TESV: character development tips and tricks?

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I know that by now things move so fast that TESV is a bit past most discussion but I'm at a point where I'm going back and recreating an older character for possible expansions - wouldn't mind getting the character manager and making another one since I've made a couple that I've had a lot of fun with so I'd rather not be restricted.

Along the way though I found a couple neat things about certain skill developments. Like:

- dollar value of output for things like Smithing have a lot to do with speed of skill increase

- rather than making iron daggers like everyone suggests I much prefer dwarven bows because they're 2 dwarven metal to 1 iron ingot. Dwarven metal is free; run through the ruins as you beat them and grab all the 2 pound items the first time through (bent metal, small/large plates, etc.) and then maybe once you've cleared that out - if you really want to make more - make a leather suite enchanted for carry weight, then grab all the 5 pounds to 1 ingot stuff like large dwemer struts or solid dwemer metal. Not only do the bows end up significantly less expensive to make (free even if you mine iron as well) but they're great upgrade, much better than iron daggers to enchant and sell, etc. etc.

- armor enchantments - after I got my alchemy real high and started making additional smithing potions to augment my smithing suits I also started carrying a collection of different rings and circlets to approximate 100% fire, frost, lightning, and magic resistance. If a new situation came up where I needed to change focus I'd just slip on a different ring or circlet and march right through if I couldn't stealth it.


I'm curious if anyone else has any other neat observations they came into along the way that they wanted to share or if they found strategies on some of these same exact things that seemed to work even better for them.

This thread seems like it will be useful, I've been meaning to get into this game as I haven't played it a great deal since release.

As for ingots, I found these videos to be particularly helpful and they seem to spawn again after 72 hours.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQGZyDa9nCM[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4sGS79GrIs[/youtube]

Yeah, I'm a big fan of the Dwarven Smithing route. It's a great way to build up some cash flow while your leveling a skill. One thing I'd say about smitthing is it ultimately pointless to go down the light armor side of the perk tree. Once you hit can access Dragon Smithing from the heavy side you can make the best light armor in the game and also the best weapons. If you went through the other side you wouldn't be able to make the weapons.

So if your looking for ways to train your skills I have some pretty good ideas. I've got a natural level 73 character I've been working on for awhile.

For example the best way to level alteration is a magic spell found on a scroll Transmute mineral ore. With it you can change iron ore into silver ore then into gold ore thus leveling your Alteration skill. Then you can use the gold ore to make gold rings/necklaces thus leveling your Smithing. Finally you can Enchant those rings at an alter and thus raise your enchanting skill. Then sell those rings for $$$$. There are a few places you can find/buy this scroll but, I get the one in Halted Stream Camp that is just on the far side of Whiterun.

a couple other things:

Alchemy - for grinding (and getting the potions with best $$/grind value x availability of items) I found that hanging moss + blue mountain flower was a really awesome combination. Can't remember the specific potion, something like a damage magicka, but blue mountain flowers - super available, hanging moss - just go to Dustmains Cairn, Windhelm, or anywhere around the Reach if you want to know anything about how abundant that stuff is.

Enchanting weapons to sell - its widely known so I might be stating the obvious: banish is the pinnacle of cash value. Absorb health/stamina are runners up but banish (items 'XXXX of Expelling' or 'XXXX or Banishing' are where its at).

That's a good point. For some reason I decided to hit Dwarven and then trace back up the other side. I think my reasoning might have been that I wanted to get as much use out of the ancient dark brotherhood armor as I possible could (which I think studded armor perks were above Elven) though your absolutely right about the light dragon armor.

I think if there's one thing I don't like about certain skill perks - it seems like the game, just on how the skill trees are built; make light armor perks (use, not crafting) and single handed weapons the far and away better choice to where the decision is almost made for you. Heavy armor seems like it lacks most of the benefits, slows people down, and two handed while I loved it on my first character I realized that I needed to go down a completely different path if I wanted to really get my 30x damage with backstab to really be as potent as it could be. A couple things I'd love to see them work out are better blocking with two handed weapons and with one handed weapons I'd love to an espada y daga (long and short).

Yeah I once was able to force a ancient dragon to land and then use the insta invis from the top teir from sneak to manuever around and get a back attack while my npc distracted it. I took away 3/4 of it's health in one double dagger ginsu attack.

Part of the reason I gave up my fist character who had finished about 3/4 of the main quest and all the rogue, mage and assasin questlines was because I "waisted" about 5 perks in Smithing. He was level 46 and I think I may have gone back and got him to level 52 but, I just couldn't get into him again because I'm just OCD about making "perfect" characters. I then consoled a character to level 80 and added all the perks manually just to test all the different facets of the game out. Once I did that I was able to decide a better perk path for my 3rd character. I keep a Helgen Keep save file with a blank level 80 character that I can test out any new perk combos out that I want.

I actually think heavy armor has some uses the perks really aren't that bad if your worried about the slow down you can always get the steed stone bonus to negate it. There is some interesting potential to make and unarmed "monk" type character using the perks in heavy armor and a kajjit.

Sounds good, I'll definitely do some grinding when I get the chance to play it.

I found a list of the most valuable potions as well which might be handy.
http://skyrimforums.org/threads/most-va ... ions.4985/

another thing to note is that for nearly all the crafting skills the more powerful item/potion/enchant you make the more valuable it is usually so it's often good to buy the perks that make them more powerful as you level them if gold is a goal for you.

I guess another thing that needs mentioning is "free" trainers. Any skill trainer that can be a companion is essentially free. Certain npcs can train you in a few important combat skills and, all you do is open up the item trade menu to get any money you spent back. Using this you can train 5 skill points a level.

Another training trick works with all the mage colledge trainers. They are also vendors so you can usually sell them potions and magic items in equal value to your training to get the training for "free".

Finally Ironicly the Pickpocketing trainer can be pickpocketed. Creating kind of a weird situation where you can pay the trainer to level your skill then almost literally turn around and use that skill to take the gold you gave her away. The only thing to remember is that you can only steal gold in one shot. The ammount you can effectively steal is limited by your skill level and some of the modifier perks you can buy. So at some point you have to invest pretty heavily in pickpocket perks to be able to do this angle of free training. Wich btw will generally work on any trainer in the game.

I did a youtube search for Dwarven metal and the only place I kept finding for Dwarven metal was the storeroom in Mzulft and it doesn't have respawn either, I just wanted to know if there are any other locations for Dwarven metal? Anyone know any places where Dwarven metal respawns?

A list of areas where Dwarven Metal drops: http://uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Dwarven_Metal_Ore#Overview

I was going to say any dwarven ruin but wow, it does look like Mzulft and Nchuand-Zel seem to be the only ones that are as loaded as they are. Regardless though yeah, it seems like what you're able to get between those places; 800ish, is enough to make plenty of bows. I've got two daggers and one-handed swords that I hang onto and have been using as needed.

With regard to Nchuand-Zel that's in Understone Keep and you can either do that on its own by talking the the court mage or as part of a thieve's guild quest. Mzulft is one of those that you'll be best off performing once you've joined the College of Winterhold as I'm not sure how the plot line unfolds if you complete it prior to joining.

Thanks for the tips, I got my Smithing level up from 62 to 70 after one trip to Nchuand-Zel and ended up with around 119 Dwarven ingots.

Focus on your main skills, not always a good idea to have those skill increasing stone, they can curve the difficulty from level increase higher than you is economic, and may blunt some of your skills, a battle mage may have its alteration and illusion increase more than needed, with destruction a bit lower, or an archer having it's light armour and alchemy increase too much. Much better to have a stone that gives you stat helping ability like armour, carrying, or increase magic regen, unless you want to do one big grind.

Well also for dwarven crafting, there is a mission reachable at level 14 by an Argonian called Ancient Knowledge, near the Riften fishery, that gives a boost to Dwarven armour and smithing skill speed, wait apparently a patch put it onto all weapon and smithing types. The way I see it is that you raise your main skills, and save money until you are at least level (have a house and horde materials you come across), you can get the perk and do a run with smithing, useing money to buy materials you may need. The good thing is that you can accumilate a large amount of iron ore, furs, or thngs that can be turned into dwaren ingots. Allys can be annoying, but they are good pack mules for raiding a Dwarven ruin.

Choose a skill that help the other, archers can get bonuses from sneak, so archer players should learn to sneak around during a lot of combat, there is also a archery trainer that can increase you any 6 levels of archery, it is best to wait until you are already 94, to save time. A heavy weapons user may do well with just doing a lot of damage, and taking little, so increasing health and letting yourself take hits to increase heavy armour. An illusion mage may want to back up it's illusion magic wtih both sneak and blade, to take advantage of sneak bonuses.

Mages do not need much stamina at all, my brother 60 points into stamina, with 100 into magic, he could have put all those points into stamina instead into the magic and been much more efficent, with little reprecusion. Doesn't mean a mage should not take weapons. Get some good spells as you level up, especially some long distance spells when you have the needed levels, a favourite tactic of mine is getting the ability to stagger with a duel cast, and a sinple bolt level spell, you can keep stalling enemies, to keep them at a distance

Archers can get some free steel arrows early on from just taking the ones shot by a soldier in Solitude, the Forsworn bow is a good choice early on before you are higher levels, and smithing is low as it can be easily upgraded. A good choice is also to do the Legion (or Stormcloaks, if you can stand them) as it can give you lots of arrows, and chances to uses your archery to raise it.

Good idea to get some shouts fairly early on, at least getting full unrelenting force not too far up the levels, Fus Ro Dah can practically help any build, and can even be used to kind of cheat in some hard places.

Being a werewolf, you are imune to all dissease and can turn once per day, with the problem of not getting rested perk, and people think you smell of wet dog.

Thanks for the tips, I'm having a blast of a time with this game and I have only done the companion and mage quest lines so far. I have my Smithing level at 100 now, over 100'000 gold and have my companion in full daedric armor, I'm a destruction mage and I am currently wearing the Arch mage robes and the Morokei mask. I still haven't come across the Banish enchantment but I have read the best way to get it is to keep checking Fletcher in Solitude every 48 hours for a weapon with the enchantment.

I'd say check anyone. If you have any plugin like the menu enhancement you can always descend by dollar.