Dwarven Bow

A mid-tier Dwemer-metal bow with 12 base damage, sold and looted from level 12 and found in Dwemer ruins.

The Dwarven Bow is a sturdy, bronze-coloured bow made from salvaged Dwemer metal. With 12 base damage it is a clear upgrade over the hunting and Orcish bows, though its slower draw and 10 weight remind you it is built from machine parts rather than yew.

It slots into the Dwarven tier of smithing, so archers who already wear Dwarven Armor can forge one with the same perk and a couple of Dwarven metal ingots. For a stealthy archer in the middle levels it is a reliable choice before moving on to Elven or Glass.

Stats

Type Bow
Skill Archery
Material Dwarven
Damage 12
Weight 10
Value 270 gold
Speed 0.75
Stagger 0
Critical damage 6
Add-on Base game
Item ID 00013995

Where to find

  • Unenchanted ones start appearing at level 12, enchanted ones at level 13.
  • Sold by blacksmiths and general goods merchants, carried by various NPCs and found as random loot.
  • Dwemer ruins are a good place to look.
  • Fixed spots: on a table past the hallway in Avanchnzel (Animoncultory), and on a table in Movarth’s Lair.

Crafting and upgrading

Crafting at a forge: 1 × Iron Ingot, 2 × Dwarven Metal Ingot. Requires the Dwarven Smithing Smithing perk.

Improving at a grindstone: 1 × Dwarven Metal Ingot. The Arcane Blacksmith perk doubles the improvement.

Compared with other bows

Base stats of all regular (unenchanted) bows in Skyrim, weakest first:

Weapon Damage Weight Value
Long Bow 6 5 30
Hunting Bow 7 7 50
Ancient Nord Bow 8 12 45
Imperial Bow 9 8 90
Orcish Bow 10 9 150
Nord Hero Bow 11 7 200
Dwarven Bow 12 10 270
Falmer Bow 12 15 135
Forsworn Bow 12 11 145
Elven Bow 13 12 470
Nordic Bow 13 11 580
Supple Ancient Nord Bow 14 18 235
Falmer Supple Bow 15 20 410
Glass Bow 15 14 820
Ebony Bow 17 16 1440
Stalhrim Bow 17 15 1800
Daedric Bow 19 18 2500
Dragonbone Bow 20 20 2725

Tips and notes

  • Improve it at a grindstone with a Dwarven metal ingot; the Dwarven Smithing perk doubles the gain.
  • Zephyr is a unique Dwarven bow from Dawnguard, found on a log over a cliff in Arkngthamz.
  • The Dwarven Black Bow of Fate is a black-coloured unique version from Dragonborn, waiting at the end of Kagrumez.

Stats from the Skyrim LE 1.9 master files (Skyrim.esm, record DwarvenBow). Values are base values before perks, smithing improvements and enchantments.

Quest reward from

Characters linked to this weapon

Where it appears

Avanchnzel in Skyrim: Dwemer citadel-library west of Riften with automatons, centurions, deadly traps and the ghostly story of the stolen lexicon.
Movarth’s Lair in Skyrim: vampire cave north of Morthal – Movarth Piquine, Laid to Rest, thralls, Movarth’s Boots, an alchemy lab and a skill book.
Sources checked: Skyrim game files (WEAP + COBJ records), Fandom Elder Scrolls wiki

Dwarven Bow

Type
Material
Damage
12
Weight
10
Value
270 gold
Enchantment
Upgrade with
Smithing perk
Arcane Blacksmith, Dwarven Smithing
How to get
Crafted, Looted, Bought
Where

Forge it with Dwarven Smithing, buy it from merchants, or loot it from level 12 onward. Fixed copies lie in Avanchnzel and Movarth’s Lair.

Game
Item ID
00013995