Nightingale Armor is the hooded, shadow-dark uniform of the Nightingales, Nocturnal’s secret guardians within the Thieves Guild. It is light armor with mid-to-late-game protection: the cuirass has 34 armor, more than Scaled but below Glass. Its real strength is its enchantments – every piece does something useful for a stealthy fighter.
How to get it
You earn the set during the Thieves Guild questline. In Trinity Restored, Karliah brings you to Nightingale Hall, where you put on the armor and swear yourself to Nocturnal. It cannot be crafted or bought.
The three tiers: the set is leveled, and the version you receive depends on your level when Trinity Restored begins. At levels 1–18 you get the first tier, at 19–31 the second, and at 32 or above the best one. Armor ratings and weights are identical across tiers – only the enchantments grow:
- Hood – Illusion spells cost 12% / 15% / 17% less.
- Armor – +20 / +30 / +40 Stamina and 15% / 30% / 50% Frost Resistance.
- Gloves – One-handed attacks do 15% / 20% / 25% more damage, and lockpicking is 15% / 20% / 25% easier.
- Boots – the same in every tier: the wearer is muffled and moves silently.
Since the tier is locked once you get it, patient players delay the quest until level 32.
Is it worth wearing?
For a stealth build, absolutely. Total armor is 69 for 18 weight, which is fair for light armor, and the top-tier enchantments cover damage, stamina, frost protection and silent movement in one go – that frees up your own enchanting for other slots. The cuirass is unusually heavy for light armor (12 units), and the protection eventually trails Glass or Dragonscale, but few sets bring this much utility. Combine it with the Nightingale Blade or Nightingale Bow for the full look.
Good to know
- Tempering requires Void Salts and the Arcane Blacksmith perk.
- The Matching Set perk adds a bonus when all four pieces are worn.
- Guards sometimes comment on the unusual armor.
Set pieces
| Piece | Slot | Armor | Weight | Value | Enchantment | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nightingale Hood | Head | 15 | 2 | 450 | Illusion spells cost 12% less to cast. | 0005DB88 |
| Nightingale Armor | Body | 34 | 12 | 900 | Increases your stamina by 20 points.; Increases Frost Resistance by 15%. | 0005DB86 |
| Nightingale Gloves | Hands | 10 | 2 | 190 | Lockpicking is 15% easier.; One-handed attacks do 15% more damage. | 0005DB87 |
| Nightingale Boots | Feet | 10 | 2 | 190 | Wearer is muffled and moves silently. | 0005DB85 |
| Nightingale Hood | Head | 15 | 2 | 450 | Illusion spells cost 15% less to cast. | 000FCC13 |
| Nightingale Armor | Body | 34 | 12 | 900 | Increases your stamina by 30 points.; Increases Frost Resistance by 30%. | 000FCC0E |
| Nightingale Gloves | Hands | 10 | 2 | 190 | Lockpicking is 20% easier.; One-handed attacks do 20% more damage. | 000FCC10 |
| Nightingale Hood | Head | 15 | 2 | 450 | Illusion spells cost 17% less to cast. | 000FCC12 |
| Nightingale Armor | Body | 34 | 12 | 900 | Increases your stamina by 40 points.; Increases Frost Resistance by 50%. | 000FCC0F |
| Nightingale Gloves | Hands | 10 | 2 | 190 | Lockpicking is 25% easier.; One-handed attacks do 25% more damage. | 000FCC11 |
Full set totals
- Nightingale Armor – tier 1 – helmet, cuirass, gauntlets and boots: 69 armor, 18 weight, 1730 gold.
- Nightingale Armor – tier 2 – helmet, cuirass, gauntlets and boots: 69 armor, 18 weight, 1730 gold.
- Nightingale Armor – tier 3 – helmet, cuirass, gauntlets and boots: 69 armor, 18 weight, 1730 gold.
Crafting and upgrades
This set can’t be forged by the player – you have to find, buy or earn the pieces.
Improve (temper) the pieces at a workbench with Void Salts.
Stats from the Skyrim game files (Skyrim.esm and the official add-ons): base armor rating, weight and value before Smithing improvements and perks. The ID is the item’s form ID for the console.