Damn... I fail at the game!

[Octopuss]

I think I messed up big time. I actually feel really stupid On the other hand, I guess this can happen to lots of new players.

Anyway...

I got to level 29 and realized my characted is total crap. I can kill normal monsters and some regular bandits (and that sort of stuff), but whenever I run into something slightly tougher and it's more than two specimens, I am pretty much dead.

Anything that casts spells gives me the most trouble. Basically, something either burns me to death before I can get within range (movement speed is horrible in combat), or throws some frost spells at me, and in the worst case I am pretty much paralyzed, or at least slowed down to crawling. Trying to use sprint doesn't help and only helps me out of all stamina, and I can't even get close to the enemy, because quite logically it starts backing off when I start to move.

I think I unintentionally took the worst possible approach: I just kept playing, whacking stuff with sword, putting vast majority of perks in combat skills and smithing. Except for occasional healing spell in the beginning I never touched a spell. I never touched alchemy or enchanting either, and it seems now I am starting to pay the price

 

Looks like I could use some very basic, common sense gameplay progression tips.

[DanielCoffey]

If you can't close with a spell caster quickly enough, try archery or summon creature scrolls. An alternative is to pick a race, stone or potions that give resists. Remember Whirlwind Sprint. Use followers.

[Octopuss]

Hm, looks like archery is much more important than I thought. I could never hit anything that was moving, so I kind of completely stopped shooting anything.

Does nord 50% frost resist work against spells? That might explain why I was slowed down to crawling, but didn't die right away :P

[torminater]

Yup.

Go to a trainer for enchanting and do 5 lessons per level from now on.

Use potions and poisons, improve your gear and level up your enchanting until you can put two on each item. Smith all items to max stats. Keep your smithing perks in mind though. Use smithing buff potions. Enchant everything with full grand soul gems using enchanting buff potions including cloaks and other mod added item categories. Use resist fire, ice, shock resistance. For encounters with falmer craft/use resist poison and elemental resist items. Your standard armor should give you as much elemental resistance as possible. For special enemies use sets of rings, amulets and cloaks that add resistance buffs as you need them.

Also grab enough soul gems to refill your magic items, use powerful staffs in the worst case scenarios.

If you don't have a very powerful unique sword you want to use, enchant your best upcrafted sword with fire damage using full grand soul gems and add another one with the paralyze effect to the mix. If doing one-handed, enchant two swords with the mentioned enchantments. Strike with paralyze, kill with fire. Use poisons that increase fire vulnerability.

If you still have gold and resources left, hire followers and suit them up in the best gear for their class. Use follower mods and npc enchantment fix. If you did all of this and still are not massively overpowered I cannot hep you.

[Octopuss]

Ah, so I am supposed to level enchanting to the max as soon as possible? It makes sense I guess... Getting those grand soul gems is probably going to be a bit tricky, because the best I have after 30 levels is one greater :P

Those 3 main resistances, should I put them all on the main set of armour I use?

Reading a little bit about that, isn't the generic resist magic effect better than individual resistances?

[redirishlord]

Visit the Atronach Stone for a bonus vs. magic *, seek out a daedric artifact that grants resistance to magic, and what the other posters said.

Remember, enemies can't cast spells while impaled,

so attack the mage first and continue through the order of battle from there.

 

* edit: stack with the ward spell and ward absorb perk and you have anti-magic riot gear effect (ethereal lexan shield), conjure a bound sword for that cool jedi style.

Edited March 21, 2014 by redirishlord

[EssArrBee]

I want to know what happened to Silence spells and poisons that let you stop mages from casting spells. Sometimes when I think back to other TES games, it makes me think that Skyrim isn't lore friendly to franchise.

[Kelmych]

This was a common complaint when Oblivion first came out. Some users were trying to keep similar levels for many of their skills, and ended up with too high a player level relative to their key combat skills. It doesn't sound like that's your major problem, however.

Followers and summoned creatures, even low level summons such as a familiar, can distract the attention of a spell caster (or other enemy) long enough for you to get closer to use your melee skills. In addition to the advice from other posts, when fighting ranged enemies such as spell casters or archers you should also use the environment to your advantage. Outdoors you may be able to hide behind a tree, rock, or terrain; move sideways to shoot at the enemy then immediately move back where you were or quickly move to a closer tree, rock, etc. Indoors (and sometimes outdoors) you can use intersections and turns in hallways to your advantage. Make the enemy chase you and wait at an intersection/turn where the enemy will be very close and thus in melee range when they are finally able to see you again.

[Octopuss]

There are some good tips there. Thanks.

So shall I stack resistances as much as possible? And what about the generic one?

[DanielCoffey]

If you use too much resist gear you will forgo primary enchants for melee and will be making yourself weaker against fighters. Have a look at resist potions - particularly vs frost as that will drain your stamina.

[redirishlord]

DanielCoffey, on 21 Mar 2014 - 1:34 PM, said:

If you use too much resist gear you will forgo primary enchants for melee and will be making yourself weaker against fighters. Have a look at resist potions - particularly vs frost as that will drain your stamina.

Ice Wraith's are attracted to standing stones and other Nordic ruins, kill them for their Ice Wraith Essence which can be used as a frost resist potion. The more you know!

[Searcher7]

Melee types have to make a few allowances for their playstyle, but need not switch roles to succeed. Without spoiling, a couple quests will grant things very useful to a hack-and-slash guy without forcing him to change style too much. I feel mages are the most powerful toons, for some of the reasons you describe, but my magicka burners are very leery of Forsworn fighters; they can't take the DPS. I would suggest that a couple resist buffs or items, a little extra stamina, and a couple Shouts (Ethereal, Whirlwind) will let you close with those squishy mages and make quick work of the situation. An extended battle with mages is bound to be, um, frustrating. Get in quick, whack em good, get back out if there's more.

Edited April 9, 2014 by Searcher7