After getting tired out on a few builds that required pretty intense thought and work, I wanted to do something light-hearted and fun. I was also tempted by Emer Dareloth's Tsaesci Yni'ka Paal build, which lays the foundation for a great Argonian melee build. I decided to import one of the most iconic characters in the history of fantasy.
The Lore of the Dragonborn has some interesting implications. What does it mean to be be born with the "soul" of a dragon? Why do the Dovah themselves refer to the Dragonborn as "dragon-blooded"? One possible explanation is that the Dragonborn is, for all intents and purposes, a dragon himself, just in a different body. Not wanting to get too philosophical about this question, I jumped into the role of ...
Smaug, The Dread Dragon
"There he lay, a vast red-golden dragon, fast asleep; thrumming came from his jaws and nostrils, and wisps of smoke, but his fires were low in slumber. Beneath him, under all his limbs and his huge coiled tail, and about him on all sides stretching away across the unseen floors, lay countless piles of precious things, gold wrought and unwrought, gems and jewels, and silver red-stained in the ruddy light."
BACKGROUND
In Middle Earth, Smaug is an ancient and powerful dragon, characterized by greed, ruthlessness, and arrogance. In the Third Age, Smaug sacked the Dwarven Kingdom at the Lonely Mountain, taking the hall and all the associated treasures for himself. For many years he terrorized the neighboring countryside while amassing an ever-increasing fortune. He spent his days lying on his massive pile of gold, until it crusted on his skin and formed his armor.
Meanwhile, in Nirn, a young Argonian is caught crossing the border into Skyrim. A restless, headstrong, and arrogant youth, he had become something of an outsider in the Black Marsh due to an obsession with gold and precious gems. He had intended to seek his fortune in the north as a trader when a brush with death at the hands of the occupying army leaves him rethinking his choices, not to mention in awe of the mighty dragon who (perhaps inadvertently) saved his life. When he learns that he is something called "Dragonborn", he abandons the trading life to pursue the full power of his birth legacy. Is he immortal? Will he evolve into a true dragon? Will he breathe fire and amass a fortune in gold? I don't know, probably not, and definitely.
(We are not really going for a straight Smaug port, because it obviously doesn't fit quite right in the Skyrim lore. On the other hand, this is not really a lore-enhancing build; it is mostly just for fun. Don't worry about the lore here too much, and have fun!)
BUILD
"My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!"
Race: Argonian (obviously)
Sex: Male
Features: red skin, with gold, green, and/or blue accents
Stones: Steed (early, until you get the Conditioning perk), then Lady
Stat Distribution: 2/3/1 Magicka/Health/Stamina
Primary Skills:
One-Handed: Primary combat method will be dual-wielded swords. Carry your swords everywhere, as if they were an extension of your body. Think of them as talons extended from your very arm. Wield them quickly and furiously in battle. Perks - Armsman (5/5), Dual Flurry (2/2), Bladesman (3/3)
Heavy Armor: Your armor, too, is an extension of your body. Piece together the best armor you can, to protect yourself from your enemies (and those jealous of your fortune). Perks - Entire Tree
Alteration: At lower levels, Alteration will supplement your armor. At later levels, as the armor cap is approached, you won't need the armor spells, but you'll have access to the Paralysis spell, a critical part of some of our best techniques. Also, Transmute is going to play a role. Perks - Novice through Expert, Magic Resistance (3/3)
Secondary Skills:
Destruction: Your fire "breath" will be your primary ranged attack. A powerful and terrifying flame attack will show your enemies your true might and give you a distinct advantage in battle. Perks - Novice through Adept, Augmented Flames (2/2), Intense Flames, Dual Casting, Impact
Smithing: Precious treasures (ores) from all throughout Skyrim will provide the material to armor yourself. Perks - Steel, Dwarven
(Total: 39. This leaves plenty of perks leftover if you want to add another skill to this build. I'd recommend Restoration to increase survivability in the early levels, and eventually target Avoid Death; or Lockpicking, targeting Golden Touch and Treasure Hunter, to increase the rate you find gold and good loot.)
Armor: Dwarven, as soon as possible. First, it's considered a rarity in Skyrim. Second, it looks like gold! Personally, I prefer the look without the helm, although that will make some Heavy Armor perks useless. An enchanted circlet, or the Aetherial Crown if you have the Dawnguard DLC, would be a good choice instead of the helm.
Weapons: We will dual-wield swords, the best we can find. The Drainheart Sword and Bolar's Oathblade are good choices, and add to the mystique of the terrible dragon.
Shouts: Unrelenting Force, Fire Breath, Dismay
ROLEPLAY & GAMEPLAY
(This is like 50 ingots. This is going to take a long time ...)
Smaug is the last of the great dragons. He has three true loves: gold, himself, and jewels, in that order.
Your primary motivation is going to be to accrue as much gold -- wrought and unwrought, as we are told -- as possible. First, and most obviously, we are going to loot everything we can. Steal gold from citizens. Raid dungeons for their treasures. Take the most lucrative quests you can (ones with leveled gold rewards). Nothing is below you in your quest for gold -- theft, murder, betrayal. Second, we are going to collect Iron, Silver, and Gold ores, eventually using Transmute to change them all into gold and then smelting them into bars.
You will "take over" the Dwarven stronghold by buying Vlindrel Hall. Then, of course, go about filling it with your treasures!
In terms of personality, Smaug is arrogant but refined. He is never afraid to brag, to put others down, or to bully and threaten his way into his goals. (Read: more money.)
BATTLE TACTICS
"I kill where I wish and none dare resist. I laid low the warriors of old and their like is not in the world today. Then I was but young and tender. Now I am old and strong, strong strong."
Fire spells from the Destruction school are going to be your primary ranged attack. With the Intense Flames and Impact perks, they will also serve as a form of crowd control in many situations. Combat will usually start with one of the two special moves below, then a quick switch to dual swords while closing in on opponents. No blocking on this build, so it is important to soften up your enemies before rushing in. Shouts can be used for additional crowd control while dishing out quick damage with your dual swords.
Obviously, longer battles will require maneuvering, and perhaps the use of Histskin. The build should have enough Magicka to fire extra Fireballs from range, or to enter combat with an armor spell if needed.
My Breath is Death: Dual-cast Fireball + Fire Breath
You cannot use a Shout while a spell is prepped, but you can use it immediately upon casting the spell. With Destruction Dual Casting and Augmented Flames, this combination will outright kill weaker foes and badly cripple many stronger ones. With Intense Flames and Impact, anyone who survives the blast will be at your mercy to finish off. Best against small groups of weak enemies.
My Wings are a Hurricane, the Shock from my Tail a Lightning Bolt: Unrelenting Force (3 words) + Paralyze
This works best when there is an obstacle close behind your foe, such as a wall or hill. Use your Shout to knock him from his feet, like a buffet from a great pair of wings. Immediately run toward your foe, who will be unable to maneuver while still getting to his feet, and hit him with a Paralyze. Best against a single opponent with more health.
OTHER NOTES
Cannibalism: Smaug eats people, ponies, orcs ... whatever. Go for it! Eating the meat from animal kills is nice, but practicing cannibalism with the Ring of Namira is even more satisfying. The regeneration bonus doesn't hurt, either (and I believe it stacks with Histskin). If you're not afraid of exploits, the Cursed Ring of Hircine / Ring of Namira bug is convenient.
Followers: I don't feel that followers are appropriate to this build, for the most part. You could make an argument for one of the Orc rangers, though, to represent the Orcish armies from the Battle of Lonely Mountain.
Factions: Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild provide some great opportunity to rack up the gold. Beyond that, though, this character isn't really tied to factions. I avoided the Civil War quest altogether with this.
The Battle of Lake-town: Once you've reached a high enough level that you can take on guards, have some fun by reenacting the destruction of Lake-town. Travel to Morthal -- it's on the water, after all -- and unleash some fire on the guards. See how long you can last until "Bard" takes you down with his arrow! (This is strictly for fun, so you may want to save first, and you really might be killed.)
Fire Breath: If you're okay with exploits, 100% shout cooldown can be used to spit fire all over the place. Just saying.
That's it! Hope you like the build. Please check out my others as well!
The Disgraced Matron, a clan matron and master smith who loses her family to the Thalmor.
The Bargainer, an antihero who protects Skyrim from daedra by embracing their power.
After getting tired out on a few builds that required pretty intense thought and work, I wanted to do something light-hearted and fun. I was also tempted by Emer Dareloth's Tsaesci Yni'ka Paal build, which lays the foundation for a great Argonian melee build. I decided to import one of the most iconic characters in the history of fantasy.
The Lore of the Dragonborn has some interesting implications. What does it mean to be be born with the "soul" of a dragon? Why do the Dovah themselves refer to the Dragonborn as "dragon-blooded"? One possible explanation is that the Dragonborn is, for all intents and purposes, a dragon himself, just in a different body. Not wanting to get too philosophical about this question, I jumped into the role of ...
Smaug, The Dread Dragon
"There he lay, a vast red-golden dragon, fast asleep; thrumming came from his jaws and nostrils, and wisps of smoke, but his fires were low in slumber. Beneath him, under all his limbs and his huge coiled tail, and about him on all sides stretching away across the unseen floors, lay countless piles of precious things, gold wrought and unwrought, gems and jewels, and silver red-stained in the ruddy light."
BACKGROUND
In Middle Earth, Smaug is an ancient and powerful dragon, characterized by greed, ruthlessness, and arrogance. In the Third Age, Smaug sacked the Dwarven Kingdom at the Lonely Mountain, taking the hall and all the associated treasures for himself. For many years he terrorized the neighboring countryside while amassing an ever-increasing fortune. He spent his days lying on his massive pile of gold, until it crusted on his skin and formed his armor.
Meanwhile, in Nirn, a young Argonian is caught crossing the border into Skyrim. A restless, headstrong, and arrogant youth, he had become something of an outsider in the Black Marsh due to an obsession with gold and precious gems. He had intended to seek his fortune in the north as a trader when a brush with death at the hands of the occupying army leaves him rethinking his choices, not to mention in awe of the mighty dragon who (perhaps inadvertently) saved his life. When he learns that he is something called "Dragonborn", he abandons the trading life to pursue the full power of his birth legacy. Is he immortal? Will he evolve into a true dragon? Will he breathe fire and amass a fortune in gold? I don't know, probably not, and definitely.
(We are not really going for a straight Smaug port, because it obviously doesn't fit quite right in the Skyrim lore. On the other hand, this is not really a lore-enhancing build; it is mostly just for fun. Don't worry about the lore here too much, and have fun!)
BUILD
"My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!"
Race: Argonian (obviously)
Sex: Male
Features: red skin, with gold, green, and/or blue accents
Stones: Steed (early, until you get the Conditioning perk), then Lady
Stat Distribution: 2/3/1 Magicka/Health/Stamina
Primary Skills:
One-Handed: Primary combat method will be dual-wielded swords. Carry your swords everywhere, as if they were an extension of your body. Think of them as talons extended from your very arm. Wield them quickly and furiously in battle. Perks - Armsman (5/5), Dual Flurry (2/2), Bladesman (3/3)
Heavy Armor: Your armor, too, is an extension of your body. Piece together the best armor you can, to protect yourself from your enemies (and those jealous of your fortune). Perks - Entire Tree
Alteration: At lower levels, Alteration will supplement your armor. At later levels, as the armor cap is approached, you won't need the armor spells, but you'll have access to the Paralysis spell, a critical part of some of our best techniques. Also, Transmute is going to play a role. Perks - Novice through Expert, Magic Resistance (3/3)
Secondary Skills:
Destruction: Your fire "breath" will be your primary ranged attack. A powerful and terrifying flame attack will show your enemies your true might and give you a distinct advantage in battle. Perks - Novice through Adept, Augmented Flames (2/2), Intense Flames, Dual Casting, Impact
Smithing: Precious treasures (ores) from all throughout Skyrim will provide the material to armor yourself. Perks - Steel, Dwarven
(Total: 39. This leaves plenty of perks leftover if you want to add another skill to this build. I'd recommend Restoration to increase survivability in the early levels, and eventually target Avoid Death; or Lockpicking, targeting Golden Touch and Treasure Hunter, to increase the rate you find gold and good loot.)
Armor: Dwarven, as soon as possible. First, it's considered a rarity in Skyrim. Second, it looks like gold! Personally, I prefer the look without the helm, although that will make some Heavy Armor perks useless. An enchanted circlet, or the Aetherial Crown if you have the Dawnguard DLC, would be a good choice instead of the helm.
Weapons: We will dual-wield swords, the best we can find. The Drainheart Sword and Bolar's Oathblade are good choices, and add to the mystique of the terrible dragon.
Shouts: Unrelenting Force, Fire Breath, Dismay
ROLEPLAY & GAMEPLAY
(This is like 50 ingots. This is going to take a long time ...)
Smaug is the last of the great dragons. He has three true loves: gold, himself, and jewels, in that order.
Your primary motivation is going to be to accrue as much gold -- wrought and unwrought, as we are told -- as possible. First, and most obviously, we are going to loot everything we can. Steal gold from citizens. Raid dungeons for their treasures. Take the most lucrative quests you can (ones with leveled gold rewards). Nothing is below you in your quest for gold -- theft, murder, betrayal. Second, we are going to collect Iron, Silver, and Gold ores, eventually using Transmute to change them all into gold and then smelting them into bars.
You will "take over" the Dwarven stronghold by buying Vlindrel Hall. Then, of course, go about filling it with your treasures!
In terms of personality, Smaug is arrogant but refined. He is never afraid to brag, to put others down, or to bully and threaten his way into his goals. (Read: more money.)
BATTLE TACTICS
"I kill where I wish and none dare resist. I laid low the warriors of old and their like is not in the world today. Then I was but young and tender. Now I am old and strong, strong strong."
Fire spells from the Destruction school are going to be your primary ranged attack. With the Intense Flames and Impact perks, they will also serve as a form of crowd control in many situations. Combat will usually start with one of the two special moves below, then a quick switch to dual swords while closing in on opponents. No blocking on this build, so it is important to soften up your enemies before rushing in. Shouts can be used for additional crowd control while dishing out quick damage with your dual swords.
Obviously, longer battles will require maneuvering, and perhaps the use of Histskin. The build should have enough Magicka to fire extra Fireballs from range, or to enter combat with an armor spell if needed.
My Breath is Death: Dual-cast Fireball + Fire Breath
You cannot use a Shout while a spell is prepped, but you can use it immediately upon casting the spell. With Destruction Dual Casting and Augmented Flames, this combination will outright kill weaker foes and badly cripple many stronger ones. With Intense Flames and Impact, anyone who survives the blast will be at your mercy to finish off. Best against small groups of weak enemies.
My Wings are a Hurricane, the Shock from my Tail a Lightning Bolt: Unrelenting Force (3 words) + Paralyze
This works best when there is an obstacle close behind your foe, such as a wall or hill. Use your Shout to knock him from his feet, like a buffet from a great pair of wings. Immediately run toward your foe, who will be unable to maneuver while still getting to his feet, and hit him with a Paralyze. Best against a single opponent with more health.
OTHER NOTES
Cannibalism: Smaug eats people, ponies, orcs ... whatever. Go for it! Eating the meat from animal kills is nice, but practicing cannibalism with the Ring of Namira is even more satisfying. The regeneration bonus doesn't hurt, either (and I believe it stacks with Histskin). If you're not afraid of exploits, the Cursed Ring of Hircine / Ring of Namira bug is convenient.
Followers: I don't feel that followers are appropriate to this build, for the most part. You could make an argument for one of the Orc rangers, though, to represent the Orcish armies from the Battle of Lonely Mountain.
Factions: Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild provide some great opportunity to rack up the gold. Beyond that, though, this character isn't really tied to factions. I avoided the Civil War quest altogether with this.
The Battle of Lake-town: Once you've reached a high enough level that you can take on guards, have some fun by reenacting the destruction of Lake-town. Travel to Morthal -- it's on the water, after all -- and unleash some fire on the guards. See how long you can last until "Bard" takes you down with his arrow! (This is strictly for fun, so you may want to save first, and you really might be killed.)
Fire Breath: If you're okay with exploits, 100% shout cooldown can be used to spit fire all over the place. Just saying.
That's it! Hope you like the build. Please check out my others as well!
The Disgraced Matron, a clan matron and master smith who loses her family to the Thalmor.
The Bargainer, an antihero who protects Skyrim from daedra by embracing their power.
I'm happy to say that I'm very much satisfied 
+1 As for the headpiece won't the Aetherial crown look good? It can give some additional possibilities as well.
