Skyrim:Dragon

A dragon

Dragons are large reptilian creatures that are encountered in Skyrim. Dragons are fearsome opponents in combat and are some of the most dangerous creatures in all of Tamriel. The dragons' combat abilities and their importance to the plot of Skyrim effectively make them game bosses.

Dragons come in five different colors, not counting unique dragons, and can have either frost or fire abilities. As the player's level increases, more difficult types of dragons will be faced, ranging from a simple Dragon at the lowest levels up to an Ancient Dragon at the highest.

Physical Appearance

Dragons are large, scaled creatures, with long, slender extremities, and thin, bat-like wings. Dragons have three sharp talons and one vestigial digit known as a dewclaw on each of their legs, as evidenced by their written language: all of the character symbols consist of a maximum of three scratches and sometimes a dot from the dewclaw. Dragons have horns and spiked ridges along their backs and are several times larger than any human or elf. They have two hind legs but no forearms, so when they are forced to traverse along the ground they must crawl around on their wings to do so.

A dragon's color is often associated with its age in Skyrim, but is not universally indicative. The table below lists the dragon colors found in the game.

Type	Bronze	Brown	Green	Red	White	Alduin	Odahviing	Paarthurnax
Editor ID	TundraSkin	FX	GreenSkin	BossSkin	FrostSkin	AlduinSkin	OdahviingSkin	PaarthurnaxSkin
Image

• The full Editor IDs for dragons are in the format of Dragon<Editor ID>Outfit, where <Editor ID> is listed above.

Types

Skyrim's dragons come in different types with varying degrees of difficulty.

Generic

• Dragons – These are considered to be the easiest to fight, although they can provide a challenge for players early in the game.
• Blood Dragons – These seem to vary in color and appearance. They can breathe both fire and frost and are slightly tougher than normal dragons. Green variants have a larger frond on their tails, along with a bony ridge along their foreheads.
• Skeletal Dragons – These rare dragons are made up entirely of bone with no scales, and they lack a soul to absorb. They can breathe fire or frost.
• Frost Dragons – These are the same as flame dragons, but they breathe frost instead. They are typically colored white and grey and have very large, black spikes along their back.
• Elder Dragons – These are golden-scaled dragons that are significantly tougher than the previous types, both in melee and breath attacks. They can breathe both fire and frost.
• Ancient Dragons – Aside from Alduin himself, these are the deadliest dragons in Skyrim, capable of breathing either fire or frost. They have coppery red-and-black scales. They also have exceptionally damaging melee attacks, making them remarkably deadly both in the air and on the ground.
• Red Dragons – These are considered to be the strongest type of dragons. Only two red dragons are known: Nafaalilargus, servant of Tiber Septim, and Odahviing, the right hand of Alduin.

The table below details the attributes and abilities held by the various types of dragons. (Note: only the most common variants are listed; others may exist.)

Name	Color	Subtype	Level			Stamina		Shouts
Dragon	Brown	Fire 0001CA03 000F8115	10	905	150	130	37	Fire Breath Fireball	50	-25
		Frost 000F80FA 000F8116	10	905	150	130	37	Frost Breath Ice Storm	-25	50
	White	Snow 0008BC7F 000E8710	10	905	150	130	37	Fire Breath Fireball	50	-25
	Bronze	Tundra 0008BC7E	10	905	150	130	37	Fire Breath Fireball	50	-25
Blood Dragon	Green	Fire 000F80FD 000F8117	20	1421	150	164	75	Fire Breath Fireball Unrelenting Force	50	-25
		Frost 000F77F8 000F8118	20	1421	150	164	75	Frost Breath Ice Storm	-25	50
Frost Dragon	White	Frost 000351C3 000F8119	30	1860	150	197	150	Frost Breath Ice Storm Unrelenting Force	-25	50
Elder Dragon	Bronze	Fire 000F811B 000F8103	40	2255	150	230	225	Fire Breath Fireball Unrelenting Force	50	-25
		Frost 000F811A 000F8102	40	2255	150	230	225	Frost Breath Ice Storm Unrelenting Force	-25	50
Ancient Dragon	Red	Fire 000F811C 000F811D	50	3071	150	264	300	Fire Breath Fireball Unrelenting Force	50	-25
		Frost 000F811E 000F811F	50	3071	150	264	300	Frost Breath Ice Storm Unrelenting Force	-25	50

• The level you need to encounter the different dragons can vary. For example, it is possible to encounter an elder dragon at level 32.
• Dragon loot includes Dragon Bones, Dragon Scales, and a chance of gold, gems, and weapons and/or armor. They usually have several of these items.

Named Dragons

• Alduin — "Destroyer Devour Master" The first born of Akatosh, elder brother of Paarthurnax, and self-proclaimed aspect of Akatosh. Also called "The World Eater".
• Mirmulnir — "Allegiance Strong Hunt" Most likely the first dragon you fight in Skyrim, at the Western Watchtower near Whiterun.
• Nahagliiv — "Fury Burn Wither" Unknown date of death. Buried in a mound west of Rorikstead.
• Odahviing — "Winged Snow Hunter" Was the right-hand to Alduin, records date by interrogation of captured Dragon Cultists during Crusade. Buried in a mound in the south east of Skyrim, near Riften. After completing the main quest, Odahviing can be summoned by using a dragon shout called "Call Dragon".
• Paarthurnax — "Ambition Overlord Cruelty" The legendary lieutenant of Alduin in the Dragon War. He is now known to reside on the Throat of the World under the protection of the Greybeards of High Hrothgar.
• Sahloknir — "Phantom Sky Hunt" You have to fight him during the "A Blade in the Dark" quest. Buried near Kynesgrove.
• Viinturuth — "Shine Hammer Runner" Death dating back to Dragon War era. Buried near Lake Yorgrim.
• Vuljotnaak — "Dark Maw Eat" Death dating back to Dragon War or just after. Buried in a mound near Granite Hill.
• Vulthuryol — "Dark Overlord Fire" A dragon encountered underground in Blackreach.

Not all dragons are hostile, and can in fact unintentionally aid you by attacking whatever enemy is nearby. Like most NPCs, they become hostile toward other hostile creatures.

Location

You will encounter several dragons during the main quest line. However, randomly generated dragons also appear in the wild after you defeat Mirmulnir during the quest Dragon Rising. They will spawn more frequently throughout Skyrim as you progress further in the main quest line. They are frequently seen near ruins containing Word Walls; exterior cells containing these walls can be identified by a dragon's head icon on the map.

Dragons are also often encountered soon after fast-traveling to a relatively wide open location, or within smaller towns like Riverwood and Rorikstead; there are even some encounters within larger, walled cities like Whiterun and Markarth. Random encounters with dragons are preceded by tapering music and an audible roar. The dragon will often fly very close to you if it has spotted you, causing a palpable rush of air, seemingly in an attempt to entice you into combat. Not all dragons are automatically hostile to the Dragonborn, however. Some will simply circle for a while without engaging any lifeforms in combat. If you refuse to engage a dragon for a certain amount of time, the event ends and the dragon flies off.

Despite contrary information given, the Xs on the paper maps are not related to dragons but seem to indicate standing stones. There seems to be no difference between the low and high quality maps.

Language

For more information on this subject, see the main articles, Dragon Language and Dragon Alphabet.

The dragon language consists of both a spoken and a written language. The spoken language appears to consist both of some mundane words, and roughly two dozen three-word "Shouts". These shouts can be found on "Word Walls," walls with the ancient dragon language engraved upon them. The language can also be learned from Greybeards, who reside at the Throat of the World. These shouts have a range of powers, such as the ability to slow down time, push an enemy away, or conjure fire. Though the language can be learned by those who cannot make use of its power, a Dragonborn is able to fully harness its capabilities. In particular, a Dragonborn has access to the magical power words.

Worship

Nordic worship of dragons occurred thousands of years before the events of Skyrim. It was at that time that Alduin, the World Eater, had led dragonkind to conquer and subjugate the early peoples of Tamriel under a brutal and oppressive tyranny.

Even so, there were those that chose to worship and serve the dragons, and they were rewarded accordingly—such as the Dragon Priests. When Paarthurnax taught the Thu'um to mortals and the uprising against Alduin began, the end of the cult drew near. The subsequent extermination of the dragons by the Akaviri and then the Blades that were formed from them, sparked a genocidal war against them following the defeat of Alduin, ending all worship of dragonkind.

Temples dedicated to worshipping dragons were built in several locations across the province of Skyrim, but these were left to ruin following the destruction of the Dragon Cult. In the time of Skyrim the cult and the dragons they worshipped are little more than legend and hearsay. A few artifacts relating to the cult, such as Dragon Claws or Dragon Priest Masks, can be found in the region.

Combat

A Blood Dragon attacks with a flame breath.

Dragons are fearsome opponents in the sense that they are powerful and frequently hostile creatures, their ranks are innumerable, and they cross vast expanses of territory quickly, making constant vigilance of the skies a must. Combat with dragons is comparable to a debate in that they often attack with words of power, which can have a number of different effects such as breathing fire, pushing an opponent back, or slowing down time. Indeed, most if not all words in the dragon language can manifest effects on the world if used by them.

When a Dragonborn slays a dragon in combat, the body of the beast will be engulfed in flames, leaving behind only the bones, which can then be used to make powerful armor. The reason for the flaming death is that as a Dragonborn slays a dragon, the dragon's soul is consumed by the Dragonborn, destroying the dragon's body in the process.

The dragon uses fire and frost breath from the sky as its main attack. The damage of the breath attack can be decreased with the correct elemental resistance or magic resistances and wards. The dragon will sometimes land to engage in melee with you or any NPC's that are near you. Some dragons breathe fire while others breathe frost, while higher level variations have access to both. It is important to bring either fire or frost resistance potions or enchanted armor with frost or fire effects to make the Shouts less dangerous.

A dead dragon. Its bones and scales can be scavenged and used to make armor.

It is important to keep your health high when close to a landed dragon. If your health drops below a certain threshold and you are close to the dragon's head, the dragon will kill you with an ending blow. In this process, the dragon lunges forward and your body will fly in a random direction. Melee tactics include flanking it from the sides to reduce its use of its breath weapon, although the dragon will still be able to damage you with its wings or tail. Melee characters will also want to learn Dragonrend as soon as possible—otherwise they'll have to wait for an opportunity for it to land on the ground in order to attack it directly. Once the dragon has been injured to a certain extent, usually after half of its health has dropped, it will remain grounded. Magic and arrows can still damage them while they are in the air. If you prefer ranged or magical attacks, you may use your bow and arrows or Destruction spells to attack it while it is hovering. However, this opens you up to attack by the dragon. Try using trees and other landscape features to gain a cover advantage. Note though that the game may not register all forms of cover and the dragon may still be able to attack through them.

The first time you encounter a dragon within the main storyline (other than Alduin) is in the fourth part of the Main Quest, "Dragon Rising." With the aid of the Whiterun guards, this dragon should drop even without your assistance. Continually dodging melee and sprinting from the breath attack will give the guards ample time to kill the dragon for you. It should also be noted that this and other dragons seem to have random threat modifiers. As such, it can choose to attack you at will, even before its present target is dead.

It should also be noted that dragons will engage all animate lifeforms in an area, from giants to mudcrabs. You can use this to your advantage by engaging a dragon in an area with other creatures, especially where the dragon has already selected alternate prey, using the distraction as an opportunity to move in for the attack. Dragons will even target other creatures while engaging you in combat, meaning fighting alongside followers and other NPCs or creatures makes surviving a dragon assault much more feasible, since damage can be absorbed by others. Other lifeforms will also preferentially target dragons, even if already engaged in combat, as the dragon tends to automatically transfer all threat to it.

Loot

• 100-318 Gold, depending on level and randomness
• 1-3 Dragon Scales (mean 2.5)
• 1-3 Dragon Bones (mean 2.5)
• 25% chance of a piece of armor
  • 33% unenchanted Light Armor
  • 33% unenchanted Heavy Armor
  • 22% enchanted Light Armor
  • 11% enchanted Heavy Armor
• 25% chance of a weapon
  • 50% unenchanted One-Handed weapon
  • 25% unenchanted Two-Handed weapon
  • 25% enchanted weapon (any type)
• 25% chance of a gem

Notes

• Although Arngeir said that dragons have the same ability as the Dovahkiin that allows them to absorb a slain dragon's soul, receive its knowledge, and use this to master a new shout, it never happens during gameplay.

Tips

• It is nearly impossible to do respectable damage to a dragon that is flying around. Focus your attacks when the dragon is hovering or grounded. If a dragon refuses to land, try to move the fight to a clear area.
• In case you don't receive the achievement for absorbing 20 dragon souls before you finish the main questline, you can still find dragons throughout the game world.
• The Wabbajack is an effective tool because it is long-range, allowing you to stay far away from the dragon. The Wabbajack will not transform a dragon, but it is a constant source of destructive blasts.
• If you combine the Impact perk with the Augmented Flames, Augmented Frost, and/or Augmented Shock perk, the respective spell types (when dual cast) will stun dragons as well. Combined with a full set of -25% destruction cost armor, this can keep dragons almost constantly stunned while endlessly delivering damage, making even Ancient Dragons helpless.
• The Storm Call shout can be very helpful in fighting dragons, as lightning can strike and heavily damage them even when they are flying out of attacking range.
• A successful strategy against most dragons when a battle begins is to find a solid object large enough for the player to use as a shield from the dragon shout and then counter attack with bows and arrows or distance spells.
• If you have it, you can use the Become Ethereal shout to temporarily shield yourself from the effects of a dragon breath attack - this is especially useful if fighting a dragon in the open without an environment to provide cover.
• It is possible to lead a dragon to a city for the help of the guards, or to a giant camp for the help of giants or mammoths. Note that mammoths can kill dragons at low levels without any help.
• Near the end of the main questline, you will learn Call Dragon, which summons Odahviing to your aid. Using this shout can be very useful while fighting dragons. Your summoned dragon will fight its own kind if called and serves as a distraction, allowing you to go in for the kill relatively unhindered.
• By using the Dragonrend shout, you can force a dragon to land. Since this shout has such a short recharge time, you can keep the dragon on the ground for the majority of the fight, giving you an edge in combat. Dragonrend will also stagger a dragon, making its first-tier shout useful for interrupting a dragon's attack.

Bugs

• You will occasionally fail to absorb a dragon's soul after killing one. This issue can possibly result from fast traveling, mounting a horse, looting a container, or engaging an NPC in dialogue the moment the dragon dies.

• Dragons will occasionally lunge through cover such as boulders, sarcophagi and trees.

• If you have the Disintegrate perk and you disintegrate a dragon with a Shock spell, the ashes may disappear into the world terrain (or just be very hard to find). You will still absorb the dragon soul, but will miss out on the dragon bones and scales as well as the other leveled loot.

• If you instantly kill a resting dragon while remaining undetected when sneaking, the dragon will fly above, go to the ground, and will usually do the death animation almost as soon as it lands. Other times it does an action before doing so, such as crashing.

• If there are no open spaces nearby, wounded dragons (or those under the effects of Dragonrend) will sometimes be forced to crash-land and skid through solid objects, and often teleport wildly and/or end up at odd angles.

• Casting Fireball, Reanimate Corpse, Raise Zombie, Ice Spike and Firebolt spells on a dead dragon's skeleton may move it incredible distances.

• Right after a dragon dies, you can walk inside its corpse and view its skeleton before it disintegrates.

• Using Storm Call to kill a dragon that's still flying may make it continuously fly in circles and become unkillable.

• On the PC, some have experienced a glitch when performing one-handed weapon "finishing moves" on dragons in which the animation will be off-center. In most cases, it will appear as though the character is dangling off the right side of the dragon's head when the finisher animation occurs.

• Sometimes after leaving a building or fast traveling, dragon skeletons will spawn and fall from the sky, without you fighting them at all.

• Dragon can become invisible for no reason.

See Also

For more information on the dragons of the Elder Scrolls universe, see the lore article.