Skyrim talk:No Stone Unturned/Archive 2

This is an archive of past Skyrim talk:No Stone Unturned discussions. Do not edit the contents of this page, except for maintenance such as updating links.

College of Winterhold

Do you have to join the college (and follow the questline to a certain spot) to get the stone in the Arch-Mage's quarters, or is there another way in? I'm not playing a mage-type character, and therefore have no interest in joining the college, but would like to gather all the stones, being the obsessive-compulsive pack rat that I am. If you do need to do this, should it be included in the list of things you must do to get all the stones in the main article? — Unsigned comment by Obax (talk • contribs) at 00:04 on 15 February 2012

As far as I know, there is no way to gain access there until near the end of the quest Skyrim:Under_Saarthal. I don't have a lot of knowledge about the place, though. If you play on a PC, then you can use console commands to unlock a door to it. If you need help doing that, please post again here. I am not sure about the following, but it's also possible that if you find the arch-mage, Savos Aren, you might try pickpocketing him to see if he carries a key to his quarters. --JR^{Talk E-mail} 04:03, 15 February 2012 (UTC)

I would say that the quest is designed in such a way that you need to be involved in all Major quests lines(at least to get some progress: DB, Main quest, College). I am pretty much sure that this was intended and so the advice to use console to get one gem is kind of extreme meta-gaming. How the hell you character would know that in Archmage's room you would find this precious gem? Actually, completing Saarthal is needed to finish the Gauldur Amulet quest.--89.23.179.226 19:07, 15 February 2012 (UTC)

Alas, I'm on the xbox, so no console commands for me, even if I was so inclined, which in this case I don't think I would be. I found out about the Gauldur Amulet thing part way through the quest, so unless I give in and join the College, that will be another unfinishable quest. I have to say, I get a little frustrated when miscellaneous quests like these force you into a particular faction-related quest line to finish them. I'm a thief, and have no use for magic, so I would not join the College. It was a thief who gave me the quest, at least offer me a thiefy-type option to get it done. Ok, I'm done my rant... Thanks for the info, though, at least now I know there's only one option for finishing these quests. I just wish I could drop all the stones I have found, all together they're a bit heavy. Obax 00:49, 16 February 2012 (UTC)

Ok, actually this is a perfect example that you may roleplay "pure" mage, or thief, or warrior, but this way is definitely a "variant" play, not intended by developers, and thus you couldn't expect to finish all quests if by RP reason your thief don't want to even start Mage Guild line. Notice that you are not required to become Arch-Mage and moreover you didn't get any magic abilities by completing Saartaal(just explore one middle-sized dungeon). And, yes if you refuse to even touch the mage line then you couldn't reforge the Amulet of the greatest wizard of the past. The quest for collecting Barenziah stones is called "NO STONE UNTURNED" and so if you skip some stones due to a variant Roleplay, it is your choice.--31.128.147.18 15:09, 16 February 2012 (UTC)

I guess you have a point, though there are dragon shouts you can't get without doing certain questlines either, and I don't think the Dragonborn is required to be a mage to come into his/her full power. I'm not against going into the College to get something, but I just don't like that there's only one way to do certain things. I'd be fine if there was an option to break into the College, or even to enter the College legitimately then break into the Arch-Mage's quarters, or something. I'd also be fine if I could choose to drop all those Stones and give up on the quest, but I can't do either of those things. I guess the fact that you have to join the Thieves' Gulild to progress in the quest, and that it was a member of the Thieves' Guild that gave me the info to move on in the quest, and my understanding is the only thing the Crown of Barenziah is good for is to sell to that same thief (ie. it is a Thieve's Guild quest), then why can't I thief my way through it? Especially because, so far as I know, you're not required to join the Companions and pretend to be a warrior to finish any non-Companion-related quests or get any shouts (I'm admitting right now I may be wrong about that, I just haven't encountered it so far). In the end, I guess my point is a moot one anyway, since this is how the quest was done and I can either choose to be a mage-thief and get the Crown, or choose to be a thief and haul around the Stones until the day I die. Obax 23:59, 17 February 2012 (UTC)

In my opinion these stones is primarily a thief quest but not for a "pure" thief but an actual TES thief who enetering each hole and join each group just to get some secrets, and thus profit. And yes, such a thief should be quite a proficient in magic at least in Illusion, maybe Conjuration, other schools as a support. Most of locations of the stones come up during Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood quest lines. It may be arguable that you couldn't break in into Arch-Mage residence but on the other hand how the hell a pure thief who doesn't use magic could enter a room which maybe even not a usual room (actual geometry of Arch-Mage quarters, the Arcaneum, and the Hall of Elements is such that maybe it was supposed to be portals not usual doors).--31.128.139.4 16:55, 18 February 2012 (UTC)

Is it possible to get into the College via the cave that exits at the bottom of the pillar of stone upon which the College sits, and leads to the Midden? Which, if you can steal the key from the Arch Mage, might allow access without joining the College? I just discovered this cave, and while it's difficult to jump up onto the ledge to get to the entrance to the Midden, some article somewhere mentions that it is possible (I haven't managed to do it myself, but I also didn't try very hard, since I already gave in and joined the College, if only to be able to free up that inventory space by completing the No Stone Unturned quest). I guess I can see all the points about needing to join the College as valid(ish), but I still think that, for quests like this, you should have to option to drop these quest items, and thus choose to not complete a quest because playing whatever role you choose prevents you from doing so (as one could do if this was real life). Rather than making quest items undroppable, maybe they should be marked as such, so players can make conscious decisions about what to do with this, that, or the other thing (at least in future games?) I've definitely had the frustration of loosing an item required for the main quest in Morrowind, making it uncompletable, but if I knew it was a quest item I would've stored it for future use, rather than dropped it somewhere random. Obax 15:50, 1 May 2012 (UTC)

I thought that quest items weighed nothing? I know it says that they take up weight, but I thought that they didn't actually do so? And also, I thought of the idea to jump through to the Midden and get into the College that way as well. I'm pretty sure you're able to get into the College, but even if you could, all doors to the Arch-Mages quarters are locked until the Saarthal related quest is completed, unfortunately. I got stuck in the same predicament recently, where I was trying to play an only thief character, but was forced to join the College. Think of it as an intense roleplay, I guess, forcing the thief to deceive the mages and lie his/her way into gaining the trust, at which point he/she's able to steal the stone. ArmedCrusader 04:33, 18 July 2012 (UTC)

Display bug

I am a member of the thieves guild and somewhere halfway all the quest for it. Now the problem is that the quest objective "Become a full member of the Thieves Guild" is still active. This objective is located under "No stone unturned; Find al 24 stones".

I have one question: Will the whole quest objective dissapear when I find the 24 stones, find the crown and give it to Vex even if "Become a full member of the Thieves Guild" isn't so called completed?

Retrieved from "http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim_talk:No_Stone_Unturned" — Unsigned comment by Matthijs Defour (talk • contribs) at 19:36 on 7 June 2012

Yes the objective disappears. This usually occurs if you talk to Maul after joining the Guild, and before talking to Vex. The Silencer has spoken^Talk 18:48, 7 June 2012 (UTC)

Most likely to be missed?

I've got one more gem to find, and am facing the prospect of visiting every possible location until I find the one I missed, since I wasn't smart enough to keep track of which gems I've already found. I know I've gotten all the ones located in cities, including the one in the College of Winterhold. Is there one particular gem that might qualify as 'most likely to be missed' on an average dungeon delving expedition, ie. where you're not specifically looking for a gem or aware it's even there? Obax 17:00, 18 June 2012 (UTC)

I missed the one in Sunderstone Gorge, since it was somewhat hidden by two bodies that were on the stone table with it. --Xyzzy 17:20, 18 June 2012 (UTC)

Same here, though I would point to Black-Briar lodge and Stony Creek cave as well. The Silencer speaks^Talk 17:30, 18 June 2012 (UTC)

Strangely, all those were high on my list of 'gems I'm pretty sure I already got', though Sunderstone Gorge was also high on my list of 'I could be wrong about that'. And Sunderstone Gorge was the place, thanks for the help! Obax 18:10, 18 June 2012 (UTC)

For anyone else still missing one in the future, try the Whiterun Catacombs; that was my last one. It's by the feet of a skeleton almost hidden by candles in a corner; I only found it my third time in there. 67.209.65.163 04:55, 27 August 2012 (UTC)

i dont understand something.

i was wondering if any one could help me out with this. now ive looked up every location of the unusual gem and i have gone to every location multiple times just to dubble check. but my game still says i have 23 stones. and i was wondering if they could be marked as stolen and then taken from you when your cought by a guard. i cant seem to find out why i cant find this last gem. its either been marked as stolen and taken from me or my game is just gliching and one of the gems is just not showing up. ive spent hours looking for this last stone. and i was wondering if any one has come across the same problem. — Unsigned comment by 97.81.226.172 (talk) at 22:07 on 23 June 2012

I had the same problem, until I returned to Sunderstone Gorge. The gem there is semi-hidden next to 2 bodies on a stone altar in front of the word wall. It's kinda easy to miss. I was arrested several times with multiple Gems in my inventory, and never had one confiscated. I don't think that can happen. --Xyzzy 05:40, 24 June 2012 (UTC)

Need a work around.

I am missing one of the stones. I have done the quest many times on multiple characters. I have TRIPLE checked all stone locations save for the ones in town, of which I am CERTAIN have been obtained. After spending two days searching for the missing one. After a few hours of searching on google I believe there may be another way. on this site no doubt =]

Under the BUGS section it says.....

"[ On the PS3, the run through walls glitch can be used in Tolvald's Crossing, to obtain the Crown of Barenziah. This will update the quest log and advance you past collecting the stones. At the location of the cave-in, you have to use a platter to get through and back; therefore, bring at least two. Plates will not work. ]"

I do not know about running through walls, as I dont know how. Is it perhaps possible to use conjuration to get a draugr to use a shout to get me threw a wall. Getting the crown would get the quest done. ANY help getting this quest done would be most appreciated. ANY ideas to further this also would be. I ask no suggestions to recheck plaes as its been done many times. — Unsigned comment by 68.238.152.79 (talk) at 12:48 on 26 June 2012 (UTC)

I do not know this run through walls glitch for PS3 well enought to write something like that myself, but if I understand you correctly, you are suggesting someone should write a more detailed description of the use of the run through walls glitch for PS3 under this bullet point on the wiki page? --MortenOSlash 17:42, 28 June 2012 (UTC)

This JUST WORKED for me. Another comment about using whirlwind sprint made me think: I lined up my platter on the blocked wall, kept running towards it to keep myself pressed against it, then Sprinted. It blew me through the wall. Apparently has to be lined up just right. Took me 3 tries with my spare platter to get out. Husbands game: he can't get behind wall on Nightmare deadric quest in dawnstar. Will try this move OUT. YAY!!!!! — Unsigned comment by 24.100.100.44 (talk) at 02:50 on 29 August 2012

I was able to breeze through the "cave-in" to obtain the Crown of Barenziah via the plate glitch (using v1.06 on PS3) but spent hours trying to get myself out... I reloaded saves around 10 times and reloaded before going through the wall initially (around 5 times) to see if I could do it again just as easily and it was very easy. My point is that going through to get the Crown of Barenziah was the easy part, getting back through was a headache that I just gave up on. If someone can contribute a video link or a better description of getting back through the wall with the crown recently obtained, I would be very grateful. — Unsigned comment by 67.142.173.22 (talk) at 18:16 on 31 August 2012

Name

Is it worth mentioning that in Oblivion there was a quest with the same name?--Skyrimplayer 15:52, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

I don't think so. It's a pretty common phrase. --Xyzzy^Talk 17:02, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Ok.I was just thinking that the quest had you collecting notes on Welkynd stones.--Skyrimplayer 17:14, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

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