Whoever constantly notes Gathrik can appear as dragon priest, this is dead wrong.
If i should be wrong here in any case, people should add a screenshot of said 'dragon priest gathrik'.
Interesting, what triggers gathrik to be a dragon priest?
I'm a level 63, and I can tell you for a fact that Warlord Gathrik was a dragon priest for me! I remember this because when I killed him at a distance I was excited because I wasn't sure if he would drop one of those Masks. His corpse is that of a dragon priest.
Alright after a long time of doubting it, i totally stand corrected, Gathrik was a dragon priest for me too with my lvl 43 character. Seems to be somewhat random at a certain level , with lvl 52 he was the usual Deathlord killing machine.
Corrected the information about gathriks weaponry. trivia section added.Acran(talk) 06:05, August 22, 2012 (UTC)
For Gathrik (Deathlord), mages or non-armor characters will want to keep their distance since Gathrik deals considerable damage, circling or 'kiting' him while casting destruction spells on him. Summoned Atronachs help distracting him but don't last long enough to be of real help. If you feel brave enough you can circle around him with a Frost Cloak spell on yourself, which will drain his stamina very quickly until he falls 'tired' or rather paralyzed to the ground, giving you no problems at all.
For Gathrik (Deathlord), Fighters/Spellswords may utilize weapons with 'Absorb Stamina' or 'Damage Stamina' to tire him quickly, as it is more likely for you to empty his stamina before his health reaches zero, also recommended are enchanted weapons, but not frost damage since all draugr share a resistance to that damage type. Additionally spellswords may use Frost Cloak too, to have him unable to retaliate (stamina drain occurs regardless of frost resistance). You should also keep in mind to have a good armor rating and/or health pool.
Archers may want to use the guerrilla tactic against him, using enchanted bows for extra damage.
Use "Unrelenting Force" to stagger him, in case he gets too close or the situation gets out of hand.
The Slow Time shout can give you extra breathing time but only temporary, and be warned since the Slow time recharge is long, it will take a while until the next shout so stack up on potions or just continue keeping your distance. The Become Ethereal shout can also help you gain distance away from him.
Warlord Gathrik as Deathlord is, by all means, the most powerful Draugr in Skyrim with his high damage output and health points.
For Gathrik (Dragon Priest), he seems to favor spells including Ice Spike, which can be used from range. Hence, its recommended to have a high frost resistance or use potions to improve it.
When I defeated Warlord Gathrik, my Orcish War Axe gained a symbol of a snaked wrapped around an arrow outlined in green. Does anyone know what this symbol means?