Skyrim Noob (spoilers)

[Hasbinbad]

I played skyrim on a friends computer back when it first came out, but spoiled it because he told me about the console code for a couple things and I got hooked on that. I basically figured out how to make the best suit of nightingale armor, and went out in search of dragons. I never finished any storyline, but rather had a few hours of cheat happy fun.

So I just bought the legendary edition the other week, and have finished the main storyline and am currently in the twilight sepulchre section of the TG line. I haven't used any cheats this time around and only very light spoiling when looking for a solutions to headdesking problems.

What I do know about Skyrim tho (and getting to the point of this post) is that some things are time sensitive or otherwise of a limited opportunity nature. The skeleton key is one of these things, right? Once I give it back, you can't ever get it again without console or an exploit?

My question to you, the community, is:

What are some things I should make sure to do? What are some features of Skyrim sort of like the skeleton key or whatever that you can attain without cheats or exploits that I might be missing, having walked by it several times? I don't want to pour over the relevant websites because they don't filter "what's neat" from "what's cheat" very well, and I would rather have your personal recommendations than TEH LEETEST ITEM U KILL ALL DWAGIN. I haven't explored any of the expansion stuff yet at all..

Please don't give unnecessary plot spoilers, but this thread is warned, so if you need to in order to tell me about an item/feature, do so with taste please.

[this user was banned]

SPOILER: He didn't really take an arrow to the knee, he's just a pussy like you

[Samoht]

people still play skyrim?

[SamwiseRed]

dark souls > skyrim

[justin2090]

1. Enchanting - Max it out so you can do 2 enchants per item
2. Blacksmithing - Max it out and get the Daedric armor cause it looks pimp
3. Alchemy - Max it out so you can make potions that make chanting / bs better.
4. Enchant a suit of armor that gives bonuses to alchemy and blacksmithing

Use potions and wear your smithing armor to make high quality daedric armor
Use potions to enchant this high quality daedric armor
Use this high quality daedric armor to slay everything in your wake

Repeat process for weapons...

*Note* Once you've done this nothing you find will be even remotely close in effectiveness. So it kinda ruins the loot for the rest of the game.

[Ahldagor]

max all magics.
get your own fireworks and dremora minions.
explore all of the dwarven underground
marry the girl from the first town, the shopkeepers sister, and she'll cook for you and give you money from the shop she opens if you move to a city.
go north of winterhold and find the hermit (so worth it)

[Kagatob]

I think he's asking what unique things there are to do out there, not how to build your character to be one of the broken (AKA invincible/boring) archetypes.

[Auvdar]

The skeleton key you mentioned is the only thing I can think of / remember. Might be a few others.

However I will tell you one thing. Wont spoil it, but if you play the Dragonborn DLC that came out, make a few back up saves before even going into the final dungeon (you will know when you go into it..).. Unless it got fixed, there is a huge game breaking bug during the last fight that can get you stuck. and afaik you can't /console kill him either, since it's all scripted and you basically get stuck. I had to turn all mods off (which included the armor and weapons) which got the fight to work, then had to turn on God mode just so I could actually kill him (since I was naked).

There is another bug like this with Dawnguard, where a NPC you need to follow you goes aggroe and won't break (and you need him to further on the story, so you can't kill him. He just comes back aggro..)

[Kagatob]

There are a few 'one or the other' questlines where there's a decision you make that forks the quest and you end up with one of two possible rewards and can't get both. The only two that I can think of off the top of my head are Azura's Star (Both rewards are similar enough anyway) and the Dark Brotherhood questline.

If you don't want spoilers I'd suggest saving your game before starting the quests and playing them through twice continuing the file with the item you greater desire.

I personally wipe out the dark brotherhood any chance I get in any incarnation of the Elder Scrolls and I'm just fine with those results. I know I'm the minority there though.

[Hasbinbad]

yeah i had daedric armor in the before time so i know it looks cool, and i know about the smithing / alchemy / enchanting increasing returns "feature" .. i'm still toying with whether or not to go that route..

as far as bugs, ty for that info .. i had to search google for the dragon who allows you to find alduin, coz i accidentally attacked it while it was prone, which makes it aggro you when free so i couldnt continue for like 2 hours .. struggling every which way to make it work without bitching out and googling.. so part of this is trying to avoid THAT bullshit while at the same time not spoiling TOO much

as far as character build, i've gone polymath, wearing light / heavy armors, sneaking around using a poisoned lifesteal 2hb and magic and shouts under thief sign to max up my lockpicking asap..

i've given the LSD dwemer hermit up north his thing, and got the reply letter, but haven't been back yet