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Character Build: The Hermit

Tags: #Character Build Shouts  #Character Build Alchemist  #Character Build Hero  #Race:Bosmer  #Rank:Exemplar  #Karver Builds  #The Hermit 
  • September 22, 2016

    With this character I wanted to do some things I pretty much stayed away from since the game came out. Believe it or not I've never played a character who relied on shouts or alchemy. So I've decided that it is time for me to break my Altmer and Dunmer path and do something else and I think I went little crazy here again. Have you ever met a Bosmer who worships Talos but under a different name? Well, then you should meet Yukh. A Bosmer who rejected the Green Pact and went for the opposite instead. You know, no hurting animals and such, using only plants for alchemy and so on. To summarize, this build will be about daggers, torches, alchemy, shouts and Animal Allegiance.

    The Hermit

    Oh no, oh no. No no no no no. Dead people everywhere. What has Yukh done? Yukh didn't want this. Yukh warned those people. How should Yukh know who is Talos? They said that Talos is god, that this statue is his imitation. So Yuhk warned them that they are wrong. That this is The Mighty Snake-Stomper. But Yukh calls him Old Grumpy sometimes. And then they called Yukh crazy. Yukh doesn't like that. Now they are all dead. But Yukh didn't do it. It was that High Elf in black and gold. Sanyon, he called himself. And he tried to kill Yukh, calling Yukh heretic. So Old Grumpy stomped on him. That is bad.

    Race: Bosmer
    Stats: 0/4/1 (Again I went for almost full health, but the reason is that I didn't want to put single point into magicka. I wanted this guy to have some tricks up his sleeve, not to be some secluded master wizard.)
    Stone: Mage (Steed at later game, because that +100 Carry Weight comes in really handy) / Lord might be good option too.
    Major Skills: Alchemy, Alteration, Restoration, Illusion
    Minor Skills: One-handed, Block, Sneak
    Equipment: Roughspun Tunic or Ragged Robes, Footwraps, Gloves, Novice Hood, Amulet of Talos, Staff of Storm Atronach, Elven Dagger, Torch, Long Bow
    Essential Quests: A Blade In the Dark, A Return To Your Roots
    Shouts: Marked for Death, Elemental Fury, Animal Allegiance, Storm Call, Become Ethereal, Slow Time
    Spells: Iron Flesh, Calm, Fast Healing, Muffle
    Effects: Blessing of Talos, Voice of the Sky, Sinderion's Serendipity

    Level 45 Perk Spread

    Skills

    Alchemy: The Alpha of this build (with shouts being Omega). I used a variety of potions and poisons and I will list some of them later. Only thing I want to say here is that I have restricted myself to only plants and mushrooms, because this character believes that nothing from a living creature should be used on clothes, armor, alchemy and anything else. It's the exact opposite of the Green Pact. So no insects, fish and animal ingredients.

    Illusion: I went only for Calm and Muffle here, because I thought that being able to "hypnotize" living creatures would be good trick for this crazy hermit. I was thinking I'll go for Master of the Mind but I feared that with that perk every perk will be the same. This way I had some advantages against living enemies and I had to come up with some creative ways to deal with the undead and such. Quiet Casting proved to synergize really well with shouts, especially Marked for Death

    Alteration: While having a large pool of health, relying mostly on dagger and torch means that you will get hit. While I ended using Iron Flesh, so I went for Expert Alteration to make the spell cost lower, because I haven't put a single point into magicka.

    Restoration: The Recovery Perk here was the most important one. Because this character will not be using any form of enchanting, combining Restoration and Alchemy was the best choice how to replenish all three stats. This guy might have been a really good healer if he wasn't rejecting the civilization as whole.

    Block: Yes, I used block. I was thinking about using an unenchanted staff for blocking, but I already did that on one of my builds. And then I equipped torch and...and...it was awesome. With Alchemy it is quite easy to achieve the 85% Block Cap and Quick Reflexes is just one of the most powerful perks.

    One-handed: I have to say that the dagger became my most trusted friend in this game. And combining it with Elemental Fury? Oh, boy. This Bosmer might look like undernourished bag of bones but, man, he can get really pissed off if he sees some hunter killing an elk.

    Sneak: Being crazy doesn't mean you're not cautious. Preparing your approach is really important here.

    Chosen One or Madman?

    The reason why I usually join Dawnguard is because of Florentius. I don't know, but that guy is such an interesting person. At least for me, I was always attracted by crazy things. With that guy comes the question: Does Arkay really speak to him? Or does Florentius just believe that Arkay is talking with him? Or he is just simply crazy?

    This character is similar to Florentius. He believes that he is a prophet of the Mighty Snake-Stomper – a.k.a. Talos – and being able to Shout like Dragonborn doesn't really disprove that he isn't. Simply put, this character doesn't know anything about Talos, he just believes that those Altar and Statues belongs to the Mighty Snake-Stomper - who is Talos, but not for him. Shouting is the ability of the Snake-Stomper, so that makes this hermit kind of a prophet of the Old Grumpy, right? I was looking for Word Walls in the world and I tried to imagine how this guy makes up the Snake-Stomper's faith just from those scratches on the walls. I think it is quite possible he really made up his belief. Or does the Old Grumpy really speak to him? That's the question, folks.

    The Earth and Bones

    Lets talk about this hermit's faith. He believes that the Mighty Snake-Stomper is the single god in the universe, that he is the Earth and Bones of this world. That means that Old Grumpy is the nature and all animals in it. While one is intended for the use of others, the second is forbidden to take. Simply put, you can take from nature what you need, but you can't take the lives of animals and use anything from their bodies. When an animal dies, it means that the Bones are going back to the Earth, so they can be reborn again to give new life.

    Simply put, you can't harm animals, and that is why I chose to use the Voice of the Sky here. It is a buff you will obtain after reading all ten tablets on The Seven Thousands Steps. It lasts for 24 real time hours and prevents animals from attacking you. But as soon as you harm them, the effect disappears. So whenever the effect disappears for one reason or another climb those steps, meditate on you actions and choices. Especially when you harm an animal you should climb up to Hight Hrothgar as repentance of your sins.
    So, you're not going to harm a single animal in this playthrough. Even if some animal attacks you like Ring Wolf, you will use Calm on it. Except snakes. SNAKES ARE BAD!!!

    Also, when you see someone desecrating the Bones, you should bring the wrath of the Snake-Stomper on them. That means: hunters in the wilds, giants domesticating mammoths, farmers domesticating cows, falmers enslaving chaurus, bandits wearing fur armors. And then there are the Draugr. They are the followers of the Snakes! They should feel wrath of the Old Grumpy everytime you meet them. And don't forget about the Snakes themselves and I think that Yukh himself can tell you something about them.

    "Snakes! Snakes with wings! Yukh will call the wrath of the Old Grumpy upon you, you flying reptilian. You should be stomped upon! But they are much bigger than Yukh thought. And have wings. How can Yukh stomp on them? Nevermind. Yukh will Shout at them and then he will stomp on their toes!"

    Path of the Hermit


    I'll tell you one really important thing here. You probably noticed that I mentioned doing only two quests. I did some others, but why did I mentioned only two quests? I'll give you the answer. The answer is...

    Skyrim is beautiful. How many times were you running through the wilds chasing some quest objective without even observing what is going on around you? How many times were you just heading to some cave for some loot and took the straighest path? Well, if you prefer that, this character isn't for you, because this is about the Path, not the Goal. Goal is your enemy here. Everything about this character screams for taking pleasure just by walking in the forest. Watching animals while they are not trying to attack you or run from you. It screams for exploration the real world, searching for every single ingredient out there. How many times in Skyrim have you felt like: "Oh, there is cave here. There might be some mushrooms, I should look inside." I haven't felt that curiosity for some time. Until now. This. Was. Pleasure.

    But, lets be more serious now; no sentimental crap for now. The way how I started this character was that I did the first few quests for Main Quest as soon as possible. That means Bleak Falls Barrow, Dragon attacking the Whiterun (I bought all the neccesarry Tomes during these quests) and when I was summoned to High Hrotghar I packed my few things and went on my way away from civilization. Actually, the reason was the Voice of the Sky. You should obtain it as soon as possible. When I was sent to Ustengrav I stumbled upon Alchemist's Shack in the Rift and thought that this could be the Hermit's Hovel. And from there I started my Path.

    That blue dot is the Alchemist's Shack and from there I drew my Path. It is basically how I did my ingredients hunting. After I have run the full circle I made tons of potions and poisons, rested for few days, dumped all remaining ingredients into a barrel and then went out into the world again. Hunting dragons, killing giants and picking up some leftovers I missed in my previous circle. This time I was much more powerful because of the many potions I had on myself. It actually felt, that everytime I've completed the Path, I was getting stronger and wiser. I really felt like "I" was on the journey. It really was an adventure.

    Thanks to this kind of life, the Hermit doesn't have any need for money. You don't have to visit shops to sell your loot, because you will not carry almost any loot. With this character you will learn to carry only the neccessary things. Trust me, ingredients and poisons weight a lot. So while the Hermit has no need for money, he is interested in Shiny things. Enchanted rings can be useful and if you ever find one with Fortify Magicka or Fortify Restoration keep it. And Septims should be looted, because once you buy Calm, Stoneflesh and Muffle you pretty much have every spell you need, but when your Alteration levels up you will have to obtain Ironflesh, so that money will come in handy for that spell, but after that you won't pretty much need it.

    The Quest

     

    While I mentioned only two quests, there is one you should do. And what do you need to do? You have to find a broom. Yes, a broom. And then Void Salts, Orichalcum Ingot and Greater Soul Gem. I think you know where I'm heading.

    Yes, Atronach Forge. You will create your staff. Every Hermit should have staff, right? And what one you ask? Well, I chose Staff of Storm Atronach. I wanted staff that would buy me some time in the wilds if I got surprised, to cast Flesh Spell and make some Peace (read Calm) around me. And Storm Atronach fits the bill. He is ranged and is fast as hell, so he will be kiting giants around and burning dragons asses in the air. Obtaining this Staff was really satisfying, because after that, this character felt more powerful again. Like if all the hermity shit really worked.

    Completing the Main Quest and doing the Dragonborn is up to you. For me it was just really hard to imagine this crazy guy as guest on Elenwen's tea party at five o'clock. As I said before, this character isn't about completing quests. It is all about the Path.

    The Earth's Gifts

     

    Eye of eagle: Fortify Marksman (Juniper Berries + Elves Ear)

    Slowdeath: Lingering Damage Health + Damage Health (Deathbell + Imp Stool + Mora Tapinella)

    Will of the Path: Fortify Magicka + Regenerate Magicka (Jazbay Grapes + Red Mountain Flower + Garlic)

    Glitterdust: Fortify Illusion (Dragon's Tongue + Scaly Pholiota)

    Bleeding Glue: Fortify Block + Resist Magic (Bleeding Crown + Tundra Cotton)

    - Strengh of the Bones: Fortify One-Handed + Fortify Marksman (Canis Root + Hanging Moss + Juniper Berries)

    - Earth's Power: Fortify Health + Restore Health (Blue Mountain Flower + Giant's Toe + Imp Stool) or (Blue Mountain Flower + Wheat) - Using Giant´s Toe for this potion levels your Alchemy skill much faster and Fortify Health will last for 300 seconds, instead of 60 seconds when using Wheat, but Wheat is more Ingredient efficient.

    These are the main potions I used. I used a lot more, but I didn't felt like posting every single potion of Restore Health or something like that. Alchemy is all about experimenting after all, and after the years most of the people know what poisons suit them and such.

    I just want to explain here why I had two potions with Fortify Marksman. Fortify Marksman in Alchemy functions as a Fortify Dagger damage. I was discussing with Dragonborn1421 that the Fortify One-handed + Fortify Marksman increases dagger damage more than simple Fortify Marksman. Sadly, it isn't true. Nonetheless, creating the same potion from different ingredients proved to be good choice, because quantity was much higher. Using Juniper Berries (which are plentiful) + Elves Ear (which isn't) and then Canis Root (fairly plentiful but hard to find) + Juniper Berries + Hanging Moss gave me more potions of "Fortify Dagger"

    Hermit's Tricks

    This section will serve for talking about Combat, Tactics, Special Moves and Enemies. I won't be dividing it into more sections, I will talk about the types of enemies and how to fight them. The thing about this character is that it can be really versatile (while fragile) so approaches can pretty much depend on how you choose to play this character in combat. Your approach to combat with this character can range from a stealthy type of approach to charging in and killing enemies faster than they can kill you; from controlling the battlefield with Calm spells to using arrows to poison your enemies from a distance. So you have a lot of options on how to engage the enemies of the Old Grumpy.

     

    The Living: This is actually the most easiest enemy you encounter. People, Trolls, Falmer and other "living" enemies are susceptible to Calm and Poisons. These should be your main weapons against them. Never forget to use the Bleeding Glue (Fortify Block) because blocking with your Torch will be your bread and butter. But you should save Fortify Dagger potions for other enemies like undead. The goal here is to make most of your enemies harmless and the Calm spell is the answer. It gives you the option to take enemies down one by one. Elemental Fury is your best friend. Not only does it increase your attack speed but adds 10 damage to your weapon and allows you to stack poisons at tremendous speed.

    Draugr, Automatons: The problem with these enemies is that you can't Calm them or poison them. Of course I could take one more talent to be able to use Illusion spells on them, but that wouldn't be fun. You have to take a different approach here. Combining Marked for Death and Elemental Fury was my choice. Using one word MfD in tight crypts "weakened" more enemies and then I took something like a last stand in a narrow hall, taking enemies one by one. Fortify Dagger potion here is the real helper and other potions like Fortify Health and Magicka should be mainly used against this type of enemy. You will need every possible buff you can get.

    Falmer: Tactis for Falmer are pretty much the same as against the Living enemies with exception that Falmer are often accompanied with Chaurus. Thanks to the Voice of the Sky the Chaurus shouldn't attack you and with use of the Animal Allegiance you will wreak havoc among the Falmer. Animal Allegiance works on every single animal in the game, so even Chaurus Hunters can be turned against the Falmer.

    Giants: Well, taking down Giant with this character is actually much easier than killing dragons. If the mammoths are around. Use Marked for Death on Giant and then use Animal Allegiance and just watch as the animals turn against their masters. Because of this easy tactic I actively hunted down every single Giant in Skyrim

    Dragons: With no focus on ranged combat, Dragons were pretty hard foes until I figured out the best approach. Because I personally chose not to proceed in the Main Quest I couldn't rely on the Dragonrend Shout. So, I used a different approach (two approaches to be precise). The first one was using Marked for Death and poisoned arrows to take the dragons down and when they landed cut them to pieces with Elemental Fury and poisons. The second felt more epic to me. I used the Storm Call and Storm Atronach and it felt like if The Mighty Snake-Stomper turned the skies into the conduit of his wrath.

    Painful Hypnosis: Marked for Death + Lingering Damage Health Poison + Fortify Magicka potion + Concentrated Poison Perk + Dual Casted Calm – Hermit poisons his enemies and then uses his hypnotizing technique to make they bodies refusing to move on their will.

     

     

     

     

    The Wrath of the Snake-Stomper: Storm Call + Storm Atronach – The Old Grumpy wants the Snakes to feel his rage for desecrating the Earth and Bones.

     

     

     

     

     Credits

    P.E.T.A. "approves" of this build, because not a single animal was harmed during this playthrough.

    Thanks to ShinJin the Awesome for his help with my grammar and his support.



     

  • September 22, 2016

    There, fixed. The potions section looked really bad when left alligned. 

  • September 29, 2016

    I've been bouncing around this site for about a year now going through all sorts of Character Builds, saving the ones that I liked.  But yours made me actually want to register an account so I can tell you personally how much I love your build, and I hate alchemy builds!  It has the game feel I've been looking for, plus taught me things that I didn't know without being a glitch, but more than anything it just reads so well that it's obvious you put a lot of work into this one.  Great job man, and thanks for the inspiration!

  • Member
    September 30, 2016

    Does Arkay really speak to him? Or does Florentius just believe that Arkay is talking with him? Or he is just simply crazy?

    What do you think now, Karves?

    Yes, a broom. And then Void Salts, Orichalcum Ingot and Greater Soul Gem. I think you know where I'm heading.
    Yes, Atronach Forge. You will create your staff.

    Thanks for this too! I had forgotten and need a Conjuration Staff :)

    As for the build now I have finished pillaging from it, I like the no-harming animals playthrough and the idea of a tooled up Bosmer wailing on a hunter with a dagger and shout :D

  • September 30, 2016

    Adonidus said:

    I've been bouncing around this site for about a year now going through all sorts of Character Builds, saving the ones that I liked.  But yours made me actually want to register an account so I can tell you personally how much I love your build, and I hate alchemy builds!  It has the game feel I've been looking for, plus taught me things that I didn't know without being a glitch, but more than anything it just reads so well that it's obvious you put a lot of work into this one.  Great job man, and thanks for the inspiration!

    Cheers, mate! And Welcome :)

    Phil said:

    Does Arkay really speak to him? Or does Florentius just believe that Arkay is talking with him? Or he is just simply crazy?

    What do you think now, Karves?

    Yes, a broom. And then Void Salts, Orichalcum Ingot and Greater Soul Gem. I think you know where I'm heading.
    Yes, Atronach Forge. You will create your staff.

    Thanks for this too! I had forgotten and need a Conjuration Staff :)

    As for the build now I have finished pillaging from it, I like the no-harming animals playthrough and the idea of a tooled up Bosmer wailing on a hunter with a dagger and shout :D

    I think that Dragon broke in his head and he´s all possibilities now... :D