Do Briarhearts have a perk that can one-shot you?

[fluffy]

Even on novice i can die from a single hit from these lunatics.

It seems pretty random since each hit in a flurry takes around 20% of my health, then after healing up i can suddenly die from a single strike.

[raubrey]

I tend to avoid them until I'm leveled up a bit or have good armor and frost resist. If I'm a Nord, or even tankier build, I can take them on earlier -- though you might be talking arrows. I find the ice spikes in the area pretty deadly too.

I don't know the numbers but on countless replays, I say they are more difficult to contend with than most the mobs. Life is much better with a kill-move prevention mod, be it them or a few other NPCs.

Oh and I try to take on a Briarheart seperately. It can be too much to deal with him, his hag and anyone else.

[Mytheos]

@OP

There is a weird bug, to where if you die, then let the game load...sometimes it gives the NPCs double perks.

Which makes them insanely hard...as their perks tend to be things like 3x damage that changes to 6x damage etc.

So if you die, just load your save manually, maybe even twice.

[One Eye Jack]

Briarhearts are pretty bad to the bone. I wait till my guy is as bad or badder before I fight them.

[fluffy]

Originally posted by Mytheos:

@OP

There is a weird bug, to where if you die, then let the game load...sometimes it gives the NPCs double perks.

Which makes them insanely hard...as their perks tend to be things like 3x damage that changes to 6x damage etc.

So if you die, just load your save manually, maybe even twice.

Thanks, didn't know that. Even so, the one-shots are random. I survive multiple hits, then die from full health (~300 health) in one blow within the same load.

[Mytheos]

Originally posted by 1hp:

Originally posted by Mytheos:

@OP

There is a weird bug, to where if you die, then let the game load...sometimes it gives the NPCs double perks.

Which makes them insanely hard...as their perks tend to be things like 3x damage that changes to 6x damage etc.

So if you die, just load your save manually, maybe even twice.

Thanks, didn't know that. Even so, the one-shots are random. I survive multiple hits, then die from full health in one blow within the same load.

Sometimes enemies use different gear...could be a steel axe or an ebony type situation.

Or you could have input lag caused by vsync etc so you thought you blocked that power attack...but really didnt.

I modded out much of the BS, and dont use any vsync, but on Legendary with combat mods, you can experience that fairly often on harder enemies...few normal swings might hurt but a solid unblocked power attack can drop you, until you get your character better developed.

Also poisons could have been invovled.

[fluffy]

Originally posted by Mytheos:

Originally posted by 1hp:

Thanks, didn't know that. Even so, the one-shots are random. I survive multiple hits, then die from full health in one blow within the same load.

Sometimes enemies use different gear...could be a steel axe or an ebony type situation.

Or you could have input lag caused by vsync etc so you thought you blocked that power attack...but really didnt.

No blocking. To put it into perspective, it seems like they're wielding Mehrune's Razor when they don't. Any hit in the dual-wield flurry could eat up my entire health even though i can take a full combo normally and survive.

Edit: I've been searching up their perks, and there's nothing out of the ordinary. The most reasonable conclusion i can come up with is critical hits.
The higher levelled ones have Bladesman 3 with 20% chance of +50% critical damage.

[Mytheos]

Originally posted by 1hp:

Originally posted by Mytheos:

Sometimes enemies use different gear...could be a steel axe or an ebony type situation.

Or you could have input lag caused by vsync etc so you thought you blocked that power attack...but really didnt.

No blocking. To put it into perspective, it seems like they're wielding Mehrune's Razor when they don't. Any hit in the dual-wield flurry could eat up my entire health even though i can take a full combo normally and survive.

The enemy levels vary quite a bit too, some are super easy, other are lol WTF???

So unless you are saying you load...see a single enemy, use your console to check their levels, HP etc...then fight them and they hit you several times and you're ok...

Then you load, check again with it being the same, and then the same enemy hits you once and you die...

[Mytheos]

@OP

Not at all sure how crits work for NPCs, but if its the same as for players...I can assure you that isnt it...

[fluffy]

Originally posted by Mytheos:

Originally posted by 1hp:

No blocking. To put it into perspective, it seems like they're wielding Mehrune's Razor when they don't. Any hit in the dual-wield flurry could eat up my entire health even though i can take a full combo normally and survive.

The enemy levels vary quite a bit too, some are super easy, other are lol WTF???

So unless you are saying you load...see a single enemy, use your console to check their levels, HP etc...then fight them and they hit you several times and you're ok...

Then you load, check again with it being the same, and then the same enemy hits you once and you die...

No loading.
Example: I take a combo, heal up, eat another combo, heal up again, BOOM - instakill.

The one-hit can be from any of the 3(?) hits in the dual-wield combo

[fluffy]

I didn't keep a save unfortunately, but will test some more the next time i encounter a Briarmaniac.

[Mytheos]

Originally posted by 1hp:

I didn't keep a load unfortunately, but will test some more the next time i encounter a Briarmaniac.

I cant remember I havent killed any yet for SSE...but I thought they could use poisons, and like the falmers, those poisons can wreck you.

So keep an eye on that as well.

[fluffy]

He was wielding a forsworn sword + a forsworn axe. He has Blademaster 3 (crit) as well as Hack and Slash 3 which applies stackable bleed with axes.

Stacked bleed combined with a critical hit seems reasonable enough. Add poison on top of that and you have a very deadly combo.

[Mytheos]

Originally posted by 1hp:

He was wielding a forsworn sword + a forsworn axe. He has Blademaster 3 (crit) as well as Hack and Slash 3 which applies stackable bleed with axes.

Stacked bleed compined with a critical hit seems reasonable enough. Add poison on top of that and you have a very deadly combo.

The bleeds are very low damage...

And if they have their crits handled the same as the player...which it would seem if it lists them as having Blademaster 3/3...then crits only add the BASE damage of the weapon.

Which base damage for that sword is probably 10 damage

[MysticMalevolence]

Well, dual wielding enemies have an insane damage output.

Try pickpocketing his heart.