How Many Side Jobs Do You Have To Do For The Thieves Guild In Skyrim?
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The quest for restoring the Thieves Guild to its former glory in Skyrim is a long and rewarding one. It involves much more than just following the main questline. A significant part of becoming the Guild Master and unlocking the Guild’s full potential involves completing numerous side jobs. So, the direct answer is: To fully restore the Thieves Guild and become its Master, you need to complete a minimum of 20 side jobs, specifically 5 jobs in each of the four major holds: Whiterun, Windhelm, Solitude, and Markarth. These jobs are provided by Delvin Mallory and Vex within the Ragged Flagon. It’s crucial to understand that these are the minimum required to unlock all of the game’s content related to the Thieves Guild; you are welcome to do more!
The Structure of Thieves Guild Side Jobs
The Thieves Guild side jobs are considered radiant quests. This means that they are generated randomly from a pool of possible objectives, and there’s no finite number. You’ll receive these tasks from either Delvin or Vex, and they come in a variety of types, including:
- Numbers Jobs: These usually involve manipulating books or ledgers to falsify information.
- Heist Jobs: These ask you to break into a location and steal specific items.
- Fishing Jobs: These tasks require you to plant stolen items on someone.
- Burglary Jobs: These ask you to simply steal specific items from a location, without manipulating anything.
- Sweep Jobs: These jobs require you to steal a large number of items from a location.
You can accept one job from Delvin and one from Vex at a time. This means you’ll be making numerous trips between Riften and the other holds to get the job done. It’s efficient to take a task from both in order to be as time-effective as possible.
Special Jobs and Restoring the Guild
After completing five of these smaller radiant jobs in a specific hold (Whiterun, Windhelm, Solitude, or Markarth, but not Riften), you unlock a special job from Delvin. These special jobs are unique and are required to unlock all of the thieves guild and become the leader. Completing the special job for each of the four major holds is vital to restoring the Thieves Guild to its former glory. Here’s a breakdown:
- 5 Small Jobs in a hold unlocks a Special Job for that hold.
- Completing a Special Job leads to a new merchant being added to the Thieves Guild and additional benefits.
- Completing all four Special Jobs and finishing the main Thieves Guild questline will lead to you becoming the Guild Master.
The progression of unlocking the benefits for the Thieves Guild also follows this method. The first special job you finish will unlock the potion merchant. After the second special job, the general merchant. And after the last special job the Fence’s gold will increase to 4000 gold.
Therefore, you need to complete a minimum of 20 side jobs (5 in each major hold) just to unlock all four special jobs. This does not include any extra jobs you may complete in any city.
Importance of Side Jobs
While the side jobs might seem like filler content, they are essential to fully experiencing the Thieves Guild. These jobs are not only the core to becoming the Guildmaster, but they also directly influence the Guild’s growth:
- Unlocking Merchants: Each completed special job adds a new merchant to the Thieves Guild, offering valuable goods and services.
- Increasing Fences Gold: Each fence will increase their gold available for bartering, this is essential to efficiently sell any loot you steal.
- Becoming Guild Master: The culmination of completing these special jobs and the main questline is becoming the Guild Master, granting you a unique set of armor and access to the tribute chest.
Ultimately, completing these jobs and returning the Thieves Guild to its former glory is vital to experiencing the full story of the Thieves Guild in Skyrim.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Do the Thieves Guild side jobs ever end?
No, the side jobs from Delvin and Vex are radiant and never end. You can continue to accept them for as long as you like, providing a continuous stream of income. They’re an easy way to get gold when you are desperate.
2. Can I do side jobs in Riften?
Yes, you can do side jobs in Riften, however, jobs in Riften do not count toward unlocking special jobs. These are simply generic and can be used for simple profit.
3. Can I do two jobs at a time?
Yes, you can take one job from Delvin and one from Vex simultaneously, which makes the process more efficient.
4. What happens if I quit too many Thieves Guild jobs?
You can quit as many Thieves Guild jobs as you want with no negative consequences. The radiant nature of the quests allows you to abandon them without penalty.
5. What happens when I fully restore the Thieves Guild?
When you fully restore the Thieves Guild, you will be named Guild Master, receive new guild leader armor, and unlock the Guild’s full potential including several merchants. Fences will increase to 4,000 gold as well.
6. What triggers the special jobs?
The special jobs are triggered by completing 5 small side jobs in each of the four major holds (Whiterun, Windhelm, Solitude, and Markarth). Once you’ve finished five in a city, speak to Delvin, and he will assign the special job.
7. Does the difficulty of the side jobs increase?
The difficulty of the side jobs does not significantly increase. They mostly remain similar in difficulty and are designed to be completed at all levels.
8. How do I get kicked out of the Thieves Guild?
You can be kicked out of the Thieves Guild by attacking or killing a guild member, attempting to steal from them, or murdering someone during a Guild quest. Paying a fine to the Thieves Guild or speaking with Galathil will restore you.
9. What is the fastest way to complete the side jobs?
The fastest way to complete side jobs is to accept one job from Delvin and one from Vex simultaneously, prioritize your travel path, and select easy jobs such as numbers and heist.
10. What happens if I don’t return the Skeleton Key?
If you don’t return the Skeleton Key, you can still use it as an unbreakable lockpick, but you cannot continue the Thieves Guild questline and cannot become the guild master.
11. Can I marry Vex?
Unfortunately, you cannot marry Vex in the base game without mods. This is a common wish among Skyrim players, but no, she is unavailable as a marriage candidate.
12. Which guild pays the most in Skyrim?
The Thieves Guild, once fully restored, will have all of its fences with 4000 gold available for trading, which makes them the best option for selling stolen goods. The more you do in the thieves guild, the more gold the fences will have.
13. What can I do with the Right Eye of the Falmer?
The Right Eye of the Falmer can be sold to any merchant, except Delvin.
14. Can you make the Thieves Guild rich again?
Yes, you can make the Thieves Guild rich again by completing side jobs and special jobs in major holds. This process will unlock merchants, increasing Fence’s gold and ultimately lead to becoming the Guild Master and having full access to the Guild’s benefits.
15. Can I do side jobs after becoming the Guild Master?
Yes, you can continue to do side jobs even after becoming the Guild Master. They will always remain as a good source of income for those desperate for gold.
By understanding these aspects of the Thieves Guild side jobs, you can fully immerse yourself in the life of a Skyrim thief, restore the Guild to its former glory, and enjoy the rewards of your efforts.