Okay, Im trying to play a hardcoe rules, dead-is-dead game.....but now Ive had my characters both die by battleaxe as it knocks me to the ground and chops me to pieces.

Any tips on how i can stop this in the future? My character was level 8 and had an AR of 53......but it was only a steel battleaxe and it chopped me to pieces in 3 quick hits.


Also, any other tips for playing this style? I do tend to train around syder neen on mudcrabs to level 5 until i start doing things, and i always carry teleport scrolls/potions and lotso f cure and restore potions.

All I can say is work up your character′s skills in block, armour, agility, selected weapon type and most important, pick your fights.

Well this guy had heavy armor, long blade and block all in the 60's and he was taking on a bandit in bonemold armor......

PS:Ill also point out that I had no problem against two dremora, just these bandits weilding battleaxes and warhammers...they just knock me flat before I can do anything.

don't get hit

Seriously, the reason that a heavy hitting weapon knocks you down is that your agility is too low to keep your balance. If you buy potions of fortify agility this won't happen. Other ideas are to pad your armor using protective spells like sanctuary/shield. If you can't get cast a spell for any kind of decent bonus then remember that you can buy scrolls that do this. My advice on where to look for scrolls for sale: Redoran in-the-giant-crab enchanter (forgot name)

ST

If you had Restore Health potions and teleport items and still got killed, I'd say you hung around for too long. The key to hardcoe permadeath style games is to know when to cut your losses, and the answer to that is 'early'. You can always return for revenge later, fully replenished.

Potions of Invisibility are handy. There are also rare potions of Almsivi Intervention called Potion of Fool's Luck that will give an instant escape no matter what your condition.


High Agility is important to any fighter type, more important than Endurance in my opinion and just as important as Strength. As others have said, high Agility makes it less likely you'll be knocked over, makes you harder to hit and makes you hit more often.

Marksman is useful in hardcoe play, as are Spears. In both cases you can attack enemies without them being able to strike back effectively.



Lastly, don't judge a book by its cover. A bandit may be decked out in cheapo Bonemold armor and wielding a bargain-bin Iron Warhammer, but if he is a high level and so has huge Strength and a high Blunt Weapon skill, he's gonna be dangerous anyway.

Well like i said, i was dead before i realised I couldnt win.....three quick hits in a couple of seconds...


sounds like i need a high agility (mine was still below 50), so ill build my next character with a high melee.....and also carry some powerful scolls for guys that are strong like that.

Things like that are why you need to be super-cautious. Better to run away from a fight you might have won than get stuck in a fight you couldn't win. They're also another reason why Marksman or ranged attack spells are good for hardcoe: you can shoot enemies from a distance, and by looking at how much of their life bar was taken off by the shot, you can judge how high a level they are.

Those hammer-wielding Nords are no joke at the earlier levels. I can still remember going into Arkngthand and having my butt handed to me by a Nord with a hammer. Nix-Hounds and Alits? Hey, no problem! A Nord with a hammer? No thanks.

Get a potion of Mark and another of Recall from Nalcarya in Balmora. Go somewhere safe like a Temple and drink the Mark. This is your rally point. Now whenever you are in trouble (like getting knocked down) just right click to bring up your menu (and freeze action) and take the Recall potion. This is faster than an enchanted item or a spell. You can even hot key this, but I find that freezing action is the best way to go. I never go anywhere without a Recall potion and I did all three MQ's with one character without dying. Good luck!

Pick your fights is the best advice I can really give here. If you're knocked to the ground, hope that your character gets up before your enemy finishes you. If you manage to scramble back onto your feet, run.

Very fast.

This is a great tip in general for any not-competent-in-mysticism character. Thanks much.
:celebration:

Yeah, but no matter how competent, casting a spell takes a bit time which might result in a deathblow anyway. Opening the menu won't.

I too think the best way for a hardcoe playthrough (which I haven't done and probably never will...) is to have these potions. Either Recall or aforementioned Fool's Luck or... I don't think there is one for Divine Intervention, nor are there ingredients for a self-made. Note that Fool's Luck is lighter; it's 0.75 while Recall is 1! Such a relevant difference...

I'd be extra careful approaching any NPC who might be hostile. I'd also watch out for kagouti especially, since they've knocked me dead for a few times when I'm in a very low level. Basically the only land creatures that have done this to me. If you don't count five or more cliff racers. -.-

One good way to safety on most cases without fleeing the spot is, of course, levitation. You might want to carry some of those potions as well. Invisibility or high effect chameleon work wonders as well.

Or you could buff your char up with serious heavy armor skill and have a great heavy armor at start, if you can find one. I never do this kind of things myself though, as getting pounded away by mudcrabs or stuff like that gets really boring.

Just made sure if you really cannot create any teleporting potions yourself, for I recall seeing a Recall ingredient or two. Heh...

Well, you can't. Bristleback Leather is the only ingredient with Recall, and there are no other ingredients for any other teleportation spells. Therefore, Fool's Luck being only 3/4 of Recall Potion's weight might be a significant difference after all, should you want to carry them a lot and you're having trouble with encumbrance.

In a real sense, this makes it more difficult to justify Mysticism as a major for any class. Particularly when those potions are only 35 gold apiece (just checked the UESPWiki).

Again, a nice tip.

Yeah, it seems like a complete waste of a major, or even minor slot. Only that I play a Temple/Redoran character at the moment with Mysticism as a major, just adding to the gimmick.

Absorb Health is pretty good. Takes their health and heals you, and if it's Reflected it doesn't hurt you.

If you've magicka to burn, Absorb Attribute can be useful too.

Wow dead-is-dead looks fun . Do you guys play with mods or? I'm playing with Wakim and other mods that may make the game more difficult, is it still possible to play this way? Also where do you put the difficulty bar, I'm guessing at 100?

Knowing of this mode of playing was like discovering efficient leveling. Once I discovered it, I felt guilty about not doing it and I had to do it.

Ooooh, careful, hot plate! For those with Morrowind Code Patch installed and cranked up, it WILL hurt you. :shocking:

I play with difficulty at default....dead is dead is already hard enoguh to not worry abotu every bandit when you're level 10.

Max difficulty all the way through for my custom Redguard Kara (named after the character in "The Legend of the Seeker" who was a 10 on the boinkometer). No trainers or books, improve your skills by using them. No mudcrab academy, I improved my combat skills fighting Daedra, Bonelords and Skeletal Centurions. I didn’t level efficiently either. I only ever used the ten skills that I chose for Majors/Minors (block, short blade, heavy armor, athletics and marksman/alchemy, enchant, speech craft, armorer and mysticism), plus two others (unarmored and sneak) that I improved to 35 for faction requirements. That way I was able to rise to the top of the temple and cult, legion, morag tong and the fighter, thieves and mages guilds. I then saved and did each of the houses, Hlaalu, Redoran and Telvanni (for the Telvanni i did conjuration to 35 as well). Then I did all three of the MQ's as Hlaalu.

Yes, but from what oyu say....you didnt use dead is dead, no reloading did you?

Max Difficulty, one character all the way through without ever dying. I reloaded to do each of the House quest lines because you can only do one house.

(Sorry for the double post, but I was not allowed to edit my above post)

It also helps to heal and do damage at the same time. I max enchant and have rings that cast on use simultaneously Restore 100 health points on self and do 100 points of Fire Damage on target. I make them with Golden Saint souls and I can cast them about 40 times if needed. A Constant Effect exquisite ring of invisibility also helps. After you pass through a door just right click and pop it back on. You can thus explore just about anywhere unnoticed. Also, if you make an expensive ring that casts 100% Chameleon for 3 seconds then you can open containers and snatch things before putting the CE Invisible ring back on.

ahh...thats the difference...

under my rules thats a glitch (constant restoring health and super spells from amulets), so I dont do that.

The restore health/fire damage ring is cast on use not constant effect. The invisibility ring is constant. You can make a "super" spell that restores 100 points of health on self and does 100 points of fire damage on target simultaneously too. Do you consider casting spells to be a glitch?

Not a glitch as such, but it does tend to unbalance the game somewhat....

Thats just me though, i get bored if it gets too easy.