One of my favorite ways to play Skyrim Remasteredis as a necromancer. The beauty (and curse) of this game is that you can play any kind of necro you want.
..but when you stray too much, you aren't really playing a necromancer anymore. For example, if you wear heavy armor, use a two-handed weapon, and raise the dead, you're more of a death knight than a necro.
That's why I wanted to put together a short guide to help you out. This is, in my opinion, the best way to play a necromancer in Skyrim Special Edition without throwing in the crazy customization that mods bring.
Keep in mind too that I'm recommending things from the standpoint of roleplaying. This isn't a min/max build, but instead meant to help you look, act, and feel like a necromancer.
Without further ado, here are my recommendations:
Race - Dunmer (Dark Elves) or Breton
Something about Dark Elves make them seem like the natural fit. They're skilled with magic, are somewhat sneaky, and aren't the most upstanding citizens in Skyrim. At least, they aren't perceived that way.
So you could come up with a backstory that you were a Dunmer coming to Skyrim for a better life but became disgusted with how poorly you and your kin were treated. Then you turned to the dark side.
Bretons aren't a bad choice, either. They're naturally slanted towards Conjuration, which is the heart and soul of the necromancer.
Conjuration - Necromancy
This is probably the most obvious, which is why I wanted to put it up front.
Necromancers bring dead things back to life. That's just what they do. Even though Atronachs can be useful for getting the first few enemies down, they aren't your focus.
By focusing on the necromancy line of spells and perks, you get bigger, beefier, longer-lasting zombies. I don't have to tell you how useful this is, especially when you max out Conjuration and get to the point of having two summons!
But summoning the dead isn't the only trick up your sleeve.
Destruction - Ice
Most of your damage output will come from zombies, but you still need to be able to defend yourself. This is especially important when you don't have corpses available for summoning.
Ice spells are great because they slow your enemy down and sap their stamina. I specifically remember a friend of mine telling me that he always had better luck using ice spells than fire. Even though fire does more damage, the utility of ice is what makes these spells rock.
Just keep a close eye on your magicka. You don't want to use up so much of it with Destruction spells that you don't have any left to summon your zombie!
Alteration - Mage Armor
I won't lie -- I actually hate the mage armor spells. They don't last nearly long enough in my opinion. (Though magic mods can help with that.)
But they're still necessary due to how fragile you are. Because you won't be investing much in health or wear much armor, you'll need all the help you can get. Especially when you go up against archers that are focusing more on you than your summons.
To help conserve your magicka for more offensive spells, cast your mage armor right before a fight and let your magicka recover for a few seconds. Once the battle starts, magicka regeneration slows to a crawl.
Weapon - Ice Staff or Raise Zombie Staff
Staves are fairly rare in Skyrim, but can prove very useful. For necromancers, there are two main options you may be interested in.
The first is a staff that casts ice spells like Ice Spike. This lets you keep up the offense even when you run out of magicka.
The other is one that lets you raise zombies. Again, the idea is it saves you from having to use precious magicka, which you can then use for mage armor or offensive ice spells.
If you're having trouble finding great staves, one option is to make your own. I won't give you all of the details, but will say the Sigil Stone you get from getting to level 90 or above in Conjuration gives you the ability to make staves.
Armor - Necromancer Robes
The robes you find on enemy necromancers (or sometimes in chests) are what you're looking for.
No, they aren't the most powerful in the game. But they are good enough AND they have a green human skull on the front.
The best thing is you can combine these with a hood or mask, because they don't come hooded. That opens up the door for some customization, although there's one thing I recommend:
Hood - Vokun Dragon Priest Mask
When I think of a necromancer, the main aspect I think of is raising the dead. Vokun gets my vote as the mask they helps reduce the cost of your conjuration spells.
Another decent option is Nahkriin. This reduces the cost of your Destruction spells, letting you sling more ice around before having to run away like a little girl.
Shoes - Any Cloth
..I got nothing here.
While you could invest in Enchanting to beef up some cloth shoes, for the most part these don't matter. Pick whatever makes you happy!
Ring - Ring of Conjuration or Ring of Destruction
I know, this is kind of boring. But considering these are your two main sources of damage, you need to lower the magicka cost as much as possible.
Another more unique option is Azhidal's Ring of Necromancy. This ring is kinda weird. It causes your reanimated minions to explode for 50 frost damage and die when they take damage.
So you're kinda turning your zombie into a walking ice bomb.
That's kinda cool, but in general I wouldn't say it's the best way to go. Your zombie can output a lot more damage than that over time, plus it can tank for you.
The main way I see Azhidal's Ring of Necromancy making more sense is if you're in an area with lots of weak monsters where the frost explosion may kill or at least almost kill most of the enemies.
Amulet - Necromancer Amulet
I mainly put this one because of the name. It's not an amazing amulet, but considering it shares the same name as our build, I had to include it.
Plus, it's not bad. It benefits you in the two most important areas - magicka and lowering Conjuration costs. The slower stamina regen may get irritating, but only during long sprints.
Besides, it makes sense that necros wouldn't recover stamina all that fast. You're a mage, who (in general) is in worse shape than both rogues and warriors.
Standing Stone - Ritual Stone
This one is a little obvious. The Ritual Stone is awesome for two reasons:
It allows you to raise an unlimited number of zombies- it's only limited by how far apart you are from the corpses.
The corpses don't disintegrate when they die.
Necromancers have created entire armies with this stone and marched on cities! It's pretty funny.
My biggest problem is I would forget to use the power. I would usually have a dragon shout equipped instead, and then every once in a while remember how fun (and useful) this Ritual Stone power can be.
Another fun fact is you can reanimate just about anything except dragons and skeletons. So even though you can't normally reanimate that giant or mammoth - the Ritual Stone makes it possible.
Dragon Shout - Soul Tear
This one takes a while to get, but I think it fits the necromancer mindset and play style more than any other.
When you hit an enemy using all three words of the shout, three fun things happen:
You do a lot of damage (about 300)
If you kill it, you fill an empty soul gem
AND the body is raised from the dead to fight for you.
Win - Win - Win.
The only sad news is that when the zombie dies, the corpse disintegrates like most other zombies you summon.
But the good news is that this shout can be used to reanimate enemies that are normally too powerful. Giants are the main ones that come to mind, but if you've reached a point where your Raise Zombie spells can't raise most enemies you're facing, this is a decent option.
Vampirism -- to Suck Blood or Not?
I've read mixed opinions on this. On the one hand, vampires in Skyrim Special Edition have certain abilities that make sense for necromancers.
On the other hand -- necromancers control the undead. Vampires are undead. You would think they wouldn't get along all that well, since the necro tends to control the vampire's brethren.
My thought? Vampires are much, much smarter and more powerful than zombies, draugr and skeletons. They aren't even in the same ballpark. So vampires see those weaker forms of the undead the same way a necromancer would -- as slaves to do the bidding of the more powerful life form.
If you agree, go find a vampire nest and catch yourself some Sanguinare Vampiris. Let it evolve and turn you into a vampire, then have fun terrorizing the world as both a necro and a vampire!
Follower - Serana
This is something else up for debate. Following on the vampire discussion, we realize that vampires and necromancers can get along. But should a necromancer take along another mage, like Serana, as their follower?
Excel lottery prediction free application 2017. I think in reality, most followers wouldn't want to follow a necromancer. For all they know, the necro will stab them in the back (or have a zombie do it) and then reanimate the follower's body.
Hard to trust a fellow like that.
But Serana understands the dark side of life and won't worry about it. Sure, during some battles it'd be nice to have a follower that tanks for you. But since both yourself and Serana will be summoning undead creatures, you probably don't have to worry about it too much.
Conclusion
Obviously you don't have to follow this necromancer guide in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, but it's an idea of how to build a pure necromancer, which is one of the best ways (in my opinion) to scour Tamriel.
If you want more sweet builds, check out GameSkinny's other Skyrim build guides.
There are lots of ways to play as an Assassin in Skyrim Special Edition. You can concentrate on just one weapon, like a dagger or bow. You can use Illusion spells to hide yourself and Restoration for healing, or write off magic altogether. Good guy vs. bad guy.
..you get the idea.
Skyrim Archer Assassin Build
But let's forget about roleplaying for a minute. Let's say you want to create the most powerful assassin possible.
This is how you do it.
Skyrim Assassin Build Race: Wood Elf or Khajit (or Whatever You Want)
To be honest, race isn't a major factor. Wood Elves get a starting bonus to Archery, and Khajits get a starting bonus to Sneak. But since every race can max out every skill, it all evens out at the end.
If you don't necessarily care about the starting stats, I have two recommendations for how you should choose your race:
Pick your favorite race: Love Argonians? Cool -- getting assassinated by a lizard would be kinda scary. But if you love something else, just go for it.
Pick based on racial ability, not stats: The night vision that Khajit can use is nice if you install lighting mods. Nords have Battlecry, which help them get out of a jam. The extra magicka buff that High Elves boast is nice if you plan on using Illusion (which you should).
The point is -- race isn't too important. Pick one you like, and move on!
Skyrim Special Edition Assassin Build: Archery
This is a must.
While it is more satisfying to sneak up behind a baddy and slit their throat, that isn't always an option.
Here are a few reasons why you need to invest in Archery:
Whittle down groups of enemies from afar: It's difficult to sneak up on a group of 2-3 enemies, as they have a wider range of view. Taking them out without getting close puts you in less danger.
Take out animals: Animals tend to hear/smell you better while sneaking than other enemies. Even though a high enough sneak score will eventually let you sneak up for a dagger strike, killing beasts from far away is very useful early game.
Dragons: These suckers fly. You can't. And even though it's nice to get a stealth attack on one with your dagger, there will be many battles where you won't have that luxury. Having a bow or crossbow to attack from afar is critical.
Poison Arrows. You can have a lot more fun with poisoned arrows than you can with a poisoned dagger. Throw a Fury potion on an arrow and watch your enemies mow down the poor soul who got the arrow in his back! Or apply strong health poisons to your arrows to take out a dragon very quickly.
So, yeah -- don't ignore Archery!
Assassin Build - One-Handed Weapons
Let me be clear -- you won't be investing many perk points here. Armsman is great, but that's the only perk you need to invest in.
The reason you don't need to invest in anything else is that you're an assassin. Assassins don't do well in melee combat. They can hold their own, but their expertise is taking out enemies without getting noticed.
Armsman is critical because it adds so much damage to your sneak attacks. Even if you only take 2 points in it, that's increasing your damage by 40%. Multiplied by a factor of 15 (from the Sneak tree) adds up.
Skyrim Assassin Build: Illusion
First off -- you should use Illusion because it's the most fun tree of magic in the game.
But secondly, it's basically built for assassins.
Here's why:
Muffle helps stealth up to enemies early game, while you're still improving your Sneak skills.
Invisibility.. well, its pretty obvious how useful this can be.
Silent Casting is critical to make sure you don't alert enemies to your presence.
Frenzy, Pacify and Fear can all be useful in the right situations. When you get a ton of enemies bearing down on you, these spells could be the difference between life or death.
Illusion is also very easy to level up, as Muffle tends to give you more experience towards it than it probably should.
Do you have to use Illusion? Like everything else in this guide -- of course not. But why wouldn't you? It's utility is unmatched, making you a much more capable taker of life.
Assassin Build: Blacksmithing
To inflict maximum damage, you need the best weapons available. Even though you can obtain Daedric weapons with a Sigil Stone, the easiest (and most logical) method is to build up your Blacksmithing skills.
For one thing, this allows you to improve your daggers and bows much better. More damage means yet MORE damage from your sneak damage multipliers, which equals profit.
Secondly, it helps you stay ahead of the game as you encounter more difficult enemies. It's not easy to get your hands on a Glass or Daedric dagger early game. But if you can make something more in the mid-range, like an Orcish dagger and bow, that helps.
Plus, you'll be glad to have that extra damage when you go up against something you can't sneak attack, like a dragon that's already spotted you.
Skyrim Assassin Build: Alchemy
I'll be honest -- Alchemy was never my favorite skill tree.
But it's very useful.
In the quest of making the ultimate assassin, having a few poisons attached to your hip will be very handy.
Fury poisons can help whittle down a group of enemies charging at you.
Health poisons will bring even the toughest foes down quickly.
Magicka poisons can be useful against mages that weren't happy to find you sneaking around.
If you don't want to invest in this tree, you can always buy poisons. The problem is that it's always a gamble whether or not the shopkeeper will have what you're looking for. Nevermind the fact that you can make stronger stuff than is available in stores.
Skyrim safety regulations or something.
Plus -- they aren't cheap!
Assassin Build: Dragon Shouts
I love dragon shouts. I think they're one of the best aspects of the game.
Anyways, some fit with the assassin gameplay more than others. Here are a few I'd recommend:
Throw Voice: Besides just being funny, this one does prove useful. It gives you the ability to get an enemy's attention, which is nice for getting them to turn their back to you. Granted, just shooting an arrow at a wall or the ground can do the same thing, but it's not as fun and that's more difficult when you're out in the open on flat terrain.
Aura Whisper: Why does the military invest so much time and money in reconnaissance? Because it's useful to see your enemies and know what they're doing. That's exactly what this shout does, which is especially useful for stealthy characters.
Marked for Death - If you get into unavoidable melee combat, you'll be thankful to have this one. The effects stack, so using it multiple times will quickly diminish your enemy's defense, letting you take them down quickly.
Need more? A few great defensive ones are Ice Form, Unrelenting Force, Whirlwind Sprint or Become Ethereal. Personally I think the 3 I highlighted fit an assassin character the best, though.
Assassin Build Followers: Warriors
When you're snooping around caves, dungeons, etc. you don't really want any kind of follower. They're too loud and dumb.
But it's not a bad idea to travel with one. When you get caught out in the open, you might appreciate the help that a strong follower can provide. A beefy warrior follower such as Mjoll or Farkus is best.
Why? Mainly because they'll charge into combat, letting you decide what you want to do. If it's a fight you can't win, you can run! If it's something you and your follower can handle, whip out your bow or Illusion spells and have at it.
The problem with archers and mages is they'll also want to hang back, essentially expecting you to tank for them.
Not good.
The Best Armor for Skyrim Assassin Builds: Dark Brotherhood or Nightingale (Light Armor)
Ck2 steam mods not showing up windows 10. You probably could've guessed that Light Armor is the way to go. It provides some defense, while also helping you stay stealthy.
The thing is -- which one should you go with?
If you're partial to one of the kinds you can craft (such as Glass or Elven,) that's fine. Go for it!
But if you want to look the part of an assassin, it really comes down to either Dark Brotherhood or Nightingale armor. The Dark Brotherhood helps you do more damage, which is what you're looking for.
The Nightingale set is more catered towards thieves, but is the coolest looking armor in the game. If you're going for Skyrim's version of Fashion Souls (a.k.a. Dark Souls) this is the best one for you.
Gameplay
You can probably guess how to play an assassin, but I wanted to break it down quickly here.
When entering a cave or fort, tell your follower to wait for you far away so they don't attract attention.
Use your bow to take out enemies in groups.
Decide which shout is best for your situation (such as Aura Whisper while in a fort) and use it wisely. Remember that enemies hear most shouts (although Aura Whisper is quieter and harder for them to hear).
When you find enemies by themselves, go for a dagger kill to maximize damage output.
Use potions or spells when you're in a pinch, going up against strong enemies or need a boost to your Sneak skills.
Best Archer Build Skyrim
You don't have to roleplay (such as taking lots of contracts from the Dark Brotherhood) but you can if you want!
Conclusion
One of the most fun ways to play Skyrim Special Edition is with an assassin build. They aren't as strong in direct combat as other builds, but it is probably the most overpowered build in the game.