The Badge of Office

[Perkless in Skyrim]

I've just been named Thane of Whiterun (again). It's truly an honor and I've been gifted with this Axe of Whiterun which ... *gasp*

It has the coveted Absorb Health enchantment! I haven't come across this yet in my travels and so I have a dilemma. I don't like disenchanting or selling the weapons I'm given when being named Thane of a hold. What to do? Due to my current role-playing rules, I can't purchase magic items from shop keepers. Sure, Dark Brotherhood is an option but this beautiful axe is right here. Right now.

Do you keep these weapons for the symbol they represent or is it just another thing to sell or use up?

 

[Toytown Assassin]

I keep unique looking items for display but the axe of whiterun just gets destroyed on the enchanting table or sold. No great loss.

 

[Nighthiker77]

You can get guaranteed absorb health and absorb stamina from the gauldur Amulet quest or Labrynthian. I would never disenchant the Blade of Woe.

 

[RY14NCE]

I always get stupidly attached to weapons, especially if they have a story. I took an Imperial sword from the captain who orders your execution, and eventually killed Alduin and Ulfric with it. It has since been retired and is displayed in my house. So I would personally keep the axe ( not that i'm saying you should ) but back in viking times a gift of an axe was seen as very important...

So remember that when you destroy the gift you have been given ( also balgruff can see the enchanting table from his throne, so... He knows what you did )

 

[Perkless in Skyrim]

I always get stupidly attached to weapons, especially if they have a story. I took an Imperial sword from the captain who orders your execution, and eventually killed Alduin and Ulfric with it. It has since been retired and is displayed in my house. So I would personally keep the axe ( not that i'm saying you should ) but back in viking times a gift of an axe was seen as very important...

So remember that when you destroy the gift you have been given ( also balgruff can see the enchanting table from his throne, so... He knows what you did )

So far I have resisted the urge to destroy it. I'm also not used to playing characters above level 1 so seeing an enchantment like this is unusual for me and feels doubly precious.

I have a strange attachment to steel daggers for some reason. Plenty of better stuff out there yet I enjoy improving and using them. Not that I'd turn down an ebony blade, mind you.

 

[Wildroses]

Well, this thread was a revelation. I didn't realise anyone would even consider keeping a weapon for sentimental reasons regarding it's acquisition. Every single thaneship weapon I have ever received gets taken straight to the nearest enchanting table. As this tends to belong to the Court Wizard, the Jarl usually gets to watch me destroying my badge of office within a minute of receiving it.

I tend to be very promiscuous when it comes to my weapons. The second something more attractive comes along, I dump my current weapon in a heartbeat. "Oh wow, check out that Ebony Bow of Thunderbolts! It's been fun, Dwarven Bow of Flames, but I'm moving on."

 

[The Wanderer]

Keep it, it's an honorrable gift from an honorable man.

 

[Perkless in Skyrim]

Well, this thread was a revelation. I didn't realise anyone would even consider keeping a weapon for sentimental reasons regarding it's acquisition. Every single thaneship weapon I have ever received gets taken straight to the nearest enchanting table. As this tends to belong to the Court Wizard, the Jarl usually gets to watch me destroying my badge of office within a minute of receiving it.

I tend to be very promiscuous when it comes to my weapons. The second something more attractive comes along, I dump my current weapon in a heartbeat. "Oh wow, check out that Ebony Bow of Thunderbolts! It's been fun, Dwarven Bow of Flames, but I'm moving on."

I view them in the same vein as one-of-a-kind items. You'll never get another one if you destroy it. Sure the enchantments can be found or you can even make a better version yourself but it just won't be the same. I'm also a collector so I tend to hang on to things.

I'm with you on the treasure I find in the various forts and dungeons. MOAR POWER!

 

[Lady MacBeth]

I'm not sure if this will come out right (but it made sense in my head). Your present RP rules says no buying magic. How much faith or use does your char put in Enchanting? If they are heavily into it, then they may not even see a problem. For them the priority lays in learning the enchantment regardless of the (unpurchased) source.

I will admit Absorb Health is just rare enough that I would have a hard time not breaking it, and I never get rid of anything that has a Proper Name!

 

[Perkless in Skyrim]

I'm not sure if this will come out right (but it made sense in my head). Your present RP rules says no buying magic. How much faith or use does your char put in Enchanting? If they are heavily into it, then they may not even see a problem. For them the priority lays in learning the enchantment regardless of the (unpurchased) source.

I will admit Absorb Health is just rare enough that I would have a hard time not breaking it, and I never get rid of anything that has a Proper Name!

I'm an avid enchanter. I use the rationale for not purchasing magic that magic items are supposedly rare and precious. Nobody in their right mind would sell one if they had it. Thus, to find new enchantments it's necessary to discover them in long lost tombs or pry them from the hands of bandits and such. I sometimes make allowances (especially if I see an exceptionally hard to get enchantment such as Muffle, or a Necklace of Haggling) but still limit such purchases to Khajiit caravans (preferably) or general stores. My characters are also collectors of things that are unique or hard to get so it's a toss up whether to bust it for the enchantment or keep it. One potential line of reasoning I'm toying with is to have Balgruuf give me a weapon of my choice, which I can rename Dagger of Whiterun or what have you, when I create a new enchanted item.

 

[RY14NCE]

I tend to be very promiscuous when it comes to my weapons. The second something more attractive comes along, I dump my current weapon in a heartbeat. "Oh wow, check out that Ebony Bow of Thunderbolts! It's been fun, Dwarven Bow of Flames, but I'm moving on."

Haha, I'm the opposite, I often run across MUCH better weapons than the one I am using, if i find an Ebony Bow, i will initially be excited, and then go "well, it has double the damage, but I'm keeping my current weapon because it is the Longbow Hadvar gave me and it's MINE!!!"

That's why i have a massive panic on when one of the more powerful Draugr types disarms me haha, it's still trying to take my head off with a huge axe, and I'm frantically searching the floor for my Nordic Sword that i made myself. It's a bit like the scenes in Scooby-Doo that i used to watch as a kid where Velma(?) would drop her glasses and search for them while its all kicking off around her. (apart from my character is a massive male nord, but still...)

So i only really use weapons and armour that i make myself or were given to me (like the axe of whiterun)

It started off as an experimental type of play through and is now probably some kind of skyrim OCD, so my advice is not to try it...You have been warned.

 

[Daelon DuLac]

Haha, I'm the opposite, I often run across MUCH better weapons than the one I am using, if i find an Ebony Bow, i will initially be excited, and then go "well, it has double the damage, but I'm keeping my current weapon because it is the Longbow Hadvar gave me and it's MINE!!!"

That's why i have a massive panic on when one of the more powerful Draugr types disarms me haha, it's still trying to take my head off with a huge axe, and I'm frantically searching the floor for my Nordic Sword that i made myself. It's a bit like the scenes in Scooby-Doo that i used to watch as a kid where Velma(?) would drop her glasses and search for them while its all kicking off around her. (apart from my character is a massive male nord, but still...)

So i only really use weapons and armour that i make myself or were given to me (like the axe of whiterun)

It started off as an experimental type of play through and is now probably some kind of skyrim OCD, so my advice is not to try it...You have been warned.

x

 

[Perkless in Skyrim]

Haha, I'm the opposite, I often run across MUCH better weapons than the one I am using, if i find an Ebony Bow, i will initially be excited, and then go "well, it has double the damage, but I'm keeping my current weapon because it is the Longbow Hadvar gave me and it's MINE!!!"

That's why i have a massive panic on when one of the more powerful Draugr types disarms me haha, it's still trying to take my head off with a huge axe, and I'm frantically searching the floor for my Nordic Sword that i made myself. It's a bit like the scenes in Scooby-Doo that i used to watch as a kid where Velma(?) would drop her glasses and search for them while its all kicking off around her. (apart from my character is a massive male nord, but still...)

So i only really use weapons and armour that i make myself or were given to me (like the axe of whiterun)

It started off as an experimental type of play through and is now probably some kind of skyrim OCD, so my advice is not to try it...You have been warned.

Oh my gods! I never thought about keeping the longbow Hadvar or Ralof gives you! Also haven't considered only using self crafted/gifted gear. I like it!

 

[RY14NCE]

Oh my gods! I never thought about keeping the longbow Hadvar or Ralof gives you! Also haven't considered only using self crafted/gifted gear. I like it!

DONT DO IT!! Your (Skyrim) life will never be the same again

I have to do this for every character now and can't imagine not doing it, its actually really fun but only works if you do smithing, so you can at least make your weapons a bit more powerful (fighting a dragon with a Steel sword on master difficulty feels like it takes about 3 days). I still use things like Dawnbreaker and other things that are either given as rewards of gifts.

I even do the same for Arrows now, it's getting progressively worse... i won't even take Iron arrows from bandits. There's no way I'm going to use an arrow that was made by some moron. Probably wont even fly straight... (obviously an iron arrow is an iron arrow and it doesn't matter where you got it, but the thought still creeps into my head).

 

[Chadonraz]

The Axe of Whiterun is the only badge of office weapon that I've ever disenchanted/sold. That's because you get it as part of the Main Quest, whereas for the others you're required to actively find people you can help with various things. And buy a house, when it comes to Haafingar, the Reach and Eastmarch (there's no Blade of the Rift, IIRC).

I usually keep the axe, though -- sometimes having Lydia as a follower for the few seconds it takes to put it in her inventory.

As a general rule, I keep all weapons with unique names, like someone posted above.

 

[Ritterkreuz]

I'll admit it, I always disenchant the Whiterun gift unless it's something I've already got, which isn't very likely since I always get the thing so early in the game.

 

[Perkless in Skyrim]

DONT DO IT!! Your (Skyrim) life will never be the same again

I have to do this for every character now and can't imagine not doing it, its actually really fun but only works if you do smithing, so you can at least make your weapons a bit more powerful (fighting a dragon with a Steel sword on master difficulty feels like it takes about 3 days). I still use things like Dawnbreaker and other things that are either given as rewards of gifts.

I even do the same for Arrows now, it's getting progressively worse... i won't even take Iron arrows from bandits. There's no way I'm going to use an arrow that was made by some moron. Probably wont even fly straight... (obviously an iron arrow is an iron arrow and it doesn't matter where you got it, but the thought still creeps into my head).

I'm all about the role-play these days. I don't think I'd want to do it for every character but it's worth trying at least once.

I normally end up with hundreds or even thousands of arrows and typically sell them once my Speech gets high enough. Making my own is something I haven't tried yet.

The Axe of Whiterun is the only badge of office weapon that I've ever disenchanted/sold. That's because you get it as part of the Main Quest, whereas for the others you're required to actively find people you can help with various things. And buy a house, when it comes to Haafingar, the Reach and Eastmarch (there's no Blade of the Rift, IIRC).

I usually keep the axe, though -- sometimes having Lydia as a follower for the few seconds it takes to put it in her inventory.

As a general rule, I keep all weapons with unique names, like someone posted above.

I used to get rid of anything and everything in my mad pursuit of power and glory but I've become a little more selective, especially where Named things are concerned. I was a little ticked after doing all the crap to get Honeyside in Riften that the weapon wasn't Named. Just a lousy Battleaxe of Souls this time around. Cheap Jarl!