Heavy armor also reduces the effectiveness of your spells, so you should look towards enchanting clothing items with shield protections unless you plan to be a battlemage

I don't want to be a mage or battle mage, i just want to be a warrior (knight) with no magic (or very little magic already have) and no enchantment other than Sigil Stone permanent effect enchantment and permanent effect enchanted items found (my character against/despise Soul Trap and don't like magic/mages)

Those who eschew magic often make an exception for alchemy - considering it a more nature-based discipline. Indeed, alchemy skill can largely compensate for magic, allowing the skilled user access a great many beneficial effects starting with healing, and deadly effects that can be applied to weapons.

Oh, I see what you're saying. Sure, there's no challenge in the game, in the way you're talking about.

What the OP is talking about -- and what I was replying to -- is the so-called "http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Leveling#The_Leveling_Problem" if you don't advance your character efficiently as the level rises. Take a "vanilla" Warrior Class, for instance: in that build, all three Strength skills and all three Endurance skills are Majors. Playing the character as built, it will be difficult to get more than +2 increases to either of those Attributes at level-up. Unless you are very diligent about improving equipment and building Minor skills, your character is likely to fall behind his enemies as he levels up. The problem becomes very noticeable as the character reaches the mid-teen levels.

It's a situation that encourages power gaming and discourages role playing.

I also love the two-handed look, and most of the time gravitate towards the blade as opposed to the blunt, though there are some awesome hammers in late game levels. My character sports a Fine Iron Claymore at the moment, choosing this over steel or silver, merely because I like how the hilt looks and well as the curve in the blade for maximum bleeding.

To avoid spamming Restoration, purchase the highest level Healing spell that you can cast at the moment, and use this, instead of the cheapest magicka-costing one. Upgrade as is needed. My current skirmisher is an Atronach, so that is my mindset when it comes to Restoration and Alchemy.

Currently, my character wears all iron, except for leather greaves and leather boots. No helmet, wearing a hood when it rains instead, and sometimes traveling only in a cloak. A change of clothing if I'm in town, nothing fancy mind you. My female warriors tend to look great in a leather cuirass and dwarven greaves, leather boots, etc. Eventually tends to wear a mixture of enchanted street clothes, and heavy and light armor...
Glass is generally ugly to me, except the greaves. Ebony, all ugly except maybe the cuirass, gauntlets... but the weapons rock. Not really into the daedric, but the helmet is just so cool. I really like steel, just wish it could be dirtier. Dwarven is cool too, especially the helmet and greaves. Perfect Madness though, I love all of it. In the end, my characters wear what they look good in, rather than for armor rating, so it is always a mix, and it's cool to discover new ensembles for different characters, because every character is different.

Phew, I just seriously geeked out there.

I love magic personally. Ninety percent of my characters are either full on pure mages or hybrids leaning heavily on magic. Walking around in a robe, with no weapon and wiping things out left and right is pretty awesome.

Yup, that is what i mean, the game force me to make sure i get +5/+5/+5 on each level up, or else there will be a big problem. Allies don't help much as they don't level up at all.


Yup, Iron Claymore look realistic. other than that i prefer Dai-Katana, but this just destroy the mood of the western based fantasy role-playing. Katana don't match with western armor, if using Katana i will change to wear robe or Blade armor (in which do look like Samurai armor). Well, i am seriously-critical regarding theme and thematic-role-playing


But the problem is, the cost and effect is not balanced. Heal Major Wound cost to high for little healing effect. i am so surprised by it in the first time, never before in any game i play mana cost is higher than the spell effect.


I am using "coc testinghall" to see all the armor available (out of curiosity), and try them all, i am not use it for the game, just want to see what the game offer me. Only few armors are ok in my taste, most higher level armors just yaaaarrrh......i am surprise the game that is tend to be realistic but have cartoonish armor design in the end. Go!Go! Power Ranger!

Robes are cool in my opinion especially black one, look like the Sith when wearing it, it match with two handed sword. But the character must be Spellsword or Nightblade type.

Hmm, wear mixed armor, i will think about it, thanks

The Orcish armor tried to come close to perceived samurai armor, but it got too big and looks like a set of football shoulder pads.
I like robes too, however wish I could wear a traveling cloak over my armor. Hence why I sometimes travel in a robe. I haven't found a dai-katana yet, which would be the next blade I would use.... frankly, now that I think about it, am I going to be able to find a non-enchanted dai-katana in the game if I do not do the MQ? Anyone?
As for restoration: Heal Major Wounds costs a lot right now as you are an early level in the school of Restoration. Currently, minor heal costs me 14 magicka. Major heal costs me 61 magicka, but major heal will give me half my health back (playing with very little Endurance added to character) when I need it fast, like in combat. I don't wait, or power level, or spam anything, so I don't know how that would change the calculation for your leveling, and whether you are too powerful or too weak when you do level.

i don't know if we can find non-enchanted Dai-Katana in any other place than Cloud Temple, there is only enchanted one at Jensine Good As New. and the non-enchanted in Cloud Temple is ordinary, it cannot effect ghost and will-o-wisp (the main reason i fail my previous character and make me rage). I don't know if it level or not. If not then it is a mega disappointment. If it is, then i should wait and level up before going to Cloud Temple.

I prefer Dai-Katana than ordinary katana in this game, it is because all samurai use two handed katana, there is no samurai use one handed katana AND a shield. One handed "katana" or daito is just for seppuku (self sacrifice) ritual, rarely use in combat, wearing them is just as status symbol of a samurai, a Ronin (master-less samurai) don't wear that.

Another thing i found funny is, Katana is not heavy, believe me, katana is one of the most light weighted but the strongest sword in the world. Making Dai-Katana as heavy weapon is somewhat laughable for those who know about it (martial artist like me especially). But yes, all my argument destroyed by saying "this is Tamriel/TES/Oblivion, not real Japanese"

Since i learn about power level up, it is like addictive to make power level up, i will upset if not getting +5 in the attribute i want, i can't accept +4 either. It is the suspense...when seeing the level up icon and then going to sleep, i am relieve if seeing +5/+5/+5, and lost mood if not seeing that.

It's not just the katana that has very wrong weight in the game. War hammers are ridiculous (and they're not even designed right; true war hammers have long handles and small heads, and are designed to be used while mounted.) Most of the Heavy Armor is far too heavy to actually be worn in combat. Bows are ridiculously heavy.

I hope you can break out of the +5/+5/+5 habit. The game can actually be more enjoyable if your character isn't Superman (and there are no capes, anyway. )

I just scrap my last one, lols

I think i want to take a break from playing Oblivion for now. Like i mention in the first post, it is a paradox, what i have in mind, i can't put it on the character...the whole system is just a mess up.

There is no other way than creating half warrior half mage, other than this just don't work. Even rogue class will use magic. Everything must involve magic.

yeah...as above, so below....that's it

but i still considering these two build

Race : Imperial
Birth Sign : Warrior
Specialty : Combat
Favorite Attribute : Strength and Agility
Class : Town Guard
Major Skills : Acrobatic, Athletic, Armorer, Blade, Block, Light Armor, Marksman

* a common town guard role-playing

Race : Imperial
Birth Sign : Warrior
Specialty : Combat
Favorite Attribute : Strength and Endurance
Class : Soul Blade
Major Skills : Alteration, Blade, Block, Destruction, Illusion, Mysticism, Restoration

* my version of Spellsword/Nightblade

don't know which one i want to choose

The only way that you can experience the game is to play it. I have certainly fielded many character who DID NOT use magic at all. At all. Sure, there were times when I wanted to use magic, but I resisted the urge and fought my way through the difficulty. Or ran away and came back later.
In the end, the choice is always yours. What matters more, in my opinion, is whether you are having fun. I prefer challenge in my fun, hence the various builds I create, which gimp my character in some way.

In terms of your two choices for new characters.... I hesitate to comment as you seem to have decided to not play anymore. However, I choose the second build, dropping alteration for conjuration, yet continuing to use alteration heavily.

I don't say i don't want to play anymore, just rest for a while

Thanks for the opinion for the second choice, but i don't like conjuration, all summons are hideous monsters, no...it give me nightmare lols joking, i mean if there is some kind of summoning nice spirit then it is ok, i have see all the summon list, none to my taste,

see...what is the difference between summoning zombie and necromantic magic? eh? it will make my character look bad and evil.

yes, i think i will try my "Soul Blade" build...

Sounds like you have an RP in mind....
I agree, the accoutrements of a build should affect your choices down the road.
Though if you change your mind,

Headless Zombie is pretty powerful
Clannfear is the ultimate
Dremora Lord is pretty awesome too
Flesh Atronach, probably the best, though he is too tall and gets stuck inside a lot, so Clannfear still tops the charts
Dark Seducers seem to survive longer for me than Golden Saints

no matter how powerful they are, i don't want to summon them. I don't like them, ugly creatures.... lols

hmm...i think there should be a mod to fix this...please...if there is summon Guardian Angel or Spiritual Warrior or Tinkerbell or something nicer would be nice.

I agree. I find it disappointing that you can only summon monsters in this game. You either have the walking (or floating) dead, or the same monsters that are trying to destroy the world for Dagon. It is hard for me to roleplay a 'good' person wanting to do either. I would like to be able to summon Aedra, or some other form of 'good' creature. That is one of the reasons I created my http://oblivion.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=36623

Wow, unfortunately i don't have Shivering Isles. Can you made other version that no need Shivering Isles pleasseeee pleeeaaassseeeee

Yeah, i find it weird too, the summons are the very same monsters we must destroy to save the world. They are the enemy in the game and we summon them...isn't that dangerous? The summoning spells never said it is also a mind controlled one.

In any game, i don't like much druid/summoner/conjurers class (such in Diablo 2), it is because of i don't like the reliance of the summoned creatures than my own might facing the enemies, it make it look like i don't play the game, the summoned creatures does. I prefer companions rather than summoned creatures (such as in Dragon Age). But in Oblivion it is better to have summon(s) because the enemies are too many and they are crazy especially in higher levels.

Last time I was at Target (scary chain store here in America) the GOTY was selling for 25 dollars. I'm sure you can find it on Amazon. And you can use your old saves with the GOTY version.

Edit: maybe it's scary to me cuz I live in Minneapolis where they are hq'ed, so I see them everywhere. And I do gigs for them.

I don't get all this fuss about the levelling system. I played Oblivion without planning ahead, glitch abuse or any other kind of cheating. I regulary got +1 or +2 multipliers but never faced any problems that were too tough.

I agree with you. The fuss, from my perspective, is because players want to be master of all, at all times. Thus they grind skills to get those +5 modifiers. Then when they screw up they say it's a crappy game and the immersion svcks, blah blah blah.... when they did it to themselves in their mad quest for power. Either don't grind, or learn how to do it correctly. I choose to not grind.

No, leveling is bad, not because i want power and perfect in everything, but it just bad.

In my own experience, i do Kavatch in many levels, level 1 is fine, so easy, no challenge at all. But if do it at level 5 or above, it is insane.

Like i mention before, if done it at level 1, the enemy i face are just few scamps. If don't want to enter Oblivion gate, but want to see Martin first, there are just two scamps there at level 1. But at level 5, there are about 4 scamps and 2 clanfear runts i must face them alone. Now what is that?

Similar with when Siege of Kavatch, at level 1 or 2, only few scamps out there, so Salvian matius and his guards have no problem. But at level 5, there are daedra mages, scamps and clanfear runts everywhere before the gate. Salvian matius unconcious everytime in few seconds and all guards dead. there are also some daedra mages and deadra archer on top of the gate. So what is that?

Not only the enemy is stronger, but they grow in numbers.

Furthermore, weapon and armor will broken in long combat.

I would say this adds to the challenge. Be creative in this battle, the game really wasn't made with +5 modifiers in mind.

But then again, I can't be sure because I haven't played Oblivion in a long time. But still, don't the guards level too?

You want to see real insanity, wait until level 20 to do Kvatch! When you open the castle gate, that battle has around 5 deadroths, 4 Clannfears, and some others. I had to slide the difficulty slider to 0% to get through it, Nothing else in the game compares to it.

It's almost impossible for any of the Kvatch guards to survive if you do that quest after about level 5.

Yeah, I just took a level 20 mage through there a while ago. My mage had no problem, but it wasn't possible to keep anybody alive. Nobody left but Savlian at the end.

I thought the biggest complaint was that "Oblivion was worse then morrowind."?

You ever tried running away? Really, just because you encounter something doesn't mean you have to kill it.

Since, by default, creatures are always a set level higher then the player, there is minimal gain in difficulty by leveling. The only real purpose to leveling is to aquire different aesthetic armor, and fight different monsters.