So, I've really enjoyed creating lore friendly classes based on the perk calculator - up to level 50 - using the old Oblivion class doctrine. I thought it would be cool to essentially put together a forum topic that discussed all of these classes, and how we think they should be built - I'll start with an interesting build that I thought might be really challenging to roleplay in Skyrim.

Also - if you're going to post your build try to adhere strictly to the guidelines shown here: http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Classes

My 1st build is the "Bard"

The skills listed per the Oblivion class guide are as follows:

Alchemy

Blade

Block

Illusion

Light Armor

Mercantile

Speechcraft

Obviously we need to combine some of these - as follows when transitioning to Skyrim:

Alchemy

One Hand

Light Armor

Block

Illusion

Speechcraft

Level 50:

http://skyrimcalculator.com/#334046

Level 10 - http://skyrimcalculator.com/#334051

Level 20 - http://skyrimcalculator.com/#334052

Also - these builds should be played on "Master" difficulty.

Word of warning: Many use Morrowinds Classes instead of Oblivions. This causes some confusing stuff when talking about a class. For some examples, The BattleMage class in Oblivion does not have any armor as a major skill, Morrowind (and EVERY NPC BattleMage in Oblivion) uses Heavy Armor. Priests/Healers almost always have a Mace/Club but did not have Blunt as a major in Oblivion, and Crusaders generally use a shield despite Oblivion not having Block as a Major for that class.

IMO, I tend to do the same thing, look through the original classes and use them as a basis. IMO The Crusaders Skyrim form (if you go by the 7 major skill limit and what the other games did:

One-handed

Two-handed ( I rarely use this though)

Restoration

Destruction

Heavy Armor

Block

Smithing ( In Morrowind, they had Armorer)

Not sure about where to put points though, i tend to put it whatever i think looks good at the time while still fitting the class.

... removed because evidently this is not a topic about Class Discussion.

I have a Battlemage which is basically a mage specialised in destruction & conjuration. It is nothing like the OB / MW classes though.

My Battlemage class is a battle"mage" hence the name so refuses to use forged weapons like warrior but does use bound weapons.

I have an Imperial who is like the crusader class but uses light armor. I had a similar character in Oblivion in Mithril. I prefer cross builds to have light armor and full-on warriors to have heavy armor.

It depends on the player most of it is Preference. For example, I rarely use Two-handers AND one-handers on a single character, i choose one or the other. I also use maces/hammers for my Crusader useally and generally choose the perks related to that weapon. I would also go for at LEAST elemental protection in the Block tree, incredibly useful ability against Dragons and mages.

Your battlemage seems to follow the guide lines of the Oblivion class structure pretty well. With Conjuration and Destruction focus.

Crusader:

Morrowind Skills

Major:

1. Long Blade
2. Blunt Weapon
3. Heavy Armor
4. Block
5. Destruction

Minor:

1. Restoration
2. Alchemy
3. Armorer
4. Medium Armor
5. Hand-to-Hand

Oblivion Skills:

1. Blade
2. Blunt
3. Athletics
4. Heavy Armor
5. Hand-to-Hand
6. Restoration
7. Destruction

My choices for Skyrim skills:

1. Two-handed
2. Heavy armor
3. Restoration
4. Destruction
5. Smithing
6. Block

This is a level 40 build without specializing in any sort of destruction or weapon type. http://skyrimcalculator.com/334064

Yup - I followed your 7 skill guideline for building the perks up. If it were me - I would pick either 1h or 2h and focus on 6 tree's instead of 7.

I would remove all the points from 2H and add them to Block / 1h Specialization.

Nice lvl 40 perk build - You could open a fight using destruction / restoration and then swap to your 2h weapon when things get hairy. You'll have some block perk points so that you can actually reduce incoming damage in melee fights.

I would rather use a 1h / resto / destruction / shield build so that I can always have a weapon out in my main hand and swap between magic in the other.

Only if they use bound weapons as a strict rule. To me a battle"mage" should be a form of mage rather than a warrior mix.


My Imperial Crusader had:
Restoration
One-handed
Block
Light armor
Destruction
Alteration

Edit: I also used enchant & smithing

In oblivion I used Mithril armor but in Skyrim I used Dragonscale armor with a cowl (reminds me of the Imperial Dragonscale armor from MW)

I always saw the Crusader as more of an offensive warrior supplemented by spells, to which I found two-handed more fitting. I tend to view the Knight as the more tank-hybrid, though it isn't magic/combat, but magic/combat/stealth. So for me the weapon class of choice would be two-handed, switching to spells in both hands(important for impact when you need a ranged stun) and when you need to restore a lot of health.

Naturally, that is only my take on it and my take alone.

Yup - and I would imagine that not all 'Crusaders' are the same. Some may prefer a shield, some may prefer spells @ the ready, some may prefer 2h weapons. I like your assessment, that's what this thread is all about - adding flavor / direction for different classes that TES created.

The Knight I view similar to the way TES views it actually. I would assume that all knights are master's of speaking and warrior doctrine:

Knight Build - Level 50

http://skyrimcalculator.com/#334067

You'll notice I took some perks in Speechcraft that I think make sense for a noble knight. I don't think that Knights get their hands dirty with physical labor. They leave that "ish" to peasants. They are experts at talking to people so earn some benefit their and earn their income through pledging their blade to a king etc. and allowing their peasants to work the land they win.

You'll also notice I added points in Blunt / Blade - I did this for a specific reason. Because they are always fighting head on, I think they are smart enough to choose the appropriate weapon depending on the foe. Maces for human / armor wearing people - blades for people who are wearing no armor.

Heavy armor I avoid the entire left side of the tree, it's totally worthless. But I do pick up all of block - knight's don't have an effective counter to magic besides their shields.

Illusion but not with the undead - I think illusion magic working on undead is just crazy unrealistic and should have never been included. But Calm Spell's and Fury Spell's on human opponents makes sense if they are master's of gab.

I think the thing with the last perk allowing use on undead, is because at that point, you are so powerful you can control the undead, similar to necromancers do except at a much more basic level.

Yea I can see that if you're a master mage, but I feel like for the knight's roleplay it's more about being capable of dissuading human opponents. I wouldn't use Illusion magic on animals, undead, or creatures. I would strictly use it on the "human" races of Tamriel.

Builds, or skill sets, that invole two attack skills seemed redundant to me. Why would I use one handed if I use two handed? Why would I use destruction if Im using one handed and block? Makes no sense to me.

For the Crusader, I consider Destruction a supplementing skill, mostly aimed at Impact + apprentice level bolt spells as a ranged stun. Fairly cheap and useful for a primary melee based character, even with somewhat limited magicka pool.

you wouldn't want a ranged skill to attack a dragon before you get the shout to knock them to the ground?

If you do not want to use a bow and arrow, then Destruction can be used as your long range attack.

My knights tend to be more the typical Nord build in heavy armor using two-handed or sword & board. More brutal and well armored tanks like the Teutonic knights of Northern Europe.

My Imperials tend to be more of a mixed up style of character play with a one-handed weapon and clad in an enchanted light armor whilst heavily backed up with magics like restoration destruction & alteration. I ideally also try to dress my Imperials a bit more flamboyant than my Nordic tank style of knight.

But you must post on topic and this thread was not for debate about classes but rather building characters. Should you want to have such a debate, please feel free to open a thread for that purpose.

This thread will be closed for long enough to edit out off topic posts and will be re-opened after mop up.

Mop up of the worst off topic posts have gone away as have responses to those. Some have been left but please re-read the opening post and keep this thread on topic unless you just want my wrath.

We can sure have another thread for debate of classes should someone want to make one for that purpose but that does not seem to be the intent of the opening poster.

Thank you. Here, have a cookie.

Thanks Summer -

In response to multiple forms of combat and 1h + shield + destruction.

I think that the destruction tree on a "Crusader" with fire perks makes sense in the form of undead being weak to fire. And it also gives you the ability to close distance. Crusader's might not take all of the block perks so they may not be extremely resistant to magic with a shield up, and so will have to compensate with long range duel's against magical opponents or "Impact" stuns that leave an opportunity to get in the caster's face and punish them.

Imagine you cast "Bane of Undead" it sets them on fire, they go running, why chase and use stamina when you can blast them from a distance with fire spells?

See I go based off the TES idea's and starting stats. I feel like the dev's envisioned Nord's as folks that use lighter armor (notice all the commanders rarely wear armor) and wield 2h weapons. Hence the racial bonus of +25 Light Armor and +25 2h for Nords. Redguards and Orc's are the folks I see as Heavy Armor wearers.

only in Skyrim. On previous games it was the Imperials who were light armor and the Nords were more about heavy armor. All the best Nord armors are heavy IMO. I'm just amazed that Beth' never gave the Nords ebony. Why in the word would they give the best knight looking heavy armor to a race of 'already spoiled' assassin style mages in light armor with bows and long blade who don't even get social bonuses in smithing??

I see Redguards as more the desert warrior in looser and lighter materials. Orcs I see more as the barbarian raider living in tents and moving around.

I've always seen classes as much more specialized than many in this thread. I usually think 4 or 5 skills are enough. For me a knight is 1h, block, heavy armour, speech. My Nord dragonborn simply had 2-hand, archery, light armour, smithing. Nothing perked in anything else. It adds some focus to the characters. Once I start going towards 6 or 7 skills it feels like a character that does a bit of everything and loses its uniqueness.

So, to add a class to the discussion:

http://skyrimcalculator.com/334076

Scout:

- Light Armour

- One handed

- Alchemy

- Block

- A bit of sneaking

Hmm your link didn't work for a build - might want to edit it. Scout with block and 1 hand instead of bow and only a little bit of sneaking, hmmmm... that's definitely against the grain. What's your reasoning behind it?