Dwemer Warrior

[Haru17]

Updated for Dragonborn 12/12/12

Introduction

This is a small guide detailing the quests and tasks necessary to get the unique Dwemer weapons and armor in Skyrim. Both the Dawnguard and Dragonborn DLCs added a lot of Dwemer content, therefore this guide will contain content exclusive to and in some cases spoiling features of them. I advise joining the Dawnguard for this character as, vampires being controlled by Molag Bal, the Daedra-hating Dwemer would care little for them. Besides this, the Dawnguard faction is essential for attaining the Dwemer crossbow. Don't get me wrong, the main quest is not necessary except up to the point where you recruit Sorine Jurard. Werewolves are equally unadvisable as, besides being technologically mute, they are linked to Hircine, a Daedra who the Dwemer hate.

This will be a hard build right from the start as Dwarven ruins are pretty tough at low level. Adding to this, dwarven gear is not of the highest quality, therefore this build is best done on a lower difficulty or as a very experienced player. Save often! This thread will contain some details about many quests so be wary of spoilers, but I've tried to avoid them as much as I can.


Race

I'd be inclined to say that a mer would be most appropriate.
Altmer / High Elves are best for caster dwarves. They also run the fastest, because they are the tallest playable race.
Bosmer / Wood Elves have brown-tan skin tone befitting a dwarf and a 50% resist poison & disease that proves useful when fighting against the Falmer and Chaurus that inhabit most Dwemer ruins.
Breton have a useful 25% magic resistance for heavy, tank characters and a good magicka absorption ability for mages. The Spellbreaker makes resistance a bit mute though.
Dunmer / Dark Elves are beneficial in their fire cloak & 50% resistance, but very lore unfriendly.
Nords have a useful 50% frost resist, but are lore unfriendly as well, given past wars.
Imperials get more treasure in gold, but smithing makes this a bit mute.
Orsimer / Orcs racial skill bonuses are ideal for a warrior dwarf.
Redguard have great warrior racials.


Perks & Skills

I see five different pathways for a Dwemer character.

-Dual One-handed
-One-handed & Block (Spellbreaker or the Aetherial Shield)
-Two-handed (Volendrung, Block optional)
-Archery (Dwemer Crossbow, Zephyr, or Dwarven Black Bow of Fate)
-Mage (Destruction, Restoration, Alteration, and/or Atronach Conjuration would be my suggestions, given that undead, Daedra, & illusions don't scream of a golden age of technological rule)

Of course hybrid builds are very valid. My own Dwemer is a sword & shield, destruction, alteration, & restoration spell-blade. So be creative!

The mandatory skills in my opinion are heavy armor and smithing. Given that you want your character to wear Dwarven armor, smithing improvements are a bit crucial for survivability. Enchanting is also very useful for making your armor and weapons shine, given that your chest, gloves, feet, and one-handed weapon (if such a path is chosen) will be basic dwarven gear, without enchants.


Guardian Stones

Warrior - 20% faster warrior skill leveling, obviously good for leveling.
Mage - 20% faster mage skill leveling, MOAR magic levels.
Atronarch Stone - +50 magicka, -50% magicka regen, +50% magicka absorbtion, great for mages when fighting other mages.
Lady - 25% faster health & stamina regain, great for melee fights.
Lord - +50 armor 25% magic resistance, good for tanking dwarves, stacks with Breton resist.
Steed - +100 carry weight, equipped armor has no weight and doesn't slow movement, great for that heavy Dwarven armor.



Armor


Visage of Mzund - The Elder Scrolls Wiki
A Dwarven helmet with a unique enchantment. +60 Stamina & a power that can be used while the helmet is equipped. The power causes you to breathe steam for approximately four seconds, dealing 15 damage a second. Using the power consumes about 50-60 stamina. With enough stamna regen enchants you can do many steam breath attacks. I recommend this for any Dwarven character, but especially for warriors who're looking for the full centurion. Found at the end of Fahlbtharz - The Elder Scrolls Wiki. Requires Dragonborn

Spellbreaker (Skyrim) - The Elder Scrolls Wiki
Unique heavy dwarven shield that Obtained from completing the The Only Cure - The Elder Scrolls Wiki quest given by Kesh at the Peryite Shrine. Have a silver ingot, deathbell flower, flawless ruby, and vampire dust in your inventory when you head there for expedient advancement into the dungeon section. Requires level 10

Dwarven Armor (Skyrim) - The Elder Scrolls Wiki
Requires level 30 smithing & two perks in the tree to craft. A full set is contained within Nchuand-Zel Dwemer, but ruins have plenty of scrap medals to smelt down for crafting. Other sites with this armor are Mount Anthor Peak (not the dragon lair), Deep Folk Crossing (in my experience a helm & a sword were at each location, along with a host of hard-to reach potions at the peak), and Mzulf Storehouse (free to enter, not linked to the mage's guild quest, and free of enemies, but with tough locks on the doors, be sure to grab the Aetherial shard if you have Dawnguard installed). Requires Level 30 smithing & Dwarven Smithing perk to craft



Weapons

Two-handed

Volendrung (Skyrim) - The Elder Scrolls Wiki
A unique 2H hammer that swings as fast as a great sword. Unfortunately it dosn't look very dwarven (it looks like Malacath's hammer of death in actuality), but it is in lore, save it's apparent owner being Malacath. Gained by doing The Cursed Tribe - The Elder Scrolls Wiki quest. Requires Level 9

Archery

Zephyr - The Elder Scrolls Wiki
A unique dwarven bow that fires 30% faster than the standard dwarven bow. Gained by progressing through the first dungeon in the Lost to the Ages - The Elder Scrolls Wiki quest, Arkngthamz, it is located on a branch over a huge drop, save before grabbing it, don't fall. This quest is started by reading the "The Aetheium Wars" book. Requires Dawnguard

Dwarven Crossbow (Dawnguard) - The Elder Scrolls Wiki
The Ancient Technology - The Elder Scrolls Wiki series of side quests given by Sorine Jurard of the Dawnguard slowly improves your crossbow from a wooden one, to a recreated Dwemer artifact with 50% armor penetration & exploding elemental bolts. It can be improved by smithing & Further Enchanted. I recommend enchanting it with a powerful version of the Chaos Damage - The Elder Scrolls Wiki, in keeping with the elemental nature of Dwemer magic. The enchantment requires Dragonborn. Requires Dawnguard

Dwarven Black Bow of Fate - The Elder Scrolls Wiki
This is a unique black Dwarven bow found in Kagrumez - The Elder Scrolls Wiki. This ruin requires 4 Kagrumez Resonance Gem - The Elder Scrolls Wiki to get the bow or complete it, so try to collect them before delving in for maximum expediency. 50% chance of 25 damage from each element, all 3 can proc. Requires Dragonborn

Fun / Useless

Notched Pickaxe - The Elder Scrolls Wiki
Diggy-diggy hole! It's not ideal as you have to progress a while in the main quest to access it, atop the Throat of the World, but it's smithing bonus is quite nice. A nice unique pickaxe.

Keening (Skyrim) - The Elder Scrolls Wiki
Again, really impractical as you have to complete the mage's guild to have access to the final stage of the quest, Arniel's Endeavor - The Elder Scrolls Wiki, which leads to it. It's also not good for a warrior build. That being said it has a very important place in Dwemer lore, being one of the tools of Kagrenac himself, so I included it for completion's sake. Be wary of bugs as this quest is full of them.


Followers

Steadfast Dwarven Spider - The Elder Scrolls Wiki &
Steadfast Dwarven Sphere - The Elder Scrolls Wiki
Both are animal-class followers found in Kagrumez - The Elder Scrolls Wiki. They both will respawn in the same spot you found them in if they die, given that you wait a day or so. You can have a sphere or spider follower, a summoned sphere or spider from Aetherial Staff - The Elder Scrolls Wiki, and a humanoid follower decked out in full Dwarven gear all at once. Now how's THAT for a steampunk army! Requires Dragonborn


Also...

Ancient Knowledge - The Elder Scrolls Wiki
25% bonus to light & heavy armors, smithing increases 15% faster.
Obtaned from completing the Unfathomable Depths - The Elder Scrolls Wiki quest given by From-Deepest-Fathoms in Riften docks. Requires level 14


Lore & Roleplaying
(Other ideas to make you more dwarf-y)

Live in Markarth
-Vindrel Hall is fit for the classy
-The Abandoned House provides a dustier dustier, earthen abode. (The former inhabitants dug too deep...)
Carry a pickaxe & mine EVERYTHING
Forge powerful Dwarven armor and weapons
Explore all of Skyrim's Dwemer Ruins
Role play as being part of one of the ancient Dwarven cities and nations in Skyrim

Finally; Have fun being a dwarf and I hope this guide was helpful!

 

[Tristan of Valenwood]

nice article man!
I've actually been doing this sort of thing with my own wood elf. His backstory is that hes an ancestor of the dwemer... or something along those lines. i dont have DG, but it seems the only thing im missing out on is the crossbows.

 

[Haru17]

Thanks! I hope It was helpful. Crossbows can be really fun, it gets crazy with the enchanted bolts on top of enchanting the bow itself. Mine is frost & fire damage, albeit I've speced into enchanting, but they can be fun even without the enchanting. What I've found is that the archery perk that makes your enemies falter is invaluable in close combat, it allows me to nearly stunlock them.

 

[Tristan of Valenwood]

yeah you mean the one where you stun your opponent for a few seconds? im still one perk away from that but I can imagine its really useful

 

[Haru17]

yeah you mean the one where you stun your opponent for a few seconds? im still one perk away from that but I can imagine its really useful

I meant the Power Shot perk, t gives your arrows a 50% chance to stagger the enemy. I like the stun one too, but it can b a hassle from afar; you have to run up to your enemy sometimes to get a shot. But I'd recommend it all the same (Nothing is as satisfying as laughing as the paralyzed dragur falling to the floor in a comedic fashion).

 

[Clau]

Hey Haru17, I am using your guide for a Dwemer RP.

Found this thread when I was searching for Dwemer matters. Though I am having some trouble creating the face of my "Dwemer."

​

​

I initially have a bearded Bosmer dude but lost interest along the way as I just can't RP a dude.​

​

Here's something that I came up on the fly:​

​

Mysterious Dwemer girl (Fem Altmer) who's backstory involved waking up from a Dwemer facility and heading above ground from a facility. Then caught in an Imperial ambush. For build, it will be a heavy armored 2-H warrior with some restoration and enchanting. Purpose is to find out what happened on her race.​

​

I plan on sticking with Dwarven armor strictly and that includes weapons.​

 

[Haru17]

Hey Haru17, I am using your guide for a Dwemer RP.

Found this thread when I was searching for Dwemer matters. Though I am having some trouble creating the face of my "Dwemer."

​

​

​

I initially have a bearded Bosmer dude but lost interest along the way as I just can't RP a dude.​

​

Here's something that I came up on the fly:​

​

Mysterious Dwemer girl (Fem Altmer) who's backstory involved waking up from a Dwemer facility and heading above ground from a facility. Then caught in an Imperial ambush. For build, it will be a heavy armored 2-H warrior with some restoration and enchanting. Purpose is to find out what happened on her race.​

​

I plan on sticking with Dwarven armor strictly and that includes weapons.​

I'm glad you found it helpful I Play a sword / shield resto / destro orc. I threw in the magic because the dwemer were into that stuff. I hope you have fun playing your dwarf!

 

[Dar'Neko]

OMG! I was actually thinking about this when I made my Heavy-Armor-2h warrior! I had some things you did as well. I notice those subtle Yogscast Dwarf references, too

 

[Dar'Neko]

SNIP

Who rated your comment as Bad Manners?

 

[Streets]

Who rated your comment as Bad Manners?

There once was a man by the name of TheHaydz242. One day he decided to troll everyone and argue everyone, and he ended up going through lots of peoples' posts and giving them bad ratings because he was a troll, and he wanted to damage their reputations. If you use the report function and type into the prompt box that comes up, "my bad manners rating is the result of TheHaydz trolling my account, and is unwarranted" the Moderators will see it in their queue and remove all of the inappropriate ratings to restore the reputation of a good contributor.

 

[Dar'Neko]

What name should I give my dwarf?

 

[DovahCap]

What name should I give my dwarf?

How about you make his name part of the name of a Dwemer ruin? Like, Mzin, or Arkn.

 

[Dar'Neko]

How about you make his name part of the name of a Dwemer ruin? Like, Mzin, or Arkn.

I settled with Bthuand Mezalf-Bagarn, a decendant of two old Dwemer families.

 

[Haru17]

I settled with Bthuand Mezalf-Bagarn, a decendant of two old Dwemer families.

First off, thanks for the help Streets! I logged in with 9 updates, 7 of them being random down ratings, lol.

I named my orc warmaiden Mzala; which is somewhat close to Mzulf while having an orcish right to it. I was too lazy to make a surname though.

 

[Dar'Neko]

First off, thanks for the help Streets! I logged in with 9 updates, 7 of them being random down ratings, lol.

I named my orc warmaiden Mzala; which is somewhat close to Mzulf while having an orcish right to it. I was too lazy to make a surname though.

I realised that your guide-walkthrough fails at the start as From-Deepest-Fathoms doesn't exist in Riften until level 14, and you said about 10 steps later, you should be about level 10 now.

 

[Haru17]

I realised that your guide-walkthrough fails at the start as From-Deepest-Fathoms doesn't exist in Riften until level 14, and you said about 10 steps later, you should be about level 10 now.

Yeah. I was fooled because the quest had no prerequisites, but the quest giver didn't spawn until level 14. I recommend going along with the Lost to the Ages quest in the lost time; leveling up smithing as much as possible.

 

[Dar'Neko]

Yea that's what I'm doing at the moment. After every adventure buy all the iron they have and buy the same amount of Leather Strips and then Iron Daggers for everyone!

 

[Soulcano]

Do you have to smith your own Dwemer armor? I'm sure I've seen it laying around in places more accessible than Nchuand-Zel.

 

[Dar'Neko]

Do you have to smith your own Dwemer armor? I'm sure I've seen it laying around in places more accessible than Nchuand-Zel.

I'm smithing my own. It's easier to be honest, easier than going through a Dwemer ruin at low level.

 

[daedalus93]

I once had an idea somewhat similar to this; it was to make a "Dwemer Centurion" character, that uses only Dwarven Armor, with a Dwarven Mace in one hand, a Dwarven War Axe in the other, and shouts as a pseudo-steam-breath. The "Ancient Knowledge" passive perk would be something to pick up ASAP.
Never actually got around to trying it, though.