I am playing on Master Difficulty with my Assassin character and I have a few questions. I'm level 16 at the moment and I've been putting every single point into Stamina (250 Stamina). I was wondering if I should put some points into Health for survivability or if I should continue to go pure Stamina? The reason is because if I am spotted I get killed in a few hit if I don't run.

My Perks at the moment are in Archery and Stealth only, but later on I might add points to Light Armor and One-handed. http://go.ign.com/t60MVO
I have a few Perks to spare, which I am saving for my next upgrades. My Archery is level 49 so once it's 50 I will get the next upgrades and my Stealth is level 67 so at level 70 I will get my upgrades.

The reason I'm asking if I should put points into Health is because I want to know if the game will get more difficult as I level and progress? I can't take on Dragons in the open because I get my butt kicked and even everything else kills me in a few hits. My health is at the base 100. Will adding points to Health actually help me or will it make no difference and I'll still die. I'm an assassin and my job is to kill and not get caught. So far I shoot at an enemy then run back and hide, wait for the enemy to forget about me and then I sneak back out and stealth hit again. Some enemies like Bandit Thugs or Dragons are extremely strong and take a lot of arrows to kill but as long as I am hidden I am safe. Dragons can spot me from a mile away at the moment so they're my biggest threat.

I'm using the Lord standing stone at the moment (50 points of damage resistance and 25% magic resistance) but I don't know if I should change or keep it. I'm wearing Light Armor (Leather) that I've found and a circlet of 15% Bow Damage. The braces are also +15% Bow Damage.

Another question is about the Nightingale armor. I've read that it's leveled gear and that I need to be a certain level for the best enchantments. I was wondering what level I should get the armor? I'm thinking it's 30+ but I haven't got a clue.

Thanks for all the help

I also don't smith/enchant my gear because I like to use the loot I find or buy.

For the armour it seems to be 30 for the best version of it, according to previous discussions. Actually, the guesses ranged from 30 to 36, but 30 seems somewhat logical as the related quests seem to stop scaling at 30. I'm not sure it really matters, though.

As for the health question ... it's tricky. Do you feel you lack stamina? If you mostly (only?) snipe and backstab, you probably don't need all that much of it, either, so health may give you a welcome buffer for when things go wrong or you encounter a boss/dragon where you simply cannot sneak. On my assassin'ish character (in the 30s), I'd gone roughly 1:1 until I had 200 HP and 200 stamina, and then went for health. With the Windwalker perk (+50% stamina regeneration), this seems to be somewhat alright in the stamina department. But it's a question I'm also unsure about and wouldn't mind inpüt. (I'd love to be able to save up stat points, just like perks.)

Have you considered the Atronach stone?

I have a FEW points in health. Once you level sneak up, you never need it. If I get caught, I conjure something and run. Then sneak again.

I think that Stamina does become a little bit less useful when you get higher. Once you get the light armor perk (+50% Stamina regeneration) it recovers much faster. But I guess it's helpful if like to sprint a lot or Zoom in with the bow and slow motion and also you can carry a lot more, though it's not necessary but more convenient.

I think you should add or start adding health because 250 Stamina is quite good and I think that should be enough for you to successfully Sprint long distances and also Zoom for longer periods of time. The carry capactiy can be a little helpful but I don't think you need too much as you can just make multiple trips.

As for the Nightingale Armor, I've heard it's around 30+ for the best enchantments on it.

I would put a few points in health to help against dragons and other boss fights where its difficult to sneak. Also put some points into magic and invest in illusion - invisibility is a great addition to a assassin char for obvious reasons - but the frenzy spells are also invaluable and go excellently with the sneak skill when there are multiple opponents placed in to positions that makes it difficult to backstab.

To clarify, you really don't need any more stamina, add some to health and magic (note: if you don't want to do up illusion, restorations a good one to build up for emergencies and boss fights)

Also, the Dark Brotherhood armour is (unsurprisingly) excellent for an assassin build, so if your not smithing or enchanting then get that armour as soon as possible (you get it when you first join DB).

On my character, I'm not using Fast Travel at all. And I was thinking once I'm able to sneak without ever being seen why do I need Health if I will never be caught? But the thing is I sort of role-play my characters. This character is never going to use Magic at all. No illusion or conjuration, or any magic. I'm using Bows, Daggers, Light Armor, and Sneak only. Later I might add to Alchemy for role-play purposes but that's all.

So when I'm detected I just sprint away as far as I can and for as long as I can. I once was attacked from behind by a Bear and it took about 75% of my health and I just sprinted non-stop, it actually caught up but I jumped as it swiped and I managed to get away luckily. So basically I can survive 1 hit, and then I'm gone. Novice Necromancers are nasty as well. One Ice spike I can just survive (thanks to The Lord Stone I think). So any hard enemies take me down in two hits, maybe one if I was unlucky. A Dragons breath if I am in the open can kill me unless I drink a potion or two.

I love playing like this though, it's very intense and challenging and I have to think about every move. If I am caught while trying to sneak, I usually have to run unless its a simple "Bandit" which I can take about 5-6 hits before I die if I'm lucky. When I'm trying to kill multiple enemies it's much more challenging but fun.

I can't decide if I want to add Health or not... I love living on the edge but maybe getting it to 200-250 or at least 150 would be a smarter option just incase there are times where even a master of sneak will get caught. I have no idea how successful I will be with all the perks into Sneak at 100 Sneak and all the perks into Archery with 100 Archery. I don't know how successful I'll be at all.

So I just cannot decide if Health is worth it. If there are times where I can't sneak though, I'm screwed because I have to sneak, shoot, run and retreat. If I get caught I am practically dead unless I run of cause. So I'm playing like I'm on the edge and one single mistake can cost me my life. It's fun and intense but I still don't know if Health is important...

Well, I feel that the question isn't so much "Do I need health?", but "How much stamina is enough?". I'm quite content with about 200 stamina, though I could see myself making use of up to 300 if I used dual wield power attacks like mad, or if I used a shield (I may end up doing that, as I have unused perks and have to soon decide if I become a real assassin and ditch my follower, or if I become more of a light warrior and keep the follower), but so far (all based on the 30-35 level range) I feel that this it would be luxury. More than that would probably go unused and essentially be wasted stat points. Health you may or not need, but when you do, it's good to have it. It may still not be necessary, but possibly more useful than an extra large stamina pool that you never, ever fully tap into.

On a side note, my character also very rarely uses fast travel. I walk to most places, though I do use carriages (nice thing about that is that not every destination also has a carriage back). It really adds depth to the game.

I have 250 Stamina which is a lot but I also think it may be too much. I haven't ever used a single follower and have been going lone ranger my whole time. One time I was sneaking near a bandit camp when a courier came up to me and then I was detected by a whole group on bandits so I had to run. That's why I don't need or want a follower. I don't need them to carry anything either because with all my Stamina I have a tonne of carrying capacity.

I think I might start adding Health from now on and if I need more Stamina I can add it. I bet in the game there are fights (such as Dragons) where sneak isn't helpful and I'll need some Health to take them down.

You will be OHK later in the game if you don't put points in health.

Put it this way, I use light armour, two-handed weapons and I LEEROOOOY JENKINNSSS everything with 200 hitpoints, 300 stamina (swinging Wuuthrad takes a lot of stamina...) and I am putting the rest in magic as I use restoration a lot!

However onto your question, I am baffled as to why you have put so much into stamina. Two hundred stamina should be plenty considering most assassins get the x15 sneak multiplier whilst using daggers therefore you one hit everything, it's not like your swinging a Wuuthrad or anything, I suggest building yourself up to 200 health (Can tank a few hits, I make it work and i'm in everybody face all the time, Elder Dragons and Draugr Deathlords are no exception!).

If you strictly refuse to use magic then what's the point in investing in it, more health will make you a tank, which will make the game too easy but more stamina is pointless unless you like to pillage 10 dungeons without having to drop stuff off at your house.

Overall;

- Going to use magic? Get magicka
- Want the game to be challenging? Don't bother with health
- Want to sprint from Riften to Markarth without stopping? Get stamina

Seems like Stamina is all I need... But if I can get 1HKO then I might add Health. I have no idea. Practically none of the stats are important just convenient.

Also is the Shrouded Armor (Dark Brotherhood) leveled gear like the Nightingale Set or is it the same stats/enchants no matter what level?

i go 50/50 health stamina works out great, i prefer one handed to bows myself. bows on master are weak compared to dual wielding, can't even assassinate people in sneak got to hit them two or three times even if u got the sneak bonus...i do think they need to finx shadow warrior to where you auto hide for one second, the current one doesnt really do much of anything i keep hearing it provides a window for a sneak attack but i have this perk and it does not work atm...mb 10 percent of the time but thats more likely due to a critical hit percantage...and i dont think shrouded armor is a leveled item

I think maybe add some Health. Like maybe to 200-250? Just for extra survivability, you may want to run around on a killing spree instead of hiding just to release some rage or have fun.

You certainly should improve one-handed. Thanks to some gloves I got on a Dark Brotherhood quest, I'm able to do 30x damage with one dagger slice. My dagger, with 25 damage, means I do 750 damage per hit. I'm on Master difficulty. As long as I'm not spotted (which rarely happens thanks to a Dark Brotherhood quest :mohawk:), nothing can defeat me. Where as, with my Glass Bow, I do 32 + 16 * 3; only 144 damage.

I can kill a giant with a steel dagger. What now?

I am definitely going to start doing one-handed next. I've just stopped leveling because I can't decide if I should start adding health or continue with stamina.


(Maybe Thieves Guild Spoilers)
Another question; When doing the Thieves Guild quests is it possible to kill everybody you need to steal things from? Or will you get kicked from the guild or something? I killed the first three people for the initiation part and still got in but I know you shouldn't kill them. I was wondering if I can continue to kill people that I need to steal without getting banned from the guild? Thanks.

I don't know about the Thieves guild thing. I think you can kill them, but I don't know.

I think I might start adding Health. 250 Stamina at level 16 is good and once I get 50% faster regeneration from light armor I should be on my way. I think playing on Master against blood/elder/ancient dragons will be difficult, especially if I'm detected so I'll start adding health. I don't know when to stop but who knows...

I'm playing as an Assassin character on Master difficulity myself atm, level 41. I've been putting all my points into Health up until 38, then I started going for Stamina. And yes, Health is important, because you must understand that no matter how good you are at stealth gameplay, you're not always gonna succeed at staying hidden, especially not against Dragons like you mentioned yourself. Also, you don't really need much Stamina as an Assassin character. The only time you would need Stamina is when you're fighting toe to toe with someone (this is also where Health helps you alot, but far more than Stamina does). Personally I'm focusing on Sneak, Archery, One-Handed, Light Armor and Blacksmithing.

Also, not that this has anything to do with your question, but personally, the game is absolutely too easy for me atm as an Assassin character atm. For example I just one shotted a Blood Dragon with a sneak attack (30x multiplier) (master difficulity) D: ...

I will most likely give a 30/50/20 distribution to Health/Stamina/Magic.

Maybe add about 250 - 300 HP so you can live but also have a challenge? I don't know how much you're going to need though.

I also like playing sneaking characters and planning out every move beforehand. Btw, I like strategy games too including Civilization 5 and Orcs Must Die! which also make me think about my moves before executing them.

You should try some of the quests in this game. They'll be easy enough to accomplish without being so hard as to be impossible, and yet still challenging.

As far as this question is concerned I feel that you aren't thinking about the game in the right way. The game has some rules, given rules by npc's etc. They say you can't be killin folks on your jobs. Are you? Is that the kind of thief you are? When you think about your character do you think of him as part of the guild or using the guild for what you get out of it? Thanks to the multi auto-save ability you shouldn't necessarily 'worry' about something like that, unlesls it's something you want to worry about.

Regarding the stamina/health/perks question.
Head into 1h long enough to get the 30x perk, you won't regret it. As a 42ish straight-up assassin playing on master difficulty, I die if I have to fight 2, sometimes, depending on the mob level, 1 guy. I've put just a handful or so of points into health, the rest into stamina, and quite frankly, my playstyle, throat slitting, etc, it's good, I do alright in dragon fights thanks to *ahem dark brotherhood thing*. Haven't encountered anything a couple invisible heal pots/spells couldn't solve on master difficulty and being a near-literal glass cannon.

I'm starting to add Health now. I don't know when I should cap it but I should know if I'm getting beaten or not. 250-300 sounds good. But I don't want to make the game too easy.

Yeah since you have 250 Stamina, maybe get 250 Health and then level a 1:1 or maybe a 1:2. Or even cap health at 250-300. It depends on your taste I suppose.