Should I Sell Dragon Bones Skyrim? A Dry-Witted Guide for the Aspiring Dragonborn Entrepreneur
You’ve just defeated another dragon in Skyrim. Congratulations, Dragonborn! You’re a medieval pest controller, except these pests breathe fire. Now, you see a pile of dragon bits and dragon bones among the loot. The big question: should I sell these bones, or are they useful for something else?
Inventory space in Skyrim is tight. Those dragon bones weigh 1.5 kg each. If you have twenty, it feels like a ton. It’s a tough choice: cash now or potential power later? Fear not, adventurer. We will clarify this dragon bone dilemma with precision and a touch of dry humor.
Dragon Bones: More Than Just Spooky Decorations
First, let’s look at what dragon bones do besides intimidating guests in your Whiterun home (they also double as morbid beds). Their primary use is crafting. In Skyrim, if you can’t craft it, does it even exist?
Crafting Dragonplate and Dragonscale Armor: Heavy vs. Light, Bone vs. Scale
If you want to become the ultimate tank clad in heavy armor, Dragonplate Armor is the way to go. It requires both dragon bones and dragon scales. For the Dragonplate cuirass and shield, you’ll need one dragon bone each. Other pieces need dragon scales only, thankfully.
Prefer a lighter approach? Want to dodge instead of absorb attacks? Then Dragonscale Armor is your best choice. This light armor primarily uses dragon scales. While Dragonplate requires bones and scales, Dragonscale armor only needs scales. Bones may seem less crucial for light armor enthusiasts. But wait, there’s much more.
Crafting Dragonbone Weapons: The Apex Predators of Armaments
Reached Smithing level 100? Celebrate your achievement! This unlocks Dragonbone weapons, not your average weapons dropped by bandits. They are exclusive and crafted by *you*. Dragonbone weapons do not appear randomly; you earn them through effort and precious bones.
Take the Dragonbone Mace. It’s the strongest mace in Skyrim. It’s the most powerful craftable one-handed weapon too. Let that sink in. If you wield maces, that Dragonbone Mace is the holy grail of blunt instruments. In fact, these weapons represent the peak of weapon crafting.
Leveling Smithing Skill: Bone-afide Gains?
Dragon bones also play a role in leveling your Smithing skill. Crafting high-end gear like Dragonplate yields a lot of experience. Collecting bones isn’t just for crafting power; it’s a route to Smithing mastery. Think of it as bone-fueled self-improvement. Crafting valuable materials gives more experience than churning out iron daggers.
The Fiscal Dragon: Value and Economics of Dragon Bones
Now, let’s talk about value – or rather, gold septims. Each dragon bone is worth 160 coins. Seems decent? It’s okay in Skyrim’s economy. It won’t make you rich instantly, but it helps when buying Breezehome and other essentials.
For those into alchemy, dragon bones have alchemy values too. High alchemy value sits at 96 coins while low value is 64 coins. If you brew potions, that matters. However, selling them outright is usually a better bet unless you have a specific potion in mind (hint: there isn’t one). Remember the weight: 1.5 kg. On their own, it’s manageable. In bulk? A nightmare for inventory management.
To Sell or to Keep: The Great Dragon Bone Debate
This is the million septim question: sell now for immediate relief or hoard for future glory?
Early Game: Cash is King (and Queen, and the Whole Royal Court)
In early game Skyrim, survival and setup dominate. You have rusty iron armor and swords resembling butter knives. Selling dragon bones is often the wise choice. That septim boost funds key early purchases: Breezehome, enchanting services, or magical tomes. Early game cash is crucial for progression.
Late Game: Dragon Armor Dreams and Hoarding Tendencies
In late game, you’re slaying dragons constantly. You focus on min-maxing your character and crafting superior gear. Dragon bones become much more valuable to *keep*. You need about 20 bones and scales per armor set. That’s a big investment.
If you want to flaunt dragon armor, selling those bones early feels shortsighted later. Suddenly those heavy bones turn into crafting treasures. Hindsight is 20/20 (or 20/dragon vision).
Storage Solutions: Bones as Furniture? (Not Recommended)
You can technically use dragon bones as storage or awkward beds, but it’s impractical. Use chests or dressers for loot storage. If your decor features stacked dragon bones for storage, it’s time to rethink your design choices.
Where to Offload Your Ossified Overstock: Selling Dragon Bones
So, you’ve decided to sell your dragon bones for profit. Good call, Dragonborn entrepreneur! But where do you sell them?
General Goods Merchants: Your Everyday Floggers
The most accessible vendors are general goods merchants. Think Lucan Valerius in Riverwood Trader or Belethor in Whiterun (who always seems vaguely threatening). General goods stores will buy your dragon bones early in your adventure.
Alchemists: Potion Pushers and Bone Buyers?
Alchemists, like Arcadia in Whiterun, work too. Until you unlock the “Merchant” perk in Speech, merchants mostly include general vendors and alchemists. Alchemists might offer better prices on alchemy goods, but general merchants are usually just as good for cash.
Thieves Guild Fences: The Late-Game Black Market Bonanza
For flexible Dragonborns skilled in speechcraft, Thieves Guild fences become an option. Once you unlock the “Fence” perk in the Speech tree (with Speech level 90), you can sell stolen goods to them.
Merchants in Skyrim are not endless sources of gold. They have a limit. Sometimes they run out. Don’t worry, you can still trade! Even if they lack septims, you can trade dragon bones. You can exchange them for potions, ingredients, or other items. This is useful if you need alchemy ingredients or healing potions.
Trading for Goods: Bartering with Bones
When it comes to selling, dragon bones are valuable. This skill unlocks based on your Speech level. It does take significant investment. Once achieved, it opens up great selling opportunities. You can sell items, including dragon bones and other goods.
Dragon Armor: A Closer Look at Draconic Defenses
Dragon armor is a primary reason to keep those bones. Let’s look at more details.
Dragonplate vs. Dragonscale: Heavy and Light Divisions
Previously, we noted Dragonplate is heavy armor, while Dragonscale is light armor. Dragonplate has the best base armor rating among heavy armors. It provides unmatched protection. Dragonscale emphasizes agility and stealth but still gives a strong defense.
Armor Comparisons: Dragons vs. Daedra vs. Stalhrim vs. Ebony
What is the standing of dragon armor against others?
- Daedric Armor: Daedric is also heavy armor, with a slightly higher armor rating than Dragonplate. However, it is heavier. Dragonplate provides a good balance of weight and protection for heavy armor users.
- Stalhrim Armor (Dragonborn DLC): Stalhrim is introduced in the Dragonborn DLC. It offers a great mix of high armor rating and lighter weight compared to Dragonplate and Daedric. Stalhrim armor has frost damage bonuses, making it effective against frost opponents.
- Ebony Armor: Ebony armor looks good and gives solid protection. It’s a middle-ground option, though Dragonplate usually prevails in raw armor rating. Ebony often attracts players due to its classic appearance.
Acquiring Dragon Armor: Crafting, Loot, and Anniversary Edition Shenanigans
How do you obtain dragon armor?
- Crafting: Use crafting as your main method. You need a Smithing level of 100, plus dragon scales and bones for both Dragonplate and Dragonscale armor.
- Random Loot: Dragon armor can spawn as random loot, but it’s rare. Dragonplate drops around level 40, while Dragonscale shows up around level 46. Crafting is your best chance for a complete set.
- Alternate Dragon Armor (Anniversary Edition): The Anniversary Edition includes alternate dragon armor sets. For instance, Studded Dragonscale Armor can be found in a chest at Grim Overlook. These alternate sets offer visual differences and unique stats.
Dragonbone Weapons: Craft-Only Carnage
Remember that you can only craft Dragonbone weapons. You cannot find them in dungeons or on dead foes. The crafting process is the only way to use these powerful weapons. Thus, hoarding dragon bones is essential for wielding a Dragonbone Mace or Warhammer.
Smithing Skill: The Path to Dragon Forgery
To craft dragon armor and weapons, you need a 100 Smithing skill. How do you reach that?
Fast Leveling Methods: From Iron Daggers to Dwemer Bows to Gold Rings
Leveling Smithing can take time, but here are some ways to be more efficient:
- Iron Daggers (Early Game): Crafting iron daggers is a well-known early-game strategy. It’s cheap and easy as it only requires iron ingots and leather strips. Create daggers until you reach around level 30.
- Dwemer Bows (Mid to Late Game): After reaching Dwemer ruins such as Nchuand-Zel near Markarth, switch to crafting Dwemer bows. They grant more Smithing experience than iron daggers.
- Gold Rings: Consider crafting gold rings, the most efficient method if you have a large quantity of gold ingots. Transmuting iron ore into gold improves this tactic. Gold rings provide fast experience.
- Improving Items: Always enhance crafted items at a grindstone or workbench. This improves your Smithing experience, doubling your gains.
Perks and Buffs: Smithing Skill Superchargers
Boost your Smithing skills with perks:
- Smithing Perks: Invest in the Smithing skill tree with perk points. This unlocks new crafting materials and allows improvement of items to higher levels like “Superior” or “Legendary.”
- Warrior Stone: Activate the Warrior Stone located near Riverwood for a 20% increase to combat skills, including Smithing. This speeds up leveling.
- Well-Rested Bonus: Sleep in any bed for the “Well Rested” bonus, which grants a 10% boost to all skill gains for a short period, including Smithing. A “Lover’s Comfort” bonus gives 15% when sleeping with a spouse.
- Fortify Smithing Potions/Enchantments: Utilize Fortify Smithing potions or enchant your gear to boost your Smithing skill temporarily. This enhances your crafting outcomes.
Beyond the Bones: Other Armor Considerations
Armor is more than just base rating. Other elements matter:
- Armor Rating Cap: Skyrim has an armor rating cap near 567 displayed armor that leads to 80% physical damage reduction. Beyond this cap, increases in rating are less effective. Dragon armor can help achieve this cap.
- Weight: Consider armor weight, as it impacts movement and stamina. Heavy armor is heavier, Dragonplate is no exception. Light armor like Dragonscale weighs less, increasing agility.
- Playstyle: Choose armor suiting your playstyle. Stealth archers prefer light armor for sneaking. Melee warriors choose heavy armor for protection. Mages may pick robes or light armor with magical bonuses.
- Mods: If using mods, your best armor may differ greatly. Mods can introduce new sets or balance existing ones, changing everything you know in Skyrim.
- Enchanting: Enchanting boosts any armor’s effectiveness regardless of its rating. Resistances, stat boosts, and offensive capabilities arise from enchanted sets.
- Don’t Sell Enchanted Items (Disenchant Instead!): Avoid selling enchanted items if you plan to enchant gear yourself. Disenchanting at an arcane enchanter allows you to apply those powerful enchantments to new gear.
Dragon Hunting for Dummies (and Bone Procurement)
Need extra dragon bones? It’s time to hunt!
- Dragon Locations and Respawn: Dragons spawn at certain places known as dragon lairs and randomly throughout Skyrim. These lairs respawn dragons after 10-30 in-game days, ensuring you can collect bones and scales repeatedly.
- Followers: Dragon Tanking Companions: Utilize followers during dragon fights, especially at the game’s beginning. Followers like Mjoll the Lioness, Derkeethus, or Serana can withstand much damage and recover after losing health. They distract dragons effectively.
Should you sell dragon bones in Skyrim? The answer varies. In the early game, selling gives necessary cash flow. Later on, gather bones for crafting dragon armor or Dragonbone weapons. The choice rests with you, Dragonborn entrepreneur. May your pockets be full of septims and your armor as light as a feather… or reconsider that if you’re wearing actual feathers.
