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The Golden Claw Caper: Why Can’t You Return It in Skyrim?

So, you’re trekking across the snowy peaks and bandit-infested forests of Skyrim, Golden Claw in hand, ready to claim your reward and cross this quest off your list. But Lucan Valerius isn’t exactly greeting you with open arms. What gives? The most common reason you can’t return the Golden Claw is that you haven’t progressed far enough in the Bleak Falls Barrow dungeon. Even if you have found the claw, you need to retrieve the Dragonstone from the barrow before Lucan will accept the claw. Returning the claw is the second part of the quest; the primary objective is always retrieving the Dragonstone. Once you finish Bleak Falls Barrow and get the Dragonstone, you can then return to Lucan and complete the quest.

Troubleshooting the Golden Claw Quest

It sounds simple, but sometimes glitches or other factors can make it seem like you’re stuck. Let’s dive deeper into the potential issues and how to solve them.

Progression Blockers

Not Far Enough in Bleak Falls Barrow: As mentioned, the quest is technically a two-parter, but it’s all under the same task. Make sure you’ve fought your way through the draugr, solved the puzzle, and obtained the Dragonstone from the end of the dungeon before attempting to hand in the claw. Check your quest log to see what the current objective is.
Quest Stage Issues: Skyrim’s quest system can be a bit finicky. It’s possible that the game hasn’t registered your progress correctly. Try revisiting Bleak Falls Barrow and going through the final chamber with the Dragonstone again. Activating the final trigger might update the quest.

Inventory Issues

Golden Claw Missing: Double-check your inventory to ensure you actually have the Golden Claw. It’s easy to accidentally drop items, especially in hectic combat situations. Look through all your inventory categories (Weapons, Apparel, Items, etc.). Also, make sure you haven’t stored it in a container somewhere.
Golden Claw Stolen Status: If you stole the Golden Claw back after selling it, Lucan might not accept it until the stolen status is removed. You can “launder” stolen items by selling them to a fence (a Thieves Guild merchant) or using the reverse pickpocket trick to place the stolen item back into Lucan’s inventory and then buying it back.

Potential Glitches

Quest Glitches: Skyrim is infamous for its bugs. Sometimes, a quest can get stuck. Try these fixes:
- Save and Reload: This is the simplest fix. Save your game and then immediately reload it. This can sometimes reset the quest triggers.
- Load an Earlier Save: If saving and reloading doesn’t work, load a save from before you entered Bleak Falls Barrow. This can reset the quest to its initial state.
- Console Commands (PC Only): If you’re playing on PC, you can use console commands to advance the quest. Be careful when using console commands, as they can sometimes break the game. The quest ID for “The Golden Claw” is MS13. You can use the command setstage MS13 200 to complete the quest (but only use this as a last resort).

Dialogue Options

Wrong Dialogue: Make sure you are initiating the correct dialogue option with Lucan. Usually, the dialogue will have something like: “I have the Golden Claw” or “I’ve retrieved your Golden Claw.” Choosing the wrong dialogue option (e.g., asking about rumors) won’t advance the quest.

FAQ: Your Golden Claw Questions Answered