Skyrim playstyles all rock

[godofallu]

I can't decide on a final playstyle.

I've got a mage who i've played for 20+ hours who uses dual destruction magic.

I've got a 2handed nord who i've played for 20+ hours.

I started a new character thinking i'd be a sneaking spellsword, and I just lately discovered that a sneaking spellsword uses almost every ability. I want a one handed weapon + either illusion or destruction or restoration. I need a bow for ranged attacks of course. Plus I have got to take light armor and sneaking. Did I mention I have a fetish with enchanting (the best skill in the game). I also like to block attacks with my shield sometimes.

I guess my point is I use almost every skill, which means my character is leveling up every second with no real strong point. I know I am going to quickly become underpowered now, so I need to focus. This is impossible to do though.

== Actual Topic ==

Has anyone actually made a character that uses 2 or 3 of the classes at once? Is a melee/Mage/Sneaker actually viable?

Also how badly does heavy armor ruin sneaking? I'm sure it's probably better to sneak in light armor, but I have never made a heavy armor using character and I think it would be fun to collect new armor sets.

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

My character at lvl. 30 right now is a mix of sneaking, archery, one handed, and magic. I get by just fine but obviously I don't excel in any one aspect as much as someone more specialized. Elder Scrolls has always rewarded cross classes.

 

[TheLoneBeet]

I'm doing pretty well as a sword/shield and archery mix. Haven't used any magic besides alchemy and my sneaking isn't very good either. I'm sure I'll get there eventually though.

 

[linkblade91]

What a coincidence, 'cause I started my first Skyrim character this morning just like that. After gaining level one, I perused through the various skills, and decided my character would do the following:

- Become a whirlwind of death, duel-wielding swords
- Throw lightning spells with abandon
- Sneak wherever I go, backstab whenever I can

Only after I got farther did I realize some important points:

- Sneak attacks are a lot easier with a bow
- Not everything will be within my reach (another point for the bow)
- Rogue/Assassin characters benefit from spells like healing, armor, invisibility, and silence (all of which are not a member of the Destruction tree)
- Using a one-handed and a spell together (somewhat) defeats the point of duel-wielding weapons

All of these things create a rather annoying realization: the only skills I DON'T use are Two-Handed, Heavy Armor, Block, and Conjuration spells. Everything else is either essential to my build, or at least beneficial to all characters...and this is going to be a problem. Better start finding those skill books and trainers, and get ready for the long hull.

 

[Phlakes]

I'm doing archery with destruction, restoration, and sneak, and it is amazing. I'll probably do another replacing archery with one handed soon, that was my favorite file in Oblivion.

 

[Irridium]

Are you kidding? I've had to become all three out of necessity!

I have to be a good mage so I can heal myself well, lay down magical traps, and summon things to take the heat off me. Because for some reason being invested in heavy armor and wearing all Dwarven gear is the equivalent of wearing paper.

I need to be a good melee character when my magic is down, so I can hold my own until it regenerates. This is the time when I'm usually chugging health/magicka/stamina potions.

And I have to be good at sneaking so I can get up close and get some good hits in. Being a good bowman also comes into play here, since if I can't get up close I need to be able to fire a few good sneak-arrows.

So yeah, I pretty much have to be everything just to freaking survive. And I'm still barely surviving each fight.

I mean yeah, I'm level 16, but bandits and draugrs can easily whoop my ass if I'm not at the top of my game. To say nothing of those little Falmer bastards and dragons.

Also, I need to be a good alchemist as well since constantly buying potions is kind of financially draining, and not that great of a way to obtain potions. So I need to brew my own stuff. Resistance potions, health/magika/stamina potions, poisons, and whatever else I can just sell.

This isn't even touching on my smithing skill, which I need to improve my armor some more so it doesn't have the same resistance as paper. Or my security skill, which comes in handy while looting places and selling stuff so I can buy potions/ingredients.

And question, what skill governs how much you can carry? Or does it just go up by 5 every two levels? Stamina then. Good to know.

 

[gigastrike]

Archery, sneak, alchemy, conjuration, enchanting, alteration.

That's my archer/mage hybrid, and I love it to death.

 

[KefkaCultist]

My character that I'm playing now is pretty much a straight up mage focused on destruction magic. I've got two pieces of gear that both give 100% magic regen so it's near impossible for me to run out of mana at the moment cause it shoots back up to full no matter what I cast. In the event that I do somehow run out of mana though I have a sword with a drain magicka enchant.

My 1st character was a rogue that dual weilded daggers, but I was getting my ass kicked by everything (specifically that damn Ice Troll on the way to High Hrothgar) so I made this bad ass mage instead. I'll probably retry the rogue once I finish this run though.

Side note: does anyone know if there are spells to open locks like oblivion had? The lockpicking isn't that hard and I have some skill points invested in that tree, but I kinda miss the spells.

 

[Buizel91]

I have a Bow wielding, Mace flailing, light armoured, Healer who uses fire from time to time, while holding a shield and shouting at the top of his voice who is also good and smithing, Enchanting, Alchemy, AND sneaking...who is also the Leader of the Companions, Study's magic, and is trying to help the Thieves Guild...He is currently having hard decisions on whether to side with the Imperials or the Rebels...


Safe to say my Argonian is AWESOME!

 

[TheSaw]

My character is level 24, and I'm using this - Frost atronach when I'm in dungeons, I use the bound blade (which looks so god damn awesome btw) in the right hand, and a fire ball in the other. So that's conjuration and destruction up, plus one handed skill when I use the blade. I have a heavy mask (one of the dragon priests one) and I have the arch-mages robes, dark brotherhood gloves and boots which is light armour. It might sound a mess, but he's mainly a destruction +conjuration mage.

 

[(whitty name here)]

-snip-
And question, what skill governs how much you can carry? Or does it just go up by 5 every two levels?

You can increase your carrying capacity by increasing your stamina when you level up.

OT: Lets see here, I gotta max my one handed for extra bladed damage, sneak for the x15 damage bonus, archery for when dragons just refuse to land, restoration so I don't empty my wallet buying potions whenever I stay out in the wilderness for more than 10 minutes, lockpicking cause I need to pay for those potions somehow, armor trees, in this case light armor has some nice perks so that you don't die in half a second, and smithing because I want to wear these dragons as a hat.

So more or less, I'm working on most of the warrior/thief skills while poking at mage.

at level 16 and only one stat is above 50 :/

 

[scorptatious]

I'm playing as a character that specializes in one handed weapons, heavy armor, blocking, and destruction.

What I usually like to do is set up a fire rune on the ground, and let my enemies come to me as I set up my weapon and shield. They get weakened by it, making them easier to defeat.

 

[gigastrike]

I have the arch-mages robes which is light armour.

The arch-mage robes aren't armor.

I'm playing as a character that specializes in one handed weapons, heavy armor, blocking, and destruction.

What I usually like to do is set up a fire rune on the ground, and let my enemies come to me as I set up my weapon and shield. They get weakened by it, making them easier to defeat.

I'm really thinking about those magic traps. It would go so well with my playstyle, but I don't want to get too into destruction.

 

[TheSaw]

My character is level 24, and I'm using this - Frost atronach when I'm in dungeons, I use the bound blade (which looks so god damn awesome btw) in the right hand, and a fire ball in the other. So that's conjuration and destruction up, plus one handed skill when I use the blade. I have a heavy mask (one of the dragon priests one) and I have the arch-mages robes which is light armour. It might sound a mess, but he's mainly a destruction +conjuration mage.

The arch-mage robes aren't armor.

Forgot to add about the gloves and boots, which are light armour which is where I get the light armour skill ups from. ^^

 

[CondorBob]

I've been playing a melee/stealth mix, and it's working out beautifully. Been using the bow for the ranged sneak criticals, and a battleaxe for those enemies who refuse to go down. I haven't been using any magic so far, but I've been investing perks into the enchantment, alchemy, and smithing trees with awesome results. So far as I prepare myself for a journey, there is nothing I've really got to worry about.

Sneaking with heavy armor is viable once you have the Muffled Movement perk and a decent sneak level, but until then, you're not going anywhere without someone noticing you.

 

[Handbag1992]

I tend to play as a mix of all 3 basic classes. I love using magic in RPG's but, especially at low levels, it's difficult if not impossible to kill more than one foe using purely magic so I carry a sword and bow. I also do some sneaking and lock-picking because I become offended if I see something valuable that doesn't belong to me.

When it comes to picking perks however, I realised that most perks reduce the cost of abilities or make them stronger. As long as you aren't in combat the magicka cost of most spells doesn't matter. So the only magic schools I put points into are restoration and destruction, and then light armour and one-handed on top of that.

The only shades of grey for me when it comes to perks is Enchanting and Smithing. I'm taking enough points in enchanting to get to the "2 enchants on one item" perk, because I want to create a set of Dragonbane armour with each peice offering me 25% frost and fire resistance. Rendering me immune to dragon breath.

Oh, does anyone know where I can buy open lock spells? Easier than going through the lock-picking mini-game.