Stealthy Breton

the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim

I was having a conversation with my friend about character selection in Skyrim. I was going to pick a Dark Elf seeing as they are a stealthy magician character (my fave combo!^_^). But he said that dark elves suck but with the right lveling( and some other stuff I didn't quite catch) I could make a Breton have a stealthy magician type and be more powerful than a dark elf. So is this true, and if so how do I do it?

Best Answer

Any race makes about an equally good stealthy wizard. Unlike many RPGs, elves in Skyrim are not physically weaker than humans. The only significant differences between the Breton and the dark elf are:

  • The Breton resists magic (25%), while the dark elf resists fire (50%)
  • They start with different skill bonuses, but you can raise these skills quite quickly and make up for the difference within a few levels.
    • Breton starts with +10 Conjuration, +5 Alchemy, Alteration, Illusion, Restoration, Speech
    • Dark elf starts with +10 Destruction, +5 Alchemy, Alteration, Illusion, Light Armor and Sneak
  • The Breton has the power to absorb 50% Magicka from spells once per day, while the dark elf can surround himself with fire once per day. You'll get better spells later in the game.
  • The Breton starts knowing Summon Familiar, while the dark elf starts knowing Sparks. Both also start with Flames and Healing, and you'll be able to pick up both Summon Familiar and Sparks early in the game anyway.

Overall, the dark elf has a slight starting advantage as he begins with 5 extra levels in Sneak and 10 in Destruction, but you can raise these skills easily with regular use so the racial bonus isn't very important.

The high elf is even better at magic than either of these races. They start with +50 Magicka and have the racial ability to increase Magicka regeneration rate once per day.