The side missions of Skyrim
In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim there are literally hundreds of side missions to play, the real heart of the game, obviously counting the different quest lines and the many varied missions that can be obtained by thoroughly exploring each city and each location. Giving you the solution of all the side missions, with all the variants, is not feasible, but we still want to try to make you discover as much as possible about the game. With this fifth chapter of the Skyrim guide, we will therefore try to show you how to access the most important secondary missions, those that give the greatest rewards and that are more structured within the game.
We will go into more detail in the main quest lines, giving you useful information on how to progress them and what rewards can be obtained. Remember that it is not necessary to complete the quest lines below and also consider that progressing in some of them could be useful for completing the main mission.
The Companions quest line
Quest line affinity:
Warriors
How to get started:
The Companions quest line is probably the first you will encounter in the game, because it is obtained by going to talk to one of the Companions at any time. The faction's headquarters is Jorrvaskr, within the city of Whiterun.
Useful information:
- The Companions are devoted warriors who hide a dark secret. If you want to create a capable character with melee weapons or bows, join your teammates now to unlock trainers for all combat skills.
- By following their quest line you will learn how to transform into werewolves. If the prospect doesn't appeal to you, know that at the end of the main faction missions you can choose whether to purge yourself of werewolf blood with a dedicated mini quest.
- By completing the quest line, you will get several allies that you can take with you into battle: Aela the Huntress, Athis, Farkas, Njada Stonearm, Ria, Torvar, Vilkas. Obviously, in order to choose them they must still be alive.
Main rewards:
- At the end of the Companions quest line you will become their Herald.
- You will be able to carry out some additional quests related to some contracts of the group.
- In the celestial forge, as long as you have the materials and the Forging skill of the appropriate level, you will be able to create a special North armor.
- At the end of the last mission you will be able to retrieve the Wuuthrad two-handed ax, one of the most powerful unique weapons in the game (depending on the level at which it is obtained).
The Winterhold Academy quest line
Quest line affinity:
Maghi
How to get started:
The Academy quest line in Winterhold will begin when you first step onto the bridge connecting the town of Winterhold to the Academy. To access the Academy you will have to pass a small test, cast a spell on a seal placed at the beginning of the bridge. In reality, even if you are not interested in improving as a wizard, you will be practically forced to start it by following the main quest, during the Elder Knowledge mission.
Useful information:
- The Winterhold Academy quest line is designed for wizards. If you want to improve the character in the use of magic, go to Winterhold as soon as possible to have access to a whole range of benefits, such as trainers in all magical arts and traders with everything needed to create potions.
- Around the Academy you will find wizard robes that can come in handy. These are items that you will hardly find in the loot. Whenever you can, take the one that best suits your main magic style.
- By completing the quest line, you will get several allies that you can take with you into battle: Onmund, J'Zargo and Brelyna Maryon. Be careful, because to agree to follow you you will first have to satisfy them by completing their additional missions.
Main rewards:
- At the end of the main Winterhold Academy quest line you will become Archmage and have access to Archmage equipment in your new private rooms.
- Among the best items you will find during the missions, is the Morokei mask, which guarantees a 100% faster magic regeneration.
- After the last mission, The Eye of Magnus, the last two additional quests will be unlocked.
The Guild of Thieves quest line
Quest line affinity:
Thieves
How to get started:
The quest line will start as soon as you talk to Brynjolf in Riften. Before you have access to the guild you will have to pass a small test, which is to accuse a trader of theft by placing a stolen gem on him. Then you will be invited to the guild headquarters, the Ragged Flagon, which is located in the Ratway. It is very likely that, even if you are not interested in joining the Thieves Guild, you will still come across them in the main quest: A Cornered Rat.
Useful information:
- Obviously the Thieves Guild quest line is designed to improve your stealth skills. If you love to sneak, pickpocket or break in, try to carry out these missions right away, because by doing so you will have master trainers in these disciplines available.
- Among the advantages of being a member of the guild, there are certainly the cistern chests. You can either take everything they contain or leave your excess items with them.
- Mercer's shelves, also in the tank, will fill with trophies as you complete guild jobs. By completing 125 jobs you will find there a safe full of gold, gems and potions.
- By becoming guild leader you will get a chest full of gold and precious stones that will be constantly replenished.
- The guild has four growth steps. At each step, new furniture will be added, new members will arrive and, above all, new merchants will be available at the Ragged Flagon.
- As you progress along the quest line, you will unlock missions to increase the guild's influence in the larger cities of Skyrim. In order to start them, you must have done at least 5 additional jobs in each of these cities: Markarth, Solitude, Whiterun, Windhelm. In Riften, you don't need additional jobs to unlock the influence mission.
Main rewards:
- Among the main rewards you will get is the whole if of Nightingale's armor, great for magnifying your stealth skills.
- In addition to the armor, you will also get the Bow of Nightingale.
- At the end of the main quest line missions, you will be able to choose one of three powers: Agent of Shadow (two minutes of invisibility while sneaking), Agent of Subterfuge (you can cast a spell of Fury that frenzies anyone in the its range, regardless of level), Agent of Strife (a hit that allows you to absorb 100 health points from the target).
Become a guild leader
The path to becoming the leader of the thieves guild is more cumbersome than the other faction quests and requires the unlocking of a specific mission: Under New Management. To get to this mission you must have completed the main missions, completed all the additional missions necessary to unlock the city influence quests, completed the latter and completed the guild mission: Darkness Returns. If you have the above prerequisites, go talk to Brynjolf and ask him to become the new guild leader. A short mission will start in which you will be granted this honor after a ceremony in the cistern. The rewards you will get as a new guildmaster are juicy: the Amulet of Articulation, a special chest and the whole set of the Guildmaster's armor.
The Dark Brotherhood quest line
Quest line affinity:
Assassins
How to get started:
Surely in the course of the game you will meet some assassins sent for you. By killing them and examining their corpse, you will find contracts on them. If you want to join the fraternity, start by going to Loreius's Farm, which is on the road north of Whiterun, and look for the broken cart. To enter the headquarters of the brotherhood you must know the password.
ATTENTION: The missions of the Dark Brotherhood should be carried out only when you are sure that you have completed most of the quests that interest you. By killing the related quest givers, some side missions will become unavailable.
Useful information:
- The Dark Brotherhood quest line is designed to turn you into assassins. However, unlike other factions, inside the headquarters you will not find all the trainers you need but only those for light armor and alchemy.
- Once you have built the torture chamber, you can obtain the location of four secret chests by talking to the four prisoners. Each chest contains 1.000 to 2.000 gold pieces.
- When you have completed the main missions, you will be able to hire the Initiates as companions. By carrying out the related additional mission, you will also have Cicero at your disposal.
Main rewards:
- Inside the headquarters of the brotherhood, there is a wall with a word of power.
- Among the rewards you will receive, there is a new power, which is the ability to summon a Spectral Assassin.
- At the end of the Hail Sithis mission! You will receive 20.000 gold pieces.
Armor worthy of a killer
To get the complete Ancient Shrouded armor set, you need to perform The Feeble Fortune mission, which will become available after completing the Breaching Security mission.
The Civil War quest line
How to get started:
The Civil War quest line will begin when you choose who to flee with during the game's tutorial mission: Hadvar (Imperial) or Rolof (Stormcloack). However, to finally choose the faction, you will first have to go and talk to the commanders in their strongholds. To choose the empire go talk to General Tullius in the fortress of Solitude, while to choose the Stormcloacks go to talk to Jarl Ulfric Stormcloack in the Windhelm palace.
Empire or Stormcloack?
One of the most interesting activities of the Civil War missions is walking around talking to the various characters involved to hear their opinion and make your own. Just know that there is no right choice and that each party has its reasons and its skeletons in the closet. In the end, you will be the one to choose (or not to choose) based on the considerations you make.
ATTENTION: The civil war will greatly change the power relations within Skyrim. Some missions of the main quest will also be affected by the rebalancing between the factions. The civil war will end when the Imperials have taken Windhelm or the Stormcloacks have taken Solitude.
The Forts
- During the missions you will have to attack the forts of the enemies. Before tackling the related quests, the forts are still available to explore. Go there before they are occupied by soldiers to find the original enemies and raid various loot.
- There is no one way to deal with the strong. The purpose is universal: to clear them of the opposing faction, but your behavior can vary according to the character you have created.
- Each fort has several entrances, but try not to go alone, unless you want to use stealth abilities heavily, otherwise you will be overwhelmed by the large number of enemies.
- If you are good with the bow, look for a stakeout point and go sniping. Leave the fray to your allies.
The Daedric Quest
There are fifteen Skyrim Daedric Quests. They are not linked to each other and each can be addressed at any time, so don't feel obliged to follow the order in which we propose them. In general we can say that these are very useful missions, especially because they yield rewards of the highest value.
ATTENTION: the Nocturnal quest is part of the missions of the Thieves Guild.
A Daedra's Best Friend
Lord Daedric: Clavicus Vile
How to get the quest: You must have reached at least level 10. Just go talk to Lod, the blacksmith of Falkreath.
Final reward: The Masque of Clavicus Vile (if you give the ax to Barbas) or the Rueful Ax (if you kill Barbas). If you talk to Lod again, you will get some money.
A Night to Remember
Lord Daedric: Sanguine
How to get the quest: You must have reached at least level 14. Enter one of the Skyrim taverns and look for the drunkard Sam Guevenne. Challenge him to drink and win the challenge.
Final reward: Sanguine's Rose.
Boethiah's Calling
Signore Daedric: Boethiah
How to get the quest: You must have reached at least level 32, so you must join the cult of Boethia by reading the book Boethiah's Proving, or by talking to a cultist of Boethiah, or by going to the Sacellum of Boethiah (if you have already discovered this and did not have the suitable level, you found it empty).
Final reward: A full ebony breastplate (shield, boots, gloves and vest).
Discerning the Transmundane
Lord Daedric: Hermaeus Mora
How to get the quest: To face the second part of the mission you need to be level 15 or higher. To get the quest you can either go talk to Faralda during the main Elder Knowlegde quest (you'll find him at the Winterhold Academy), or you'll have to find Septimus Signus's Outpost yourself.
Final reward: +5 in the skills of the chosen path by reading the Oghma Infinium.
Ill Met by Moonlight
Mr. Daedric: Hircine
How to get the quest: Go to the Falkreath cemetery, listen to the ceremony of the murdered girl, talk to her parents and then go to the killer, Sinding. If on your way to the cemetery you don't find the ceremony going on, go and talk to the two parents, Indara Caerelia and Mathies, while they are working on their field.
Final Reward: If you choose to be on Hircine's side, you will receive Savior's Hide. If you have sided with Sinding you will receive the Ring of Hircine.
Pieces of the Past
Lord Daedric: Mehrunes Dagon
How to get the quest: After reaching level 20, visit any city in Skyrim to be joined by a courier who will notify you of the opening of a museum in Dawnstar. Go there and talk to Silus Vesuius.
Final reward: Silus dies (Mythical Dawn armor and Mehrunes' Razor), Silus escapes (gold based on your level).
The Black Star
Lord Daedric: Azura
How to get the quest: Visit the Azura shrine and talk to Aranea.
Final reward: Azura's Star and Aranea as a follower (if you have chosen to side with Arenea), Black Star (if you have chosen to side with Nelacar).
The Break of Dawn
Lord Daedric: Meridia
How to get the quest: You must have reached level 12. By opening the chests you will have to find the Meridia's Beacon. It's a random item, so open as many ornate chests as you can. Otherwise you can find one at Witch's Peak.
Final Reward: A Word of Power (Elemental Fury) and the Dawnbreaker.
The Cursed Tribe
Lord Daedric: Malacath
How to get the quest: You must have reached at least level 9. Go talk to ugor in Largashbur (in the southwestern corner of the Rift).
Final reward: The Volendrung weapon.
The House of Horrors
Lord Daedric: Molag Bal
How to get the quest: Leave and return to Markarth. So go talk to Tyranus and Yngvar on the bridge.
Final reward: Mace of Molag Bal.
The Mind of Madness
Lord Daedric: Sheogorath
How to get the quest: Talk to Dervenin in Solitude. You will find it around between the hall of the dead and the Bardi academy. He is easily recognizable, as he has no eyes.
Final reward: Wabbajack.
The Only Cure
Lord Daedric: Peryite
How to get the quest: You must have reached at least level 10. It is obtained by talking to one of the afflicted around the world.
Final reward: Spellbreaker (great for breaking free when blocked by magic).
The Taste of Death
Lord Daedric: Namira
How to get the quest: Go talk to Brother Verulus outside the Hall of the Dead in Markarth. Enter the hall of the dead and talk to Eola.
Final reward: Ring of Namira and Eola as a follower.
The Whispering Door
Lord Daedric: Mephala
How to get the quest: You must have reached level 20 and completed the main Dragon Rising quest, so go talk to the Innkeeper of the Bannered Mare in Whiterun.
Ricompensa finale: Ebony Blade e Admonition Against Ebony.
Waking Nightmare
Lord Daedric: Vaermina
How to get the quest: Go talk to Erandur in Dawnstar's tavern.
Final Reward: By killing Erandur (The Skull of Corruption), not killing Erandur you get him as a follower.
