This page details a brief overview of the Dark Elf (also known as Dunmer) race in Skyrim, including the default stat boosts for the race, special abilities, and a breakdown of how useful those abilities actually are.
The Dark Elf (Dunmer) Race, Skyrim.
Dark Elf Race Abilities Overview¶
Default Stat Boosts¶
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Destruction | +10 |
| Alchemy | +5 |
| Alteration | +5 |
| Illusion | +5 |
| Light Armor | +5 |
| Sneak | +5 |
Special Race Abilities¶
| Special Ability | Effect |
|---|---|
| Resist Fire | Your blood gives you 50% resistance to fire |
| Ancestor’s Wrath | For 60 secs opponents that get too close take 8 fire damage per second |
| Sparks | Lightning that does 8 shock damage to Health and Magicka p/sec |
As residents of the mysterious land of Morrowind, the Dunmer are a race that have been dispersed by the eruption of Red Mountain. They are essentially refugees in an unfamiliar, harsh, cold land full of Nords that are innately distrustful of elves, making a Dunmer protagonist a fairly interesting character choice, from a story perspective.
In terms of Dark Elf special abilities, their Ancestor’s Wrath and Sparks abilities are of very limited utility. Their damage is poor and, like the Breton’s Conjure Familiar ability, will quickly become obsolete as you level up. On the other hand, their Resist Fire boon is useful for the same reason the Breton’s Magic Resistance is. A persistent passive resistance to damage is always a good thing, even though the Breton’s 25% resistance to magic is more or less the same as 25% resistance to all three elements (fire, frost, shock, see here for a deeper explanation of that). Also, Skyrim is a cold place. You’re going to encounter a bit more frost damage than fire. However, if you must play a Dark Elf, you’ll definitely find it useful in some encounters.
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