This is a guide for Requiem beginners like me to simplify your build choosing.
Racial buffs and passives
Racial Perks & Abilities
- Racial Traits
Effect: 10% increased Stamina cost for Power Attack, 5% less Magicka cost for spells, spells are 5% stronger and last 5% longer, 10% longer spell range.
- Proficiency:
Alchemy, Enchanting Effect: Can brew potions without a perk in Alchemy, can recharge enchanted items without a perk in Enchanting.
- Highborn (Passive Ability)
Highelven Blood grants a significant bonus to magicka and also makes almost immune to worldly diseases. However, it also increases all taken damage from magical sources. Effect: Fortify Magicka by 50 points, 75% Disease Resistance, 40% Weakness to Magic.
- Highborn (Power)
Once a day, High Elves can induce a mystical trance that allows them to tap into vast magical energies, making their magicka practically inexhaustable for a short time. Effect: Restore 100 Magicka a second for 30 seconds, can be used once a day.
- Racial Traits
Effect: Strong Stomach bonus.
- Proficiency:
Alchemy, Sneak Effect: Can brew potions without a perk in Alchemy, can sneak without a perk in Sneak.
- Resist Disease (Passive Ability)
Your Argonian blood greatly reduces your chance of becoming affected by both diseases and poisons. Effect: 75% Disease Resistance, 90% Poison Resistance.
- Waterbreathing (Passive Ability)
Your Argonian lungs can breathe underwater, while you also find it much easier to swim than members of other races. Effect: Waterbreathing (can breath underwater).
- Histskin (Power)
Some Argonians can conciously alter their metabolism to regenerate themselves very fast at first and then slowly over time. The process is exhausting, though, and can therefore only be used once a day. Effect: Restore 10 Health a second for 60 seconds, restore 1 Health a second for 3600 seconds, can be used once a day.
- Racial Traits
Effect: 15% increased Stamina cost for Power Attack, can loot “Strange Meat (Food)” from dead humanoids, Strong Stomach bonus. +) Strange Meat: Restore 50 Stamina when eaten out of combat, restore 2 Stamina a second for 300 seconds, restore 2 Magicka a second for 300 seconds. Magicka regeneration bonus is disabled when you have the Stone of the Atronach ability. While the Stamina Regeneration bonus is active and you are a Bosmer (Wood Elf), your weapons do 20% more damage and blocking absorbs 20% more damage.
- Proficiency:
Alchemy, Sneak Effect: Can brew potions without a perk in Alchemy, can sneak without a perk in Sneak.
- Resist Disease (Passive Ability)
Your Bosmer blood grants you a very strong resistance to diseases. Effect: 75% Disease Resistance.
- Command Animal (Power)
All animals around you will become your allies for the next day, however they will not follow you on your way. Effect: For 8640 seconds, nearby animals up to level 100 become allies, range 75, can be used once a day.
- Racial Traits
Effect: 10% increased Stamina cost for Power Attack.
- Proficiency:
Alchemy, Enchanting Effect: Can brew potions without a perk in Alchemy, can recharge enchanted items without a perk in Enchanting.
- Magic Resistance (Passive Ability)
Your Breton blood reduces all taken damage from magical sources. Effect: 20% Magic Resistance.
- Dragonskin (Power)
A Breton’s great influence on magic energies can be used to absorb <mag>% of the magicka from hostile spells for 8 seconds. Effect: 100% Magic Absorb Chance for 8 seconds.
- Proficiency:
Alchemy, Enchanting, Sneak Effect: Can brew potions without a perk in Alchemy, can recharge enchanted items without a perk in Enchanting, can sneak without a perk in Sneak.
- Resist Fire (Passive Ability)
Tempered in the flames of the Red Mountain and the heat of the Ashlands, your Dunmer blood greatly reduces all fire damage dealt to you. Effect: 65% Fire Resistance.
- Ancestor Guardian (Power)
Your ancestors can be called upon in times of dire need. If invoked, they will cover you in protective shadows, almost negating all damage dealt to you for a short duration. Effect: Resist 95% of physical damage for 30 seconds, can be used once a day.
- Racial Traits
Effect: 20% less Stamina cost for Power Attack, restore 2 Stamina a second while Sprinting.
- Imperial Discipline (Passive Ability)
Imperials are granted additional stamina, regenerate it faster and can sprint much longer due to the drills many of them had to go through. Effect: Fortify Stamina by 50 points.
- Voice of the Emperor (Power)
Every Imperial possesses at least basic rhetoric knowledge. Once a day, this allows to haggle for many bargains. Effect: Fortify Barter (increased sell price, lowered buy price) by 25% for 300 seconds, can be used once a day.
- Racial Traits
Effect: 65% reduced fall damage, 15% faster Movement Speed, Strong Stomach bonus.
- Proficiency:
Pickpocket, Sneak Effect: Can pickpocket without a perk in Pickpocket, can sneak without a perk in Sneak.
- Khajiit Lockpicking (Passive Ability)
Your race is blessed with a natural agility and some people say also has an affiliation with crime. In any case, your lockpicking expertise is increased by 10. Effect: +10 Lockpicking Expertise.
- Claws (Passive Ability)
Khajiit claws are extremely sharp – sharp enough to easily shred through flesh, making them much more lethal than normal hands. Effect: +25 Unarmed Damage.
- Night Eye (Toggle Ability)
Your eyes are exceptionally versatile and can become extremely sensitive to light, allowing a much better sight in dark areas. Effect: Toggles Night Vision.
- Racial Traits
Effect: 25% less Stamina cost for Power Attack.
- Nordic Fortitude (Passive Ability)
Your Nord blood halves all taken frost damage and reduces all lightning damage inflicted to you by one quarter. Effect: 50% Frost Resistance, 25% Shock Resistance.
- Tongue’s Trance (Power)
You can enter a trance that allows you to use your Thu’um again and again in a rapid succession. However, this is extremely exhausting, and therefore lasts only shortly and can only be used once every day. Effect: Shout Cooldown is reduced by 150% for 5 seconds, can be used once a day. +) Note that base Shout Cooldown is 150%. The ability is therefore intended to reduce it to 0%.
- Racial Traits
Effect: 35% less Stamina cost for Power Attack, Strong Stomach bonus.
- Berserker Rage (Power)
Once a day, orcs can fall into a wild rage that stops their ability to feel pain and greatly increases dealt physical damage and stamina for 30 seconds. Effect: Doubled physical damage dealt and halved physical damage taken for 30 seconds, restore 700 Stamina a second for 30 seconds, can be used once a day.
- Racial Traits
Effect: 20% less Stamina cost for Power Attack.
- Resist Poison (Passive Ability)
Your Redguard blood, tempered in the deserts of Hammerfell, grants you a very strong resistance to poisons and diseases. Effect: 75% Poison Resistance, 75% Disease Resistance.
- Adrenalin Rush (Power)
A Redguard’s Adrenaline Rush increases stamina regeneration greatly for 30 seconds, and also allows to act much faster than normal and renders immune to most paralysis effects in this time. Effect: Restore 10 Stamina a second for 30 seconds, Slow Time by 50% for 30 seconds, Paralysis Immunity for 30 seconds, can be used once a day.
Standing Stones
The Warrior strengthens those who bear his blessing, allowing a more efficient use with all kinds of weaponry.
Effects:
- Fortify One-Handed 10 pts. (+10% more damage with One-Handed weapons)
- Fortify Two-Handed 10 pts. (+10% more damage with Two-Handed weapons)
- Fortify Archery 10 pts. (+10% more damage with Bows and Crossbows)
- Fortify One-Handed Expertise 20pts. (+20 One-Handed Expertise)
- Fortify Two-Handed Expertise 20pts. (+20 Two-Handed Expertise)
- Fortify Archery Expertise 20pts. (+20 Archery Expertise)
Those under the sign of the Lady regenerate Stamina faster.
Effect:
- Fortify Stamina Regeneration 50 pts. (+50% Stamina Regeneration)
+) Unlike other Fortify Stamina Regeneration alchemy / enchantment effects, this does not provide Stamina regenerates while running’ bonus.
The Stone of the Lord grants those who possess its blessing increased damage resistance and weakened hostile spells.
Effect:
- Fortify Damage Resistance 100 pts. (+100 Armor Rating)
- Fortify Magic Resistance 15 pts. (+15% Magic Resistance)
The Steed grants those who bear its blessing increased Stamina.
Effect:
- Fortify Stamina 100 pts. (+100 Fortified Stamina)
The Apprentice grants a very fast regeneration of Magicka.
The Apprentice decreases your magic resistance. Thus, hostile spells deal more damage to you.
Effect:
- Fortify Magicka Regeneration 200 pts. (+200% Magicka Regeneration)
- Damage Magic Resistance 25 pts. (-25% Magic Resistance)
The Sign of the Atronach grants additional Magicka and a 50% chance for Spell Absorption, but makes it almost impossible to passively regenerate magicka, reduces the efficacy of magicka potions by one third and negates the long-term benefits offered by cooked meals.
Effect:
- Fortify Magicka 350 pts. (+350 Fortified Magicka)
- Fortify Spell Absorption 50 pts. (+50% chance to absorb incoming spell)
- Damage Magicka Regeneration 100000 pts (-100000% Magicka Regeneration)
- Effect of Magicka potions (Restore Magicka) is reduced to 2/3.
- Foods will no longer give long-lasting buffs (e.g. Fortify Health bonus of Beef Stews).
- Foods will not restore Magicka when eaten.
+) Check [UESP page] about explanation on Spell Absorption,
Those under the Sign of the Mage are granted additional Magicka and find it easier to focus their thoughts while running.
Effect:
- Fortify Magicka 100 pts. (+100 Fortified Magicka)
- Removes ‘reduced Magicka Regeneration while running’ debuff.
Those under the Sign of the Ritual are capable of animating hordes of undead for a limited duration once each day.
Effect:
- Adds “Stone of the Ritual” power – Raise Dead 75pts (Reanimates dead bodies of NPCs up to level 75), area 75 units (around the player), for 200 seconds. Can be used once a day.
- For the duration of the effect, number of summons / raised dead you can keep is increased by 100.
- Dead bodies raised by Stone of the Ritual power will not turn into ashes after they die or duration ends.
Those under the sign of the lover find it easier to be attractive, intriguing and also use speech to get what they want…
Effect:
- Fortify Persuasion 25 pts. (+25 Speech level)
+) This effect increases effective Speech skill level, which benefits all kind of Speech skill related stuff.
Those under the Sign of the Shadow are able of becoming invisible and inaudible once a day.
Effect:
- Adds “Stone of the Shadow” power – Invisibility for 300 seconds, Muffle 100 pts (-100% movement noise) for 300 seconds. Can be used once a day.
+) While the Invisibility wears off if you interact with something, Muffle effect lasts to the end of its duration (300 seconds).
The Sign of the Thief grants wide-spread abilities to those who bear her blessing. This includes increased damage with bows and one-handed weapons as well as improved sneaking, pickpocketing and lockpicking skills, boosting lock picking expertise by 20 points.
Effect:
- Fortify One-Handed Expertise10 pts. (+10 One-Handed Expertise)
- Fortify Archery Expertise 10 pts. (+10 Archery Expertise)
- Fortify Sneak 15 pts. (You are +15% harder to be detected while sneaking)
- Fortify Lockpicking 5 pts. (Lockpicking is +5% easier)
- Fortify Pickpocket 15 pts. (+15% success chance for Pickpocketing)
- Fortify Lockpicking Expertise 20pts. (+20 Lockpicking Expertise)
The Tower grants a blessing of 20 extra carry weight and supernatural lockpicking skills. Expertise is increased by 40 and any effortless lock can be picked in plain sight with nobody noticing, creating a wax-molded copy of the key, if one exists.
Effect:
- Fortify Carryweight 20 pts. (+20 Carryweight)
- Lockpicking Expertise is increased by 40.
- Picking locks that are effortless for you to pick will not be noticed as a crime (no Bounty gained), and you will gain Wax Keys for the said locks on successfully picking them.
+) Effortless locks are locks that, with your Lockpicking Expertise are considered ‘moderate’. For example, if you have 40 Expertise, locks to Adept level are considered ‘effortless’, but Expert and Master are not.
The Bite of the Serpent will paralyze and poison a target for a moderate duration.
Effect:
- Adds “Stone of the Serpent” power – shoots a projectile that deals Paralysis for 5 seconds, Poison Damage 25 pts for 30 seconds (25 Poison Damage a second for 30 seconds = 750 total). Can be used once a day.
+) Enemies who are Immune to Paralysis will resist the Paralysis effect. Includes the Undead, Dragons, Atronachs, Dwarven Automatons, some giant beasts, Spriggans, Wisps, many named NPCs, etc. However, spells and enchantments that give Protection to Paralysis (e.g. Arcane Ward (Rank III) spell, Stamina (Rank II) enchantment) do not resist this effect.
