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I've decided to play as a vampire hunter (Unfortunately, there isn't enough space available for "Vampire Hunter" so I guess I'll go with Undead Hunter...I could make him a Vampirehunter, but that would irk me, just like "Witchhunter"). Anyway, I'd appreciate input on various things. I'm thinking of having him in leather armor with a hood, and equipped with a silver sword, silver bow, silver arrows, and possibly a torch. So, I don't want him to be the heavy armor, holy cleric type. Oh, and he'll have to have garlic in his inventory.

Build:

Race: Breton or Nord (The Breton's magic resistance would be nice when facing necromancers...maybe he has a holy ward?)
Name: If Breton: Vincent Belmont; If Nord: Wilhelm
Gender: Male
Sign: Warrior...he can't be born under the sign of the Thief, it just wouldn't be right.
Specialization: Combat or Stealth?
Major Skills:
-Blade
-Marksman (Too bad there aren't any crossbows though)
-Athletics
-Acrobatics
-Sneak
-Light Armor? (Or not bother with this)
-Restoration?

To Do List:
-Join the Brotherhood of the Pure Blood
-Live in Skingrad (I will uncover the Count's secret...oh yes, I will).
-Kill vampires, necromancers, and other undead...too bad there aren't werewolves in Oblivion.
-Maybe join the mages guild and get to the quest in which the vampire hunters arrive at Skingrad, but never get rid of them...I need allies.
-Which guilds should I join? I'd like to be able to craft items, but I don't know if I should join the mages guild. What would be appropriate?

Gameplay:
I've tried the efficient levelling, but it is waaaaay to slow and takes the fun out of it. I can do some training as supplement, but could be satisfied with a +10 per level overall. However, would I be okay using silver weapons and leather armor? For one, I think that the armor gets more and more ugly at higher levels. I'd like simple leather and silver weapons, but don't want to get totally reamed. Obviously, I'll have to have a fire-enchanted silver longsword. Also, what kinds of spells, if any, should I use? Heal, turn undead, shield, might be appropriate, but he isn't a paladin type.

Thanks for any input you may have.

I think you should use Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul for this exciting endeavor.

Also, post screenshots.

edit: Joining the Mages Guild? If you use magic in a decent amount, you should probably join up, and get the mod that puts enchanting altars in every guild hall. In Morrowind, there were professional enchanters that would charge you various parts of your anatomy to enchant stuff when you were too unskilled to do it yourself. I dunno why they would take that out.

My old thief/alchemist char was in the Mages Guild so he could enchant and get better alchemy supplies. My thief is in the MG and FG as cover so she can steal their stuff! (OOO actually fixes the ownership flags in guild halls so that anything that's worth anything is owned by the guild and counts as stealing).

A simple leveling mod will save you from the strange vanilla leveling system. OOO does this, as well as a ton of a lot more. What I did was add a no-limit training mod that allows you to train up to 50 skills per level, so I wouldn't need to spend money in the earlier levels on that stupid +5 a level bonus.

If you have access to CS, you can change the stats of your Silver Longsword to mirror those of a glass or daedric weapon. Same goes for the leather (never did like glass; glows like a lightbulb). Of course, the limited range of armor/weapons you want to use will be a challenge, if you're looking for something to challenge your bored mind.

As for spells, definately go with heal (I don't care if it sounds Paladiny, but if it bothers you too much, use alchemy, as it is a lot more vampire-hunter lore friendly) and absolutely have Turn Undead. You can use summons if you'd like, but keep them Daedric only (no summoning undead). Use "Detect Life" (aren't they dead???) and use Night Eye. I would recommend Light, but it gets very ugly pretty fast with that horrible green tint.

Vesna wrote:If you have access to CS, you can change the stats of your Silver Longsword to mirror those of a glass or daedric weapon.

It might be a good idea to clone the silver longsword, buff it up, and make it a unique thing that you have to buy for tons of money, or win in an epic quest of some kind.

As for spells, definately go with heal (I don't care if it sounds Paladiny, but if it bothers you too much, use alchemy, as it is a lot more vampire-hunter lore friendly)

I use heal spells most of the time, and potions just in emergencies. But that's mainly because I'm cheap and you can't control the potency of self-made potions.

and absolutely have Turn Undead. You can use summons if you'd like, but keep them Daedric only (no summoning undead).

Turn Undead is a must, but would it really fit for him to use summons? Seems too magey for me if he's trying to be mostly a warrior/rogue type guy.

Use "Detect Life" (aren't they dead???) and use Night Eye. I would recommend Light, but it gets very ugly pretty fast with that horrible green tint.

There are mods that fix the color of light spells, but they have another huge disadvantage: Casting Light on yourself is basically wearing a giant neon billboard saying "YO, I'M RIGHT HERE!"

Undead Hunter?
This is Oblivion not WOW

I don't think you ask other people how to roleplay, you just do it. But that is just my opinion.

lowbart wrote:There are mods that fix the color of light spells, but they have another huge disadvantage: Casting Light on yourself is basically wearing a giant neon billboard saying "YO, I'M RIGHT HERE!"

Only cast it after the vamp spots you (f he spots you at all). The light supposedly hurts them (use your imagination). I have OOO, so I use one of those staff-torches most of the time. They're cool.

Ever wonder why the guy doesn't see you if you're invisible even though you're carrying a torch and have a light spell cast?

If the thought that Leather and Silver will not last you the entire game, fear not.

My Dark Brotherhood character's "day job" is an officer of the Cheydinhal City Watch. There are vamp havens and a haunted ruin in the vicinity, and part of her assigned duties is go knock in a few skulls, so to speak.

The beauty about the Cheydinhal cuirass is that Leather goes well with the uniform: the surcoat is actually a leather jack, not the quilted stuff you find in other cities. So the gauntlets, greaves and boots are all leather. In addition, the best weapons that fit the look of the uniform are plain Steel-grade items.

Now, how does this ghostbusting assassin-cop get away with using leather and plain Steel well past Level 20? Fire-enchanted weapons, and 3 pieces of armor enchanted with Fire Shield from a Transcendant Sigil Stone. Deadly, fire-based attacks coupled with a bare minimum armor rating of 75 means that she can stand against the grey tide of the living dead, without risk of actually joining their ranks.

If you want Leather, then nab one of the Blackwater Brigands' cuirasses. Not only are they better, but soon enough you'll end up being the only character in the game with Leather armor that looks a little different from everyone else's Leather cuirass.

Just for the sadistic kick, I typically enchant a Silver Bow with a grand soul charge to deliver 3 points Fire damage for as long as the charge permits (28-33 seconds, I forget exactly) and rename the weapon as a Magnesium Bow. I use it to practice some good advice floating out there in the world: "Set a man down by a fire, and he'll be warm for a night. Set the man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."

Your Magnesium Bow can be a little more practical than mine.

Look in the Latest News of TESNexus, in the 2° or 3° page there is a mod that adds crossbows. I dont tested it.

Killing Undead!!!???

Well thats a bit cruell isn't it?

Anfauglith126 wrote:Look in the Latest News of TESNexus, in the 2° or 3° page there is a mod that adds crossbows. I haven't tested it yet.

Undead(-)Necro wrote:Well that's a bit cruel isn't it?

You dare making fun of the great Undead King?

If I recall, Dark Spark, you're on 360 - so you can do all of that and get away with it without mods? Jeese. I have been reserved in my Oblivion play styles.

Generally, I've always relied upon found items to become hardcore (Ob has far more powerful stuff than Morrowind ever did), but I have always liked lower level weapons and armour; often they DO look better (silver, fine steel, leather/fur armour. Glass just looks stoopid, and the Daedric cuirass and shield - unless you go full-pantomime evil - is just silly).

And don't even get me started on amber armour...
Plus... a sword without a scabbard?? It's just not the done thing.

Undead(-)Necro wrote:Killing Undead!!!???

Well thats a bit cruell isn't it?

Indeed, for what valor is it to slay the slain anew?

[/sophocles]

Quiglesigles wrote:Undead Hunter?
This is Oblivion not WOW

Exactly, since there aren't any undead hunters in WoW, thankfully. (If that combo were possible, then 99% of the horde would play as it.)

I was a little ticked that Human's couldn't be hunters, but fudging Purple Hippies could wear dead animals (A tauren quest reward is a Cow Hide...)

WoW can be condemned to the deepest, most fiery part of some sort of infinite inferno....


Ah, and Quiglesigles...He is someone who HUNTS undead...
Like...
A Deer Hunter isn't a deer. It's a person who HUNTS deer.

Arotos, you better pack up your shoe and run because as far as they're concerned, you're a wraith that decided to haunt a shoe chained to a keyboard. Last time I checked, a ghost/wraith is still classified as undead, so run for it!

So, with proper enchantment, the lower level equipment won't hinder me? Would joining the mages guild be out of character? I think so, but it would be nice to enchant equipment, or I could just use sigil stones.

Well the Mages don't like Necromancers, so I can't see that it would be entirely out of character. And yep, it would be v. useful indeed, esp to get good custom enchants on your weapons, specific for your prey.

Vesna. I am a spectral loafer...
I can't run...
We'll have to go in hiding together.

Any opinions on the build itself? Also, are there any limitations I should put on myself? Obviously, I'd limit my spells...no summoning obviously, although conjuration would be used only for turn undead.

The Tourist wrote:If I recall, Dark Spark, you're on 360 - so you can do all of that and get away with it without mods? Jeese. I have been reserved in my Oblivion play styles. ...

Philhelm wrote:So, with proper enchantment, the lower level equipment won't hinder me? Would joining the mages guild be out of character? I think so, but it would be nice to enchant equipment, or I could just use sigil stones.

The secret in indeed in the stones. Sigil Stones will allow you to enchant items that are more powerful than what you can get with soul gems. They can make very servicable weapons, but they really shine when it comes to enchanting clothing, armor or jewelry. More life, more Magicka, more resistances, higher boosts to attributes, etc.

For defensive gear, the Sigil Stones that give you Fire/Frost/Shock Shield go a long way to turning low-grade armor (heck, they even work with clothes) into formidable protection. Just three enchanted items will add 75 points to your base armor which cannot be destroyed when the armor is. My character's armor is typically smashed to 0 health after getting hit just once, but the "Fire Shield 75" effect keeps on giving her an armor rating that is only 10 points below the maximum limit.

Someone in the Mages' Guild can craft up something similar, if they know the appropriate Shield spell, but not quite as powerful a level you get from the highest grade of Sigil Stones (level 17 and above)

I would just fire up the CS and make your own custom equipment; name it whatever you want, give it whatever enchantments you want, as long as you keep it within reason and don't make a game breaker (unless that's what you'd like). You could stick your custom equipment in a dungeon somewhere, or in a custom-built chest in Skingrad Castle, or what have you. Plus, while you're playing around with the CS, you can mod the game so Janus Hassildor is killable- this WILL bung up some side quests, make it harder during the MQ and make it impossible for you to complete the Mages Guild, but if you're not planning on playing the Mage guild, what's the harm? Just be aware that vanilla Hassildor has a big level advantage over you; although seeing as he's the most powerful vampire in the land (moreor less) that might be a good thing. Me? I modded Skingrad Castle so I could live in it, and Janus is my servant, but killing him should work too.

Oh, and re: the Mage's Guild. It depends on how you want to RP. The Mage Guild battles necromancers, who are obviously going to be a major foil of any Vampire/ Undead Hunter, and of coursde it gives you access to spellmaking/ enchanting, so it might behoove you to at least gain access to the Arcane University. You don't have to dedicate yourself to magery; just study the vampire lore there from time to time, make use of the alchemic gardens, and ignore the higher level quests.

Switch Blade for Blunt. Take it from a professional:

"I now have my weapons categorized from A to Z, from 'axe' to... 'zee other axe'." -- Buffy