What to do with Excess Gold in Skyrim: From Dragonborn to Tycoon
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So, you’ve amassed a fortune in Skyrim. You’ve slain dragons, plundered dungeons, and mastered the art of the deal. Now you’re swimming in Septims, and the weight in your digital pockets is becoming a symbolic burden. What’s a Dragonborn to do with all that excess gold? The answer, thankfully, is quite a lot. Skyrim offers numerous avenues to invest, spend, and otherwise utilize your wealth, transforming you from a mere adventurer into a veritable tycoon. Let’s dive into the myriad ways to put your hard-earned gold to good use.
Investing in Property and Home Improvement
One of the most satisfying and practical uses for your gold is investing in property. Skyrim provides several options, from purchasing pre-built homes to constructing your own from the ground up.
Buying Homes
Several cities offer homes for purchase:
- Whiterun (Breezehome): A relatively affordable starter home, perfect for storing gear and resting.
- Riften (Honeyside): A charming house with a back door leading directly to the canals, ideal for Thieves Guild enthusiasts.
- Windhelm (Hjerim): A larger, more luxurious home, though it comes with a dark history and a questline to resolve.
- Markarth (Vlindrel Hall): A stone house in a Dwemer city, offering a unique and imposing aesthetic.
- Solitude (Proudspire Manor): The most expensive pre-built home, boasting spacious rooms and a prime location in the capital.
Building Your Own Home with Hearthfire
The Hearthfire DLC allows you to purchase land and build your own custom home. You can construct a main hall and add wings for specific purposes, such as a greenhouse, alchemy lab, or armory. This is a significant gold sink, as you’ll need to purchase materials like wood, stone, and iron. However, the customization options are extensive, allowing you to create a truly unique and personalized residence.
Furnishing and Decorating
Once you own a home, you can spend even more gold on furnishings and decorations. Buying furniture, tapestries, weapon racks, and other items allows you to transform a bare house into a comfortable and visually appealing living space. This is where the details count. You can buy furniture from Stewards, or craft it yourself if you have the skills.
Training Your Skills
Skyrim’s skill system allows you to improve your abilities by paying trainers. These trainers, found throughout the game, can increase your skill levels in various areas, such as combat, magic, and stealth. The cost of training increases as your skill level rises, making it a significant gold sink at higher levels. Focus on the skills you use most frequently and invest in training to become a master of your craft.
Purchasing Powerful Equipment
While you can find plenty of equipment through exploration and questing, sometimes it’s more efficient to simply purchase powerful weapons and armor. Merchants in major cities sell a variety of items, including enchanted gear. Look for items that complement your character build and improve your combat effectiveness. High-quality equipment can be expensive, especially at higher levels, but it’s a worthwhile investment for tackling challenging enemies and quests.
Investing in Alchemy and Enchanting
Alchemy and enchanting are two of the most profitable skills in Skyrim. By investing gold in alchemy ingredients and soul gems, you can create powerful potions and enchantments that can be sold for a substantial profit. This requires an initial investment to level up your skills, purchase necessary items, and build the appropriate crafting stations. However, once you’ve mastered these skills, you can generate a steady stream of income and become self-sufficient.
Hiring a Follower and a Bard
Why not spend some gold to enhance your Skyrim experience? You can hire a follower to help you carry items, fight enemies, and provide companionship on your adventures. Followers typically cost a few hundred gold and can be found in taverns and other locations throughout the game. Additionally, you can hire a bard to play music in your home, providing a touch of luxury and entertainment.
Paying Bounties and Avoiding Jail
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you’ll incur a bounty in a hold. Paying off your bounty is a straightforward way to spend gold and avoid being arrested by the guards. Alternatively, you can use your gold to bribe guards and avoid being arrested altogether. These options allow you to maintain your freedom and avoid the consequences of your actions. Remember not to steal in front of witnesses.
Gambling and Games of Chance
If you’re feeling lucky, you can try your hand at gambling. Many taverns offer games of chance, such as card games and dice. While gambling can be risky, it’s also a way to potentially increase your gold reserves. Just be aware that the odds may not always be in your favor, and it’s possible to lose a significant amount of gold.
Supporting Merchants and the Economy
Simply buying items from merchants helps to stimulate the local economy and keep businesses afloat. By purchasing goods and services from vendors, you’re contributing to the overall prosperity of Skyrim and supporting the livelihoods of its citizens. This may seem like a small gesture, but it can have a positive impact on the game world.
Donating to the Temple
For a charitable option, you can donate gold to the Temple of the Divines. This act of generosity can improve your standing with the Divines and potentially grant you blessings or other benefits. While the tangible rewards may be limited, donating to the temple is a way to give back to the community and express your faith.
Investing in Rare and Unique Items
Keep an eye out for rare and unique items that can be purchased from merchants or found during quests. These items may have special properties, historical significance, or simply be valuable collector’s items. Investing in such items can add to your character’s wealth and prestige, and they may even increase in value over time.
Buying Skill Books
Skill books are scattered all over Skyrim, but it can be much easier to buy them from vendors. Keep an eye out for what the various merchants are selling and save yourself some exploration time.
Commissioning Custom Items
If you befriend a master smith or enchanter, you might be able to commission custom items. While this can be very expensive, it allows you to acquire gear perfectly tailored to your needs.
Investing in Training for Your Spouse
If you marry someone who is also a follower, you can pay to train them as well. This makes them a more effective companion and helps you to level up skills more quickly.
Roleplaying and Immersion
Ultimately, how you spend your gold in Skyrim depends on your playstyle and preferences. Some players enjoy hoarding vast fortunes, while others prefer to spend their gold freely on anything that catches their eye. Regardless of your approach, remember that gold is a valuable resource that can be used to enhance your gaming experience and immerse yourself in the world of Skyrim. Consider the roleplaying implications of your spending habits and how they align with your character’s personality and goals.
Your choices shape the narrative of your unique journey. Consider exploring the intersection of gaming and education further through organizations like the Games Learning Society, which delves into how games impact learning. Find more at GamesLearningSociety.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is there a limit to how much gold I can have in Skyrim?
No, there is no hard limit to the amount of gold you can accumulate in Skyrim. You can amass virtually unlimited wealth through trading, questing, and other activities. The only limit is the amount of time you’re willing to spend accumulating it.
2. Should I store gold in chests or just carry it around?
Gold doesn’t add to your carry weight, so there’s no practical reason to store it. However, if you prefer to keep your inventory tidy, you can store gold in chests in your owned homes. Just be sure to use containers in houses you own; otherwise, your items may disappear.
3. Can stolen gold be used normally?
Yes, stolen gold can be used just like any other gold. You can spend it at merchants, use it to pay bounties, or invest it in property. The “stolen” tag doesn’t affect its functionality.
4. Who has the most gold to trade with in Skyrim?
Generally, merchants’ gold reserves replenish over time. The Riverwood Trader, Lucan Valerius, initially has a decent amount of gold and is easily accessible early in the game. Fences from the Thieves Guild, once unlocked, also offer larger sums for selling stolen goods.
5. What is the fastest way to make money in Skyrim?
Crafting potions and enchanting items are consistently profitable methods. Alchemy can be particularly lucrative due to the abundance of ingredients. Leveling up your Speech skill and taking relevant perks also drastically improves your buying and selling prices. Another approach is completing radiant quests, such as those given by the Thieves Guild or Dark Brotherhood, but this can sometimes be repetitive.
6. Can guards confiscate my gold if I’m arrested?
Yes, guards will confiscate any stolen gold you are carrying when you are arrested. They will also take any stolen items. It’s advisable to store stolen goods and gold before surrendering to the authorities.
7. How much gold do I need to buy a house in Skyrim?
The cost of a house varies depending on the location. Breezehome in Whiterun is the cheapest, at around 5,000 gold, while Proudspire Manor in Solitude is the most expensive, at 25,000 gold. Building your own house with Hearthfire requires an initial investment of 5,000 gold for the land, plus additional costs for materials and construction.
8. What are some unique things I can buy with gold in Skyrim?
Besides houses and equipment, you can purchase unique items like skill books, dragon priest masks, and Daedric artifacts. You can also hire bards to play music in your homes or pay for training from skill trainers.
9. Is it worth investing in training my skills?
Yes, investing in skill training can be very beneficial, especially early in the game. It allows you to level up your skills more quickly and gain access to powerful perks. However, the cost of training increases as your skill level rises, so it’s important to prioritize the skills that are most important to your character build.
10. Can my spouse make money for me in Skyrim?
Yes, if you marry a merchant, they will continue to run their store and generate income. You can periodically collect a share of their profits. Even if your spouse isn’t a merchant, they will give you 100 gold per day and a home-cooked meal.
11. What happens if I steal from my spouse?
Stealing from your spouse is considered a crime, just like stealing from any other NPC. If caught, you’ll incur a bounty and may face consequences such as arrest or violence.
12. Can I lose my house in Skyrim?
No, once you purchase a house in Skyrim, it’s yours permanently. It cannot be taken away from you, even if you commit crimes or incur a bounty.
13. Is it better to buy or craft equipment in Skyrim?
Both buying and crafting equipment have their advantages. Buying equipment is faster and more convenient, but crafting allows you to create custom items with specific enchantments and properties. Ultimately, the best approach depends on your playstyle and preferences.
14. How can I increase my Speech skill to get better prices when buying and selling?
You can increase your Speech skill by successfully persuading, intimidating, or bribing NPCs, as well as by selling items to merchants. Wearing items with Fortify Persuasion enchantments can also boost your Speech skill temporarily. Investing perks in the Speech skill tree, such as Haggling and All Trades, will further improve your buying and selling prices.
15. Are there any hidden costs associated with owning property in Skyrim?
Besides the initial purchase price, you’ll also need to pay for furnishings and decorations to make your house comfortable. You may also need to hire a steward to manage your property and purchase materials for upgrades. Additionally, you may encounter random events, such as bandit attacks, that require you to defend your home and spend gold on repairs.