The Draugr Deathlord is one of the strongest kinds of draugr and the creature that most often waits at the very end of a Nordic tomb, standing guard over a Word Wall, a treasure chest or a sealed door. Clad in heavy ancient armor and armed with ebony or honed Nord steel, it backs up its blade with the Thu’um, and few things in Skyrim make you lose your footing quite as often. Seeing one rise from a sarcophagus is a reliable sign the dungeon is nearly over – one way or another.
Variants
| Level | Health | Stamina | Soul |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 1000 | 575 | Greater |
| 40 | 1300 | 625 | Grand |
Both ranks have 10 magicka and deal 25 extra damage. Some Deathlords fight with bows, and the level 40 archer with an ebony bow and ebony arrows is widely considered one of the most dangerous regular enemies in the game. Their helmets closely resemble the Helm of Yngol.
Where to find them
Deathlords start showing up regularly once you reach about level 30, but certain tombs can field one far earlier as their boss:
- Arcwind Point – a high chance of a Deathlord even at low levels.
- Yngol Barrow, Silverdrift Lair and Yngvild – also more likely than usual to have one as the boss at low player levels.
- Saarthal – if Under Saarthal is done above level 15, one stands at the top of two staircases in the heart of the ruin.
- Skuldafn – above level 35 many of the draugr guarding the way to the portal to Sovngarde may be replaced by Deathlords or stronger.
Beyond these, almost any draugr-infested barrow can produce one at higher levels, frequently alongside Draugr Overlords and Hulking Draugr.
Notes
- At level 40 and above, the bow-wielding Deathlords’ Unrelenting Force matches the full-strength version you can learn yourself, enough to knock you flat. A group of them can keep you on the floor almost continuously.
- A rotating Deathlord model appears on some loading screens; very rarely it is swapped for a bare-headed female version.
