Because I really don't like quests looking me in the face everytime I open my journal, It pains me that to do some things that are unrelated to certain factions, you still have to join said faction.

The point is, I don't like being unable to complete things sinse I like to roleplay. It would be better if we could delete quests, but no such function exists.

*Spoilers*
In the MQ, your forced to joing the college and theives guild.
Then doing the quest "Forbidden Legend" you have to join the college to complete
And after getting all the other dragon priest masks, I found out you have to beat the college to get the last one
Getting an "unusual gem" for the quest "No stone unturned" I have to be in the thieves guild to progress it
*End Spoilers*

Maybe its just me, but I hate when I have something sitting in my quest log and don't want to complete it because I don't want a demigod character.

It'd be fine If when joining these factions, it didn't automatically give me a quest associated with them, then after I complete that one, it automaticlly gives me another one. Up to the point were I'm archmage and Guildmaster of the thieves guild, along with being the harbinger of the companions, dragonborn, and Imperial Legate.

I'm looking for an excuse because I just. can't. have. them. in. my. quest. log.

If you are on the PC, isn't there a way to remove quests via the console?

I'm on the 360, so no.

Money, dear boy.

I know what you mean. They need more cool, unattached/freeform stuff.

Your character is the Dragonborn. . .

I share your frustration though. There should be a way to move unwanted quests into a "Junk" folder on the Quest page that you don't have to look at it. Just another quest category besides the ones they have now.

You're never forced to join the thieve's guild. There are ways to find Arngeir's hiding place without ever speaking to Byrnjulf.

It's not that, it's Barenziah's crown (unusual gems)

The game definitely doesn't like to let on that there are other options, though. They're not the most role-play-friendly options, either.

True, there are other options and people to ask and not ruin Shei's life just to find the old stinking man in the sewer. However, the game won't tell you.

Found out by accident by going "Screw this, this character doesn't sneak. Time to explore!"

That's one thing that REALLY bothers me about Skyrim. You're pretty much forced into certain factions by doing certain things. You can't pick up a single gem without getting the Thieves Guild pushed on you, and in the MQ you're actually forced to join the College. I don't know who thought that up, but it's awful. Going to the college to consult about the Elder Scrolls is one thing, but even if you don't talk to a single person at the College, you still emerge an apprentice, and with my pure warrior I resent it.

Fudged the story a bit just to suit my own characters needs. The way I twisted the [censored] out of the storyline was that the mages of Winterhold are so mindbogglingly incompetent, they send my dude around to do the dirty work for them, which so happens saving their asses. I'll probably save the whole archmage position for/if I ever make a mage. I have yet to touch the Thieves guild though.

I'd love it if on all the faction quests there was an option to not become the leader (except, notably, the Dark Brotherhood, since it's not up to you). IE, the Psijiics say "you're the Archmage now, herp, derp" and you lol at them and go "Yeah no, this Tolfdir guy is Archmage, wtf you smoking. I don't know magic." and they go "oh right, well we mean... someday... in the fuuUUuuUUuuUUture." and you're like "Aight, whatevs. Go away." and they do.

Pretend you overcome every obstacle your warrior encounters, that would be outside his realm of expertise(Stealth and Magic), with your Thu'um might be a good start?

Actually, it's very possible to legitimize it. Look at Pelinal.


Surely he was a PC who maxxed out all the skills and attributes.

And being a pure warrior and thief isn't so ridiculous either. Conan the Cimmerian was a thief who eventually became a near pure warrior. But he wouldn't touch magic, no way.

It can all be explained rather easily, the college even gives you an option to enter because you are dragonborn.. But that hardly excuses anything, you still have to join the stupid college. And it's not like they care you are dragonborn two seconds later. Those mages really are idiots, oh hey dragons are returning? Let's ignore that and go dig some ancient ruins. Oh hey the Dragonborn is here to talk about the Elder Scrolls, yeah let's ignore that and show you around the grounds instead, hell we'll be nice and even throw in a free bedroom.

Bloody bastards.

Maybe I'll just pretend my warrior declined the spot of archmage, and left Tol'dfir in charge instead. I'll just plug my ears whenever I go to the college.
It was my curiosity about the dragon shouts that piqued my interest about the Saarthal expedition and how it was in an anciet ruin, everything past that was doing things for people who needed it.
Like they said, you're not forced to do or learn anything in the college, you just have to have enough experience not to kill yourself when you get in.


And for the thieves guild... I did it to help them? That doesn't work... I don't know

You were forced into a hard decision, and made the choice for the lesser of two evils. Saving the world was worth locking up one innocent "Dungonian"

this is why I try to play battlemages for my main playthroughs. Strong with a sword or spell and is really good with illusion. That way it makes sense for me to be apart of all these respective guilds.... leading them is another matter... doesn't really make sense there. That's why I wish all these guilds had councils. That way we could work our way up the latter and still have another figurehead as guild leader. Would make much more sense that way.

My warrior may be looking at the thieves' guild to help do something about the 5000 gold bounty he got in the process of stopping the execution in Solitude.

I always (since Morrowind) make my main character (always a long haired Nord) who is a heavy armoured warrior / mage (sword, armorer / smithing, restoration, destruction, conjuration etc).

He is based on a knights templar who protects the weak and opposes evil. He plays all the quests except any evil or dishonest ones such as DB & TG. In fact he usually tries to wipe out DB and maybe even the theives guild if considering them bad enough.


Once I've played this player considerably I then make a second character who specializes in light armor, sneak, archery etc (always a mer or beast as to be different to my Heavy armored Nord). This player completes all the more evil or dishonest quests such as DB or thieves guild.

I don't think you're actually forced to join the mages guild if you manage to start herma mora's quest before hand.

Exactly, just go to Septimus hideout after you get the Elderscroll Quest from Parthurnax or just do mora's daedric quest whenever you feel like it, when Parthurnax wanted me to optain an elder scroll i said "Already got one" blew his face with the element of surprise.

And you dont need to join the thieves guild either, just go down below and find Esbern, avoid brynjolf, i always run away from him.

To be honest, they shouldn't have written fairly significant quests that force you into joining a faction. A junk folder would be great.

In all honesty, it's not SO bad from a role-playing perspective since being Harbinger or Archmage is more a matter of respect than anything, both in the College and the Companions you are told fairly early in their respective quests that the Harbinger/Archmage don't really rule the guild, they are just there to provide guidance and oversee things.

The Companions are each their own men and women as Eorlund tells you and the first mage takes care of most everything in the College so you're basically a figurehead put in there thanks to your achievements that are, by the way, pretty much possible due to you being Dragonborn so you can maybe focus on that.

The Thieves guild is more complicated but, hey, lockpicking isn't really strange for warrior characters and some of the most prominent warrior fantasy archetypes are thieves as well (Conan) and I'm pretty sure they can manage without you being there all the time, so, yeah it's not easy to mingle all in one character but it can be done.