The problem, and perhaps the excitement as well, with open-world games such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, is that there's many things and details that tend to go unnoticed or even untold. Players will often have to find out how things are done on their own, either through the hard way or by a lucky accident. While it definitely makes the game more interesting, it can get a bit frustrating too at times.
Whether it's to do with a core gameplay feature that isn't properly explained in the game itself or just an obscure bug (or feature, as Bethesda likes to call them), many of the things Skyrim fails to explain and properly show to its players are quite useful when harnessed to the player's advantage. Here's ten of these features that most players may have not known about, even after all this time.
10 Faster Attack Speed While Dual Wielding
There's nothing cooler and more devastating than creating a character that dual wields two weapons. While it does remove the possibility of adding in magic or a shield, it definitely give the build extremely high damage and is very effective against a wide range of tough enemies.
However, dual wielding can sometimes feel a bit slow, and that's probably because the player has a slow weapon equipped on their right hand. Make sure that the weapon that has the quickest attack speed (or lowest weight), is equipped on the right hand to remedy this issue, and combat should feel ten times smoother.
9 A Place Where Stealing Is Allowed
Stealing from shops and other people is probably the fastest way to get the attention of any hold guards at the cities of Skyrim. It's no secret that it's a crime many don't view with a good eye, which is why there's no place in Skyrim where it's acceptable. Or, is there?
In the Thieves Guild headquarters, the player is actually able to take just about anything they want. This includes the Ragged Flagon. NPCs will simply comment something along the lines of "I guess you can have that" or "I guess you really needed that."
8 NPCs Interact With Dropped Items
Dropping items might not seem like a big thing at all, especially in a single-player game where other players aren't able to pick them up or steal them. Well, think again, because the NPCs of Skyrim are actually much smarter than they appear. If the player drops valuables or even some junk in a populated area, the NPCs will take note of it.
Some will approach the player and say they dropped their items, and if they can keep those items. Others, like guards, might ask the player to clean up their junk. However, sometimes, and this happens namely in Riften, NPCs might fight each other to the death for some valuables the player dropped.
7 Followers Can Pick Any Chest Lock
Lockpicking is one of the core skills that any character should try and master in the game. Without it, some of the best loot in the game is missed out on, but luckily there's a way to avoid having to deal with some of the harder locks on chests in particular.
If the player's traveling with a follower, they can command the follower to pick any locked chest of any difficulty. This makes things much easier, and so much more worth it when traveling with a friend, especially if the lock is just too difficult or the player keeps breaking their picks.
6 Mining Gems And Soul Gems
Blackreach is probably the most unique area in Skyrim, and for good reason. It's locked beneath a bunch of Dwemer ruins and passageways, and covers a huge part of Skyrim's map. That being said, it's incredibly dangerous and dark in this location, which is also infested with Falmers and Dwemer machines.
Still, it's more than worth coming here due to the blue, sparkly Geode Vein, which is only found in Blackreach. This vein is unique in the sense that it can yield Corundum ore, Ebony ore, gems, and even Soul gems. Never come to Blackreach without a spare pickaxe!
5 The Dragonborn Can Fly
Ever looked up to the skies and wondered if the Dragonborn could fly just like the hawks and the majestic dragons themselves? Well, while it's not technically possible to do this in a canon way without installing mods, there's a fairly interesting bug (or feature) that does allow it.
Jumping on top of any bug that happens to be flying close enough to the ground or to a hawk while the bird is in its nest will allow the player to fly around on their back for some time. Just be careful, as hawks can reach extreme heights players usually won't survive when falling down.
4 Riding In The Ocean
Is there a way to travel the norther oceans faster with a horse? Wouldn't it be great if the horse could swim quickly and cost the player less time? Good news: this is entirely possible, thanks to another bug (again, feature) that exists in Skyrim to this day.
While the horse is swimming in water, dismount it and then mount it again, which should place it on water and allow it to gallop as if it were on land. No need to swim through the cold oceans anymore, just ride Shadowmere to the next quest location.
3 Getting A Giant's Club
Skyrim knows how to reward its players with powerful weapons that enemies wield against the Dragonborn. However, there's one enemy that doesn't allow for this luxury, and it's the feared giant that has the ability to absolutely demolish the player within seconds. Their clubs, although visible on the ground, can never be picked up.
Luckily, there's one exception to the rule. Head to Tumble Arch Pass with a follower, and there will be a lone giant's club lying around on the ground. The follower can be asked to pick up the club, and they can even be seen use it in battle, dealing insane damage.
2 You Can Earn An Inheritance
Players who haven't properly known loss in Skyrim might not be familiar with this gameplay feature, but yes, when a friend dies in Skyrim they'll be able to get a small inheritance from them. A courier will deliver a small note to let them know how much gold they've been given.
This can also happen with enemies, but on one condition only. If an enemy is killed while under the effect of Calm spell, they'll be counted as an ally. This means it's possible to receive an inheritance from just about any enemy, even a Bandit leader or a Draugr lord.
1 Only Death Do You Part
Now to the question of the hour: is divorce possible in Skyrim? After going through all the effort of finding the ideal man or woman to spend the rest of the days with, players might find themselves mildly annoyed with them. Or, perhaps they simply met someone more interesting during their travels.
Sadly, there isn't a way to divorce anyone in Skyrim. Marriage is for life, which is why, the only way to undo a marriage is to kill the spouse. For spouses that are followers, they can just be brought to a particularly difficult dungeon and left to die, but for other spouses, they'll need to be "dealt with" at home.