Skyrim: 12 Quests With The Best Active Effect Rewards (2024)

In Skyrim, "Active Effects" is a category of magic that includes permanent buffs such as increased armor rating, sneak effectiveness, and magic efficiency, as well as negative aspects like diseases and racial weaknesses that can make the character less resistant to destruction magic or impact health and stamina.

While some positive Active Effects are also granted via disease and racial bonuses, for players who value grinding and take pride in earning their own perks, completing quests for rewards can be more satisfying. Some of the best quests in Skyrimreward the player with useful Active Effects that are constant. Some can even be toggled by wearing certain armor sets acquired by following different faction questlines.

12 A Return To Your Roots

Sinderion's Serendipity

• Quest Location: Blackreach
• Active Effect Reward: 25% chance of creating duplicate potions when using alchemy skill

"A Return To Your Roots" is a quest that can be triggered after either reading Sinderion's journal or harvesting a Crimson Nirnroot in Blackreach. The player is then tasked with finding and harvesting 30 Crimson Nirnroots and returning them to Avrusa Sarethi.

The reward for completing this quest is "Sinderion's Serendipity," a constant perk that increases one's chance of creating more than one potion when using the alchemy table. This quest is worth doing for players who prefer to make their own concoctions rather than purchasing or scavenging for them.

11 Unearthed

Ahzidal's Genius

• Quest Location: Kolbjorn Barrow, Solstheim
• Active Effect Reward: Enchanting increased by 10 when wearing any four of Ahzidal's relics

The "Unearthed" quest requires the player to travel out of Skyrim and into Solstheim, where Kolbjorn Barrow is located. There, the player will be asked by money-obsessed archaeologist Ralis to assist in the excavation of the barrow.

Over the course of this quest, pieces of the Dragon Priest Ahzidal's armor can be collected, and players who dabble in enchanting can improve their skill by wearing four pieces.

10 Unfathomable Depths

Ancient Knowledge

• Quest Location: Riften Fishery, Riften
• Active Effect Reward: 25% armor bonus when wearing Dwarven armor, Blacksmithing increases 15% faster

Upon discovering Riften docks, the player can speak to From-Deepest-Fathoms, an Argonian desperate for the Dragonborn to take the Dwemer lexicon from her and return it to the Dwarven ruin Avanchnzel.

By following in the footsteps of those who traversed the ruins before and completing the quest, the player will receive the Active Effect "Ancient Knowledge," which increases the speed of Blacksmith leveling while improving one's armor rating (on the condition that they are wearing Dwarven armor).

9 Trinity Restored

Nightingale Armor Full Set

• Quest Location: Theives Guild, Riften
• Active Effect Reward: 25 increase to armor rating when wearing the full Nightingale Armor set

"Trinity Restored" is one of the quests assigned by Karliah at the Thieves Guild, who wants the Dragonborn to become a Nightingale in order to win the favor of the Daedric Prince of darkness, Nocturnal, and defeat Mercer Frey for betraying the Guild.

Completing this quest grants the player a higher armor rating when wearing the full set of Nightingale Armor. As an additional bonus, each piece of armor also offers individual benefits, such as increased stamina and sneak effectiveness, easier lockpicking, more one-handed damage, and cheaper illusion spells.

8 Sanctuary / Destroy The Dark Brotherhood

Shrouded Armor Full Set

• Quest Location: Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary, Falkreath
• Active Effect Reward: 25 increase to armor rating when wearing full Shrouded Armor set

The Shrouded Armor set can be acquired in a multitude of ways, but it is most typically gotten by joining the Dark Brotherhood, with Astrid providing it when the player first enters the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary. It can, however, be looted from the corpses of the Dark Brotherhood assassins during the "Destroy the Dark Brotherhood!" quest if the player decides to kill Astrid instead of joining the faction.

The pieces of armor individually provide sneak and archery perks, but when wearing the full set, the player also gains extra armor rating points.

7 Boethiah's Calling

Boethiah's Embrace

• Quest Location: Sacellum of Boethiah, Windhelm
• Active Effect Reward: When wearing full Ebony Mail, move more quietly and cause 5 points of poison damage to opponents that get too close

This quest can be triggered by reading a copy of Boethiah's Proving and finding the Sacellum of Boethiah. Once the player carries out the wishes of Boethiah's priestess by bringing a sacrifice to the shrine, Boethiah (the Daedric Prince of deceit) appears and requests that all of her followers fight to the death in order to determine who will be her warrior.

If the player is given the title of Boethiah's Champion, they are awarded Ebony Mail. The armor reward from this quest is beneficial for those who prioritize stealth, as it allows them to move more quietly. Players will also be able to deal damage to enemies who get too close without even having to draw a weapon.

6 No Stone Unturned

Prowlers Profit

• Quest ​​​​​​​Location: Riften
• Active Effect Reward: Higher chance of finding additional gems in chest

Another Thieves Guild quest, "No Stone Unturned" will begin when the player finds and picks up an "Unusual Gem." After becoming a member of the Guild and speaking to Vex, they will be tasked with finding all twenty-four "Stones of Barenziah" that were stolen from Queen Barenziah's crown and hidden across Skyrim.

Although one of the more time-consuming quests, with the player having to find the gems without any quest markers, the reward is well worth it for those who loot every barrel and chest they come across. While the higher gem spawn rate might not be valuable for players who have already accumulated a lot of gold, for those only just starting the game, "Prowler's Profit" is an easy way to make money fast.

5 The Book Of Love

Agent Of Mara

• Quest ​​​​​​​Location: Temple of Mara, Riften
• Active Effect Reward: Resist magic increases by 15

"The Book Of Love" is assigned to the player by Dinya Balu at the Temple of Mara in Riften. The player must then carry out a series of tasks to help various inhabitants of Skyrim find love and gain the favor of Mara - one of the Divines and the Goddess of Love.

Once this quest has been completed, the player is granted the Active Effect "Agent of Mara," which gives the Dragonborn permanent magic resistance. This is a useful quest to complete for those who struggle with enemies that use magic, such as vampires and mages.

4 Frostflow Abyss

Sailor's Repose

• Quest ​​​​​​​Location: Frostflow Lighthouse, Winterhold
• Active Effect Reward: Healing spells cure 10% more

"Frostflow Abyss" is a somewhat more relaxed investigatory quest. Upon entering Frostflow Lighthouse in Winterhold, the player will be confronted with suspicious blood trails and will be tasked with finding the source of a series of murders. As the player comes across notes and journals, they must follow the clues to uncover what happened and recover the remains of the victims.

Despite the higher-level enemies present in the lighthouse, for those who frequently use restoration magic, this quest is worth completing for the reward of making healing spells more effective.

3 The Heart Of Dibella

Agent Of Dibella

• Quest ​​​​​​​Location: Temple of Dibella, Markarth
• Active Effect Reward: More combat damage to the opposite sex

"The Heart of Dibella" quest requires the player to rescue the Sybil of Dibella, Fjotra, from the Forsworn at Broken Tower Redoubt near Markarth. The quest is triggered when the player displeases Mother Hamal by trespassing in the Inner Sanctum of the Temple of Dibella.

The reward for this quest is the permanent effect "Agent of Dibella," which grants increased combat damage to the opposite sex, useful for players who favor conflict over stealth.

2 Dragon Research

Dragon Infusion

• Quest ​​​​​​​Location: Sky Haven Temple, Markarth
• Active Effect Reward: Dragons do 25% less melee damage

"Dragon Research" is a quest assigned as part of the Blades questline. Tasked by Esbern with returning a dragon bone and a dragon scale to him, the player must locate and defeat a dragon. Once completed, Esbern will reward the Dragonborn with "Esbern's Potion," which, when consumed, gives the player the permanent Active Effect "Dragon Infusion."

This potion reduces dragons' melee damage by a quarter, which is extremely useful for those who want to primarily follow Alduin's story. It's also equally helpful for when players are faced with unanticipated dragon encounters throughout the entire game.

1 Deathbrand

Deathbrand Instinct

• Quest ​​​​​​​Location: Gyldenhul Barrow, Solstheim
• Active Effect Reward: 100 point increase to armor rating

Once the player finds and reads a copy of "Deathbrand" or kills the pirates at Haknir's Shoal in Solstheim, the quest "Deathbrand" will be activated. While endeavoring to find and defeat the ghost of Haknir Death-Brand, the player can acquire a special set of Stalhrim armor.

Due to the higher level requirement of starting this quest, the reward is much greater, increasing the players' armor rating by 100 points when wearing the full set. It also improves stamina, one-handed damage, carry capacity, and the Dragonborn's waterbreathing ability.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Platform(s)

PC , PlayStation 3 , PlayStation 4 , PlayStation 5 , Nintendo Switch , Xbox 360 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released

November 11, 2011

Developer(s)

Bethesda Game Studios

Genre(s)

RPG , Action , Adventure