Skyrim – HundoDex

Skyrim Missables Guide – Everything You Can Miss

Every quest, artifact, word and collectible in Skyrim that can be lost for good in a playthrough, with exactly how each one is missed.

Quests

  • Bleak Falls Barrow: Going to the barrow before you report to Balgruuf skips this quest, and The Golden Claw takes over instead. You then also miss Farengar's talk with Delphine and the book Holdings of Jarl Gjalund.
  • Diplomatic Immunity: Once you escape, only the embassy grounds and barracks can be entered, not the building itself. Before leaving, take the dossiers on Esbern, Delphine and Ulfric and the display-case daggers and circlets in Elenwen's Solar. Before the Ages of Man waits in Reeking Cave.
  • Elder Knowledge: Finishing Septimus Signus' quest Discerning the Transmundane without taking the Elder Scroll from the Tower of Mzark can leave the Scroll out of reach and this quest stuck. Take it on your first visit.
  • Season Unending: Holds the council gives your side drop out of your Civil War questline, and some trades block the War Hero achievement. Giving The Reach to the Stormcloaks also kills Ondolemar and ends or blocks Search and Seizure.
  • The World-Eater's Eyrie: Skuldafn cannot be revisited once you enter the portal, and there is no fast travel. Before then take Nahkriin's mask, the Storm Call word wall, the gems and the chests; skipping the fight with Slow Time forfeits the mask.
  • Sovngarde: Sovngarde cannot be revisited after the main quest without console commands. Before you leave, take the roasted ox head and two roasted ox legs from the tables in the Hall of Valor, the only ones in the game you can pick up.
  • Dragonslayer: You cannot enter the Hall of Valor again once you leave it, and Sovngarde stays closed afterwards, so finish talking to its heroes first. Alduin cannot be looted and his soul is not absorbed.
  • Paarthurnax: Killing him cannot be undone and permanently ends the Greybeards' help. If you refuse, the quest is withdrawn when the main questline ends, but it returns if you kill him later.
  • Reunification of Skyrim: Ranks come only if you attack and do not flee a battle, and not for holds the council gave you. Bad trades at the council can also block ranks and the War Hero achievement.
  • The Battle for Fort Sungard: Finishing this kills Ondolemar and closes his favour quest Search and Seizure for good, failing it if active. It also unlocks War Hero; if the council skips this battle, Fort Greenwall can earn it instead, but only when the council gave The Rift to the Empire.
  • The Battle for Fort Greenwall: This battle unlocks the War Hero achievement. If the council skips it, Fort Sungard can earn it instead, but only when the council gave The Reach to the Stormcloaks. Fleeing the fight forfeits the Tribune promotion.
  • The Battle for Fort Snowhawk: Idgrod Ravencrone's court is exiled to the Blue Palace, and with Gorm gone the quest For the Good of Morthal can no longer be done.
  • Battle for Solitude: Captain Aldis dies in the battle, which makes the quests For the Good of Morthal and No News is Good News unavailable.
  • Purity: Each cure needs one of the heads from Glenmoril Coven. The witches do not come back, so take all five heads when you are there.
  • Totems of Hircine: Aela only offers this work to a werewolf, so collect all three totems before curing yourself for good.
  • Blindsighted: Take the Left Eye of the Falmer from Mercer's body for Delvin before the chamber floods. There is no way back into the sanctuary afterwards.
  • With Friends Like These...: Attacking Astrid here starts Destroy the Dark Brotherhood! instead. The whole questline, its followers, trainers and the Dawnstar home are then lost for good.
  • Bound Until Death: The unique bow Firiniel's End lies on a parapet facing the balcony during this quest only.
  • The Cure for Madness: Spare Cicero and he later becomes a follower. Kill him and you can take his jester's clothes, but he is gone for good.
  • Death Incarnate: The Falkreath Sanctuary is destroyed in this quest. Finish any of Nazir's contracts and anything you want from its trainers before starting To Kill an Empire.
  • Contract: Kill Beitild: Nazir's contracts end when the Falkreath Sanctuary is lost, so finish them before To Kill an Empire.
  • Contract: Kill Ennodius Papius: Nazir's contracts end when the Falkreath Sanctuary is lost, so finish them before To Kill an Empire.
  • Contract: Kill Narfi: Nazir's contracts end when the Falkreath Sanctuary is lost, so finish them before To Kill an Empire.
  • Contract: Kill Hern: Nazir's contracts end when the Falkreath Sanctuary is lost, so finish them before To Kill an Empire.
  • Contract: Kill Lurbuk: Nazir's contracts end when the Falkreath Sanctuary is lost, so finish them before To Kill an Empire.
  • Contract: Kill Deekus: Nazir's contracts end when the Falkreath Sanctuary is lost, so finish them before To Kill an Empire.
  • Contract: Kill Ma'randru-jo: Nazir's contracts end when the Falkreath Sanctuary is lost, so finish them before To Kill an Empire.
  • Contract: Kill Anoriath: Nazir's contracts end when the Falkreath Sanctuary is lost, so finish them before To Kill an Empire.
  • Contract: Kill Agnis: Nazir's contracts end when the Falkreath Sanctuary is lost, so finish them before To Kill an Empire.
  • Contract: Kill Maluril: Nazir's contracts end when the Falkreath Sanctuary is lost, so finish them before To Kill an Empire.
  • Contract: Kill Helvard: Nazir's contracts end when the Falkreath Sanctuary is lost, so finish them before To Kill an Empire.
  • Contract: Kill Safia: Nazir's contracts end when the Falkreath Sanctuary is lost, so finish them before To Kill an Empire.
  • Locate the Assassin of Old: Olava's Token is only given if Gaius Maro dies inside a city and the letter is planted on him.
  • A Daedra's Best Friend: Keeping the Rueful Axe by killing Barbas ends the quest without the Masque, and the axe does not count toward Oblivion Walker. Hand the axe back to get the artifact.
  • Discerning the Transmundane: Septimus must live until the box is open: killing him early fails the quest. The second half only starts at level 15, when his letter arrives.
  • Pieces of the Past: Dagon asks you to kill Silus. Sparing him pays gold but forfeits the Razor for good, and killing Silus before the shrine fails the quest.
  • The Whispering Door: Only Hulda's rumour starts it. If she dies, Ysolda takes over the Bannered Mare but will not give it, so keep Hulda alive until you have the quest.
  • The House of Horrors: The priest Logrolf has to reach the altar alive. If he dies on the way the quest fails and the mace is lost.
  • The Taste of Death: The ring is lost if you pick the third reply in Eola's opening speech (she attacks and the quest fails), kill Eola before the feast, or kill Brother Verulus anywhere but Namira's shrine. Lead him there, kill him asleep and choose Eat on the body.
  • Waking Nightmare: Vaermina tells you to kill Erandur as he performs the ritual. Let him finish and the Skull is destroyed: he becomes a follower, but the artifact is lost for good.
  • Find the Thalmor Assassin: Only offered if Malborn got out of the Thalmor Embassy alive.
  • The Straw that Broke: Narfi is a Dark Brotherhood contract. Finish this before taking his name from Nazir.
  • Ashfire Mead for Elmus: Only offered while the Nords are camped at Bujold's Retreat: do it before Retaking Thirsk, and not at all if you side with the Rieklings.
  • Juniper Berries for Elmus: Only offered if you return the hall to the Nords in Retaking Thirsk.
  • Crafting Materials for Halbarn: Only offered if you return the hall to the Nords in Retaking Thirsk.
  • Riekling Spears for Hilund: Only offered if you return the hall to the Nords in Retaking Thirsk.

Collectibles

  • Ebony Blade: Only Hulda's rumour at the Bannered Mare starts the quest. If she dies before telling you, the door never opens.
  • Mace of Molag Bal: The priest Logrolf has to reach the altar alive. If he dies on the way, the quest fails and the mace is lost.
  • Masque of Clavicus Vile: Killing Barbas to keep the Rueful Axe ends the quest without the Masque, and the axe does not count as an artifact.
  • Mehrunes' Razor: Sparing Silus pays gold but forfeits the Razor for good, and killing him before the shrine fails the quest.
  • Oghma Infinium: Septimus must live until the box is open: killing him early fails the quest.
  • Ring of Namira: The quest fails, and the ring with it, if you turn on Eola at your first meeting, kill her before the feast or kill Brother Verulus anywhere but at Namira's shrine.
  • Skull of Corruption: Let Erandur finish the ritual and the Skull is destroyed. He becomes a follower instead.
  • Nahkriin: Skuldafn can be visited only once, during The World-Eater's Eyrie. Loot Nahkriin before stepping into the portal, or the mask and Konahrik are lost.
  • Konahrik: Needs Nahkriin, which can only be taken during the one visit to Skuldafn.
  • Diamond Claw: Skuldafn can be visited only once, during The World-Eater's Eyrie. Keep the claw when you leave through the portal.
  • Left Eye of the Falmer: The sanctuary floods as you leave and cannot be entered again, so take the eye from Mercer before you swim out.
  • Muiri's Ring: Only given if Nilsine is dead before you report back to Muiri.
  • Nightweaver's Band: Only given if the body is hidden before you report back to Festus.
  • Firiniel's End: It only lies there while Bound Until Death is running. Pick it up before the wedding is over.

Places

  • Reach Imperial Camp: The camp stands only while the Stormcloaks hold the Reach, so it never appears if the Imperials keep Markarth.
  • Reach Stormcloak Camp: The camp is gone whenever the Stormcloaks control the Reach, so find it before they take Markarth.
  • Haafingar Stormcloak Camp: The camp is gone whenever the Stormcloaks control Haafingar, so find it before they take Solitude.
  • Solitude Military Camp: The camp exists only during Battle for Solitude and is removed, marker included, once the battle is over.
  • Skuldafn: You can visit it once, during the main quest, and cannot return afterwards. Take Nahkriin's mask (needed for Konahrik) and learn the word wall's word before you leave.
  • Sovngarde: The main quest takes you here once, and there is no way back afterwards.