Skills & Perks

Combat | Magic | Stealth

Combat Skills

Armorer - Maintain weapons and armor at top efficiency. Worn and damaged weapons and armor are less effective. Governing Attribute: Endurance Skill Perks: Novice - Cannot repair enchanted items. Apprentice - Repair hammers last twice as long. Journeyman - Can now repair magic items. Expert - Can repair items beyond their highest condition (to 125%). Expert-improved weapons do extra damage, and Expert-improved armor protects more. Master - Never breaks repair hammers; one hammer lasts a lifetime.
Athletics - Run and swim faster, and regenerate lost fatigue faster. Governing Attribute: Speed Skill Perks: Novice - Regenerates Fatigue slowly when running. Apprentice - Regenerates Fatigue 25% faster when running. Journeyman - Regenerates Fatigue 50% faster when running. Expert - Regenerates Fatigue 75% faster when running. Master - Running never reduces the regeneration of Fatigue.
Blade - Deliver the slashing and thrusting attacks of dagger and sword weapons more effectively. Governing Attribute: Strength Skill Perks: Novice - Does a Basic Power Attack with a damage bonus in all directions. Apprentice - Gains damage bonus with a Mastery Standing Power Attack. Journeyman - Gains the Mastery Left and Right Power Attacks, which have a chance to disarm. Expert - Gains a Mastery Backwards Power Attack, which has a chance of a knockdown. Master - Gains a Mastery Forward Power Attack, with a chance to paralyze.
Block - Parry melee attacks with shields and weapons. Successful blocks reduce damage. Governing Attribute: Endurance Skill Perks: Novice - Fatigued by blocking, and hand-to-hand blocking against weapons has no effect. Apprentice - No longer fatigued by blocking. Journeyman - Shield or weapon no longer takes damage when blocking, and opponents may recoil when blocking with hand-to-hand. Expert - Blocking with a shield has a chance to do a knockback counterattack, staggering an enemy if the shield blow connects. Master - When blocking with a shield, gain an additional chance of disarming an enemy with a successful knockback counterattack.
Blunt - Deliver the crushing blows of mace and axe weapons more effectively. Governing Attribute: Strength Skill Perks: Novice - Does a Basic Power Attack with a damage bonus in all directions. Apprentice - Gains damage bonus with a Mastery Standing Power Attack. Journeyman - Gains the Mastery Left and Right Power Attacks, which have a chance to disarm. Expert - Gains a Mastery Backwards Power Attack, which has a chance of a knockdown. Master - Gains a Mastery Forward Power Attack, with a chance to paralyze.
Hand to Hand - Attack without weapons to damage and fatigue opponents. Governing Attribute: Strength Skill Perks: Novice - Does a Basic Power Attack with a damage bonus in all directions. Apprentice - Gains damage bonus with a Mastery Standing Power Attack. Journeyman - Gains the Mastery Left and Right Power Attacks, which have a chance to disarm. Expert - Gains a Mastery Backwards Power Attack, which has a chance of a knockdown. Master - Gains a Mastery Forward Power Attack, with a chance to paralyze.
Heavy Armor - Make more effective use of Iron, Steel, Dwarven, Orcish, Ebony, and Daedric armors. Governing Attribute: Endurance Skill Perks: Novice - Heavy armor degrades rapidy with use (150% of normal rate). Apprentice - Heavy armor degrades at a normal rate. Journeyman - Heavy armor degrades at a 50% slower rate. Expert - Equipped heavy armor only encumbers player by 50%. Master - Equipped heavy armor does not encumber player at all.

Magic Skills

Alchemy - Create potions and gain benefits from alchemical ingredients more effectively. Governing Attribute: Intelligence Skill Perks: Novice - Recognize only the first of four potential alchemical properties of a substance. Apprentice - Recognize the first two of four potential alchemical properties of a substance. Journeyman - Recognize the first three of four potential alchemical properties of a substance. Expert - Recognize all four potential alchemical properties of a substance. Master - Make potions from a single ingredient.
Alteration - Cast spells to breathe or walk on water, open locks, shield from physical and magical damage, and alter encumbrance. Governing Attribute: Willpower Skill Perks: Alteration spells and spell effects are rated by Mastery Level; you can only cast spells rated at or below your current mastery Level. Alteration Spell List
Conjuration - Cast spells to summon otherworldly creatures, magical weapons and armor, and turn the undead. Governing Attribute: Intelligence Skill Perks: Conjuration spells and spell effects are rated by Mastery Level; you can only cast spells rated at or below your current mastery Level. Conjuration Spell List
Destruction - Cast spells to inflict magical, fire, frost, and shock damage or to reduce resistances to magic attacks. Governing Attribute: Willpower Skill Perks: Destruction spells and spell effects are rated by Mastery Level; you can only cast spells rated at or below your current mastery Level. Destruction Spell List
Illusion - Cast spells to charm, conceal, create light, silence, paralyze, command, or affect morale or aggressiveness. Governing Attribute: Personality Skill Perks: Illusion spells and spell effects are rated by Mastery Level; you can only cast spells rated at or below your current mastery Level. Illusion Spell List
Mysticism - Cast spells that absorb, reflect, and dispel magic, move objects, sense life, and bind souls. Governing Attribute: Intelligence Skill Perks: Mysticism spells and spell effects are rated by Mastery Level; you can only cast spells rated at or below your current mastery Level. Mysticism Spell List
Restoration - Cast spells to restore, fortify, or absorb physical and magical attributes, cure disease, and resist magical attacks. Governing Attribute: Willpower Skill Perks: Restoration spells and spell effects are rated by Mastery Level; you can only cast spells rated at or below your current mastery Level. Restoration Spell List

Stealth Skills

Acrobatics - Jump long distances and avoid damage when falling great distances. Governing Attribute: Speed Skill Perks: Novice - Cannot attack when jumping or falling. Apprentice - Make normal attacks (not power attacks) when jumping or falling Journeyman - Gains the Dodge ability, and can hold Block and jump ina direction to do a quick avoidance roll. Expert - Fatigue loss for jumping is reduced by 50%. Master - Gains the Water Jump ability, and, with precise timing, can jump off the surface of water.
Light Armor - Make more effective use of Fur, Leather, Chainmail, Mithril, Elven, and Glass armors. Governing Attribute: Speed Skill Perks: Novice - Light armor degrades rapidly with use (150% of normal rate). Apprentice - Light armor degrades at normal rate. Journeyman - Light armor degrades at a 50% slower rate. Expert - Equipped light armor does not encumber the player at all. Master - When wearing only light armor, the player gains a bonus of 50% to the armor rating of that armor.
Marksman - Deliver more deadly ranged attacks with bow and arrow weapons. Governing Attribute: Agility Skill Perks: Novice - Player is fatigued while holding a bow drawn back. Apprentice - No Fatigue cost for holding a bow drawn back. Journeyman - Holding Block while bow is drawn will Zoom in. Expert - Arrow attacks have a chance of knocking down an opponents. Master - Arrow attacks have a chance of paralyzing an opponents.
Mercantile - Get better deals when buying or selling goods. Governing Attribute: Personality Skill Perks: Novice - The value of an item is reduced by the worn condition of the item. Apprentice - The value of an item is not affected by the worn condition of the item. Journeyman - Buy or sell any items to any vendor, even if he normally does not deal in those type of wares. Expert - Invest in a shop, giving the merchant money to permanently increase his shop's available gold by 500. Master - All shops in the world always have 500 more gold available for barter.
Security - Use lockpicks to open locked doors and containers. Governing Attribute: Agility Skill Perks: Novice - As many as four tumblers will fall when a pick is broken. Apprentice - As many as three tumblers will fall when a pick is broken. Journeyman - As many as two tumblers will fall when a pick is broken. Expert - Only one tumbler will fall when a pick is broken. Master - No tumblers will fall when a pick is broken.
Sneak - Pick pockets and move unseen and unheard by observers. Governing Attribute: Agility Skill Perks: Novice - Gain a 4x damage bonus for one-handed weapon and hand-to-hand attacks, and a 2x damage bonus for marksman attacks, when undetected. Apprentice - Gain a 6x damage bonus for one-handed and hand-to-hand attacks, and a 3x damage bonus for marksman attacks, when undetected. Journeyman - No penalty for chance of detection while Sneaking for the weight of equipped boots. Expert - No penalty for chance of detection while Sneaking for moving while Sneaking. Master - Undetected attacks ignore an opponents armor rating.
Speechcraft - Use speech to persuade listeners to like and trust you. Governing Attribute: Personality Skill Perks: Novice - Can offer bribes to increase the Disposition of some persons. Apprentice - Gain a free rotation of the wedge in the Persuation Menu. Journeyman - The Falling-Disposition timer in the Persuation Menu is 50% slower. Expert - Disposition loss from "Hate it" results in the minigame are reduced from -150% to -100%. Master - Bribes cost half as much.