am I doing this right? (build questions)

[kelticpete]

So I am now level 16

trickster mostly, some elementalist.

fire arrows super helpful.

but I still very easily killed by any mob. not usually a problem, I am good sneak.

but I want to make sure it is just that the game is hard and not my build/gear that sucks.


I have light armor at 45. sunk most of my points into archery, sneak, and light armor.

I have like 175 health. But I am super squishy....

I have been raising my handicraft alot...trying to keep high rated armor.

any thoughts?

[Buccaneer]

Here are my initial thoughts.

Yes, the game is hard when compared to Skyrim. And mobs are the easiest way to quickly die, even when strong. With my last character as a Sneak Archer with Summoning at the hardest level, I found the most success by 1) quietly sneaking down a path or tunnel and try to get as many (fire) arrows into the enemy as I can while still in sneak mode; when I start getting rushed, I retreat and try again. 2) Learn to summon something, anything as a meat shield - just enough to distract the pack or group so you can get some good shots in. 3) Know where every bed, cot, sleeping bag, etc. is on your path and use them to heal constantly. 4) Learn to seek out and fight from behind rocks and similar objects, esp when coming across one or more mages.

I don't remember the multiplier but if you are at level 16, I think you should have quite a bit more health than 175. With your character, you wouldn't need to put anything into stamina or mana, until you start summoning.

Just persevere and choose your perks wisely, there will still be times where you will feel overpowered and then underpowered. And choose your battles wisely, there are areas/regions/locales where even I would not go into until level 30 or so.

Choose to put your learning points into Archery and Sneaking, not Light Armor. Even if you doubled your Light Armor rating, it's not going to help that much compared to the dramatic increase you would get from Archery and Sneak (i.e., being able to get the sneak bonus more often and effectively).

As far as handicraft, unless I was missing something, the only use I found in putting skills into it was to craft more expensive items you can sell. You will always find (in chests, etc.) better armor and weapons than what you can craft.

[badgesareus]

I agree with most of what Buccaneer says. My characters rely on archery, sneak & light armor. I think it is OK to build up light armor eventually, but I rely more on the "memories" that help light armor, such as the ones that increase light armor when wearing only light armor.

I sneak all the time outside of cities. It is a bit slower but harder to get ambushed. Pay attention to clues in the environment -- if you hear a wolf howl or a bear grunt, you are almost close enough for an encounter so be prepared. Summoning anything helps to distract emenies.

I checked one of my old saves. I had put all the level-up points into health, and my level 12 character had 191 health (+17 from armor) = 208. So 175 at level 16 seems weak.

The problem with crafting items is that you can only put 1 enchantment on them, and what you find often has 3-4 enchantments. And that 1 enchantment will be quite weak unless you have a very high enchantment level.

Don't know where you've been or done, but you might focus on leveling up, doing the "wanted" board quests or carefully exploring the crypts under Ark (entered through the Ark cemetery).

[kelticpete]

Thanks.

I didn't put enought in health it seems, so i will stop adding to mana. I did indeed start summoning a bear...helpful.

it is only mobs that get me, and I find that using time stop or fire arrow helps alot.

I probably did put too much into light armor but I just dumped a bunch into archery...so that is good.


thanks again.

[kelticpete]

Update--

well, I ended up being a baller!!

I sunk some more in health, and stopped upping Light Armor.

I found a better bow. And I invested in summons, learned to use flashbomb, and am doing fine.

Now I am level 41.

I have what I think is one of the best bows which is aeterna. And I have the mud " I don't always follow" elemental and the oobiya "I look ugly and have less HP but I gotz your back" summons.

oh and entropic!!

So I have invested heavily into the far left and far right rogue trees (at top)
and the same for sinistrope.

was wondering what magic would be good to go for....

basically at this point if my stealth, arrows, summons, stop time, entropic don't stop a melee dude from fucking me up, I am looking for a good tactic (spells, combat tactic, memory point sink)

[badgesareus]

Re bows, the vanilla aeterna bow (for me) does 68 dmg, whereas the bow of the mad hermit does 71 dmg + 17 fire. However, if you craft your own aeterna bow, upgrade it to exquisite, and put a strong enchantment on it, it is the most powerful -- mine does 85 dmg + 64 fire; of course, that depends on equipment bonuses, archery level, etc.

Re magic, I use it mostly to summon a creature, and for mark/recall. I do have some higher level damage spells (fireball & chain lightning) which I occasionally use, but level III fire arrows seem the most effective. I've put quite a bit into light armor skill, light armor "memories" and wear all light armor for the bonuses, so I take very little melee damage from anything -- except those Thalgard guys!

[Buccaneer]

kelticpete: Very nicely done, I'm glad our advice helped.

badgesareus: I don't think I had ever crafted a bow to actually use but that does sounds intriguing. I too did find level 3 Fire Arrows do plenty of damage to most things, even with a slightly less powerful bow; and putting perks into Light Armor (after you got Archery and Sneak) up high enough is good advice.

When it comes to those Thalgard guys, everything is an exception.