I'm just wondering if it's possible to mess up quests before you get them.

I just raided Rockmilk cave but i had a feeling it was going to be quest related which is it.

Will i still be able to do the quest even though i've killed anyone?

Not in this case. If you're hunting Black Bow Bandits, this cave is just an additional bonus to that one Aeylid ruin that you and Mazoga clear out. The cave will reset after about three days in-game, so do so certainly go back at higher levels for some of the best loot around. And for more black bows of course. If you don't know who the Black Bow Bandits are, then go to Leyaawin Castle, and talk to people there.

Could be useful to keep some of those black bows around (or piled up on the ground). Not strictly necessary, though.

Yes you can mess quests up before you get them. In general, avoid killing anyone who has a name of their own. "Bandit" "Highwayman" "Guard" and that kind of descriptive name means they normally respawn, and are always safe to kill. There are a few cases where the NPC's get themselves killed without you doing anything, by falling off a bridge or getting into a fight while they're on the road between cities. Most of the folks who can do that aren't quest-related, but one or two are.

All the inhabitants of Rockmilk cave are generic Bandits or Marauders and can be killed again every three days for fun and profit.

Thanks for the replies.

I've been trying to get to level 30 before doing any more quests (as i read somewhere that it's more fun this way, best rewards etc) but i've been raiding caves and ruins etc. If there is anywhere i should definitely avoid in order to not ruin a quest, especially guild quests, could you let me know> Thanks.


I'm an ex Morrowind player so i know how badly things can go wrong

like it has been said everything that has a group name will respawn like bandits marauders ect. I think all quests that happen outdoor will only have their quest specific targer/items ect spawn once you got to a certain point in that quest. There are a few quests that conflict with each other or that cause bugs for other quests.

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Quest_Timing

is a good article about quests that provides most of the info you will need on this subject