In the “Bloodmoon” expansion for Morrowind, we learn that the Draugr on Solstheim are descendants of a cannibalistic tribe of men:
"Once, they were warriors much like the Skaal. Trapped and hungry on this island, they feasted on the flesh of their fallen comrades, which is a crime against nature. The All-Maker cursed them with undeath, forever doomed to walk the land in search of more of the flesh of man to consume." — Korst Wind-Eye
What if some of these folk escaped the All-Maker’s curse? Viewed as pariahs by the Skaal, they would have had to hide their traditions from the other inhabitants of Solstheim, some sailing to even remoter islands, or dwelling along the hardscrabble shoreline of the Sea of Ghosts in tiny, isolated communities.
The Bloodskal Berserker is a descendant of that tribe. He follows the old ways of making his foes’ strength his own by eating the flesh of the conquered dead. He wields his honed namesake greatsword with reckless abandon, scorning blocking in his impatience and shrugging off blows that would fell a lesser warrior. His wild armor of leather, fur and hide displays the skulls and tokens of defeated foes. Knowing that strength comes from many sources, he devours the substances of the wild – the plants of the earth, or the remains of beasts encountered on his travels – and brews them into powerful tonics. At the height of his powers, he fights with a troll-blooded endurance, his wounds closing even in the midst of battle while his sword flashes with an unnatural speed.
This build came about largely from my desire to see how far I could push Health Regeneration. I hate taking potions in the midst of battle, so I wondered if it could be viable to restrict any tonic-swigging to before the fight. In a nutshell, the Bloodskal Berserker makes use of the following elements:
- Health Regeneration through alchemy, the Ring of Namira, the Lady Stone, and found enchantments
- Stamina Regeneration through alchemy, the Lady Stone, and the Wind Walker perk
- The Bloodskal Blade as the primary weapon for both melee and ranged use
- Powers found in Black Books, such as Seeker of Might and Secret of Protection
- The use of Slow Time to simulate a “battle focus” fitting for a berserker (since the Bloodskal Blade doesn’t work with Elemental Fury)
It’s extremely rewarding when all the elements fall into place – to hack your way through half a dozen foes and actually watch your health increase. No need to pop a Restore Health potion or wait an hour before pressing onward – you’re recovered in seconds!
Chthonic horrors from the unknown? Bring 'em on.
The Build
Race: Nord, since those warriors “much like the Skaal” were likely themselves Nords. Of course, given the build’s emphasis on Health Regeneration, an Argonian would be a solid alternative – as would an Orc, for the Berserker ability. Perhaps an Orcish or Argonian Bloodskal Berserker learned the secret magic of devouring a foe’s strength from some old Nord descendant of that ancient tribe…
Stone: The Lady. A source of Health and Stamina regeneration that is always in effect, giving a slight edge.
Attributes: I won’t give an exact ratio here, but suffice it to say you’ll want to favor Health over Stamina by a large margin – perhaps as much as 10 to 1. (Magicka will obviously be ignored.) Health Regeneration is faster if you have a higher pool of Health to begin with. Plus, the Ring of Namira will give a constant +50 to Stamina, which is essentially like getting 5 free levels of attribute gain. That, plus a few occasional points into Stamina, will give you all you need for power attacks.
Major Skills: Alchemy, Two-Handed, Light Armor
Minor Skill: Smithing
Level 30 Perks
Alchemy - Alchemist 5/5, Physician, Benefactor
Two-Handed - Barbarian 5/5, Champion’s Stance, Great Critical Charge, Devastating Blow, Deep Wounds (3/3), Sweep
Light Armor - Agile Defender 5/5, Custom Fit, Unhindered, Wind Walker
Smithing - Steel Smithing, Arcane Blacksmith
With only four skills to work with, this is a very focused build, with many of the perks working nicely together.
Alchemy is what gives the Bloodskal Berserker much of his staying power in combat. I normally hate Alchemy, as I find it to be by far the most tedious of the crafting skills, and I dislike having to constantly juggle through my inventory to find just the right potion or poison. But this build doesn’t have much need for poisons, and the potions are pretty much limited to Regenerate Health and Fortify Two-Handed. Two potion types are easy enough to assign to hotkeys and pretty much forget about – just swig a tonic at the beginning of a fight, if you anticipate trouble.
Two-Handed is ultimately for the Bloodskal Blade, a worthy weapon for the Berserker who lacks the patience for archery. I pictured the Bloodskal Blade as a fitting emblem for a shamed clan of cannibals. We know almost nothing about the history of the blade, but it doesn’t seem like a stretch to assume that the flesh-eaters who were cursed by the All-Maker ended up hiding out in one of the barrows on the island. The Skaal themselves seem unconnected to the weapon, and the sword’s ancient-looking, brutal, even crude design, combined with its mysterious power (a red burst that matches the color surrounding the player while eating a corpse with the Ring of Namira), seems to be linked to – or at least a good fit for – the unknown group of cannibals.
The armor skills are always difficult to raise, but Light Armor is critical for the Bloodskal Berserker. Since he doesn’t block, he’ll feel the weight of every blow. Points in Agile Defender and Custom Fit help him shrug off some of the damage, Unhindered gives him the agility to close with retreating foes as well as conserve Stamina for power attacks, and taking Wind Walker means his relatively small Stamina pool will recover more quickly. Make use of trainers (notably Grelka, in Riften) to help raise this skill.
Despite his savage appearance and brutal customs, the Bloodskal Berserker is a capable craftsman. A familiarity with steel weapons allows him to keep his early weapons (most likely a Steel Greatsword) in good condition, and eventually he will be able to temper the Bloodskal Blade, as well as any other enchanted armor he may find. (Rather than going the usual route of making Dwarven Bows or jewelry to level up Smithing, I focused on the humble Leather Helmet, which is easy to make if you skin every animal you slay – plus, it fits in nicely with the theme of using the remains of defeated foes. I also got plenty of Smithing experience by building and upgrading my Hearthfire house in Falkreath Hold.)
Gear
Weaponry is minimal: a Steel Greatsword at early levels, followed by the Bloodskal Blade as soon as you feel ready (probably level 20, or shortly before). No bows are needed, but a backup 2-hander is good to have in case you get disarmed.
The Forsworn Armor has an excellent look for the character concept, adorned as it is with skulls, fur, and feathers. Think of the feathers as trophies from a fight against Hagravens, the skulls as totems from dangerous opponents.
A Leather or Scaled Helmet works well at early levels; eventually, a Stalhrim Helmet (of the light variety) could fit, if you got lucky. Boots and gauntlets can be almost any light armor piece; choose whatever happens to carry a useful enchantment or looks the best.
The ring slot will be occupied by the Ring of Namira for the entire playthrough, not only for the cannibalism ability but because the Stamina boost is extremely useful in a 2-handed build that almost completely neglects Stamina in favor of Health. This ring can be acquired at a very low level – I picked it up around level 6, heading straight to Markarth after doing the Riverwood-Bleak Falls-Whiterun sequence. (Heading to Markarth also gives you ample opportunity to get bounties on Forsworn and pick up that armor set while making some needed coin.)
An amulet that regenerates health is clearly a useful addition, if you can find one in your travels. Other items to watch for include anything that fortifies Alchemy or 2-handed.
Shout: Slow Time
This shout simulates a berserker fury, allowing the Bloodskal Berserker to get in several swings while dodging the blows of a dangerous foes. Even a single word of this shout is a major help, but it’s easy enough to acquire two words by joining the Stormcloaks and visiting Korvanjund. The last word, quest-locked at the end of the College of Winterhold questline, is beyond the reach of any reasonable roleplay that I can think of, but it’s not necessary. With two words, you can become a storm of slashing rage, evading blows and power attacking with near impunity.
Quests / Roleplay
Scenting trouble... and the next meal...
I chose to play the Bloodskal Berserker as a wandering adventurer, driven to reclaim the lost powers of his ancestors on Solstheim – in the form of the Bloodskal Blade as well as the secrets locked away by Hermaeus Mora. To that end, some of Skyrim’s main quest must be undertaken, but I ignored the majority of it.
Main Quest – enough to begin learning shouts and trigger the Dragonborn questline
Civil War – the first few quests, to learn the second word of Slow Time
The Taste of Death, for Namira’s Ring
The Hearthfire DLC also offers some benefits to an alchemy-focused character. The garden and greenhouse give reliable access to some important ingredients, such as Namira’s Rot and Fly Amanita. And the kitchen allows creation of some Health-restoring food that can further increase the berserker’s regenerative abilities.
In Solstheim, the Unearthed quest will allow you access to a Black Book, allowing you to unlock either the Secret of Strength (zero-Stamina power attacks for 30 seconds) or the Secret of Protection (near total damage immunity), both a great fit for the character. Secret of Protection has even better defensive capabilities than the Orc's Berserker Rage, making this a very attractive choice for the Nord Bloodskal Berserker.
White Ridge Barrow leads to another book, where Seeker of Might increases the effectiveness of all combat-related skills.
The Chief of Thirsk Hall quest is also fitting – siding with the Rieklings and eventually winning control of the hall allows the berserker to, in effect, carve out his own realm on Solstheim in opposition to the Skaal who scorn his ancestors’ ways.
"All right you primitive screwheads, listen up!"
The Ring of Namira adds an urgency to the gameplay that fits very well with what I picture as a driven, impatient barbarian. Because the regeneration effect from eating a corpse only lasts for 5 minutes, I was always on the lookout for my next fight – both so I could take advantage of the regeneration before it wore off, and because I wanted to find another “meal”.
Having Alchemy as a major skill meant I was always looking for more ingredients. The need for training in skills like Light Armor and Smithing meant I was always looking for more mercenary work.
The Bloodskal Berserker gives a restless kind of play style that gets you roving across Skyrim and Solstheim, battling anything that crosses your path, with the knowledge that your strength and power – though shunned by others – will see you through fight after fight.
In the “Bloodmoon” expansion for Morrowind, we learn that the Draugr on Solstheim are descendants of a cannibalistic tribe of men:
"Once, they were warriors much like the Skaal. Trapped and hungry on this island, they feasted on the flesh of their fallen comrades, which is a crime against nature. The All-Maker cursed them with undeath, forever doomed to walk the land in search of more of the flesh of man to consume." — Korst Wind-Eye
What if some of these folk escaped the All-Maker’s curse? Viewed as pariahs by the Skaal, they would have had to hide their traditions from the other inhabitants of Solstheim, some sailing to even remoter islands, or dwelling along the hardscrabble shoreline of the Sea of Ghosts in tiny, isolated communities.
The Bloodskal Berserker is a descendant of that tribe. He follows the old ways of making his foes’ strength his own by eating the flesh of the conquered dead. He wields his honed namesake greatsword with reckless abandon, scorning blocking in his impatience and shrugging off blows that would fell a lesser warrior. His wild armor of leather, fur and hide displays the skulls and tokens of defeated foes. Knowing that strength comes from many sources, he devours the substances of the wild – the plants of the earth, or the remains of beasts encountered on his travels – and brews them into powerful tonics. At the height of his powers, he fights with a troll-blooded endurance, his wounds closing even in the midst of battle while his sword flashes with an unnatural speed.
This build came about largely from my desire to see how far I could push Health Regeneration. I hate taking potions in the midst of battle, so I wondered if it could be viable to restrict any tonic-swigging to before the fight. In a nutshell, the Bloodskal Berserker makes use of the following elements:
- Health Regeneration through alchemy, the Ring of Namira, the Lady Stone, and found enchantments
- Stamina Regeneration through alchemy, the Lady Stone, and the Wind Walker perk
- The Bloodskal Blade as the primary weapon for both melee and ranged use
- Powers found in Black Books, such as Seeker of Might and Secret of Protection
- The use of Slow Time to simulate a “battle focus” fitting for a berserker (since the Bloodskal Blade doesn’t work with Elemental Fury)
It’s extremely rewarding when all the elements fall into place – to hack your way through half a dozen foes and actually watch your health increase. No need to pop a Restore Health potion or wait an hour before pressing onward – you’re recovered in seconds!
Chthonic horrors from the unknown? Bring 'em on.
The Build
Race: Nord, since those warriors “much like the Skaal” were likely themselves Nords. Of course, given the build’s emphasis on Health Regeneration, an Argonian would be a solid alternative – as would an Orc, for the Berserker ability. Perhaps an Orcish or Argonian Bloodskal Berserker learned the secret magic of devouring a foe’s strength from some old Nord descendant of that ancient tribe…
Stone: The Lady. A source of Health and Stamina regeneration that is always in effect, giving a slight edge.
Attributes: I won’t give an exact ratio here, but suffice it to say you’ll want to favor Health over Stamina by a large margin – perhaps as much as 10 to 1. (Magicka will obviously be ignored.) Health Regeneration is faster if you have a higher pool of Health to begin with. Plus, the Ring of Namira will give a constant +50 to Stamina, which is essentially like getting 5 free levels of attribute gain. That, plus a few occasional points into Stamina, will give you all you need for power attacks.
Major Skills: Alchemy, Two-Handed, Light Armor
Minor Skill: Smithing
Level 30 Perks
Alchemy - Alchemist 5/5, Physician, Benefactor
Two-Handed - Barbarian 5/5, Champion’s Stance, Great Critical Charge, Devastating Blow, Deep Wounds (3/3), Sweep
Light Armor - Agile Defender 5/5, Custom Fit, Unhindered, Wind Walker
Smithing - Steel Smithing, Arcane Blacksmith
With only four skills to work with, this is a very focused build, with many of the perks working nicely together.
Alchemy is what gives the Bloodskal Berserker much of his staying power in combat. I normally hate Alchemy, as I find it to be by far the most tedious of the crafting skills, and I dislike having to constantly juggle through my inventory to find just the right potion or poison. But this build doesn’t have much need for poisons, and the potions are pretty much limited to Regenerate Health and Fortify Two-Handed. Two potion types are easy enough to assign to hotkeys and pretty much forget about – just swig a tonic at the beginning of a fight, if you anticipate trouble.
Two-Handed is ultimately for the Bloodskal Blade, a worthy weapon for the Berserker who lacks the patience for archery. I pictured the Bloodskal Blade as a fitting emblem for a shamed clan of cannibals. We know almost nothing about the history of the blade, but it doesn’t seem like a stretch to assume that the flesh-eaters who were cursed by the All-Maker ended up hiding out in one of the barrows on the island. The Skaal themselves seem unconnected to the weapon, and the sword’s ancient-looking, brutal, even crude design, combined with its mysterious power (a red burst that matches the color surrounding the player while eating a corpse with the Ring of Namira), seems to be linked to – or at least a good fit for – the unknown group of cannibals.
The armor skills are always difficult to raise, but Light Armor is critical for the Bloodskal Berserker. Since he doesn’t block, he’ll feel the weight of every blow. Points in Agile Defender and Custom Fit help him shrug off some of the damage, Unhindered gives him the agility to close with retreating foes as well as conserve Stamina for power attacks, and taking Wind Walker means his relatively small Stamina pool will recover more quickly. Make use of trainers (notably Grelka, in Riften) to help raise this skill.
Despite his savage appearance and brutal customs, the Bloodskal Berserker is a capable craftsman. A familiarity with steel weapons allows him to keep his early weapons (most likely a Steel Greatsword) in good condition, and eventually he will be able to temper the Bloodskal Blade, as well as any other enchanted armor he may find. (Rather than going the usual route of making Dwarven Bows or jewelry to level up Smithing, I focused on the humble Leather Helmet, which is easy to make if you skin every animal you slay – plus, it fits in nicely with the theme of using the remains of defeated foes. I also got plenty of Smithing experience by building and upgrading my Hearthfire house in Falkreath Hold.)
Gear
Weaponry is minimal: a Steel Greatsword at early levels, followed by the Bloodskal Blade as soon as you feel ready (probably level 20, or shortly before). No bows are needed, but a backup 2-hander is good to have in case you get disarmed.
The Forsworn Armor has an excellent look for the character concept, adorned as it is with skulls, fur, and feathers. Think of the feathers as trophies from a fight against Hagravens, the skulls as totems from dangerous opponents.
A Leather or Scaled Helmet works well at early levels; eventually, a Stalhrim Helmet (of the light variety) could fit, if you got lucky. Boots and gauntlets can be almost any light armor piece; choose whatever happens to carry a useful enchantment or looks the best.
The ring slot will be occupied by the Ring of Namira for the entire playthrough, not only for the cannibalism ability but because the Stamina boost is extremely useful in a 2-handed build that almost completely neglects Stamina in favor of Health. This ring can be acquired at a very low level – I picked it up around level 6, heading straight to Markarth after doing the Riverwood-Bleak Falls-Whiterun sequence. (Heading to Markarth also gives you ample opportunity to get bounties on Forsworn and pick up that armor set while making some needed coin.)
An amulet that regenerates health is clearly a useful addition, if you can find one in your travels. Other items to watch for include anything that fortifies Alchemy or 2-handed.
Shout: Slow Time
This shout simulates a berserker fury, allowing the Bloodskal Berserker to get in several swings while dodging the blows of a dangerous foes. Even a single word of this shout is a major help, but it’s easy enough to acquire two words by joining the Stormcloaks and visiting Korvanjund. The last word, quest-locked at the end of the College of Winterhold questline, is beyond the reach of any reasonable roleplay that I can think of, but it’s not necessary. With two words, you can become a storm of slashing rage, evading blows and power attacking with near impunity.
Quests / Roleplay
Scenting trouble... and the next meal...
I chose to play the Bloodskal Berserker as a wandering adventurer, driven to reclaim the lost powers of his ancestors on Solstheim – in the form of the Bloodskal Blade as well as the secrets locked away by Hermaeus Mora. To that end, some of Skyrim’s main quest must be undertaken, but I ignored the majority of it.
Main Quest – enough to begin learning shouts and trigger the Dragonborn questline
Civil War – the first few quests, to learn the second word of Slow Time
The Taste of Death, for Namira’s Ring
The Hearthfire DLC also offers some benefits to an alchemy-focused character. The garden and greenhouse give reliable access to some important ingredients, such as Namira’s Rot and Fly Amanita. And the kitchen allows creation of some Health-restoring food that can further increase the berserker’s regenerative abilities.
In Solstheim, the Unearthed quest will allow you access to a Black Book, allowing you to unlock either the Secret of Strength (zero-Stamina power attacks for 30 seconds) or the Secret of Protection (near total damage immunity), both a great fit for the character. Secret of Protection has even better defensive capabilities than the Orc's Berserker Rage, making this a very attractive choice for the Nord Bloodskal Berserker.
White Ridge Barrow leads to another book, where Seeker of Might increases the effectiveness of all combat-related skills.
The Chief of Thirsk Hall quest is also fitting – siding with the Rieklings and eventually winning control of the hall allows the berserker to, in effect, carve out his own realm on Solstheim in opposition to the Skaal who scorn his ancestors’ ways.
"All right you primitive screwheads, listen up!"
The Ring of Namira adds an urgency to the gameplay that fits very well with what I picture as a driven, impatient barbarian. Because the regeneration effect from eating a corpse only lasts for 5 minutes, I was always on the lookout for my next fight – both so I could take advantage of the regeneration before it wore off, and because I wanted to find another “meal”.
Having Alchemy as a major skill meant I was always looking for more ingredients. The need for training in skills like Light Armor and Smithing meant I was always looking for more mercenary work.
The Bloodskal Berserker gives a restless kind of play style that gets you roving across Skyrim and Solstheim, battling anything that crosses your path, with the knowledge that your strength and power – though shunned by others – will see you through fight after fight.
Grelka can train you up to 75; after that, I think only Nazeem can help you up to 90, which is a long ways away when all your other skills are essentially maxed out.