Skyrim Character Building » Discussions


Character Build: The Montalion

  • Member
    May 1, 2014

    Yeah, I touched on this in a couple of older comments. Illusion is very much a minor skill here. I mostly just took it for Aspect of Terror, and then figured I'd go on up to expert for higher Fear/Calm spells. But are useful for enemies who resist fire and/or poison once you pick up Master of the Mind.

    However, I'm planning on revising this build soon, and I'm leaning toward cutting out Illusion entirely, and using Fortify Destruction potions to make up for the loss of Aspect of Terror. I'm going to playtest it with that change as well as a few other tweaks, and I'd like to put together a gameplay walkthrough/demo or maybe even a Let's Play series.

    In the meantime, if you're interested in playing this one, you should be okay to ditch Illusion if that's your fancy.

  • May 1, 2014

    Do you have any idea which rigs work with the glitch and which don't?

  • Member
    May 1, 2014

    From my testing, I believe it only works with unique rings added in the Dragonborn DLC: specifically, the two Ahzidal rings, and the four Frostmoon Pack rings. If there are any other unique rings in Dragonborn that I'm forgetting, my guess is those work as well, though I can only confirm that it works with those six rings.

    I can also confirm that it doesn't seem to work with unique rings added in Dawnguard -- e.g., the Rings of Blood Magic (real bummer about that one). And I'm fairly certain there are no rings in the vanilla game that will remain equipped either, but I only tested a few of the more obvious candidates.

  • May 1, 2014

    Teccam, as you've experimented with the werewolf/Vampire Lord chat-stacking glitch I have to ask: does it stay stacked even after one's cured themselves of vampirism/lycanthropy?

  • Member
    May 1, 2014

    Yes, but they can be forcibly de-equipped by scripted events in certain quests, such as Diplomatic Immunity. You also need to re-equip each item every time you change form, so in fact it may actually be better to cure your vampirism/lycanthropy once you've done it, so you don't ever accidentally change form without a follower nearby.

    Also note that when you use the Ill Met By Moonlight ring trick that this build uses, the ring cannot be forcibly de-equipped by transformations or scripted events, which is really nice. However, the drawback is that you can only use about six rings with this trick (those unique Dragonborn DLC rings), and you have to choose only one per build since you can only get the Cursed Ring of Hircine the one time.

    Another benefit of the Cursed Ring trick is that you can actually remove the "hidden"/"passive" ring from your inventory once you get the Cursed Ring. Whereas with the "chat glitch", you must keep every equipped item in your inventory as long as you wish to benefit from their effects.

  • Member
    June 14, 2014

    This is great! 
    I have always had trouble with creating a backstory for Dunmer vampires. 
    Nords work well with the Volkihar lore, and Altmer with lore like Morrowinds Aundae, but Dunmer seemed left out. Now I can finally get to it! Wish I'd seen this earlier.

    I actually combine ideas from this build with being the Dark Brotherhoods listener, and a major penchant for fire magic.

    As such I'd summon flame atronachs or Ash Spawn whenever the going gets tough, and intermingle Slow Time with Flame Breath and even Battle Fury(its like the opposite of Slow Time, it actually speeds up the protagonist!) 
    The only issue I have left is integrating this with being Dovahkiin but I'll manage. Thanks for this build Teccam :) 

  • October 3, 2014

    Awesome build, Teccam! Strange how I hadn't seen this build until just recently. 

  • Member
    January 1, 2015

    Guys -- I've teased a potential major update to this build a few times in the past. But realistically, I'm not sure I have much Skyrim left in me (note my activity over the past half year or so). This build has always been one of my personal favorites, and tbh, one that I always felt was oddly overlooked compared to some of my other builds.

    The Montalion is a total blast to play in its current state, but since I'm not sure I'll ever be able to push out the "2.0 version" I've mentioned in the past, I figured I should at least share those plans for anyone interested.

    So here's my outline (the italicized sections are my comments/explanations for changes, if applicable):

    ====================

    The Montalion 2.0

    Revision Outline

    • Streamline!
      • Cut Shivs + Ring of Namira // Neither was necessary/fundamental to gameplay/RP
      • Combine "Agent" + "Enforcer" into a single [superior] play style // I still fancy the notion of a "cooperative paths" build as I referred to it in the original writeup, but the execuction here was lacking, and it just ended up being needless equipment swapping that hampered gameplay.
      • Trim down Illusion perks -- or cut Illusion altogether… // Not necessary to the build, mostly just taken for Aspect of Terror, which isn't even necessary in truth.
      • Use Shrine of Talos next to Heimskr (via Dragonsreach) // Easiest access for the Blessing, IMO.
    • Sell the build!
      • Rewrite to reflect total badassery // Because it is totally badass!
      • Sell Necromage: longer/better Ebonyflesh, Slow Time, Bound Sword, etc.
      • Take screenshots, redo perk/equipment images // Refer to Vazgen's Trebbite Monk
      • Ulfric’s Bracers + Miraak’s Boots // For aesthetic and extra AR (+50 hidden!)
    • Switch to The Lady // Health/Stamina Regen during day, no Weakness to Magic
    • Switch to Orc // Ideal for RP, Berserker Rage for gameplay, good aesthetic
    • Incorporate Seeker of Shadows for Alchemy // With Necromage = crazy potential!
    • Add Become Ethereal for daywalking and passive cloak damage // Special move?
    • Use Vazgen’s Hearthfire outpost concept + Sinderion’s Serendipity for Alchemy
    • Look into Mora’s Agony (Miraak’s Staff too?) // Another use of Become Ethereal?
      • Test whether either of these breaks Ethereal form
    • Incorporate better potions…
      • One-handed & Archery: Canis Root + Hanging Moss + Juniper Berries
      • Destruction & Health: Glowing Mushroom + Nightshade + Wheat
      • Resist Fire & Resist Frost: Dragon’s Tongue + Snowberries + Thistle Branch
      • Damage Health & Lingering Damage: Imp Stool + Mora Tapinella + River Betty

    ====================

    As you can see, I had some pretty significant changes in mind. Most of them are things that I really didn't need to playtest, strictly speaking, because I already know exactly how they would work out. But I don't like the idea of submitting a build without experiencing it all firsthand, and that philosophy extends to overhauls as well. And there are a couple of things here that I did want to test and never got around to, because I never had the time/inclination to conduct a full playtest of this revised build.

    However, based on what I know of the game, as well as my experience with the "1.x" build as it stands now, I'm very confident that the 2.0 version would have been an absolute blast. If anyone out there is still playing Skyrim and happens to read this comment, you should try incorporating some of the changes proposed in this comment to the build, and see how it works out. I'll do my best to clarify or expand on any points here, if need be. In the meantime, if I ever do get around to running that playtest, I'll be sure to update.

    Hope this is of interest to someone. And happy new year, everyone! 

  • Member
    January 1, 2015
    Wow, happy new year, Teccam! This looks like a great addition to the build!
  • Member
    January 6, 2015

    I like the look of the revision outline alot :)