Hi! I'm new to the game (Level 3) and decided to play Novice difficulty. I would like to know if the Deathlords/Bosses of the quests I am to face in the dungeons/caves/tombs will be on a lesser level at novice difficulty? I am questing the Saarthal Mines, am I going to face the Level 30+ Deathlord or will he be at a more manageable lesser level for novice gameplay? Thanks for your thoughts!

Novice doesn't change the level of enemies encountered, as far as I know. What it will do, is change the combat damage given and received. You will take half as much damage as usual from enemy attacks, but yours will deal twice as much to your enemy.

Indeed, difficulty setting has no effect on enemy levels. It only affects on the damage dealt and recieved.

First, welcome to the forums. I would play on apprentice or adept, as adept give you 50/50 as far as damage given and damage taken. Just play as you feel your character should play. You will get stuff from the college and the quest to help you.

That's a particularly unique Deathlord, given its abilities, and is going to be tough at Level 3 regardless of what attack you give it.

You may want to hold off a bit.

No disrespect, but I disagree, as the stuff you get helps you out in the final battle of that dungeon. If you can conjure at least one helper, that will also help. Depends on what the op got at the college entrance. Plus it will raise destruction really fast to help the op out. I have often started the college quest at level 3 / 4 and had some problem, but not that much.

To the op - just save often, and you should do fine.

Read his post again. He's a new player, which means he doesn't know what we know. I seriously doubt you went up against this Deathlord in your first game, at level 3.

This assumes too much about his play style.

When you're advising a new player to save often, then perhaps it's time to realize the level may be just beyond their ability.


I stand by my advice: come back when the player has more experience.

Well I managed when i was new and level 5. If i could do it back then, why should he have a problem? Don't undervalue his skills, even if he is new to the game.

What? Everyone saves often. From the highest levels to the newest noobs. Even if you've only got a handful of braincells, it's stupidly obvious that you're gonna want to save often in Skyrim. That's not at ALL poor advice to a low level. It could be the most valuable thing they've been told.

I'd say your advice of hiding and not facing anything better than you at all isn't great advice. No offence.

The first 2 or 3 quests of all the guilds and the main quest ( first 5 or 6 for the main quest) are designed to be tutorials that can be completed at level 1-5. So you should be fine.

you can try and grab teh staff on the table then run around and let Tolfdir handle him while summoning stuff and every once in a while blasting him with the staff.

Anyway, Jyrik is not level 30. He is a levelled draugr; his level varies from 6 to 21 at best; so you being level 5, the Jyrik you will meet should be level 6/8. Don't worry too much, just play.

I am not sure that you will encounter a Draugr Deathlord (lvl 30) at level 3 Sir.

My perception from playing is that they are level dependent. So more likely the 'Boss' at your level will be the http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Draugr (lvl. 6).

I somehow remember encountering my first one at a level somewhere between 20-25, though cannot find any 'sums' on UESP.wiki to substantiate my claim.

Jyrik Gauldurson is actually never at Deathlord level. Even at his max level he equals a Draugr Scourge. And as above mentioned, at minimum level he is effectively just Restless Draugr.

Appearance may cause confusion as he is unique draugr using the model of Deathlord.