Skyrim II: A Dragon A Day Keeps The Draugr At Bay

[pffh]

But I don't have the perks for it! I need to get my archery and sneak attacks up!

So far, I can buy non-magic gear that is better than the magic gear I find or is given (since the blasted Jarl gave me a two-handed axe!! Who DOES that to a sneak / bow / 1-handed character). I now use an non-magic Orc Bow (Fine), an Orc sword and an Orc dagger. The Orc sword gives 3 pts more damage than the frost axe I got from the golden claw quest.

In fact I tend to have extremely bad luck with magical items.

Spoiler

Show

In the Golden Claw quest I got a one-handed axe, I wanted a sword but that was mostly looks. The Jarl gave me a helmet with healing bonus and a two-handed axe, none of which I was interested in. I have found 3 really good two-handed weapons so far.)

Let me put it like this I have 100 enchanting and all the boosty perks and all my gear has +40% to two skills or +46% resistance to something. I have +80% light armor, +120% archery, 92% fire and frost resistance and something else that I can't remember at the moment.

[Drascin]

But why are all magical weapons you FIND have limitless charges?

What, no they don't. There are no weapons with unlimited charges. They just have a fair amount - the bow I enchanted myself recently has around 135, for example.

It just doesn't tell you how many charges the item has, only what percentage of the item is filled. But make no mistake, they run out.

EDIT: Unless used by companions. For some reason, Companions seem to not actually use up charges. I've seen one blast for minutes straight with a staff and then checked their inventory to find the staff completely filled up.

So, you know, if you make one of those "only 8 charges" weapons, give them to your companion :P.

[nhbdy]

But why is it then all magical weapons you FIND have limitless charges?

they don't, and as to you getting those things from the jarl, he gives everyone an axe and the boss in bleak falls barrow seems to always have a 2h weapon, the weapons you find that are enchanted do have limited charges, look at their descriptions in the inventory (or just use it a bit), trust me on that one, if you DO find one without charges let me know, I will race to it. Enchanting is a very powerful skill though and allows a ton of options, but it doesn't give it all at once, you have to work up to it, as far as the perks go, that's all fine and dandy that you'd rather level archery and stealth, I'd put those above it too for the character you are playing, but it certainly won't take all your perks to get what you want from those trees, and you probably aren't leveling those skills fast enough to blow every point between those two skills, an extra point in enchanting can really help out a lot when you have one to spare, and of course if you just don't want to mess with it, then don't, but it is a very potent skill.

[Gaius Marius]

But I don't have the perks for it! I need to get my archery and sneak attacks up!

So far, I can buy non-magic gear that is better than the magic gear I find or is given (since the blasted Jarl gave me a two-handed axe!! Who DOES that to a sneak / bow / 1-handed character). I now use an non-magic Orc Bow (Fine), an Orc sword and an Orc dagger. The Orc sword gives 3 pts more damage than the frost axe I got from the golden claw quest.

In fact I tend to have extremely bad luck with magical items.

Spoiler

Show

In the Golden Claw quest I got a one-handed axe, I wanted a sword but that was mostly looks. The Jarl gave me a helmet with healing bonus and a two-handed axe, none of which I was interested in. I have found 3 really good two-handed weapons so far.)

I haven't perked it up myself. But your raw skill increase still will make it worth it eventually. Scouts honor. Just grind create them. Have a soul-stealing weapon handy at all time, and buy as much soulstones as possible to fill and use them.

My problem is more of a "I can't find enough money in my merchants!" part. I need to invest some perks there, I think.

[nhbdy]

My problem is more of a "I can't find enough money in my merchants!" part. I need to invest some perks there, I think.

bah, I hate investing perks in speech, they seem to have such little return, just go traveling if you need more merchants, by the time you go around the first should be restocked, but if you find something awesome from those perks, let me know!

[pffh]

I haven't perked it up myself. But your raw skill increase still will make it worth it eventually. Scouts honor. Just grind create them. Have a soul-stealing weapon handy at all time, and buy as much soulstones as possible to fill and use them.

My problem is more of a "I can't find enough money in my merchants!" part. I need to invest some perks there, I think.

Do the thieves guild side quests and main quests. After it's been restored to it's former glory you'll have access to about 7 fences with 4000 gold each and 4 merchant in the ratway inn with 1100 gold each.

[nhbdy]

Do the thieves guild side quests and main quests. After it's been restored to it's former glory you'll have access to about 7 fences with 4000 gold each and 4 merchant in the ratway inn with 1100 gold each.

yeah, but if you are interested in the nightengale armor, you'll want to wait since it's leveled *shakes fist*

[Gaius Marius]

bah, I hate investing perks in speech, they seem to have such little return, just go traveling if you need more merchants, by the time you go around the first should be restocked, but if you find something awesome from those perks, let me know!

Gaius Marius will no doubt be a master talker :-) Just to allow people to see what Speech does..

Oh, maybe Speech is the alternate path that the Thieves guild. Allow you to bribe guards to look aside, using merchants as fence...?

[JMobius]

Question: Do magic items naturally recharge over time like in previous games, or do they require Soul Gem batteries now?

[pffh]

yeah, but if you are interested in the nightengale armor, you'll want to wait since it's leveled *shakes fist*

Meh even fully leveled it's not all that special and if you're level 20+ (I think) you'll get the 2nd version instead of the third and the difference isn't that much.

And I think you can do the side quests before getting that armor which should give you the merchants and 5 of the fences and increase the fences gold from 1000 to 4000.

[nhbdy]

Question: Do magic items naturally recharge over time like in previous games, or do they require Soul Gem batteries now?

like in oblivion they require the soul gems to recharge, so soul trap or a weapon with that as it's enchant is required (or that perk from conjuration for bound weapons) to make effective use of them.

on the topic of the nightengale armor, http://uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Leveled_...htingale_Armor I heard rumors on the bethesda forums that item scaling counts till level 50 for the best version, but I wouldn't put a ton of stock in that, however given the faster leveling in skyrim, I wouldn't hold to the oblivion level 20+=good rules either

EDIT: It's the boots and gloves that I'd get excited about if I was going for that sort of character, the jump is pretty drastic, fairly sure they are missing a few steps

[Dralnu]

Mage Armor Perk DOES work, it just doesn't say so in the active powers tooltip.

Number crunching, skeleton with 19 damage waraxe:
nothing (0 armor): 25 damage
stoneflesh (60 armor): 23 damage
mage armor 1/3 + stoneflesh (120 armor): 22 damage

On a different note, the little amount of damage reduction might imply that pure mages will need to use Wards to survive higher encounters though, unless the Xflesh spells go up significantly in power.

[Person_Man]

On the whole Enchantment/Crafting/Smithing thing, even though it's mechanically a very strong option, I do think that the constant jumble of different equipment can get really annoying really fast. I would greatly prefer for it to be more like Mass Effect 2, where you had fewer, more meaningful equipment options.

Mage Armor Perk DOES work, it just doesn't say so in the active powers tooltip.

Number crunching, skeleton with 19 damage waraxe:
nothing (0 armor): 25 damage
stoneflesh (60 armor): 23 damage
mage armor 1/3 + stoneflesh (120 armor): 22 damage

On a different note, the little amount of damage reduction might imply that pure mages will need to use Wards to survive higher encounters though, unless the Xflesh spells go up significantly in power.

Although the Wards do add a lot of defense and magical protection, and can recharge your mana when you're attacked by magic, the Master level Alteration spell Dragonhide allows the caster to ignore 80% of physical damage for 30 seconds. Presumably this period of time could be extended with the Alteration Dual Casting and Stability Perks. So it's theoretically comparable with Heavy Armor, unless you're using Heavy Armor improved by the infinite Enchantment/Alchemy/Smithing combo.

[nhbdy]

On the whole Enchantment/Crafting/Smithing thing, even though it's mechanically a very strong option, I do think that the constant jumble of different equipment can get really annoying really fast. I would greatly prefer for it to be more like Mass Effect 2, where you had fewer, more meaningful equipment options.

that makes one of us... I prefer the detail oriented approach that ME 1 and this game took, where I can deeply customize my equipment to serve whatever purpose I wish, it adds to the variety in my opinion, in ME 2 I felt that there wasn't quite enough variety there.

[pffh]

On the whole Enchantment/Crafting/Smithing thing, even though it's mechanically a very strong option, I do think that the constant jumble of different equipment can get really annoying really fast. I would greatly prefer for it to be more like Mass Effect 2, where you had fewer, more meaningful equipment options.

You don't need to to do any of the alchemy/enchanting/smithing boosty routines if you don't want to and you'll still get 40% boost to skills and 46% resistances. I don't do any of the boosting since I consider it cheating (just like the make int potion to make better int potion repate trick in morrowind is also cheating).

[Alchemistmerlin]

(just like the make int potion to make better int potion repate trick in morrowind is also cheating).

I don't really see how that is "Cheating", it's fairly standard RPG fair. What's the point of an INT boosting potion other than to boost your INT to make you do INT things better?

[pffh]

I don't really see how that is "Cheating", it's fairly standard RPG fair. What's the point of an INT boosting potion other than to boost your INT to make you do INT things better?

Well when you can in the first 20 minutes of the game repeat it often enough to have potions that give tens of thousand to each stat for several years yeah then it's cheating.

[nhbdy]

I don't really see how that is "Cheating", it's fairly standard RPG fair. What's the point of an INT boosting potion other than to boost your INT to make you do INT things better?

because it is a never-ending cycle that increases unbound and exponentially for minimal input and leaves you with potions worth more than most artifacts and contain near limitless power for mages... seems a little cheaty to me

[Misery Esquire]

I don't really see how that is "Cheating", it's fairly standard RPG fair. What's the point of an INT boosting potion other than to boost your INT to make you do INT things better?

The "cheat" in reference is to make a INT Potion, to make a better INT Potion, to make a better INT potion, to make a better INT potion, to make...

...I think you get the idea. Until finally you make a +2000000 INT/forever duration potion that'll let you make any other +2000000 attribute/forever potion.

[Avilan the Grey]

they don't, and as to you getting those things from the jarl, he gives everyone an axe and the boss in bleak falls barrow seems to always have a 2h weapon,

Okay, so they do, but give them to companions (just like they have limitless arrows). Good to know.

And yes, the Jarl gives everyone an axe, but I have seen several let's plays where he gives ONEHANDED axes.
The boss in BLeak Falls Barrow gave me a ONE handed axe that Lydia is now using since it's worse than my non-magic orc sword. So far in Let's Plays I have seen him give Greatswords (most common), one-handed swords, two-handed axes and one-handed axes.

[nhbdy]

Okay, so they do, but give them to companions (just like they have limitless arrows). Good to know.

And yes, the Jarl gives everyone an axe, but I have seen several let's plays where he gives ONEHANDED axes.
The boss in BLeak Falls Barrow gave me a ONE handed axe that Lydia is now using since it's worse than my non-magic orc sword. So far in Let's Plays I have seen him give Greatswords (most common), one-handed swords, two-handed axes and one-handed axes.

eh? are you referring to when he names you thane? I always get the same one (5 times in a row) that was 2 handed and has a fear enchantment, or are you referring to his random gift "from his armory?"

[Gaius Marius]

It's defintely "gamey", which I put in my personnel book as "cheating". Whether or not you agree is up to you, but I'd never accept such behavior if I was a gamemaster of any sort.

[Valaqil]

It's defintely "gamey", which I put in my personnel book as "cheating". Whether or not you agree is up to you, but I'd never accept such behavior if I was a gamemaster of any sort.

Yeah. I don't think it's technically cheating (according to a thin, arbitrary line) but it's definitely "game-y". It certainly defeats the purpose of advancement when you do things like that.

On a side-note: Probably going to be picking up Skyrim this weekend. It's my first-ever TES game. (I played a few minutes of Morrowind and Oblivion via friends, but not enough to count.) I picked through UESP and read some but not the plot of TES III/IV. Should I familiarize myself with the other plots for lore? Any suggestions on characters / getting started? I've played a number of RPGs, but anything Skyrim/TES-specific will be new to me.

[Avilan the Grey]

eh? are you referring to when he names you thane? I always get the same one (5 times in a row) that was 2 handed and has a fear enchantment, or are you referring to his random gift "from his armory?"

You are right. Me stupid and will shut up now.

[Gaius Marius]

Yeah. I don't think it's technically cheating (according to a thin, arbitrary line) but it's definitely "game-y". It certainly defeats the purpose of advancement when you do things like that.

On a side-note: Probably going to be picking up Skyrim this weekend. It's my first-ever TES game. (I played a few minutes of Morrowind and Oblivion via friends, but not enough to count.) I picked through UESP and read some but not the plot of TES III/IV. Should I familiarize myself with the other plots for lore? Any suggestions on characters / getting started? I've played a number of RPGs, but anything Skyrim/TES-specific will be new to me.

It's definitely a case of "Play the game, don't game the play"

As for your question, I don't think you need to know THAT much beforehand. If you are really craved for lore elements, I simply suggest you pick up books laying around the world and read them. There is a lot of background elements explained there, including the plots of the past games. Anythig about the Nerevarine or the Eruption of Red Moutain is about the 3rd game of the serie, Morrowind. Anything about the Oblivion Crisis is about the 4th game.

You can pick up the game easily without knowing anything. Learn by yourself, it's a nice part of da game :-)

[Person_Man]

Yeah, in many way when you basically sit down and grind out massive bonuses through non-combat gameplay that doesn't require any real skill on the part of the player, it's functionally the same as using the console to increase your stats. The only exception is that grinding takes much longer.

But it's a very popular mechanic in many games, so I'm probably in the minority on this.

[nhbdy]

Yeah, in many way when you basically sit down and grind out massive bonuses through non-combat gameplay that doesn't require any real skill on the part of the player, it's functionally the same as using the console to increase your stats. The only exception is that grinding takes much longer.

But it's a very popular mechanic in many games, so I'm probably in the minority on this.

I think it stems from the popularity of grinding that MMOs have trained many to associate with reward/status, but I tend to not like grinding in my single player games, a little is ok, but in general I dislike it.

[Gaius Marius]

I think it stems from the popularity of grinding that MMOs have trained many to associate with reward/status, but I tend to not like grinding in my single player games, a little is ok, but in general I dislike it.

It's not "grinding" which is gamey. What I don't like is simply creating a potion +x to potion making, and then using your accrued potion making score to make an even more powerful potion.. Etc... Etc..

This is a gamey behavior. "Grinding" is fine, albeit tedious IMHO

[nhbdy]

It's not "grinding" which is gamey. What I don't like is simply creating a potion +x to potion making, and then using your accrued potion making score to make an even more powerful potion.. Etc... Etc..

This is a gamey behavior. "Grinding" is fine, albeit tedious IMHO

just so we're clear, I'm fine with things being hard to get and having to work for them (like getting daedric equipment in morrowind) but I dislike having to put my nose to the grindstone in a single player game for hours on end to have a chance at getting something cool

[Gaius Marius]

just so we're clear, I'm fine with things being hard to get and having to work for them (like getting daedric equipment in morrowind) but I dislike having to put my nose to the grindstone in a single player game for hours on end to have a chance at getting something cool

In that case, don't grind the 3 crafting skills, and simply PLAY. You will find awesome loot in your questing.

Don't look back. Seriously