Skill Constellations Overview

This section explores the entirety of the Skill Constellations. These are color-coded for combat skills: the Path of Might (red), Stealth skills; the Path of Shadow (green); and Magic skills: the Path of Magic (blue).

Dawnguard introduces Skill Constellations for Vampire Lords: The Path of Undeath (purple) and Werewolves: The Path of the Lycanthrope (orange).

Dawnguard allows you to create Dragonbone Weapons, as part of your Smithing skill.

Dragonborn allows you to create new types of armor and weapons (Bonemold, Chitin, Nordic, and Stalhrim) as part of your Smithing skill.

Dragonborn allows you to craft and enchant staffs.

As a reward for completing Dragonborn Main Quest: At the Summit of Apocrypha, you are able to expend a Dragon Soul to reset all of the perks in one of the

Skill Constellations. So, if you decide you don’t like your previous perk selections or want to try something different, this is now possible.

There are three general categories of perks that deserve special mention:

• Skill-improvement perks: Many constellations offer a perk that simply makes you better at that skill’s primary effect (e.g., Agile Defender for Light Armor, Juggernaut for Heavy Armor, Stealth for Sneak). Choosing these perks is akin to receiving a huge number of skill increases for that skill all at once. These perks may not be as “flashy” or instantly gratifying as some of the other perks, but they are always a strong, effective choice.
• Magic rank perks: The five schools of magic each have a series of “rank” perks (Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Expert, and Master) that dramatically decrease the cost of spells from that school. These perks are absolutely critical to your ability to use magic effectively and should be a top priority for any serious mage.
• Tiered perks: Some perks can be selected multiple times for increased effect. These bonuses do not stack. For example, Heavy Armor’s Juggernaut 1 perk increases your armor rating by 20%, while Juggernaut 2 increases your armor rating by 40%. After taking Juggernaut 2, you will have a bonus of 40%, not 60%.