Does Making a Skill Legendary Make It Stronger in Skyrim?
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No, making a skill Legendary in Skyrim does not inherently make the skill itself stronger than it was at level 100. What it does do is reset the skill back to level 15, refunding all perk points invested in that skill tree, which then allows you to level it up again, contributing to your character’s overall level and granting you more perk points to spend elsewhere. The actual strength of your skill (damage output, effectiveness of spells, etc.) will be the same at level 100 regardless of whether it’s been made Legendary. Think of it as a recycle-and-reuse system for experience and perks rather than a direct power boost to the skill itself.
Understanding the Legendary System in Skyrim
The Legendary Skills system was introduced in a patch to Skyrim to address the issue of characters reaching the maximum level and effectively ceasing to progress. Before this system, once you maxed out your skills, your character growth stagnated, and all experience gained was essentially wasted. The Legendary system provides a way to continue leveling up and acquiring more perk points, even after mastering your preferred skills.
The Core Mechanics
When you make a skill Legendary, the following happens:
- The skill is reset to level 15.
- All perk points invested in that skill tree are refunded.
- You can then level up the skill again, from 15 to 100, earning experience that contributes to your character level.
The Benefits of Going Legendary
- Continued Character Progression: Allows you to keep leveling your character and tackling harder challenges.
- More Perk Points: Grants you additional perk points to invest in other skills, creating more versatile and powerful character builds.
- Flexibility in Character Development: Enables you to respecialize your character by reallocating perk points.
- Scaling with Difficulty: Makes it easier to level up skills in the later game due to the higher level enemies and challenges encountered.
Debunking the Myths: What Legendary Doesn’t Do
It’s crucial to understand that going Legendary doesn’t inherently improve the skill’s effectiveness compared to a non-Legendary skill at level 100. Here’s a breakdown of what the Legendary system doesn’t do:
- Increase Base Damage or Effectiveness: A Destruction spell will not deal more damage simply because you’ve made Destruction Legendary multiple times.
- Reduce Magicka Costs: The Magicka cost reduction perks you reacquire will function exactly as they did before.
- Improve Crafting Results: Your Smithing or Alchemy results will be based on your skill level and perks, not the “Legendary” status.
Why the Misconception?
The perception that Legendary skills are stronger often stems from the fact that re-leveling a skill allows you to face tougher challenges and earn experience faster in the long run. As you re-level your skill, you can strategically use the refunded perks to improve your overall character build, leading to greater combat effectiveness.
Making the Most of Legendary Skills
To truly maximize the benefits of the Legendary system, consider these strategies:
- Prioritize Skills You Use Frequently: Reset skills that you rely on heavily, as re-leveling them will directly contribute to your combat prowess.
- Strategic Perk Allocation: Plan how you will reallocate your perk points to optimize your character build.
- Leverage Training: Utilize trainers to quickly level up skills, especially in the early stages after making them Legendary.
- Crafting and Enchanting Focus: Reset crafting skills like Smithing, Enchanting, or Alchemy to quickly gain levels through crafting powerful items.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does making a skill Legendary make it level faster?
No, making a skill Legendary does not intrinsically increase the speed at which it levels up. The amount of experience needed to level a skill remains constant, regardless of whether it has been made Legendary. The perception of faster leveling might arise because you can now focus on leveling a smaller subset of skills, dedicating more time and resources to them, or because the higher-level enemies you encounter provide more experience.
2. What is the best skill to make Legendary first in Skyrim?
This depends on your play style. However, Smithing is a popular choice because it can be quickly leveled through crafting, providing a significant boost to your character level. Sneak is another good option, as it levels quickly and is vital for stealth-based characters. Also, you can always visit Games Learning Society to engage more in the game.
3. Can I make a skill Legendary multiple times?
Yes, you can make a skill Legendary as many times as you like, each time resetting it to level 15 and refunding the perk points. This allows for virtually unlimited character progression.
4. Is there a level cap in Skyrim after making skills Legendary?
No, after the introduction of the Legendary skills system, there is no level cap in Skyrim. You can continue to level up indefinitely by resetting skills to Legendary and re-leveling them.
5. What happens to my character level when I make a skill Legendary?
Your character level does not decrease when you make a skill Legendary. However, because the skill is reset to 15, your character level will not increase further until you start leveling that skill again.
6. Does difficulty setting affect how quickly skills level up?
No, the difficulty setting in Skyrim does not directly affect the speed at which skills level up. However, higher difficulties will increase the damage you take and decrease the damage you deal, potentially encouraging more frequent use of skills like Restoration and Armor, indirectly leading to faster leveling.
7. Are there any skills I shouldn’t make Legendary?
This is subjective, but skills you rely on heavily for your core playstyle (like your primary combat skill or crafting skill) should be carefully considered before making them Legendary. The temporary loss of power can be significant. Consider your overall game plan and whether the long-term benefits outweigh the short-term setbacks.
8. How does making a skill Legendary affect my equipment?
Making a skill Legendary does not directly affect your equipment. However, if you reset a crafting skill like Smithing or Enchanting, you may temporarily lose the ability to craft or improve certain high-level items until you re-level the skill.
9. Can I make a skill Legendary if I haven’t invested any perk points in it?
Yes, you can make a skill Legendary even if you haven’t invested any perk points in it. The primary requirement is that the skill must be at level 100.
10. Is it better to focus on a few skills or level up everything?
This depends on your playstyle. Focusing on a few skills can make your character extremely powerful in those areas, but leveling up a wider range of skills can provide more versatility. The Legendary system allows you to do both by resetting skills and reallocating perk points.
11. Does making a skill Legendary affect my character’s stats (health, magicka, stamina)?
No, making a skill Legendary does not directly affect your character’s base stats (health, magicka, and stamina). These stats are primarily determined by your character level and any enchantments or abilities that directly modify them.
12. How can I quickly level up a skill after making it Legendary?
- Training: Pay trainers to level up your skill.
- Crafting: For crafting skills, create items in bulk.
- Combat: Use the skill frequently in combat.
- Exploits (Use at your own discretion): Some players use exploits (like repeatedly casting Muffle for Illusion) to level up skills quickly, but this can diminish the sense of accomplishment.
13. Does the “Experience” glitch work with Legendary skills?
The “Experience” glitch (if referring to the Oghma Infinium glitch or similar exploits) can potentially be used to level up skills faster after making them Legendary, but using glitches may negatively affect your experience with the game and, in some cases, even corrupt save files. It is best to avoid such glitches.
14. How does being a Vampire or Werewolf interact with Legendary Skills?
Being a Vampire or Werewolf can influence skill leveling due to various bonuses and abilities associated with these forms. For example, being a Vampire can grant bonuses to Illusion, Sneak, and other magic skills. When combined with Legendary Skills, this can potentially make leveling skills easier.
15. Is it more efficient to make a skill Legendary early or later in the game?
There’s no definitively “better” time. Making a skill Legendary early allows for continued progression from that point onward, but may leave you temporarily weaker. Doing it later allows you to max out several skills first, potentially giving you a stronger foundation before resetting. Consider your current character build and goals when deciding.
By understanding the mechanics and benefits of the Legendary system, you can strategically use it to enhance your character’s power and continue your adventure in the world of Skyrim.