I started a new character, and have gotten to level 9, but can't get the dialog from Jarl Skald to slay a giant. I have completed the Nightmares quest, and helped some people, but have to have the radiant kill giant quest to become Thane, then to buy the land. After some research, it appears this is a known bug, but I never had an issue with it before. I am playing on a 360, so no pc commands to fix. Anybody run into this and/or figured a way around it? It's really hacking me off, that is my fave location to build, and I have the iron and money.


oh, and I don't have any 'fetch a ____' quests pending.

I have two journal entries telling me to go get a reward form Skald for radiant quest completions. Alas, Skald is now held prisoner in the Palace of Kings by the Imperial regime and can't be spoken to.

Yes, Skald's dialog was always bugged and still is though with him being a prisoner that probably ends his ability to further participate in matters of this sort.

Just see what jobs you can do for the new Jarl* and see if you can assist the local NPCs. It's still possible to be made Thane.

*You'll probably need to take the Imperial's side and do the Civil War.

Yeah, I can do that, but really didn't want to get into that questline until much later, and was planning on being a Stormcloak. Got some thinking to do....bummer. Just finished a dragon bounty quest for him though, and that worked fine when I went to get the reward. (went fine after reloading 4 times because Lydia and I got our a$$ets handed to us by the dragon and Krosis!!)

After many complaints some blamed it on a bug you mean. The quest to kill the giant is level dependent, he is not going to be sending some puny little level 9 after a giant. You will just have to be patient and level up more, go back after you are level 22.

It's listed as a bug in UESP, thought that was a pretty safe bet to be correct, or am I wrong? Just frustrated, drat it! I'll play and wait, for now. I have Breezehome anyway. Thanks all.

You are not level 22, so if there is a bug which I highly doubt, you would not know if you have it yet. You are not getting that quest till you are level 22.

Many of us got left with a journal entry for Skald, because Skald was on the wrong side, that will not affect your chance at becoming thane.

Oh good lord, I need to just get some sleep......didn't even think of the level requirement.....just smack me.

I am sure most of us have camped on the doorstep trying to get further in our quests for houses or thaneship, and got annoyed when we got no where and could not work it out. Some of the bugs when the game was first released never helped that.

True, and then some of us (me, lol) get severe tunnel vision!

&--#60;p&--#62;If you play your cards right during "Season Unending" (which has no level requirement), you can swap holds in such a way that you have immediate access to houses; you can, for example, cede the pale to Tullius and then take it back for the Stormcloaks later.&--#60;/p&--#62;
&--#60;p&--#62; &--#60;/p&--#62;
&--#60;p&--#62;In that case, remember that swapping who owns Markarth and Riften will give you immediate access to the homes there and counts as a "neutral" move (i.e., who you are considered to be favoring in the negotiation is measured by a sort of "points" system -- starts at 0, negative values means you favor the Stormcloaks and positve values means you favor the Imperials -- and giving Riften to the Empire is plus two and giving markarth to the Stormcloaks is minus two).&--#60;/p&--#62;
&--#60;p&--#62; &--#60;/p&--#62;
&--#60;p&--#62;The negotiation always begins with you deciding if Elenwen leaves or stays, which measures which side you favor. Swapping Riften and Markarth will leave the side you went against claiming bias in the negotiations; they'll demand compensation for a "massacre". Giving it to them will make the negotiation "fair", but you don't want that -- refuse and they'll want a minor hold they don't own -- for the Legion, the Pale and Winterhold; for the Stormcloaks, Falkreath and Hjaalmarch.&--#60;/p&--#62;
&--#60;p&--#62; &--#60;/p&--#62;
&--#60;p&--#62;Now, &--#60;em&--#62;which &--#60;/em&--#62;hold they want is random, so if the Imperials are demanding and you want to build, you're at a disadvantage since you can't purchase property in Winterhold.&--#60;/p&--#62;
&--#60;p&--#62; &--#60;/p&--#62;
&--#60;p&--#62;Careful manipulation of the negotiation can get you houses far before it's normally possible to get them by becoming Thane, but with a few notes:&--#60;/p&--#62;
&--#60;p&--#62; &--#60;/p&--#62;
&--#60;ul&--#62;
&--#60;li&--#62;"Season Unending" is rather far into the main quest; you either may object to going that far, or not want to begin it altogether&--#60;/li&--#62;
&--#60;li&--#62;You cannot have progressed too far in the civil war to get the quest (although by the time you can no longer get the quest, you should be able to purchase property everywhere -- bearing in mind a few exceptions, like siding with the Enpire, which leaves the original Jarl of markarth on the throne and the level requirement in place)&--#60;/li&--#62;
&--#60;li&--#62;It's already quite easy to gain access to property in some places already&--#60;/li&--#62;
&--#60;li&--#62;You may not use this to purchase a house in Solitude or Windhelm&--#60;/li&--#62;
&--#60;/ul&--#62;

What the hell is happening to my punctuation?

Some editing of the above post would help to make it readable.

None of which is going to help Andra Hawksdaughter with becoming thane, since you still have to do the quest for the Jarl no matter who wins the war. And you still get the same quest.

No; all that's required to purchase property is to have a relationship rank of 2 with the Jarl, no matter who it is; placing a new Jarl on the throne automatically grants them a relationship rank of two with the player, allowing immediate house purchase.

I'd agree with this although the manual says you need to be at level 22 first. My Nord was well over this when he accepted the quest. He also had to do a total of 3 giant killing favor quests (which includes the giant camp right next door to Heljarchen Hall homestead) before the option came up in Skald's conversation. I think he got at least one of these from the tavern innkeeper though.

The other thing is my Nord isn't Thane there and hasn't done many favor/side quests for the townsfolk yet. I also haven't begun the Civil War strand or MQ yet. I don't have Dawnguard either.

My civil war glitched out for the battle of Fort Hraggstad and Skald aslo has problems with me completing quests in the Pale, so I cant become thane, sssssooooooo yeah, I'm right there with you!!

I can start the Lakeview place but I want Heljarchen Hall, it's my fave. So, I am working up in levels and then will see what happens. I'm close.

I'm intentionally not leveling my current character past lv 9. I'm sure if I spent the perk points and all she would be lv 30+ I'm not having any issues playing her at lv 9 either. I'm doing this to prevent Dawnguard from starting until I at least have the Elder Scroll through the MQ story line. Being that I won't change her lv, I can't get the land from Dawnstar's Jarl either. Also Mjoll won't ask me to help find her sword so I can't have her as a follower either. Oh well.

But I did the nightmare quest and helped at least 5 people in Dawnstar. So when I lv up I should be all set.

Since I already have two high level characters, I wasn't so hot to make levels, but I totally missed that I have to be a certain level to make Thane of the Pale. I really want Heljarchen Hall, so that is the only goal I have right now. After that levels may come, but they won't be a priority. lol The only magical gear I have is my leather helmet and a very weak set of iron alchemy gauntlets, but I am doing ok so far. My armor is all mismatched, and my other 'people' would be horrified! LOL I want to concentrate more on RP this time 'round.

I have PS3, but from what I see, Lakeview is the best in my opinion

Lakeview is the best looking location, you will not appreciate it if you have to fight your way to the front door nearly every time you want to visit the place. Lakeview Manor has the potential for the highest number of attacks, depending on how frequent your character is going to get attacks, and whether or not they get random spawning dragons, that could make Lakeview Manor the deadliest place to visit in the game. People starting with new characters would get it easy, but for an established character who does not want to do a lot of fighting, one of the other houses might be best.

Even my high level character that does not get dragons is struggling to like Lakeview Manor with the amount of attacks she gets.

well then, when it comes out on PS3, I'm not getting that one!

Yes, and they always seem to surprise me by being hidden in the trees! Since I have all 3 houses with my high level character, and have had time to acclimate to all 3 and learn what I liked and didn't like, I much prefer Heljarchen Hall. Close to Whiterun and Riverwood, good terrain if you don't mind rocky and snowy. AND you see enemies coming! I know how I want to design the layout and decorating within the limitations of HearthFire. It's my #1 choice.