Skyrim Character Building » Discussions


Character Build: Gunthor the Dwarf

Tags: #Character Build Warrior  #Character Build Blacksmith  #Rank:Recognized  #Dwarf 
  • Member
    June 18, 2015

    I've been lurking on this site for what must be years now, completely in awe of some of the amazing builds on this site. I have made builds myself and posted brief details on my Facebook page, which seem to be popular. I have two builds in particular I am very proud of for various reasons. This is one of them.

    This first build uses pretty much all of the expansions (particularly the Dawnguard DLC). Much of the playtesting involved a lot of mods (WiC: Cloaks; Dwemer Race; Craftable Dawnguard Gear; Live Another Life; etc), but to try and be fair to everybody i'll post the build based on a Vanilla gameplay (including tweaking the backstory to fit), and the use of mods to support the gameplay of this build should just fall into place, depending on people's tastes.

    Ladies and Gentlemen: My first SkyrimBlog build.

    Gunthor the Dwarf

    I shall leave the backstory until the end, as it's quite long. It'll be there for people who are interested, without getting in the way of the build details itself.

    The Dwemer were just as much warriors as they were mages. They were good at everything, and were especially renown for their craftwork, science and engineering. Since they were great at everything, I wanted to convey this in this build, without having a horribly diluted, 'Jack of all trades; master of none' level 81 character. Gunthor's approach is to combine the martial with the arcane to create results greater than the sum of their parts. Through the power of Runes, a well-made Hammer, and backed by finely-crafted Heavy Armour, Gunthor may be a craftsman by trade, but he knew battle strategy. And was an absolute monster in a fight.

    I should also warn you that this is a big build that combines the result of craft, martial and arcane arts to create something that works beautifully. Due to the demanding nature of a big build, this is recommended for experienced players who have the patience to see this build through. The early stages can be tough, but the results are worth it.

    Race: Dwemer (If using mods). Otherwise, a bearded Wood Elf fits the aesthetic perfectly.
    Gender: Male (Nothing against females; it's just a damnsite harder to get the aesthetic right)
    Stat Distribution: 1:2:2 (Magicka is used, but not excessively. You can distribute more into Stamina at the cost of Health if you wish, and I have done so in many playtests of this build, but I found this to create the most balanced result)

    Skills

    Major: Smithing; Enchanting; Alchemy; Two-Handed; Destruction (told you it was a big build...)

    Minor: Heavy Armour, Block, Illusion and Alteration (the latter two are optional, depending on how big you fancy making the build, and how much you want to flesh out the use of Runes)

    The aim of the game for Gunthor is to primarily be a Warhammer-wielding warrior, using a plethora of Runes as support. Why a Warhammer? Gunthor's a Smith. Smiths like hammers. That, and the Dawnguard Rune Hammer is the physical embodiment of this guy's whole combat ethos. The Dwarves were not a subtle race - less so when you clout a bandit in the face with a hammer shaft and watch him subsequently explode into flames. The concept is to lay traps to wear your opponents down, slowly working backwards. I had a brilliant moment in White River Watch with this, using a tunnel as a bottleneck, laying different runes down. Any that lasted long enough to get into close-quarters got bashed (and boomed by the subsequent rune explosion). Any STILL surviving after that got a crack around the face with a hammer. And at high Two-Handed skill levels complete with a maxed out Smithing skill, this guy hits like an absolute truck.

    Frenzy and Ash Runes can act as support if you wish. Ash Runes are great at crowd control, allowing you to regroup and regain breathing space if you need to, and Frenzy Runes are surprisingly powerful, with a starting effectiveness of enemies level 20 or below. Sometimes just having one hardy bandit fighting on your side can swing the tide of battle massively in your favour.

    Alchemy is there for Health/Stamina/Magicka restore potions, as well as Fortify potions of various types. At high levels this can make the game a lot easier for you (perhaps TOO easy...), but the Dwemer always did use everything at their disposal to get what they want.

    Perks

    As mentioned in the comments, this list seemed to change with every playtest I did. What I've published here is a rough guide of what you should work towards. Once you've got your end-game gear, it's worth Legendary-ing some of the crafting skills that are no longer needed, and re-investing the perks into other areas. This is a Level 55 loadout, and assumes you haven't bothered with the DLC runes like Frenzy, Poison or Ash.

    • Smithing: Perk everything but Glass. You'll need 'Advanced' for Nordic Carved gear, and if you've at least done Dragon Rising, Dragonbone gear is a good way of showing off Gunthor's smithing abilities.
    • Heavy Armor: Juggernaut 4/5, and the whole left side of the tree. You could go with less for Juggernaut, but this is a level 55 build, and I appreciated the extra sturdiness!
    • Block: Shield Wall 1/5; Quick Reflexes; whole right side of the tree. When someone rushes you, Quick Reflexes kicks in, you Power Bash them, they stagger; their weapon goes flying, and get caught in a fiery explosion to boot. There's nothing funnier.
    • Two-Handed: Barbarian 5/5; Skull Crusher 3/3; Champion's Stance. After Legendary-ing some skills, it's worth climbing up the tree a bit more, but before then it's not really needed.
    • Alchemy: Alchemist 5/5; Physician; Benefactor; Experimenter 1/3; Snakeblood. I took Snakeblood because most Dwarven Ruins are infested with Falmer, and where there's Falmer, there's usually Chaurus. The annoying thing about Chaurus Hunters? They fly right over Runes. I got poisoned a LOT.
    • Enchanting: Enchanter 5/5; whole middle path of the tree. You could delve into the other branches, but your enchantments don't really call for it, especially since the Rune Hammer's damage is based on the Destruction skill, and doesn't need recharging.
    • Destruction: Novice Destruction; Apprentice Destruction; Rune Master; Augmented Flames 2/2; Intense Flames. This is of course all to help boost the effectiveness of the Rune Hammer Runes.


    Gear
    Head: Aetherial Crown (Warrior/Mage stone combos at first, possibly Lord stone after, though I didn't bother personally)
    Chest: Steel (with pauldrons) to start. Then Nordic
    . Dragonbone after that, if you choose to unlock dragons
    Hands: Steel Nordic Gauntlets to start, progressing to Nordic Carved. Dragonbone afterwards, depending on quest choices.
    Feet: Follow the pattern, guys, follow the pattern. :)
    Weapon: Dawnguard Rune Hammer. Until you get this, Volundrung is an excellent alternative. Failing that, whatever the strongest Hammer you can muster should work fine.

    Enchantments-wise, I like to load them up with as many craft-boosting enchantments as possible. The Dwarves were renown for their science and engineering. They made the best weapons; the best armour; the best potions. Secondarily, it's worth lowering the cost of Destruction Spells to make them more useable. And if you've STILL got room (e.g. with Cloaks etc)? Alteration/Illusion spell cost reductions, if you choose to use the corresponding Runes.

    Weapon Enchantments before you get the Rune Hammer should be Absorb Stamina. Extremely useful for Two-Handed users.

    Quests

    I prefer not to dictate exactly what you can and can't do quest-wise, but to get the right feel for this build, you have to understand that this guy is a Dwarf, and as such will have a somewhat unhealthy yearning for Dwarven Ruins. Moreso than Calcelmo or Sorine Jurard. Dwarven Ruin Spelunking should take up most of your time. Plus, for some of the DLC-added ruins, you usually get some nice toys from them, too.

    Hearthfire owners should also build their own steading. What kind of Dwarf wouldn't build his own house?

    Dawnguard: This is actually optional. I must have done a dozen playtests of this build; some of which had a "Craftable Dawnguard Gear" mod installed, allowing you to get the Rune Hammer pretty much right away. If you intend to use that mod, then leave this questline alone; there's not much else for you here.
    Lost to the Ages: Required for the Aetherial Crown.

    Discerning the Transmundane: The Elder Scroll got you into this mess, and you are stuck in this era forever. You need this Scroll; for your own personal closure as much as anything else.

    Mod Recommendations

    These are all suggestions that help with the build to varying degrees. Some for aesthetic, other for gameplay. Feel free to play around with these, or even add your own. But the following is what works for me.

    • Winter is Coming: Cloaks: Fitting in with the whole "Master Craftsman" feel of the build, I felt it appropriate to use this. The cloaks also help take the edge of the whole 'Military' feel of the use of Heavy Armour. Plus, Skyrim is bloody cold - if you lived there, you'd want a bearskin cloak, too...
    • Craftable Dawnguard Armoury: This will polarise opinion. On the one hand, it makes it possible to get the Rune Hammer really early in the game. This gives you a head-start with levelling your Destruction Skill (and Two-Handed for that matter), meaning you can start buying Rune spells earlier, too, once your skill's high enough. This does, however, make the game easier, and I appreciate that many players may despise this mod for that reason. 
    • Dwemer Race: For obvious reasons. As custom races go it's pretty poor, as you get no passive abilities like the other races have. However, it gives you a head-start with the Smithing skill, and you do get a Power that lets you conjure a Dwarven Sphere Automaton, which is a nice touch.
    • Dwemer Beards: Goes well with the 'Dwarf' aesthetic. But to be fair, Vanilla Skyrim beards work pretty well anyway, so this is less important.


    Backstory
    The Elder Scrolls. Easily the biggest enigma and greatest mystery to grace Mundus. Even the great Dwemer race had but an idiot's understanding of the Scrolls, yet possessed the greatest understanding of their function and how to use them out of anybody before or since. Alduin's banishment during the Dragon War of the Merethic Era was the first recorded functional use of such a Scroll. But it was not the last.

    The Dwemer were the masters of, well, everything. Everything from the martial to the arcane; and everything else besides. Atheist by nature; the Dwemer rose to ranks of ability high enough to match the Divines themselves. But to do that, they had yet to gain mastery of the one thing that even they couldn't touch: Time.

    The Dwemer had a theory: The Scrolls govern and prophesise the events of the past, present and future. Due to the ever-changing nature of Possibility and Chance, the Scrolls too must change in real time. This meant that whatever magic or enchantment was woven into the Scrolls must have a mechanic to 'read' time. If the Dwemer could harness this power, they could effectively bend time to their will.

    Thus, the experiments began. The details of the experiments are mostly conjecture, as of course none remain who knew of these events, but they ended with experiments in using the Scrolls to travel through time. Gunthor was - back then - a Master Craftsman in service to a renown scientist who experimented with the Scrolls. Despite Gunthor's protests and concerns, he was his master's test subject. A war with the Chimer was being waged, and knowledge of how the war would unfurl would be invaluable to the Dwemer.

    Alas, as befits the unpredictable nature of time, chance, possibility and of course the Scrolls themselves, errors were made. Gunthor was sent far too far into the future (Fourth Era, to be exact), and with no way of returning, he ventured out to see what kind of world lay before him. It was then, near Darkwater Crossing, that he stumbled across a military skirmish, and was captured.

  • June 18, 2015
    All around great effort especially for a first build. My only criticism is to take away all the cautionary statements. Warning people that this is a crafting build etc takes away from the build. Think of it like selling a house. A home salesman won't stop and draw attention to all the potential flaws of the house. And a builder shouldn't do that with a build.
  • Member
    June 18, 2015

    Yeah, I did read it back after posting it, and realised I'm too defensive and lack confidence. Although admittedly, I mostly C&P'd this from my WiP thread. It's only now, two or three weeks after posting it as a WiP, and getting the great support that I had, that I realised it's not terrible. People liked it! I love it myself, but it's always nice to know i'm not the only one. :P

    Edited out the 'Crafting' warning, but left in the one about it being a big build. I do think that this is the kind of build in which you get out of it what you put into it, so I don't want people to think it's something they can just jump into. Thanks for the feedback. :)

  • Member
    June 18, 2015

    Very cool, glad to see this in the CB after its time in the Workshop!  

    As I said over there, I really like the aesthetic and the delicious mashup of TES lore plus more 'traditional' fantasy portrayals of Dwarves.  

    +1, and I hope we'll be seeing more of your stuff!

  • Member
    June 18, 2015

    Very good presentation for the first build! Also an interesting idea and portrayal of the Dwarves/Dwemer  +1

    I didn't notice it in the Workshop so I'll offer my advice/criticism here.

    Do you really need Enchanting and Alchemy? The main damage comes from the hammer and runes, no? Upgraded hammer will do quite a bit of damage and runes will add to that, especially with Augmented Flames. There will be very rare enemies that will stand against this power and you can always buy an Elixir of Berserker that will give you 50% boost in Two-Handed or an Elixir of Destruction for 50% boost in that school. Or both. I doubt any enemy will stand against it. But if they do, there are always pre-enchanted items that you can find.

    And why do you need Illusion/Alteration? I saw you explain the use of the runes from those schools but you don't perk Rune Master and that means that you'll need to come close to the enemies to cast Frenzy and Ash Runes and they lose their effectiveness that way - frenzied enemies attack you anyway, enemies encased in ash are immune to damage. 

    And the final note, how does this character heal himself? Alchemy? 

  • Member
    June 19, 2015

    Hiya. WiP or Character Build; Feedback is still welcomed. :)

    You raise a good point re: Enchanting/Alchemy. I played this build to death; using a number of variations with it, and what I found was that at its core (Two-Handed Warrior with a magic hammer), the build is a solid one in combat. However, at higher levels, Enchanted gear and Alchemy did give it an edge. The Enchantments I used meant stronger gear; meant I could lay down runes more freely (especially since my stat placement didn't leave much for Magicka; and these Runes cost a surprisingly hefty amount of magicka). Alchemy was primarily for 'Fortify X' potions (usually destruction), but I did craft some health/stamina healing potions too.

    It's true that for the most part, this build will do just fine without Alchemy/Enchanting. However, it does give you an edge at higher levels, and it just felt more complete as a build by having them. That being said, feel free to opt out of using them - the beauty of character builds is that people can twist and adapt them to their own liking. :)

    As for your point on Rune Master: I just checked my Perk list; I do have 'Rune Master' perked.

  • Member
    June 19, 2015

    I just wish I could 'like' comments. Thanks man. :)

    As for more builds, I have a few I want to share; can't decide what I want to write up first! My next one will either be a celebrated Imperial Commander that gets screwed over by a General with blinkers on, or a Huntress who worships Hircine. 

    I'll probably do the latter if i'm honest. Gunthor was a big build; my huntress is a low-level build (level 20, tops). Seems like a good way to move forward.

  • June 22, 2015
    Whether or not people can or can not just jump right into your build is up to them. A builder must have absolute confidence in their work. Just focus on selling the finer points of the build. If the build appeals to them, they're not going to care how much time they have to sink into it.
  • June 25, 2015
    Excellent to see this outside of the Workshop and I'm sorry o didn't comment before. The build is really damn good for a first build and the focus on the Dawnguard Rune Hammer is great to see. A +1 from me Ash and I hope this gets more.
  • Member
    June 27, 2015

    This is a really cool build, and as a person who doesn't like to use mods, it's nice that you give some options for helping me play this. I'll admit that when I first saw "Dwarf" in the title, I thought to myself "That's pretty ambitious for a relatively new builder," but you pull it off nicely by tying it to the Dwemer. The backstory is a fantastic way to get him here as well ;D

    I enjoy each of the crafting trees, so I have no problem with all of them included, and they make sense with a Dwemer character (Smithing and Enchanting in particular), but they can make you extremely powerful. Out of curiosity, what were some things that you did to keep this guy from getting insanely OP?