Is there a way to prevent the vampire and cultist attacks that happen once your character hits a certain level? For those times when you're playing a character that isn't combat oriented from the start.

If you're on PC try this mod http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/38151/? by kryptopyr. It lets you set the player level at which you want the DLC and most of the Daedric quests to start.

cool. Thanks. I could share saves in which my Whiterun is virtually empty...

You can always uncheck them, so that they don't load up. The downside to that is that you miss some of the items that the DLC's add. The Mod of course is a better Idea...lol

Dawnguard is automatic at level 10 but Dragonborn can be delayed by NOT reading the Cultist's note, I think. I do not recall losing Dragon souls prior to reading that note, though I could be wrong

The mod mentioned previously sounds like the best option, though

Actually, it's delayed by not visiting the Greybeards.

I'm talking more about NPC deaths due to the cultists. Though the vampire attacks were worse.

[edit] Thank you Ladyonthemooon. do you mean visiting them or being called by them? (ie after shouting for the first time).

It triggers when you visit them the first time via the "Way of the Voice" quest. The mod I posted gives you the choice to trigger it at any point during the main quest. You can set it to start after you've finished the main quest if you prefer or set a minimum player level for it. It gives you a lot of flexibility in how you want DLC, Daedric and even some side quests to trigger. You can even just turn off some quests that you have no intention of ever doing with the current character. If you pair it with the http://www.chinagreenelvis.com/gaming/mods/skyrim/skyrim_unbound/ alternate start mod you can then turn off word walls and dragon spawns for role playing a non-dragonborn character that is not interested in doing the main quest.

If you don't use the mod, say No to Durak, you can later start the quest if you want by going to Fort Dawnguard.

You can also use as LoCaster said an Alternate start mod, their are a few... I pair Alternate Start LaL with the " You are not the Dragonborn" mod... add in "Deadly Dragons" and I still get the dragons, but...my character is not the Dragonborn. (Which I happen to like.) I'd put in links, but I can't get nexus to pull up, probably my internet, it's very slow tonight.

I usually just try not to travel much at night.. no entering or leaving town after dark ( or going from one building to another) That's what I did on 360, cause no mods and well I hated loosing vendors and towns folk. btw Deadly Dragons also has a toggle for making vendors and other people essential and another for not having dragon attacks in town.

Sounds like a handy mod and I'll surely start using that. I'm not sure about alternate start mods just on the basis that it seems to be too easy to unbalance the game. Then again I already have a save game I have to revert to a point before I accidentally abused alchemy.

Using Alternate Start mods can actually make the game harder, even if you don't have mods that make the game more difficult. Take Live Another Life's Camping Start. This one can be the same difficulty as the normal start, since it's in the same area. Contrast that with the same mod's Necromancer start. Where exactly you start isn't really important for this one(it is a bit of a spoiler), but you will have to deal in some way, with a Dwarven Sphere first thing. Not easy.

As for Vampire attacks, I'd suggest using "When Vampires Attack", which makes the majority of people in town head into shops, inns or their own houses when Vampires attack, unless they are guards or other capable sorts. Also, "Run For Your Lives" does the same thing for Dragon attacks.

It all depends which mod you use and which beginning you pick. Some beginnings can be incredibly difficult, much more difficult than the vanilla start. Most of them, I'd say, are about equivalent to the vanilla game in terms of how easy they make the game at the beginning.

I like the sound of that "when vampires attack" mod. Seems starting in the middle of foresworn country seems much harder than a start in whiterun.

It is a very good mod as is the "Run for your Lives" that Maxus suggested.

I have used the AS-LaL: I have used a few of them... the "left for dead" can be really hard or just hard... my 1st left for dead character started out on Solstiem.. yeah, I died 4 times before getting to town...lol But I also got put in The Reach where the peddler is and while that wasn't easy, it wasn't impossible either. For my Bard types I like starting out as a Patron of an Inn, I started as a "farmer" once and started with a farm. To me it just helps with my RP. But generally that is the way I add in mods anyway.