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Character Build: The Webspinner

Tags: #Character Build Illusionist  #Character Build Acrobat  #Character Build Alchemist  #Race:Dunmer  #Rank:Exemplar 
  • Member
    December 9, 2013

    Having lurked here for a while but not posted, I felt it was time I put one of my creations up for judgement by the community. There have been a few Ebony Blade builds in the past but I wanted to put my own spin on the blade and its connection to the character that wields it. I hope you enjoy.

    Note: Dawnguard and Dragonborn recommended for the gear but not really necessary for gameplay.

    I played this character on Master's. No clue about its feasibility on Legendary. I don't dare touch that. I'm not that good.

    The Webspinner

    Unknowingly chosen by Mephala to pluck at the tapestry of mortal affairs in Skyrim, the Webspinner is a character of benign beginnings. A sword-for-hire and aspiring herbalist by trade, the events of Helgen and subsequent escape from near-death leave this young mercenary alone in unfamiliar lands with only a handful of herbs, a greatsword looted from an unfortunate Stormcloak and a rudimentary grasp of illusion spells to make a name and living by.

    Selling sword, sorcery and potions to the highest bidder, this mercenary soon makes make an unlikely – or perhaps all too likely – friend: the Jarl of Whiterun. Hired first to assist the Jarl's court-wizard and then to fend off a dragon attack, fame and fortune are assured. Given the honorary title of Thane and allowed to rebuild a life in Whiterun, the former mercenary sets aside the trusty greatsword, settles into this new home and thinks little of the world beyond the walls of the city.

    Yet, as the months go by, rumors of dark powers affecting the Jarl's son meet the Thane's ears. Idle boredom, curiosity and, perhaps, a force beyond the comprehension of mortals leads the Thane of Whiterun to investigate these unusual rumors – a task which leads the Thane exactly where Mephala wants her loyal servant to be: in the clutches of the wretched Ebony Blade.

    Incited by the soothing words of Mephala to murder friend, family and acquaintance, the Thane of Whiterun is exiled by the Jarl and strikes out into the wilds of Skyrim once more, lost and alone but this time guided by the whispered words of the Webspinner.

    With every life the Ebony Blade ends, the once whispered words grow louder: Murder her. Claim his heart. Slit her throat. Rob him blind. Kill. Incite. Steal. Entice. Slaughter. Befriend, enslave and eviscerate.

    Before long, the Thane of Whiterun is no more, deaf to all but the resounding echo of Mephala's idle whims and fanciful requests. Yet behind the seemingly innocent façade of amusement for the sake of amusement lurks a far more insidious design.

    This devout servant was chosen to infiltrate the court of Lord Harkon and weave the last threads of the perfect tapestry. A loyal servant to the King of Rape, forsaken by his lover, betrayed by his own daughter, is to be murdered by one he had shared Molag Bal's greatest blessing with; fitting irony in Mephala's eyes, considering the manifold of pains the King of Rape had inflicted upon the bloodlines of the dunmer in ages past.

    Race

    Dunmer – due to the connection between Mephala and the dunmer in lore, plus the fire resistance will help with the vampire aspect

    Note: For aesthetics, it's best to play a female character (see equipment for details)

    Note: While Dunmer fits the lore best, from a gameplay mechanics perspective, Altmer would be the better choice due to +50 magicka allowing 5 levels worth of points for health or stamina.

    Stats

    Before lvl 20: 0 Magicka / 2 Health / 3 Stamina

    After lvl 20: 1 Magicka / 2 Health / 1 Stamina

    Goal at lvl 50 is ~ 200 Magicka / 300 Health / 300 stamina

    Note: it's possible to get away with ~250 Health on this character but, since power attacks aren't overly important with the ebony blade and illusion costs can be enchanted away, there's not really a good reason to sacrifice survivability at higher levels.

    Standing Stones

    Lord Stone – magic resistance is good and a little physical protection doesn't hurt either. My personal recommendation.

    Lady Stone - helps counteract the vampire's vulnerability during daylight but lacks the boost to magic or physical protection.

    Lover Stone – for leveling, obviously, since all three skillsets come into play. On Master's however, I held off this until ~lvl 30 because I was just taking too much damage without improved gear

    Note: I experimented with the atronarch stone and, while the magicka regen debuff proved too heavy for me to handle, I suppose this is up to player preference.

    Primary Skills

    Suggested perk spread as seen here

    Two Handed:

    Since the Ebony Blade is primary source of damage, you can go full-out on two handed. Still, two notes from my experience:

    1) Sweep isn't very useful with the Ebony Blade due to the limited reach but has situational uses, in particular for poisoning groups of lesser enemies

    2) Warmaster can be skipped IMO, as there's no reason to knock down enemies when you can bash, evade, poison, fear, enrage and otherwise use all sorts of means to achieve better crowd control.

    Illusion:

    Everything. Shouldn't have to say much about this one.

    Vampire Lord:

    While not a 'skill tree' in the traditoinal sense, the vampire lord form offers the Webspinner's only source of ranged DPS and I therefore consider it a core component of this character.

    Alchemy:

    Focused on poison perks.

    If you're saving on two-handed and light armor perks, you can get the improved potions, which might make more sense from a gameplay mechanic standpoint.

    Enchanting:

    No need for weapon enchants, just go straight for extra effect

    Secondary Skills

    Block:

    Quick Reflexes should be made a priority and acquired ASAP as side-stepping power attacks will save this character a lot of hurt.

    Light Armor:

    Nothing above Custom Fit is really needed and even that's debatable since this build focuses on not taking too much damage in the first place.

    Sneak:

    Stealth 1/5 really helps with the sneaking. There's no real need for anything else with Illusion spells.

    Speech & Restoration:

    If played above ~lvl 50 I would suggest dumping points into speech for lore-reasons or restoration for the necromage boost. 

    Smithing & Conjuration:

    No perks invested but I leveled these two up making iron daggers for enchanting and casting soul trap. The XP doesn’t hurt and it comes naturally during gameplay.

    Equipment / Combat

    Due to this character's backstory focusing around the infiltration and subversion of Lord Harkon's court, I build the equipment around vampire armor, which I always thought deserved a little more notice. Sadly, the vampire set doesn't include a hood, so I opted for the foresworn headdress instead (hence why I suggest a female character, as I can't find a fitting piece of light armor headgear for a male character).

    Since the Webspinner is a hybrid character, relying on stealth and illusion's fear and frenzy effects to weaken opponents (no calm since the spell has a green effect and I didn't think it fit this character's visuals – plus it makes things a little too easy) and poison-enhanced attacks with the Ebony Blade to take out enemies in single combat. This character thrives on chaos on the battlefield, manipulating groups of enemies against each other, sending powerful adversaries running away in fear, and engaging in direct combat only once the situation is favorable – or when no other option is available.

    If at all possible, a sneak attack (preferably with poison) is a good way to open up combat, allowing for a little additional damage. Just remember to get out of sneak or the Ebony Blade's attack speed will be worthless.

    Once blades have crossed, bashing and blocking in combination with Quick Reflexes can  avoid or minimize the amount of incoming damage while normal attacks with the Ebony Blade are fast enough to out-heal wounds inflicted by minor enemies, making up for this character's lack of heavy armor.

     

    Unless it's painfully obvious you need to keep the enemy stun-locked, (e.g. dwarven automatons, mages, archers, briarhearts, etc). I'd avoid using power attacks as they negate the Ebony Blade's quick attack speek and weaken the health-drain effect.

    Poisons add another dimension to melee combat, making up for the Ebony Blade's lack of base damage and allowing additional control of the battlefield through slow and paralysis.

    Sure, the 60+ damage a good poison adds aren't a huge boost compared to smiting or fortify two-handed, but there's no reason to miss out on that extra damage when you can get it.

    Health and, to a lesser extent, stamina potions add much-needed survivability and I've found it's generally a good idea to keep a few fortify two-handed potions at hand for the tough fights. There's also no harm in carrying around a few spider scrolls. They fit Mephala's lore as and even out the odds against enemies that are immune to poison or the Ebony Blade's drain (*cough* dwarven automatons *cough*)

    The Webspinner's lack of ranged abilities are compensated for with the Vampire Lord form, which allows this physically weak character to take on dragons in the air and deal with foes that can outlast the Webspinner (e.g. dragon priests, steam centurions; anything that moves too fast to avoid, can't be reliably locked out of combat or does too much damage up close).

    I'm sure one can play this build without Vampire Lord but, frankly, I often found myself situations where trying to fight in physical form would have been suicide. Some enemies hit too hard, others were too fast to dodge, others yet kept running away or came in  groups so large that illusion and Ebony Blade couldn't handle them.

    Being able to zip around in circles or float over water while casting blood magic and summoning gargoyles provides flexibility this build needs to deal with certain foes – this is a first for me, since most characters I've played before never really felt like they needed transformations as an integral part of the build.

    In summary, the key to this character is to choose the approach best suited for the situation. Sometimes running in and whacking everything works. Sometimes illusion and stealth is needed. Sometimes nothing works. At other times, any approach is viable. I got the most enjoyment around level 20-40, where i didn't have all the skills and really had to try multiple approaches when things got tough. It really felt like playing a character that was plucking at the weave of fate, for better or for worse.

    Dragon Shouts

    Since this character isn't the Dragonborn, RP led me to shy away from shouts. The two I used I envisioned as 'aspects' of Mephala that the Webspinner makes use of.

    Slow Time: This one should be self-explanatory. I like to think of it as the Webspinner adapting Mephala's aspect of orgies and bloodshed, dancing around her foes, slashing away like a maniac.

    Bend Will: Sort of an extension of the Illusion skillset, charming humans and animals, turning them into temporary allies. Frankly, I seldom used this in combat, preferring slow time, but it's useful with silent casting + sneak and arguably more reliable in making allies than enrage spells – plus it's a good way to deal with dragons you can't fight toe to toe.

    Note: I can see Become Ethereal being another useful shot for this character, acting something like an improved invisibility effect, but I never actually got the shout on my playthrough so I can only theorize on its utility.

    Roleplay

    Roleplay wise the most important aspect of this character is toying with people for your daedric master's amusement. This could either serve a greater purpose or just be to see what happens. The great thing about this is that, with a few minor exceptions, you can fit almost every quest line into the RP.

    So you want to join the Academy? Mephala wants yout to make some friends and watch them be beaten to a pulp at the hands of Frost Giants. Want to help some poor, penniless sod find his lost item? Mephala would prefer you enrage them and watch the guards slaughter the guy. Want to propose to someone and profess eternal love? Mephala merely asks you entice said sweetheart to partake in extravagant orgies dedicated to the Webspinner. On Tuesdays, however, Mephala will be content if you woo said sweetheart merely because you can.

    The way Mephala sees it, everyone's fair game for a prank, murder, betrayal, double-crossing or just plain old good fun. Hell, the Webspinner can even be genuinely nice or helpful to someone for a change of pace. I wouldn't necessarily do any of the other daedric quests but even there Mephala could have her reasons (perhaps not Molag Bal's quest, though).

    The same reasoning applies to dialogue responses, crime and other actions. There's no reason to be outright evil, though there's no reason not to be either. You can meddle in people's affairs, not give a damn, be snappy, sarcastic, honest; there's not really a limit on what Mephala would or wouldn't do lore-wise, and I can't think of a good reason to add too many restrictions here.

    Gameplay wise, I'd also recommend not using the ritual stone resurrect to power up the Ebony Blade but actually finding ten different NPCs to befriend and kill. There's a bunch of quests you can do that will work (see some suggestions below) or just help a few farmers and murder them as necessary. At any rate, it feels a lot more genuine not glitching the sword up to its full potential.

    My only pet peeve are the calm spells from illusion, which I refuse to use on principle – with this character due to visuals and otherwise because I just don't like the way they make everyone stand around like idiots while their friends bleed to death around them.

    Quest Suggestions

    Bleak Falls Barrow / Dragon Rising: establish yourself with the Jarl of Whiterun – also necessary to unlock the Whispering Door and the basic dragon shouts.

    The Whispering Door: gains you access to the Ebony Blade. Complete this ASAP (becomes available by asking for gossip at the Bannered Mare when you reach lvl 20)

    Book of Love: a practical way to get +15 magic resistance and make a few friends in Ivarstead to kill later. Mephala likes playing with people's emotions, after all, and what's more powerful than love?

    Imperial Legion / Stormcloaks: barring glitching, you'll want to do the first two missions if you want the slow time shout and there's no end to the meddling which can be done here.

    Mage Academy: intrigue, rivalry, powerful magical artifacts and a chance to blame the death of the Archmage on an agent of the Thalmor? The Webspinner sees a good reason to act – plus you'll need the spells and, perhaps, a few students to murder along the way.

    Dark Brotherhood: a cult dedicated to murder and bloodshed? Why not? Good friends to have – and they basically worship you already, albeit in a roundabout way. Oh, and a mad jester is always good to have around, just to keep the spirits up.

    Unfathomable Depths: practical for the smithing and armor bonus, plus a good way to grab soul stones along the way. Lore-wise, perhaps mephala is intrugued by the tale of an argonian adventurer gone mad and wants to know more.

    Discerning the Transmundane: you'll definitely want to start this for practical reasons. As for finishing this quest, well, Mephala and Hermaeus Mora are siblings, so maybe family helps out family?

    Dragonborn: poor Hermaeus got himself in some trouble with his would-be champion trying to come back from the dead. Lots of irony to be had here – and dearest sibling might just share a secret or two along the way.

    Danwguard: best initiated between lvl 20 and 30, preferably earlier than later to get the Vampire Lord form. Infiltrate Lord Harkon's court and begin plotting his downfall. I recommend not completing the Dawnguard questline until you've reached the end of this character's arc, as the ultimate goal of the Webspinner is to exact revenge on Molag Bal.

    Variations

    While I'm calling these variations, these were really precursors to the build I present above - both ideas which I discarded due to the fact I didn't find them unique enough. Still, I feel they should be documented here none the less.

    Morag Tong Exile: having devoted your life to bloodshed in the name of Mephala, you were sent to Skyrim on the most important of tasks: retrieve the Ebony Blade from those who keep this sacred artifact locked away from the world. After an unfortunate turn of events at the border, you are taken prisoner by the Imperials and are presumed dead by your superiors – a pathetic failure for a skilled assassin. Yet, against all odds, you survive your would-be execution and resume your task, intent on regaining the favor of the Webspinner.

    This variation of the build is basically another backstory and a good reason to use Morag Tong armor instead of Vampire attire - useful for male characters. I'd suggest joining the Dawnguard and killing Lord Harkon to regain the favor of Mephala - the absence of Vampire Lord form would make the build tough to play, forcing the player to think more like an assassin than a deadra.

     

    Ebony Champion: born of noble house, you set out for Skyrim in search of fame, fortune and stories to tell the folks back home. An unfortunate misunderstanding at the border however leads you to get captured by the Imperials and, after the freak arrival of a dragon, you soon find yourself appealing to the Jarl of Whiterun for amnesty. In service to the Jarl you chance upon rumors of the so-called Ebony Blade and soon find new purpose in life, pledging yourself to the Webspinner and plucking at threads of fate beyond your ability to comprehend.

    This variation of the build uses heavy armor (specifically ebony armor) instead of light armor, giving the character greater physical protection.

    More importantly, this would be a good alternative if you don't have Dawnguard or Dragonborn – or simply if you can't stand light armor. Gameplay and story-wise there's not much else to add to the base build. Your goals are the same: serve Mephala's designs; meddle in mortal affairs.

     

     

     

     

  • Member
    December 9, 2013

    Good first build. Just a heads up though, you messed up your tags. It should be "Character Build Acrobat", "Character Build Illusionist" (note the use of double rather than single quotation marks), and since you're allowed to have one more tag, I'd go with Alchemist or Enchanter. Mean while, your race tag should be Race:Dunmer (no quotation marks used here). Hope this helps.

  • Member
    December 9, 2013

    Thanks for the comment. And oh dear. I knew this would happen. Thanks for the heads-up!

    /fixes...

  • Member
    December 9, 2013

    No problem, looks like you've got it!

  • Member
    December 9, 2013

    Don't forget to put your rank in the tags too... Rank:Bloodworks

    Not bad for a first build, a little text heavy but a decent build nonetheless. The layout was nice and smooth. Good concept and good detail. If I could offer one piece of advice for future builds; try to cut out stuff that doesn't seem as important. Like for me the backstory was a little long. But that's my personal opinion. Also, you could get some screenshots of your character in the armor you chose, and really cool combat shots over in The Screenshot Request Thread. The guys over there do tremendous work with providing killer screenshots. 

    Pretty good for a first build though! +1 from me. 

  • December 9, 2013
    +1 for a good build and possibly the most entertaining typo I've seen in a while. Smithing & Conjugations? =P
  • Member
    December 9, 2013

    Thank you and fixed. Only now I can't stop giggling. I honestly had to read your comment three times to see the typo. Dear dear...

  • Member
    December 9, 2013

    Thanks for the feedback and suggestions. Most valuable; will be looked into in future.

  • December 9, 2013
    Nice build , I can really tell you put some work into this +1, had a question though, I have never played a two handed stealth character before and was curious if you have tested if the dark brotherhood gloves gave double back stab with the Ebony blade? And if you perked up to silent roll in stealth and perked great critical charge in two handed, would that work out to 8x sneak damage attack when silent rolling/great critical charge combo? If that did work out that way it might be a great move for this build.
  • Member
    December 10, 2013

    AFAIK the dark brotherhood gloves only affect 1-h weapons. UESP seems to say the same thing (www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Backstab). It would be a wonderful combo if things worked that way. Sadly, Skyrim has its quirks and two-handed weapons are limited to a 2x sneak attack damage bonus.