One of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's best faction quests has the Dragonborn donning a disguise very much like Hitman's Agent 47. As part of the main Dark Brotherhood questline, the Dragonborn must kill and assume the victim's identity to further the quest and reach their next target. This quest is one of the best in Skyrim because it is so different from any other in the game.
Throughout the Hitman series, Agent 47 uses a mixture of stealth and costumes to remain undetected while on his missions. The stealth mechanic is used to excellent effect within Hitman games as well as in Skyrim. The ability to sneak past enemies or get the drop on them can be incredibly helpful, especially with characters not relying on heavy armor or brute force.
The quest in question is "Recipe For Disaster", the tenth quest in Skyrim's main Dark Brotherhood questline, leading to "To Kill An Empire". These quests stand out amongst the Dark Brotherhood quests and Skyrim's quests overall. Here is why "Recipe For Disaster" is one of the best quests and is so different compared to the others in the game.
Skyrim's Recipe For Disaster Lets The Dragonborn Go Full Hitman
The Dragonborn is instructed to seek out a man named Anton Virane during "Recipe For Disaster" when speaking with Festus Krex in the Dark Brotherhood sanctuary. From Virane, the player will learn of the identity of the Gourmet, a famous chef who, the player will have heard NPCs mention, is in Skyrim. After disposing of Virane, the Dragonborn will set off to the Nightgate Inn to deal with the Gourmet.
Once at the inn, the Dark Brotherhood player must kill the Gourmet, take a Writ of Passage from his body and then hide the body. There are a few ways to hide the body, but the Dragonborn can assume the Gourmet's identity once done. In most Dark Brotherhood missions, the Dragonborn is not required to do this but only to remain unseen so the guards or other NPCs will not catch them.
When the Dragonborn returns to Festus, "Recipe For Disaster" concludes, and "To Kill An Empire" starts. It is this quest that requires the Dragonborn to be in disguise as they pretend to be the Gourmet to kill Emperor Titus Mede II. Using the previously gathered Writ of Passage, the Dragonborn can gain entrance into the kitchens of Castle Dour in Solitude and will be expected to wear a chef's hat, which players can find in the kitchen. Here Commander Maro of the Penitus Oculatus, the Emperor's bodyguards in Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, will make different remarks based on Dragonborn's attire.
If the Dragonborn is wearing the chef's hat and a chef's tunic, Maro will comment that he should have known who they were. Any other outfit will cause him to say that they aren't dressed as he expected. Amusingly he will say this even if Dragonborn steals the Gourmet's noble outfit and wears that to Castle Dour.
How Skyrim's Best Dark Brotherhood Quest Plays Out
Once inside and in the kitchen, the Dragonborn's quest continues much the same as any other Skyrim quest, with them having to add Jarrin Root to the Emperor's food. If Dragonborn forgets to add it or chooses not to, the Emperor still has to be killed, although it is much more difficult to remain undetected if the player uses another method. After the Emperor eats the poisoned meal, the Dragonborn must escape Solitude and return to the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary near the Skyrim town of Falkreath after inevitable complications.
Overall, "Recipe For Disaster" and "To Kill An Empire" are odd quests as there is very little choice in how the Dragonborn can complete them. They both feel more scripted than other Skyrim quests, but this is not necessarily bad. They feel different and more involved than the other quests for the Dark Brotherhood, perhaps because of the lack of violence. Virane has to die, and if the player leaves him alive, they will be sent back to kill him once they have spoken to Festus. Again, the Gourmet must die along with the Emperor, but these three deaths can be the only ones if the player uses the tools the quest gives them.
There are similarities to Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion's Dark Brotherhood quest "Whodunit?", where the Hero of Kvatch had to wear a previous quest reward item, The Deceiver's Finery, to gain access to a party. Of course, there are deaths involved in Dark Brotherhood quests, but the main bulk relies on disguises and going undercover. These elements draw the obvious comparison to Agent 47 as stealth and subterfuge are used more than simply killing everyone in sight.
Skyrim's Dark Brotherhood Quests Needed More Disguises
There is only one other quest in Skyrim where the Dragonborn has an excuse to wear a disguise. When completing the quest "Diplomatic Immunity", the Dragonborn can take some Hooded Thalmor Robes, which will allow them to remain 'friendly' to the Thalmor guards at the embassy at a distance. However, this success does differ depending on the Dragonborn's race, with Mer remaining undetected longer than Argonian or Khajit Skyrim players. Yet, throughout the whole game of Skyrim, the two quests mentioned here are the only ones who make use of costumes and subterfuge, which feels like a missed opportunity.
The use of disguises is something Elder Scrolls Online uses very well, where players can use them to blend in with enemies. The use of disguises could have been implemented in Skyrim to incredible effect without necessarily being tied to a particular quest. Perhaps if a Dragonborn wore Full Dwarven armor, then the automatons found in Dwemer ruins would not be hostile, or wearing Forsworn armor would allow the Dragonborn to move more freely within The Reach. Skyrim's sparse Civil War questline could have made good use of disguises to have the Dragonborn infiltrate enemy camps and eliminate the Commanders found there.
Although the quest is relatively straightforward, it's also very interesting and stands out among Skyrim's usual fare. It is distinct as there is more storyline in this short quest sequence, and it doesn't rely on the standard formula of the player simply killing everything in their path. Skyrim could have benefitted from more thoughtful quests like "Recipe For Disaster," where the Dragonborn's appearance and actions actually have meaning. For an RPG, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim can be a little thin on the ground for role-playing opportunities in quests.