Overview
This Guide is to help you try a new way of playing Skyrim (without using spells)
Introduction
First off I want to start by saying the fun part of this build for me was discovering a new way to play so I would reccomend you give it a go, then use this guide incase you get stuck.
Just like my other guide (playing a “Pacifist”) I love trying to play the game in a different way and the reason I tried a “no spell” build is I bought the game on the PS4 and wanted a character that can hack and slash through the game. ( I suck at aiming on a controller )
Also I found playing other characters I would abuse the heal spell and it devalues potions. So by not being able to cast heal spells it adds a nice challenge to combat!
Below you can see a screenshot of my characters stats and see that under the favorite spell/school it says “None”
This is what your stats will show under the favorite spell/school it will say “None” you can tell that you have never cast a spell if that shows here.
you will notice that it says 1 spell learnt this is because tolfdir will teach you one regardless of if you want to be taught. The way I see it my character might learn about magic but never use it, Just use the knowledge to help fight against it eg: Alterations magic resist.
So you will have to have at least 1 spell learnt to complete to college of winterhold.
You could just stick away from the college all together.
With that out of the way pick up your closest sharp object and get ready to kick some ass!
The Playstyle (Race,Stone)
So It’s simple… play through the game without casting a spell this includes scrolls and staffs.
A heads up Yes… you can complete the mages guild aha!
Yes an arch mage that has never cast a spell!
With the release of the skyrim survival mode I think this playstyle works well with the roleplay aswell.
In survival mode your health does not regenerate over time so simply using a restoration spell easily fixes that so in this build you will have to rely on potions and food.
Orc
For your race I think Orc is best suited with thier crazy “Beserker rage” ability
Meaning you take half damage and deal double damage with weapons
It falls down to preference though, you will want to pick the race you like the most!
The Attronarch stone
Is fantastic will it’s 50% spell absorbtion, this will mean you will block half the spells that hit you, the downside of this perk is the reduced magika regen but you won’t be using magika so this is not a problem.
The Steed Stone
Early on I used the Steed Stone to ecuip heavy armour whilst being mobile but I then switched to Light armour as it’s better in the late game so switched stones
Thief, Mage, Warrior, Lover
These are great when you know what you want to level
Combined with the Aetherial Crown that allows two standing stones you can power level your crafting skills and others.
Skills
Light armour / Heavy armour
Light armour is far better the perks in the tree including a bonus to stamina regen when wearing fully light armour. You can reach the armour cap of 567 with light armour so heavy armour’s defensive abilities are irrelevant.
One handed / Two handed
This is a personal preference I started out using one handed but then found some really cool two handed weapons so I switched, then just converted my one handed to legendary once maxed to get the wasted perks back.
The Perks in these sections are really preference aswell but if you are heading the two handed route the reduced power attack cost is nice and also the sprinting power attack can do some crazy damage.
Blocking
Blocking is worth leveling as it’s effective to reduce damage and it makes combat more fun when you actively try to block attacks, the quick reflexes perk is very handy.
The perks down the left side you will need to have a shield but the rest you can make the most out of from using a two handed weapon.
Archery
Archery is your strongest form of ranged damage so worth leveling, I personally like using the crossbow as it looks cool but won’t benifit from all the archery perks.
It’s handy to pick off a few targets with archery before charging into the battle.
Although you can’t level these skills by casting spells I beleive it’s completely lore viable to use trainers to optain some nice passives to benifit your character.
Funny enough by using the fire breath levels destruction, so you can level this but it doesn’t have any benifit apart from your overall level.
Alteration
You will want to max Alteration by using Tolfdir from the Mages guild who can train you to 100.
This will mean you will have to enter the mages guild which can be done without casting a single spell. Check the mages guild section.
This will allow you to unlock:
Magic resitance passive 30%
Attronarch: Absorb 30% of all spells
Restoration
You will have to train restoration to level 90 to unlock the “Avoid Death” Perk so that in combat you can have that emergency save incase you don’t use your potion in time.
If you unlock this perk you want to pick up the “Regeneration” Perk to increase the heal.
Also get the “Sailors Repose” in the Passives to get early, section for an extra 10% heal to avoid death making it heal a total of 400 Health when you drop to 10% Health.
I need to test if Respite is triggered when avoid death activates.
Illusion
This is by no means a priority this would be purely an end game grind when you want to get some extra stuff.
The perk Quiet Casting: Allows spells to be cast without noise
though you won’t be casting any spells this includes shouts so might aswell grab this perk to surprise enemys.
Smithing / Enchanting / Alchemy
Max them out, simple. I would reccomend in that order aswell because the items you crafted in smithing can then be enchanted.
Passive to get early!
By completing these quests early you with set yourself up with some usful passives to set yourself up for the rest of the game.
Agent of Dibella
+10% melee damage to the opposite sex.
More melee damage yes please!
Agent of Mara
+15% resist magic
Spells can do some crazy damage so I get as much magic resist early on, This combined with Alteration perks you can get a nice 45% megic resist that is always active.
Sinderion’s Serendipity
When you make a potion 25% chance to make an extra potion.
As you will rely on potions for your healing or buffing your weapons won’t hurt to have some extra ones when you are crafting.
Ancient knowledge
+15% to smithing skill learning speed
+25% bonus armour when wearing full dwarven armour
Though the dwarven armour side of the perk may be useless this is worth getting if you plan to grind out smithing, conbine with the warrior/lover stone to bost exp gain!
Dragon Infusion
25% less melee damage taken from Dragons
When Sky Temple is discovered, Bring Delphine 3 recruits and Esbern 1 Dragon scale & 1 Dragon bone. When fighting dragons you will likely be in melee range so having this buff will mean you can fight longer.
Sailor’s Repose
+10% to healing spells
This one might sound a little pointless as you can’t cast healing spells but if you have trained the resotration skill and unlocked the “Avoid death” perk then it will increase the heal and so might aswell unlock this passive.
Lore Viability (Roleplay)
The night before I went out and bought Skyrim on the PS4 I was so Hyped that I decided to give myself a more immersive experience by writing a bit of backstory to my character I named “Broax”
I would recommend you have a go at it and if you get into it can make you stick with a character
( I would always end up making create new characters)
Broax
Broax was raised in the Orc Stronghold of BloodFire. Until his brother was ambushed and killed whilst on a walk together, Broax went into a blood rage killing the 3 imperials left and now aims to bring down the empire and killing every last imperial. Broax leaves the strong hold with just his axe and aims to join the stormcloaks but on his way is captured.
In my head I knew I wasn’t going to use magic for this character but didn’t bother putting in a lore reason why.
Playing as a warrior the Alteration/Restoration tree offers nice perks like magic resistance , Atronach and avoid death.
So I see it completely lore Viable to have a trainer teach you alteration and Restoration to gain these perks without ever casting a spell. (Destruction, Conjuration and illusion don’t benifit you)
The Mages Guild
Completing the mages guild is definetly funny to do as this character
It will mean tolfdir will teach you a spell that you cannot stop so it will be listed as a spell learnt on the Magic tab under stats but under that you will see the “Favourite spell, Favourite school” will say None so it’s clear that you haven’t used any magic.
Entrance
To get into the mages guild you can talk your way in with speech but you will require a very high level of speech so I suggest playing through the main storyline until you are sent to the College of winterhold. Talking to the woman you can now say that you are dragon born to pass her test.
Ward Class
You will need to aquire the “Spellbreaker’ shield to pass Tolfdirs ward class.
For this you will need to be at least level 10 so it makes sence to progress in the main story before trying to get into the college.
Once you have the shield simply hold it up and wait for tolfdir to hit the ward activated by the shield!
Whiterun Set-up (Trainers)
So to get started quick I found a nice set-up in Whiterun so you can train Alteration, Restoration and sell items.
Because of it’s central location its a great place to have a base so make sure to purchase the Breezehome when you unlock it.
Then you head to Iversted to meet the Dark elf called ” ” she will want you to bring her some frost salts that can be stolen from X once you have done this quest she can train you in Alteration up to level 75. By making her your wife you can buy the training and then sell her lots of stuff to get your money back.
To make her your wife you will want to head to the temple in Riften where you want to get the Amulet of Mara, you will want to complete the quest “Lovers something” to gain the 15% magic resist.
Once she is your wife you can do your training and dump your stuff in a one stop shop.
Also she will give you money that her store has made.
In the temple in Whiterun there is a restoration trainer but you need to do her quest to bring the big tree in whiterun back to life.
Tolfdir can train Alteration to 100
you will need to gain acess to the college of winterhold for this
See the mages guild section
guy in Dawnguard can train restoration to 100
Outro
Thanks for reading the guide, crazy to think Skyrim released in 2011 and I am still enjoying it to this day. Hope you give this guide a go and might breath some life into the game if you have found it a bit repetitive.
You can also check out my other guides on my profile.
“Playing a Pacifist” < playing the game without killing anyone!
More interesting than it sounds!