better choice for soaking up damage as it has 280 health compared to the armored dogs that only have 100 health however the dog fits much better RP wise as its more believable for your cover to be a bard with a dog, than a bard with a giant frost troll.

     The Mission

    -You will need to end the civil war by driving out the racist rebels as they jeopardize the safety of any Dunmer Refugees living in Skyrim.

    -The dragon threat is major problem to any citizen in Skyrim and must be dealt with swiftly to make Skyrim safe.

    -You have received word that the island of Solstheim is in danger and you are the closest agent available, travel to the island and help your homeland.

    -The Dun Beled is searching for artefacts of power, join the college to have access to their collection and hone your magic. Covert with Daedra to gain relics of untold abilities that will need to be stashed away for your masters.

    -The thieves guild can provide you with contacts in the underworld of Skyrim however it is not necessary to join them.

    -The dark brotherhood have come to your attention after sending assassins after you, you hear rumours of a boy in Windhelm trying to contact them, help him to attract the assassins curiosity then end their reign in Skyrim once and for all.

    -Vampires are constantly attacking cities, you are undercover as a bard but need to end the threat… havn’t bards always done anything for a good song though? Join the Dawnguard and end the vampires plot whilst gaining a bow of untold power for the Dunmer people.

    Credits

    Thanks to Mason and Henson for taking a look at the build before I published it, and  thanks to Google... for the images

  • Member
    November 29, 2013

    Excellent, +1  Be sure to add some official tags, you wouldn't want this to get lost

  • Member
    November 29, 2013
    Great build Ramah! Those images are awesome, suit the build perfectly, really show the rogue side.
  • Member
    November 29, 2013

    Thankyou :)
    Can you check the tags i just put in, had a look at how other builds did it, not sure if i've done them right

  • Member
    November 29, 2013

    Thanks, took me two days to find the images i used!!! You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find dark elf spies/bards that don't just look like evil assassin

  • Member
    November 29, 2013

    They're fine  Don't forget a racial tag either: Race:Dunmer

  • Member
    November 29, 2013

    Done, thankyou

  • November 29, 2013

    I really like how this turned out Ramah! It's nice and simple and everything's been explained pretty well...

    I'd maybe present this at level 50, it would give you chance to thicken out some of the 'unfinished' perks like enchanter 4/5, expert alteration is almost certainly needed for ebony flesh for a character specialising in mage armor, recovery 2/2...

    Get yourself over to the art group for a nice perk spread for him as well...

  • Member
    November 29, 2013

    Thank you Mason! I was thinking about raising the level i'll do that, ive also made a request for a perk spread however im not sure how long it will take to make and ill probably ask them to hold off on making it untill ive sorted out the level 50 perks

  • Member
    November 29, 2013

    Updated with level 50 perks and skills