Skyrim Imperial race guide
Disciplined soldiers and healers who find extra gold wherever they go.
- Also called
- Imperial
- +10 skill
- Restoration (starts at 25)
- +5 skills
- Block, Destruction, Enchanting, Heavy Armor, One-handed (start at 20)
- Power
- Voice of the Emperor — Calm nearby people for 60 seconds, once a day
- Passive
- Imperial Luck: find more gold
- Starting attributes
- 100 health · 100 magicka · 100 stamina
Best builds for a Imperial
Looking at the starting bonuses, the Imperial gets 15 points of bonuses in warrior skills, 20 in mage skills and 0 in thief skills. That makes it a natural fit for a mage build, with Restoration as its strongest early skill.
Remember that the starting bonuses fade in importance as you level. A skill that starts at 25 instead of 15 saves you only a few hours of play. The racial power, Voice of the Emperor, stays with you for the whole game, so pick a race whose power you will actually use.
Comparing the Imperial with other races
See the race comparison table for every race's bonuses side by side, or try the Imperial in the build planner to see how its bonuses change the level your build needs.
Imperial FAQ
What skills does the Imperial start with?
Imperials start with Restoration at 25, Block, Destruction, Enchanting, Heavy Armor, One-handed at 20, and every other skill at 15.
What is the Imperial racial power?
Voice of the Emperor: Calm nearby people for 60 seconds, once a day.
What build is the Imperial best for?
The Imperial's bonuses lean toward mage skills, so it suits mage builds best, but any race can play any build in Skyrim.
What passive abilities do Imperials have?
Imperial Luck: find more gold.