This is my first attempt at a build on this site, so any pointers would be greatly appreciated!
The Called
All is Dark
All is Nothing
All is Void
He Calls
Dreams often mean something, at least that’s what some say, yet what do they mean when you dream of nothing? Not a lack of dreams, but a dream devoid of anything.
No one had ever heard of such a thing, constantly dreaming about nothing night after night. Many dismissed it, others simply scoffed, deciding you were insane. Perhaps, but it was their own doom they wrought. The nothingness in time brought you peace, and perhaps that was by design, until one night the dream changed. Fear entered the nothing, such fear that caused you to run, yet you were rooted, to scream, yet you remained silent. Then, and only then, the presence came, a malevolent presence so vast, so consuming, that you cowered, yet remained erect and petrified. A voice broke the nothing, yet it was still nothing, and such pain came with its words, that you felt your sanity slipping. Yet, there was finality, and understanding.
You have been given a purpose. Success will bring devastation and ruin, failure is not an option. All things sprang from the Void, and all must soon return. To Skyrim, where your full purpose will be known. You have been called.
Concept
You have been called by the Master of the Void, and he requires much of you. He has given you a gift, the ability to conjure directly from the Nothingness, the Void; yet this gift comes with a price, namely the lack of ability to use any magic other than what he bestows*. Moreover, you find if you try to create anything from the material, the mundane, or even think about it, a foreboding of death washes over you**. Yet you are allowed to work with the souls bound for the Void***. The Master of the Void empowers you, and he make sure you understand that.
*Limited only to Non-Necromancy Conjuration
**No Smithing, No Alchemy, No Undead Armies (as they use material and mundane)
***Enchanting can be used.
Build
This build is designed for vanilla Skyrim.
Race: Breton - the Conjure Familiar starting spell helps reinforce the RP of whom you serve, the boost to Conjuration and the Magic resists are just icing.
Gender: Female - Mainly for Allure and Agent of Dibella. In the grand scheme either gender is fine.
Stats: 2|3|0 - Ideally, enough magicka to cast your bound bow and an Atronach or two, and everything else into Health. With no access to Healing spells or Alchemy, Health is your friend.
Stone: Mage|Lord
Begin with Mage Stone to Level Conjuration and Enchanting. If you decide to focus on Heavy Armor and Archery, make sure to switch to Warrior. Once you're comfortable with your levels, switch to the Lord Stone for the defensive bonuses.
Shouts:
Slow Time: Time means little in the midst of nothingness. Bend time to your will and make your targets that much easier to eliminate.
Become Ethereal: Become less corporeal, closer to the Void from where your powers are granted, allowing your enemies weapons to pass right through you, and your absolute last defense against those who would seek to get in your way.
Unrelenting Force: Someone too close for comfort? Throw this in their face to give yourself some room.
Marked for Death: Very thematic. Only use this on targets that warrant 'special' attention.
Skills
Major:
Conjuration - This is your gift from the Master, your only offense and your first line of defense. This is your "go to" skill.
Archery - With limited healing, ranged combat makes the most sense, so make the most out of that Bound bow!
Minor:
Enchanting - All souls are bound for the Void, put them to good use before you send them forth!
Heavy Armor - Your last line of defense. You'll likely use a trainer to level this some.
Speech - Allure and Merchant are well worth the three point dip. Selling anything to anyone is a solid boon,especially when using trainers.
GamePlay
The Void does not hide, the Void does not sneak, and neither should you. The Void swallows all. The Void is inevitable. The Void is final. It is in all, and all will return to it. Your Master has simply beckoned you to hasten the process along. However, there is no need to be hasty, slow and imposing is far more enjoyable.
Quests:
Destroy the Dark Brotherhood - They have strayed from the path of the Master, and he wishes this dealt with.
Alternate Path - If you're feeling particularly forgiving, you could join the Brotherhood and show them the error of their ways. I myself was not so forgiving in my play through.
Main Questline - Alduin's coming was not in your Master's Plan, this upstart must be destroyed.
Daedra Quests - The influence of the Master's children in the world must diminish, it is the way of things. Collect their various artifacts and blessings to keep them from exerting their influence into the world.
Civil War - These petty squabbles are beneath your attention, normally, but the Imperials did attempt to kill you. Exacting revenge is completely understandable in this situation, should you find it worth your time.
College Quest - You'll need this to get the top of the line Conjuration Spells. To get into the college using a Conjuration Spell, you can save before approaching Faralda and just reload until the random spell is Conjure Flame Atronach if you can not persuade her without casting. The second hurdle is Tolfdir's lecture. To get past this without having to cast a ward spell, wait until he's ready to cast the spell against you, then kill one of the other students, runaway to someplace outside of Winterhold, then go back in and pay the 1000 gold bounty to the guards. This will cause Tolfdir to skip the training and start the Under Saarthal quest. (You could always just bite the bullet and use other magic to access these quests, The Void won't mind, right?)
Gameplay Notes:
Without the aid of healing magic or being able to craft your own healing potions, your survival will greatly rely on being able to kill the enemy without taking much damage. To this end Summon Familiar is fantastic in early levels as a distraction helping you survive, and your first goal should be Bound Bow. Leveling Conjuration to this point will also net you the Frost Atronach, and it's frost cloak will also help increase your longevity, and due to the Frost Cloak, it will be your main Summon going forward.
Leveling Archery to 50 via Faendal being a follower is also suggested, as this will get you up to power shot, which has the stagger ability.
At this point, you can pursue what quests you like, or leveling up your other skills more, should you choose to do that. I would recommend tracking down the three words to Slow Time sooner rather than later, as, again, that shout can greatly increase your longevity. I would also suggest questing under a Blessing of Talos, and wear an amulet of Talos.
Equipment
I wasn't really going for any set look on this character, I simply used what I found as I went along, either in shops or from drops. Enchanting is really where it matters anyway. From that aspect, I would suggest the following, and note that I'm only giving you one enchantment, when you hit the top of the Enchantment Tree you can pick out what else you need, as mileage may vary based on what you can find.
Helm - Archery
Armor - Conjuration
Gloves - Archery
Amulet - Amulet of Talos
Boots - Resists (which ever your lacking in)
Ring - Health / Healing Rate
Final Notes
I really enjoyed playing this character. I'm actually playing through it again on Master difficulty. Things are progressing much slower, and I seem to be kiting and just flat out fleeing a lot more, but it's still fun. Hopefully this wasn't too tedious a read, and is at least somewhat appealing.
Credits
Thanks to Noodles for the Screenshots and finding the art on the web.
Credit for the original artwork goes to the creators:
Here and Here
Thanks for reading! Critiques welcome!
This is my first attempt at a build on this site, so any pointers would be greatly appreciated!
The Called
All is Dark
All is Nothing
All is Void
He Calls
Dreams often mean something, at least that’s what some say, yet what do they mean when you dream of nothing? Not a lack of dreams, but a dream devoid of anything.
No one had ever heard of such a thing, constantly dreaming about nothing night after night. Many dismissed it, others simply scoffed, deciding you were insane. Perhaps, but it was their own doom they wrought. The nothingness in time brought you peace, and perhaps that was by design, until one night the dream changed. Fear entered the nothing, such fear that caused you to run, yet you were rooted, to scream, yet you remained silent. Then, and only then, the presence came, a malevolent presence so vast, so consuming, that you cowered, yet remained erect and petrified. A voice broke the nothing, yet it was still nothing, and such pain came with its words, that you felt your sanity slipping. Yet, there was finality, and understanding.
You have been given a purpose. Success will bring devastation and ruin, failure is not an option. All things sprang from the Void, and all must soon return. To Skyrim, where your full purpose will be known. You have been called.
Concept
You have been called by the Master of the Void, and he requires much of you. He has given you a gift, the ability to conjure directly from the Nothingness, the Void; yet this gift comes with a price, namely the lack of ability to use any magic other than what he bestows*. Moreover, you find if you try to create anything from the material, the mundane, or even think about it, a foreboding of death washes over you**. Yet you are allowed to work with the souls bound for the Void***. The Master of the Void empowers you, and he make sure you understand that.
*Limited only to Non-Necromancy Conjuration
**No Smithing, No Alchemy, No Undead Armies (as they use material and mundane)
***Enchanting can be used.
Build
This build is designed for vanilla Skyrim.
Race: Breton - the Conjure Familiar starting spell helps reinforce the RP of whom you serve, the boost to Conjuration and the Magic resists are just icing.
Gender: Female - Mainly for Allure and Agent of Dibella. In the grand scheme either gender is fine.
Stats: 2|3|0 - Ideally, enough magicka to cast your bound bow and an Atronach or two, and everything else into Health. With no access to Healing spells or Alchemy, Health is your friend.
Stone: Mage|Lord
Begin with Mage Stone to Level Conjuration and Enchanting. If you decide to focus on Heavy Armor and Archery, make sure to switch to Warrior. Once you're comfortable with your levels, switch to the Lord Stone for the defensive bonuses.
Shouts:
Slow Time: Time means little in the midst of nothingness. Bend time to your will and make your targets that much easier to eliminate.
Become Ethereal: Become less corporeal, closer to the Void from where your powers are granted, allowing your enemies weapons to pass right through you, and your absolute last defense against those who would seek to get in your way.
Unrelenting Force: Someone too close for comfort? Throw this in their face to give yourself some room.
Marked for Death: Very thematic. Only use this on targets that warrant 'special' attention.
Skills
Major:
Conjuration - This is your gift from the Master, your only offense and your first line of defense. This is your "go to" skill.
Archery - With limited healing, ranged combat makes the most sense, so make the most out of that Bound bow!
Minor:
Enchanting - All souls are bound for the Void, put them to good use before you send them forth!
Heavy Armor - Your last line of defense. You'll likely use a trainer to level this some.
Speech - Allure and Merchant are well worth the three point dip. Selling anything to anyone is a solid boon,especially when using trainers.
GamePlay
The Void does not hide, the Void does not sneak, and neither should you. The Void swallows all. The Void is inevitable. The Void is final. It is in all, and all will return to it. Your Master has simply beckoned you to hasten the process along. However, there is no need to be hasty, slow and imposing is far more enjoyable.
Quests:
Destroy the Dark Brotherhood - They have strayed from the path of the Master, and he wishes this dealt with.
Alternate Path - If you're feeling particularly forgiving, you could join the Brotherhood and show them the error of their ways. I myself was not so forgiving in my play through.
Main Questline - Alduin's coming was not in your Master's Plan, this upstart must be destroyed.
Daedra Quests - The influence of the Master's children in the world must diminish, it is the way of things. Collect their various artifacts and blessings to keep them from exerting their influence into the world.
Civil War - These petty squabbles are beneath your attention, normally, but the Imperials did attempt to kill you. Exacting revenge is completely understandable in this situation, should you find it worth your time.
College Quest - You'll need this to get the top of the line Conjuration Spells. To get into the college using a Conjuration Spell, you can save before approaching Faralda and just reload until the random spell is Conjure Flame Atronach if you can not persuade her without casting. The second hurdle is Tolfdir's lecture. To get past this without having to cast a ward spell, wait until he's ready to cast the spell against you, then kill one of the other students, runaway to someplace outside of Winterhold, then go back in and pay the 1000 gold bounty to the guards. This will cause Tolfdir to skip the training and start the Under Saarthal quest. (You could always just bite the bullet and use other magic to access these quests, The Void won't mind, right?)
Gameplay Notes:
Without the aid of healing magic or being able to craft your own healing potions, your survival will greatly rely on being able to kill the enemy without taking much damage. To this end Summon Familiar is fantastic in early levels as a distraction helping you survive, and your first goal should be Bound Bow. Leveling Conjuration to this point will also net you the Frost Atronach, and it's frost cloak will also help increase your longevity, and due to the Frost Cloak, it will be your main Summon going forward.
Leveling Archery to 50 via Faendal being a follower is also suggested, as this will get you up to power shot, which has the stagger ability.
At this point, you can pursue what quests you like, or leveling up your other skills more, should you choose to do that. I would recommend tracking down the three words to Slow Time sooner rather than later, as, again, that shout can greatly increase your longevity. I would also suggest questing under a Blessing of Talos, and wear an amulet of Talos.
Equipment
I wasn't really going for any set look on this character, I simply used what I found as I went along, either in shops or from drops. Enchanting is really where it matters anyway. From that aspect, I would suggest the following, and note that I'm only giving you one enchantment, when you hit the top of the Enchantment Tree you can pick out what else you need, as mileage may vary based on what you can find.
Helm - Archery
Armor - Conjuration
Gloves - Archery
Amulet - Amulet of Talos
Boots - Resists (which ever your lacking in)
Ring - Health / Healing Rate
Final Notes
I really enjoyed playing this character. I'm actually playing through it again on Master difficulty. Things are progressing much slower, and I seem to be kiting and just flat out fleeing a lot more, but it's still fun. Hopefully this wasn't too tedious a read, and is at least somewhat appealing.
Credits
Thanks to Noodles for the Screenshots and finding the art on the web.
Credit for the original artwork goes to the creators:
Here and Here
Thanks for reading! Critiques welcome!
