The Ultimate Enchanting Guide

[zParanoia]

Anyone know where to find banish or paralyze?

 

[Imperio]

OK. In lieu of the numerous threads about Enchanting ,I have decided to try and make this once and for all definitive but "quick" guide. This is for reference purposes for our members and guests here on the forums so if I miss something or am wrong about something (I'm sure I am) please feel free to let me know so I can fix it.​

​

Enchanting​

​

1. How to Enchant
2. Gems
3. Available Enchants
4. Enchanting Perks
5. Leveling Enchanting
6. Enchanting Strategy

​

​

1. How to Enchant​

Alright so first we'll start with a list of things you're going to need.​

​

• Your Item (Whether it be Armor, Jewelry or Weapon(s)
• A Known Enchant (Learned by Disenchanting an already Enchanted item. See section 5.)
• A Filled Soul Gem (See section 2 for more info regarding Soul Gems.)

After you have these three you'll find an Enchanting Table (see section 4.) and begin. The first step is to select your item to be enchanted. Next will be selecting your enchant. It is important to note that not all types of enchants will go on all types of items. Please see section 3. for a guide on what type of enchant is allowed on each type of item.

​

Once you have selected your enchant you will then select your Soul Gem. The Soul Gem must be filled in order to be used. (For more on Soul Gems see section 2.) Once you have selected the Soul Gem and your are satisfied with your item of choice and the Enchant create your Enchanted item with your platforms designated key.​

​

So this is the rundown on how to Enchant an item. Below you will find information that will effect the strength of your Enchanted item with your chosen Enchant. So! Continuing on...​

​

​

2. Gems​

​

Alright so first let's get this out of the way for you naysayers lol. THE BLACK STAR IS BY FAR THE BEST! (You'll understand what I mean in a minute.) ​

​

Types of Gems from weakest (top) to strongest (bottom):​

​

• Petty Soul Gem
• Lesser Soul Gem
• Common Soul Gem
• Greater Soul Gem
• Grand Soul Gem
• Black Soul Gem
• Azura's Star
• The Black Star

How to fill a Soul Gem

​

Ok so you've got your Soul Gem and you want to use it but there's no Soul in it? What a bummer!. First off let me say that you should invest in the Soul Trap spell (Located in Whiterun on Farengar the Court Wizard; Dragonsreach Building on the right). When cast on the target if it is killed within 60 seconds then you've filled your Soul Gem. ​

​

NOTE: YOU CANNOT TRAP A CREATURE IN A BLACK SOUL GEM OR THE BLACK STAR. YOU ALSO CANNOT TRAP A HUMAN SOUL IN A GEM BESIDES A BLACK SOUL GEM OR THE BLACK STAR.​

​

The Azura's Star and The Black Star are two different outcomes of the same quest. (Quest started at the Shrine of Azura). Each one is reusable. So what's the difference you say? And why is the Black Star the ultimate choice? Well i'm glad you asked! ​

​

Azura's Star: A reusable soul gem capable of trapping all souls up to Grand level EXCEPT Human Souls. ​

​

The Black Star: A reusable black soul gem only capable of trapping Human Souls. (ALL HUMAN SOULS ARE GRAND LEVEL SOULS).​

​

So there you have it. Now bare with me while we ponder this for a moment and answer these questions in your head. Why would you want to use a Soul that is less than Grand to enchant something? How many Bandits are there in Skyrim? How easy is it to kill a normal Bandit for a Grand Soul? How easy is it to kill a Frost Troll for a Grand Soul? Which one's easier?​

​

(Thinking dots)​

...​

..​

.​

By now you have concluded that the Black Star is indeed the winner of two, and for that my friend you recieve an A+. lol​

​

​

3. Available Enchants​

​

Well this is going to be a little bit of a list. Please keep in mind that the outcome of how powerful these Enchants will be are based upon your skill level as an Enchanter, The Enchanting perks you have taken (see section 4.), And the type of Soul Gem you are using. Next to each is what type of equipment you can put it on.​

​

Armor Enchantments​

​

Fortify Alchemy - Head, Hands, Ring, Necklace​

Fortify Alteration - Head, Chest, Ring, Necklace​

Fortify Archery - Head, Hands, Ring, Necklace​

Fortify Block -Hands, Shield, Ring, Necklace​

Fortify Carry Weight -Hands, Feet, Ring, Necklace​

Fortify Conjuration -Head, Chest, Ring, Necklace​

Fortify Destruction -Head, Chest, Ring, Necklace​

Fortify Healing Rate -Chest, Ring, Necklace​

Fortify Health -Chest, Shield, Ring, Necklace​

Fortify Heavy Armor -Chest, Hands, Ring, Necklace​

Fortify Illusion -Head, Chest, Ring, Necklace​

Fortify Light Armor -Chest, Hands, Ring, Necklace​

Fortify Lockpicking -Head, Hands, Ring, Necklace​

Fortify Magicka -Head, Hands, Ring, Necklace​

Fortify Magicka Rate -Head, Chest, Ring​

Fortify One-Handed -Hands, Feet, Ring, Necklace​

Fortify Pickpocket -Hands, Feet, Ring, Necklace​

Fortify Restoration -Head, Chest, Ring, Necklace​

Fortify Smithing -Chest, Hands, Ring, Necklace​

Fortify Sneak -Hands, Feet, Ring, Necklace​

Fortify Speech -Necklace​

Fortify Stamina -Chest, Feet, Ring, Necklace​

Fortify Stamina Rate -Chest, Feet, Necklace​

Fortify Two-Handed -Hands, Feet, Ring, Necklace​

Muffle -Feet​

Resist Disease -Chest, Shield, Ring, Necklace​

Resist Fire -Feet, Shield, Ring, Necklace​

Resist Frost -Feet, Shield, Ring, Necklace​

Resist Magic -Shield, Ring, Necklace​

Resist Poison -Chest, Shield, Ring, Necklace​

Resist Shock -Feet, Shield, Ring, Necklace​

Waterbreathing -Head, Ring, Necklace​

​

Weapon Enchantments​

​

Absorb Health​

Absorb Magicka​

Absorb Stamina​

Banish​

Fear​

Fire Damage​

Frost Damage​

Magicka Damage​

Paralyze​

Shock Damage ​

Soul Trap​

Stamina Damage​

Turn Undead​

​

Whew that was tedious...moving on...​

​

​

4. Enchanting Perks​

​

http://skyrimcalculator.com/ (Great tool for planning out everything)​

​

I'm not going to spend alot of time on this one as it really is going to be dependent on the type of character build you're going for. I will say that I personally think that at least every build should have 5/5 Enchanter as Enchanting really does help boost your Resistances/One-handed damage and so on. If you are trying to Enchant gear that is already Enchanted (IE: Dark Brotherhood Armor) then you must at least progress to Extra Effect to be able to add a secondary Enchant. ​

​

​

5. Leveling Enchanting​

​

Ok so thankfully leveling Enchanting isn't that hard. The hardest part about it is destroying those precious Enchanted items that could have gone for mucho Gold right? The biggest thing to remember when you're disenchanting is that you should aim for the lesser valued items and sell the higher valued ones. ​

​

For example, if you have a ring that gives +20% pickpocketing success I would recommend keeping it or selling it. Chances are you will find something else that is much weaker and worth alot less. Basically, what I am getting at is a sword worth 3000 gold thats Enchanted to do 30 points of fire damage each hit with a high recharge is going to give you the same Enchant as a Iron Dagger that does 2 points of fire damage with a recharge value of 1. You can use the more powerful items early on. ​

​

Enchant everything you sell! Not only will it make you a ton of gold but it will put you on the fast track to maxing out your Enchanting. (In a non glitch way).​

​

​

6. Enchanting Strategy​

​

Ok so I am sure there are more strategies than mine for fast and powerful Enchanting, but this is my own simple non-glitch way. Once you get the Black Star (because you got an A+ and chose the Black Star right? ) head over to the mines west of Riverwood grab you a bandit (Only one!) and take his soul MWA hahaha hah..haha. and then go North a couple hundred meters to Old Elises basement and do some Enchanting. Rinse and repeat until you've Enchanted until your hearts content. Need more money? Enchant those 450 daggers you made for your smithing, or all those rings you pickpocketed. ​

​

​

​

​

So all in all this is my short, quick and dirty guide to Enchanting. Please feel free to post with any helpful tips for others that I can include and i'll make sure to do so. Likewise, if anyone has any questions feel free to shoot me a PM.​

about the black star: I also thought that all human souls were grand, but recently I've noticed petty and lesser souls appearing in my Black star, don't understand how this is possible :-S

 

[DdraigGwyn]

One thing I am not sure of: is the enchantment I get from a 2 point fire damage ring the same as from a 30 point blade? If so, then I see why using the ring is a good choice, but if the blade produces a stronger enchantment, then i would go with it.

 

[stormbringer]

And to add to that - Enchantment Skill and Perks and Potions used etc also effect the Finshed Chant, Tip save Grand Souls for when you want to do you own gear not for vendor trash

The level of the disenchantment item doesn't matter the difference maker is always gonna be the size of the soul gem you use to enchant your item.

I need some disambiguation. My smithing and enchantment level is 100, my character level is at 55; I disenchanted some boots with 60% frost resistance but I can not enchant any boots to 60% no matter if I use a grand or black soul gem, So, to get max enchantment must be related to my character level, right?

Reiji, are you saying I can disenchant boots with 20% frost resistance and create a pair with 40% or 60%? I know the bigger the soul gem the more powerful and expensive the item will be but the enchanted item's power must be attributed to a combination of things like:
1) The size of the gem.
2) My character's enchantment level.
3) My character level.
4) The amount of enchantment/magicka the item I disenchanted originally had.
5) What I am enchanting (leather shoes vs daedric boots or an iron dagger vs a daedric sword)
6) The amount of mackica perks I have chosen (I have all three balanced..Magicka, Health and Stamina)

How many of the factors listed in the above is a factor in the enchantment level of what I enchant?
I really need clarity with #4. #1 and #2 I understand. Not sure about #3 #4 #5 and #6

I disenchanted Gloves of The Pugilist and have had a heck of a time getting the amount of punching power that the original gloves had. Same with soul snare enchantments. I can't enchant items that steals a soul if it dies within 15 seconds like what I disenchanted....even with black or grand souls.

What must I improve to get max enchantment?

 

[Gearbox_007]

Here, you don't have to follow the whole guide, but part of it tells you how to get stronger enchantments Glitch - [EXPLOIT]Skyrim Overpowered Character Guide | Skyrim Forums

 

[AcE Benson]

about the black star: I also thought that all human souls were grand, but recently I've noticed petty and lesser souls appearing in my Black star, don't understand how this is possible :-S

The Black Star is glitched, and allows any soul to pass through it, if I'm correct. It happens to me too when I go out hunting to fill my petty soul gems.

 

[TheLlama]

Don't know if this is still updated, but here are some you are missing:

Fortify Barter
Fortify Unarmed

Silent Moons Enchant

 

[Switchy24]

can you add enchantments to random daedric armor pieces made in the atronach forge? I am on console at the moment (yikes I know) and I can not get around the daedric boots glitch where they don't show up in the inventory. I had to make them as a random armor piece but they already have a stamina enchantment on them. I just got enchanting to 100 so I am checking first.

 

[RavenWing]

FIrst you must have something with the enchantment you want. Go to an enchanting table. Disenchant the item. Now that you have learned it... you can put it on as many things as you want. As long as they can take that enchantment.

 

[brentlittle]

Regarding the "within X seconds to kill" attached to enchanted weapons, I keep reading from different posts about "adjusting or setting" the time factor to 1 second as if the knowledge to do this is common. http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim_talk:Soul_Trap With all the talk about doing this, I have not found one single article on how to set this adjustment. I'm trying to get the "within 1 second time to kill" on my weapon with a soul trap. Anyone care to explain how you "set" the time factor? I'm not concerned with whether or not 1 second is best. I would just like to know how to "adjust" the time to kill since so many posts state that they have done this but never explain how it's done.

 

[Chadonraz]

Regarding the "within X seconds to kill" attached to enchanted weapons, I keep reading from different posts about "adjusting or setting" the time factor to 1 second as if the knowledge to do this is common. http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim_talk:Soul_Trap With all the talk about doing this, I have not found one single article on how to set this adjustment. I'm trying to get the "within 1 second time to kill" on my weapon with a soul trap. Anyone care to explain how you "set" the time factor? I'm not concerned with whether or not 1 second is best. I would just like to know how to "adjust" the time to kill since so many posts state that they have done this but never explain how it's done.

Here's a video showing how to apply the Soul Trap enchantment on a weapon. At 7:00-> he applies the enchantment, including explaining how to set the time factor and how it affects the number of charges you get.

 

[Kalkynriir]

Just like to point something out. For the Armor enchantments there is the
Fort-destro/illusion/resto w/e
and there is also
Fort-destro/illusion/resto & Magicka regen

An example, I just went and bought a Grand soul gem and a belted tunic from Farengar (Whiterun) and stepped up to his arcane enchanter.
With 0 armor 1 weight and about 725 value I can make the belted tunic:

X spells cost 15% less to cast. Magicka
regenerates 10% faster. X Spells cost 25% less to
cast.

That's with lvl 100 enchanting and ALL the perks, but with no lvls in any other magic school (Still at 15) Still a 40% cost reduction for just one peice of armor is really nice.

This is on the Xbox however, i've never played on pc/ps3 so it may be different.

 

[LoneDovakiin]

OK. In lieu of the numerous threads about Enchanting ,I have decided to try and make this once and for all definitive but "quick" guide. This is for reference purposes for our members and guests here on the forums so if I miss something or am wrong about something (I'm sure I am) please feel free to let me know so I can fix it.

Enchanting

1. How to Enchant
2. Gems
3. Available Enchants
4. Enchanting Perks
5. Leveling Enchanting
6. Enchanting Strategy

1. How to Enchant
Alright so first we'll start with a list of things you're going to need.

• Your Item (Whether it be Armor, Jewelry or Weapon(s)
• A Known Enchant (Learned by Disenchanting an already Enchanted item. See section 5.)
• A Filled Soul Gem (See section 2 for more info regarding Soul Gems.)

After you have these three you'll find an Enchanting Table (see section 4.) and begin. The first step is to select your item to be enchanted. Next will be selecting your enchant. It is important to note that not all types of enchants will go on all types of items. Please see section 3. for a guide on what type of enchant is allowed on each type of item.

Once you have selected your enchant you will then select your Soul Gem. The Soul Gem must be filled in order to be used. (For more on Soul Gems see section 2.) Once you have selected the Soul Gem and your are satisfied with your item of choice and the Enchant create your Enchanted item with your platforms designated key.

So this is the rundown on how to Enchant an item. Below you will find information that will effect the strength of your Enchanted item with your chosen Enchant. So! Continuing on...


2. Gems

Alright so first let's get this out of the way for you naysayers lol. THE BLACK STAR IS BY FAR THE BEST! (You'll understand what I mean in a minute.)

Types of Gems from weakest (top) to strongest (bottom):

• Petty Soul Gem
• Lesser Soul Gem
• Common Soul Gem
• Greater Soul Gem
• Grand Soul Gem
• Black Soul Gem
• Azura's Star
• The Black Star

How to fill a Soul Gem

Ok so you've got your Soul Gem and you want to use it but there's no Soul in it? What a bummer!. First off let me say that you should invest in the Soul Trap spell (Located in Whiterun on Farengar the Court Wizard; Dragonsreach Building on the right). When cast on the target if it is killed within 60 seconds then you've filled your Soul Gem.

NOTE: YOU CANNOT TRAP A CREATURE IN A BLACK SOUL GEM OR THE BLACK STAR. YOU ALSO CANNOT TRAP A HUMAN SOUL IN A GEM BESIDES A BLACK SOUL GEM OR THE BLACK STAR.

The Azura's Star and The Black Star are two different outcomes of the same quest. (Quest started at the Shrine of Azura). Each one is reusable. So what's the difference you say? And why is the Black Star the ultimate choice? Well i'm glad you asked!

Azura's Star: A reusable soul gem capable of trapping all souls up to Grand level EXCEPT Human Souls.

The Black Star: A reusable black soul gem only capable of trapping Human Souls. (ALL HUMAN SOULS ARE GRAND LEVEL SOULS).

So there you have it. Now bare with me while we ponder this for a moment and answer these questions in your head. Why would you want to use a Soul that is less than Grand to enchant something? How many Bandits are there in Skyrim? How easy is it to kill a normal Bandit for a Grand Soul? How easy is it to kill a Frost Troll for a Grand Soul? Which one's easier?

(Thinking dots)
...
..
.
By now you have concluded that the Black Star is indeed the winner of two, and for that my friend you recieve an A+. lol


3. Available Enchants

Well this is going to be a little bit of a list. Please keep in mind that the outcome of how powerful these Enchants will be are based upon your skill level as an Enchanter, The Enchanting perks you have taken (see section 4.), And the type of Soul Gem you are using. Next to each is what type of equipment you can put it on.

Armor Enchantments

Fortify Alchemy - Head, Hands, Ring, Necklace
Fortify Alteration - Head, Chest, Ring, Necklace
Fortify Archery - Head, Hands, Ring, Necklace
Fortify Block -Hands, Shield, Ring, Necklace
Fortify Carry Weight -Hands, Feet, Ring, Necklace
Fortify Conjuration -Head, Chest, Ring, Necklace
Fortify Destruction -Head, Chest, Ring, Necklace
Fortify Healing Rate -Chest, Ring, Necklace
Fortify Health -Chest, Shield, Ring, Necklace
Fortify Heavy Armor -Chest, Hands, Ring, Necklace
Fortify Illusion -Head, Chest, Ring, Necklace
Fortify Light Armor -Chest, Hands, Ring, Necklace
Fortify Lockpicking -Head, Hands, Ring, Necklace
Fortify Magicka -Head, Hands, Ring, Necklace
Fortify Magicka Rate -Head, Chest, Ring
Fortify One-Handed -Hands, Feet, Ring, Necklace
Fortify Pickpocket -Hands, Feet, Ring, Necklace
Fortify Restoration -Head, Chest, Ring, Necklace
Fortify Smithing -Chest, Hands, Ring, Necklace
Fortify Sneak -Hands, Feet, Ring, Necklace
Fortify Speech -Necklace
Fortify Stamina -Chest, Feet, Ring, Necklace
Fortify Stamina Rate -Chest, Feet, Necklace
Fortify Two-Handed -Hands, Feet, Ring, Necklace
Muffle -Feet
Resist Disease -Chest, Shield, Ring, Necklace
Resist Fire -Feet, Shield, Ring, Necklace
Resist Frost -Feet, Shield, Ring, Necklace
Resist Magic -Shield, Ring, Necklace
Resist Poison -Chest, Shield, Ring, Necklace
Resist Shock -Feet, Shield, Ring, Necklace
Waterbreathing -Head, Ring, Necklace

Weapon Enchantments

Absorb Health
Absorb Magicka
Absorb Stamina
Banish
Fear
Fire Damage
Frost Damage
Magicka Damage
Paralyze
Shock Damage
Soul Trap
Stamina Damage
Turn Undead

Whew that was tedious...moving on...


4. Enchanting Perks

http://skyrimcalculator.com/ (Great tool for planning out everything)

I'm not going to spend alot of time on this one as it really is going to be dependent on the type of character build you're going for. I will say that I personally think that at least every build should have 5/5 Enchanter as Enchanting really does help boost your Resistances/One-handed damage and so on. If you are trying to Enchant gear that is already Enchanted (IE: Dark Brotherhood Armor) then you must at least progress to Extra Effect to be able to add a secondary Enchant.


5. Leveling Enchanting

Ok so thankfully leveling Enchanting isn't that hard. The hardest part about it is destroying those precious Enchanted items that could have gone for mucho Gold right? The biggest thing to remember when you're disenchanting is that you should aim for the lesser valued items and sell the higher valued ones.

For example, if you have a ring that gives +20% pickpocketing success I would recommend keeping it or selling it. Chances are you will find something else that is much weaker and worth alot less. Basically, what I am getting at is a sword worth 3000 gold thats Enchanted to do 30 points of fire damage each hit with a high recharge is going to give you the same Enchant as a Iron Dagger that does 2 points of fire damage with a recharge value of 1. You can use the more powerful items early on.

Enchant everything you sell! Not only will it make you a ton of gold but it will put you on the fast track to maxing out your Enchanting. (In a non glitch way).


6. Enchanting Strategy

Ok so I am sure there are more strategies than mine for fast and powerful Enchanting, but this is my own simple non-glitch way. Once you get the Black Star (because you got an A+ and chose the Black Star right? ) head over to the mines west of Riverwood grab you a bandit (Only one!) and take his soul MWA hahaha hah..haha. and then go North a couple hundred meters to Old Elises basement and do some Enchanting. Rinse and repeat until you've Enchanted until your hearts content. Need more money? Enchant those 450 daggers you made for your smithing, or all those rings you pickpocketed.




So all in all this is my short, quick and dirty guide to Enchanting. Please feel free to post with any helpful tips for others that I can include and i'll make sure to do so. Likewise, if anyone has any questions feel free to shoot me a PM.​

The enchantent guide was very helpful but I feel the way you enchanted things is a bit slower than what could be best, what I like to do is go to every town and buy as many empty soul gems as possible, and since I like to conjure weapons I filled them all very quickly with a large quantity of them and right now I've made myself about 50 silver and gold rings (Stocked up on silver/gold ore and ingots to craft and level my smiting a bit) to enchant them and I've gone from about 60 to 70 with only 20 rings. It took me awhIle to actually get all the soul gems but even then it was at most an hour of dungeon diving and bandit camp raiding.