Ebony Smithing Perk
| Ebony Smithing | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Skill Requirement | 80 |
| Perk Requirement | Orcish Smithing |
| Tempering Material | Ebony Ingot |
| Improvement | Doubled |
| Perk ID | 000CB412 |
Ebony Smithing sits near the top of the heavy branch of the Smithing tree in Skyrim. It requires skill level 80 and the Orcish Smithing perk, and it lets you forge ebony armour and weapons while doubling what they gain from tempering.
Ebony is the last tier before Daedric Smithing, and it is also its prerequisite, so nobody reaches Daedric gear without passing through here first.
What Ebony Smithing Unlocks
- Ebony armour and weapons at any forge.
- Doubled improvement on ebony equipment, which is worked with Ebony Ingots smelted from ebony ore.
- Stalhrim armour and weapons, if you have the Dragonborn add-on and have completed the quest A New Source of Stalhrim.
- Madness armour and weapons from Creation Club.
Ebony ore is mined at a handful of locations, Gloombound Mine in the Orc stronghold of Narzulbur being the largest, and it also turns up reliably from vendors once your character is high enough level for their stock to scale.
Ebony Versus Daedric
Ebony weapons are only a little behind Daedric ones, and the same ingot improves both, so a smith sitting at level 80 is already close to the practical ceiling of the branch. Daedric equipment adds ten more skill levels and needs a Daedra Heart for every piece forged, which is the real cost of the final tier.
Stalhrim is the reason many players take this perk even when they have no interest in ebony itself. Stalhrim weapons carry a built-in bonus to frost damage enchantments, which makes them a strong pairing with frost damage gear.
Smelting
Ebony ingots serve both this tier and Daedric equipment above it, so nothing is wasted by stockpiling them. Each ingot needs:
- Ebony Ore (2)
Smelting is not governed by the Smithing skill itself, so it grants no experience; only forging and tempering do.
Tempering Quality
Skill needed to reach each tier, with and without the perk.
| Quality | No perk | With perk |
|---|---|---|
| Fine | 14 | 14 |
| Superior | 31 | 22 |
| Exquisite | 65 | 40 |
| Flawless | 100 | 57 |
| Epic | 134 | 74 |
| Legendary | 168 | 91 |
Also Unlocked
| Set | Source |
|---|---|
| Stalhrim | Dragonborn |
| Madness | Creation Club |
Smithing Perk Categories
