¶ Overview
Bards College Expansion adds several new Shouts, a Shout enhancement system, and a method of chaining and combining shouts that enables a Shout-centric combat style. This section will outline the details of these various systems.
¶ New Shouts
Several new shouts are introduced, some of them directly during the questline, and others that can be found optionally by making use of Tyriana's services to find tablets which can be used in Sanctuary at the lecturn to learn additional Words of Power.
¶ Earthsong
Earthsong causes a large rock to burst out of the ground where the shout hits, dealing damage and knocking back enemies. If the player aims it below them, the rock lifts them up, acting as a platform the player can stand on for a short period of time to attack enemies from or reach higher places.
Each additional word used increases the size and impact strength of the rock.
For a really fun time, players can try to time a jump just as the rock lifts them up to launch themselves high into the air. Warning that gravity still applies and the fall can kill!
This Shout is made up of the words Golz, Nin, Alok - which translates to Rock, Pierce, Rise. The first word of Earthsong is gained during the quest Echoes.
If the player correctly identified the thief during the quest "Music, Merriment, and Muckrakers" they will also learn the 2nd word at this point (Sledrig explains during the quest the story reason for this additional learning), otherwise, the 2nd word is available by making use of Tyriana's services, the same way the third word can be found.
¶ Sanctum's Resonance
Sanctum's Resonance teleports the player to Sanctuary at the lecturn. If the player uses the Shout while in Sanctuary or Sanctuary's exit portal, it will instead return them to the place they last used this Shout. If the player has never used the Shout outside of Sanctuary, it will place them near the original entry point in Sledrig's chambers.
All three words of the Shout must be used for it to function.
This Shout is made up of the words Aak, Golt, Bo - which translates to Guidance, Ground, Flow.
After the end of the quest Of Songs and Shouts, Sledrig will reveal the location of the first word's tablet, and Tyriana's services can be used to reveal the locations of the other two.
¶ Spectral Rift
Spectral Rift prevents impacted targets from Shouting for a short time, including Dragons.
The more words used, the longer the effect lasts.
This Shout is made up of the words Suum, Gro, Kren - which translates to Inner-Spirit, Bound, Break. These are all learned from tablets, which can be found via by Tyriana's services.
¶ Phantom Form
Phantom Form summons an ethereal clone of the player to fight by their side for a short while.
The more words used, the longer the phantom clone lasts.
This Shout is made up of the words Fiik, Lo, Sah - which translates to Mirror, Deceive, Phantom. Each of these Words can be found on a Word Wall hidden behind a door that can be opened by using an Enhanced Unrelenting Force shout on them.
- Sanctuary: Above and behind the skill mural is a path the player can walk. The door is at the back center of this path.
- Stonesong Grotto: After finishing the dungeon, the loopback path* will eventually fork, with one direction leading to the entrance, and the other to the door. On either side of the door are orangish Word runes for Fus, Roh, Dah to hint to the player that's how they can open it.
- Chillwater Hollow: Similar to Stonesong Grotto, this is found in the loopback path*. This door also has runes for Fus, Roh, Dah nearby.
* "loopback path" refers to the fact that most Skyrim dungeons (including the two mentioned here) are designed in a loop so that at some point after the boss, a path is revealed that leads the player back to the entrance.
The words, word walls, and voice for these shouts were cut content from the base game. Bards College Expansion created unique functionality that felt in-line with what could be discerned about the intended shout from what content was still in the game files.
Spoiler warning - the remaining shouts will spoil major elements of the main quest, click to expand and read about them.
Call VolgaafsonaanThis shout is gifted to the player during the quest Requiem, if Volgaafsonaan survived during the quest A Dragon's Dirge.
TODO - More intel
Summon Sledrig
This shout is gifted to the player during the quest Requiem, if Sledrig survived during the quest A Dragon's Dirge.
TODO - More intel
¶ Shout Enhancements
During the quest Of Songs and Shouts, the player will be introduced to using Crystals to enhance Shouts. The explanation for how this can be done can be found in the quest walkthrough, as well as in the Sanctuary guide.
Players can disable the Enhancments by removing the corresponding Resonant Crystal from their inventory - such as storing it in a container, or dropping it completely.
Resonant Crystals are extremely rare, though players with the Glass Smithing perk can learn to create more.
Below is a table describing all of the Enhancements that are available from Bards College Expansion.
The Shout Enhancement system is designed to be injected to by other authors (click here for a tutorial). Alternative Enhancements for Shouts, or Enhancements for Shouts that Bards College Expansion is unaware of (such as those from mods) can be built and injected into the system!
| Shout | Enhancement | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Allegiance | Animal Soulbond | Summons a spirit version of one of the animals affected by the Shout to fight for the player while Animal Allegiance is active. |
| Aura Whisper | Lingering Whisper | Increases the duration of Aura Whisper by 20 seconds. |
| Battle Fury | Battle Fervor | Increases the health of the player's Allies by 30% while Battle Fury is active. |
| Become Ethereal | Ethereal Renewal | The player's health will regenerate while Become Ethereal is active. |
| Bend Will | Break Will | As long as no other shouts are used, Bend Will's target will remain loyal to the player indefinitely. |
| Call Dragon | Channel Dragon | The player will deal 30% more Fire damage while the dragon they summoned (Odahviing) is in the area. |
| Call Of Valor | Army of Valor | Summon all three heroes of Sovngarde when using Call of Valor, but for half the duration. |
| Clear Skies | Rejuvenating Skies | The player and their allies regenerate Stamina at an increased rate while Clear Skies is active. |
| Cyclone | Cyclonicist | Cyclone applies Whirlwind Cloak to the caster. |
| Disarm | Dispossess | The opponent's weapon will be pulled directly to the player's inventory when disarmed. |
| Dismay | Disarray | Dramatically increases the level cap for affected enemies that will flee (ie. less enemies will resist the effects). |
| Dragon Aspect | Dragon Incarnate | The player's attack damage is increased by 10/15/20% while Dragon Aspect is active. |
| Dragonrend | Dragonbane | Dragonrend decreases affected dragons' armor and magic resistances. |
| Drain Vitality | Absorb Vitality | Half the resources absorbed are transferred to the player. |
| Earthsong | Earth Crescendo | Earthsong's stones explode when destroyed, damaging anyone (other than the player) nearby. |
| Elemental Fury | Elemental Haste | Increases movement speed while Elemental Fury is active. |
| Fire Breath | Deep Fire Breath | Increases Fire Breath's damage by 10/20/30%. |
| Frost Breath | Deep Frost Breath | Increases Frost Breath's damage by 10/20/30%. |
| Ice Form | Ice Lunette | Damage dealt to enemies affected by Ice Form is doubled. |
| Kyne's Peace | Kyne's Aura | Animals affected by Kyne's Peace will follow the player. |
| Marked for Death | Marked for Eternity | Enemies affected by Marked for Death also have Soul Trap applied to them. |
| Phantom Form | Phantom Bond | Damage done by the Phantom clone is transferred to the player as Health. |
| Sanctum's Resonance | Sanctum's Snare | Sanctum's Resonance will no longer be canceled if the player is taking damage, meaning it can be used to escape combat. |
| Slow Time | Distort Time | Nearby projectiles are destroyed when Slow Time is used. |
| Soul Tear | Soul Grasp | Hitting enemies with Soul Tear restores the charge of the player's equipped enchanted weapon(s). |
| Spectral Rift | Spectral Shatter | Increases the duration of Spectral Rift's effect by 33/66/100%. |
| Storm Call | Storm Channel | The player and their allies do additional shock damage with melee weapons while Storm Call is active. |
| Summon Durnehviir | Channel Durnehviir | While Durnehviir is present, the player's maximum summons is increased by 1. |
| Throw Voice | Throw Fus | Throw Voice will also place an Unrelenting Force Rune where it impacts. |
| Unrelenting Force | Unrelenting Echo | The lesser versions of the Shout follow the first shortly after. If the player uses Fus Roh, Fus will follow a moment later. If they use Fus Roh Dah, Fus Roh will follow a momement later, and then Fus a moment after that. Each echo is fired wherever the player is aiming at the time it fires, allowing hitting 2 or 3 different targets. |
| Whirlwind Sprint | Whirlwind Rush | Whirlwind Sprint grants a speed bonus of 30/40/50% for 3 seconds. |
Spoiler warning - the remaining enhancement names/descriptions will spoil major elements of the main quest, click to expand and read about them.
Call Volgaafsonaan Enhancement: Volgaafsonaan, Thoughtbinder - When Volgaafsonaan arrives, he takes control of a nearby enemy and turns it against its allies.Summon Sledrig Enhancement: Sledrig, Dragonhunter - The summon of Sledrig's Echo will deal 100% additional damage to dragons.
¶ Chanting
During the quest Of Songs and Shouts, the player will be taught about Chanting, and given a new weapon called a Cadence Rod.
A Chant is a set of three shouts that can be used one after the other. On the third shout, the power of the previous two is repeated, creating a powerful three-in-one effect.
Once a Chant is equipped, alongside the Cadence Rod, if the player uses the first Shout in the trio, an effect will circle the player and a sound will loop. The player then has a few seconds to cast the next Shout to continue the Chant. If they fail to do so before the effect and sound dissipate, the Chant does not continue building towards the final effect.
If the player uses the second Shout in time, the effect and sound will become more pronounced, starting a new short timer window for the final Shout. If the player then uses the third Shout in time, the energy is released and all three shouts will be cast together.
The player can use any number of words for each Shout in the series; that same power level will then be used during the release. For example, if the player used the full 3 words of Unrelenting Force (Fus Roh Dah) as the first Shout, and then only the first word of Whirlwind Sprint (Wuld), when they used Earthsong to finish the Chant, Unrelenting Force would be recast at level 3, and Whirlwind Sprint at level 1.
In order to cast their Shouts quickly together, the player will need to make use of a Cadence Rod.
¶ Cadence Rods
A Cadence Rod does two things when used:
- Queues up the next Shout in a Chant.
- Uses Magicka to reset the player's Shout cooldown (the cost is related to the cooldown of the Shout - more powerful Shouts require more Magicka to reset).
With the Cadence Rod, the player can quickly fire off multiple Shouts in a row and create those three-in-one effects quickly, or if using offensive Shouts, can use this to drive a new combat style focused on Shouts as the primary source of damage.
There is a sword given later in the questline that synergizes with Shouting to act as a great mainhand option to compliment a Cadence Rod.
If the player fails to use the next Shout in a Chant quickly enough (as indicated by the visual and sound effect dissipating), activating the Cadence Rod again will reset to the first Shout in the Chant.
Cadence Rods are also available in a form that expends Stamina and another that expends Health, so the player can customize their build. Each of these other options can be found in the dungeons found in the main questline of Bards College Expansion, and a journal can be found in Earthsong Grotto to unlock a Blacksmithing recipe to craft all three.
The recipe requires: 1 Iron Ingot, 1 Steel Ingot, 1 Uncarved Crystal, 1 Fine Strip of Leather, and a flawless gem - depending on the type.
- Cadence Rod: Magicka - 1 Flawless Sapphire
- Cadence Rod: Stamina - 1 Flawless Emerald
- Cadence Rod: Health - 1 Flawless Ruby
¶ Acquiring New Chants
Chants are powers that, when equipped, set the trio of Shouts the Cadence Rod will loop between, and then immediately equip the first one.
During the main quest, the player will receive the Chant of Ravaging (see below for additional Chants).
¶ Available Chants
Below is a table of the Chants that can be found by default from Bards College Expansion by learning the Shouts that are a part of it. The next time the player enters Sanctuary they will find Chant books that include Shouts they know on the large table to the right of the mural.
| Chant | Shout 1 | Shout 2 | Shout 3 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chant Ah | Any | Any | Any | See Customizable Chants section |
| Chant Bah | Any | Any | Any | See Customizable Chants section |
| Chant Krah | Any | Any | Any | See Customizable Chants section |
| Chant of Breaths | Unrelenting Force | Fire Breath | Frost Breath | |
| Chant of Death | Aura Whisper | Marked for Death | Disarm | |
| Chant of Ravaging | Unrelenting Force | Whirlwind Sprint | Earthsong | Assuming the top of the spire from Earthsong doesn't get too close to the ceiling, the player's Whirlwind Sprint will aim them upwards to end up on top of it. |
| Chant of Shadows | Aura Whisper | Throw Voice | Slow Time | |
| Chant of Storms | Whirlwind Sprint | Storm Call | Elemental Fury | |
| Chant of the Wild | Kyne's Peace | Animal Allegiance | Marked for Death |
¶ Customizable Chants
After completing the main quest, the player will find three special Chant books on the table: Chant Ah Codex; Chant Bah Codex; and Chant Krah Codex.
Reading one of these will teach the player the corresponding Chant ability, and allow them to design their own Chants.
- After reading the book, a message in the corner will tell the player to Shout to set the Chant.
- The player can then use any Shout. The word count doesn't matter for the Chant, using just one word is fine.
- Their cooldown will then be reset, and a message will ask them to Shout again to set the next part of the Chant. At which point the player should equip and use the next Shout.
- Step 3 will repeat for the final Shout.
After the player has set the Chant, it will be equipped and ready to use. That Chant will now be recorded to the ability name matching the book. For example, if Chant Ah Codex was used, equipping Chant Ah will set those three Shouts.
The player can redesign those Chants by reading the corresponding book again and repeating the steps of equipping and using Shouts.
Not every Shout makes sense to use in a Chant, and some of them will conflict with each other - for example Storm Call and Clear Skies - but the player is free to try any combination they like.
Mod-added Shouts can be used as part of Chants as well without needing any special patching! (Though as mentioned - not all Shouts will work well in a Chant.)