Titanburner
Premium Member
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
Alright so first we'll start with a list of things you're going to need.
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):
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.
Enchanting
- How to Enchant
- Gems
- Available Enchants
- Enchanting Perks
- Leveling Enchanting
- 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.)
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
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.