Absorb Healthis one of the best weapon enchantments inThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Not only does this enchantment deal extra damage to enemies, it heals the wielder by the same amount. Players with enough Enchanting skill can enhance a weapon to the point where they may never have to stop and drink Health potions during combat.
However, inSkyrimthe only way to apply an enchantment is to first find an item with the same enchantment and destroy it. That can be a problem since a lot of loot is randomly generated, and many guaranteed items are so unique that players can’t disenchant them. Fortunately, there are a few exceptions to this rule, and they include weapons that can teach players Absorb Health.
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Forbidden Legend
The best weapon to get for Absorb Health is probably the Gauldur Blackblade. Unlike other guaranteed weapons, players can get the Blackblade without having to join a faction and play through most of their quests. However, the Blackblade does have a quest of its own.
Players can start this quest by reading any copy of the bookLost Legends. The easiest one to find is in Dragonsreach, the Jarl’s stronghold in Whiterun. Check through the bookshelves in the court mage Farengar’s quarters, where the book is sitting under a tankard. Reading this book will start the quest “Forbidden Legend,” which will point to the barrow Folgunthur in the swamp south of Solitude.
Travel to the quest marker to find a camp outside Folgunthur. The marker points to the journal of Daynas Valen, who was searching for the titular Forbidden Legend of Gauldur. Next, enter Folgunthur, where it quickly becomes obvious that a party of adventurers tried (and failed) to explore its depths. Players will eventually happen across Valen’s dead body, and players can check him for the Ivory Dragon Claw and some notes aboutthe rest of the Gauldur legend.
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Keep exploring the barrow, avoiding traps and solving puzzles along the way, to reach the sarcophagus of Mikrul Gauldurson. Mikrul and his draugr thralls will attack players as soon as they approach, but they’re slow enough that stealthy players can sneak back to the entrance to avoid getting spotted. Mikrul is wielding the Gauldur Blackblade, which is exactly what players need to get the Absorb Health enchantment. Be sure to collect the word for the Frost Shout on the way out, and players cancontinue the “Forbidden Legend” questby reading the notes found on Valen’s body.
The Blackblade is a one-handed Ancient Nord sword, and it absorbs between 5 and 25 Health depending on the player’s level when they first readLost Legendsor encounter Folgunthur. Ancient Nord weapons are fairly weak, so the Blackblade is far more valuable as a way to get the enchantment than as a wielded weapon.
Other Absorb Health Items
Players can find generic weapons with the Absorb Health enchantment with the same 5 to 25 range as the Blackblade. Their names are:
There are two more weapons that canteach Absorb Health when disenchanted. One is unique and one is generic, but both are only encountered once players are far along in a faction’s quest line.
The unique weapon isthe Blade of Woe. This is the signature weapon of Astrid, the leader of the Dark Brotherhood inSkyrim. Players can pickpocket the Blade from Astrid during the quest “With Friends Like These…” but only if they have the Misdirection perk that lets them steal equipped weapons. A level three Disarm Shout can also rip the weapon out of her hand. Without using an exploit, players must wait until the end of the quest “Death Incarnate,” which is deep in the Dark Brotherhood’s storyline.
The generic weapon is the Drainblood Battleaxe. It’s a weapon wielded by special ghostly draugr found only in the barrow Labyrinthian. Labyrinthian is easy enough to find (it’s a short walk southeast of Morthal), but players can’t go inside until they getthe College of Winterhold quest"The Staff of Magnus." Much like “Death Incarnate,” “The Staff of Magnus” is one of the last quests players get from the College.
There are other weapons with Absorb Health, but they’re too unique to disenchant. They are:
Absorb Health is alsoone of the most valuable enchantmentsinSkyrim. This means it’s a great way to make gold fast.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimis available now on PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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