Is there anyway to do this without Vampirism/Lycanthropy? I always thought there was a way with just alchemy but I could be wrong.

I'm not sure if this was fixed but you used to be able to stack equipment by getting arrested, breaking out without getting your stuff back, equipping the new stuff, getting arrested again and then serving your time, when you spawn outside the jail you have both sets of equipment on that you were wearing when they arrested you.

I haven't been arrested in a long time but I'm pretty sure you now spawn with the Prison Cloths on..

Same here that's why I wasn't sure if it had been fixed or not

Method #1 in the OP is a way to do it without vampirism/lycanthropy. Alternatively, as Ponty noted in a previous comment, you can use Fortify Restoration looping to get 400% Fortify Restoration (or higher) and then equip just the Amulet of Talos, to avoid the maintenance involved in reacquiring the Blessing.

I can't speak on the prison method; I've never tried it myself.

Also, unrelated followup ... For anyone who wants to use Method #2 but wants 5/5 Alchemist, you can make an item of Fortify Alchemy using a Greater Soul Gem at around level 20 Enchanting, and it'll have magnitude 5% (6% with Necromage). If you equip that with 5/5 Alchemist and everything else the same as in Method #2, it'll yield an 80% potion (100% after Necromage) which will yield exactly 100% Fortify Shouts when used to equip both the Blessing and Amulet.

I'm going to be revising the Crimson Scar perk spread to reflect that....

Also note: All of the methods listed in the OP assume that you are *not* using Seeker of Shadows to buff Alchemy.

@DB » You can actually do Method #1 without perking Enchanting, and use Seeker of Shadows to effectively obtain +100% Fortify Alchemy. You'll need four pieces of pre-enchanted Alchemy apparel for a total of +82% Fortify Alchemy (e.g., Peerless Circlet, Peerless Necklace, Ring of Pure Mixtures, Eminent Bracers). Then pick up Seeker of Shadows, and it'll bring your Fortify Alchemy to +100% effectively. That may be what you're thinking of?

Come to think of it, that may be worth listing as a "Method #4". I may also spend some time with Restoration looping to see if I can find a way to get exactly +400% Fortify Restoration. As I said in the OP, this is about doing it simply and cleanly. I don't want to list the looping method unless I can find a precise way to get exactly 100% Fortify Shouts.

Would it matter if you went over +%400. I'll give that method 1 a go, even if collecting those pieces will take a damn long time... But does Method 1 mean having to go back and get the Blessing over and over again.. I can't be stuffed so Looping it may be

Method #1 does require you to reapply the Blessing every eight hours (12 hours for necromage vampires). It's honestly not that bad though. There are a handful of very accessible Talos Shrines in Skyrim (I like the one next to Heimskr in Whiterun). And that's eight hours real time not game time.

Since I'm guessing you're making this build for the upcoming CB Event, you may want to include a quick plug for Fast Travel Timescale Fix. It's a super simple tweak that makes it so that, when fast traveling, 1/4 as much time passes as in the default game. Which is honestly more accurate to what you would experience if you actually traveled from point to point rather than fast traveling. (Have you noticed that an hour or more can pass just from fast traveling from Honningbrew Meadery to Whiterun? That's a 30 second jog....)

Additionally, the Blessing is a good excuse to minimize fast traveling as much as possible, which can make for a better roleplay/immersion.

And yes, you can go over 400% Fortify Restoration without any penalties, if you're using the looping method. The cooldown will still be eliminated when you equip the amulet. The only difference is a cosmetic one, with no mechanical effect: Your cooldowns, listed in the Shouts menu, will be listed as negative numbers. e.g., if you get Fortify Shouts to 200%, your cooldowns would be listed as the negative version of their default value. But there's no practical difference between 100% Fortify Shouts and 200% Fortify Shouts.

I might go with it but honestly Ponty's Method is ridiculously simple...

I had a few ideas for shout combos:

War Fury: Elemental Fury and Battle Fury

Target Practice: Cyclone, Slow Time, and Soul Tear

The Reaper Comes For All: Dismay, Slow Time and Soul Tear

Dragonborn Emperor: Animal Allegiance (when there's animals), Bend Will, Dragon Aspect, Storm Call

I Command You Now: Dragonrend and Bend Will

Dragon Killing 101: Dragonrend, Slow Time, Soul Tear (a lot of Soul Tears)