Skyrim Build: The Plunderer

Hello fellow adventurers, and former adventurers who took an arrow to the knee. Today I'm bringing you a Skyrim build I came up with: The Plunderer. He is an Argonian explorer who utilizes his Argonian lungs to explore the depths to find loot from sunken ships that have long been submerged underwater. In this article, I will bring you his stat allocation, his perks, major skills, and his backstory, but not in that order. First I gotta tell you about my inspiration for this article: Fudgemuppet, (https://www.youtube.com/@FudgeMuppet) a YouTube channel run by three friends who love the Elder Scrolls franchise, and frequently do deep dives into the lore of their favorite aspects of the series. However, they also have a plethora of builds with unique backstories, interesting concepts, and, when applicable, descriptions about the inspiration for their builds, such as Dracula from the Castlevania franchise in one particular video. These three guys are phenomenal at what they do, and I cannot recommend them enough.

Another mention I gotta give is to Skypothesis (https://www.youtube.com/@Skypothesis), another channel that does similar content, but with a different twist. They are two brothers who make Skyrim builds, but give their characters more roleplaying potential through different ways to play or justify the character's decisions, and doing so in pure vanilla Skyrim, having their builds get caught on the border, and pushing the game to its limit to create fun and challenging playthroughs. They even tie some of their builds together as part of a story, like their three Breton Brothers who each became a different type of knight.

I won't spoil too much about the two channels, but I absolutely love to listen to them in the background, and 100% encourage you to watch the respective videos after you are done with this article. But I do wish to give you a character I concocted after brainstorming with some ideas for an Argonian, who I never really play for some reason.

The Character: Obviously I have to start with the actual avatar I am playing as. For one, this is an Argonian, the lizard-like race of Tamriel, who are natives of Black Marsh. I use the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages site (https://en.uesp.net/) to help me with names for when I really wanna go deep into establishing my character in the world of Skyrim by looking up lore names for whichever race, and using the Daggerfall name patterns for when an enemy or random NPC is generated. My Argonian is named Pilian Magmus, and he is a plunderer of booty from shipwrecks and caves, hunting for valuables where bandits and other undesirables reside, away from society's prying eye where no one has to worry about what he does as he clears bandit camps out of caves, and makes the roads safer for travelers as a side effect. Each race in Skyrim has a unique ability, and the Argonians have the Histskin, an ability that allows for rapid health recovery for 60 seconds. A whole minute of 10x healing is pretty great, but depending on the character, you may want to see the racial power of the Altmer, or high elves, or the Redguard. Altmer can regenerate Magicka 10x faster, and the Redguards can regenerate Stamina 10x faster, each for 60 seconds, making each race listed the most pure type of playstyle. A picture could help with this example, so here's one that might help:

As you can see, Stamina regen is good for melee builds who fight quickly, Magicka regen is good for spellcasters who will unleash magical fury in combat, and Health regen is great for bulky tanks who are always in the thick of battle. I will not adhere to these guidelines for my Argonian, but this is sort of the ideal setup for these three races. But with Skyrim you can just ignore that and make whatever you want with whomever you want. Make a Magical Tank Altmer who summons skeletons and uses two daggers if you want. As long as you have fun it does not matter how you do it.

The Stat Spread and Skills: Now for this particular character, I will be using Light Armor (I like the Scout Armor set from the Anniversary Edition myself, but it is up to you), One-handed swords (cold be swapped for any one-handed weapon), Destruction, Alchemy, and Archery (crossbows, but again you can use whatever projectile weapon you want). I always go for the crafting skills, Smithing and Enchanting, to keep my armor buffed, and my body un-stabbed to death. Because of these skills, every five levels I will put 2 points into Health, 2 points into Magicka, and 1 point into Stamina. If you'd like to focus more on physical combat, go for 2 Stamina and 1 Magicka instead. When you have enough Magicka that you don't run out during combat, put 3 into Health and then 2 into Stamina, or vice-versa. You can edit this build any way you see fit, this is just how I am playing this character.

Spells and Enchantments: Now I have to preface one thing here: I am using mods. I rather enjoy the Elemental Destruction mod that adds water, wind, and earth elemental spells to the Destruction school. This is due to some roleplaying elements that will be explained in the backstory section below. The spells Pilian uses are the water-elemental spells, like rapids, waterball, torrent, etc. Because he only dips his toes into Destruction magic (sorry, bad pun, there will be more), these are the only spells he will use, with other magical buffs coming from Enchanting. Obviously reduce Destruction costs as much as possible, up to 100% if you like, or 80% by using greater soul gems for 20% reduction each so you don't drain so many points into Magicka for nothing. Put fortify one-handed twice on applicable items, and then fortify archery twice also. You could possibly fortify Health or Stamina if you'd wish, or take some more Magicka if you didn't reduce destruction spells 100%. No matter what you do, create a helmet, pair of gloves, ring, and necklace that have Fortify Smithing and Alchemy on them so you can make stronger potions for more money, and improve gear better to keep yourself from being given a one-way ticket to Aetherius (the afterlife). That will be your crafting set, and you should name them as such so you don't get confused about which set is which. If you wanna get REALLY crazy, look up a video on the Restoration potion loop. That will be a journey by itself, diving into one of the many "features" of the game.

Standing Stone: One of the more interesting choices for any build is their standing stone. A standing stone gives a character an adjustment that they can switch between any time they choose, replacing birthsigns from Oblivion which are permanent. I personally like to choose one for roleplaying/functional use, like the Shadow Stone to become invisible for 60 seconds once per day on a thief or assassin character. I roleplay that they were born under this star sign and beeline for the corresponding stone as soon as possible. For Pilian, he was born under the sign of the Steed, getting a bonus of 100 extra carry weight for hauling his loot back to a shop, and also makes armor weigh nothing when you wear it, freeing up valuable space, and doesn't hinder your movement speed, getting both Heavy and Light Armor perks that do the same thing at once. In Oblivion, the Steed instead increases your movement speed at a flat rate of 20 extra points, making you move faster, which is reflected in the weightless armor attribute in Skyrim so I think that's pretty neat.

For Pilian,

The Backstory: But before we get into that, we must first tell the beginning of Pilian Magmus's story. Hatched under a Hist tree in his homeland of Black Marsh under the Steed sign, Pilian was born in a clutch of three during the 135th year of the fourth era. The other twelve eggs in his clutch did not respond to the Hist, so they withered and ultimately did not hatch, leaving only three healthy hatchlings. Pilian was the only male to be hatched in that clutch, resulting in two sisters, and his mother and father making up his family unit. His father was a guide through Black Marsh for travelers who sought to do diplomatic business but would struggle due to the harsh, swampy terrain. Pilian's mother on the other hand was an apothecary, making useful mixtures for a variety of situations. Potions to cure illness, potions to restore vitality, or a few tonics to bolster stamina for intense "activity". Whatever ingredients she used, there was always a problem that her potions could solve, and the process of making the potions intrigued young Pilian. So much so he asked to be her apprentice and learn the trade himself. To his mother, this was a wonderful idea because it meant some extra help around the shop, and she even talked Pilian's father into taking him into the surrounding wilderness to gather ingredients. Pilian thought making the potions was fun, but he had no idea the amount of joy he would have exploring and scavenging with his father, who knew the lay of the land very well thanks to his profession. For Pilian, it was the exploration he enjoyed, but it was always exciting to bring home his haul to show his mother and sisters, frequently finding new plants that he could show his sisters, who loved the flora of Black Marsh. When he was 26 years old, Pilian had already had 14 years of alchemical study, mixing potions almost like his mother's, if not better sometimes. He had nearly perfected his craft, so much so that he became bored of it. Adventure was calling, and he had to answer it. After confiding in his parents he wanted to travel with the coin he had made from selling potions, he packed his bags, said his farewells, and was off. Of course, this was after repeatedly promising his sisters he'd bring home other foreign flora to show them, and promising his mother and father he'd write and share some of his stories. He traveled east across Black Marsh, and into the province of Cyrodiil, home of the Imperials. The contrast between the two was astonishing, the rolling fields and wooded forests was a stark contrast to his home, making him feel out of place for a few days as he got use to the new geographic landscape. The Ayleid ruins of Cyrodill made for some new and exciting experiences, something totally different compared to the pyramids, or Xanmeers, of the ancient Argonians. Ayleid ruins offered different architecture, and magical Welkynd stones, still brimming with magical energy after all this time. If this is what Cyrodiil had to offer, Pilian knew he could find something to write home about. However, after countless expeditions into the Ayleid ruins, he started to get that same bored feeling again. They all looked so similar, that each one blended into the next, becoming undiscernable from one another. He knew it was time to head to another province, but where?

Well, after passing through Skingrad, he met a band of hunters who had just returned from Valenwood to the southwest. After swapping some stories with these men, they invited him to join them. They agreed that exploration was a key part of any journey, and they frequently explored ancient ruins in between hunts. With his new friends, Pilian was taken to Hammerfell, where Pilian discovered there were a variety of climates, including humid swamps. These swamps were nothing like those in Black Marsh, but it was something he was familiar with nonetheless. In the province of Hammerfell, Pilian and co. made their way into Rihad, a port city in Southern Hammerfell. It was here that Pilian made use of his waterbreathing abilities the most in his travels, apart from the water around the imperial city. Pilian loved the port city because of its access to the Abecean Sea, but also the different atmosphere around him. It was a new place that gave him new experiences, keeping the boredom at bay once more. After Rihad, the band of travelers made their way to Elinhir, after hearing some travelers from Skyrim boasting about more challenging game in the northern province's wilderness. This intrigued Pilian's companions because they were always looking for bragging rights after a hunt. So it was decided that they would pack up and head for Skyrim, stopping in Elinhir to rest up before continuing.

Elinhir is a city in Hammerfell deeply connected to magic, almost radiating an aura of pure Magicka. While he slept, Pilian was infused with a magical source, amplified by the Hist sap he had ingested as a hatchling. It was in a dream that the Hist spoke to him, and told him he would gain magical abilities. When he woke the next morning, the troupe decided that they would spend some time in town for leisure, since they had been on the road for several days. Pilian took this time to try and focus on the new magic he was granted by the Hist, heading to the outskirts of town to practice. It was a few hours before the magic presented itself, allowing Pilian to send forth a stream of water. This is related to his time spent in the wet, swampy regions of Black Marsh. Having a new letter to write to his parents and sisters, he was so excited he didn't realize that he was holding a ball of water, sending it forth by accident and watching it break part of a large stone in front of him. After this, he tried to control what form his new magic would take, either a stream or a ball. Once he was satisfied he could consistently control the flow of his magic, he headed back to town, drained of Magicka. He told his troupe of his new magic ability, surprising all of them by demonstrating by holding a water ball in his hand before putting it away. They all had words of congratulations for him, praising his newfound ability.

The next day after some much needed rest, the troupe all headed east for Skyrim, and the wilderness containing their challenging hunts. When they got into Skyrim they headed north to the shoreline, where horkers and snowy wolves resided. The troupe had spent quite a considerable amount of time together, easily coming up with hunting strategies, but the game in Skyrim pushed them to their absolute limit, sometimes forcing tactical retreats and new plans. Once they had hunted for a few days, the hunting became boring to Pilian. It was the same thing, over and over. Going out in the morning to find a target, deciding on an attack plan, executing the plan, and then returning home with meat and trophies. He began to feel the same boredom he felt when he left home, which conflicted him greatly. He joined his friends because of the thrill of the hunts, or so he thought. Pilian came to realize that he joined his friends only because they went to new places, not because he enjoyed the hunting. After some serious thought, he decided it was time to head off on his own. Bidding his friends farewell, he once again set off on his own, a long way from home, adventure in his heart once again in the snowy province of Skyrim.

Conclusion: This is where I started with Skyrim Unbound's option to start in the wilderness at a random Hunter campsite. That is just the way that Skyrim Unbound is coded to work with the wilderness option. I had to work that into my backstory so it would explain why I started there. I also used Elinhir to explain how Pilian got his magic abilities, and utilized the Hist as it relates to Argonians in the lore. The Hist is what connects all Argonians at birth, and it is where they are said to return when they die so the can be incarnated again after death. The Hist gives the baby Argonians their souls, so one Argonian may have lived two or three times before, which is pretty freaking cool in my honest opinion.

Enhancing Roleplaying: For more roleplaying potential, I highly recommend downloading an alternate start mod like I did, so you don't have to be caught on the border of Skyrim every time and have to go through the same beginning where Alduin prevents your execution. These mods also allow you to choose if you want to be Dragonborn, requiring you to investigate Helgen to start the main questline. A few of my favorites are Skyrim Unbound (my choice here), Alternate Start: Live Another Life, or Realm of Lorkhan. Each gives a way to start in a new place tailored to your backstory, and without having to choose Stormcloak or Imperial. You can also use a mod that adds a journal to roleplay that the pages are the letters Pilian sends home to his parents and sisters. One mod that I have used before is called "Take Notes - Journal of the Dragonborn". It is restricted to Nexus mods however due to its dependency on SkyUI, which itself is dependent on the Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE). The choice to use mods or not is up to you, but they are available on either Nexus Mods, or the Bethesda creations page. You can go to the Bethesda website and add a mod to your library there to download it in-game, or you can access the mods through the in-game menu on the screen with the Skyrim logo when you first start the game.

I hope you enjoyed reading the madness that I constructed for a character, and I wish you happy plundering no matter if you choose to dive into the waters, or delve into the depths of Skyrim's burial tombs.