i just started a playthrough on Legendary difficulty and since i usually play on Adept the increase in damage is making even the lowly wolves on the way to whiterun a challenge as it took out 90% of my health before i could put it down.

Any advice to prevent getting slaughtered at higher levels?

Lower the difficulty.

thats not really advice but ill bite, why lower the difficulty?

Because playing on legendary at level one isn't going to accomplish anything? If you can't take down a wolf without dying then what do you expect?

i did take down the wolf down however it did do a fair amount of damage first.

It gets easier, eventually. I'm playing @ Master though, not Legendary. Smithing is something you will pretty much need to perk up, I reckon. If your skills aren't sufficient for dealing and absorbing damage, then you'll have to rely on sharper blades and tougher armor.

And, don't fight everything if you don't have to. Sneak past stuff, use invisibility and calm, or Kyne's Peace for angry wildlife.

Of course, you'll get nowhere if you fight nothing at all... just pick your battles wisely and be prepared.

I think Legendary was more intended for people whose characters were already godly and getting bored, but I salute you, OP, for giving it a shot from the get-go.

i am not sure what it was intended for but for the time being i may need to lower the difficulty got Sabre cats ambushing me and it ends up being no fun running the same mile or so from riften to windhelm over and over.