I don't mean the Ebony Sword, I mean the Ebony Blade:

http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Ebony_Blade_(Skyrim)

Its a two handed health draining sword that utilizes both one handed and two handed perks, and requires you to kill your in game friends (I've already dreamed up a whole hit-list (Faendal, Lydia, that stupid chick in my house in Riften that always says "long life to you my thane")

I was inspired by the Dunmer thread, that dark paladin idea, and some of the screens I saw. Thinking Ebony Plate with the Ebony blade and a Dragon Priest Mask.

Either
Nahkriin mask +50 Magicka, -20% Restoration and Destruction Magicka cost.
or
Otar mask Fire, Frost, and Shock resistance is improved 30%.


I've never leveled up one-handed and two-handed simultaneously. Has anyone tried this? Also considering going vampire.

Skills (for sure):
1 hand, 2 hand, heavy armor, healing, enchant, smith

Not sure on:
Destruction, Conjuration, Alchemy

Spellwise I know I should go with one or the other or both. I can use the ritual stone to raise dead, but thats only once per day. I wondering if I'll have the resources to basically get an augmented lightning bolt (25 destruction) and then travel all the way up the necromancy part of the conjuration tree. Alchemy might end up being a skill I use (for poisons) but can't put many perks into.

Any thoughts? I've never made a pure, pure evil character. My evil characters have usually been evil that kills other evil. The character I cleared the main quest on was evil, but then also destroyed the dark brotherhood, rather then join it.

I wouldn't recommend doing both one handed and two handed, pick one. If you are going to take a bunch of magic schools one handed is the better fit. There are also mods around that "fix" the ebony blade to behave like either a one handed or two handed sword rather than it's current dual implementation that many people considered broken. Do some google searches for skyrim assasin, nightblade, and other builds to give you more ideas, you need to decide whether you are going to invest in magic skills and sneak skills early on to properly focus your perk points.

I would level one-handed first, then get the ebony blade to work on two-handed. You get stronger with it from 1H perks and 2H skill, I believe, but since it's 2H and not too strong initially you can attack a lot - and since you absorb health, you can get into pretty prolonged battles and it levels easily. It got me out of a lot of tough situations at high levels, since I was able to heal quickly and attack at the same time.

Sort of OT: Your character is a lot like my last one, except I had a good paladin who gradually turned down a dark path once he was overwhelmed by power. The skills are about the same, except I used 2H until it was maxed, and picked up 1H and conjuration near the end. Conjuration IMO is more evil than destruction.

One real easy way to level up the Ebony Blade, is to have the Dead Thrall spell. Do the quest for Mehrunes Razor, and when you kill Silus Vesuius, Dead Thrall his corpse, and just keep killing him to level the Ebony Blade all the way up, without having to actually kill any followers or NPCs who aren't specifically supposed to die.

Been thinking about making a Vampiric Nord Blackguard follower with a mod. Wields a black, serrated Greatsword that has a skull as a crosspiece with Absorb Health+Soul Trap. Wears a dark/black Full Plate suit adorned with skulls and spikes. Follower would be skilled/perked with 2H, Heavy Armor, Block (Right Side), Conjuration (Necromancy side), Illusion (Animage, Kindred Mage, Aspect of Terror), and Destruction (Augmented Frost [2]). His spells would be Soul Trap, Dread Zombie, and Dead Thrall. He has all the spells/abilities of a Stage 4 Vampire, along with a much improved Vampiric Drain spell. He'd also have access to the Dismay, Frost Breath, Ice Form, and Marked for Death shouts.