Hello,


I am a wood-elf (lvl 26). I've already beat the companions, dawngaurd, and the main story line.

I specialize in archery (92) and Stealth (86). Obviously, my build is based upon sneaking behind enemies and getting the first shot with the 3X Sneak attack damage. Also: I Plan to go heavily into some Light Armor skills, as well as One handed (considering I have the stealth talent to do 15x damage with a dagger)

However, I have nearly filled out my skill tree for both archery and stealth. Light Armor + One Handed will also quickly fill up....

Thus, my question is: What other skill trees would go well with this build? Heres what I'm considering:

1.) Smithing: To create the best leather armor in game

2.) Lock Picking: (I'm naturally good @ picking locks, I simply just wanted this skill tree for more gold, but is it worth the gold + extra items in chest?

3.) PickPocket: Seems to be one of my favorites so far because:

A.] Getting extra gold from pick pockets

B.] Poisoning enemies in pocket (I've yet to do Dark Brotherhood)

C.] Extra Pockets (I already have 200 stamina since I use a lot of stamina to zoom as an archer, however, that 100 extra weight seems so nice)

4.) Speech:

A.] Haggling: The price increase for buying/selling can be huge by rank 3 (20%!!!!)

B.] Allure: Stacks w/ Haggling, yes you have to sell to the opposite six, but if it stacks, thats a (30%) discount. Seems useful to me.


5.) Alchemy

A.] Alchemist: Potions 20% stronger by rank 1.... just 2 more ranks, Potions / Poisons are 60% more potent!! Thats huge right?

B.] Poisoner: Only takes 1 talent point, increases Poision potency by 25%. Seems HUGE for a stealth archer?

C.] Concentrate Poison: Poisons applied to weapons last TWO TIMES... YES TWO TIMES LONGER!!! This is also huge for a stealth archer? Correct?


6.) Restoration: Now, I would only spend 1 skill here. Just the first one which: "Novice Restoration" -- Simply so that the basic restoration spell costs half mana.

LAST ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is Enchanting Worth it??


7.) Enchanting:

A.] Enchanter: allows your new enchantments to get 20% stronger. That seems really good to me, for may be one or two skill points? As a stealth hunter, is it necessary to get enchantment high??

B.] Extra Effect: *This is the LAST TALENT* on the Enchanting tree. I am SOOOOOO stumped with this one. By first glance, it seems incredible. Enchant a weapon twice? I mean geez that could truly make one of my bows a one shot kill on Legendary mode.

............. However, I have to reach Enchanting 100 in order to get that. Is it worth it to not focus on other Skill trees like Light Armor? Alchemy? Pick Pocket?


I am a little confused here, since all possibilities seem strong. However, I know that some skills are more beneficial to others. Thus, I would appreciate any opinions. Thanks everybody, and cheers ^.^

Play the character the way that YOU want. Pick the perks that YOU want. Otherwise you'd be playing the way WE want.

What he/she said.

Is enchanting worth it? Hell yes and its one of the easiest to level up. By the way its not enchant twice its dual enchant which means two enchantments applied not double the effect.

Like the others told: The only really important thing is, that you have fun with your build.

Therefore, save often. Take the perk and check, if it's usage makes you fun!

About money: If you join the Thieves-Guild, you will get a lot of money, as far as you are able to finish the given radiant-missions.

That means, the advantages of the lockpick- and speech-tree are very low, at least from the points you have mentioned.

Pick-pocking: Just check if poisoning makes you fun!

Alchemy: If you want to use poisoning, you will use alchemy too. The poisons created without a great skill do just not have the great noticeable effect.

Restoration: If you think you need id. If that's really so, for 20 points you can get the perk for 50 % more health and the perk for double-handed.

Enchanting: After mastering enchanting, you can create yourself an outfit what will make you nearly overpowered. Independent for most builds...

The problem I see for your build, is how you want to skill enchanting. Ok, running with an bow of soul-trap around in some Falmer- and Drauge-Dungeons should not be the problem.

But the most easy way is to use the bound-bow for shooting some mammoth. That would make you an conjurer, and you probably would raise you magica-regeneration with the perk of the restauration-tree.

This all leads away from your base build. My suggestion would be, to try first your bow-assassin with strong poisoned arrows, another character (or just save) for an conjurer/enchanter.

Yes enchanting is worth it, and yes you can become a one-hit killer with it. To get that kind of damage though you also need smithing to increase weapon damage, and mid-level elemental destruction perks so their damage bonuses apply to your enchanted weapons. The Extra Effect perk lets you put 2 enchantments on an item, and for fire / frost / shock weapons that's the holy grail because it also lets you get double on the destruction perk damage bonuses as well.

I'm surprised that you have the sneak perks to enhance your damage, but haven't taken Smithing ones to work on your bow. You can make better bows that do more damage at the physical level.

Enchanting is mainly going to add magical damage on top, and making the most of that also requires the perks in Destruction to increase its effects. So I'd start on that after the Smithing tree fills up as far as you want to take it.

A good archer needs no armor, because nobody lives to get close.

All my characters seem to take two Restoration perks. One to get the basic heal spell reduced in cost, and the other to increase its effect. Mages may take more, but your character's an archer.

The other thieving perks really don't relate to being a better archer, so choose on the basis of the rest of the lifestyle.

One thing to note: the final perk in archery doesn't help you at all. It just allows an enemy who would have been dead when you shot him to get off with being paralyzed instead. They typically fall down behind something, where you can't hit them again. It's not easy to undo a perk.

The thing I use most in Enchanting is the Fortify Skill enchantment. Even with two or three perks and 40-50 skill you can fortify archery, one-handed, and smithing, and I am surprised you are doing so well without doing that or at least using some of those enchantments already. My high level stealth players used to be addicted to a suit of clothes with Fortify Smithing/Alchemy (with and extra hat for Alchemy). The game gets ridiculously easy though once you get Extra Effect, unless playing on Legendary, I guess which I never have much, but I generally quit playing characters at about 25+ level anyway.

at level 26 it can seem overwhelming as to what skill trees to use and how to allocate perks ........just keep in mind that around level 50 you will start having spare perks and you wont know what to do with them

Enchanting is a must to any build because of its dual enchanting perk that will let you use 2 enchantments at the same time.

Your build looks great but this one MUST point out that you are very exposed to elemental damage unless you are planing to counter this with enchantments.

ALTERATION is one of the most important skill tress when it comes to magic protection ....offering you a 30% absorbe combined with a 30% reflect magic, ..........it takes around 10-11 perks if memory serves me correctly to get this affect.

now back to enchanting, if you have maxed out alteration and you have the above (offering you a 30% absorb combined with a 30% reflect magic) you DONT need to enchant anything with elemental protection because you already have the best.

keep in mind magic protection caps at 80% so its pointless going over the top enchanting armors with magic protection (NOTE using standing stones & blessings will get you over the 80% cap), so USE enchantments on armors that support your build.

if you wish to save some perks

NO perks into lockpicking (you say you are good at it)

Pickpoket only up to Extra Pockets for the extra 100 carry (3 perks max)

Speech only up to investor .........so merchants will have extra money & the sell to any merchant will be also active (5 perks max)

Smithing only develop one type at a time (heavy or light armors) dont try to fill the hole tree, you can always focus on the other type after you go legendary. also once smithing is at 100 you will be able to make both light and heavy dragon armors regardless.