Enormous RPGs are the gifts that keep on giving. The Elder Scrolls series is known for its vast open-worlds with plenty for players to do and see. Chief among these is Skyrim, the fifth installment in the franchise and one that gives us a huge slice of Tamriel to play around in.
Skyrim is known for its secrets, and for leading players across the map in the hopes of finding some cool treasure or a great moment with an NPC. There are so many little details you could miss, so before you start your next playthrough, make a note of these and seek them out as soon as you can.
Stealing is easy actually
If you want to rob someone, there’s a remarkably easy way to do it that feels as if it was pulled from a 1930s comedy. Go into the building you want to burgle and simply put a bucket over the owner’s head. Or a basket. Any receptacle that will cover their eyes. Apparently, these NPCs can see you stealing, but if you cover their eyes they’ll do nothing to remove the obstruction, allowing you to, well, rob them blind.
Off-road horses
The map of Skyrim features plenty of mountains and it’s likely you’ll be fed up with having to move around these giant peaks. Having a horse makes the journeys much easier as, for some reason, Skyrim horses are able to scale practically vertical surfaces in order to travel. If you’ve got a horse, nothing can stand in your way, simply gallop up and over the tallest mountains.
Kill by transformation
There is a staff to find in-game called the Wabbajack. It belonged to the mad Daedric Prince Sheogorath. It’s a multi-purpose magical staff that can cast regular offensive spells like fireball, however, it also has an interesting extra effect - the ability to transfigure any target. This latter effect means you can transform any enemy into a harmless object. Try casting it against a mammoth and turning it into a pile of coins or a fruit bowl.
Choose your own adventure
It’s easy to overlook some of the books within Skyrim because they can be overly wordy or focus on a point of lore you’re not interested in. However, for those who like to glance through the books you will find Kolb & the Dragon: An Adventure for Nord Boys. This series of books can be found in various places, such as Breezehome, and they full on mini-adventures within the game. Kind of like those ‘choose your own adventure’ books you read as a kid. You can pick outcomes and see where they take Korb on his quest to slay a dragon.
Unlimited Arrows
As you move through your journey, you’re bound to come across archers practicing their aim at stationary targets. Due to how the game deals with NPC inventories essentially the NPC spawns an infinite number of arrows. This means you can wait for them to shoot and collect the arrow from the target as often as you like. However, even better than this, you can pickpocket the archer and put a valuable arrow into their inventory and they will begin to duplicate that arrow instead. Now you have an infinite arrow farm.
Like fishing with dynamite
If you’re relying on fishing to feed your character you’ll notice that it can be a laborious task. Standing around catching fish isn’t as interesting in Skyrim as it can be with other RPGs. To make things easier - and a little flashier - you can use your Unrelenting Force shout at the water and the fish will die, floating to the surface. What an easy meal.
Take on three uber-bosses
If you like a challenge there are three bosses you can fight that are not so obvious to find. These three warriors are Vulthuryol, Karstaag, and the Reaper. Each of them is hidden away and you’ll have to summon them. For Vulthuryol head to Blackreach. To summon him use Unrelenting Force on the yellow orb above the debate hall. To find the frost giant Karstaag grab his skull from the Glacial Cave and take it to Castle Karstaag, then place it on his throne. Lastly, collect three reaper fragments from across the world and place them on the altar in the Reaper Lair within the Soul Cairn.
The Skyrim Hangover
When you hit level 14 you’ll be challenged to a drinking competition by a mage called Sam Guevenne. Win this contest and you could get a new staff. However, three drinks in, and our Dragonborn begins to feel a bit queasy. You soon blackout and wake up later to find Sam. As you follow the path to Sam you realise you went on a tremendous adventure - you trashed a temple, stole a goat, and got up to some other shenanigans. Only at the end do you find out Sam was actually a Deadric Prince.
Headless knight
There are plenty of supernatural moments in Skyrim, but one is very hard to find and it does rely a little on luck. This is the headless horseman. He spawns at night, but he appears at random at any place on the map. Hunting him out is pretty much impossible, so seeing him is a bit of a treat. You can’t fight him, however, if you follow him to Hamvir’s Rest you will uncover some loot after you’ve dispatched the enemies in wait.
Subtle murders
If you're adept at pickpocketing NPCs, you can commit some very sly murders. All you need to do is place poison in their pockets and watch as they consume it. It doesn’t take long before they notice they suddenly have something in their pockets and this becomes a nice little treat for them before they kick the bucket with hilarious consequences.
Featured Image Credit: BethesdaTopics: Bethesda, Skyrim, The Elder Scrolls, The Elder Scrolls 6