Katastrophe
King of Tales
I've had this build in my head for some time now... it's something I've really wanted to experiment with. As some of you know, I'm very partial to archery builds. They're very versatile for an array of function, whether it's clearing dungeons or hunting game or killing dragons. Plus, what's better than killing your opponent before they even touch you? So most of my characters turn out to be some sort of sneak archer, since that's just archery doing lots of damage in it's purest form, but this build can get pretty simple (read: boring) so I've been looking to spice it up, which prompts a series of question/answers.
What is the problem with pure Archery? Melee combat.
How do I avoid melee combat? One hit kills.
How do I do that? Sneak skill tree.
And so that's pretty much been the logic process, but I want to change that. I don't want to avoid melee combat - I want to embrace it. So naturally, you might be thinking to also run a sword and board, but then that takes away from that pure archery feel - I'm no longer just an archer... I'm now only an archer at long range, then I'm a knight. While playing through my character in The Hunted, I discovered a solution that I hadn't known existed - Guardian Circle. For those that don't know, you create a barrier around yourself that causes undead to flee and it heals you. To drop one of these and release pain in the form of arrows and bolts...? Melee problem solved. But it only works on undead, so I need other plans.
I began to explore runes and look more closely into Alchemy. It became apparent that this character would need to do a lot of preparation before leaving town and even more preparation when it came to assessing the situation. He would need to be able to drop his defensive placements and make a stand. I would no longer kill enemies from the shadows but rather I would watch them die before me, tormented by the fact that the harder they tried to kill me, the faster they died.
So where do I need help...? It's mostly finalizing details. Here is the perk tree that I've selected so far that really only contains the "bare bones" so I'm going to discuss my choices so far and include a list of things I'm questioning.
Archery - This is obvious, but you might question why I didn't take some perks, like the second 'Steady Hand' and the entire right side of the tree. I think the second 'Steady Hand' perk is a waste - really, with the first perk, you should have all the time you need to line up your shot. In addition, 3 perks for a 1-in-5 chance of a critical just doesn't feel worth it. Also, the ability to move faster with a drawn bow isn't necessary, as I'll be making stands. Also, with the ease at which arrows (and I believe bolts as well?) are crafted, I won't need to worry about my current supply. Lately, I've found myself easily running with 500+ arrows at any given time. Ammo is not an issue.
Alchemy - I only briefly mentioned this, but this is going to be my primary crafting skill. The ability to easily craft health potions in the beginning will save me a ton of money and the eventual poisons and other potions will help cover all my bases. I envision myself being able to paralyze the main bad guy in a room while I deal with his buddies before taking him one-on-one. Is Purity worth the two perk investment? I haven't really dabbled with high level Alchemy before.
Destruction - This is mostly for Fire Runes and Fire Walls. I'm going to focus primarily on Fire magic and those are the two major spells I'll be using. How useful is the Rune Master perk?
Restoration - This is here primarily for the Guardian Circle spell, but also for the array of "anti-undead" spells available with the Dawnguard DLC. Will these really be worth it, or should I perhaps invest the perks in another skill tree and focus just on the Destruction spells for that static defense?
Now, here's where things get interesting because I'm not sure where or how far to branch off from this. The obvious choice is armor, and when it comes down to it, I want to use a hood. I do not like helmets. Why do I spend hours making my character's face to hide it? Also, come on... Demon Hunters use hoods. But for the actual armor, I think Heavy Armor might be best... it'll give me more protection, especially early on. So perhaps just the five perks in Juggernaut and let it be?
Also, Illusion - should I invest in silent casting for a more stealthy set up or is that too much of a perk investment? With my Alchemy being able to give me the Frenzy and Fear effects, would Illusion just be overkill? Also, Conjuration - a summoned helper could prove quiet useful, but is that taking away from my "Here I am, face your death" approach? Also, wouldn't it seem odd that a Demon Hunter is summoning Dremora and Undead Thralls to fight for him...?
Last, there's the ever important stat distribution. It seems like I'm going to need all three: Magicka to place all my necessary defenses, health to survive, and stamina for zooming in with my bow for prolonged periods. I could invest a perk in Respite so that I also recover Stamina with healing spells, but I don't think that will play a big role until I get that Guardian Circle spell towards the end.
When this is all said and done, I'm thinking of doing this character in a highly edited "Let's Play" series, something to make it more cinematic. Let me know what you think and all help is appreciated.
What is the problem with pure Archery? Melee combat.
How do I avoid melee combat? One hit kills.
How do I do that? Sneak skill tree.
And so that's pretty much been the logic process, but I want to change that. I don't want to avoid melee combat - I want to embrace it. So naturally, you might be thinking to also run a sword and board, but then that takes away from that pure archery feel - I'm no longer just an archer... I'm now only an archer at long range, then I'm a knight. While playing through my character in The Hunted, I discovered a solution that I hadn't known existed - Guardian Circle. For those that don't know, you create a barrier around yourself that causes undead to flee and it heals you. To drop one of these and release pain in the form of arrows and bolts...? Melee problem solved. But it only works on undead, so I need other plans.
I began to explore runes and look more closely into Alchemy. It became apparent that this character would need to do a lot of preparation before leaving town and even more preparation when it came to assessing the situation. He would need to be able to drop his defensive placements and make a stand. I would no longer kill enemies from the shadows but rather I would watch them die before me, tormented by the fact that the harder they tried to kill me, the faster they died.
So where do I need help...? It's mostly finalizing details. Here is the perk tree that I've selected so far that really only contains the "bare bones" so I'm going to discuss my choices so far and include a list of things I'm questioning.
Archery - This is obvious, but you might question why I didn't take some perks, like the second 'Steady Hand' and the entire right side of the tree. I think the second 'Steady Hand' perk is a waste - really, with the first perk, you should have all the time you need to line up your shot. In addition, 3 perks for a 1-in-5 chance of a critical just doesn't feel worth it. Also, the ability to move faster with a drawn bow isn't necessary, as I'll be making stands. Also, with the ease at which arrows (and I believe bolts as well?) are crafted, I won't need to worry about my current supply. Lately, I've found myself easily running with 500+ arrows at any given time. Ammo is not an issue.
Alchemy - I only briefly mentioned this, but this is going to be my primary crafting skill. The ability to easily craft health potions in the beginning will save me a ton of money and the eventual poisons and other potions will help cover all my bases. I envision myself being able to paralyze the main bad guy in a room while I deal with his buddies before taking him one-on-one. Is Purity worth the two perk investment? I haven't really dabbled with high level Alchemy before.
Destruction - This is mostly for Fire Runes and Fire Walls. I'm going to focus primarily on Fire magic and those are the two major spells I'll be using. How useful is the Rune Master perk?
Restoration - This is here primarily for the Guardian Circle spell, but also for the array of "anti-undead" spells available with the Dawnguard DLC. Will these really be worth it, or should I perhaps invest the perks in another skill tree and focus just on the Destruction spells for that static defense?
Now, here's where things get interesting because I'm not sure where or how far to branch off from this. The obvious choice is armor, and when it comes down to it, I want to use a hood. I do not like helmets. Why do I spend hours making my character's face to hide it? Also, come on... Demon Hunters use hoods. But for the actual armor, I think Heavy Armor might be best... it'll give me more protection, especially early on. So perhaps just the five perks in Juggernaut and let it be?
Also, Illusion - should I invest in silent casting for a more stealthy set up or is that too much of a perk investment? With my Alchemy being able to give me the Frenzy and Fear effects, would Illusion just be overkill? Also, Conjuration - a summoned helper could prove quiet useful, but is that taking away from my "Here I am, face your death" approach? Also, wouldn't it seem odd that a Demon Hunter is summoning Dremora and Undead Thralls to fight for him...?
Last, there's the ever important stat distribution. It seems like I'm going to need all three: Magicka to place all my necessary defenses, health to survive, and stamina for zooming in with my bow for prolonged periods. I could invest a perk in Respite so that I also recover Stamina with healing spells, but I don't think that will play a big role until I get that Guardian Circle spell towards the end.
When this is all said and done, I'm thinking of doing this character in a highly edited "Let's Play" series, something to make it more cinematic. Let me know what you think and all help is appreciated.