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Character Build: Cinq amis' Savos

Tags: #Character Build Mage  #Character Build Mage Armor  #Rank:Bloodworks 
  • Member
    February 9, 2017

    Where do we go when we do not have an encyclopedia full of lore on which to rely?  Well, this gives us some creative license to craft our own lore regarding events in the highlands of Skyrim.  One such case is the fallen college students at the dwemer runes of Labyrinthyin and the sole survivor that became Arch-Mage.  What would have happened had this episodic event never occured?

    Upon Savos Aren's assension to the high post of Arch-Mage at the Skyrim Mage College in Winterhold, rumors immediately began to surround this event and the strange disappearance of his closest friends at the college.  Were they ritual sacrifices to the daedra to set Savos upon his path to glory?  Or was it possibly something slightly less sinister?  This build looks at what may have transpired with this group had they not gone missing in the depths of Labyrinthyin.  The build itself will be rather long as each of the five characters will have a specific section covering any unique traits or skills that apply to them personally.  I call this build Cinq amis' Savos, which translates to Savos' Five Friends.  This is an homage to the fallen five that lie forevermore in the depths of Labyrinthian.

    It's worth noting some of the "unused dialogue" within the game that bring out more understanding of both Savos himself and the group of five. 

    Unused dialogue exists in the Wiki that provides a full recollection of Savos Aren's version of events during the expedition. At some point, he would have commented on Elvali's death, saying "Elvali died here. I don't even remember what killed her. One of the countless faceless horrors. I think she was glad, in that final moment. Hafnar was covered in blood, but his stupid Nord pride wouldn't let him admit defeat. I... I don't know why I pressed the others on, convinced them to keep going. "If we can just make it through, it'll all be worth it", I told them. And the fools believed the words I myself didn't trust."

    Every decision opens a different path and that new direction could open an endless array of possibilities for outcomes and achievements in a person's life.  As we know, in the Skyrim universe we are familiar with, Atmah and Savos embarked on a foolhardy trip to Labyrinthian which left three friends dead and two other trapped for eternity as guardians over a Dragon Priest.  This build takes a look at the Five Friends of Savos and what may have transpired in another life had they taken a different path.

    Tolfdir is well known for admonishing his students on their first day of class to have patience and exercise caution during their time at the College.  There are veiled hints of mayhem and mishaps for unfortunate students that do not subscribe to his methodology.  Perhaps he holds ties to multiple universes and can see what transpired in one time and space while working to assuage the death and despair here in his own time? 

    We now assume that Atmah and Savos did, for a change, take this path in life and it would ultimately change everyone's lives forever.  Atmah, the Arch-Mage's favorite student, and the unquestioned leader of this group of friends, would excel in her studies and push the rest of her flock to also attain greatness in the classroom and in their research.  As time progressed, the current crop of College leaders would age and retire, or possibly die from an experiement gone wrong.  Stepping into these voids is the Group of Five.  Atmah would become the new Arch Mage.  Her drive and desire would outpace Savos and ultimately land her this role rather than the Arch Mage we've come to know.  Savos, a conjurer by nature, would excel at this skill and become the new Master and replace Phinis Gestor.  Girduin would become an Illusion Master and replace Drevis Neloren while Hafnar Ice-Fist would replace Faralda as the Destruction Master.  One of the lovers, Takes-In-Light, would fill the role of Restoration Master as they forced out the unpopular Colette Marence and her partner, Elvali Veren, would eventually take the place of their beloved teacher Tolfdir as Alteration Master as Tolfdir transitioned into the new Master Wizard for the college, replacing the deceased Mirabelle Ervine.  Thusly entrenched as the new leadership of the College, they are now able to influence future generations of mages from Skyrim and all across Tamriel.

    One path leads to greatness and fame.  One path leads to death and the void.  Eagerness, passion, greed, sloth, envy and pride all lead to downfall but sometimes, with great effort, can be overcome and turned into a positive.  The build now takes a look at how our intrepid fivesome might have turned out had they taken an alternate path, avoided Labyrinthian, and achieved their full potential. 

     

    BUILD INFORMATION

    As there are five characters within this build, each character will be unique so I will break the build section down within each characters description.  The game wiki shows all five characters to be Combat Sorcerers and were all "battlemage" type characters.  I have tried to read some things into their personalities based upon the lore and limited Wiki information available and put my own interpretation of who these five were and where they fell in the magical spectrum.  What follows is my vision of them as we see them in the game and then how they would be if they were still alive today.

    CHARACTER SPECIFICS

    Girduin is a male Bosmer attending the College of Winterhold.  Always the most headstrong of the group he was quick to leap for any chance at power and glory; only giving thought to any possible ramifications well after the fact.  With his headstrong stubborness, the group always looked to Girduin as cannon fodder and were always happy to allow him to take the first shot at any endeavor.  Casting a new spell...let Girduin do it.  Need to see what is around the corner in a barrow?  Send Girduin, he'd be glad to undertake the job.  It never struck him that his group of friends allowed him to do this; not to allow him the fame and glory nor to let him be the leader his ego thought he was but rather to see if he survived any mishaps that may befall him.  They always knew that they could rely on his ego to send him into any fray and that they would be able to wrest back any loot or glory that may arise from their efforts.  All brawn, no brains as the saying goes.

    Girduin was the first to fall in Labarinthian; to the skeletal dragon.  It would seem that he was given the opportunity to save the rest of them.  Of course, that came with plenty of assurances that he had the ability and skill to withstand the dragon.  It wasn't until the curtain was pulling down over his eyes that he realized his folly in this, and likely other, matter.

    In setting Girduin up for his reincarnation I looked to his ego and his headstrong attitude.  I evaluated each character for the spell trees they would use and with each being unique individuals at the end of the day I decided that Girduin would follow the Mystic path. 

    SETUP

    Race: Bosmer

    Stone: Mage, then Lord

    Skill Points: 1/4/0  When you attain neutral casting in Illusion and Conjuration then go to 1-1.

    PERKS

    Illusion: The curx of Girduin's skills is a Master Illusionist focusing on the offensive side of this discipline. 

    Alteration: As a pure mage he uses alteration spells for his defense and will go deep into this tree.

    Conjuration: While not a Master, he is skilled in conjuring atronachs and uses these for offensive damage.  Girduin is NOT a necromancer.

    Restoration: Again, not a Master.  This tree is used against Undead in combat and also for self-healing.

    Sneak: As a Master Illusionist he is well versed in Quiet Casting and practices his stealth to take advantage of this.  He will never be a cat burglar but can be stealthy when the need arises.

    Enchanting: This will be an optional skill driven towards reducing casting costs if you need to.  However, there will be a natural development of this skill.  No enchanting will be done for "leveling" purposes.  You will gain points via (a) disenchanting items found while questing, or purchased items to disenchant; (b) Self-enchanting your own gear and (c) paying tuition for enchanting classes (ie training) at the college which ties in to being a student there.  (Naturally if you "like" enchanting; feel free to enchant away for profit to gain money needed for training.  This is, ultimately, your decision.)

    GAMEPLAY

    Work on leveling Conjuration first to get to Fire Atronach summoning.  Until then, use a combination of Summon Familiar and Novice level destruction spells.  Once you can summon atronachs, push your focus on Restoration (to attain the spells needed for fighting Undead) and on Illusion with the goal of acquiring Fear and Frenzy.  At level 10, you will pursue the Dawnguard quest line with the goal of becoming a Vampire Lord.  While we will not use the form, except as a last resort, we are seeking the 25% bonus to Illusion spells. 

    Combat will start with a Frenzy bomb cast into a midst of foes from a position of stealth and Quiet Casting.  Once the enemy are afflicted then cast your Atronach(s) into the midst of the fray to add to the mayhem and hysteria.  You will fall back on staves for any offensive damage needed and should plan on carrying a wide array of staves for various needs and situations.  Use Soul Trap judiciously to gather Soul Gems for recharging and enchanting.  You can use novice level Destruction spells if you desire but we will not be perking that tree for this character.

    As Girduin shows a propensity for reflection after the fact, when you attain the Rage perk it will occur to you that being a vampire isn't neccesarily the best idea you've ever had and you will then seek a cure for your condition.  (With Rage, you no longer need the vampire bonus for Illusion.)

    During your quests for the College of Winterhold, stop the quest line after you finish Hitting the Books.  Speak to Tolfdir to begin the next quest (with Ancarno) but do not venture up to the Arch Mage quarters.  At this point, all trainers are again available to you for training.

    When you reach 100 in Illusion, seek out Drevis for the Master Illusion quest and acquire the Mayhem spell.  Feel free to buy the others if you want them but Mayhem will be your new go-to spell. 

    GEAR

    You will wear only clothing and robes; nothing with an armor rating.  Mage Armor (Alteration) will be your primary means of defense.  Seek out anything that will improve magicka, raise magicka regeneration or reduce the cost of your primary casting trees (Illusion, Conjuration, Alteration).  It should be possible to get near 90% reduction with appropriate gear and/or enchants (if you use enchanting). 

     

    Elvali is a Dunmer mage with a very outgoing personality.  She was always eager to please, was a hard and diligent student and was the "matron mother" of the group; always looking out for their well being and taking care of them.  As such she was also drawn to Takes-In-Light with her shy and reserved personality which led to the two becoming lovers early on as the group took shape at the College.  Early on, due to her Dunmer roots, Elvali was focused on Destruction magic but as she tempered her spirit in her personal life, she realized that she was more into the Alteration and Conjuration schools of magic and rededicated herself to those paths.  In Labyrinthian, Elvali was the second to die.  As noted, she was always taking care of the others and she was thouroughly shook up by the death of Girduin and lost her life due to that distraction. 

    While she would ultimately become the Conjuration Master at the college, replacing Phinis Gestor, she was approached by Toldfir about pursuing Alteration as well.  Due to his age, and his efforts to work with Savos (and ultimately Atmah) as a mentor and counselor, the Alteration position was available as well.  With her skill and drive, Tolfdir knew that she, out of the entire group, would be able to handle the responsibilities of both College positions.  Her one item that never leaves her possession is a single red apple to symbolize her love with Takes-In-Light.

    As noted, I originally thought to go with Destruction for her due to her Dunmer race but then wanted to see each one have a unique position within the group.  With Hafnar also filling a Destro role, I needed to think outside the racial box for Elvali.  Her relationship with Takes-In-Light is what led me to seeing her in a different light and able to fill another role.  In the Wiki, Elvali is noted as wearing a blue robe and carrying a red apple in her inventory.  She, along with TIL, are the only two that have such unique descriptions in their Wiki which suggests a relationship between the two.  For the build itself, I looked at her as an Alteration Expert Trainer for build purposes to designate her perks, magicka trees and skill points.

    SETUP

    Race: Dunmer

    Stone: Mage then Lord

    Skill Points: 2/4/0.  With two Master level trees, this build needs a good dose of Magicka.

    Quests: College of Winterhold (partial); Agent of Mara; Bond of Matrimony

    Mods: I used both Enhanced Familiars and Druid Conjuration to keep summons in the nature realm.  If you can't use mods, then go with Atronachs.

    PERKS

    Alteration: She will become the master of this tree, taking almost all the tree points. This will be her primary means of defense as she will be cloth wearing.

    Conjuration: She will also Master this tree and it will be her primary offensive spells.  She will use both summons as well as Bound Sword.  If you do not use the mods, then plan on adding perk points to the left path of the tree up to Twin Souls (adding three points to the build).

    Destruction: While not a master she does have some inherent ability as a Dunmer and this was her focus early on at the College. 

    Restoration: She will have some healing ability for self-healing in combat.

    One Handed: We take these perks to improve her attacks with Bound Sword.

    GAMEPLAY

    Start off at the College (see below).  Do the Mara and Matrimony quests which tie in to her relationship with Elvali. 

    Pick up your applicable spells as soon as possible and take the Mage stone.  Lot's of magic to grind here.  Rested XP will help as well if you want to RP that in.  Begin using a 1H/Spell combo stance as soon as you get Bound Sword.  Inital combat starts off with Summon Familiar and Bound Sword, then switching your offhand to Flames.  Use flames to roast your enemy and then take him out with your Sword.  This helps level up both Conjuration and Destruction and, if you take damage, your Alteration as well. 

    As you progress, Flames will cease doing much damage.  At this point I switched my offhand to a healing spell (or a ward).  Periodically, drop away from combat to cast a heal or resummon your familiar as needed.  (Note: With the mods listed, your familiar will scale with you allowing use of a "Famiiliar" style companion for the duration.  If you play sans mods, then move up to the applicable Atronach.)  Continue to use your sword to level up 1-Handed skill to gain perks there for addition damage bonuses.

    During your quests for the College of Winterhold, stop the quest line after you finish the quest Good Intentions.  Speak to both Tolfdir and Phinis once you reach 90 skill in Alteration and Conjuration) to begin the Master level quests.  If you are using the summoning mods then the Master Level summons will not be used but still, acquire them to signify the achievement. 

    GEAR

    You begin with robes and hoods and your magic.  This will remain your basic acoutrements for the duration of the game.  For your weapon you will use the Bound Sword from the Conjuration spell list.  Continue to seek out improved robes and accessories to improve your magicka, magic regeneration or magicka cost reductions in your two primary schools. 

     

    Takes-In-Light (TIL) is a female Argonian sorceress.  She was always shy and reserved by nature but also due to the general villification of her race.  In a chance meeting with a boisterous Hafnar Ice-Fist just weeks after her arrival at the College of Winterhold, TIL showed her healing ability to remedy a bloody wound Hafnar received in a rousing row that he had with Girduin.  Realizing that her healing skills would be extremely useful, Hafnar introduced the Argonian to Atmah who indoctrinated TIL into her little band.  It was after joining up with this new group of friends that TIL met Elvali Veren.  The two quickly became fast friends and over time, eventually, became lovers.  TIL is always willing to remain in the background, never seeking out the limelight but rather willing to do the more mundane duties for the group.  In our current pathway, TIL uses her gentle nature and spirit to follow the Restoration tree and eventually becomes the College's Restoration Master, replacing the unpopular Colette Marence.  As with her lover, she will always carry a red apple in her inventory, a symbol of the love she has for Elvali. 

    In Labyrinthian, TIL was the third to fall victim; shortly after the demise of her lover.  Savos recounts that she (TIL) begged to be left behind and was completely unconsoleable.  Legend has it that in leaving her to her fate, Savos took her boots as a keepsake to remember her gentle spirit for all time.  These boots, to this day, reside in the Arch Mage quarters within the College. 

    In coming up with TIL's background and fleshing her out I looked into the Wiki.  One thing that immediately jumped out at me was the fact that TIL and Elvali are the only two that are differentiated in two separate instances.  One is that they both wear matching blue mage robes while the second is that they each carry a red apple in their inventory.  None of the other characters are described so exactly.  This is what led me to believe that there was a union of sorts between the pair.  I also decided that she would follow the build path of a Vigilant; allowing her to wear robes or heavy armor and I coupled this with the idea of a Cleric style build.

    SETUP

    Race: Argonian

    Stone: Mage then Lord

    Skill Points: 2/3/1 up to level 24; then 2/3/0 the rest of the way.  Once you attain spell cost reductions via gear or enchanting, you may wish to reduce this further and put more into health.

    Quests: College of Winterhold (partial); Flostflow Abyss; Agent of Mara; Bond of Matrimony; Dawnguard (partial)

    PERKS

    Restoration: She will become the master of this tree, taking almost all the tree points.  Restoration skills will allow self healing, healing of others as well as offensive spells against undead and vampires.

    Destruction: All mages need some secondary offensive ability and against Non-Undead, this is the defacto tree.  Not a master but able to dual cast and lay runes.

    One-Handed: TIL is able to wield a one-handed axe in combat and cast with her offhand; although she can drop all pretenses and go "full mage" any time the need arises.  While nobody will ever mistake her for a martial expert she has enough skill to make any enemy regret engaging her in close range.

    Alteration/Heavy Armor (Optional): You can take one, or both, paths here should you desire.  As a "cleric" style, heavy armor certainly fits the profile coupled with the fact she does engage in melee combat.  However, you could choose to remain more "mage-like" and remain in robes neccesitating the need for the Alteration tree and it's Mage Armor spells. 

    Enchanting (Optional): This comes into play to acquire the spell casting reduction costs for the heavy spell usage of this character.  Robes are more plentiful so if you choose Alteration/Robes then you may not need to use Enchanting.  If you go with the cleric style, it's harder to find solid Fortify enchantments on Heavy Armor and Enchanting is much more useful.  As with Girduin, we want to keep this organic in style so limit Enchanting in the following fashion: We will gain points via (a) disenchanting items found while questing, or purchased items; (b) Self-enchanting your own gear and (c) paying tuition for enchanting classes (ie training) at the college which ties in to being a student there.  (Naturally if you "like" enchanting; feel free to enchant away for profit to gain money needed for training.  This is, ultimately, your decision.)

    GAMEPLAY

    Join with the Dawnguard.  You do not need to do the full quest line, rather focus on the radiant quests to attain the Rune Axe.  Also do the Frostflow Abyss quest (around level 20) to get the Sailor's Repose buff.  The Mara and Matrimony quests give TIL magic resistance and another Restoration bonus which tie in to her restoration skills as well as her relationship with Elvali. 

    In the early going you will use Destruction spells as your primary offensive attacks but make sure to pick up the applicable Restoration spells for use against Undead.  Once you open up the Dawnguard then the Undead effective spells from that faction become available to add to your arsenal.  I wore robes early on until I found magically applicable heavy armor (or got enchanting to a high enough level to self-enchant).  Keep this in mind to begin leveling One-Handed combat so that does not lag too far behind your magical skills.  At this point I relied on a Rune to initate combat, followed up by a ranged spell or second Rune then switch to Flames for close combat.  Work on a melee dance where you step back from power attacks, use this time to spray flames or, if needed, swap to a self heal and top off the health bar, before wading back into combat with your Axe.  The Dawnguard restoration spells are very powerful against undead as is the Rune Axe. 

    During your quests for the College of Winterhold, stop the quest line after you finish the quest Good Intentions.  Speak to Colette once this quest is completed (and you've reached 90 skill in Restoration) to begin the Restoration Master quest.  Complete this quest to receive your Restoration Master level spell (and then purchase the remaining spells now available).

    GEAR

    You begin with robes and hoods and your magic.  For your one-handed weapon I was looking for an Absorb Heath axe (pre or self enchanted) as that "self healing" with the enchantment ties in with a Restoration Master.  Later, during the Dawnguard radiant quests, I took the Dawnguard Rune Axe to use when fighting undead.

    As noted in the build details your clothing will vary depending on if you take the Alteration or the Heavy Armor path of the build.  You will want to maximize your spell cost reduction for both Restoration and Destruction which will neccesitate two separate clothing options (if not using Enchanting) or eventually using the Dual Enchantment perk to buff out your Heavy Armor.  Also look into investing in Magicka Regeneration as well.

    If you would prefer Swords instead of Axes, then Dawnbreaker would become your weapon of choice for undead combat.  Naturally, change your One-Handed perks from Hack and Slash to Bladesman.

     

    Atmah is a Redguard female; she was actually the Arch-Mages favorite student when the group set off.  Contrary to what may be believed, she was the leader of the ill-fated Labyrinthyin group and the driving force behind getting the group to head off on their doomed adventure; not Savos.  So it stands to reason that Savos would never have attained the high position he ended up with had the group survived as Atmah had more leadership, drive and obviously, influence over other students than Savos ever did.  This could also be why Savos turned on her in the Dragon Priest chamber to save his own skin.  As a leader and influencer, I picture her as using the Illusion tree heavily  Unlike Girduin who used the more offensive spells in that tree, Atmah will lean towards the coercion side of the tree and use spells like Courage and Calm.  This would indicate that she would be able to influence others to follow her on her adventures as well so a follower would be a definite must have for Atmah. 

    With her leadership skills and silver tongue to sway people the Bard class seemed to fit, without being a singer/poet of course.  As above using the Illusion tree but focusing on the support type spells.

    In envisioning her as the leader of the group, I can see others doing much of the "work" for her and doing much of the heavy lifting.  Once she attains the position of Arch-Mage I can see her coasting a little bit.  There is no need for her to become a Master in any of the spell classes for teaching purposes but we do go to Master for her Illusion spells to further enhance her ability to get others to support her. 

    SETUP

    Race: Redguard

    Stone: Mage then Lord

    Skill Points: 2/3/0.  300 Magicka worked good for her.

    Quests: College of Winterhold; Agent of Mara; Waking Nightmare

     PERKS

    Illusion: This will be the one tree she masters to allow for Kindred and Animage.  No point in AoT or Rage since we aren't going into those particular spells.

    Conjuration: Just the ability to summon some lower end atronachs or undead.  This is mainly for the early going before she gets her main followers.

    Alteration: We go here to buff up Mage Armor as the main reason.

    Restoration: Again, we just touch this tree as an Arch-Mage should be able to cast spells from any tree.  Also this helps with Magicka recovery.

    Destruction: Her primary means of attack before gaining followers. 

    GAMEPLAY

    Start off at the College and remember her goal is to become the Arch-Mage so unlike her friends we don't stop in the quest chain.  Go all the way through until named Arch-Mage. 

    As noted in the perks you will use Flame and Shock spells; leaving the frost tree to Hafnar.  Get your atronach/undead spells in the Conjuration tree to begin your follower chain.   During gameplay, the followers to the bulk of the attacks/damage while you utilize your Illusion spells to buff up your followers.  While we will use spells I liked the idea of her seeking power as an Arch-Mage and for that effect I went with the Skull of Corruption.  Wander the halls of the College of Winterhold in the evenings and charge up the staff and it does pretty solid damage when you need it.  It's a throw in but I liked the way it worked and also the way she was again "using" her followers.

    Speaking of followers, choose whomever you wish to for your main follower.  This could be a tank type character or maybe a sneaky one if you need that.  Or maybe you only want to associate with Mages.  Irregardless, you will want to eventually use the Permanant Ghost Follower glitch as noted by Vargr and then, once you get the Dead Thrall spell you will want to enthrall Wyndelius.  For the Ghost Follower, do this after Level 25 to keep Katria viable as that is where she caps out and she is level locked when you enter that dungeon.  Be sure to follow the steps laid out by Vargr in his description to not lose out on her.  As for Wyndelius, get him as early as you can as he appears to level up with you with no caps.  This gives you 3-4 people including yourself wandering around Skyrim.  In addition to having followers for the playthrough, this also gets us back in some form to her group of friends from Labyrinthyian.   

     GEAR

    You begin with robes and hoods and your magic.  This will remain your basic gear for the duration of the game until becoming Arch-Mage.  Naturally use the Arch-Mage robes once you attain that position.  Use the Skull of Corruption as a secondary option for attacks, or just to flex your muscle.  Continue to seek out  accessories to improve your magicka, magic regeneration or magicka cost reductions. 

    Hafnar Ice-Fist is a male Nord mage.  He was a typical Nord in that he was headstrong and proud and supremely confident in his abilities.  Unlike a typical Nord, he fully embraced Magic and exploited it to his fullest.  It was Hafnar, after a brotherly brawl with Girduin, who met Takes-In-Light during their early weeks at the College and helped induct her into the group of five after being on the receiving end of some of her healing minstrations.  It was his skill and passion for the Destruction tree that led to Elvali switching her focus, with Takes-In-Lights' push, to the alteration and conjuration schools.  With Elvali removed from his path, Hafnar quickly moved from Frost magics into all aspects of the Destruction tree and quickly rivaled Faralda in skill. 

    In Labyrinthian, Hafnar was a survivor until the very end when he was betrayed by Savos; along with his leader, Atmah.  Hafnar was left to serve an eternity as a guardian-protector over the tomb of the Dragon Priest Morekei.  Were it not for the betrayal of one of his truest friends, Hafnar would surely have become one of the most feared and respected mages in all of Tamriel. 

    Just the name alone, Ice-Fist, conjures up a frost casting mage with a Bixby's Magic Hand spell straight out of D&D; so Destruction was the only obvious choice for him.  In tweaking the builds, and moving Elvali over and away from the Fire tree, that opened Hafnar to assume the mantle of Destruction Master.  We base his build off the "elemental mage" structure in the Wiki. 

    SETUP

    Race: Nord

    Stone: Mage then Lord

    Skill Points: 2/4/0

    Quests: College of Winterhold (partial); The Affairs of Hagravens; Unearthed

    PERKS

    Destruction: His primary tree with the goal to become Master at the College.  Dual casting, able to stagger most foes with his wrath and call down the elements to destroy his foes.

    Alteration: Taken for Mage Armor buffs.

    Restoration: The ability to self-heal.

    Enchanting (Optional):I think without a secondary damaging skill we need enchanting to lower the casting cost of destruction spells to maximize your output in combat.  Unlike TIL, who can use heavy armor, Hafnar remains true to his pure mage status and Nord pride and relies on his robes and enchantments to see him through.  We want to keep this organic, as we have in other builds, in style so limit Enchanting in the following fashion: We will gain points via (a) disenchanting items found while questing, or purchased items; (b) Self-enchanting your own gear and (c) paying tuition for enchanting classes (ie training) at the college which ties in to being a student there.  (Naturally if you "like" enchanting; feel free to enchant away for profit to gain money needed for training.  This is, ultimately, your decision.)

    GAMEPLAY

    Join the College to begin that questline.  Use the Mage Stone in the early going to maximize skill advancement.  Get Dual Casting as early as possible and then move to the Apprentice perk to allow ranged casting with Firebolt to initiate combat.  The Eye of Melka staff does good damage (40pts) up to mid-levels if you wish to utilize a staff. 

    You will want to attain Runes and Ignite quickly to ramp up damage as well as leveling the tree (runes are great for this).  Eventually get Ahzidal's Ring of Ancarna for the Ignite and Freeze spells. 

    During your quests for the College of Winterhold, stop the quest line after you finish the quest Hitting the Books.  Speak to Faralda oince you've reached 100 skill in Destruction to begin the Destruction Master quest.  Complete this quest to receive your Master level spell (and then purchase the remaining spells now available).

    GEAR

    You begin with robes and hoods and your magic.  Continue to improve your gear for added Magicka, Magic Regen or Fortify Destruction via loot or self- enchanting.  Outside of the noted items above there are no limits, or other specialty gear so you will just work to improve what gear you have at all times.

     

    THANKS

    A ton of thanks to DB and Lee for all the awesome art work in this build.  DB went above and beyond in listening to my idea and seeing my vision for the circular banners and then running with that.  Thanks for being flexible to try something new DB.  I think they are awesome and turned out sensational.  Lee did a great job with the perk screens (I sure hope he's doing OK) and also thanks to Golden Fool for stepping up and being the pillar of the Art community right now and doing a ton of work over there including my final perk screen I needed to finish this build up.  Much appreciation to all three of you.  Also thanks to Lissette for many posts and PMs about how excited she was for this build.  I hope I came even remotely close to doing it justice for you Lissette.  There is no way I could have attempted a build of this scope in my early building period but this has been on the back burner for a long time as an idea.  Now it's finally come to fruition and I just hope it is even remotely decent and I did any small amount of justice for these characters who were sadly so glossed over in the main game.

  • February 9, 2017

    This is fantastic John, pure gold! +1 from me

  • Member
    February 9, 2017

    Thanks Vargr. 

  • Member
    February 9, 2017
    It's finally up! Congrats, John, this is one hell of a build, and I've enjoyed watching it grow in the Workshop all this time.
  • Member
    February 9, 2017

    Vargr White-Tree said:

    This is fantastic John, pure gold! +1 from me

    not sure you saw but I used your ghost follower in the build.

  • Member
    February 9, 2017

    I read this earlier today, but didn't have time to comment... your look into the ill-fated events that took place in labyrinthian is fantastic, and the fact that you, in essence, create a build for each of the participants is super-cool. This goes way beyond character build and up into the realms of lore, story telling and other things equally awesome :D

    Just. Epically. Impressed.

  • Member
    February 9, 2017

    ShinJin said:

    I read this earlier today, but didn't have time to comment... your look into the ill-fated events that took place in labyrinthian is fantastic, and the fact that you, in essence, create a build for each of the participants is super-cool. This goes way beyond character build and up into the realms of lore, story telling and other things equally awesome :D

    Just. Epically. Impressed.

     

    Oh man...thanks alot. 

  • February 9, 2017

    THis is great work, John. Very happy to see this out of the workshop and up. Huge pat on the back to you, a fine build. I really like how you adapted them to each have a skillset that would match would they would've become in the college had they survived. 

    Do any of them to the ritual quests for their respective fields? You mentioned that right? 

  • Member
    February 9, 2017

    Lissette Long-Chapper said:

    THis is great work, John. Very happy to see this out of the workshop and up. Huge pat on the back to you, a fine build. I really like how you adapted them to each have a skillset that would match would they would've become in the college had they survived. 

    Do any of them to the ritual quests for their respective fields? You mentioned that right? 

     

    Yes, all of them pursue the Master's level quest with the exception of Atmah.  This would also symbolize their being ready to assume duties as the instructor in that school.

  • February 9, 2017

    This is pretty great John, I've been watching over it the whole time it was in the 'Shop and I'm really happy to see it finished :) 

    I'm always a fan of connected builds and the way you've presented them as both the same core concept and yet entirely different builds is something you rarely (if ever) see, especially done so well. Great work here John, this truly is an awesome build