Char Build without Class Skills

VikeKing27

Hello all,

Was just wondering if anyone knows if a nord templar build using only weapon and armor skills without using any class skills would work for soloing. I want to make a nord that uses as little magic as possible and it seems all class skills mostly use magic. I am pretty new to this game by the way so I probably have no idea what I am talking about lol. But if anyone has any suggestions or helpful tips that would awesome. Thanks in advance.

Kaloran

It is a relatively common observation and lament that these kinds of "stamina" builds far under-perform compared to magicka builds. However, I would say to just do it, and see how it plays out for you. The important part is that you have fun within the game.

Keep in mind, though, that some class skill line passives can have a positive affect outside of the class skills, and those skill lines level faster when you have the skills slotted.

Hypertionb14_ESO

Yes, but its not really good...

this game is not a good place to RP "purist" builds... you will constantly run into walls that would be easily navigated with a few class skills...

AlexDougherty

You can do it. It wouldn't matter which class you choose, if you're not using any class abilities.

But stamina builds are subject to running out of steam quicker than magic builds. I use a few weapons skills on my Templar, mainly because he uses up magic like nobody's business, and I find that the stamina bar drops almost as fast.

LtCrunch

For soloing pretty much anything is viable. So go for it.

Spottswoode

If you insist on no magicka, the Fighter's Guild skill line is basically your only other build options other than weapon builds. I could offer more guidance based on the specific weapons or type of damage focus (aoe, dps, dot, etc.) you want to use. However, Blood Craze will almost be essential unless you would consent to using Rite of Passage or its variants.

Ser Lobo

As others have posted, the game wasn't initially designed for a player to simply ignore their most powerful abilities for RP purposes. They are fixing this, but it's a slow process requiring many balance passes.

Also to note, even if you don't spend a point in magicka, that will still be a resource pool you aren't using in a fight. That's a huge penalty you are putting on yourself. Throwing a spear or popping a heal to drain that untapped will double your capabilities in a fight, and thus shouldn't be ignored.

And as @Brandalf said, if you are just solo leveling, almost anything can be used. You *can* go naked with just a single dagger if you want, though unarmed doesn't quite cut it.

Falmer

Its doable on a Redguard perhaps... not so sure about Nord. The Redguard passives are all geared to stamina replenishment.

I think with the next update there is going to be skills that transform magicka into stamina.... thus a build like this might be more viable in the future.

Kalann_Pander

Kaloran wrote: »

Keep in mind, though, that some class skill line passives can have a positive affect outside of the class skills, and those skill lines level faster when you have the skills slotted.

In fact, if you don't have any abilities of a class skill-line slotted, that skill-line doesn't progress at all.

@VikeKing27 : Abstaining from all class skills will be challenging at low level, and probably impossible higher up - more so if you don't have access to high quality equipment.

If you want to keep to the concept, you'd probably be better off going Nord / Dragonknight, and slotting a few useful class skills to bolster your concept - stuff like Dragon Blood (good self-heal) or Molten Weapons (boost weapon damage).

Crucially, these skills have long durations, and their effects don't depend on being magicka-intensive.

Templar skills don't seem so well-suited to a low-intensity magicka build.

Aeratus

Not optimal, but definitely viable if only for solo content. It's just going to be harder.

For an all-weapon setup, I'd prefer the bow, since it's the most well-rounded in terms of offense and defense, for both single target (stuns/disables), and multi-target (crowd control) situations.

Unfortunately, if you're a total weapons purist, you might still be disappointed in that a lot of weapon skills have flashy and unrealistic-looking effects.

VikeKing27

Thanks for all the info everybody!

@Spottswoode‌ I have looked for the blood craze, can't find it. What skill line is it under? Also was think of doing an axe with shield, 5 med/ 2 heavy armor. Templar nord or dk nord have not decided yet.

So pretty much in order for this not to fall flat on my face I want to pump all my points into stamina and health? Mix in weapon and armor skills along with a few fighters guild skills and get really good equipment?

Edit: @Spottswoode‌ also not sure if I want a dps, aoe, etc. Any suggestions?

Kaloran

Kalann_Pander wrote: »

Kaloran wrote: »

Keep in mind, though, that some class skill line passives can have a positive affect outside of the class skills, and those skill lines level faster when you have the skills slotted.

In fact, if you don't have any abilities of a class skill-line slotted, that skill-line doesn't progress at all.

Ah, yes. I think I had the skill increase you get from books in the back of my mind for some reason.

Rosveen

Blood Craze is in the dual wield line, morph of Twin Slashes. It's a HoT, I assume Spottswoode considers it essential because it's the only somewhat reliable stamina-based self heal. The problem is that it's triggered by the bleeding effect which doesn't work on undead or constructs.

What could work is taking passives from class skills - technically you're not casting spells, so I think it wouldn't go against your purist build. Dragonknights have a few good defensive passives in Draconic Power tree. Nords have increased combat health regeneration and incoming damage reduction. Together they might help you with much needed survivability.

Axe and shield is fine on your survivability bar, but it has poor damage output, so you'll want another kind of weapon on the second bar.

catpower

If was you, I would consider slotting one Templar heal so you have both a use for magicka and a way to heal while remaining fairly pure to your original concept.

Once you get weapon swapping, consider a leveling weapon set where you have some class skills so you can progress those in case you change your mind later and want to try out the class skills.

aaron.higashib14_ESO

I wanted to do something similar. I don't know if my solution will work for you, since it involves a small compromise, but I have found it to be very satisfying to play.

I made a nightblade. The only class skills I use are the ones that could "plausibly" be performed without magic. In the past I have used killer's blade and ambush, which seem more super human to me than "magical." Presently I only use incapacitate on my primary two hander bar, which again, just lets me attack faster and is "low magic" if anything. The other bar uses the bow and has mass hysteria and reaper's mark on it. I suppose in my head, making people afraid of my awesome skills, or especially concentrating on an opponent are not as magical as throwing balls of fire or sucking the life out of someone. The nightblade has a few skills that fall into this "kinda magical but not" space.

In any case, it's easy enough for me to rationalize that I've enjoyed my "no magic" character.

kitsinni

If you do I would still suggest taking the passives that will help you out. If Templar you probably would want Balanced Warrior and Restoring Spirit.

Spottswoode

VikeKing27 wrote: »

Thanks for all the info everybody!

@Spottswoode‌ I have looked for the blood craze, can't find it. What skill line is it under? Also was think of doing an axe with shield, 5 med/ 2 heavy armor. Templar nord or dk nord have not decided yet.

So pretty much in order for this not to fall flat on my face I want to pump all my points into stamina and health? Mix in weapon and armor skills along with a few fighters guild skills and get really good equipment?

Edit: @Spottswoode‌ also not sure if I want a dps, aoe, etc. Any suggestions?

Blood Craze is one of the morphs of the first ability under dual weapon. It heals as the bleed effect is occuring. It's basically essential if you refuse to use any magic.

I wouldn't recommend weapon and shield if you aren't going to at least use Consuming Trap (Soul Trap morph) or Rite of Passage as an Ultimate. Weapon and shield ultimately caters to tanking roles and unless you have some good self heals to fall back on it most likely won't end well for you. Healing is a bit handicapped in this game so it is unwise to rely entirely on a healer for your self preservation.

For your purposes, I would recommend the following items:
http://esohead.com/skills/40169-ring-of-preservation
http://esohead.com/skills/40194-evil-hunter (specifically for anchors and some dungeons)
http://esohead.com/skills/38845-blood-craze
http://esohead.com/skills/38891-whirling-blades
Regardless of your other build choices, I recommend all of the above. Basically, you need to make dual wielding part of your build if you don't want to spend a lot of time respawning. (You will anyway, given your decision to not use magic. But let's lessen that some.) Blood Craze will heal you (keep it going as often as possible) and Ring of Preservation will boost passive health recovery. Whirling blades will restore stamina for each enemy it hits. Evil hunter can be a huge boon when it is applicable.

In your situation, I'd go either aoe or dot dps. As stamina is your primary resource, it makes little sense to focus on go for broke burst dps.
For melee aoe or dot:
Use 2 handed as your alt
http://esohead.com/skills/40300-silver-shards Use this to open at range and drop monsters at anchors
http://esohead.com/skills/38754-brawler if you won't use Rite of Passage
http://esohead.com/skills/38745-carve If you will.
http://esohead.com/skills/38823-reverse-slice or Whirling blades for finishing.
http://esohead.com/skills/38788-stampede against fleeing enemies.
Avoid heavy damage stamina abilities with the sole exception of
http://esohead.com/skills/38814-dizzying-swing


Ranged aoe or dot:
Use a bow as your alt
http://esohead.com/skills/38701-acid-spray For aoe
http://esohead.com/skills/38645-venom-arrow For Dot dps
http://esohead.com/skills/38689-scorched-earth Open for aoe
http://esohead.com/skills/38669-draining-shot For stuns
http://esohead.com/skills/40300-silver-shards For low cost aoe (It's weak but it can make a difference)
http://esohead.com/skills/40372-lightweight-beast-trap For CC
http://esohead.com/skills/40382-rearming-trap For kiting

Snipe isn't recommended unless you are doing full dps and you have a healer with you.


Templar Specific:
http://esohead.com/skills/22223-rite-of-passage for one of your ultimates if you go templar and this doesn't violate your no magic rule
http://esohead.com/skills/40161-flawless-dawnbreaker This one should technically follow if the above rule is true
http://esohead.com/skills/26209-restoring-aura Keep this slotted in one of your roles (preferrably not your dual wield) and use it to heal passively

DragonKnight Specific:
http://esohead.com/skills/32947-standard-of-might Good ultimate for your no magicka build.
http://esohead.com/skills/32715-ferocious-leap If you insist on going aggressive.
http://esohead.com/skills/17878-corrosive-armor If you insist on tanking.


Hope this helps.

Obscure

It is possible to solo the game stark naked using nothing but your fists and no skills at all. Ill advised, but possible.

If your doing it as a sort of personal challenge just go for it and let the chips fall as they may. Though I'd urge extreme caution that you don't expect it to be effective or practical. Magicka using, dress wearing, staff wigglers run this here town, and no manner of wishful thinking is going to change that any time soon.

VikeKing27

@Spottswoode‌ Hey thanks for all the information. This really helps out a lot. I will try the things you have suggested!

Thanks everyone else for the information. This will make this game that much more enjoyable for me. Stay well!

SFBryan18

So you basically want to bring a knife to a magic fight?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I_Ds2ytz4o

jamie.goddenrwb17_ESO

Mwahaha I found it!! From the first Reddit AMA, I think just prior to release. Nick Konkle answered the question "What classes will you all be playing?" with:

"All of them! Also, I want to make a no-class character based entirely on weapon, armor, guild, and world skills".

So if the lead game play designer thinks it should be possible then I would like to think that it will be at some point!

moxiesauce

VikeKing27 wrote: »

Hello all,

Was just wondering if anyone knows if a nord templar build using only weapon and armor skills without using any class skills would work for soloing. I want to make a nord that uses as little magic as possible and it seems all class skills mostly use magic. I am pretty new to this game by the way so I probably have no idea what I am talking about lol. But if anyone has any suggestions or helpful tips that would awesome. Thanks in advance.

There's far less tree's that have abilities that use stam, melee wep tree's and fighter's guild, so starting out your only picking abilities from 1 tree.. your weapon, then much later you'll get silver shards... then evil hunter which is good for only daedra n undead, It's very limiting using only stam abilities. Hopefully once TG and DBH hit they will both be stam tree's and many more options will be given to players.

Fleymark

Interesting idea.

Stamina problems notwithstanding I bet a magicka build using staff and light armor plus guild lines would do pretty well.

The_Sadist

It would be a little bit counterproductive to not utilise your class spells so as it stands, outside of roleplaying purposes, I don't recommend it. That being said there have been some interesting suggestions mentioned already but they are rather impractical once you hit a certain point in game. Either way, good luck in your classless endeavours!

Wicked_Wolf

This is what drives me crazy. In all prior Elder Scrolls games and in all the MMO's I've played, my main character was always a big warrior with a big weapon, heavy armor, no magic, up close and personal head smasher. And, theyve always been effective. Yet, for some reason, I just don't see how you can do that in ESO.

I have to forsake my favorite playstyle, from both elder scrolls and mmo's.

SirJesto

Kalann_Pander wrote: »

Kaloran wrote: »

Keep in mind, though, that some class skill line passives can have a positive affect outside of the class skills, and those skill lines level faster when you have the skills slotted.

In fact, if you don't have any abilities of a class skill-line slotted, that skill-line doesn't progress at all.

Not entirely true because they can be raised slightly by reading books, but now we're splitting hairs. :-p

jamie.goddenrwb17_ESO

Wicked_Wolf wrote: »

This is what drives me crazy. In all prior Elder Scrolls games and in all the MMO's I've played, my main character was always a big warrior with a big weapon, heavy armor, no magic, up close and personal head smasher. And, theyve always been effective. Yet, for some reason, I just don't see how you can do that in ESO.

I have to forsake my favorite playstyle, from both elder scrolls and mmo's.

Same here, I usually use one or two restoration spells as well just to make me a little more "Paladinesque" but mostly it's just heavy armor and cleaving like a champ!

Thannazzar

For soloing there are a couple of options. You can go down the witcher route.

For undead and daedra haunts. Just put all of the fighter guild powers on your bar, buff with evil hunter and spam Silver Shards.

Use a 2 handed sword on the back bar for a range closer, heavy attack and execute. Throw a sun fire morph in there (looks like your throwing a grenade/potion).

Max your alchemy so that you can pop potions with virtually no downtime in combat.

Ultimates that work for flavor include Flawless Dawn breaker from fighters guild and warhorn from assault pvp line.

Use 5 piece twice born star crafted with 2 mundus for health and stamina regen with leeching vengence jewelry and the monster set from ruins of mazatun and you should be good to go.

Taleof2Cities

Did you not realize this thread was from three years ago, @Thannazzar ?

Brrrofski

Haha, how do people necro stuff like this?

DocFrost72

Edit: God's no, I didn't wanna be a necromancer! I just wanted to raise a family!