Skyrim: The Best Passive Abilities (& How to Get Them)

There are several abilities hidden throughout Skyrim. Not to be confused with powers, which need to be activated before the effects are felt, abilities are passive effects that can give the Dragonborn various effects. Seen under the “Active Effects” menu, passive abilities are listed alongside armor, enchantment, and potion effects that are currently active on the player character.

Players are most familiar with the abilities that come with their race selection in Skyrim. For example, Dunmer has increased fire resistance, Imperials tend to find more gold, Khajiit have claws that increase unarmed damage, and so on. Suppose the player transforms into either a vampire or werewolf. In that case, they can gain even more passives, with vampires, particularly gaining additional effects to increase their stealth, disease resistance, and frost resistance. But there are a variety of other abilities to be found within Skyrim, and that doesn’t include the temporary 8 hours buffs granted at shrines and temples.

Quests, standing stones, and black books can all confer additional abilities on the player regardless of race. Each ability will give the Dragonborn an edge in certain situations, so there is no need to act like the player needs to choose sparingly. But which ones should players try to go after first? Which ones are the best? And which ones are likely to remain with the Dragonborn permanently?

How to Unlock Agent of Mara in Skyrim

Giving the player an additional 15% resistance to magic, this ability is useful to any player regardless of playstyle. Players who want this ability need to trigger the “The Book of Love” quest in Riften by talking to Dinya Balu, who is often found in the Temple of Mara. Revolving around helping several couples around Skyrim to find their match, this quest will take the Dragonborn to locations like Markarth, Ivarstead, and a monument in Whiterun Hold. It is a nifty little quest that focuses on NPC relationships for a change and is one of the few quests that doesn’t rely on combat.

The ability by itself does not seem like much, but it can stack onto other magic resistance effects like the ones given by the Lord Stone and the Breton racial passive to absorb a significant portion of damage from any incoming spell. In short, it’s a free, permanent increase in magic resistance that anyone can get.

How to Unlock The Lord Stone Ability in Skyrim

There are several standing stones in Skyrim with a plethora of effects. For example, increased experience gain, increased Magicka capacity, extra carrying capacity, and so on. Even a few standing stones grant major buffs while counterbalancing the effect with a massive debuff in a different area. But the Lord Stone? It simply gives a massive increase in defense with no drawback. To be more specific, it provides the player with an additional 25% magic resistance and an extra 50 points in armor ratings. For players who want to better a tank build or play on a higher difficulty setting, this is arguably the best standing stone in the game.

As with all standing stones, acquiring the effect is as simple as interacting with the stone. Located a short distance from the Shrine of Mehrunes Dagon, this stone is located in a mountainous region within Hjaalmarch. Provided the player doesn’t interact with another stone (or use the Aetherium Crown to bypass the limitation), the player can indefinitely keep the valuable passive ability.

How to Unlock The Agent of Dibella Ability in Skyrim

This passive is a bit more niche, but being able to permanently give 10% more melee damage to the opposite sex is still a solid buff for any player who doesn’t rely on magic. Given to the player upon completion of the “The Heart of Dibella” quest, the quest is triggered when the player enters the Temple of Dibella in Markarth and talks to Hamal. It will involve the player breaking into the temple illegally that might put a bounty on players. This quest will task the player with finding the Sybil of Dibella, who was revealed to have been born in Karthwasten some time ago. The investigation will eventually culminate in the player raiding Broken Tower Redoubt, rescuing the kidnapped child, and escorting her back to Markarth for a reward.

Almost any player can potentially benefit from the ability, but female players may find it especially useful since a good portion of Skyrim‘s (non-creature) bosses are male.

How to Unlock The Companion’s Insight Ability in Skyrim

If there is one thing players almost get universally frustrated with, it is Skyrim‘s followers. If they aren’t blocking doors or ruining an attempt at stealth, then they are getting in the player’s way and getting mad if Dragonborn unintentionally hits them. This is especially true for mage characters, whose spells are prone to friendly fire.

But within the Dragonborn DLC is an ability that nullifies (most) accidental damage on companions. After players find a black book called “The Winds of Change” and complete its corresponding quest, the ability can be obtained. The book itself is located within Bloodskal Burrow on Solstheim, usually found while completing “The Final Descent” quest at the behest of Crescius Caerellius. But getting the ability will require the player to fight through a section of Apocrypha, Hermaeus Mora’s realm of Oblivion, to reach the black book’s true potential.

It should be noted that the ability does not entirely negate accidental damage. For example, area of effect spells like chain lightning can still cause damage to anyone caught in its range, and necromantic thralls are not considered real followers. It is also important to emphasize that this ability only comes into effect while in combat. So don’t use a companion as a test dummy while alone in the wilderness. The Dragonborn can and will hurt them if no enemies are around to trigger the ability.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is available for Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

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