Calcelmo
Article Writer
Dungeons
The dungeons of Skyrim are infested with horrible creatures and lethal traps. Nothing is friendly in a dungeon. While you fight through the waves of enemies and hidden traps you may find yourself having a hard time. This article will hopefully give you a few tips that will give you an easier time with dungeons.
*These are only suggestions. There are different ways to go about everything.*
Build Strategies
The best way to take on a dungeon depends on your build. Stealthy characters may have difficulty fighting off multiple enemies at once. Even a warrior build may struggle with all the foes attacking them at once. Mages might have a hard time keeping their distance from the target in the confined space. You need to be aware of your surroundings as well.
Those who use a stealthy build should have a decent sneak level to best complete a dungeon. While navigating through the halls of enemies light armor is a must. If you make too much noise you could catch the attention of a nearby enemy. Boots enchanted with silent movement are a huge help. If you have a strong illusion skill then use the spells Invisibility and Muffle. These spells make you indetectable by sight or sound when cast together. However, know that if you attack, pick up an object, or bump into an enemy that you will be noticed. Coat your weapons with poison to make sure that every hit kills your target. When confronted with the boss you can choose to duel wield or fire a bow from a distance. Your build may have a hard time taking direct hits from the enemy. Use objects in the boss tomb like pillars and platforms to keep away from your enemy and hit them more than they can hit you.
Warrior builds might have an easier time in dungeons. While you can't sneak past enemies, you can take hits and return them just as easily. However, with multiple enemies attacking you at once, you can quicky accumulate damage. A shield is good for blocking most of the damage dealt. Make sure you block when you need to. Also keeping a large inventory of health and stamina potions can make opponents easy to defeat. When facing a boss, attack with everything you have and don't let up unless you need to heal.
Magic users can be fragile and easy to damage. When facing warriors or archers you may have a difficult time. Due to the confined space of dungeons it becomes difficult to keep a fair amount of space from enemies when they are chasing after you. When multiple enemies are nearby then the stakes are even higher. When going through a dungeon, use a follower to keep your enemies distracted as you take them one by one. Attacks that can damage multiple enemies can also be useful for taking on a horde of enemies. Try to lead your enemies into a narrow hallway or room and let out a blast of magic that damages all of the enemies at once. When confronted by a boss, do your best to keep your distance and keeping your magicka up with either potions or enchanted gear. This will make for a quick victory.
Traps
Traps can be hard to notice. Do your best to find traps before you fall into them. You can usually disarm traps too. Watch out for wired traps, as those are one of the most common. Trip wires may run across a hallway or be attached to a chest. When you open a wired chest it triggers a trap, as does walking across a normal tripwire. Pressure plates are often a common threat. These plates are pretty noticable on the floor. Those with the Light Foot perk in the Sneak tree no longer need to worry about triggering pressure plates. Since most traps are triggered by pressure plates and tripwires, concentrate on avoiding these obsticles. If you see an oil on the ground, check to see if there is an enemy you could lure into it. When this oil makes contact with fire it will ignite doing significant damage do your enemies. These are only some of the traps that are in the game. However these three are the most common. As a rule of thumb: If it's sharp, keep your distance.
Puzzles
Most dungeons will require you to complete a puzzle before advancing further. They may seem confusing at first, however the answer is almost always in the same room. Nordic puzzle doors require you to spin three rings, each with 3 animals, in the correct order. Then you open the door with a claw you should have taken earlier in the dungeon. If the rings are in the correct order the door will open. However you first need to know the order. The correct order is actually on the palm of the claw. Check your inventory and look at the palm to see the correct order. Nordic puzzle pillars depict 3 animals. You need to spin these pillars to create the correct pattern of animals. The correct order is usually somewhere on a wall. Lever puzzles can be tricky. Test what each lever does for a bit. Then you should be able to find a solution once you know what each lever does. The most complicated puzzles are the dwemer puzzles. I would suggest using a guide for these puzzles as they are sometimes a pain to solve. You may encounter a few unique puzzles during your adventuring. Remember that the answer to most puzzles is in the room.
Conclusion
I hope that these tips help you in your exploration of Skyrim's dungeons.
The dungeons of Skyrim are infested with horrible creatures and lethal traps. Nothing is friendly in a dungeon. While you fight through the waves of enemies and hidden traps you may find yourself having a hard time. This article will hopefully give you a few tips that will give you an easier time with dungeons.
*These are only suggestions. There are different ways to go about everything.*
Build Strategies
The best way to take on a dungeon depends on your build. Stealthy characters may have difficulty fighting off multiple enemies at once. Even a warrior build may struggle with all the foes attacking them at once. Mages might have a hard time keeping their distance from the target in the confined space. You need to be aware of your surroundings as well.
Those who use a stealthy build should have a decent sneak level to best complete a dungeon. While navigating through the halls of enemies light armor is a must. If you make too much noise you could catch the attention of a nearby enemy. Boots enchanted with silent movement are a huge help. If you have a strong illusion skill then use the spells Invisibility and Muffle. These spells make you indetectable by sight or sound when cast together. However, know that if you attack, pick up an object, or bump into an enemy that you will be noticed. Coat your weapons with poison to make sure that every hit kills your target. When confronted with the boss you can choose to duel wield or fire a bow from a distance. Your build may have a hard time taking direct hits from the enemy. Use objects in the boss tomb like pillars and platforms to keep away from your enemy and hit them more than they can hit you.
Warrior builds might have an easier time in dungeons. While you can't sneak past enemies, you can take hits and return them just as easily. However, with multiple enemies attacking you at once, you can quicky accumulate damage. A shield is good for blocking most of the damage dealt. Make sure you block when you need to. Also keeping a large inventory of health and stamina potions can make opponents easy to defeat. When facing a boss, attack with everything you have and don't let up unless you need to heal.
Magic users can be fragile and easy to damage. When facing warriors or archers you may have a difficult time. Due to the confined space of dungeons it becomes difficult to keep a fair amount of space from enemies when they are chasing after you. When multiple enemies are nearby then the stakes are even higher. When going through a dungeon, use a follower to keep your enemies distracted as you take them one by one. Attacks that can damage multiple enemies can also be useful for taking on a horde of enemies. Try to lead your enemies into a narrow hallway or room and let out a blast of magic that damages all of the enemies at once. When confronted by a boss, do your best to keep your distance and keeping your magicka up with either potions or enchanted gear. This will make for a quick victory.
Traps
Traps can be hard to notice. Do your best to find traps before you fall into them. You can usually disarm traps too. Watch out for wired traps, as those are one of the most common. Trip wires may run across a hallway or be attached to a chest. When you open a wired chest it triggers a trap, as does walking across a normal tripwire. Pressure plates are often a common threat. These plates are pretty noticable on the floor. Those with the Light Foot perk in the Sneak tree no longer need to worry about triggering pressure plates. Since most traps are triggered by pressure plates and tripwires, concentrate on avoiding these obsticles. If you see an oil on the ground, check to see if there is an enemy you could lure into it. When this oil makes contact with fire it will ignite doing significant damage do your enemies. These are only some of the traps that are in the game. However these three are the most common. As a rule of thumb: If it's sharp, keep your distance.
Puzzles
Most dungeons will require you to complete a puzzle before advancing further. They may seem confusing at first, however the answer is almost always in the same room. Nordic puzzle doors require you to spin three rings, each with 3 animals, in the correct order. Then you open the door with a claw you should have taken earlier in the dungeon. If the rings are in the correct order the door will open. However you first need to know the order. The correct order is actually on the palm of the claw. Check your inventory and look at the palm to see the correct order. Nordic puzzle pillars depict 3 animals. You need to spin these pillars to create the correct pattern of animals. The correct order is usually somewhere on a wall. Lever puzzles can be tricky. Test what each lever does for a bit. Then you should be able to find a solution once you know what each lever does. The most complicated puzzles are the dwemer puzzles. I would suggest using a guide for these puzzles as they are sometimes a pain to solve. You may encounter a few unique puzzles during your adventuring. Remember that the answer to most puzzles is in the room.
Conclusion
I hope that these tips help you in your exploration of Skyrim's dungeons.
I really disagree with this. Solving the puzzles is very rewarding, try a little lateral thinking before hitting the guide books/internet. As you mentioned most answers are found in or very near the puzzle room. Without giving away any specific spoilers, try looking for nearby plinths which can not be rotated, these are almost always the same animals as the puzzle solution requires, either in the same type of layout or sometimes reversed. If there aren't any nearby, check out nearby books, sometimes the solution is cryptically written in that book (especially if the book is related to the quest). None of the Dwemer puzzles are too difficult if you explore your surroundings a bit and look for clues. You will find that when that gate swings open you will feel a much greater sense of accomplishment than just reading a cheat book.
