under level 15 or so: you should barely escape death and feel getting pwned, you're happy if you can hit them once and make them literally fly for the hills
under 35- or 40-ish: warding off should be quite possible, but killing one should not happen too often, hopefully enemies will flee in Skyrim
above: you're in for a tough fight, but with the use of proper tactics and dragonshouts, you should have equal chances of gaining the upperhand
Now let's hope the dragons are massive and dreadful in the first place, otherwise my suggestion doesn't make sense and you'd easily pwn them by lvl 15-20 or so.
If there are also lesser dragons, they should be much easier to pwn. However you should be reminded of the virtue of humility often enough when a huge, not so pleased one is making a stroll around the block.

Baby dragon level 1-5
Mid age/young advlt dragon 10-20
advlt Dragon 20-30
Elder Dragon (Alduin) 25-40

i would personally hope dragons are STILL a challenge even at level 50+

i want some REAL battles, i butchered everything in oblivion/shivering isles... even myself, and i was powerful! [those who dont get that, play shivering isles]

dragons need to make gaenor from morrowind's tribunal expansion look like a joke, even if he was 10x stronger.

I want the dragons to be like the Deathclaws in New Vegas. Even at very high levels, the most powerful dragons should still be able to kill you very easily if you aren't careful.

I only got to play Shivering Isles after like a year or two of solid playing and adventuring so my character was really powerful. I loved that battle. Did not see it coming.

But yes, even at 50+ you should still fear them in some way. Even if you are a battle hardened dragon slayer they should feel deadly.

There should be SOME dragons that are a [censored] to slay unless you're level 40+, and some dragons exclusive to the storyline that are defeatable at any level.

Having all the dragons be beatable at levels as low as 15 would take away the epicness of them, but having all the dragons be tough as nails for players under level 40 would not work well for the storyline. So why not meet in the middle?

Agreed. I bloody hope I won't be able to fight them until the later levels. I just want to flee and cower in fear!

There should be dragons that are strong enough to kill ata all levels.

When you are lower levels you dont take on the Great Wyrm destroying a city, you kill Wyrmlings and Hatchlings, as you get more powerful these become easier and then you take on the more powerful versions of Dragons.

I think dragons should always be tough--no matter what level you are at. THis is not because they level up with you, just because they deal massive damage and have only a few weak points hopefully.

I really hope that taking down dragons isnt something that you take lightly, because otherwise the entire threat of the game is negligible.

I just wanna be like..."ohhhhhh sh********t when i see one"!

As if BGS would want to disappoint all the kids playing the game.
I'd estimate you'll start killing dragons at not later than level 10. :glare:

Depeneds on the strength of the dragon just like anly NPC. A weak small dragon , you can defeat early and get a small reward but try to go against a massive dragon and you get owned.

I was under the impression that dragons would level with you and they get progressively harder as you level up more and more. The top level ones should be extremely hard to beat.

I think it should be a huge task to even take one down. They should be ridiculously powerful. Something I would be afraid of fighting.

I wouldn't mind it be more difficult so their harder to kill and you need to think a bit more

This is without any knowledge of how dragon shouts actually help (excluding summoning dragons for aid). levels 1 -10 instant death, 11-20 escape is possible, 21-30 with a zealous will, health potions and everything you got (arrows, magic, whatever) you can kill it.. upon returning to town a mudcrab kills you. 41-50 it's a fair fight.

50+ (like 75-100), no.

It should be about tactics not level. You are dragonborn, born to be matched to them in combat.