skyrim wandering bard

Talsgar the Wanderer

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Talsgar the Wanderer is a wandering bard who can be encountered anywhere in Skyrim .

• The Age of Aggression or The Age of Oppression
• The Dragonborn Comes
• Tale of the Tongues

When asked about speechcraft, he suggest visiting the Bards' College in Solitude .

• The Frozen Hearth in Winterhold
• 1 Daedric Relic (quest)
• 2 Coral Dragon Claw
• 3 Darkness Returns (quest)

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Skyrim Character Building » Discussions

Character build: the wandering bard.

Oh, boy, where to even start? There are so many mechanics that I feel weren't developed properly in Skyrim... First of all, the Bards College really disappointed me at first, then I realised that "rumor" quests you get at inns can be started by various other means... However, I decided Bethesda couldn't stop me, I want to play a Bard, even if I can't play the lute in-game! Next, I noticed that illusion is practically only used for super sneak builds, but I wanted a build that uses illusion mid-fight to stop enemies on their tracks instead of using it as just a diversion or means to become invisible. Finally, I wanted a build that felt like a true jack-of-all-trades, used no crafting and was centered on exploration, which led me to create:

THE WANDERING BARD

Lore:  The Bard was born in Cyrodiil, his family lived in a cabin in the middle of the woods near Chorrol, where they kept to themselves and tried to stay away from the war. His father was a respected veteran wounded in battle, and every night, before dinner, they would both sit by the fire and the old soldier would tell tales of bravery, adventure, and sorrow to his son. The boy grew enamored with the idea of traveling and, perhaps, being able to share his own stories with all of his minor siblings, however, his parents insisted he was to stay at the cabin no matter what, "the outside is a dangerous place, please, stay here where you are safe" they would say to him.

One day, while exploring the cabin's attic, he found a crumpled piece of paper that contained an ancient poem; "The Voice of the Emperor" it was called. From that day on, that old sheet was his most valuable treasure, he would read it to himslef over and over until he was able to learn it by heart. On a faithful night, one of his younger sisters fell ill with a feever, his parents did all they could, but the girl would get no rest. The bard sat to her side for whole days telling jokes and his father's best stories, but the feever wouldn't fade, that was, until the bard said to his sister:

"I want to tell you a story, young one..."

"But I have heard them all, big brother, the jokes aren't funny anymore, and your talk of war scares me"

"This one is different; it is a sonet, just for you!"

The girl gasped, excited, as she urged her brother to sing for her. The boy recited "The Voice of the Emperor", and, when he finished, she went into a deep slumber, all of her body rested for the night, and in the morning, she was cured.

When the Bard realized what happened, he wasn't able to take it anymore; he wanted to roam the land and discover all the beautiful works of literature he could, write his own if he was able! And so, bidding farewell to a crying mother and a proud father, we took one of the soldier's old swords and traveled. And wherever he went, the taverns bursted in laughter after he told his jokes, in applause when he spoke of the dangers of the road, and in tears, when he told the stories of sorrow.

The road led him to Skyrim, where he was made prisoner on the border, and so, our story begins...

Race: Imperial (However, you can choose whatever and make your own backstory!).

Stats:  2: 1: 1

Stone:  Lover, once your stats are high enough, go for the Attronach Stone.

Mayor Skills:  Illusion, Restoration, One-Handed.

Minor Skills: Speach, Block, Sneak, Pickpocket.

Gear:  Any set of clothes that looks good to you, Dawnbreaker.

Spells:  Grand healing, pacify, rout, rally, frenzy, turn greater undead.

Shouts:  Marked for death, become aetherial, throw voice, animal allegiance, disarm.

The bard is a nimble fighter, he can go solo, or choose a companion for his travels, I particularly like Uthgerd the Unbroken, as she compensates for everything our build lacks and she fits our roleplay excelently. Your songs/poems consist of illusion spells (mystical songs) and restoration spells (prayers to the divines), you wield Dawnbreaker, as this build is naturally weak against dwemer and undead early on, and fire damage + the turn undead effect works wonders for us. 

What i want you to do with this build is to forget about fast traveling and enjoy traveling through Skyrim, if you find wild beasts (damn bears), simply pacify them with an illusion spell and continue your way, if you reach bandits make them fight eachother and then finish them off, or let your follower do so. In fights, try not to focus only one oponent, rather, use "quick reflexes" and the nimble nature of a build with no armor to damage as many enemies as possible while staying out of harm, and use restoration to tend to any wounds you take in the process.

You have a lot of options each fight, so try to be as creative as possible, I'll leave some ideas in the "Special Moves" section, but ultimately, this is a build about being resourceful with all the tools at your disposition.

ROLEPLAYING

The bard will leave Helgen looking for a place to rest, after visiting Riverwood and finishing the two quests available there, he wil go to Whiterun, more specifically, the Bannered mare, where he will meet Uthgerd. I feel she fits perfectly in our story, as she is also anxious for adventure and challenges, and she has a dark past that we couldn't care less about, she will be our partner in crime, though I don't suggest marrying her, rather, having her as a friend throughout our adventures so that we can flirt with any ladies we encounter ;)

As I already said; forget about fast traveling, unless you find it extremely necessary, everytime you reach an inn, listen to all of the rumors you can, listen to some tunes with the local bard, pick a fight! My aim with this is to make taverns a fun space to be at, a source of quests, and not just the place you go to get the "well rested bonus", remember to buy some food (vegetable soup) for the road, and, of course, tons of mead (roleplay responsibly). The Bard is a wanderer, so try not to join factions, rather visit them for what they have to offer; the spells of the college of Winterhold, or some cool adventures with the companions.

Your approach should always be neutral, you are a moraly grey kind of guy, and try to have a relaxed, lighthearted attitude towards any situation you encounter.

Here are some great quests you should absolutely do, however, the best ones will be the ones you find along the road:

Main Quest: You couldn't be more eager to become the mythic Dragonborn and live the adventure that implies.

The Break of Dawn: Our only gear quest, the beacon to start the quest will appear randomly as we travel, so it fits perfectly.

Bards College: Duh.

Bard's Leap Summit: though not a quest by itself, it is a great moment to enjoy with this build.

A Night to Remember: ABSOLUTE MUST. This is one of the funniest quests in Skyrim and one of my personal favorites, and it fits the build amazingly.

Black Book: Untold Legend: (Thanks to Phil for reminding me of this one) Once we manage to travel to Solstheim, this quest will be our go-to one, we will. of course, choose Bardic Knoledge as a reward.

REPERTOIRE (SPECIAL MOVES)

Emperor's Cease Fire:   (Emperor's Voice + Misdirection/Disarm),  the Bard doesn't realy want to fight this time... So, calm all humanoid foes and take their weapons from them. 

Tavern Brawl: (Emperor's Cease Fire + Marked for Death + Frenzy),  after disaming hostiles, the Bard decides to play a bloody tune, transforming any dungeon or bandit camp into a tavern brawl, in which he participates himself! With the unfair advantage from Marked for Death, of course.

The Unbreakable: (Follower + Rally + Fear), an empowering tune boosts your ally's morale as their confidence alone frightens all enemies in sight.

None of my Business: (Throw voice + Frenzy + Become Aetherial), the Bard summons all enemies to a spot of his choosing, as they can't find them they become mad at each other and start fighting while the Bard simply enjoys the show from a first class seat.

The Victor's Duel: (Quick reflexes + Marked for Death), when a powerful enemy appears, the Bard will fight him honorably, crossing steel with them using his nimble fight style to win this duel to death.

That's it, guys! Hope you enjoy, and I am open to all suggestions you may have!

I do like a bard build! Shame you can't use Become a Bard, one of my favourite mods for Xbone which has given me more fun than any other. Love this minstrel you've got, though! Way to go around not having access to mods :) No Black Book drums?

With your tags, you don't need to put a "#" in manually ;)

First off, I'd like to point out your tags. You don't need to include the # yourself as the site automatically adds one to any tag you create.

Secondly, I see you appreciate Illusion for what it truely is, I think we'll get along nicely :D

Phil said: I do like a bard build! Shame you can't use Become a Bard, one of my favourite mods for Xbone which has given me more fun than any other. Love this minstrel you've got, though! Way to go around not having access to mods :) No Black Book drums? With your tags, you don't need to put a "#" in manually ;)

[blockquote][b][url=/profile/Phil2]Phil[/url] said:[/b]

[/blockquote]I fixed the tags, thanks a lot! And I can't believe I forgot about the drums!!! Thanks for the reminder :) Also, yeah, "Become a Bard" is amazing, but I wanted to work with the tools that the game gave us, and make a build that's friendly to those who can't use mods.

Golden Fool said: First off, I'd like to point out your tags. You don't need to include the # yourself as the site automatically adds one to any tag you create. Secondly, I see you appreciate Illusion for what it truely is, I think we'll get along nicely :D

[blockquote][b][url=/profile/GoldenFool]Golden Fool[/url] said:[/b]

[/blockquote] It's fixed, thanks a lot!

This is a great bard build! The wandering aspect of the build not only fits the bard concept  perfectly, but is also insanely fun. It's nice to not always have a set agenda, but rather, move where the wind blows you. 

Also, this is one of the best uses of Illusion I've seen in a long time. I've always shied away from bards because Skyrim doesn't really create a system for you to play them. Illusion is the perfect RP patch for that, and I feel pretty stupid for not having thought of it before... I'd definitely have played a bard sooner ;D

Again, great work on this :D

ShinJin said: This is a great bard build! The wandering aspect of the build not only fits the bard concept  perfectly, but is also insanely fun. It's nice to not always have a set agenda, but rather, move where the wind blows you.  Also, this is one of the best uses of Illusion I've seen in a long time. I've always shied away from bards because Skyrim doesn't really create a system for you to play them. Illusion is the perfect RP patch for that, and I feel pretty stupid for not having thought of it before... I'd definitely have played a bard sooner ;D Again, great work on this :D

[blockquote][b][url=/profile/ShinJin]ShinJin[/url] said:[/b]

[/blockquote]ShinJin! Thanks a lot! Glad you liked it!

I'm bumping this build due to some recent build restorations pushing it back in the feed :D

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Skyrim: 10 Things You Never Knew About The Bards College

For all of Skyrim's many factions, the Bards College often gets overlooked. But its songs, poetry, and King Olaf quest are a treat for any player.

The faction that many often overlook in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is one designed for bards and anyone with an appreciation for good songs and poetry. Located in Solitude, the Bards College might not have the most immersive questline compared to some of the other factions , but it would be a lie to say it's all a waste of time.

RELATED: Skyrim: 10 Unanswered Questions We Still Have About Forsworn

The Bards College is among some of the oldest schools in all of Tamriel, along with the College of Winterhold. Its long tradition and unique focus provides a nice break from regular gameplay. Plus, its main quest concerning King Olaf is anything but easy. Rather than underestimating the Bards College, have a look at what they're actually all about.

10 Viarmo, The Only Essential

An essential NPC is a character that can't be killed under any circumstances and is protected by the game from any unfortunate "accidents." This applies to major quest-givers and those who serve to tell a story.

In the Bards College, there's only one character that seems to merit this status, and it's Viarmo. The headmaster himself is immortal against any kind of damage. This means any of the other members are sensitive to being whacked to death, so make sure to be careful or else some radiant quests might be lost.

9 Not Just For Bards

Each faction in Skyrim has a specific role and is meant to attract a certain type of crowd. The Companions are known for pulling in the fighter types, while the College of Winterhold is a safe haven for mages. This isn't any different with Solitude's famous Bards College.

RELATED: Skyrim: 10 Things About The Daedra That Make No Sense

That being said, the definition of who can join the college is much wider than in other factions. It's not just for singers or talented musicians; public speakers and those fluent in the art of poetry are also very much welcomed in what seems like a school for art and literature rather than just bards.

8 Born From Outlawing Guilds

Despite coming across a bit niche, the Bards College is actually something that has existed for a long time. In fact, since the Second Era of Tamriel something akin to it has been in existence and continued to spread and practice the art of music and storytelling.

The college itself used to once be a guild, just like most of Tamriel's factions from the Fighters' Guild to the Mages' Guild. The Empire actually outlawed these guilds in favor of colleges it could probably better control and keep an eye on.

7 Viarmo's Neutrality

One would imagine that something like the Bards College would have a bunch of colorful, memorable characters, but the truth is that only one of them really sticks out. Viarmo, the headmaster himself, is really the most important and flashiest character in the entire place.

It's also interesting that he's an Altmer. High elves are known for being quite arrogant and self-important, especially when it comes to politics. That being said, Viarmo doesn't seem concerned with the  politics of the ongoing civil war . He comes across neutral, and only expresses a deep worry towards the dragon crisis in Skyrim. In that regard, he's a very unique Altmer.

6 The Bards Outside Of The College

Bards aren't just confined to the college itself, although it's safe to assume many of them received their knowledge and education from Viarmo's college. In Skyrim, there are a total of 12 bards that can be found all around the province. Many of them are located in inn and taverns of major cities.

RELATED: Skyrim: 10 Hidden Locations In Whiterun You Never Knew About

However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. There's also a single wandering bard known as Talsgar the Wanderer, who can be found pretty much anywhere in the province. There's also a bard in Windstad Manor, Lakeview Manor and Heljarchen Hall.

5 Two Other Major Quests

The Bards College is mainly relevant to the quests related to its bards, as well as King Olaf's verses. That being said, it's an excellent place to easily start a few other major quests that require the player to find a specific book and read it to begin the quest process.

In Dawnguard , the Lost to the Ages quest can be started by reading the Aetherium Wars book found in the college. Moreover, The Legend of the Red Eagle can also be found in the college's bookshelves, which begins the quest of the same name.

4 The Inspiration For King Olaf

The focal point of joining the Bards College is definitely the major quest that Viarmo offers to the Dragonborn as they walk in. This concerns reinstating the age-old tradition of burning an effigy of the traitorous King Olaf in the city of Solitude, a practice which the Jarl has temporarily banned.

This practice isn't actually that unique to Skyrim. In fact, it very closely resembles a very real world tradition in the UK known as Guy Fawkes Night. Similarly to King Olaf's tradition, an effigy is also burned in real life, which must have acted as an inspiration for the game itself.

3 Plagiarism Is Apparently Okay

There's one controversial part in the main quest of the Bards College that just can't be ignored. One would think that in a college full of artists and musicians, matters like plagiarism and altering someone's original work would be a serious issue, even if the original creators are no longer around.

RELATED: Skyrim: How To Obtain Every Player Home

And yet, this is exactly what the Dragonborn needs to do in order to convince the Jarl of the importance of King Olaf's verse. By inventing the rest of the verses on their own, the Dragonborn basically leaves their mark in history, and the truth about King Olaf is basically forgotten.

2 Instruments Can't Be Played

The whole point of joining the Bards College is of course the practice the art of music, poetry and literature. This would normally include playing instruments like the lute, the flute or even the drums, which are all readily available in Skyrim.

However, despite all this, the player is never able to interact with any of these instruments no matter how far they play out their Bards College quest line. Unless mods are installed , making music is left solely to the actual bard NPCs of Skyrim, which is a bit of a shame and a lost opportunity.

1 All 18 Skills Can Be Boosted

So what's the whole point of joining this quirky faction if the Dragonborn can't even recite poetry or play the lute? Thankfully, it's not all a waste of time. Money aside, completing the radiant quests for the faculty actually brings some pretty significant rewards.

After finding three different instruments from random dungeons , the player can expect to raise all 18 of their skills by one thanks to the training opportunities available at the Bards College.

NEXT: Skyrim: 10 Pro Tips For Maximizing Magicka

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

• Braidwood Inn (Kynesgrove)
• Candlehearth Hall (Windhelm)
• New Gnisis Cornerclub (Windhelm)
• Dead Man's Drink (Falkreath)
• Four Shields Tavern (Dragons Bridge)
• The Winking Skeever (Solitude)
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• Silver-Blood Inn (Marthkark)
• Old Hroldan Inn (Old Hroldan)
• The Bee and Barb (Riften)
• Vilemyr Inn (Ivanstead)
• The Sleeping Giant Inn (Riverwood)
• The Bannered Mare (Whiterun)
• The Drunken Huntsman (Whiterun)
• The Frozen Hearth

• Disable fast travel (open console then type "enablefasttravel 0") Now you can experience the fresh air and the annoying wolves of Skyrim in the infinite beauty that is SKYRIM!
• Disable quest markers/ floating markers (edit your SkyrimPrefs.ini file from "[GamePlay] bShowFloatingQuestMarkers=1 bShowQuestMarkers=1"
• to "[GamePlay] bShowFloatingQuestMarkers=0 bShowQuestMarkers=0")
• Get a mod that adds hunger, thirst and the need for sleep
• Use your creative and expressive freedom of choice to choose any extra mods you feel that will improve the game (e.g visual improvements)
• Give me suggestions for guides - who should I represent next?
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Wandering Bard

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• Skyrim: Riverwood Characters
• Skyrim: Followers
• Skyrim: Bards
• Skyrim: Possible Stewards
• Skyrim: Quest Givers
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• 1.1 A Lovely Letter
• 1.2 Follower
• 1.3 Inheritance
• 1.5 Steward
• 3.1 I saw a dragon!
• 6 Appearances

Interactions [ ]

Sven can generally be found inside the Sleeping Giant Inn playing his lute , since he is a graduate from the Bards College .

A Lovely Letter [ ]

Sven is competing with Faendal for the heart of Camilla Valerius and asks the Dragonborn to sway things in his favor.

Follower [ ]

It is possible to recruit Sven as a follower if the quest "A Lovely Letter" is finished in his favor. He can also be recruited into the Blades when the Dragonborn needs to recruit followers for Delphine , provided the Dragonborn is already Sven's friend and if they have killed Paarthurnax during the quest " Paarthurnax ."

Inheritance [ ]

If Sven dies after siding with him during "A Lovely Letter," a Letter of Inheritance will be received.

As a Bard, Sven will sing the following songs on request for no fee:

• Ragnar the Red
• The Age of Aggression ( Imperials )
• The Age of Oppression ( Stormcloaks )
• Tale of the Tongues (upon completion of the main questline )

Steward [ ]

With the Hearthfire add-on installed, Sven can become a steward in one of the Dragonborn's homesteads.

Sven's primary skills are Alchemy, Enchanting, and Smithing. His secondary skills are Archery, One-Handed, and Two-Handed. His tertiary skills are Light Armor, Sneak, and Speechcraft.

He benefits from Light Armor slightly more than Heavy Armor, but the difference is not too significant as his skills with both are relatively low. Likewise, his skill in one-handed weapons, two-handed weapons, and archery are all roughly on par with each other, and all relatively low.

Sven's level cap is 20, tying him with Roggi Knot-Beard for the lowest follower level cap in the game. Additionally, along with Roggi Knot-Beard and Adelaisa Vendicci , Sven is one of only three followers who has a civilian job class instead of a professional combat-oriented one. As a result, his health is somewhat lower than that of other followers, and his primary skills are non-combat related ones. Low level characters or those that rely on their followers in combat may find it difficult to use Sven, as he won't be as efficient in battle as other followers would.

Conversations [ ]

I saw a dragon [ ].

Hilde "A dragon ! I saw a dragon!" Sven "What? What is it now, mother?" Hilde " It was as big as the mountain and as black as night. It flew right over the Barrow !" Sven "Dragons, now, is it? You keep on like this and everyone in town will think you're crazy. And I've got better things to do than listen to your fantasies." Hilde "You'll see! It was a dragon! It'll kill us all and then you'll believe me!"

• Sven can no longer be recruited if the Dragonborn attacks Riverwood. He will not object if he is currently a follower, but will refuse to re-join after he is dismissed. While attacking Riverwood, he will help fight the town's residents, but will refuse to attack his mother Hilde.
• Sven was supposed to have another dialogue option, "Do you know any old ballads about Dragons ?" The option never shows up, however, so Sven's response will never be heard in-game: "There's the one about Tiber Septim and the dragon Nafaalilargus . I never bothered to learn it. The Blades killed them all centuries ago. Nobody asks to hear that lay anymore."
• He was voiced by Jason Marsden , who also voices Onmund , Brother Verulus , and some other characters.
• There is a rare chance that Sven might say, "I got this for you. It's nothing big, but I hope you like it. I want you to know I appreciate your friendship." to the player, upon which he gifts a random item, such as Ragged Robes .
• If Faendal is killed during the quest "A Lovely Letter," Sven will send a letter of thanks to the Dragonborn via Courier.
• Despite his occupation being a bard, Sven's class is actually a lumberjack.
• Equipping a Stormcloak Helmet on Sven may make it part of his starting gear.
• After installing the plug-in Dragonborn , when recruiting Sven as a follower, he will speak Talvas Fathryon 's lines, saying, "I suppose Master Neloth won't mind. He's always telling me to get out of his way," though the subtitles will say, "Lead the way." This is also true for other followers who share his voicetype.
• Occasionally, the flute-playing animation will never occur, and Sven will simply stand in place with the sound of flute music around him. This can be stopped in the same way as his normal flute playing.
• Occasionally Sven might stop following, for example after killing Mirmulnir at the Western Watchtower . This can be fixed by using Unrelenting Force .
• As a follower, very rarely Sven will disappear for a while, then turn up later in the Honningbrew Meadery .
• This has also been observed at Lakeview Manor.
• Sven will occasionally disappear when following and will then reappear at the bannered mare in whiterun next to the other bard. Note this will only happen after you have liberated whiterun on the stormcloak quest line.

Appearances [ ]

• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• Elder Scrolls
• 1 Marriage (Skyrim)
• 2 Console Commands (Skyrim)
• 3 Trainers (Skyrim)

Skyrim Character Building

Character Build: The Travelling Bard

This character started out as an experiment for a character in an actual story, but the playstyle really inspired me to contribute it to the community.

The Traveling Bard

"Dragons have returned to Skyrim. Only the Dragonborn can destroy Alduin and prevent the end of the world. So why would the gods bestow such a gift upon one who can lift neither sword nor spell against his enemies?"

The Bard grinned knowingly. "It's true, I am unable to swing a sword in my defense. Yet there are others who would gladly follow me in pursuit of glory. The pluck of my strings will inspire them more than a battle cry. My Voice is a more powerful weapon than any blade. All I care for is a wondrous story. In the end, does it matter by whose hand the wyrm is slain?"

Race:  Any, though humans make up the majority of bards. Imperials and Nords can turn the tides of a great battle with their Racial Powers. Personally, I went with Breton to provide coverage from enemy mages.

Stone:  Thief or Mage Stone, then anything you desire. Atronach can make Bretons invulnerable against dragon breath, or Lord can boost your survivability slightly.

Major Skills:  Speech, Illusion, Alchemy

Minor Skills:  Sneak, Restoration, Enchanting

Shouts:  Animal Allegiance, Become Ethereal, Disarm, Dismay, Kyne's Peace, Marked for Death, Throw Voice, Battle Fury

Powers/Abilities:  Bardic Knowledge, Companion's Insight, Eternal Spirit, Seeker of Sorcery,

Weapons : A leveled dagger.

Armour : The bard wears clothing or clothing-like armour.

This character is slightly modeled after the stereotypical bard, providing support to the party via their instrument, boosting their morale and healing small wounds, as well as demoralizing their enemies.

Since the Bard has no offensive skills besides a dagger, you are dependent entirely upon your follower to do your dirty work for you. You are a traveling bard, following adventurers on their journeys, looking for inspiration to create the next great story, poem, or song. You may be the Dragonborn, but you aren't the hero type; you write ABOUT heroes. Bards are masters of Speech and Sneak; you can learn so much in the courts of nobility, where tongues flow freely when only a lowly Bard is present.

In battle, use illusions and appropriate shouts with vigor. As far as I'm concerned, this bard is not actually wielding spells, but is playing and singing to mimic spell effects. Open with a poisoned backstab, then fall back behind your adventurer, buff them as much as you can, and heal them when necessary. If the tides turn against you, shift your tune and scare off a few enemies, or calm the beasts of the wild. If you're feeling daring, jump in with your dagger and kite an enemy or two, to give your hero time to recover ground.

It's easy to do just about any kind of RP with this build, especially when it comes to your heroes. Since technically they are the hero, you might decide to do quests based on their personality or skill set. Let J'Zargo become the new Archmage of Winterhold. Help Serana destroy the remnants of her abusive family. Help Lydia become the new Harbinger of the Companions. Beyond that, what kind of Bard are you? Are you content to observe things as they happen, calming people if tensions get high, or do you goad enemies into such a rage that they kill each other? The possibilities are endless.

And, if you have a PC, there are numerous mods that can enhance your experience even further. To name a few: "Playable Flute, Lute and Drum" "Ebony Lute" " The Bard's Quest " "The Poetic Edda" "Amazing Follower Tweaks"

The Followers

Since your followers will be the hero of the story, you'll be spending a lot of time with them. Here are some of the best followers I used, and in what situations. Also remember, with the Dragonborn expansion, followers now level with you, though many still have level caps. The specifics of how you imagine your hero to act is up to you, but do your best to match their personality to their playstyle. Uthgerd the Unbroken probably isn't going to be sneaking around, and Eola isn't going to charge into a group of bandits.

Sven  (Max 20) is a fellow bard in Riverwood. Help him woo Camila and you can help him warn the Jarl of the impending dragon attack, and eventually become Thane of Whiterun. He only has minor perks in Archery, 1Hand, and 2Hand, and his low level cap makes him less than useful after the first few quests.

Uthgerd the Unbroken  (Max 30) is a drunkard in The Bannered Mare in Whiterun. Her personal backstory makes her a perfect candidate for become the new Harbinger of the Companions. She's a perfect warrior build, with perks in 1Hand, Archery, Heavy Armor, and Block. (Unofficial Skyrim Patch will change 1Hand to 2Hand)

J'Zargo  (No Max) is an apprentice at the College of Winterhold. One of two Khajiit followers in the game, J'Zargo is very ambitious. His decent spread of spells and natural inclination to greatness makes it easy to help him become the new Arch-Mage of the College. Alternatively, he makes a great Blades recruit, due to his strong Destruction skill and infinite level cap.

Eola  (Max 30) is a twisted cannibal follower of Namira. This Breton Nightblade will follow you after you finish the quest "A Taste For Death," and her personality and skillset - Destruction, Sneak, Alteration, and 1Hand - make her perfect to become the new Listener of the Dark Brotherhood. 

Jenassa  (Max 40) is a hireling found in The Hunted Huntsman in Whiterun. One of the few followers that dual-wield, Jenassa makes for a great adventurer, but her personality suggests she may do well as a new Guild Master/Nightingale in the Thieves' Guild. Archery, Light Armor, Block, and 1Hand are her major skills.

Serana  (Max 50) is a female vampire from the Dawnguard questline. She has an obvious personal vendetta against her father, and it only makes sense you would help her end his reign of tyranny over Castle Volkihar and Skyrim.

Celann  (No Max) is a good alternative hero for those who side with the Dawnguard, if you don't like or trust Serana. Heavy Armor, 1Hand, Archery, and Block make him a decent tank, and his infinite level makes him helpful throughout the game. Conquer and decimate the vampire scourge.

Frea  (No Max) is another obvious choice as a follower through the Dragonborn questline. She dual-wields and is an offensive powerhouse, and her alteration spells make her even more durable. Help her free Solstheim and her people from the threat of Miraak.

Level 25 Perk Spread

Level 50 Perk Spread

Stat Placement: 2 Magicka - 1 Health - 0 Stamina

Speech  is a Roleplay skill, but the cornerstone of the Bard character. Their silver tongue can get them out of all kinds of sticky situations, even if Skyrim doesn't have too many Speech checks. And more money never hurts; having an expensive home next to the Bards' College after writing your epic tale should be your goal.

Illusion  is the skill you will be using the most, emulating the effects of your instrument. Frenzy or calm your enemies, and buff your own teammates. Remember that the effects of the beneficial spells stack up! It's up to you to decide whether you could mask your presence with your instrument (via Muffle and Invisibility) but DON'T get quiet casting; a silent instrument can't do a thing.

Restoration  is a super minor skill also emulating instrument effects. You should pretty much only be using Healing and Healing Hands, but Turning Undead can be a lifesaver, especially at earlier levels when you delve into ruins.

Enchanting  is used to enchant your hero's armour and weapons more than it is for your own. Just remember that Fortify Skills and Schools do not affect your followers.

Alchemy  is used to craft poisons and potions (big shock), but don't forget to share with your hero. Paralysing poisons and Fortify Illusion potions are some of the more useful ones.

Sneak  is barely used at all, but can be useful in barrows and other dungeons to help sneak up on sleeping or unaware enemies and give your hero a bit of an edge with a well-applied poison and backstab.

Unnerve : Your dissonant music sets your enemies off-balance. (Marked for Death + Rout or Hysteria)

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I'm glad to see this classic back. On a side note I think some of the images didn't make it through. Easiest way around that would be to save the images from the vault and upload from your computer onto the forge. 

Are the Perk Spreads at least visible?

Looks like its all there on my end. Maybe my phone was just acting up. 

Hey Orange,

You seem to have quite an alright build here. you don't get to see a Bard build in Vanilla very often imo. The RP is fairly good as well (letting J'zargo become the Archmage, Serana defeating what's left of her family and whether or not to turn 'evil' so to speak). Got a few things that you could fix up and improve on as well - purely optional as always.

-The Spreads are rather hard to read for me, the white clashes a fair bit with the background - perhaps a stroke or outline would fix it? Or you can swing by the Art Group and request for some Spreads, I'm sure someone would be happy to help you out. -A few of your images seem to be dead - as Curse pointed out - perhaps try fixing them like he mentioned? (On PC here) -Resizing and removing some of the images may be an option (such as the first two)? Check out the below link - should help with any others I've missed https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building Two last things - don't forget to rename your Build to 'Character Build: The Travelling Bard' (without quotations) and don't forget your 'Like' rank (which in this case would be Rank:Novice)

That's a really good Vanilla build ! I think you really captured the Bard class fantasy right there.

Just one work of advice, if i may : I would probably work a bit on visual clarity, maybe with a bit more space between section, and bigger text for important parts. Other than that, the build in itself is excellent as it is, kudos !

I still think this is among the best vanilla bard builds ever made. The writing alone does a phenomenal job of selling the build and good support type character builds are so hard to find. 

If you're interested, there is a wonderful little mod that can give you a more flavorful experience for a bard.  You can graba lute at the college, add some leather and sling it over your back as you travel.  With it you can play at all the inns, and make a bit of coin, while finding lots of different bardic tomes of different music to play.  It doesn't add much else, so I think it's a bit enhanced vanilla, but for flavor, it's a wonderful mod. There's also a D&D mod, where you can choose "bard", and your speech/one hand/healing skills would improve faster.  Depending on what kind of bard you want to be, I love using both, as I'm a big DnD fan. Both these mods can be found in the mod section on PC (Steam) You don't need to use Nexus or add anything extra, although if you already use that method, I wouldn't be surprised if they were in there too.

This is actually a surprisingly refreshing build. 

No direct damage, only support. What's more, it actually uses the voice, as how a bard should be in vanilla. 

Nothing wrong is letting the character acknowledge its arcane abilities,  as d&d based bards do know a few basic spells.

To that end, perking positive illusion buffs till adepy and then buffing it using the accompanying perks and alchemy should be good.

In fact, even restoration can be taken out, just supply your followers potions and keep them topped up, if you wanna make only a buffer character 

For my Bard, I tend to use the Sylward Armor from the Tera Armor Pack

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Skyrim:Hide and Seek (quest)

This article is about the Dawnguard quest. For the game you can play with children, see Hide and Seek (game) .

Quick Walkthrough [ edit ]

• Speak with Gunmar in Fort Dawnguard .
• Dispose of the target ( Traveling Bard , Traveling Pilgrim , or Visiting Advisor ).
• Report back to Gunmar.

Detailed Walkthrough [ edit ]

Speak with Gunmar in Fort Dawnguard and tell him you are ready to offer some help. He has located the whereabouts of a vampire masquerading as a common citizen, and wants you to track him down and dispose of him.

Your target would be a Traveling Bard , Traveling Pilgrim , or Visiting Advisor (see Bugs ) at a radiant city or town. This can include Raven Rock if Dragonborn is installed. However, as the law is unaware of the danger, you will be treated as a criminal if you're caught.

Travel to your destination and identify your target. If you talk to him and expose him as a vampire, he will initially deny it. "I beg your pardon, sir/ma'am. I don't know what you're getting at, but whatever it is, it's not appreciated."

You can then either attempt to stealthily dispose of him, or try to convince him to follow you, which allows you to lead him to a secluded location for elimination. To do this, you will need to pass a speech check requiring a Speech level of at least 75 (Persuasion) or 50 (Intimidate):

Once you return to Gunmar with the good news, he will reward you with a leveled enchanted item and note his satisfaction: "Very good. That's one less monster we need to worry about. Though there's plenty more where he came from. Be ever watchful."

Notes [ edit ]

• Attacking the vampire before he is hostile and killing him will increase your murder count statistic in your journal, regardless if you are detected or receive a bounty. One way to avoid this is to cast a Frenzy spell on him first if he is low enough level to be affected. You can alternatively kill him as a werewolf , or if Dragonborn is installed, use the Bend Will shout to command a dragon to kill him.
• ( DB ) If your quest arrow does not appear, your target may be on Solstheim. Traveling to Solstheim will make the arrow appear in the relevant location.

Bugs [ edit ]

• Sometimes after killing the target without being seen, a single nearby Hold guard will become hostile. They won't attempt to stop you for a bounty (since there isn't one) and no other guards will be hostile to you.
• Sometimes the vampire will spawn inside of a buyable house meaning they cannot be reached unless it has been purchased.

Quest Stages [ edit ]

• The following empty quest stages were omitted from the table: 1.
• Any text displayed in angle brackets (e.g., <Alias=LocationHold> ) is dynamically set by the Radiant Quest system, and will be filled in with the appropriate word(s) when seen in game.
• Not all Journal Entries may appear in your journal; which entries appear and which entries do not depends on the manner in which the quest is done.
• Stages are not always in order of progress. This is usually the case with quests that have multiple possible outcomes or quests where certain tasks may be done in any order. Some stages may therefore repeat objectives seen in other stages.
• If an entry is marked as "Finishes Quest" it means the quest disappears from the Active Quest list, but you may still receive new entries for that quest.
• On the PC, it is possible to use the console to advance through the quest by entering setstage DLC1RH01 stage , where stage is the number of the stage you wish to complete. It is not possible to un-complete (i.e. go back) quest stages, but it is possible to clear all stages of the quest using resetquest DLC1RH01 .
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