Even nearly six years later, Skyrim continues to amaze us. There is so much to do and see that it is easy to miss or overlook something while you are out exploring. Unless you are a completionist, even after a hundred hours of gameplay, it is likely there is something in the game that you just haven’t gotten to yet. After all, Skyrim is full of secrets, big and small. Some are obvious and well-known like the Minecraft reference found at the top of the Throat of the World or the skeleton hanging upside down from the ceiling in Bleakcoast Cave with a glowing sword beneath him, a reference to The Empire Strikes Back. Others are a bit more subtle and add life to the world, like lines the of ants found on logs and stumps across Skyrim.

It is Bethesda’s attention to detail that keeps us coming back for more and makes the world the Dragonborn inhabit feel like a living, breathing thing. It’s why we spend so much time chasing down the Headless Horseman, especially after listening to the lyrics of “Ragnar the Red,” in an attempt to find the identity of the ghostly rider. It is also why we chuckle when Moira the Hagraven mutters, “My precious.” as the Dragonborn tries to get a wedding ring back from her. With each playthrough, we discover awesome new things we didn’t think possible.

Here are 15 things you didn’t know you could do in Skyrim.

15 Never Get Caught Stealing

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Even players who avoid the Thieves Guild at all costs are tempted to test their luck stealing items from under the noses of unsuspecting NPCs. This isn’t necessarily because they are immoral. They may just need to prove to themselves that they are capable of getting away with it. However, some find out the hard way that sneaking isn’t their forte.

For those unlucky few, there are a few techniques that will guarantee success. There is no shortage of barrels in Skyrim. Pick one up and place it over the head of the shopkeeper (or other NPC) or position it so it blocks their field of vision. If you are having a hard time with this one, another method you can try is picking up an item and carrying it elsewhere. Once you are outside of the NPC’s line of sight, you are free to steal the item(s).

14 Obtain A Reusable Soul Gem

Soul gems are great for recharging enchanted weapons or enchanting items, but they can also be a pain. It often feels like there is an overabundance of petty soul gems, which are easily the most annoying kind. In addition, once you use a soul gem, you lose it forever, forcing players to scour Skyrim to find more.

Well, no more! All you have to do is complete the quest, “The Black Star.” To complete the quest, players must choose to give the broken Azura’s Star to one of two characters, Aranea Ienith at the Shrine of Azura or Nelacar at the Frozen Hearth inn in Winterhold. Either way, the artifact will act as a reusable soul gem. However, I recommend taking the artifact to Nelacar, who will then give you the Black Star, which is able to store any type of soul—unlike Azura’s Star received from Ienith.

13 Go On An Adventure Within An Adventure

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Yes, you read that right. Before you ask, no, this isn’t Inception. (Spin the top if you don’t believe me.) However, Skyrim does have something in common with Nolan’s masterpiece. It has an adventure within an adventure. Avid readers of the books found across Skyrim will derive great pleasure from the choose your own adventure book, Kolb & the Dragon: An Adventure for Nord Boys.

The book can be found in multiple locations, such as in Breezehome or Carlotta Valentia’s house in Whiterun and the Winking Skeever in Solitude. The book follows Kolb, a Nord Warrior, on his quest to slay a dragon. Whether or not he is successful all depends on the choices the reader makes throughout the tale. Of course, if you don’t like where the story is going you can always go back and choose another path. No one has to know that you failed.

12 Kill Forsworn Briarhearts Without Lifting A Finger

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As one of the most powerful enemies in Skyrim, Forsworn Briarhearts are difficult to take down in a fight. Whether the melee type or the shaman type, these guys are ruthless. What else would you expect from an enemy willing to undergo a ritual where their actual heart is cut out and replaced with a briar heart?

Hand-to-hand combat with a Forsworn Briarheart is an uphill battle that you may not win. This is because they possess perks which drastically increase the amount of damage dealt by them. However, fear not! There is a way to defeat them without fighting them head-on. If your sneak skill is high enough, you can pickpocket their briar heart which instantly kills them. Of course, this isn’t as easy as it sounds. Forsworn Briarhearts have heightened hearing, making it difficult to sneak up on them even with the Illusion spells Muffle and Invisibility.

11 Farm An Unlimited Number of Arrows

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When it comes to arrows, Skyrim is a huge improvement compared to previous Elder Scrolls games. Arrows are now weightless, which means the Dragonborn can carry an infinite amount of arrows of various types, so scavenge to your heart’s content. Arrows will never leave you over-encumbered.

However, just because you can carry an infinite amount of arrows doesn’t mean you can’t run out. No one wants to have to buy arrows from an actual merchant when they are easily found all over Skyrim. There is a way to farm arrows for a little-to-no cost for adventurers on a budget. All you have to do is find an NPC doing target practice, like the ones on the Great Porch in Whiterun, and collect the arrows they shoot. If you want better arrows, you can pickpocket their current arrows and replace them with one of the types you wish to farm.

10 Throw Spiders At Your Enemies

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Who doesn’t want to toss spiders at their enemies? I mean, this should be Peter Parker’s true power, not web-slinging. Not only does Skyrim allow you to throw spiders, but it also lets you craft them. “But how?” you ask. It’s simple. After clearing out White Ridge Barrow in Solstheim, you will stumble upon the Imbuing Chamber, a crafting station that allows players to create spider scrolls.

There are a wide variety of spiders that can be created this way, including ones that explode upon impact and others that can control the mind of enemies. Depending on the quality of the gem used to craft these living hand grenades, players can summon up to six spiders at once.

Now go forth and use arachnophobia to defeat your enemies!

9 Use Storm Call In Blackreach

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Storm Call is a powerful shout that causes a strong thunderstorm to appear above the Dragonborn. Much like a bullet, the resulting storm does not differentiate friend from foe. Anyone caught beneath it is struck by powerful lightning bolts, including innocent citizens and followers. If all three words of power are used, bolts will strike every 3–6 seconds and deal 80 points of damage. For obvious reasons, it isn’t recommended to use this shout in a town, unless you like having bounties on your head.

As fearsome as this shout is, it is impossible to use it indoors. After all, you need the sky to conjure a downpour. However, there is one exception to this rule: Blackreach. That’s right. Storm Call actually works in the underground city. Now you finally have a way to make the Falmer pay!

8 Use Elemental Fury To Mine Faster

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Mining can be such a bore, especially when you do it automatically by activating the vein. The animation of the Dragonborn slowly hacking away is one of the most boring in the game. However, mining is often a necessary and interesting evil. Sure, you can buy what you need, but there is nothing like extracting ore with your own two hands.

If you hate watching the mining animation, one thing you can do is equip your pickaxe and manually swing at the vein to extract ore. You can also dual wield pickaxes to get ore twice as fast. If that still isn’t fast enough for you, try using the Elemental Fury shout to increase the speed of your strikes. It is super effective, and you will be done in no time.

7 Master Fishing

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Unlike goldfish, the fish of Skyrim just don’t know when to give up and die. The Dragonborn has got to eat, but they don’t overly concerned with your plight. Instead of willingly sacrificing themselves to your blade, they swim away when you approach them. Sure, there are fishing poles in Skyrim, but you cannot use them. What is a poor Dragonborn to do?

Well, you can wade into the water and hope you catch one with your bare hands, but no one wants to work that hard for a meal. If you are in a hurry and don’t like getting wet, there is a way to catch a large number of fish in a short amount of time. Just hit the fish with your Unrelenting Force shout, and they will all float to the surface.

Here’s to good eating!

6 Purchase A Torture Chamber

Here is something for the sadist in all of us. After completing the Dark Brotherhood questline, the quest “Where You Hang Your Enemy’s Head” becomes available to the Dragonborn. Now that the Brotherhood has moved to the new sanctuary in Dawnstar, the Dragonborn can contact Delvin Mallory of the Thieves Guild to upgrade the factions new home.

The one upgrade that should be at the top of your list is the torture chamber. It will cost you 5,000 septims, but it is totally worth it. It comes with four chained torture victims who you can interrogate or, due to their high health, use to train your skills. If you choose to interrogate them, they will tell you the location for treasure chest valued between 1,000 and 2,000 septims.

Your neighbors will be so jealous.

5 Enjoy The View From The Top Of Skyrim’s Hidden Peaks

If you have the Dragonborn add-on, then you have likely already traveled to and explored the remote island of Solstheim. However, did you know there are hidden locations on the island that only show up on the map after you’ve discovered them? Solstheim contains four peaks that are so high you must reach their summits before they are marked on your map. Once found, you can fast travel to them as you normally do.

The four locations are Frykte Peak overlooking Saering’s Watch, Hvitkald Peak to the west of the Abandoned Lodge, Mortrag Peak overlooking Castle Karstaag, and Mount Moesring overlooking Moesring Pass. The climb to the tops of these peaks is treacherous. We recommend using the Become Ethereal shout if you have it, in case you lose your footing. However, once you’ve found them, you can easily take a break from adventuring to enjoy the view anytime you want.

4 Fight The Hidden Bosses

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You may have taken down Alduin and Miraak, but have you defeated Skyrim’s three hidden bosses, Vulthuryol, Karstaag and the Reaper? If not, then it’s time to fire up the game again. Finding these bosses requires a bit of effort. These three are some of the strongest enemies in the game, so bringing them down won’t be a cake walk.

We begin our journey in Blackreach, where the dragon Vulthuryol is found. To summon him, use Unrelenting Force on the yellow orb above the debate hall. Next, to find the frost giant Karstaag, travel to the ruins of Castle Karstaag with his skull (found in the Glacial Cave). As soon as you place it upon his throne, he will appear, ready to battle. Finally, the Reaper is found in Reaper’s Lair within the Soul Cairn. You must collect three reaper fragments and place them on his altar.

3 Hunt For Potions In Solitude

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Sometimes you tire of slaying dragons, listening to soldiers, and helping others. If you are looking for a distraction from adventuring, are too cheap to buy health potions, and too lazy to make them, then perhaps it’s time you travel to Solitude to hunt for free potions. There are Potions of Healing strewn throughout the city, although there doesn’t appear to be a legitimate reason for them to be there.

Even if you aren’t looking for them, you are bound to come across at least one as you explore the city. A few can be found on the ground between the Winking Skeever and Angeline’s Aromatics, on top of the wall between Bryling’s House and the entrance to the Blue Palace, and on the lower rooftop of the Bard’s College. Of course, there are still many more to be found.

Why don’t you travel to Solitude and see if you can find them all?

2 Get Wasted With A Daedric Prince

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Once you reach level 14, you will be challenged to a drinking contest in a tavern by a Breton mage named Sam Guevenne. If you win the drinking contest, he says he will give you a staff as a reward. Of course, almost nothing in Skyrim is exactly as it seems, and Sam Guevenne is no exception. After three drinks, the Dragonborn blacks out and what follows is a quest for answers that rival that of The Hangover.

While trying to find Sam, the Dragonborn learns they trashed a temple, stole a goat and sold it to a giant, and that they almost got married. Eventually, Sam is found in Morvunskar after entering a portal to Misty Grove, where he reveals that he is actually the Daedric Prince Sanguine.

Too bad no one will ever believe you partied with a Daedric Prince.

1 Use Clear Skies To Make Auroras Appear

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The Clear Skies shout comes in handy when you need to see your enemies clearly on a rainy or snowy day. Even without enemies around, you may be the type who likes to bask in the sun. There is no shame in wanting a little sunshine in your life, especially when you spend so much time outdoors during your travels.

However, you may not have considered trying out this unique shout on the night sky. When used at night, Clear Skies will clear the clouds from the sky to reveal a fascinating display of auroras across the canvas of the night sky. The aurora may not physically benefit the Dragonborn in any way, but they certainly make the open landscapes more bearable and beautiful than before.

Besides, a little eye candy never hurt anyone.