Blade of Woe (Skyrim)

The Blade of Woe is a unique dagger carried by Astrid, leader of The Dark Brotherhood.

Acquisition

 * It can be obtained as a quest reward upon completion of the quest Death Incarnate.
 * Alternatively, it can be obtained by defeating Astrid in the Abandoned Shack and looting it off her body during With Friends Like These...

Smithing
The Blade of Woe can be upgraded with the Arcane Blacksmith perk at a grindstone, however the process requires no ingots. It benefits from the Steel Smithing perk, which doubles the improvement.

Usefulness
With a Smithing skill of 100, without fortification enchantments or potions, it is possible to obtain base damages upwards of 60. Combined with the Assassin's Blade perk and Shrouded Hand Wraps, Shrouded Gloves, Jester's Gloves, or Ancient Shrouded Gloves, sneak attacks can reach 1,800+ damage.

Higher attribute-wise than the Daedric Dagger, the Blade of Woe has six base uses. The amount of charge consumed by striking with the dagger lowers as Destruction skill level increases, assisting magic-based classes.

Duplication
There is one way to duplicate the Blade of Woe.

It requires the Misdirection perk. Pickpocket Astrid and successfully steal the Blade of Woe PRIOR to when you go to cook for the emperor. Another Blade of Woe is received later in The Dark Brotherhood questline as part of the storyline. towards the end when you confront astrid. it is laying beside her against the wall.

Trivia

 * Skyrim's Blade of Woe appears much differently to the one in Oblivion. Rather, it appears to be more like Sufferthorn, a weapon obtained from the Dark Brotherhood in . Not only does it retain a similar shape, but it also damages Health as well.
 * It has the highest base damage for a dagger in, but in the Dawnguard add-on, it ties with the Dragonbone Dagger.

Bugs

 * This weapon is not affected by the "Dual Flurry" perk, retaining standard dagger attack speed, though the other weapon still receives the speed buff.
 * If the Dark Brotherhood is completed after the Main Questline is completed, the Blade of Woe may be irretrievable.
 * It may reappear at the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary beside Astrid's body making it possible to get two without pickpocketting.
 * The dagger has the slower attack speed of a sword, though it maintains the weight and damage expected of a dagger.
 * Sometimes, the Blade of Woe will appear in the wall, left to Astrid. You can't get it back without using the command "Noclip",

Appearance

 * The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
 * The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim