DOH! Poor Lolly. If nothing else let her know that her name always made me giggle

And on that note ...

Here lies Itaei ....

The brave Argonian had just exited Dimhollow cave with Serana when a Dragon landed on his head. I kid you not! Right on top of him at the cave exit door. He fought valiantly and slayed the beast while Serana for some unknown stupid follower reason decided to pick a fight with three Justicar's. It was amidst this kerfuffle that a sabre cat one shotted him from behind.

A warm welcome to the Hammer Maiden! I love a battlemage.

Have I mentioned that Igraine is kind of a dingbat? Today she visited the Standing Stone that marks her Birthsign (The Lord), then trotted happily down the mountain feeling good about routing the bandit scumbags who had taken up residence there. A short time later while engaged with some much fiercer bandits I noted that her Block and One-Handed skills were shooting up rapidly for someone who is not blessed by the Warrior. Facepalm. She didn’t take the Lord blessing while she was up there.

A trip back up hill and she sees an ore vein that she missed before. Yay! Each sale gets her a little closer to buying a horse. Lydia refuses to carry so much as one more carrot for her, so Igraine decides to head back to Whiterun and lighten the load. Still blessed by the Warrior. Thankfully she turned around before she got too far. Level 8.

http://i.imgur.com/Y70ugxd.png.

http://i.imgur.com/YWgRJSw.png.

http://i.imgur.com/uCFXfnF.png.

http://i.imgur.com/yweiQIp.png.

ADDED: Aww, sorry to hear about Itaei. What a fight! Darned cat.

FreeWitch. ..sorry to hear that... nice battle story though! Let me know if you plan on a restart. .. and I'll get the stats up when I get home.

RIP

Level 20

Killed by Nimhe the giant frostbite spider found in the Nchuand-Zel Excavation Site (follower blocked this ones escape)

Only 1 quest completed

They're dropping like flies!!! :scared: RIP Itaei and Sah.

Sorry about your characters, Glargg and Freewitch. I know the feeling well...

This competition is my attempt to demonstrate how to lose characters without really trying for those who might want to give it a try. Speaking of which, The Wrathful Wraith Brand has once again set sail for Valhalla, carried on the wings of a Valkyrie Maiden. Well, would you believe Krev the skinner (yes, a female version this time)?

I know that probably bears some explanation, so here goes.

Brand was determined to give Bthardamz a try once more, and this time succeeded. In fact Orchendor himself was a pushover using Sah's strategy. After acquiring that special shield, Brand felt confident that Dimhollow would fall with out too much risk.. and it did. In fact, it was rather a breeze. I don't know if you all are interested in Isran's reaction to a vampiric recruit, but here's how it went.

this set me up for a decision... I kinda wanted to cure the vampirism, and at the same time, I kinda wanted to keep it. Impossible, I know but I decided that the best trick would be to join the companions looking for a cure. So, Brand became a vampiric Companion for a while, then went to Dustman's Cairn. I have to say, it was a bit tough, but after one hell of a boss fight, Brand emerge unscathed. He followed that up with a rescue mission at Silent Moons which went fine, and afterward he got the invitation from Skyor.

That was all fine and well, but then it became an imperative to follow through with the follow-up mission. You see, it hadn't dawned on me that I would HAVE to do that quest, or have Aela follow me around like a puppy with a torch for the foreseeable future.

Brand opened the final battle against the Silver Hands with a short volley of fireballs followed with a MFD (3 word) shout, and when the Skinner got to him Brand ended up using his one and only paralytic to gain four seconds in which to heal. Yeah, I bought every poison and paralytic I found for sale... all one of them. The lack of alchemy was indeed felt keenly.

When the Skinner began to get up and was not even really scratched, Brand turned back running toward the entrance trying to gain time for his shouts to clear. Shortly, the cooling period for shouts cleared, and Brand turned to use one but... Aela was running up the hall straight toward Brand and the Skinner was right on her heels.

Brand split the difference with a fire rune, then continued retreating. Aela got a little singed when the rune exploded, the Skinner got more singed, but she was still barely hurt. After a short way, brand turned to try to get a "Ice Form" shout off, but for some reason it misfired. There is nothing like facing a charging freight train that is dressed in full plate armor, and having your one chance at survival shout simply not fire and then it was too late and the Skinner's power blow ended the game for Brand.

RIP Wrathful Wraith Band.

This time I really am done for this competition though, if only because there is not enough time left to bother with. Besides, I want to get my mods reinstalled, and try a Brand who does not have his hands tied behind his back by competition restrictions. See, I never put my mods back in, and all I have installed are the bare bones competition stuff. Pretty dull...

Stats:

Wow Neil.....pretty gripping account. Shame.....but at least you did get three quests done...good going.


Yes I can confirm that Silver hand on Legendary are very tough customers.....paralysing Krev is my standard ploy....but a single quickie isn't nearly enough. MfD is great....but needs that time to marinade well in......even then despite what some claim....it does not render Krev a one hit kill...or two hit.....maybe five or six with a really good weapon. You just don't have time to play at stacking MfD shouts either while being chased by Krev the Killing Karver.


This method of randomised skill selection could be good for the future......but sadly.....Dawnguard and Dragonborn are meant to be super toughies. Perhaps pairing up skill randomising with stupid tough quests is asking a bit much. Eh!

Sorry ...R.I.P. to SAH And Brand... I'll get the stats up when I get home.


Sah let me know if you are starting a Zombie Sah.


Edit: phone misbehaving

I keep thinking, hmmm maybe I'll try using a follower this time, then some duppity dupe follower kills the great Sah due to sheer dupigness and I have to say, NOPE not going to have a follower. They are the REAL danger! RIP Sah may Kyne carry you on her wings to Sovengarde.

I'll forever adventure alone due soley the follower horror stories I read.

Sorry about your char Sah... You posted while I was writing my own post up and I missed it.

Y'know, in just this competition, Lydia has gotten Brand killed once, nearly killed several times, but she saved his butt more than once. On top of that, she paid a price as well... (well, as much of a price as an NPC can pay )

On this last trip through Bthardamz, Brand had arrived at a particular corridor alone for some reason. In teh corridor was a group of four spider workers, and I thought it was a perfect shot to MFD the whole lot. So, just as the shout is uttered, Lydia runs charging into the group, and next thing I see is she's glowing in blue splotches. While she fought the spiders, I used healing hands on her to keep her alive, and it worked.

Of course after the quest was over, I sent her home to baby sit Lucia...

The thing is that it's a trade off, and you never know how it will work out.

What! Did I miss something here?


Sah sneaked in quietly with an update I missed.

Blocked by your own "Dwarven metals pack mule" Sah.....thats pretty irksome.


Areial.....don't fret hon. I will stick to my pm promise ok. But I so desperately want, no, need.... to get Adella's entry 14 out there!

Soon hon...very soon ok

Frigus Portum Level 10 Difficulty Expert Time Elapsed 4h50m13s plus 13.42.00 from Tal = 18.32.13 hours total

Frigus received a letter from the pompous Jarl of Falkreath. The young cub had sent Frigus to "fetch" some Black-Briar mead. Frigus impressed the Jarl by giving him the bottle that he was carrying. Frigus didn't tell the Jarl he'd found it on the ground in a bear cave below Helgen. Some time later when Frigus returned from adventuring a courier ran up to him out of breath and gave him a letter from the young jarl. Apparently Frigus had made an impression on the Jarl and he wanted Frigus to help him. Frigus' fur was ruffled by the Jarl's request, but he did not show his disgust for the jarl's dealings with bandits other than the slow twitch of his tail.

Frigus has cleared the mine, Embershard, of the bandits and upon returning to the Jarl he was most surprised that he, a Khajiit, would be allowed to purchase land in Falkreath to build his own home. When Frigus spoke to the Steward his ears were down turned at the price. He would have to find more things on bad bandits to sell in order to afford the property.

As Frigus walked out of Falkreath he reflected on the words of the Orc Durak that stopped him when he arrived in Falkreath to tell him about the Dawnguard and a vampire menace plaguing the region of Skyrim. Perhaps Frigus would have to study, practice and work hard just in case he ran into the children of Cold Harbor. Frigus fur crackled with static from his hackles rising at the thought of the night children.

Oooo, Bram - what a GREAT lead in! Yum....

Sorry to see so many of us dying. Freewitch, Sah, Neil... Condolences and commiseration.

That's ok Rick... I understand!

Thank you very much! This my first true play through on a Khajiit and I'm finding his story "just happening" so naturally. I wonder what awaits him next...

Wow, the bodies are piling up. I hope to see some zombies rise to roam Skyrim with Inuksuk.


Quick update:

Level 18. Arcane blacksmith. Just came down from High Hrothgar. Investigating Shroud Hearth Barrow.

I know what ya mean, lol. Ironically, Serana is the only follower I can tolerate, which works well for this comp.

Sympathy for the fallen. Sah, Wraith Brand, RIP.

neil, thanks for sharing the harrowing tale of Brand’s death by the Skinner. Misfiring Shouts feel like a betrayal from Akatosh himself!

Bram, I like Frigus’s spirit! I’d often like to leave that bottle of mead sitting on the Jarl’s chair for him.

Be careful out there, everyone!

Huzrah, Dovah! Alok!

Hearken! Alduin seeks you!

Alduin hears your dragon soul, somewhere nearby. Arise!

He has heard the whisper of your name. "Tu Vahdin." He has spoken your name. You must arise!

Alduin searches for the Dovah, but finds only this man-lair, and these mortals. Where is the Dovah? There are only these mortals, and this doomed one lying on the block. There is no Dovah here!

Alduin is confused and angry. He shouts down the mortals, again and again, but he cannot find the Dovah, so he flies off to the north, to seek other brethren.

Tuvahdin remembers nothing before awakening on the cart, hands bound. There was a dream, perhaps, of wings and rushing air, and of a long sleep. She feels that there is so much that she should know.

Who is she? How did she come to be? Why does this body seem so strange to inhabit, as if she were wearing a suit of armor not her own? What came before, and most importantly, why is she here?

No time for questions now, though, for Tuvahdin must survive!

Wow, i return after 2 days and the forum is on fire.

I never thought that my own limitations and challenges would be considered exploits.

If you think playing with a level 1 character on Legendary difficulty with just a healing spell as back-up is easy, you should try it first. I'm curious how far you character would go.

It's true that you encounter lower level enemies, but those enemies can kill you in seconds. A pack of 3 wolves can be deadly, a big mudcrab can kill you in 3 hits, a bandit, skeleton or draugr with two-handed weapon can kill you in a few hits, a giant can kill you in one hit (a real giant, not the one that triggers the Companions quest line). You can't hope to win against a bandit chief without exploiting the terrain or help from some guards.

https://youtu.be/ONCJYhaYEQY?t=262 easy enemy can kill you in 1 hit and https://youtu.be/3PdsWNTr5bo?t=238 can kill you in 2 hits. I'm also curious if anyone killed Tyranus on Legendary with a level 1 character.

As you can see some enemies have a predetermined level, regardless your level.

You forget how important the perks are. Most damage and armor rating comes from perks spent in weapon, armor and smithing skills.

At level 1 character, all enchanted items you find (the generic ones), have the lowest magnitude.

With a weak weapon and low armor rating, your combat skills advance much slower because your damage is low and you can;t afford to take hits (for Heavy/Light Armor skills). You only have stamina for only 3 bashes.

If i remember correctly, AccidentalNinja said that he's using Muffle spell to level up Illusion to 100 quickly and no one said it's forbidden then. I don;t see any difference between spamming Muffle and standing in fire to heal.

I also consider pausing the game in the middle of a fight to have a snack or drink a potion as an exploit, but i never said everyone have to avoid it. It's my own play style with my own limitations and challenges, but it doesn;t matter anymore because i withdraw from this competition.

Have fun.

I think if you look at the death toll among the competitors in this competition, you'll figure out that we do indeed understand the perils of playing on a high difficulty with little or nothing to fall back on in the way of spells or enchanted items. You are not the only that has had to face hard choices.

Nobody said originally that using muffle to increase illusion is not allowed or that there is a rule against it, though it would seem that things are moving in that direction. It was just kind of assumed that most of us would see it as an exploit. You see, there is a reason that higher difficulties get a point multiplier to help reduce the consequences of choosing to play on Legendary or Master... but you see that's where it falls on the player. Nobody is forced to play on Legendary or master, or indeed anything above novice. ...and on Novice, you wouldn't need any exploits to stay alive. That's the point though, it's YOUR choice how you want to play, unless of course you get killed and have to play on a level of difficulty lower than you prefer.

Ske3lz, my apologies if you felt that my question was a personal attack. It was not intended that way. I was simply inquiring about whether it was an acceptable playstyle within the constraints of the competition given that running into a wolf is considerably less dangerous than a sabre cat, or half a dozen basic bandits less deadly than half a dozen bandit thugs/outlaws. Part of my thought process was that you might take advantage of just low levelled enemies to level skills to the point you would have a high character level (say 50) and then just spring up with all the advantages that 49 perks and stat increases would confer.

You also do remember incorrectly, it was not I who was levelling illusion heavily using muffle.

The boards are "on fire" because this particular situation has highlighted a potential recurring issue in the current competition setup, which is that we do not have explicit rules for what does or does not constitute an exploit/breach of the "spirit of competition". If you would like to contribute your perspective to the discussion I am sure it will be welcomed as the best way of finding a universal set of rules for the competition is to have as diverse a source as possible.

Regardless of any disagreements about play style I'm sure the others will agree that we'd like to see you continue to participate in both this and future competitions.

Most of us in this competition have not only tried it, we've done so multiple times. I lost one character to the mudcrab beside the Riverwood bridge. On my first DiD Legendary attempt, I lost my character inside Helgen, killed by the Captain in the first room.