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Character Build: Explorer of Many Planes

Tags: #Character Build Archer  #Character Build Pilgrim  #Character Build Vampire  #Rank:Recognized 
  • February 2, 2015

    “Rimor multorum planis, or Explorer of many planes, in your tongue. I am a man of legend, and mystery alike. I come from a place, no, places, you could never image. One place has been burned by atomic fire, other, swallowed by those in search of souls. This place, a great evil stirs within, war has broken out, and mystic creatures will once again, conquer this world. Who I am will not matter, but what I will do, will change the course of your history.”

    There are stories and tales of a man that has walked across many planes. He has seen more than any mere mortal, and traversed the world of Gods. He has hunted down man and Deity alike. He has traveled places of legend, and worlds of forbidden power, in search of knowledge, and experience alike.

    He carries with him artifacts of these lost worlds, things that could not possibly come from this world. One account said he was in possess of a straight, metal bow that shot out a green substance and melted his opponents. Others have seen carrying around a device that shoots out two colors—blue and orange, and that he could travel incredibly far distances, even city to city, in mere seconds, and then reappear in front of them, the next.

    There is one story; however, that differs from all the rest. There was once a time where this man was captured, subdued, in a faraway land.  He was stripped of his artifacts, and thrown into a cart with three of prisoners. He examined his surroundings. Winter, forested, and seemed of Old Norse architecture and tradition. As they pulled into the city that the guards called “Helgen”, He looked up, to the sky, and noticed that the stars aligned in a matter, that three figures appeared—A wise old man, a young confident thief, and an aged warrior. As he was forced off the cart, to stand in line, he smiled and whispered to himself, “Tamriel, it has been too long…” When the guard asked who he was, he looked at him with his dark-orange eyes, and simply said, “Would you kindly not speak.” The guard then, as if in a trace, pointed to the line of prisoners and could not speak until the man walked away.

    He walked to the open space in between the other prisoner, and took a deep breath, and smiled, “This place is covered in the scent of Wyrm, and undead alike, and it won’t be long before the first has come back from their unbreakable prison within space and time.”

    As he said these words, a deafening shout could be heard, and he smiled, bearing his sharp teeth, and laughing the word, “And it seemed like his prison has been open!”

    Now before I go on with the more technical part of the build (i.e., equipment, perks, stat layout, storylines, playstyle, etc.) I would like to point out the fact that this build is a very diverse build. You can choose from multiple races, and multiple playstyles. This character is meant to be an outsider from Tamriel, and a “Jumper” of dimensions, or “Planes”. It can be played many different ways, but the point of this character is he is here to change history for the better. He wants to do everything in his power to make things right, but he has another goal. He is here to gain knowledge. This is not the first time I have used this type of build. I am testing/tested this build in Skyrim, and did a complete play through with him in Oblivion.

     

    Build

    Race: The Explorer is of human decent, but the race is dependent on you. The two choices I provide depends on what type of starting stats sound better for you.

    Breton – 25% magic resistance, and the Dragonskin ability will be a good way to start the explorer as a defensive character, especially against mages.

    OR

    Imperial – Voice of the Emperor is a good calming power to have early on, and, though it is very few, Imperial Luck does offer the player more gold, which will always come in handy!

    Gender: Male

    Standing Stone: Recommended the Lover Stone, since the character will be using a variety of skills, from all three portions of the leveling system, and later in the game (mid-to-end game), the Lady or Lord Stone makes a good choice!

    Stats: 3:3:4 (Health, Stamina, And Magicka)

    Major Skills: Speech, One-handed, Archery, Illusion, Alteration

    Minor Skills: Alchemy, Enchanting, Metalworking (Smithing), Conjuration

    Shouts: Battle Fury, Become Ethereal, Bend Will (DB), Whirlwind Sprint, Soul Tear (DG), Storm Call

    Questlines: Guild Questlines (Thieves, Brotherhood, Companions, College), Dawnguard, Main Quest, Daedric Quests, Power/Ability giving quests (Especially important) and Side Quests. (The point of the character is to make his mark on Tamriel, and to gain knowledge as he goes. By doing almost any quest you come about, his connection to the Plane of Tamriel will deepen, and his power, and knowledge, will thus be increased.)

    Now that you have the basic information of the format of the player, and have a decent idea of how long, and in-depth of a playthrough this is going to be, I would like to get a little more specific, and give you a couple off rules I gave myself while I was testing. First off, fast-traveling is not allowed. Yes, you may be asking “The character is a jumper, why can’t he fast travel!” Simple really. He is a jumper, and can travel though these slight rifts in between planes of existence, but if he were to attempt to fast travel while in a word, and attempt to stay in the world, one of two things would happen. Either he would slip into another dimension, or he would misshapen the fabric of space and time, and either be trapped in a limbo (Like Alduin was), or simply go forward or backwards in the time period of that dimension.

    Another simple guideline to follow is this character, though neutral politically, is here to gain knowledge and change the course of history for the better, meaning that in the war of Skyrim, he is well suited to take either side, basically what I am telling you is that it is your decision which side of the war that you take.

    Third, and finally, is that you must KEEP ALL BOOKS you find (exception being the Oghma Infinium). He is on a pursuit for knowledge, thus keeping (and reading, I highly recommend it) books is the best way for him to gain knowledge of the world of Tamriel.

    Now back onto the good stuff!

    Equipment

    *Note: For roleplay reasons, when I was currently doing a quest that was for a specific questline, I used the armor set for said questline. Weaponry did not change, but mainly for RP reasons, Just a suggestion, no need to do so. Also, all enchanting should be done at the same time.*

    Apparel

    Head: Apprentice hood, then, switch to the Volsung, Morokei or the Krosis Dragon Priest Mask whenever possible. Build benefits greatly from these specific masks. For RP reasons, the Wooden Mask is quite nice, since it contains an ability to “jump” and this intrigues the Explorer to keep it. No need to wear unless you just want to feel badass in a wooden mask.

    Chest: Leather armor, crafted yourself and improved. Later on, when Enchanting is maxed, switch to Light Stalhrim armor (if you do not have Dragonborn, simply use Glass armor), enchanting the chestplate with Fortify Conjuration and Fortify Alteration. Rename the armor piece Transdimensional Lorica.

    Hands: Leather gauntlets, crafted and improved. Later one, Light Stalhrim or Glass, enchanting them with Fortify Archery and Fortify One-handed. Rename them as Revision Manus Gurads.

    Boots: You get the idea, same set, change all at once, enchant, and just follow the pattern. Enchant them with Fortify Carry Weight and Muffle. Rename them Igitur Cursores Tabernus.

    Ring: Silver or Gold ring, with any type of gem. Enchant it with Fortify Illusion and Waterbreathing. Rename ring Inundatum Anulus Mentium.

    Necklace/Amulet: You can use one of two choices. Silver or Gold necklace, matching the ring (or use a Bone Hawk Necklace, for a more badass look). Enchant with Fortify Speech and Fortify Alchemy. Rename it Gigantes Rosarium. Secondly, you can use the Amulet of Articulation. The only thing you would miss out on is perhaps a higher Speech fortification and the Alchemy fortification.

    Weaponry

    Ranged: Enhanced Dwarven Crossbow. Enchant with Chaos Enchantment, and Soul Trap. Rename crossbow Ljus i Mörkret. Without Dawnguard, or until obtained, simply use Bound Bow.

    Melee: Use the highest quality swords you can find until you are ready to enchant. Craft Stalhrim One-handed Sword, enchanted with Chaos Enchantment and Absorb Health. Rename weapon Et Sanguis of Chaos. Again, if you do not have Dragonborn, or until obtained, simply use Bound Sword.

     

    Spells

    Illusion: The Explorer, though his journeys in the various planes and realms of the many known and unknown dimensions and universes, has begun to understand how the human mind works and differs, and has pinpointed the exact pattern of primary brain wave off all creatures, allowing him to control the wave, and induce emotional trances and states in to his opponents and comrades. His use of spells such as Fear, Calm, and Fury are unmatched. Though try he must, he cannot master the way of the Courage spelltree. He must have a deeper, personal connection the person for this to take hold, and being a jumper limits how personal he may get with his comrades.

    (Use Spells that fall under the Fear, Calm, and Fury category.)

    Alteration: Being a master of the manipulation of dimensions, it should not be a surprise that the School of Alteration would come so easily to the Explorer. Capable of being able to use all the spells in this spell tree, this will be his primary school of magic, and ultimately, his support system. Straying away from the all-to-popular armor spells, he will focus on spells such as Candlelight, Detect Life, and Paralysis. He will occasionally pair his metalworking ability he has gained in previous jumps with the Transmute spell, granting access to high-worth jewelry.

    (Use most non-armor spells)

    Conjuration: Surprisingly enough, though the time he spent in the undead planes of lost souls, he is partially tied to those plans, having given up half of his soul for greater power, knowledge, and immortality long ago. He still has the ability to summon allies from the other planes of existence, such as Conjure Familiar, Conjure Atronach (all kinds), and, with his knowledge of metalworking and soulworking combined, the ability to craft and conjure Bound Weaponry until he has found his lost artifacts.

    (Conjure any non-necromantic ally, and weaponry until equipment has been crafted, as described above)

    Shouts

    Battle Fury: Using his knowledge of brainwaves and Illusion, along with his incredibly useful Speech ability, this is the only form of the Courage spelltree ability he may acquire and use effectively! Useful in dungeons, dragon fights, and ambushes.

    Become Ethereal: Using his ability to switch between planes, he temporarily enters the void, the space between dimensions, and quickly repositions himself in battle to a more strategic, and deadly position, while the void heals him and restores his magical energies.

    Bend Will (Dragonborn – Optional): With the knowledge he has gained from Miraak, Hermaeus Mora, and the dimension of Apocrypha, his knowledge of this ancient shout has been unlocked. Using the same fields of knowledge as he does with the Battle Fury Shout, he gains complete control over the mind of his victim, enabling him to either use this to his advantage, or the poor soul’s disadvantage.

    Whirlwind Sprint: Quickly entering and exiting the Void, he can quickly replace himself in any battle or social situation.

    Soul Tear (Dawnguard – Optional): Extracting the power of the void, and fumiliating the darkness around him, he unleashes his ultimate darkness attack, falling slightly behind in power from his turmoil attack, Storm Call. Using his own soul as a nuclear reactor, of sorts, he tears away at the soul of his opponent, separating it into shreds, and sending it straight into the void, collecting the essence into his variety of soul gems. The fallen are then under his command and will finish off the rest of his opponents, if any are left standing.

    Storm Call:  Being an ability lost in time, and being only known by creatures of time and Jumpers alike, Storm Call is one of the Jumpers most devastating and unique moves. Powerful lighting striking down, energy being released from the Void, is slammed down onto this planning, ruthless and unrelentingly, killing anything in its path, both airborne and not, friend or foe, and sapping their life energy to the void.

    Abilities

    The Explorer is a knowledge seeker, and a treasure hunter, but when the treasure is knowledge, then you know you definitely have to get in on it. Here is a quick lists of abilities, and their associated quests that you must do in order to claim the abilities for your own use. Thought this may not may have a big impact on your game, I highly recommended it because some of these abilities do grant some unique functions and mechanics to the game.

    Agent of Dibella – Temple Quest: The Heart of Dibella

    Agent of Mara – Temple Quest: The Book of Love

    Ancient Knowledge – Side Quest: Unfathomable Depths

    Archmage’s Authority – College of Winterhold Quest: The Eye of Magnus

    Dragon Infusion – Blades Quest: Dragon Research

    Gift of the Gab – Bards College Quest: Tending the Flames

    Summon Spectral Assassin – Dark Brotherhood Quest – Bound until Death

    Apocrypha Powers – All of the black books (Optional)

    Prowler’s Profit – Thieves Guild Quest: No Stone Unturned

    Sailor’s Repose – Dungeon Quest: What Lies Bellow (Optional – you can do this quest or not. It has an effect on the restoration effect of healing spells. If you decided that you need to have healing as part of the character, then you can do. It does match the theme of knowledge collecting, and is actually a pretty fun quest. I highly recommend doing it.)

    Perks

    I am just going to include URL and Links to the perk calculator. This is becoming pretty lengthy, and perks would just be boring to read, and I have more interesting things I would love to get too! (Perks are interesting, but I do have a game-changing surprise in mind!)

    Level 20 spread here

    Level 40 spread here

    Level 75 spread here

    Now that we have everything finalized, perks chosen, spells decided, equipment list gathered, on to the fun part, and the most important, the Roleplay and the Gameplay!

    Roleplay (The most important part *Duh Duh Duh*)

    The role of the Explorer is simply. He has two main goals. Change the course of history to his liking (whether that be good, or evil). The other goal, though more minor, is to collect all the knowledge he can. Reading all books, keeping all books, and most of all, showing off his knowledge, is what he is bound to do.  This is where the Roleplay comes in. You must do everything in your power to learn as much as you can. Exhaust your characters dialogue options, read every book you come across, have two copies of all spell books, one for knowledge, and one for reference (archive). Search the map for hidden secrets, discover all locations, and experience all the random encounters of Skyrim. That is his quest.

    A few key things to do is when you make it to a town, talk to everybody in town, stay the night at the inn, do any and all of the local quests, talk to the leader of the guild halls (if you feel ready) and resupply and restock.

    Gameplay

    The gameplay is simply enough. At the beginning, until you obtain Bound Sword from the shop in Riverwood, and Bound Bow from the fort, simply use any one-handed sword and bow you come across. Starting armor and Bound Sword can be obtained at Riverwood. Walk everywhere and do not be afraid to weary away from the roads and paths of Skyrim. Level up your skills, following the perk tree as shown above. Use spells like Frenzy when on groups of enemies in a distance, or use calm when one of two get the jump on you. Summon your flame Atronach or Familiar when you need to head into combat. Transform iron into silver, and silver into gold, and gold in jewelry to make profit and level your metalworking tree. Craft your own equipment, armor, arrows, and bolts. Craft health potions, and stats buff potions. Use shouts when the time has come. Let the fight flow, as you and your follower fight like you are dancing, and drink mead as you tell the tales of your victory. Handle dragons with high-powered crossbow and bow shots, and then finishing them off with a good Soul Tear shout. The possibilities for gameplay are endless, with the variety of abilities and tactics you can create. The struggle will be real, and the game difficult. The leveling will be difficult, and you will die, but dying will only make you try harder.

    The Decision is yours (Dawnguard add-on)

    Now that everything is completed, and there is not much more to add, we will move on to the final decision. Life is about decision, choices, and the life of the Jumper is no difference. This decision, however, will determine one gameplay element. You will join the Dawnguard, this the fates tell you. You will help them, in search of technology and or weaponry, and will obtain the Enhanced Dwarven Bow before leaving in search of the Elder Scrolls, but what you do not know is that you will be entering a plane even you, a jumper, is afraid to enter. The Soul Cairn. It has been years since you have entered this plane of existence, and you fear you will find the second half of your soul. The half you lost long ago, and the half containing all of your dark powers. Though this will add on to your overall power, there is a downfall. Sunlight will damage you, and people will fear you. Before entering, your soul rushes back into your body, and this is when you have a choice.

    Basically, what I am saying, is this is the time in the game where you will be either taking on the transformation to what the Jumper once was, or stay what he has become. Becoming a Vampire Lore (his other half of the soul) before entering the Soul Cairn has some advantages. You will now unlock the undead magic side of the tree, granting complete mastery of Conjuration. Your vampiric charm will allow you complete mastery of the Illusion tree, granting access to the invisibility spell, and the Courage spell tree. And finally, the transformation itself. The Dark Jumper form (Vampire Lord) has been recovered. You may call upon this ability whenever you are in danger, and you will be the most powerful being in existence. The choice is yours, you decide.

    Ending

    As a jumper, you are the “librarian” and the “guardian” of the knowledge of all existence. You archive it, you protect it, and use it the way it was meant to be used. The way you think it should be used, however, is your choice. If you believe that all Men should die, and Mir should stand alone, so be it. IF the Dark Brotherhood should be exterminated, so be it. This is your story, and you get to decide which way it goes.

    Go now, and complete your quest.

     

    *Thank you for reading my build, I have put so much effort into it! Now If you have any Roleplay questions, or questions in general, feel free to ask me! This build is meant to be playable without the three DLCs, but it is definitely more fun with them! I hope you enjoy, and feedback is always welcome! I will be trying to come up with builds that are just as unique as this one, and will be just as detailed and fulfilled! –Mykel

  • Member
    February 2, 2015

    I would recommend you to fix the tags, a ranktag up to three official archive tags and if the character is playable with more races there is no need for a race tag

  • Member
    February 2, 2015

    I really like the depth of story here. Where did you get that screenshot? That's about the only time I've seen Stalhrim and liked it!

  • February 2, 2015

    I was not sure what to do with tags. I'll fix that right way! Thank you!

  • February 2, 2015

    Honestly, I used Google to get that screenshot xD

  • February 2, 2015

    I know what you mean by a better presentation and more pictures. This is my first time doing a build, and I did it all in word, and did not know how well it would transfer over. I will work on that with my next build. Thank you!

  • Member
    February 2, 2015

    I might suggest clipping out  some of the longer story elements and using them to make a character profile, so that the build is focused on gameplay, and players can develop the character RP more freely. It'd also cut down the length. It's not too long as is, but like Overhate said, without more pictures it gets a bit wall-of-text-y

  • February 2, 2015

    Thanks for that advice. Reading it though again, it does look like a big, intimidating wall of text. I will work on my presentation and length as I develop my skills as making builds. Thank you for the advice!

  • Member
    February 2, 2015

    Rimor multorum planis is incorrect sorry 

  • February 2, 2015

    All translations cannot be perfect I suppose. I will look into fixing the latin.