Smithing mystery, or else I'm missing on important game info

[sabinou]

Hello!

At the present time, I am swimming in confusion, I think that I might have missed something important, or I may fail to know something important regarding the game mechanics, could I ask you here, perhaps ?

Here's the thing.
Yesterday, I forged an Akaviri Sword.
Today, I forged another one of the same model, and then refined it to Legendary.
First sword dealt 80 damage. Second sword dealt 63 damage.
...And yet, I believe I used exactly the same items for the whole process! O_o

I double-checked with the greatest care:
- same equipment with smithing improvement enchantments
- same Blacksmith's elixir. It was one I created myself, so there's no question about variable effects of such a potion. I also made sure the potion was still in effect during the smithing and refining (with counter-testing, I ran a second forging, or smithing without the potion, and made sure it made a difference)

Oh, there's one thing that changed: yesterday I had smithing level 99, today I reached smithing level 100.

And at this point, really, I'm not understanding why there is a 17 damage difference between the weapon created yesterday, and the weapon created today, in identical conditions.

Please, would you find a logical explanation, maybe there's something about the game mechanics I am failing to understand ? Thank you SO MUCH if you can help!

[Mattbott]

I don't understand either, there are several things that can boost a skill but it looks like you have a good idea about what would buff your characters smithing

I had a similar situation where my guy was under the influence of something magical and i made a sword which i thought was bugged as it did too much damage, so I have sort of experienced what you describe except i eventually worked out what had happened. I also think 'legendary' grade weapons can be improved beyond 100% so there is not necessarily a standard damage value for all 'legendary' akaviri swords, but is still doesn't explain why the second sword made with better skill does less damage

17 is about 27% of 62 so perhaps something gave you a 27% boost which disappeared? Does your potion buff blacksmith by 27%, for instance?

Have you made any swords since, and what damage do they do?

[sabinou]

Hi Mattbot,

If I remember right, my blacksmith's Elixir provides a +50% smithing boost.
My smithing improving gears provide +30% (a loot found last week) and +17% (the items I crafted myself), so that's not the difference-maker here either.

Although, I realize the math is wrong, we should be starting from the default damage dealt by the blade, a damage that I don't remember at the moment.

I also come to think that maybe the One Handed damage perk I have, currently around level 2 (I'm primarily a bow user), could have made the stats look false. I don't know if the bonus damage is shown on weapons, and if it is shown, if it is shown only once we equip the weapon, or if it's shown on all the weapons in our items list...
Turns out I should have checked more before opening the thread, argh! I'll check this evening after work!

[Mattbott]

yeah I think the damage shown against the weapon is affected by your one handed skill, so bear that in mind when you are in blacksmith mode. It's caught me out once or twice so i now only wear my blacksmithing kit when making stuff, storing all combat gear in a chest

it is a complicated game and i have often been blacksmithing and results changed because an effect has worn off or something like that

[Lord Timster]

If you were wearing a Fortify 1-Handed enchantment that would also skew the displayed damage. "<Apparel> of Major Wielding" might just fit the maths. Do the Swords still do 80 / 63 when both side-by-side in your inventory?

Anyways if you want to double-check some of these figures we can crunch the numbers and see what's happening.
(eg: 1H-skill & perks, Smithing Potion, number of 17% Smithing items, Fortify 1H items, etc)

However, first things first:

I forged an Akaviri Sword.

Is this from a mod? If so, that might be doing something funky as well...

[Dark Spark]

Any increase in the relevant combat skill will cause the displayed damage values to change. Incidentally, the specific damage of one's equipped arrows will skew the damage displayed for a bow as well. The presence (or absence) of arrows, plus the specific quality of materials they're made of, must be accounted for as such.

[sabinou]

Hi again.

My mistake, I could have forged an akaviri sword, but actually that was another one. I installed two mods from nexusmods, to have more craftable items, and have a redesign of the appearance of the equipments, to bring me greater variety.

So, I tested this evening, and
- the swords weren't worn, the values were bonus-free
- I'm once again having the weapon with its previous value
- all that, with the exact same smithing++ equipments and blacksmith's elixir

Maybe that's because I tried to forge and refine under a pouring rain, the second time ? At this point, go figure

Nah, me, I'll be giving up on that topic, with hopes this occurence doesn't show again.

After all, the reason I modded Skyrim is for greater variety, to be surprised and marveled, to NOT know what is coming next. Well, I'm being served, now, even when smithing is concerned the results have become incertain, as it would have been in real life!

[Lord Timster]

I'll be giving up on that topic

Well not every mystery needs to be solved, I guess.

- the swords weren't worn, the values were bonus-free

FWIW, you don't need to wear/carry weapons to have skills/perks/enchantments change their displayed damage - it is telling you the damage you would do with it if you picked it up and used it. So weapons in chests, on bandits, on the floor, anywhere will factor in your skills/etc when displaying damage.