This is a build with it's roots back in the days of Morrowind, some ten years ago. My very first character in an Elder Scrolls game was a Dunmer, and his class was a preset rogue. As the years passed, the character developed; I eventually started using Restoration to heal myself, then Illusion, and eventually most other schools of magic. When I got my hands on Oblivion, I brought him over to Cyrodiil. That character was the first "modern" take on this build, a nightblade with a very heavy emphasis on magic. I have since brought him over to Skyrim, and here, I present to you my final take on this long-developed character;
The Shadow
The first known sighting of this strange phenomena was in the year 3E 427, the same year that the Nerevarine returned to Vvardenfell. Rumors and reports of what appeared to be a Dunmer man, cloaked in black, and present during nearly every high-profile assassination were spreading rapidly. This man would come and go in an instant; all reports of him end with they witnesses looking away for a fraction of a second before looking back, and finding that the man vanished. Such reports describe him as having a strange, physical aura; he would often shimmer and wave, as if looking at a reflection in the water, and some reports claim that he even appeared somewhat translucent. It was here, in Vvardenfell, that he received his name; the Shadow. After the death of Dagoth Ur, all sightings on the island, and indeed anywhere else, ceased abruptly.
It took six years before another report of the Shadow surfaced, now in Cyrodiil during the Oblivion Crisis. However, this time the Shadow did not seem as harmless. On deck of the Marie Elena, docked in the Waterfront of the Imperial City, a citizen saw the Shadow in action for the first time.
"I have no idea what I saw," said Cassius, the Imperial who claimed to witness an astonishing assassination. "It was some sort of man, dressed in black leather, who would appear for a fraction of a second before disappearing into nothingness again." Cassius retold his tale to the Imperial Guard, being the only witness to come forth on the mysterious killing of everyone on board the Marie Elena.
"I woke up one night because I heard shouting and scraping metal coming from the docks. I got up out of my bed, looked out the window, and it was nearly pitch black. No torches were lit, no guards were at their posts. The only light was coming from the deck of the ship, lanterns that had been lit by the crew. They were feverish, seemingly in terror, swords drawn and shouting and something to 'come out of the shadows.' Then I saw it. He appeared, from nowhere it looked like, slit one man's throat and disappeared into nothingness again, all in a second. The rest of the crew didn't know what happened until they heard their mate's body hit the deck. And it continued that way, the man in black flitting in and out of existence, each time killing another person in one fell stroke. I've never seen anything like it, not around these parts."
The next day, it was reported that every single person employed by the Marie Elena had been killed by a "mysterious force." All citizens of the Imperial City were put under lockdown, guards were posted at every entrance and exit into the city, and not a single citizen walked the streets for twenty four hours afterwards.
Several months later, a woman from Cheydinhal claimed to have come face-to-face with the Shadow.
"He had a cold aura about him," she anonymously told the Black Horse Courier. "It seemed to me like I was dreaming, and he was part of that dream. He just didn't seem real. His body had a slight wave to it, as if the light was bending around him. Clearly he was a Dark Elf, but he was different. It seemed like he had some other creature in his blood, some sort of demon. His skin was perfectly smooth and tight around his bones, making his face look very gaunt. A blood red tattoo of the Daedric letter 'cess' covered much of his face, with the top of the letter stretching across his forehead and the two hooks going down around his eyes and down his jaw. His hood covered his head, but I could see long strands of silvery hair creeping out from under it. His mouth was narrow, and his lips were thin, but his eyes were the strangest part about him. His pupils were abnormally small, and his eyes were not red like others of his race, but a pale blue and emitting a faint white light. They pierced right through me, seemingly dissecting my very soul and getting to the core of my hopes, and my fears."
The legend surrounding the Shadow once again began to grow, reaching every corner of Cyrodiil. Criminal organizations began to seek the killer's skills without success. The Imperial Guard placed a substantial bounty on his head, enough to make any citizen as rich as a count. However, no more sightings with any merit were announced, and no bounty was claimed.
Now, two hundred years later in Skyrim, another report saw the light of day. Grelod, the headmistress of Riften's Honorhall Orphanage, was murdered. Allegedly, by the Shadow. And that is where this story begins.
• • • • • • •
The Build
I placed a focus on augmenting martial skills with magical power, and I really wanted to make the character feel like an incredibly skilled mage as well as a deadly assassin. On top of that, I wanted to try something a little different; a very fast-paced and thrilling stealth character. Too many assassins and thieves crouch down and actually sneak so that they remain undetected, but I say where's the fun in that? With a combination of items and perks, this character rarely sneaks later in the game. Instead, he can run, jump, even sprint and still remain completely undetected. However, I tend to intentionally gimp my builds in some way or another. With this character, I have chosen to keep him quite easy to kill should things go bad. The Shadow is weak to magic, and his health will never increase.
Race: Dunmer. Not only do the skills fit very well, but this was the race I've always played this character as. Plus, Dark Elves are pretty freaking awesome.
Skills: One-Handed, Sneak, Light Armor, Destruction, Restoration, Illusion, Alteration, Enchanting (not necessarily in that order)
Standing Stone: The Lover until roughly level 20, switch to the Apprentice after
Equipment: Nightingale set with Ancient Shrouded Gloves, enchanted Daedric dagger
Factions: Dark Brotherhood and Thieve's Guild, both for roleplay and for items and other perks. The College of Winterhold for access to spells.
Shouts: Aura Whisper, Become Ethereal, Marked for Death, and Throw Voice are all highly useful. I rarely ever have a physical confrontation, so I find the use of combat-oriented Shouts to not have much use.
Skills
Sneak: Obviously, this is the bread-and-butter of the build. Early on, this skill will save your life. Later, you will hardly ever use it except for sneak attacks. But more on that later. The build has a large focus on Invisibility, and Shadow Warrior allows for even more use of this wonderful effect. Perks should be placed here every level up if possible, before maxing out the tree.
One-Handed: The Shadow's main source of damage. Drop the longsword and use a dagger as soon as you have Assassin's Blade. You won't need that lumbering hunk of metal anyways.
Illusion: This is where the fun begins. Invisibility is going to be spammed later in the game, but the rest of the tree is also incredibly potent. Muffle is great early on, and I've taken a liking to Fear spells with this character. Think Arkham games; terror is your ally.
Restoration: I'll be honest, this school isn't used very often in the late-game. But early-game, it's going to save your butt countless times, especially on harder difficulties. After all, the Shadow is a bit of a glass cannon.
Destruction: The Shadow's ranged attack. Lighting spells are a sniper's best friend here, and they're really useful for taking out pesky dragons when they're in the air. As such, that's the element I specialized in.
Alteration: Extra utility is always great. Detect Life, Detect Dead, and Paralyze are the three main spells I use from this school, but the perks are incredible, especially when you have The Apprentice stone active. All three perks of Magic Resistance bring Weakness to Magic down to 70%, which is a bit more manageable. If you play it right, however, you won't ever get hit with magic anyways.
Light Armor: Defense, obviously. Plus, Nightingale looks dang good. No perks will be taken, but that doesn't mean the skill won't be used.
Enchanting: You'll have a couple slots to enchant gear for, and trust me, it's worth it.
PERK TREES (click)
3 Magicka | 0 Health | 2 Stamina
Once you have 200 Stamina, switch to 4/0/1 for every 5 level ups. Alternatively, if you're like me and you find yourself using a lot of magic, you can put every level up into Magicka.
Gameplay and Tactics
Okay, remember that whole "no sneaking" thing I was talking about? Well, what I mean by that is that with a certain perk, or perks and enchantments at earlier levels, The Shadow will have 100% Muffle all the time. He is completely silent, regardless if he is sneaking or not. The only thing affecting his detection is sight, and that's easily taken care of with a quick cast of Invisibility, which will be dirt cheap at later levels once you get Fortify Illusion gear and your massive Magicka pool begins to build up. So, what is the secret to being able to run around all you want and have no fear of getting a battleaxe to the face? The Silence perk. This single perk grants you 100% Muffle all the time. It's really an obvious thing, but this is the first build to utilize this perk in such a way. Earlier on, Muffled Movement and a piece of equipment enchanted with Muffle will also make you completely silent until you get 70 Sneak. Or you can just cast the Muffle spell although this eats away at your Magicka pool somewhat quickly. It's seriously that easy.
Once you achieve 100% Muffle in some way, shape, or form, the game gets ridiculously fun, and that's where this build truly shines (doesn't take as long as you think, guys, just a perk requiring 30 Sneak and a pair of Shrouded Boots). Run around, pop into sneak mode when you're ready to backstab someone, kill that poor sod, cast Invisibility, then run away and repeat the procedure. But that's boring, isn't it? That's okay, though, because you have almost every School of magic available for you to use, or misuse, depending on your pleasure. Cast a couple Fear spells, shock a few people with bolts of lightning, and in general cause as much chaos and havoc as you can before cutting everyone down.
Earlier, you'll play as a much more standard Nightblade, and a very squishy one at that. Stay out of confrontation as much as you can. Even with Restoration, you won't be able to take many hits on anything higher than Adept. Bring along a lot of Restore Magicka potions, because you'll need them. It will take a while for your arcane prowess to develop, after all. Two hundred years away from the job does that to you.
As far as enchantments go, you have a couple slots open; your Neck slot, your Ring slot, and your dagger. Get the best Illusion enchantment you can on both your necklace and your ring. Once you take the Extra Effect perk, add on Fortify Magicka and Fortify Magicka Regen. The regen enchantment has to go on your ring, which means Fortify Magicka will go on your necklace. As far as your weapons go, I have recently come to love the Fear enchantment with this character. If, for some crazy reason, your opponent is still alive after you stab his neck, he will hopefully flee instead of stand and fight, buying you some extra time to go invisible and run away. For a second enchantment, Absorb Health is always a devilishly good choice, as is Paralyze or Fiery Soul Trap. You don't use Conjuration so the last choice might be your preferred.
• • • • • • •
That's it for this one. I truly hope you've all enjoyed reading this build write-up, and I hope a few of you try out this rather unique playstyle.
This is a build with it's roots back in the days of Morrowind, some ten years ago. My very first character in an Elder Scrolls game was a Dunmer, and his class was a preset rogue. As the years passed, the character developed; I eventually started using Restoration to heal myself, then Illusion, and eventually most other schools of magic. When I got my hands on Oblivion, I brought him over to Cyrodiil. That character was the first "modern" take on this build, a nightblade with a very heavy emphasis on magic. I have since brought him over to Skyrim, and here, I present to you my final take on this long-developed character;
The Shadow
The first known sighting of this strange phenomena was in the year 3E 427, the same year that the Nerevarine returned to Vvardenfell. Rumors and reports of what appeared to be a Dunmer man, cloaked in black, and present during nearly every high-profile assassination were spreading rapidly. This man would come and go in an instant; all reports of him end with they witnesses looking away for a fraction of a second before looking back, and finding that the man vanished. Such reports describe him as having a strange, physical aura; he would often shimmer and wave, as if looking at a reflection in the water, and some reports claim that he even appeared somewhat translucent. It was here, in Vvardenfell, that he received his name; the Shadow. After the death of Dagoth Ur, all sightings on the island, and indeed anywhere else, ceased abruptly.
It took six years before another report of the Shadow surfaced, now in Cyrodiil during the Oblivion Crisis. However, this time the Shadow did not seem as harmless. On deck of the Marie Elena, docked in the Waterfront of the Imperial City, a citizen saw the Shadow in action for the first time.
"I have no idea what I saw," said Cassius, the Imperial who claimed to witness an astonishing assassination. "It was some sort of man, dressed in black leather, who would appear for a fraction of a second before disappearing into nothingness again." Cassius retold his tale to the Imperial Guard, being the only witness to come forth on the mysterious killing of everyone on board the Marie Elena.
"I woke up one night because I heard shouting and scraping metal coming from the docks. I got up out of my bed, looked out the window, and it was nearly pitch black. No torches were lit, no guards were at their posts. The only light was coming from the deck of the ship, lanterns that had been lit by the crew. They were feverish, seemingly in terror, swords drawn and shouting and something to 'come out of the shadows.' Then I saw it. He appeared, from nowhere it looked like, slit one man's throat and disappeared into nothingness again, all in a second. The rest of the crew didn't know what happened until they heard their mate's body hit the deck. And it continued that way, the man in black flitting in and out of existence, each time killing another person in one fell stroke. I've never seen anything like it, not around these parts."
The next day, it was reported that every single person employed by the Marie Elena had been killed by a "mysterious force." All citizens of the Imperial City were put under lockdown, guards were posted at every entrance and exit into the city, and not a single citizen walked the streets for twenty four hours afterwards.
Several months later, a woman from Cheydinhal claimed to have come face-to-face with the Shadow.
"He had a cold aura about him," she anonymously told the Black Horse Courier. "It seemed to me like I was dreaming, and he was part of that dream. He just didn't seem real. His body had a slight wave to it, as if the light was bending around him. Clearly he was a Dark Elf, but he was different. It seemed like he had some other creature in his blood, some sort of demon. His skin was perfectly smooth and tight around his bones, making his face look very gaunt. A blood red tattoo of the Daedric letter 'cess' covered much of his face, with the top of the letter stretching across his forehead and the two hooks going down around his eyes and down his jaw. His hood covered his head, but I could see long strands of silvery hair creeping out from under it. His mouth was narrow, and his lips were thin, but his eyes were the strangest part about him. His pupils were abnormally small, and his eyes were not red like others of his race, but a pale blue and emitting a faint white light. They pierced right through me, seemingly dissecting my very soul and getting to the core of my hopes, and my fears."
The legend surrounding the Shadow once again began to grow, reaching every corner of Cyrodiil. Criminal organizations began to seek the killer's skills without success. The Imperial Guard placed a substantial bounty on his head, enough to make any citizen as rich as a count. However, no more sightings with any merit were announced, and no bounty was claimed.
Now, two hundred years later in Skyrim, another report saw the light of day. Grelod, the headmistress of Riften's Honorhall Orphanage, was murdered. Allegedly, by the Shadow. And that is where this story begins.
• • • • • • •
The Build
I placed a focus on augmenting martial skills with magical power, and I really wanted to make the character feel like an incredibly skilled mage as well as a deadly assassin. On top of that, I wanted to try something a little different; a very fast-paced and thrilling stealth character. Too many assassins and thieves crouch down and actually sneak so that they remain undetected, but I say where's the fun in that? With a combination of items and perks, this character rarely sneaks later in the game. Instead, he can run, jump, even sprint and still remain completely undetected. However, I tend to intentionally gimp my builds in some way or another. With this character, I have chosen to keep him quite easy to kill should things go bad. The Shadow is weak to magic, and his health will never increase.
Race: Dunmer. Not only do the skills fit very well, but this was the race I've always played this character as. Plus, Dark Elves are pretty freaking awesome.
Skills: One-Handed, Sneak, Light Armor, Destruction, Restoration, Illusion, Alteration, Enchanting (not necessarily in that order)
Standing Stone: The Lover until roughly level 20, switch to the Apprentice after
Equipment: Nightingale set with Ancient Shrouded Gloves, enchanted Daedric dagger
Factions: Dark Brotherhood and Thieve's Guild, both for roleplay and for items and other perks. The College of Winterhold for access to spells.
Shouts: Aura Whisper, Become Ethereal, Marked for Death, and Throw Voice are all highly useful. I rarely ever have a physical confrontation, so I find the use of combat-oriented Shouts to not have much use.
Skills
Sneak: Obviously, this is the bread-and-butter of the build. Early on, this skill will save your life. Later, you will hardly ever use it except for sneak attacks. But more on that later. The build has a large focus on Invisibility, and Shadow Warrior allows for even more use of this wonderful effect. Perks should be placed here every level up if possible, before maxing out the tree.
One-Handed: The Shadow's main source of damage. Drop the longsword and use a dagger as soon as you have Assassin's Blade. You won't need that lumbering hunk of metal anyways.
Illusion: This is where the fun begins. Invisibility is going to be spammed later in the game, but the rest of the tree is also incredibly potent. Muffle is great early on, and I've taken a liking to Fear spells with this character. Think Arkham games; terror is your ally.
Restoration: I'll be honest, this school isn't used very often in the late-game. But early-game, it's going to save your butt countless times, especially on harder difficulties. After all, the Shadow is a bit of a glass cannon.
Destruction: The Shadow's ranged attack. Lighting spells are a sniper's best friend here, and they're really useful for taking out pesky dragons when they're in the air. As such, that's the element I specialized in.
Alteration: Extra utility is always great. Detect Life, Detect Dead, and Paralyze are the three main spells I use from this school, but the perks are incredible, especially when you have The Apprentice stone active. All three perks of Magic Resistance bring Weakness to Magic down to 70%, which is a bit more manageable. If you play it right, however, you won't ever get hit with magic anyways.
Light Armor: Defense, obviously. Plus, Nightingale looks dang good. No perks will be taken, but that doesn't mean the skill won't be used.
Enchanting: You'll have a couple slots to enchant gear for, and trust me, it's worth it.
PERK TREES (click)
3 Magicka | 0 Health | 2 Stamina
Once you have 200 Stamina, switch to 4/0/1 for every 5 level ups. Alternatively, if you're like me and you find yourself using a lot of magic, you can put every level up into Magicka.
Gameplay and Tactics
Okay, remember that whole "no sneaking" thing I was talking about? Well, what I mean by that is that with a certain perk, or perks and enchantments at earlier levels, The Shadow will have 100% Muffle all the time. He is completely silent, regardless if he is sneaking or not. The only thing affecting his detection is sight, and that's easily taken care of with a quick cast of Invisibility, which will be dirt cheap at later levels once you get Fortify Illusion gear and your massive Magicka pool begins to build up. So, what is the secret to being able to run around all you want and have no fear of getting a battleaxe to the face? The Silence perk. This single perk grants you 100% Muffle all the time. It's really an obvious thing, but this is the first build to utilize this perk in such a way. Earlier on, Muffled Movement and a piece of equipment enchanted with Muffle will also make you completely silent until you get 70 Sneak. Or you can just cast the Muffle spell although this eats away at your Magicka pool somewhat quickly. It's seriously that easy.
Once you achieve 100% Muffle in some way, shape, or form, the game gets ridiculously fun, and that's where this build truly shines (doesn't take as long as you think, guys, just a perk requiring 30 Sneak and a pair of Shrouded Boots). Run around, pop into sneak mode when you're ready to backstab someone, kill that poor sod, cast Invisibility, then run away and repeat the procedure. But that's boring, isn't it? That's okay, though, because you have almost every School of magic available for you to use, or misuse, depending on your pleasure. Cast a couple Fear spells, shock a few people with bolts of lightning, and in general cause as much chaos and havoc as you can before cutting everyone down.
Earlier, you'll play as a much more standard Nightblade, and a very squishy one at that. Stay out of confrontation as much as you can. Even with Restoration, you won't be able to take many hits on anything higher than Adept. Bring along a lot of Restore Magicka potions, because you'll need them. It will take a while for your arcane prowess to develop, after all. Two hundred years away from the job does that to you.
As far as enchantments go, you have a couple slots open; your Neck slot, your Ring slot, and your dagger. Get the best Illusion enchantment you can on both your necklace and your ring. Once you take the Extra Effect perk, add on Fortify Magicka and Fortify Magicka Regen. The regen enchantment has to go on your ring, which means Fortify Magicka will go on your necklace. As far as your weapons go, I have recently come to love the Fear enchantment with this character. If, for some crazy reason, your opponent is still alive after you stab his neck, he will hopefully flee instead of stand and fight, buying you some extra time to go invisible and run away. For a second enchantment, Absorb Health is always a devilishly good choice, as is Paralyze or Fiery Soul Trap. You don't use Conjuration so the last choice might be your preferred.
• • • • • • •
That's it for this one. I truly hope you've all enjoyed reading this build write-up, and I hope a few of you try out this rather unique playstyle.
