Greybeards overpowered?

[Bhanqwa]

I was wondering...

The Greybeards claim a mere whisper of theirs would kill an untrained man, yet a fully trained dragonborn can hardly put a dent in anything with his damaging shouts... yeeet he's regarded as having the most powerful Thu'um of all after slaying Alduin.

 

On the other hand it the Greybeards spent decades to master the Thu'um, yet can't restrain that power when it's called upon except through utter silence.

This seems especially weird considering that their voice is implied to be that destructive when speaking words not spoken in the dragon tongue.

 

Anyone care to share some insights?

[PharmakosChroster]

The Rule of Cool.

[xlcr]

@Bhanqwa, hi, not sure where in the game the Dragonborn is "regarded as having the most powerful Thu'um", maybe i missed that.

Only difference I'm aware of between the Greybeards and the Dovahkiin; is, the Dovahkiin, unlike the Greybeards,

is 'born' with the soul of a Dragon (dragonblood).

This enables the Dovahkiin to absorb dragon souls and receive knowledge of the Thu'um (Word Walls) instead of learning through practice like Greybeards.

 

Anyway, I think anyone can project shouts (tongues) if they train using Pararthunax's 'Way of the Voice'; but,

this isn't how the Dragonborn normally learns words of power in the game.

As you know, Arngeir is the only elder who can safely speak, the other Greybeards are too powerful/uncontrolled to even whisper.

Master Arngeir is the strongest Greybeard (excluding Paarthurnax) and has learned how to control his voice and speak normally.

[luzburg]

Maybe because if you gave the player the true power of the Voice there'd be no point in anything because he'd have the power to break mountains or something.

[Blu02]

Well I think you're comparing the legends/rumors to the actual thing. It's the same about Ulfric Stormcloak, who everyone says shouted the Jarl of Solitude into pieces. But if you ask him about it he says he just staggered him with his shout, and killed him with his real weapon.

 

Nobody knows the greybeards, since they wont let anyone in to their sanctuary. So their powers have obviously been massively exaggerated by the little people living below their mountain over the years. The greybeards are also afraid of the thu'um and doesnt know its true limits since they're not dragonborns themsleves and wont use it for harm, which is probably why they keep pointing out to the dragonborn how dangerous they think it is.

 

In practical use, it's mostly just effective for someone who knows how to use it properly to their advantage. It wont rip people into pieces, but it will give a huge upper hand to any warrior in combination with real weapons. That makes it dangerous and the skilled users powerful.

 

That's how I understand it anyway. What people in Skyrim think it is and what it actually is. Pretty well implemented by Bethesda!

[killerjax]

Well I think you're comparing the legends/rumors to the actual thing. It's the same about Ulfric Stormcloak, who everyone says shouted the Jarl of Solitude into pieces. But if you ask him about it he says he just staggered him with his shout, and killed him with his real weapon.

 

Nobody knows the greybeards, since they wont let anyone in to their sanctuary. So their powers have obviously been massively exaggerated by the little people living below their mountain over the years. The greybeards are also afraid of the thu'um and doesnt know its true limits since they're not dragonborns themsleves and wont use it for harm, which is probably why they keep pointing out to the dragonborn how dangerous they think it is.

 

In practical use, it's mostly just effective for someone who knows how to use it properly to their advantage. It wont rip people into pieces, but it will give a huge upper hand to any warrior in combination with real weapons. That makes it dangerous and the skilled users powerful.

 

That's how I understand it anyway. What people in Skyrim think it is and what it actually is. Pretty well implemented by Bethesda!

 

The Greybeards themselves (one of them atleast) does tell you that theyre shouts are extremely powerful. Dragons shouts are strong enough to destroy villages and a powerful UF would probably rip someone apart.

 

Its not farfetched to believe that the Greybeards shouts are on a completely different level.

[Blu02]

The Greybeards themselves (one of them atleast) does tell you that theyre shouts are extremely powerful. Dragons shouts are strong enough to destroy villages and a powerful UF would probably rip someone apart.

 

Its not farfetched to believe that the Greybeards shouts are on a completely different level.

 

But then I wonder what the greybeards compare to, since none of their current generation have ever seen a dragon or a dragonborn do their thing. They could have read about it in books, but then again we have the overdramatic literature probably describing it as something way more powerful than it actually is.

 

I think the greybeards consider themselves powerful compared to what they've actually seen and experienced themselves, within their circle. If I remember correctly they even mention shouts that they cant use, but only dragons and dragonborns. This would make the dragonborns more powerful.

 

And how would they be able to use shouts better than a dragonborn who learns it in an instant? At least how things are done in the game now, I assume that you learn to use the words flawlessly. Would be cool if shouting was a skill that improves over time though :D As if you're really improving your tongue/pronouncing.

 

Oh, and I'm yet to see a dragon destroy a whole village with a shout. Well except possibly for Alduin in Helgen, but he's like the god dragon of doom with no equal :pirate:

[sinnerman69]

funny thing when I talk to one of the other greybeards I think he has a toothache because it sounds like he whispers "novocaine" :biggrin:

[luzburg]

The Greybeards themselves (one of them atleast) does tell you that theyre shouts are extremely powerful. Dragons shouts are strong enough to destroy villages and a powerful UF would probably rip someone apart.

 

Its not farfetched to believe that the Greybeards shouts are on a completely different level.

 

But then I wonder what the greybeards compare to, since none of their current generation have ever seen a dragon or a dragonborn do their thing. They could have read about it in books, but then again we have the overdramatic literature probably describing it as something way more powerful than it actually is.

 

I think the greybeards consider themselves powerful compared to what they've actually seen and experienced themselves, within their circle. If I remember correctly they even mention shouts that they cant use, but only dragons and dragonborns. This would make the dragonborns more powerful.

 

And how would they be able to use shouts better than a dragonborn who learns it in an instant? At least how things are done in the game now, I assume that you learn to use the words flawlessly. Would be cool if shouting was a skill that improves over time though :D As if you're really improving your tongue/pronouncing.

 

Oh, and I'm yet to see a dragon destroy a whole village with a shout. Well except possibly for Alduin in Helgen, but he's like the god dragon of doom with no equal :pirate:

 

 

Skyrim Redone adds speechcraft exp for shouts and features perks to make shout power stronger and even scale at a high level. I'm sure other perk overhaul mods have the same.

[Blu02]

Skyrim Redone adds speechcraft exp for shouts and features perks to make shout power stronger and even scale at a high level. I'm sure other perk overhaul mods have the same.

 

Sweet! Havent tried any mods that changes the skill- and perk-systems yet. Will keep an eye on that for next character :)