Skyrim’s Daedric Arsenal: How to Acquire Powerful Armor and Weapons Without Smithing

The allure of Daedric artifacts in Skyrim is undeniable. Their menacing appearance and formidable stats make them the pinnacle of combat gear. Typically, obtaining a full set of Daedric armor and a suite of Daedric weapons requires significant investment in the Smithing skill tree, including reaching a level of 90 and acquiring the Daedric Smithing perk. However, for players who prefer to focus on other skillsets or simply want to bypass the grind, there are alternative methods to acquire these powerful items. This guide details all the reliable ways you can obtain Daedric armor and weapons in Skyrim without ever having to touch a forge. Prepare to arm yourself with the best that Oblivion has to offer, without the need for a smithing hammer!

Understanding the Challenges

Before diving into the acquisition methods, it’s important to acknowledge why Daedric gear is typically so difficult to obtain. Here’s a breakdown:

• High Smithing Requirement: As mentioned, the traditional route involves leveling Smithing to 90 and unlocking the Daedric Smithing perk. This requires a significant time investment, grinding crafting materials, and leveling the skill.
• Rarity: Daedric gear is not commonly found as random loot. It’s more often associated with specific locations, enemies, and quests.
• Level Scaling: Daedric gear starts appearing more frequently as the player’s level increases, meaning a low-level character will rarely, if ever, encounter it outside of these specific methods.
• Cost: Even if you find Daedric items for sale, they’ll be among the most expensive in the game, requiring substantial wealth.

This guide focuses on methods that circumvent these challenges, allowing you to gear up in Daedric armor and weapons without the Smithing skill.

Method 1: The Daedric Princes and Their Quests

Several Daedric Princes offer quests that reward unique, powerful artifacts, and some of these rewards are Daedric or related to Daedric equipment. These quests are not repeatable and generally have specific level requirements. This approach is highly recommended as it provides not only powerful gear but also engaging storylines.

The Ebony Blade (Mephala)

Starting Point: Whiterun, inside Dragonsreach. You’ll need to talk to the Jarl’s son, Nelkir.

Level Requirement: Level 20

Reward: The Ebony Blade, a two-handed greatsword with the unique ability to absorb health from friendly targets.

How to Get It:

1. Talk to Nelkir in Dragonsreach about his strange father.
2. Head to the Whispering Door in the basement of Dragonsreach.
3. Talk to Mephala through the door. She will ask you to open it.
4. Talk to Nelkir again to learn the door is opened by the Jarl’s key.
5. Steal the key from Farengar Secret-Fire.
6. Open the door.
7. Talk to Mephala again
8. Kill a friend with the Ebony Blade. Each time you do this the blade’s power increases. The blade starts with a base of 10 damage and 10 health absorption, increasing up to 30 damage and absorption after you kill 10 friendly NPCs.

While not strictly Daedric in the traditional armor sense, the Ebony Blade is a powerful two-handed weapon and a Daedric artifact.

The Sanguine Rose (Sanguine)

Starting Point: Any inn or tavern. A character named Sam Guevenne will approach you.

Level Requirement: Level 14

Reward: The Sanguine Rose, a staff that summons a Dremora Lord to fight for you.

How to Get It:

1. Talk to Sam Guevenne in an inn, and accept his drinking challenge.
2. After blacking out, you will wake up in the Temple of Dibella.
3. Continue the trail of clues. You will end up cleaning up the mess you made.
4. The trail leads you to the next location. You will continue this journey to the final destination.
5. Once you arrive at the final location, Sanguine will appear. He will grant you the Sanguine Rose and send you back to where you started the quest.

While not a traditional weapon or armor, summoning a Dremora Lord provides a significant combat advantage that can compensate for not having high-level gear.

The Dawnbreaker (Meridia)

Starting Point: The Statue of Meridia, west of Solitude

Level Requirement: Level 12

Reward: Dawnbreaker, a one-handed sword that does extra damage to undead and has a chance to create a fiery explosion on a killing blow.

How to Get It:

1. Find and interact with the Statue of Meridia.
2. Follow Meridia’s instructions to locate her beacon.
3. Retrieve the beacon.
4. Return to Meridia.
5. Purge Kilkreath Temple.
6. Retrieve Dawnbreaker.

While not Daedric, this powerful weapon, especially against draugr, is very useful in the early to mid game.

Volendrung (Malacath)

Starting Point: Largashbur (An Orc Stronghold), Southeast of Riften.

Level Requirement: Level 9

Reward: Volendrung, a two-handed warhammer with a powerful absorb stamina enchantment.

How to Get It:

1. Visit Largashbur to find the Orcish stronghold under attack.
2. Help them fend off a Giant.
3. Enter the stronghold and help them appease the Daedric Prince Malacath.
4. Complete the quest by retrieving Volendrung from a cave.

While not traditionally Daedric in material, Volendrung is a powerful artifact gifted by a Daedric Prince.

Masque of Clavicus Vile (Clavicus Vile)

Starting Point: Falkreath, near the town’s entrance. Barbas, a talking dog will approach you.

Level Requirement: Level 10

Reward: The Masque of Clavicus Vile, a heavy armor helmet that improves prices, speechcraft, and magicka regen. It is also related to Daedric artifacts.

How to Get It:

1. Speak to Barbas to initiate this quest.
2. Travel to Haemar’s Shame to retrieve the Rueful Axe.
3. Choose whether to bring the axe back to Clavicus Vile and get the mask or to kill Barbas and keep the axe.
4. If you give back the axe, you will receive the mask.

This mask is useful due to its stat boosts, and it is a Daedric artifact.

The Skeleton Key (Nocturnal)

Starting Point: Riften, Speak to Brynjolf

Level Requirement: Any

Reward: The Skeleton Key, unbreakable lockpick.

How to Get It:

1. Complete the Thieves Guild main questline.
2. The Skeleton Key is given to you as a quest item
3. You may choose to keep it and skip a portion of the main quest. It is not required to complete the story.

While not traditional gear, the Skeleton Key is a Daedric artifact that makes lock picking trivial. It is worth noting that once you complete the Thieves Guild main quest, the key must be returned.

The Oghma Infinium (Hermaeus Mora)

Starting Point: Septimus Signus’s Outpost, near Winterhold.

Level Requirement: Level 15

Reward: The Oghma Infinium, a book that grants you a choice of permanent skill increases in combat, magic, or stealth.

How to Get It:

1. Find Septimus Signus’s Outpost near Winterhold.
2. Assist Septimus with his research and retrieve the necessary items from the Dwemer ruin Alftand.
3. Return with the necessary items, and you will get the Oghma Infinium.

While not gear, this book’s permanent stat boost is incredibly helpful for any character build and helps to prepare you for later encounters. This item is a Daedric artifact.

Azura’s Star/The Black Star (Azura/Hermaeus Mora)

Starting Point: Shrine of Azura, south of Winterhold.

Level Requirement: Any

Reward: Azura’s Star/The Black Star, a reusable soul gem. The Black Star can hold black souls, and Azura’s Star can hold white souls.

How to Get It:

1. Speak to the Azura at the Shrine of Azura
2. Travel to Ilinalta’s Deep.
3. Find Malyn Varen and retrieve the shattered star.
4. Return to the shrine and choose to take the broken star to either Azura or Nelacar to repair.
5. Choose to bring the star back to Azura to receive Azura’s Star or bring it to Nelacar to receive The Black Star.

While not gear, this Daedric artifact allows you to constantly re-enchant items.

Mehrunes’ Razor (Mehrunes Dagon)

Starting Point: Dawnstar, find a courier with an invitation to the museum.

Level Requirement: Level 20

Reward: Mehrunes’ Razor, a dagger with a small chance to instantly kill its target.

How to Get It:

1. Visit the museum in Dawnstar and speak to Silus Vesuius
2. Gather all three pieces of the Razor.
3. Return to the museum, and follow the quest objective.

This dagger is a useful weapon, but its instant kill enchantment is very useful in tight situations and when fighting tougher enemies. This weapon is a Daedric artifact.

Wabbajack (Sheogorath)

Starting Point: Solitude, speak to Dervenin near the Blue Palace.

Level Requirement: Any

Reward: The Wabbajack, a staff with random effects.

How to Get It:

1. Visit Dervenin near the Blue Palace and help him find the missing Sheogorath.
2. Travel to the Mind of Madness.
3. Complete the quest inside the mind.
4. Return the staff to Dervenin.
5. Reclaim the staff from Dervenin.

This staff can be useful, or dangerous. It has random effects that can be useful in the right circumstances.

Savior’s Hide (Hircine)

Starting Point: Falkreath, meet Sinding inside the prison

Level Requirement: Level 14

Reward: Savior’s Hide, a light armor with magic resistance and poison resistance.

How to Get It:

1. Enter the Falkreath prison and speak to Sinding.
2. Help him escape the prison
3. Follow him through the cave.
4. Choose whether to kill Sinding or help him hunt.
5. If you help him hunt, the artifact is received.

This light armor is a very useful piece of Daedric armor. If you choose to hunt Sinding, you will get the Ring of Hircine instead.

Method 2: Exploiting Specific Locations and Enemies

While less reliable than Daedric quests, these methods can provide Daedric loot through specific encounters and locations:

Dremora Lords (Random Encounters)

Description: At higher levels, Dremora Lords can spawn as random world encounters. These are typically tougher fights, but they may drop Daedric weapons and armor. These encounters become more frequent as you reach higher levels (50+). You can also increase the frequency of these encounters by actively summoning and engaging with Dremora Lords with The Sanguine Rose.

How to Find: Travel in any region of the world, especially at night.

Conjuration Summons

Description: Summoned Dremora Lords do not yield Daedric loot. However, you can use them to practice combat skills and other skills. You may find that this is useful to build combat prowess without needing to engage with harder, and more dangerous random encounters.

How to use: Use the spell tome, or the Sanguine Rose

Random Chests and Loot

Description: While rare, Daedric items can appear in high-level chests, particularly those found in Dwemer ruins and bandit hideouts. The odds of this happening are very low, so do not rely on this to obtain Daedric gear.

How to Find: Search thoroughly any Dwemer ruins, dungeons, and other unique locations

The Atronach Forge

Description: Located in The Midden under the College of Winterhold, the Atronach Forge allows you to create various items by placing certain items on the offering plate. By combining a Sigil Stone, an Ebony ingot, a Daedra Heart, and a filled Grand Soul Gem, you have a chance to create a random piece of Daedric armor. To acquire a sigil stone you must reach conjuration level 100, and complete a quest for Phinis Gestor.

How to Use:

1. Travel to The Midden under the College of Winterhold
2. Find the Atronach Forge
3. Place the required items on the offering plate
4. Activate the lever
5. If successful, you will receive a random piece of Daedric armor

Method 3: Using Console Commands (PC Only)

For PC players, console commands are a quick but less immersive method to acquire Daedric gear. Please note, using console commands may disable achievements. These are considered to be a form of cheating.

Opening the Console

Press the tilde key (~) to open the console command prompt. Be very careful when using console commands as typing the wrong thing can break your game.

Adding Items via Console

Use the following commands to spawn any Daedric equipment:

• player.additem [item ID] [quantity]: This is the command to add items to your inventory. You must know the item ID. Some of the Item ID’s for Daedric equipment are:
  • Daedric Armor: 0001396B
  • Daedric Boots: 0001396A
  • Daedric Gauntlets: 00013969
  • Daedric Helmet: 0001396D
  • Daedric Shield: 0001396E
  • Daedric Greatsword: 000139B1
  • Daedric Bow: 000139B3
  • Daedric Dagger: 000139B4
  • Daedric Mace: 000139B5
  • Daedric Sword: 000139B6
  • Daedric War Axe: 000139B7
  • Daedric Warhammer: 000139B8
• Example: To add one Daedric Armor piece, type player.additem 0001396B 1 into the console command prompt.

Note: Using console commands will prevent you from getting achievements. Use this method sparingly.

Tips for Success

Regardless of the methods you choose, here are a few additional tips to help you acquire Daedric gear:

• Increase Your Character Level: Most high-level loot, including Daedric items, is more likely to appear at higher character levels. Focus on completing quests and leveling up.
• Explore Thoroughly: Pay close attention to your surroundings. Lootable containers can contain anything. You may get lucky!
• Be Patient: Some methods, like waiting for random encounters, require patience. Do not give up.
• Prepare for Fights: Dremora Lords and other enemies that drop Daedric items are difficult, especially at lower levels. Stock up on potions, scrolls, and enchantments.
• Use Enchantments: Enchantments that boost combat skills and resistances can be crucial to help you obtain Daedric gear.

Conclusion

Obtaining Daedric gear in Skyrim without Smithing is achievable with a combination of exploration, completing Daedric Prince quests, exploiting certain locations, and (if on PC) using console commands. While the path might be more challenging, the satisfaction of wielding the most powerful equipment in the game is well worth the effort. Choose the methods that best suit your play style, and arm yourself to become the ultimate Dragonborn!

Do you have any other strategies for acquiring Daedric armor and weapons in Skyrim? Let us know in the comments below!