Skyrim:Free Skill Boosts

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There are many opportunities in the game to earn free increases in one or more skill levels, most often as a reward for completing a favor for an NPC. The following is a list of rewards that directly increase skill level(s). The increase is similar to training the skill, and counts towards leveling as normal. The skill boost does not set the skill's progress bar to zero (for example, if you have already spent some time training the skill and the skill is just about to increase, it will still be just as close to increasing again after the free skill boost, or higher if you have an experience bonus from a Standing Stone or resting active). The bonus is not available if your skill level is already at 100.

Fortify Skill effects applied by Alchemy, Enchanting, or Magicka do not affect these skill boosts, as they are temporary effects.

Total Skill Boosts (52)*
Combat Magic Stealth
Archery +8 Alteration +2 Alchemy +3
Block +6 Conjuration +1 Light Armor +3
Heavy Armor +3 Destruction +1 Lockpicking +2
One-handed +4 Enchanting +1 Pickpocket +1
Smithing +4 Illusion +2 Sneak +3
Two-handed +2 Restoration +1 Speech +5
Totals:
+27
+8 +17

*These numbers do not include the bonus from the Oghma Infinium, which gives five extra skill points to every skill in one skill group of your choosing.

Combat[edit]

All
Archery
Block
Heavy Armor
One-handed
  • +1 to One-handed (and +1 Block) for completing the quest Dungeon Delving (Bandits) for Amren.
  • +1 to One-handed (and +1 Block) for completing the quest The Ghost of Old Hroldan.
  • +1 to One-handed for completing the quest Filial Bonds for Wulf Wild-Blood.DB
Smithing
Two-handed

Magic[edit]

All
  • +1 to all Magic skills for completing the quest Pantea's Flute for Pantea Ateia.
  • +5 to all Magic skills by selecting "The Path of Magic" from the Oghma Infinium after completing the quest Discerning the Transmundane.
Alteration
Conjuration

none

Destruction

none

Enchanting

none

Illusion
Restoration

none

Stealth[edit]

All
  • +1 to all Stealth skills for completing the quest Finn's Lute for Inge Six Fingers.
  • +5 to all Stealth skills by selecting "The Path of Stealth" from the Oghma Infinium after completing the quest Discerning the Transmundane.
Alchemy
  • +1 to Alchemy for completing the quest Rare Gifts for Lami.
  • +1 to Alchemy for completing the quest Dungeon Delving (Caves) for Frida.
Light Armor
  • +1 to Light Armor (and +1 Lockpicking) for completing the quest Dungeon Delving (Bandits) for Shahvee.
  • +1 to Light Armor for completing the quest Kill the Bandit Leader for Annekke Crag-Jumper.
Lockpicking
  • +1 to Lockpicking (and +1 Light Armor) for completing the quest Dungeon Delving (Bandits) for Shahvee.
Pickpocket

none

Sneak
Speech

Notes[edit]

Only one radiant quest of a similar type can be assigned at any given time. You must clear the radiant quest from your miscellaneous quests in order to be eligible to receive another of the same type.
When reading the Oghma Infinium, you may only choose one set of skill boosts: combat, magic, or stealth. For the other two skill groups, the bonus becomes unavailable.

Bugs[edit]

  • Refer to individual quest pages for details on bugs related to those quests.

Free Training[edit]

Trainers who are also followers can train you for "free".¥ They will still charge you, but leave profit from training in their inventory. Simply request to see their inventory while they are an active follower, and take your gold back from any training sessions. This can be done with the following NPCs:

  • Other NPCs
¥This is no longer possible as of version 1.2.6 of the Unofficial Skyrim Patch.

See Also[edit]

  • Skills: General information on all skills
  • Skill Books: Books that provide skill bonuses when read
  • Trainers: NPCs that can be paid for skill training
  • Leveling: Information on the character leveling system