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Character Build: The Shade Of Yokuda

Tags: #Character Build Spellsword  #Character Build Rogue  #Character Build No Crafting  #Race:Redguard  #Rank:Bloodworks 
  • Member
    July 21, 2017

    This is my first build but I did make sure to play test it fully so the only problems, if any, should be with this page, the build should work fine. Also, I played on PS3 so there's no screenshots, I may add screenshots later from my PC though. Now that that's out of the way let's get to the build.

     

    The Shade Of Yokuda

     

    Back in the 1st Era when the ancestors of today's Redguards still inhabited Yokuda there was a man who went by the name of Frandar Hunding, "The Warrior-Prince". He was an Ansei; the most elite of a legendary group of swordsman called the "Sword-Singers". The Ansei were so advanced in their technque that they had no need of physical blades, instead they used Shehai, or "Way of the Spirit Sword"; a powerful blade made out of pure thought.

    Frandar was said to have never lost a battle in his entire life, neither in his ninety legendary duels nor the seven battles he fought in the War of the Singers later on. After feeling that he was completely invincible he retired and wrote everything he knew of the Shehai and his own techniques in the Book of Circles. He believed it would be his time to die after delivering it but fate had other plans in mind...

    Randic Torn had decreed that the Sword-Singers be separated from the common people and, in his rise to power, thought that the Singers would threaten him and hunted them down.

    The Singers were few and, despite their immense skill, were unable to face down Randic's massive army. When Frandar Hunding came the Sword-Singer's numbers were dwindling and he decided to fight alongside them and taught them everything he knew. Through his teachings they formed the "Army of the Circle." At the end of the "War of the Singers" there were fewer than twenty thousand Singers left but left Randic's Army destroyed with no survivors. Frandar, with the remaining Singers at his back, set sail to the distant land of Hammerfell to make a new life for themselves...

    However, the Civil War in Skyrim has awakened something more powerful than anyone can ever imagine... and Frandar, in his endless lust for fighting, has risen from his grave to face it...

     

    Race: Redguard

    Stats: 3:1:2 Health:Magicka:Stamina Every 6 levels.

    Stone: Lord. Any defense is welcome when you only wear cloth and mage flesh can only take you so far.

    Equipment:

    The Ghostblade: This blade is his Shehai, Frandar's will has become so powerful that he can carry it around at his side at all times.

    Redguard Clothes Set: Frandar knows armor only weighs you down so he only wears light cloth, the same that was worn by the ancient Sword-Singers in the Yokudan desert and their new home of Hammerfell.

    Spells:

    Invisibility: Frandar is little more than a spirit, his body nothing more than a manifestation of the Shehai. As such he has the ability to fade into nothingness for a short time.

    Flesh Spells: Growing up in the unforgiving wastes purges all but those of iron spirit and will, as such Frandar survive wounds that would kill others.

    Paralyze: All great fighters know of the Sword-Singers and are stiffened by the sight of the legendary swordsmen, even as their own comrades fall around them.

    Shouts:

    Slow Time: Frandar is a legendary swordsman and his senses is at its peak, if you saw him in combat he'd be little more than a blur.

    Dragonrend: Frandar doesn't have ranged attacks and will not allow dragons to have that advantage, he issues an irrefusable challenge that forces them to the ground.

    Aura Whisper: By concentrating hard enough Frandar can use his lack of a heartbeat to his advantage and listen to those who do.

    Become Ethereal: Frandar's body is but a spirit and can slip freely between the mortal world and the void at will.

    Disarm: Frandar has immense skill and can wrench a weapon from an opponent's hand with little effort.

    Whirlwind Sprint: Frandar can take advantage of his spirit form and can move at inhuman speeds without destroying his own body in the process.

    Skills:

    One Handed: Armsman 5/5, Bladesman 3/3 Fighting Stance, Savage Strike, Critical Charge, Paralyzing Strike

    This is our main combat skill. We will be wielding the Ghostblade and nothing else, the off hand will be open for spells or blocking with the sword.

    Sneak: Stealth 5/5, Backstab, Muffled Movement, Light Foot, Silent Roll, Silence, Shadow Warrior

    We will use this skill to take out weak enemies that aren't worthy of fighting us but we will not assassinate anything that will give us a challenge (bosses, dragons, ect).

    Alteration: Novice-Expert Alteration, Alteration Dual Casting, Mage Armor 3/3, Magic Resistance 3/3, Stability

    Due to our lack of armor we need a layer of protection, mage armor spells work rather well. Paralyze will also be very useful when we get caught while taking out mooks and a strong enemy is nearby.

    Smithing: Steel Smithing, Arcane Blacksmith

    The Ghostblade sucks. It's good early on but when you get to mid-game it is heavily outclassed by other weapons. Upgrade it via smithing just so it actually does damage later on.

    Block: Shield Wall 1/5, Quick Reflexes, Power Bash, Deadly Bash

    Quick Reflexes is a great perk and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It should be a priority early on. Deadly Bash can wait if you want but it is useful nonetheless for the extra damage you can get.

    Illusion: Novice-Expert Illusion, Illusion Dual Casting, Animage, Kindred Mage, Quiet Casting

    Illusion is mostly just for invisibility, it makes sneaking around so much easier, especially when we don't have a bow to pick enemies off from range.

    Gameplay: The combat is very similar to that of the Sword-Singer build by Teccam (in fact this build was inspired off it) with my own little twist on it. Whereas the Sword-Singer will rush into combat mine will only face those worthy of him, all others will be killed from stealth since they're "unworthy", in exchange he has much less damage than the bound sword.

    Recommended Quests:

    Ansilvund: This should be one of the first quests you do so you get your Shehai as early as possible.

    Civil War: Frandar is a master tactician and loves combat, as such he would likely join in the Civil War. But which side will he choose?

    Main Quest: Dragons are a foe that Frandar has never fought and he is eager to destroy them, but can he destroy a being that can be compared to a God?

    Dragonborn: To refuse a challenge is a dishonorable act, especially when the challenger is a foe that can give you pause.

    Roleplaying:

    You must always accept duels from anyone who challenges you.

    You are not allowed to kill or steal from the innocent.

    When you get the Ghostblade you are not allowed to use any other weapon unless it's required for a quest.

    You are a master tactician and will learn the area and plan your attack first if possible.

    Closing Notes: As I said, this is my first build so if I've missed anything then feel free to let me know in the comments and I'll fix it.

  • Member
    July 22, 2017

    Hmm, it's a good build, Ebonslayer, I do feel you need to... expand upon your points a little more, if you get what I mean. Go into more detail on all of your skills, how they work in synergy together, and also I would normally have your gameplay section as long as your backstory.

    I would definitely add a few pictures to the build as well if you get the chance.

    However, this is 100% my opinion and you are not at all required to make the changes I suggested.

    +1

  • Member
    July 22, 2017

    Blacklight said:

    Hmm, it's a good build, Ebonslayer, I do feel you need to... expand upon your points a little more, if you get what I mean. Go into more detail on all of your skills, how they work in synergy together, and also I would normally have your gameplay section as long as your backstory.

    I would definitely add a few pictures to the build as well if you get the chance.

    However, this is 100% my opinion and you are not at all required to make the changes I suggested.

    +1

    I guess when I first posted the build I expected the reader to understand the synergy between skills but I guess I was wrong, oh well, I'll check it out later.

    As for the gameplay itself I have a hard time explaining combat to others so it will probably always be the weakest part of this page, I will fix it when I get the chance though.

    As for the pictures I will make sure to hop on my PC Skyrim so I can get a decent screenshot... if my craptop can handle anything higher than the blurry mess that is lowest graphical ettings.

  • Member
    July 22, 2017

    Ebonslayer said:

    Blacklight said:

    Hmm, it's a good build, Ebonslayer, I do feel you need to... expand upon your points a little more, if you get what I mean. Go into more detail on all of your skills, how they work in synergy together, and also I would normally have your gameplay section as long as your backstory.

    I would definitely add a few pictures to the build as well if you get the chance.

    However, this is 100% my opinion and you are not at all required to make the changes I suggested.

    +1

    I guess when I first posted the build I expected the reader to understand the synergy between skills but I guess I was wrong, oh well, I'll check it out later.

    As for the gameplay itself I have a hard time explaining combat to others so it will probably always be the weakest part of this page, I will fix it when I get the chance though.

    As for the pictures I will make sure to hop on my PC Skyrim so I can get a decent screenshot... if my craptop can handle anything higher than the blurry mess that is lowest graphical ettings.

    Nononono, don't get me wrong, I can see the synergy, I just can't understand it.

    Maybe that's just my thick skull.

     

    Also I have a Craptop too. I feel ya.

  • Member
    July 22, 2017

    Looking at it I *can* see the synergy, but it's best if you make it immediately obvious. And definitely break up the wall of text, if not with images, then at least with larger font for the headers.

    Have you considered soliciting the Art Group for screenshots?

  • July 22, 2017

    Well. Overall the build has it's flaws and some really good parts. The backstory is really good, it's entertaining and shows off the characte extremely well. I would like to see that expanded on, or at least you writing a little bit more, especially in the form of a Roleplaying section, something that I think you've got a pretty good knack for if the backstory alone is a good example. What I do think could be worked on (and this is where what the others are talking about comes in a little more.)

    Hmm, I don't really know about having any issues with the synergy between the skills from my point of view, it could be expanded on a little bit more I suppose but I'm not entirely sure. I mean, I guess the best way to do that is perhaps to expand on the Gameplay/Combat section which I really think should be expanded upon. I mean, that's where I sort of fall a little flat with this build, I'm just not sure how it's really supposed to work. At the moment, I suppose It hink that at the moment it feels a little more like what you'd write for a Roleplaying Profile or something along those lines to show off how the character fights, but not the mechanics of it (if that makes sense). My general strategy is to start off by splitting it into three main sections to focus on Archers, Melee and Mages. That just gives you a bit of a better way to show off how it works from a few different points of view and really delve into the different factors that goes into making the build.

    Other then that, well for the presentation have you tried to find a few images that fit fairly well, at least a temporary solution before getting some screenshots. I know there's a fair bit of Redguard Artwork, and even more artwork that looks like it could fit extremely well for the character if you search for it. I kknow some people prefer to use screenshots all of the time, but I think it's a fair bit better than just a wall-o-text. 

    That's all I can think of for now Ebonslayer, it is a fairly solid build and once you expand on the Combat, Gameplay and Skills sections then I think it'd be an extremely good build based on what I can see at the moment. Let me know if you need anymore help mate, and I'll drop by when I can. 

  • Member
    July 22, 2017

    Dragonborn1921 said:

    Well. Overall the build has it's flaws and some really good parts. The backstory is really good, it's entertaining and shows off the characte extremely well. I would like to see that expanded on, or at least you writing a little bit more, especially in the form of a Roleplaying section, something that I think you've got a pretty good knack for if the backstory alone is a good example. What I do think could be worked on (and this is where what the others are talking about comes in a little more.)

    Honestly, I was a little worried about my backstory, I feared it would be boring to read when I finally finished it but it seems I was wrong. As for the roleplaying section I think I could wor with that, as well as a recommended quest section while I'm at it.

    Dragonborn1921 said:

    Hmm, I don't really know about having any issues with the synergy between the skills from my point of view, it could be expanded on a little bit more I suppose but I'm not entirely sure. I mean, I guess the best way to do that is perhaps to expand on the Gameplay/Combat section which I really think should be expanded upon. I mean, that's where I sort of fall a little flat with this build, I'm just not sure how it's really supposed to work. At the moment, I suppose It hink that at the moment it feels a little more like what you'd write for a Roleplaying Profile or something along those lines to show off how the character fights, but not the mechanics of it (if that makes sense). My general strategy is to start off by splitting it into three main sections to focus on Archers, Melee and Mages. That just gives you a bit of a better way to show off how it works from a few different points of view and really delve into the different factors that goes into making the build.

    Spliting off into sections? I like it! It can show priorities, I can mix in a little bit of the overall fighting style, and I can possibly figure out things I missed that would help overall. In all honesty the playstyle is extremely similar to that of Teccam's Sword-Singer build which is also where I got the idea of this build from.

    Dragonborn1921 said:

    Other then that, well for the presentation have you tried to find a few images that fit fairly well, at least a temporary solution before getting some screenshots. I know there's a fair bit of Redguard Artwork, and even more artwork that looks like it could fit extremely well for the character if you search for it. I kknow some people prefer to use screenshots all of the time, but I think it's a fair bit better than just a wall-o-text.

    I tried giving some parts bolded text to help take from the wall-o-text feeling for now, when you read books and blog posts as much as me you know that unedited text can easily blend in with each other and you'll often lose where you are. I'll be getting some pictures, possibly for some of the skill trees if I can figure out a way to make them fit easily, perhaps I can put on a "Curse" style of page with my own twists.

    Thanks DB! I'll be getting to work on this right now.