Thrall Thread : Living with the dead

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Adam Warlock

Well-Known Member
Red Sonja finally jumped the shark and leveled up from her frozen-at-31 game.
Thralls lost in this event included Arch-Curate Vyrthur , Isran , and Ulfric Stormcloak among many others whose caps now exceed limit.

Since Sonja had mad skills in most all categories , she jumped from 31 all the way to level 78 in one go !
Legendary difficulty setting keeps things interesting despite Sonja`s great power
Now fighting Legendary Dragons with reanimated Volkihar Vampires !
Much fun !!!!!:bluedragon:
 
Yeah, I sorta can't get the spider glitch going either. I've tried to throw the Mind Control Spiders on the corpse and then raise them but nothing unusual happens... I wonder if it's because I'm on PC. Anyways, I've compiled a longer list of permanent items that should work for most other people unless anyone says otherwise:

Aela's Shield
The Rueful Axe
Whiterun Guard's Armor (Murmulnir)
Halldir's Staff (The one looted the ashpile)
Ebony Blade (Does not have to be fully charged)
The Pale Blade
Ironhand Gauntlets
Helm of Winterhold
Poacher's Axe
Fur Boots (Mirmulnir)
Whiterun Guard Helmet's (Mirmulnir)
Skull of Corruption
2920, Frostfall, v10 (Beem-Ja)
Alto Wine (2) (A Night to Remember, for some reason there're 2 to pickup instead of Hagraven Feather)
Alva's Journal
Angarvunde Key
Arondil's Key
Bandit's Journal (Orotheim)
Bandit's Journal (Fort Neugrad)
Beware the Butcher! (10)
Bounties (Permanency seems to change over time for each individual letter)
Bread (Alvor)
Butcher's Journal #2
Carrot (Alvor)
Contract
Cultists' Orders
Darklight Tower Closet Key (Illia gives it if trying to pick the Expert-locked door on the 1st floor)
Daynas Valen's Journal
Daynas Valen's Notes
Ebony Claw
Eider Cheese Wedge (Alvor)
Embershard Mine Key
Forelhost Balcony Key
Fort Neugrad Treasure Map
Fresh Meat (Lod)
Giant's Toe (A Night to Remember)
Glass Claw
Glenmoril Witch Head (4) (Once you take them back out of a container, they 're stuck in your inventory)
Golden Claw
Hajvarr's Journal
Hargar's Chest Key
Heddic's Volunruud Notes
Heljarchen Hall Charter
Hillgrund's Tomb Crypt Key
Hillgrund's Tomb Key
Honningbrew Mead (Alvor)
Interrogation Chamber Key (only 1 of them)
Iron Claw
Iron Ingot (Alvor)
Isabelle's Letter
Key to Alftand Lift
Key to Halted Stream Mine
Klimmek's Supplies
Kyr's Bounty (1st one you look at)
Kyr's Log
Lakeview Manor Charter
Letter from a Friend (all of them)
Letter from Calcelmo
Letter from Jarl Siddgeir of Falkreath
Letter to Beem-Ja
Letter to Salma
Lost Legends (the one in Geirmund's Hall, picked up AFTER reading Sigdis' Writ of Sealing)
Malyn Varen's Grimoire
Mysterious Note (Delphine)
Night Falls on Sentinel (?)
Nightshade Extract
Note to Rodulf
Pelagius Wing Key
Potion of Minor Healing (Alvor)
Rannveigs Fast Key (both)
Red Apple (Alvor)
Repair Supplies
Saerek's Skull Key (awaken Otar the Mad using a rune spell instead)
Sapphire Dragon Claw
Skorm Snow-Strider's Journal
Song of Hrormir (Yngol's Barrow boss chest)
Spell Tome: Reanimate Corpse (Warlord Gathrik)
Thalmor Orders
The Dreamstride
Torsten's Skull Key (awaken Otar the Mad using a rune spell instead)
Torygg's War Horn
Treasure Map I
Treasure Map II
Treasure Map III
Treasure Map IV
Treasure Map IX
Treasure Map VII
Treasure Map X
Valmir's Orders
Writ of Sealing (Mikrul Gaulderson)
Writ of Sealing (Sigdis Gaulderson)
Ysolda's Message
Staff of Hag's Wrath
Charmed Necklace
Radiant Raiment Fine Clothes

Yeah I got it working, It is VERY VERY VERY luck based.
 

iMACobra

Experienced Necromancer
If the above is a genuine query
Placing an "anchor" (permanent object) in inventory can create permanent corpses out of certain NPC when the body would normally disappear after their death.
Useful for non-respawning named NPC whose leveis are low enough for the Dead Thrall spell to be used or if you simply want to preserve certain bodies for personal reasons (like Arondil)
Thank you Adam. It was indeed a genuine query. I've been away from Skyrim for over 3 months now but am intending to come back as an Argo Necromage Vampire shortly and would like to explore the options that y'all have so eloquently discussed in this thread.
I have never done any of this before and want to experiment.
By "anchor" in inventory, do you mean in their inventory or mine?
Sorry, I am a complete novice at necromancy but have printed the list that iMAcobra so generously provided.
Thanks!
Once again, if any of the items don't work for you, tell me the item and the corpse you put it on and I can try and figure it out because so far, these items have never disappeared from the Greybeard's offering chest that I put them all in with all the numerous resets I've incurred on it.
 
Hey guys, long time no post, but i am SO stocked to see others still playing/posting :)

my ps3 bugged out on me so i havn't been able to play skyrim for ages, finally converted data to a new console, something interesting i would like an opinion on.

On my old console i was able to fast travel the werebear torkild to skyrim, my new game with all patches installed, he's body glitches under the ground (i do not finish he's quest so i can have a marker above him to find him) when other people report missing thralls perhaps that is all that is happening (in one case i fast traveled to skall village, he was there for a secound then glitched underground) any idea's on digging him out?
 
Hey guys, I have found an EXCELLENT resource, a very thorough guide to dead thralls by StucklnMyPants from gamefaq (the I in he's name is a lower case L for anyone trying to find him) i can't posts links but i hope that is enough to find it, again REALLY good resource
 
I was wondering if someone could write up a guide for a new char wanting to be a necromancer, I.E. Something like a walkthrough from helgen to level 31-34.
Found that the MC spider glitch tends to work better in areas in the Skyrim area. Also if anyone is on PS3 the No Essentials modded save is really fun to play with as a necromancer. Got Vex and Faralda in Elven gear following me around.
 

Adam Warlock

Well-Known Member
I was wondering if someone could write up a guide for a new char wanting to be a necromancer, I.E. Something like a walkthrough from helgen to level 31-34.
Found that the MC spider glitch tends to work better in areas in the Skyrim area. Also if anyone is on PS3 the No Essentials modded save is really fun to play with as a necromancer. Got Vex and Faralda in Elven gear following me around.
This is tough.
Lots of different ways to do this depending on what you want to have as your secondary skills and whether or not to take short-cuts or do some grinding.
Limiting all skill progression to 4 or less categories is an effective way to get to Master in Conjuration while still below level 34.
 

Daelon DuLac

How do you backstab a Dragon?
I was wondering if someone could write up a guide for a new char wanting to be a necromancer, I.E. Something like a walkthrough from helgen to level 31-34.
Found that the MC spider glitch tends to work better in areas in the Skyrim area. Also if anyone is on PS3 the No Essentials modded save is really fun to play with as a necromancer. Got Vex and Faralda in Elven gear following me around.
This is tough.
Lots of different ways to do this depending on what you want to have as your secondary skills and whether or not to take short-cuts or do some grinding.
Limiting all skill progression to 4 or less categories is an effective way to get to Master in Conjuration while still below level 34.
And get and use Bound Swords! They really up your conjuration quickly. Oh! And raise everything! And I do mean everything. You may not get as much when you raise a wolf, but you get something. Usually, I'm at at least 50 by level 10 in conjuration just doing that. Of course there is more ash than Solstheim in Skyrim, but, hey, at least it glows and steams.
 

Adam Warlock

Well-Known Member
I'm about to do the "A news source of Stalhrim" quest and i was wondering what the dead thralling deal is on the high elveson the ship. Ancarion and his lackeys.
Ancarion can be made permanent with an anchor but ONLY IF you make a deal with him the first time you meet and don`t kill him yet.
Killing him too soon will cause his corpse to disappear at end of the quest.
If he is living after the quest has been completed you can return to make him your thrall.
Lackeys will respawn after their deaths but will be non-hostile.
 
I found a neat thing about the MC spider glitch. 90% of the time you will get it on the first time if you do it in a dragon born location. I am using Nchardak as my storage area and the reading room near the pedestal seems to have the highest chance. Even got a few dremora class NPCs to work.
 
I'm about to do the "A news source of Stalhrim" quest and i was wondering what the dead thralling deal is on the high elveson the ship. Ancarion and his lackeys.
Ancarion can be made permanent with an anchor but ONLY IF you make a deal with him the first time you meet and don`t kill him yet.
Killing him too soon will cause his corpse to disappear at end of the quest.
If he is living after the quest has been completed you can return to make him your thrall.
Lackey`s will respawn after their deaths but will be non-hostile.

Thanks!
 

Khepra_

Member
I've found that Katria (the ghost from the quest "Lost to the Ages") can be kept as a permanent follower, and will equip any armour/weapons you give her.
  • The exploit must be carried out when you first meet her in Arkngthamz, and you will need to bring a platter.

  • Before talking to Katria, reverse pickpocket the armour/weapons you want her to use.
  • Start the quest, and head down to the first Dwemer hallway.
  • Drop the platter, clip through the wall, and run off the edge of the map. If you're not familiar with the platter glitch, see this video for instructions:

  • This will reset you to the entrance of the dungeon- turn around quickly and leave ASAP.
If all goes well, she will follow you outside and equip all her armour.
 
I've found that Katria (the ghost from the quest "Lost to the Ages") can be kept as a permanent follower, and will equip any armour/weapons you give her.
  • The exploit must be carried out when you first meet her in Arkngthamz, and you will need to bring a platter.
  • Before talking to Katria, reverse pickpocket the armour/weapons you want her to use.
  • Start the quest, and head down to the first Dwemer hallway.
  • Drop the platter, clip through the wall, and run off the edge of the map. If you're not familiar with the platter glitch, see this video for instructions:

  • This will reset you to the entrance of the dungeon- turn around quickly and leave ASAP.
If all goes well, she will follow you outside and equip all her armour.

Starting a new char today. I will try this out. Thanks!
 

KingNero

New Member
I found a neat thing about the MC spider glitch. 90% of the time you will get it on the first time if you do it in a dragon born location. I am using Nchardak as my storage area and the reading room near the pedestal seems to have the highest chance. Even got a few dremora class NPCs to work.

Which dremora classes did you manage to spider-thrall? bc when I try it always states at the top left corner of the screen that the dremora resists the mind control spider. It would be interesting to see if this worked similarly with vampires as well on the island of Solstheim.

Also I found a glitch with the perk reset from the Black Book: Waking Dreams. If you reset the conjuration perk tree after obtaining the twin souls perk and having two thralls active they will both remain active after returning from Apocrypha without the the conjuration perks. I checked the active effects and it still shows both thralls in there however. So even after re-obtaining twin souls and enthralling one of my many corpses I have casually lying strewn about on my home's floor the second thrall will be dispelled.
 

Harkin

Necromatic Mastermind
Hey man, only just joined this Forum, but I was coming back and forth to this thread with constant interest so I'd thought I'd post my story.

So yeah, I went collecting the strongest NPC's I could find around skyrim after some inspiration, journey started at about lvl 26, ive got about 14 corpses all lying around in Drelas's Cottage and none have vanished so far. (Don't have any Skyrim DLC's, might get Legendary edition at some point)

Drelas - Awesome Elemental Mage, whatever picks your fancy, Ice, Fire, Storm, best to catch him at later levels when he has learned his Elemental Cloak Spell.
Haldyn - (East End Company Quest) - Strangely, Even though I fully ended the questline - for me, he's still battle active, his AI still works
Orchendor -(Peryite Deadric Quest) Powerful despite his Frost dualcast preferrance, was hoping he'd scrap that behaviour if I met him later. No Luck.
Sulla Trebiatus -(Aftand) - Need to test him some more
Umana - (Aftand) - Need to test her some more
Galmar Stone Fist - Stole him when I ended Civil war quest, might aswell.
Ulfric Stormcloak (my whole build was made for this guy as my thrall, and its WELL worth it, HE DISARMED ME!)
Malkoran - (Meridia's Beacon) Dualcasting Ice storms pretty fast he's a good thrall.
Malyn Varen - (That Azura Quest) - Pulled him out with a Dremora Malkynaz BEAST, but the Dremora wasnt permanent corpse - vanished after a few days, and it got a bit hectic with his constant fireball barrage and my other allies werent getting any action, if they did, usually it was hacking away AT HIM!
Malyn was pretty weak when i tested him, no cloak or conjurations sadly.
Bashnag - (Southfringe Sanctuary) - When I encountered him, he was great, Casts Frost Atronach in battle frequently and uses Ice Spike, also came with 5 pieces of enchantable equipment, dont think he knows Frost Cloak or Ice Storm, because if he did use them I would have him as a permanent thrall beside me. I encountered him at his last thrallable level without the Necromage perk, so theres still more levels I missed for this guy, but i dont plan on becoming a vampire.
Chief Ymarz - (Cursed Tribe Quest) TANK. That is enough.
Madanach - (Forsworn Conspiracy) - WAS Cool, thralled him at lvl 33 and he casts ice spike very quick like bashnag and enters battle with a Frost Cloak, doesnt conjure but is aggressive with melee, his battle AI Screwed up when I left him in Drelas's Cottage doing some missions, came back and he stopped attacking me when I attacked him (I Do alot of AI battle testing with each of my Thralls to test they can ACT in battle and wont just stand still) if they attack you, they will act normally as your Thrall and will face any foe accordingly.

Still need to do more testing on Him but I think he's perma screwed, I killed the other forsworn Named people at the Druadach Redoubt (where they all run to at the quest end) and Borkul The Beast actually works as a thrall after end of quest, so my guess is, if any of them are thralled before reaching Druadach Redoubt or before the end of the quest (To finish the quest you have to watch the forsworn escape markarth and kill the guards)
their AI will stop working at some point later, could be a cool test for someone, I reckon Madanach would work using this method.

Anska (Anska's Scroll) - Pretty decent. Have no knowledge as to whether she can reanimate or conjure, not seen her do either yet.
Estormo - (Thalmor Sneak in Quest) - Re-Thralled this guy later to find he uses Flame cloak, Thralled him cause he was the first person I encountered that Conjured an atronach, casts frequent Lightning spells for me, so he's using two elements.

My two CURRENT Thralls (not stored in Drelas's Cottage, and my Favourites) are:

1. A Forsworn Pillager, who despite moaning, Casts Ice Storms more frequently than Spikes, Uses Frost cloak on battle entry AND conjures a frost atronach, tested her vs Ice Forsworn Ravagers and she Owned them simply because they use Ice Spike (Both conjured Frost Atro's so them two were just smashing eachother while the women fought Womano - Womano.

2. Movarth Piquine - I believe I'm the only person who's got his Battle AI working (ALOT of testing, loading, attacking him) after the Blood on the Ice Questline and at present he is clad in Orcish Armour (torso, Boots) Kicks ass and has an undead battle cry that goes "rrrruuuuuuueeeeaaaaagghhh!!!" but sounds awesome.I re-rolled the dungeon until he had the correct radiant face that I wanted (some movarth piquine versions looked really pathetic) and then, I just looted everything from him, re-thralled and repeated until he had armour. He isnt permanent and dissapears after a few days, and doesnt respawn in the dungeon even if the other vamps have, so my only choice is to keep him as a permanent thrall or I lose an awesome vampire.

Stuck at lvl 33 I plan to level past this soon and perma thrall Ulfric, at the moment though Im going round getting strong npc's, because soon ill reach the Thrall cap, and some thralls, even past 40 are thrallable if you meet them earlier (the only ones I wasnt able to thrall at lvl 40 in Drelas Cottage, were Ulfric, Estormo. The rest I could still reanimate.

Enchanted fortify health by 65000 on ulfrics torso, didnt work till I levelled up and rethralled him, dudes unkillable now and has an absorb 100 health sword and block 30% more damage Deadric Shield, tried killing him on all difficulties, and I couldnt with Beserk Rage, White Vial 50% dmg bonus, Dual wielding, Elemental Shout. So Awesome. He shouted at me "At least TRY to hurt me!" Made my day.

Dead thrall is like, one of the main reasons why I still play skyrim, every now and then I'll come across someone that just has to be my underling!
 

Harkin

Necromatic Mastermind
Been doing more Thrall gathering over the past few days, added Lu'ah Al Skaven to my arsenal, I levelled to test whether she learns new spells around lvl 40, and she started dual casting Ice storm, either she'd fire two in quick succession or she'd powercast one which deals ridiculous damage, killed me in 1 hit on legendary!

Also stumbled upon a random event that spawned a Khajit Elemental Mage full clad in Ebony Armour! (Looked like Armored King from Tekken!) that was what I named him, but unfortunately after testing, he was flawed, since he was part of a random event, it seems its hardwired into his code to just vanish into thin air, tried pulling him into caves, then exiting or just fast travelling him to places, all of which failed. Irritated me because his combat ai was really good, he was throwing firebolts at a very fast rate, got to be the fastest dualcast firer, and he was knocking bandit archers off towers with them! so he could aim for sure.

But his name was "Khajit" and was doomed from the start, I even tried the wait trick to see if waiting 10 days would make him permanent. What a Loss!
 

Adam Warlock

Well-Known Member
Been doing more Thrall gathering over the past few days, added Lu'ah Al Skaven to my arsenal, I levelled to test whether she learns new spells around lvl 40, and she started dual casting Ice storm, either she'd fire two in quick succession or she'd powercast one which deals ridiculous damage, killed me in 1 hit on legendary!

Also stumbled upon a random event that spawned a Khajit Elemental Mage full clad in Ebony Armour! (Looked like Armored King from Tekken!) that was what I named him, but unfortunately after testing, he was flawed, since he was part of a random event, it seems its hardwired into his code to just vanish into thin air, tried pulling him into caves, then exiting or just fast travelling him to places, all of which failed. Irritated me because his combat ai was really good, he was throwing firebolts at a very fast rate, got to be the fastest dualcast firer, and he was knocking bandit archers off towers with them! so he could aim for sure.

But his name was "Khajit" and was doomed from the start, I even tried the wait trick to see if waiting 10 days would make him permanent. What a Loss!
Yes , with very few exceptions like the Old Orc , randomly encountered NPC like a Thief , wandering vampires , or the Khajiit you encountered are practically worthless as thralls since they don`t typically survive loading screens.

I`ve never really found any Khajiit mage types worth using(best ones typically Argonian) but I have found some melee Khajiit of Bandit Marauder strength particularly at Silver Hand lairs.
 

Harkin

Necromatic Mastermind
Any particular things 2 consider b4 levelling to 40, I gotta keep ulfric perma alive once I lvl which is no prob but I dont wanna miss any decent mage thralls in vanilla game, Worth visiting vampire camps? Movarths pretty beastly, he doesnt seem to b tresspassable tho, must b patchd. Only reason im lvling is to get 100 pickpocket to rob cicero, tullias etc 4 unique sets!
 

Adam Warlock

Well-Known Member
Any particular things 2 consider b4 levelling to 40, I gotta keep ulfric perma alive once I lvl which is no prob but I dont wanna miss any decent mage thralls in vanilla game, Worth visiting vampire camps? Movarths pretty beastly, he doesnt seem to b tresspassable tho, must b patchd. Only reason im lvling is to get 100 pickpocket to rob cicero, tullias etc 4 unique sets!
"decent mage thralls in vanilla game" are fairly plentiiful with the vast majority having level cap of 40.
Most NPC like Ulfric who scale faster than you and have caps over 40 are no longer thrallable after you pass lvl33
My advice regarding any partner for Ulfric is to avoid magic users.
Galmar or another warrior type will prevent headaches later
Fights between minions are a regular event if ice storm , fireballs , or chain lightning spells are being used.
As it is, make regular saves that you can revert to in the event Ulfric is deactivated after you have leveled

Both Morvath and the vampire Vighar will respawn and will become unthrallable once they reach Master Volkihar strength
 
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