@Grouch
This mod lets you play the instruments you find in Skyrim and play them at taverns for pay.
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspec...ab=description
They're otherwise useless items, install SkyUI if you already haven't. The lute can be strapped to your back with an upgrade to it, one can be found at White River Watch.
https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:White_River_Watch (inside the indoor area next to a shelf)
Also near Whiterun:
Flute:
https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Fort_Greymoor (outside on second level upstairs on a table)
Drum:
https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Valtheim_Towers (on shelf inside second tower)
Note: you get enchanted heavy armor gauntlets by defeating the White River Watch boss. For the purpose of making a bard character specifically a Breton in heavy armor has both damage and magic resistance to clear out those areas easier and grab those instruments early in the game.
Two-hanced, Heavy Armor, Restoration(switching to healing spells in both hands to dual-cast) and Enhanting to disenchant and learn that enchantment and place it on armor. Go with Ralof at the beginning of the game into the keep, you'll find heavy imperial armor there. Kill one of the Stormcloaks for his/her two-handed weapon. After defeating the White River Watch boss you'll get better heavy armor and two-handed weapons.
If you install Live Another Life, choose to be a member of a guild and the Companions. You'll start with heavy armor, near where you can find instruments and can play music at the Bannered Mare tavern.
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/272
A Breton and a Companion, you get to be a werewolf(immunity to disease) as bonus but that's a spoiler. If you find a poison resistance enchanted item apply it to your heavy armor for resistance to all damage types and make it a point to find the Lord Stone for additional damage and magic resistance on top of enchantments and racial magic resistance. Invest perks in Smithing to improve weapons and armor as a secondary skill with Arcane Blacksmith perk. If your character is female go to Riften and marry Marcurio, you do all smashing and slashing in melee and he does all the ranged magic blasting.
https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Marcurio
That bard mod includes your follower playing alongside you, reason to marry.
Recap of Bard build key perks:
Barbarian(2), Juggernaut(1), Well Fitted, Novice Restoration, Restoration Dual Casting, Enchanter(1), Corpus Enchanter, Steel Smithing, Arcane Blacksmith
Race: Breton
Standing Stone:
https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:The_Lord_Stone
Equal points in Magicka/Health/Stamina
(If female marry Marcurio.)
The basics, anything else can be added as you level up. It's versatile and stuff, muffle enchantment on boots can be combined with archery and sneak to one-hit kill many things at range in heavy armor with damage multipliers. Also, Marcurio can be commanded to open locks for you, no need for lockpicking skill. You can dabble in Alchemy to qualify for the Snakeblood perk for 50% natural resistance to poison, and resistance to all damage types without enchantments. And in Alteration for magic resistance perks on top of racial magic resistance, enchantment magic resistance and Lord Stone magic resistance to watch all the wizards get destroyed and laugh. Finally, Bretons make the best conjurers and are naturals at necromancy.
And that's without shouts as Dragonborn. You can learn to breathe fire in one of the Companion quests. Vampires whose disease you're immune to as a werewolf and with a stark weakness to fire beware. Especially in the Dawnguard setting.
Originally Posted by Till
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