Skyrim has a trick for avoiding fall damage I wish I'd known about years ago

We’ve all played Skyrim a bunch of times, right? And every single time we play, we notice something new, it seems never-ending.

Well, here’s a little nugget of information for you - something I wasn’t aware of, but will be using in my next Skyrim playthrough.

Might treat myself to a little Skyrim playthrough on Steam Deck over Christmas.

According to one player on Reddit, you can negate a lot of damage, including fall damage, with one very simple trick.

“Become Ethereal,” says madchickenz.

This seems to be key to surviving pretty much anything the game can throw at you.

The user goes on to say, “The best utility thing in the game. Never walk down a mountain side again: just jump. Never dodge swinging blades again: just walk through. Never die to a dragon in an open field: stand invincible. Never run out of stamina while sprinting: become ethereal.”

You read that too, right? “Never walk down a mountain again: just jump.”

And here I am using my legs like a chump.

This tip comes from a Reddit thread on your “favourite Skyrim life-hacks.”

In reply to this tidbit, another Redditor says, “Being Ethereal protects you from all damage?! I thought it was just in combat, I have never used it!”

I’ll be honest, I never thought to use it that way. Sure, it’s handy in a scrap, but when it comes to scaling mountains, I do it the hard way.

What a fool I’ve been.

The thread is filled with great advice, especially if you’re coming to the game late and want a more streamlined or comfortable experience.

For example, and I’m showing my noob status here, I never thought of using ‘detect dead’ to find the bodies of enemies I’ve killed.

I was contemplating replaying Skyrim over Christmas, and now I can do so with more skill and ease.