The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Understanding Skills & Perks

Master Skyrim's skills and perks for powerful builds, from mages to assassins. Learn how race powers and items like the Wabbajack enhance your Dragonborn.

Understanding Skills & Perks

Mastering skills and perks is crucial for character development in Skyrim. Each skill tree offers unique abilities that can significantly enhance your Dragonborn's combat, magic, or stealth capabilities. Strategic allocation of perk points allows for specialized builds, from powerful mages to silent assassins, ensuring a tailored gameplay experience.

Skyrim features a diverse range of skills and associated perks that allow for deep character customization. Understanding these systems is key to building an effective Dragonborn. Here's a breakdown of some key areas:

  • Character Building: This encompasses various aspects of your character, including your chosen race and their unique powers.
  • Races: Each race comes with distinct advantages. For example:
    • Argonian
    • Breton
    • Dark Elf
    • High Elf
    • Imperial
    • Khajiit
    • Nord
    • Orc
    • Redguard
    • Wood Elf
  • Race Powers: These are special abilities unique to each race, usable once per day. Examples include:
    • Adrenaline Rush
    • Ancestor's Wrath
    • Battle Cry
    • Beast Form
    • Berserker Rage
    • Command Animal
    • Dragonskin
    • Highborn
    • Histskin
    • Night Eye
    • Voice of the Emperor
  • Skills: As you use skills, they level up, granting you perk points. Some skill categories include:
    • Alchemy
    • Illusion
    • Destruction
    • Alteration
    • Conjuration
    • Restoration
    • Enchanting
    • Heavy Armor
    • Smithing
    • Block
    • Two-Handed
    • One-Handed
    • Archery
    • Light Armor
    • Sneak
    • Lockpicking
  • Perks: These are specific enhancements within each skill tree. For instance, you can find perks related to:
    • Alchemy Perks
    • Illusion Perks
    • Destruction Perks
    • Alteration Perks
    • Conjuration Perks
    • Restoration Perks
    • Enchanting Perks
    • Heavy Armor Perks
    • Smithing Perks
    • Block Perks
    • Two-Handed Perks
    • One-Handed Perks
    • Archery Perks
    • Light Armor Perks
    • Sneak Perks
    • Lockpicking Perks

Beyond traditional skill trees, certain unique items and abilities can dramatically alter gameplay. The Wabbajack and Skull of Corruption are Daedric items obtainable at level 1. While they don't level up magicka skills and their charges deplete quickly, they become incredibly powerful when combined with the "Secret of Arcana" ability. This power, usable once a day (or more frequently by waiting 24 in-game hours), grants 100% magicka cost reduction for 30 seconds, including enchantments. This allows for unlimited use of these staves during its duration, making them capable of defeating high-level enemies like level 50 ice giants on Legendary difficulty.

Another notable character is a dual-wielding follower with a minimum level of 15. This follower possesses high skills and can deal significant damage, especially when equipped with weapons like an ebony/daedric sword and a forsworn sword, after removing their default pickaxes.

The reward for the final boss, Waking Dreams, allows for resetting skill trees. However, since it does not grant experience, its utility is limited if you are not gaining experience.