I'm getting the game tomorrow. One thing I really hate in fantasy games is when enemies have ten million hit points. It feels like I'm attacking them with a balloon instead of a wickedly sharp two foot steel blade.

(The other thing I really dislike is kiting.)

So I tend to set these games on the easiest difficulty level - that way, if I stab someone they stay stabbed. Shooting someone with an arrow doesn't enrage them, it ends them. Well, you get the idea.

The trouble is, of course, that my characters are never in danger. Of course, fighting feels like a chore when there's no risk.

So, given my taste, and considering I can't mod (Xbox) what's the best difficulty setting for me to start on?

Novice. Unless depictions of you getting one-shot a lot is lethal enough for you, in which case you'll want master.

Leave it on default... ADEPT

I always play on Master. Some of my friends prefer expert. I however like combat to extremely lethal. Akin to say Dark Souls or an FPS.

Give Apprentice and Adept a try. Both are sorta like that, with a few small differences. Novice is super easy though.

Novice and never put a single point in health.

That will probably get you close to both desired actions.

I found Apprentice to be weak. I wasn't scared of Dragons after playing on Apprentice for like twenty hours ... then when I bumped it back up to Adept ... omfg ...

I was terrified of Dragons and trolls just like I was in the beginning. That's how it should be. ADEPT for the win

Expert. Do-able, you are fairly powerful but enemies can present a FAIR challenge. It's a happy medium between overly hard, pointlessly masochistic and too easy. Of course, you need some planning and strategy to some fights.

Play the game on "Normal" difficulty.

You'll find some bits easy, others challenging and others impossible for you as you just start.

From there you'll realise if you need to increase or decrease the difficulty sliders.

Azrael
The Nord with the Sword

master if you play with weapons and use smithing (or more crafting skills ^^) as one of your primary skills.

I'll admit on Master when an Ancient Dragon finds you alone somewhere you don't stay and fight. You run to the nearest Forsworn camp and troll them.

Hey, to me that feels more real and it makes for great screenshots. Gaming is more fun when your adrenaline is high.

I would say Apprentice and go up or down from there, and don't be afraid to move it later in the game if things start getting too easy.

Start at the default installation. You can always bump it up one level at the time till you get where you're comfortable playing.

Good luck.