Examples of the seven Bandit subtypes
- For bandits in other games, see Bandits.
Bandits are one of the most common enemies encountered across Skyrim. They wield a wide variety of weapons, ranging from bows, one-handed and two-handed melee weapons, and on rare occasions spells. Their apparel varies from light to heavy armor, and always consists of a cuirass and boots (or fur shoes), and may include gauntlets, a helmet, or a shield as well.
Although most bandits are Nords, Orcish bandits and other races are also common. Bandits almost always appear in groups, and often inhabit forts and caves. Bandit groups often set up regular patrols to guard entrances and other key areas, sometimes numbering near a dozen at well-fortified locations. They can also can be encountered traveling along the roads, but it is not as common. Their Solstheim counterparts are the Reavers, who are always Dunmer.
Subtypes
| Name | Level | 
|
|
Stamina | Drop | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bandit | 1 | 35 | 25 | 70 | Melee weapons, bow and arrows, light armor, gold, lockpicks | 1068FE |
| Bandit Outlaw | 5 | 110 | 25 | 85 | Melee weapons, bow and arrows, light armor, gold, lockpicks | 37C2D |
| Bandit Thug | 9 | 235 | 25 | 105 | Melee weapons, bow and arrows, light and heavy armor, gold, lockpicks | 37C2E |
| Bandit Highwayman | 14 | 320 | 24 | 120 | Melee weapons, bow and arrows, light armor, gold, lockpicks | 37C35 |
| Bandit Plunderer | 19 | 400 | 25 | 170 | Melee weapons, bow and arrows, light armor, gold, lockpicks | 37C3C |
| Bandit Marauder | 25 | 490 | 25 | 245 | Melee weapons, bow and arrows, light armor, gold, lockpicks | 37C43 |
| Bandit Chief | 28 | 500 | 25 | 260 | Melee weapons, bow and arrows, heavy armor, gold, lockpicks | E1646 |
Bandit Corpses
| Name | Level |
|
|
Stamina | Drop | Location | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TreasCorpseBanditWoodElfFemale | 1 | 35 | 25 | 70 | Long Bow, Iron Arrows, light armor, gold, lockpicks | Silverdrift Lair, Hag Rock Redoubt, Broken Fang Cave | 000328DC |
Notable Bandits
Known locations
A group of bandits
- Bleak Falls Barrow
- Cragslane Cavern
- Knifepoint Ridge
- Fort Greymoor
- Fort Dunstad
- Fort Hraggstad
- Halted Stream Camp
- Helgen
- Mistwatch
- Redoran's Retreat
- Robber's Gorge
- Silent Moons Camp
- Swindler's Den
- Valtheim Towers
- White River Watch
- Uttering Hills Cave
- Frostmere Crypt
- Bilegulch Mine
- Ravenscar Hollow
- Faldar's Tooth
- Lost Knife Cave, Lost Knife Hideout
- Wreck of the Winter War
- Wreck of The Pride of Tel Vos
- Embershard Mine
- Irkngthand
- Mzinchaleft
- Raldbthar
- Riverwood Folly
- Randomly found on roads throughout Skyrim
- Near Winterhold on the glaciers
Quotes
| Quote | Condition |
|---|---|
| "You picked a bad time to get lost, friend." | Upon initiating combat |
| "Well ain't this a surprise!" | |
| "Time to end this little game." | |
| "Never should have come here!" | |
| "Die already so I can take your stuff!" | |
| "You'll be so much easier to rob you when you're dead!" | |
| "Can't wait to count out your coin..." | |
| "Gonna split your belly like an old woman's purse!" | |
| "Ha, I think you're bleeding!" | |
| "Son of a..." | |
| "I'm gonna wear that tail as a belt!" | If their foe is an Argonian |
| "Tell you what. You start running so I can stab you in the back." | |
| "I'll gut you like a horker!" | Only by bandits in Eastmarch and Winterhold, also said by male Dark Brotherhood Initiate |
| "Die, damn you!" | |
| "Die, Orc filth!" | If their foe is Orsimer |
| "I'm warning you, back off!" | If a foe approaches the bandit but stays out of aggro range. |
| "You remind me of my cousin's cat, killed that one too!" | If their foe is a Khajiit |
| "I'll mount your head on my wall!" | |
| "You're dead! Dead!" | |
| "I'll have your head!" | |
| "That all you've got?" | |
| "Prepare to die!" | |
| "You won't leave here alive!" | |
| "You'll make a fine rug, cat!" | If their foe is a Khajiit |
| "You should have stayed in your precious forests, elf!" | If their foe is a Bosmer |
| "Hurry up and die already, so I can take your stuff!" | |
| "Maybe I was just hearing things." | If the Dragonborn is sneaking and hidden |
| "What was that?" | When a foe is detected while sneaking |
| "Skyrim belongs to the Nords!" | If the bandit is a Nord. Sometimes said even when their foe is a Nord. |
| "You call yourself a Nord?" | If their foe is a Nord |
| "Time to die, hero!" | |
| "You're a disgrace to your own kind!" | |
| "Burn it! Burn the Vampire!" | If their foe is a Vampire |
| "Kill it! Kill the monster!" | If their foe is in Beast Form |
| "Victory or Sovngarde!" | If the bandit is a Nord |
| "No one bests an Orc!" | If the bandit is an Orc |
| "I'll show you what a real Orc can do!" | |
| "Might pay off my bounty this time — walk in to the city a free man." | Only heard when Bandits are not alerted to the Dragonborn's presence. |
| "Should have known she was lying... she said she would wait for me, but they never wait..." | |
| "I'll never do another span in that stinkin' jail. Rather die than give myself up." | |
| "Never enough gold... just need one more good haul." | |
| "...mead, mead, mead... ...kill 'em to get some beer every now and then.. Stupid bees and their stupid honey..." | |
| "*Singing* With three beers down, the Orc did frown, and bid the Elf goodbye, for none could know, 'twas not for show, and someone had to die." | |
| "...picking pockets, now that's the real art... No rough stuff, just take it and go.. hmph, doesn't sound like much fun though..." | |
| "Lying little harlot.. that brat ain't mine, could be anyone's... won't get one rusty septim from me..." | |
| "Hmph, wizards... now that's power.. bet they got that "secret magic".. turn wood into gold.. yeah, wish I could turn wood into gold..." | |
| "*Singing* Once was a woman as fair as an evenin' of a spring-time of Stros M'kai..." | |
| "..kill him... he talks like that to me again... get him while he's sleeping, or poison his meat...see how he likes that..." | |
| "Go to the college, da said. Use your smarts, he said. Idiot, how was I supposed to know what college he meant?" | |
| "So we're just supposed to sit here while Arvel runs off with that golden claw?" | Bleak Falls Barrow Bandits |
| "That Dark elf wants to go ahead, let him. Better than us risking our necks." | |
| "What if Arvel doesn't come back? I want my share from that claw!" | |
| "Just shut it and keep an eye out for trouble." |
Character Model Generation Mechanics
- Bandits are generated with radiant character Base ID or Ref ID, while their base ID can be uncovered in Console Commands by typing
help. - The first two number determines their character type (Bandit Rank), the third letter determines character type (D: class, D: design, E: encounter/radiant).
- The fourth number determines the variant's race (e.g. 6 is always Bosmer) while the fifth one determines facial variants. e.g. 39D67 will always spawn bosmer female.
- While radiant characters' fourth number can be letter as well, this avoids using the same Base ID so the AI won't be bugged.
- All bandits models are generated within the same BaseIDs, therefore their facial features are not entirely generated randomly.
- With the exception of TreasCorpseBanditWoodElfFemale, her Base ID does not follow this rule, although she can still be generated with radiant characters.
Trivia
- A small group of bandits can be found in the wilderness, disguised as Imperial Soldiers. They will try to extort a "fine" from the Dragonborn. They can be found in some random encounters locations. If the Dragonborn is a member of the Imperial Legion, they can say "I'm in the Legion, and I know damn well you're not." This will turn the bandits hostile.
- Bandits may say "Skyrim belongs to the Nords!" even if the Dragonborn is a Nord, and/or if the Bandit that said it is not a Nord.
- Bandits may utter generic greetings if the Dragonborn is successfully defeated.
- If calmed with a calming spell, they can be talked to, however they will only give out generic responses. Making them neutral this way will make it easier, as their pockets can be picked for valuables without having to battle them.
- After installing Dragonborn and having traveled to Solstheim at least once, Skyrim bandit chiefs may start appearing with Nordic Carved Armor and Nordic weapons at higher levels.
- After speaking to one of the Orc Strongholds, an Orc bandit can be caught off guard and spoken to before being detected. He can then be asked to grant "Blood Kinship".
- If a bandit is fighting Shadowmere, they might refer to the horse as "hero".
Bugs
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This section contains bugs related to Bandits (Skyrim). Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following:
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- Bandits may sometimes say things like "Hey, watch it!" or "What is it?" when the Dragonborn is killed.
- If the Dragonborn is killed while they are a werewolf, the bandits will comment on them being naked.
- In rare instances, bandits may respond with neutrality, even when approached, yet they will not engage in dialogue, and, if spoken to too many times, will become hostile.
- Bandits can send hired thugs after the Dragonborn, even if they're dead.
- A bandit may give the Dragonborn a letter of inheritance.