Skyrim Daedric artifacts: all 19, where they are and what they do
Skyrim Daedric artifacts are the unique weapons, armor and trinkets handed out by the Daedric Princes at the end of their quests. There are 19 in the base game, though a few come in pairs where you can only take one, so a single character usually ends with 15 or 16.
This table lists every artifact with its Prince, the quest that gives it, where that happens on our map, and the actual enchantment with numbers. For where each quest begins and the level you need, see Skyrim Daedric quests.
All Daedric artifacts in Skyrim
| Artifact | Prince | Quest | Where you get it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azura's Star | Azura | The Black Star | Shrine of Azura, from Aranea | Reusable grand soul gem that holds white souls only. Weighs nothing |
| The Black Star | Azura | The Black Star | Nelacar at the Frozen Hearth, Winterhold | Reusable soul gem that holds any soul, including black (human) souls |
| Dawnbreaker | Meridia | The Break of Dawn | Kilkreath Temple, after killing Malkoran | One-handed sword, 12 base damage, 10 fire damage per hit. Killing undead with it can set off a blast that burns or turns other undead |
| Ebony Blade | Mephala | The Whispering Door | Basement of Dragonsreach, Whiterun | Two-handed sword, 11 base damage, absorbs health on hit. Starts at 10 points and grows to 30 as you kill people who trust you |
| Ebony Mail | Boethiah | Boethiah's Calling | Knifepoint Ridge, from Boethiah's champion | Heavy chest armor, rating 45. Muffles your movement and deals 5 poison damage per second to enemies in melee range |
| Mace of Molag Bal | Molag Bal | The House of Horrors | Abandoned House, Markarth | One-handed mace, 16 base damage. Drains 25 stamina and 25 magicka and soul traps for 3 seconds |
| Masque of Clavicus Vile | Clavicus Vile | A Daedra's Best Friend | Haemar's Shame, if you hand over the Rueful Axe | Heavy helmet, rating 23. Prices 20 percent better, Speech 10 higher, magicka regenerates 5 percent faster |
| Mehrunes' Razor | Mehrunes Dagon | Pieces of the Past | Shrine of Mehrunes Dagon, after killing Silus | Dagger, 11 base damage. Every hit has a small chance (about 2 percent) to kill the target outright |
| Oghma Infinium | Hermaeus Mora | Discerning the Transmundane | Septimus Signus's Outpost, after the blood harvest | Book. Read once to raise all six skills of one path (Might, Shadow or Magic) by 5 levels |
| Ring of Hircine | Hircine | Ill Met By Moonlight | Bloated Man's Grotto, by sparing Sinding | Ring. Gives werewolves extra Beast Form transformations each day |
| Ring of Namira | Namira | The Taste of Death | Reachcliff Cave, after the sacrifice | Ring. Stamina 50 higher, and eating humanoid corpses gives 50 health and faster health regeneration for five minutes |
| The Rueful Axe | Clavicus Vile | A Daedra's Best Friend | Rimerock Burrow, kept if you kill Barbas | Two-handed battleaxe, 22 base damage, 20 stamina damage per hit. Does not count for Oblivion Walker |
| Sanguine Rose | Sanguine | A Night To Remember | Misty Grove, reached through Morvunskar | Staff. Summons a Dremora to fight for you for 60 seconds |
| Savior's Hide | Hircine | Ill Met By Moonlight | Bloated Man's Grotto, by killing Sinding | Light chest armor, rating 26. Resist Magic 15 percent and Resist Poison 50 percent |
| Skeleton Key | Nocturnal | Blindsighted | Irkngthand, from Mercer Frey's body | Unbreakable lockpick. Must be returned in Darkness Returns. Does not count for Oblivion Walker |
| Skull of Corruption | Vaermina | Waking Nightmare | Nightcaller Temple, by killing Erandur | Staff. Steals dreams from sleeping NPCs to charge it; its blast does 40 damage in a wide area (15 without stored dreams) |
| Spellbreaker | Peryite | The Only Cure | Shrine to Peryite, after killing Orchendor in Bthardamz | Heavy shield, rating 38. Blocking raises a ward that absorbs up to 50 points of spell damage |
| Volendrung | Malacath | The Cursed Tribe | Largashbur, after bringing Shagrol's Warhammer back from Giant's Grove | Two-handed warhammer, 25 base damage. Absorbs 50 stamina per hit |
| Wabbajack | Sheogorath | The Mind of Madness | Pelagius Wing of the Blue Palace, Solitude | Staff. Fires a random effect: fire, frost or shock damage, invisibility, healing, an instant kill, or turning the target into an animal or a pile of gold |
Artifacts you have to choose between
Four quests make you pick, and the choice is permanent:
- Azura's Star or The Black Star: return the star to Aranea at the shrine for Azura's Star, or to Nelacar in Winterhold for The Black Star. The Black Star is the practical pick because it traps human souls, which are always grand.
- Masque of Clavicus Vile or The Rueful Axe: give the axe to Vile for the Masque, or kill Barbas with the axe and keep it. Only the Masque counts for the achievement.
- Ring of Hircine or Savior's Hide: side with Sinding for the ring, or hunt him for the hide. You can get both by helping him first and killing him after.
- Skull of Corruption or Erandur: kill the priest before he finishes the ritual, or let him destroy the staff and take him as a follower.
Best Daedric artifacts for a normal playthrough
Dawnbreaker is the standout for anyone fighting draugr, which is everyone. The Black Star pays for itself the first time you enchant something. Spellbreaker shuts down mages for shield users, and Ebony Mail is one of the best chest pieces for a stealth heavy-armor build. Mehrunes' Razor is weak on paper but the instant kill chance works on almost anything. Oghma Infinium is a free five levels in six skills, so read it when the skills you want are already high.
Wabbajack and the Sanguine Rose are more fun than useful; the Rose is still a solid summon staff early on.
Oblivion Walker and artifact counting
The achievement needs 15 artifacts. Sixteen quests can each give one, but the Skeleton Key and Rueful Axe do not count, and Pieces of the Past, The Taste of Death and Waking Nightmare can be finished without one. Ill Met By Moonlight can give two. The safe plan is to take the Masque, kill Silus, sacrifice Verulus, kill Erandur, and pick up both of Hircine's rewards so you have a spare.
Every artifact here comes from a quest listed on the Daedric quests page, and every shrine is on the shrines map.
On the map: 18 locations
Eastmarch 1
Falkreath Hold 3
Haafingar 3
The Rift 1
Whiterun Hold 1
Skyrim Daedric artifacts: all 19, where they are and what they do: FAQ
How many Daedric artifacts are in Skyrim?
Nineteen in the base game. Because four quests make you choose between two rewards, one character normally ends up with 15 or 16.
What is the best Daedric artifact in Skyrim?
Dawnbreaker for general use, since undead are the most common enemy and it burns them and can turn them. The Black Star is the best utility artifact and Ebony Mail the best armor piece.
Where is Dawnbreaker?
In Kilkreath Temple under the Statue to Meridia, west of Solitude. Kill Malkoran at the bottom of the ruin and Meridia hands you the sword.
Which Daedric artifacts do not count for Oblivion Walker?
The Rueful Axe and the Skeleton Key. You also get nothing if you spare Silus, save Verulus or let Erandur finish his ritual.
Can you get both Azura's Star and The Black Star?
No. You hand the broken star to either Aranea or Nelacar and only that version exists.
What does the Ebony Blade do?
It absorbs health on every hit, starting at 10 points. Killing people who consider you a friend strengthens it in steps up to 30 points absorbed.