What Quest in Skyrim Gives the Most Gold?

The quest in Skyrim that provides the single largest payout of gold is the final mission of the Dark Brotherhood questline, “Hail Sithis!” Upon completion, players are rewarded with a substantial 20,000 gold. This makes it the most lucrative single quest in the game when it comes to raw gold. While other methods of accumulating wealth exist, none match the single lump sum offered by this culminating mission. The Dark Brotherhood questline not only provides a large final sum, but also decent gold amounts from previous quests in the same questline, often around 500 gold per completed contract.

Understanding Skyrim’s Gold Acquisition

While the “Hail Sithis!” quest provides a hefty chunk of gold, it’s important to understand that gold accumulation in Skyrim is multifaceted. Many players consider the overall total gold earned, as opposed to a single payout, when looking for the best ways to become wealthy. Let’s explore these methods.

Alternative Methods for Earning Gold

Beyond specific quests, there are numerous ways to gather septims in Skyrim:

• Treasure Hunting: Skyrim is littered with dungeons, ruins, and hidden locations ripe for exploration. These areas often contain valuable loot, including gold, jewelry, and enchanted items that can be sold for profit.
• Crafting: Smithing, enchanting, and alchemy are powerful gold-generating skills. Crafting valuable items, like enchanted jewelry, high-quality weapons, or potent potions, allows you to sell them for considerable amounts.
• Mining: Gold ore can be found in several locations, most notably in the Kolskeggr Mine located east of Markarth. Smelting these ores into gold bars provides a decent source of income.
• Soul Trapping: Capturing souls with soul gems and selling the filled gems can be surprisingly lucrative.
• Theft: Becoming a member of the Thieves’ Guild and selling stolen items to Tonilia is a common method to acquire quick cash, especially if you upgrade your speechcraft.
• Marriage: While not a direct source of gold, marrying a character, some of whom own businesses that generate income, can provide additional daily income.

Specific Questline Rewards

While the Dark Brotherhood final mission boasts the largest single payout, other questlines also offer substantial rewards, although usually not as large as “Hail Sithis!” It’s important to consider the overall gold earned in an entire questline for a balanced approach to wealth accumulation.

Maximizing Your Earnings

To truly maximize your gold acquisition in Skyrim, combining multiple methods is the most effective strategy. For instance, one can start by mining gold ore, crafting jewelry from the smelted bars, enchanting them, and finally selling them. You can also hunt, and kill dragons, and sell their scales and bones for a good price. Similarly, players can use alchemy to produce valuable potions to sell in bulk. Remember to invest in speechcraft perks, which will allow you to sell for higher prices and buy for less.

Utilizing the Environment

The world of Skyrim provides ample resources for gathering wealth. Learning to recognize valuable items, knowing which ingredients to gather for potion-making, and understanding where to find ore deposits are all skills that will significantly boost your earnings.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions to further guide you on your path to wealth in Skyrim:

1. How fast can I get 5000 gold in Skyrim?

Using alchemy early in the game by collecting Blue Mountain Flowers and Blue Butterfly Wings to create valuable potions can easily net you over 5,000 gold even before encountering the first dragon.

2. Where is the best place to mine gold in Skyrim?

The Kolskeggr Mine, located east of Markarth, is the richest source of gold ore in Skyrim.

3. How often do merchants restock their gold in Skyrim?

Merchants, including Tonilia, restock their gold every 48 in-game hours. You can wait this amount of time using the wait feature.

4. Can I sell stolen items to any merchant?

Normally, you can only sell stolen items to fences like Tonilia (Thieves’ Guild) or Enthir (College of Winterhold). However, if you invest in the speechcraft perk for selling to any merchant, you can sell stolen goods anywhere.

5. Can I sell my house in Skyrim?

No, it is not possible to sell houses in Skyrim.

6. How do I turn iron into gold in Skyrim?

You can use the Transmute Mineral Ore spell to convert iron ore to silver, and silver to gold.

7. How much is a septim worth in real-world money?

A rough estimate places the value of a septim at around $143 USD, based on the current value of gold coins.

8. Who is the best husband in Skyrim that comes with a house?

Argis the Bulwark is considered a great choice, as he comes with a house and is a very strong follower.

9. What are some of the most powerful families in Skyrim?

The Silver-Blood and Black-Briar families are among the most powerful and influential in Skyrim, with extensive political and economic reach.

10. What is the largest house you can get in Skyrim?

Proudspire Manor in Solitude is the largest and most expensive house available.

11. Do gold ore veins respawn in Skyrim?

Yes, gold ore veins respawn. If the area is marked as “cleared,” they replenish in about a month of in-game time. If not, they typically respawn in 10 days.

12. How many gold rings does it take to reach level 100 in smithing?

It requires approximately 1,779 ores to craft enough gold rings to level your smithing from 15 to 100.

13. Where can I find the Kolskeggr Mine?

It’s located to the east of Markarth, on a small ridge at the end of a bridge.

14. What early game methods can I use to make gold?

Gathering flowers and other ingredients in Whiterun to create and sell potions is a great way to make gold early in the game.

15. Is the Dark Brotherhood questline the only way to get rich fast?

While the Dark Brotherhood final quest provides a large sum, it is not the only fast way to earn gold. Combining multiple methods, including crafting, mining, and selling valuable loot, can be equally, or more, effective overall.

Conclusion

While the “Hail Sithis!” quest from the Dark Brotherhood offers the single largest payout at 20,000 gold, a balanced approach to wealth generation is the most effective in Skyrim. By utilizing various methods such as mining, crafting, alchemy, treasure hunting, and a sprinkle of thievery, you can accumulate a substantial amount of wealth and comfortably afford all the best houses and gear. Don’t forget to invest in speechcraft, and take advantage of merchant refresh cycles to maximize your profits and enjoy a prosperous adventure as the Dragonborn.