Moonlight Ranger

Khajiit - Crossbow - Sword - Clothing - Heavy - Archer - Assassin - Warrior

Background

Rangers of the Moonlight conclave are deadliest at night, channelling the energy of the moon to augment their vigil. They specialise in hunting shapechangers and creature afflicted with lycanthropy.

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Weapons

Hunting Bow as soon as you can which can be progressed to a crossbow if you travel to Solitude and purchase one from the Fletcher. You are after a silver crossbow as this does bonus damage to werewolves as well as undead. The fletcher also sells bolts. You want to progress to Dawnguard quest line quickly to make crafting bolts possible.

A silver sword is also used. This has a base damage of 8 but against undead, werewolves and vampires this increases to 28. The Armsman perk increase the additional 20 damage to 40 at rank 5. A silver sword cannot be improved at a grindstone without USSEP installed (Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch).

Join the Companions and then don’t do any further quests. This should change the bandits at Driftshade Refuge and Gallows Rock to Silver Hand and they have a chance to be wielding silver swords.

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Armor

Craft a set of Steel Soldier Armor as soon as you can. This requires the Steel Smithing perk. The final gear is Iron Spell Knight Armor, Dawnguard Heavy Gauntlets and Boots. A yellow Redguard hood is also used.

The quest to get the Iron Spell Knight gear can be started by reading the journal inside the first room on the right in the Silver-Blood Inn in Markarth.

The quest that unlocks the Redguard hoods can be found by reading the journal on the desk in general Tulius’ room in Castle Dour in Solitude.

You can get the Heavy Dawnguard Boots and Gauntlets from Gunmer once you have completed The Prophet.

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Spells

Alteration for utility spells. Unbounded Storms to level Destruction. Restoration for Heals.

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Standing Stones

The Atronach Stone so you can reach 80% spell absorption.

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Shrines

Use a shrine of Talos for 20% shout cooldown reduction.

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Shouts

Whirlwind Sprint (Whirlwind - Fury - Tempest)

Location: Dead Men’s Respite, Volskygge, High Hrothgar (The Way of the Voice)

Use to reach otherwise inaccessible places and to quickly evade attacks or catch up with fleeing enemies.

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Character Creation

Female Khajiit

Imperial and Redguard come out top for this build with 30/35 but I decided to go for a Khajiit with a 25/35 skill boost as they get a starting boost to sneak, while also getting a boost to both archery and one-handed. I used the Night Eye racial power a lot on this build while hunting at night.

Pick female as the sex for your character as there are more male humanoids than females to fight in Skyrim so the 10% damage bonus against the opposite sex from Agent of Dibella gets more use. There are more male bandits than female and Dwemer automatons are all classed as male.

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Attribute Distribution

Place attribute points at 0 / 2 / 1. At level 65 which is required for all the perks the attributes are:

Magicka	Health	Stamina
100 (150)	530	310

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Perk Point Distribution

The skill boosts for Khajiit are marked in bold.

Mage		Warrior		Rogue
Alteration	8	Archery +5	8	Alchemy +5	7
Conjuration	0	Block	0	Light Armor	0
Destruction	3	Heavy Armor	7	Lockpicking +5	0
Enchanting	9	One-handed +5	7	Pickpocket +5	0
Illusion	0	Smithing	3	Sneak +10	7
Restoration	5	Two-handed	0	Speech	0
Total	25	Total	25	Total	14

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Skills and Perks

Mage Skills

Warrior Skills

Rogue Skills

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Spells

Alteration

Spell	Level	Description
Candlelight	Novice	Creates a hovering light that lasts for 60 seconds.
Detect Life	Adept	Nearby living creatures, but not undead, machines or daedra, can be seen through walls,
Telekinesis	Adept	Can pull an object to you from distance. Add it to your inventory or throw it.
Waterbreathing	Adept	Can breathe under water for 60 seconds.

Talk to the Steward in Dragonsreach to get a quest to investigate an assassination attemp on the Jarl. After reading the buiness ledger at Arcadia's Cauldron go the Whiterun Stables and on the body of a stablehand is a Detect Life spellbook. This can be used to level Alteration slowly.

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Conjuration

Spell	Level	Description
Soul Trap	Apprentice	If a target dies within 60 seconds, fills a soul gem.

Soul Trap is used to level Conjuration and also fill soul gems.

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Destruction

Spell	Level	Description
Flames	Novice	A gout of fire inflicting a base damage of 8 points of fire damage per second.
Unbounded Storms	Expert	Targets in melee range take 40 shock damage per second to Health, and half that to Magicka. Random lightning strikes deal an additional 30 damage.

I used Unbounded Storms to level Destruction and then never used it again.

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Illusion

Spell	Level	Description
Courage	Novice	Target won't flee for 60 seconds, and gets some extra health and stamina.

Courage can be used to level illusion.

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Restoration

Spell	Level	Description
Healing	Novice	Heals the caster 10 points per second.
Fast Healing	Apprentice	Heals caster by 50 points
Close Wounds	Adept	Heals caster by 100 points.
Grand Healing	Expert	Heals everyone close to the caster 200 points. Does not affect atronachs, machines or undead.

You can start using better healing spells as the cost reduction perks are acquired but I pretty much just used Healing and Fast Healing before getting enchanted gear.

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Enchantments

The effects listed below are based upon 100 Enchanting skill, all the enchanting perks in the build and with a set of enchanted crafting gear. Read my guide on making crafting gear if you are not familiar with it.

Summary of combined effects

Bows do 150% more damage.
One-handed weapons do 150% more damage.
Destruction spells cost no magicka.
Restoration spells cost 46% less to cast.
Magicka regenerates 10% faster.
Sneaking is 150% easier.
Resist 37% of all magiic.
Resist 115% of disease.

Item	Enchantment	Effect
Head	Fortify Archery	Bows do 75% more damage.
	Fortify Destruction	Destruction spells cost 46% less to cast.
Body	Fortify Destruction & Magicka regen	Destruction spells cost 28% less to cast, Magicka regenerates 10% faster.
	Fortify Restoration	Restoration spells cost 46% less to cast.
Hands	Fortify Archery	Bows do 75% more damage.
	Fortify One-handed	One-handed weapons do 75% more damage.
Feet	Fortify One-handed	One-handed weapons do 75% more damage.
	Fortify Sneak	Sneaking is 75% easier.
Amulet	Resist Disease	Grants 115% resistance to disease.
	Resist Magic	Grants 37% resistance to all magic.
Ring	Fortify Destruction	Destruction spells cost 46% less to cast.
	Fortify Sneak	Sneaking is 75% easier.
Crossbow	Silver Moons Enchant	While the moons are out burns the target for 85 points.
	Absorb Health	Absorb 55 points of Health.
Sword	Silver Moons Enchant	While the moons are out burns the target for 85 points.
	Absorb Health	Absorb 55 points of Health.

With the Sallowed Regent Black Book the magnitude of all enchantments can be increased.

Please note that Black Books can only be used on Solstheim.

The magnitude of the enchantments can be further increased by equipping 4 pieces of Azhidal's gear.

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Alchemy

All the details for the potions and poisons are based on having all the listed alchemy perks, Alchemy at 100 and a set of crafting gear.

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Potion of Fortify Health

Ingredients	Blue Mountain Flower & Wheat.
Effects	Fortify Health	Increases health by 170 points for 60 seconds.
	Restore Health	Restores 266 points of health

All of the ingredients can be found in or around Whiterun.

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Potion of Fortify Archery

Ingredients	Canis Root & Juniper Berries
Effects	Fortify Archery	Bows do 170% more damage for 60 seconds.

A Canis Root is found in the Secret lab at the farm and you can get 2 from Arcadia’s Cauldron for free if you give her the Frost Salts from Farengar. Juniper Berries are around Markarth.

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Potion of Foritfy Carry Weight

Ingredients	Creep Cluster, Glowing Mushrooms & Steel-Blue Entoloma
Effects	Fortify Carry Weight	You can carry 170 more weight for 300 seconds.
	Fortify Destruction	Destruction spells are 213% stronger for 60 seconds.
	Restore Magicka	Restores 266 points of Magicka.

Creep Cluster are numerous near Kynesgrove to the South of Windhelm. There are 7 Glowing Mushrooms in the secret lab at the farm so at Whiterun head to the North East and get the last one from just inside the entrance of Shimmermist Cave. Steel-Blue Entoloma are from Khajiit caravan merchants.

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Potion of Fortify Enchanting

Ingredients	Dreugh Wax/Stoneflower Petals & Snowberries
Effects	Fortify Enchanting	85% stronger for 30 seconds

Dreugh Wax and Stoneflower Petals are only available from Khajiit caravans. Some travel between Whiterun and Markarth. Snowberries are abundant near Windhelm.

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Potion of Fortify Smithing

Ingredients	Dreugh Wax/Gold Kanet & Glowing Mushrooms
Effects	Fortify Smithing	213% stronger for 30 seconds

Dreugh Wax and Gold Kanet are only available from Khajiit caravans. Some travel between Whiterun and Markarth. Glowing Mushrooms are in Falmer caves.

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Farming

For more information on getting to and setting up your farm read my guide.

Ingredients Needed

6 x Blue Mountain Flowers
3 x Canis Root
8 x Creep Cluster
8 x Glowing Mushrooms
3 x Juniper Berries
11 x Steel-Blue Entoloma
5 x Wheat

Potions and Poisons Produced

24 x Potions of Forify Health
15 x potions of Fortify Archery
44 x Potions of Fortify Carry Weight

Main Area (27)

Ingredient	Qty	Harvest	Green Thumbs
Creep Cluster (5)	8	40 + 8 = 48	80 + 8 = 88
Glowing Mushrooms (5)	8	40 + 8 = 48	80 + 8 = 88
Steel-Blue Entoloma (3)	11	33 + 11 = 44	66 + 11 = 77

Side Area (11)

Ingredient	Qty	Harvest	Green Thumbs
Blue Mountain Flowers (3)	6	18 + 6 = 24	36 + 6 = 42
Wheat (4)	5	20 + 5 = 25	40 + 5 = 45

Planters (6)

Ingredient	Qty	Harvest	Green Thumbs
Canis Root (4)	3	12 + 3 = 15	24 + 3 = 27
Juniper Berries (4)	3	12 + 3 = 15	24 + 3 = 27

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