Skyrim Character Building » Discussions


Character Build: Dreadfall

Tags: #Character Build Barbarian  #Character Build Assassin  #Character Build Unarmored  #Rank:Recognized  #Greatsword  #2H  #Bandit 
  • April 22, 2013

    This is a Role Play build of a specific Character, but here is precedent from another similar NPC. "Here's all you need to know: I'm a werewolf, I like killing things, I love Astrid, I hate annoying people, and the color blue gives me a headache."~Arnbjorn.  Dreadfall is a 15yo girl, and for her it's Pink, but other than that, she's the same sort of "Assassin."

    Here is the fanfic of her origin, and adventures in Skyrim.

    Originally, I decided to futz around with taking all the OPness out of the Assassin's Class.  The big stupid Backstab Multipliers, being able to literally hoist someone over your head on your daggers, writing in agony, and bleeding everywhere, and still not be detected!  Especially with Nightblades, and Invisibility, or  Shadow Warrior, the entire game gets boiled down to a series of Backstabs, and all the grinding it takes to 1 shot everything.

    I never intended to fall in love with her, but she turned out to be too much fun, and perfectly balanced to Adept difficulty.  She's also inescapably Goth. I mean"I am the ghost that reminds death of you!"  o7

    Name: Margot "Dreadfall."

    Race: Nord.

    Alignment: Stupid Evil

    Factions: Companions, Dark Brotherhood, possibly Stormcloaks. 

    Guardian Stone: The Thief

    Standing Stones: The Lady, Lord, Shadow, or Tower.

    Primary Skills: Two Handed, Sneak, Block.

    Optional Skills:  Archery, Alchemy, Light Armor, Lock Picking, Smithing.

    Important Perks: Barbarian, Champions Stance, Great Critical Charge, Silent Roll, and any Block perks with "Bash" in the name.

    Stats:  All Health. 

    Shouts:  None, she is not Dragonborn. 

    Items

    Skyforge Steel Greatsword (Superior) Silver Greatswords, and better.  Ultimately an Ebony Greatsword from Lost Valkygg. 

    "Dagger":  A Silver Greatsword of the Soul as an Enchantment trainer.  (And to steal Souls!)  Also, Red Eagle's Honed Ancient Nord Greatsword of Burning.

    Unarmored with the Shrouded Hood, Mourner's Dress, Thalmor Gloves, and Shrouded Shoes/Jester's Boots.  Ulfric's Clothes are a nice option for Male Avatars. 

    She actually wears Light Armor around town, to disguise herself as a Barbarian, then switches to "Work Clothes" in the field.  "Nobody suspects a Barbarian.  They don't respect them, but if the Guards see an Assassin, they go 'Hey look, an Assassin!' and chase you.  They just say 'Hands to yourself, Sneak Thief,' and leave me alone."

    That's right, she owns full suits of Shrouded Armor, Scaled, and the Savior's Hide, but chooses to go Unarmored when in danger, out of overconfidence in her ability to Sneak.

    The Ring of Hircine, and I usually match the Hide with an Amulet of Kynareth.  Sigdis' Amulet Fragment is even better, but she's shown with a Necklace of Sure Grip from random loot.

    She gave the Unique Weapons from Astrid, and the Katariah, to her BFF, Mentor, and Role Model, Jenassa.

    In addition to the outfits shown, and listed, she collects clothes, changes them as often as her Mood, and poses almost by reflex.  Regardless of Stats, Enchantments, or having any game effects whatsoever, she weighs herself down with so many, I've had to return to the Sanctuary just to drop some off.

    She also uses items for reasons which make sense to her, like wearing Black because it's easier to Sneak in the shadows, though there's no in game effect.  This is all lampshade hanging for my own amusement.

    Fighting Style

    In a word, Dirty.  One of her mottoes is "I don't Fight, I Kill!" but this is mostly wishful thinking/Bragging.  Once the alarm is raised, Stagger, Reach, Timing, and Footwork to avoid as many strikes as possible.  Cowardly, to make up for not being a Tank, nor a true Assassin, but a Bandit with Delusions of Grandeur.

    Actually pretty fun, and useful on Adept, with the caveat that some of your targets will not be killed instantly, and you're going to have to fight eventually.  Likes to lead in with a Backstab, Great Critical Charge, or both to get a head start on the damage race, and bashes a lot to take a free shot. 

    Special Moves

    "Tuck&Roll"  Silent Roll mid combat, you have to hit the Sneak button, Forward, and tap Sprint in rapid succession, but once you dial in the combo, you should be able to do it at will.  Good to get behind opponents, especially if they're lining up a Power Attack.  Against other 2 Handers, this leaves an opening while they follow through.

    Ambush!  Silent Roll>Great Critical Charge, usually to start the fight.  Whenever you have 3 Bandits standing around the fire, for instance Alain Dufont, and his minions, it's pretty much impossible to sneak close enough without being seen unless you're invisible.  This happens often enough that you might be out of Vampire Dust, so the next best thing is to pounce from across the room like a Sabercat, and hit them before they can react.  Does not give you a Backstab Bonus, detected or not, but does "Double Critical Damage," and also a guaranteed Stagger.  So, you can finish them off before they recover, draw their sword, and turn around to fight back.  Pretty much unnecessary if you have a Bow, though.

    "Dusting Out."  Vampire Dust to turn invisible, whenever she needs a quick escape, or to get past areas of high visibility when there is no other way.  Doesn't sound all that special, I know, but 4 seconds is long enough to Roll behind cover until the Alarm dies down, or set up for a Backstab.  She killed 2 Draugr Deathlords in a row, the first one with an Ebony Bow, and Arrows with a combination of Hack&Bash, with Dust to find a place to recover. Each time, she came back with a Backstab, and Stagger.  Honestly, a Tank shouldn't be able to win these fights below level 15 on Novice, she did it multiple times on Adept, a few completely unarmored.

    The Barbarian/Assassin

    The Optional skills apply to this more serious variant. Arnbjorn is pretty much the only example, but Lycanthropy is optional. 

    Light Armor: Shrouded, naturally, though you can replace the Gauntlets with Stormcloak Officers' or whatever's clever.  If you do beat up Mirmulnir, add Archery for shooting down Dragons.  Unfortunately, this is basically your Cookie Cutter Nordic Barbarian Build, except for Sneak.

    The Strategy is slightly different than Dreadfall's, use Archery for Stealth until they realize where the Arrows are coming from, then switch to a Greatsword, or Battleaxe to mop up the survivors...

    Inspiration

    I like the combination of Strength, and Beauty, with an unhealthy dose of Darkness.  ("Lady Lisa Lyon:" ~R. Mapplethorpe.)  Flowers on the Razor Wire, In a word, "Brutalful."

    The most FAQ is "Why would anyone want to play a Two Handed Assassin?"  Especially since you only get double damage on a backstab, ever.  At least for me, it's a lot more fun if I don't kill everything in 1 hit, and actually have to fight occasionally.  If you play "Dead is Dead" for a challenge, then she is a great candidate.

    In Character, she's genre' blind enough to think that a Greatsword is bigger, and therefore better than a dagger.  "How do you even kill people with those puny things?"  She can't see the Skill Trees, has no idea what Assassin's Blade means, and honestly thinks the Thalmor Gloves look better than the Shrouded ones.  The player Archetypes for this kind of "Strategy" are the "Munchkin," and "For the Evulz."

    If anyone has played Dice&Dossiers, you've probably at least seen a character like this.  Or, if you went to High School after 1989, you probably know someone.

    The deep dark humor I dredged her up from is a parody of this certain "Type."  More power, even if it's actually counter productive.  If she was "tuning" cars, she'd start at the tail-pipe, despite the fact that you can't get more air out of an engine than you put in.  In other words, she's basically all the trappings of an Assassin, except the One Hit Kill.  (Just like boring out that soup can exhaust tip doesn't really give you performance.  It eliminates the back-pressure that allows you to actually Tune the engine, after you get the rest of the parts bolted in.  However, it Sounds like Performance.)

    All the conflict arises from what I know, as a minmaxing builder, versus what she doesn't as a maxminning Character who's completely oblivious of the Game Mechanics.  She even lampshades it by renaming her Sword "Dagger." (Does not proc Assassin's Blade, nice try, though.) 

    Though she's too ignorant, and impatient to learn any skills beyond Sneaking, and Killing, she forces me to play more Strategically, take out the biggest threat first, even up the numbers, and hopefully put her in the best position to win through against the odds.

    At least for me, that's a lot more fun than spending most of the game running between fights that were all ready won at the Workbench.

    Background, and Role-Play

    Born in Helgen, she hated it, and couldn't wait to get out.  Probably too scared, she moped, read, and drew nasty pictures in her spare time until Circumstance intervened.  When Big Bad Al showed up, just like one of her favorite fantasies, she jumped up, and down clapping, and giggling to see it all burn along with everyone who ignored her, or chased her, or called her "Dreadful Margot."  Then, she ran for the Keep like anyone else with a shred of self preservation.  By the time she escaped, her regular clothes were ragged tatters.

    {Retcon, she is not the Dovakiin, but he was there just like he always is in everyone elses' Playthrough.  Assume he's the exact same guy seen in Peicemail of Hide, and Iron on all the posters.  She returned to normal gameplay as soon as she got in Hadvar's Door, "Dovahk" went with Ralof ahead of her, and she didn't see him again until much later.} 

    Riverwood was even smaller, and less exiting than Helgen, but she tried working for Alvor long enough to get a little better, make herself a decent Sword, and run an Errand to Jarl Balgruuf in Whiterun for him.  When she got out of Dragonsreach, she ran into Amren:  "Ever thought about trying Mercenary Work?  Might suit you..."  No, she hadn't, but the Longhouse was right there, and she likes killing stuff.  After she got some gold, and some very nice steel Farkas dropped, she stopped by the Grindstone on the way out to find her Fortune...

    She returned to Helgen, mostly to see what was left, but the bandits haven't even moved in.  So, she headed East, after clearing out Fort Neugrad where she used to stand on the hill, and throw rocks at the bandits for fun.  Mostly just adventuring, she ran into an Old Orc in the sothren pass to the Rift, got into it with some Vampires in Haemar's Shame, and discovered this marvelous substance.

    Vampire Dust, she became "Addicted" to it.  For the sense of Power, and wanting to be ignored because all her life, the only attention she got was negative.  Long story short, she eventually found herself in Riften, did well enough there, even made some friends for a while.  They sent her back to Whiterun Hold, to mess with some Mead, and while she was there, she stopped into the Drunken Huntsman where she met a Real Live Assassin! 

    "Blade and shadow, silence and death, these are my arts. For a modest fee, I'll make great art for you."

    "COOL!" ~Dreadfall.

    It's a little fuzzy deciding who the Follower is here.  Jenassa was her Mentor, taught her her the Cutthroat dispatch, which is as much her signature as the Silent Roll>Great Critical Charge Ambush combo.

    She quit the Guild over a disagreement about killing after the Goldenglow Massacre.  They say it's bad for business, she thinks it's fun, and killed everyone that moved on those islands, then maybe played with their blood, a little.  Maven Blackbriar was not best pleased, and even threatened her with the Dark Brotherhood. That sounded cool, so she asked around until a bartender (In Ivarsted) mentioned something about the Arentino boy in Windhelm.  So, she took the cart back to Riften, then back to Windhelm, and got a room at Candlehearth hall after so many days on the road...

  • Member
    April 22, 2013

    Some things I noticed:

    Shouts:  None. Briljant! And then you proceed to name a bunch. For better rp, you could have "learned" a few words. (If you can see anoyone around you its worth some attension, no?) But for that repetoire you almost need to be a greybeard.

    Like the idea of using vamp dust. But then you need to look for them lol. Ah wel.

    I dont know... I cant like it yet.

  • Member
    April 22, 2013

    I agree with Remy, I can't like it yet. I've liked worse, but some of the things you mention are contradictory whereas worse ones I've liked sometimes just need a spit and polish.

    Not a bad build but contradictions and a massive unrelated 'Blackmetal' poster is a turnoff. I'd like to like it but I can't.

    I'll reserve it then. I usually end up reserving likes quite a lot, but nobody ever bothers to make the build better.

  • Member
    April 22, 2013

    Yeah how can you have no shouts but then list some. I understand no one understands her, but that is well beyond comprehension 

    Also that giant Black Metal picture doesn't really have a place…. Other than the small amount of contradictions and the giant black metal girl though it's pretty good 

  • April 22, 2013

    [Edit] dElited the Shouts for clarity, and changed the "Black Metal" picture to imbedded link.  "Well, that was easy!"  Keep the suggestions coming, guys, she can only get better!

  • Member
    April 22, 2013

    i really want to like it. even if it's just to save it from the almighty benvahkiin.

    the premise is great but the presentation is kinda lacking with contradictions and such. a little clean up and its good to go

    i didn't actually mind the black metal poster, it seems to have gotten on some peoples nerves though

  • Member
    April 22, 2013

    Better than the other ones, definitely.


    She actually wears Light Armor around town, to disguise herself as a Bandit, then switches to "Work Clothes" in the field.  "Nobody suspects a Bandit.  They don't respect them, but if the Guards see an Assassin, they go 'Hey look, an Assassin!' and chase you.  They just say 'Hands to yourself, Sneak Thief,' and leave me alone."


    But this part is a little stupid. I think bandits are killed when they're detected, nor they aren't allowed at cities. 
    A robe + A Hood may fit better.

  • April 22, 2013
    "You also start talking about vampire dust..in the equipment section! How do you wear it? lol" very carefully. That's how
  • April 22, 2013

    Vampire Dust is an item.  I don't see the conflict in putting it with Equipment, especially if you Hotkey it, so you don't have to access it in the Menus.

    I'm considering a Background/Roleplay section at the end, so people can stop reading, and I'll probably move [Personality:] down there too, but I'm not sure if that would be too much?

  • April 22, 2013
    I'm pretty sure bandits would either be arrested or killed on sight...