It's hard to run out of things to do in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Quests both large and small can be found around every corner, and anything and everything is worthy of the Dragonborn's attention. From retrieving ancestral shields to helping out a bullied child, there's plenty of tasks to occupy the player's time.
Radiant quests, however, form a large part of Skyrim's task system. These types of missions feature randomized locations each time they're activated, often sending players to places they haven't visited yet. Typically, radiant quests can be completed multiple times. This system provides variety, ensuring no two playthroughs are identical. Some radiant quests can be tedious, but these ones tend to be a bit more fun than the rest.
10 Dragon Seekers
The Companions of Skyrim relish the glory of a hard-fought battle. As far as they're concerned, the tougher the foe, the greater the honor. In Skyrim, there aren't many enemies more intimidating than a dragon. Once players have become the new Harbinger of the Companions after "Glory of the Dead," this radiant quest becomes available.
Speak to either Vilkas or Farkas to initiate "Dragon Seekers." After that, head out with your brother-in-arms and slay the leveled dragon together. This quest is perfect for discovering new dragon lairs, which often yield Word Walls. Killing dragons also provide souls to unlock Shouts, as well as plenty of crafting materials for Dragonplate and Dragonscale equipment.
9 Find The Word Of Power
A Dragonborn who doesn't utilize their Thu'um isn't living up to their fullest potential. Fans who like to incorporate Shouts into their roleplaying experience need to learn as many of them as possible to diversify their repertoire. Luckily, there's a radiant quest that proves to be extremely helpful in this regard.
Players hoping to learn every Word of Power should speak to Arngeir at High Hrothgar after completing "The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller." When asked about Shouts, Arngeir will point the player in the direction of an undiscovered dungeon or dragon lair that contains a Word Wall. Do this quest multiple times to amass a nice collection of Shouts.
8 The Dark Brotherhood Forever
A player's talent for assassination doesn't have to end after becoming the leader of the Dark Brotherhood. Assassination missions never have to stop, as the Night Mother's list of unfortunate victims is endless. "The Dark Brotherhood Forever" radiant quest becomes available after completing "Hail Sithis!"
Simply approach the Night Mother's coffin inside the Sanctuary, receive the contract, then execute the target. The victims themselves are always generic, so the player won't be murdering everyone they know in Skyrim. Consider taking this quest when short on gold.
7 The Thieves Guild Jobs
Speaking of gold, another lucrative way to earn a living is by working for the Thieves Guild. Like the previous entry, players can complete jobs for the guild an infinite number of times, even after becoming the leader of the gang. There are seven types of jobs that become available after completing "Taking Care of Business."
Vex provides the Burglary, Heist, Sweep, and Shill Jobs, while Delvin Mallory is in charge of the Fishing, Numbers, and Bedlam Jobs. The characteristics of each task are different, though all of them require stealth and subterfuge. Only one Job from each character can be active at a given time, so keep that in mind.
6 Shalidor's Insights
There's always work to be done at the College of Winterhold. The mages who operate the institution are frequently in need of the player's aid. One radiant quest that pure mage builds should find useful is "Shalidor's Insights."
Asking Urag gro-Shub in the Arcanaeum about special books will get this quest started. Urag will send the player off to find a copy of one of the Archmage Shalidors' writings in a random dungeon. Return the book to Urag, and wait for about two days. When players return to him again, Urag will gift the player three scrolls that fortify their magic-using abilities, which can come in handy in a pinch.
5 Dungeon Delving – Noster's Helmet
Quite a few characters in Skyrim are having a rough go of it. Naturally, the Dragonborn can aid these individuals if they so choose. One NPC who generally deserves a helping hand is Noster Eagle-Eye, a beggar on the streets of Solitude.
Conversing with Noster reveals his backstory as a veteran of the Imperial Legion who is down on his luck. He tasks the player with retrieving his old war helmet, an item of sentimental value to him. Retrieving the helmet from a random dungeon and returning it to Noster results in a +1 Sneak skill increase. Performing good deeds does have its benefits, after all.
4 Deceiving The Herd
"Deceiving the Herd" is one of the more unique radiant quests in Skyrim. If players decide to support the Volkihar Clan as part of the Dawnguard DLC, this quest becomes available to complete multiple times. Speak to Feran Sadri inside Castle Volkihar to get the ball rolling.
This quest requires the player to pose as a member of the Dawnguard and murder someone publicly inside a city. An incriminating letter must then be placed on the victim's body. Interestingly, the quest also encourages the player to assassinate someone high-profile; in other words, a named NPC. It's a great quest for roleplayers who want to embrace their character's vampire persona.
3 Hide & Seek
"Hide and Seek" is another radiant quest made possible with Dawnguard. This time, players are aiding the noble clan of vampire hunters with their goal of eradicating the bloodsucking menace. Speak to Gunmar inside Fort Dawnguard after completing "A New Order."
As part of "Hide and Seek," players must discreetly assassinate a disguised vampire who has infiltrated a populated community. The player can accomplish this task in several ways, but perhaps the most enjoyable is persuading the fiend to follow the Dragonborn to a secluded location. There, the vampire can be finished off quietly and efficiently.
2 Totems Of Hircine
There's a whole new avenue of possibilities open to players if they decide on becoming a werewolf. Assuming one retains their werewolf status after completing "Glory of the Dead," options become available to enhance their lycanthropic forms. Speak to Aela the Huntress to start the "Totems of Hircine" radiant quest.
This quest can be completed a total of three times. Each occasion will task the player with recovering a Totem of Hircine with Aela from a random dungeon. The three totems each possess their own ability that benefits a player's werewolf form. They include:
- Totem of the Hunt: Grants the Detect Life ability
- Totem of Brotherhood: Summons two Wolf Spirits that act as allies in battle
- Totem of Fear: Howling will inflict Fear on nearby opponents
1 Bandit Attack: Kidnappers
If players decide to forgo the safety of living inside a walled city, they may experience the "Bandit Attack: Kidnappers" radiant quest. This quest can occur if a player has a spouse and their Hearthfire-built home is left unprotected by a Housecarl. This quest can occur only once.
Fans will return to their abode to find it being attacked by bandits. They will discover a note stating that their spouse has been kidnapped by a bandit named Rochelle the Red. Players have two options: either pay the ransom, or rescue their significant other through force of arms. Which one do you think the mighty Dragonborn would choose?