I started my newest character today, she's an ex-Forsworn named Kara who wishes to leave the "wild" life behind and settle down into a more "calm" life. She's 100% bow and arrow, swords and axes don't suit her tastes. She also isn't too fond of any magic besides restoration. She continues to wear her Forsworn armor as a sign of her past and she refuses to replace it. Any recommendations as to skills/weapons she should use that would suit her? (this is my first pure archery, light armor and female character I've ever done out of my countless characters)

You need a melee weapon for when you run out of arrows. even if it is just an iron dagger.

I would take all the archery perks except for the final one since it often glitches. Light armor perks on the left side up to wind walker. Steel smithing to improve the hunting bow or forsworn bow. Since you are a hunter I would take 1/5 sneak and all of the other sneak skills except assassins blade. Alchemy would fit in well for a hunter as well as a support skill. I would pass on enchanting since it doesn't fit as well and it would make you op combined with smithing and alchemy.

Yea I do keep a steel dagger on her for if I do run dry on arrows or if something gets too close for comfort.

Perhaps alchemy to make poisoins for your arrows? I would also invest in smithing only to be able to make better bows and arrows.
Archery
Light armor
Alchemy
Smithing

Smithing isn't a bad idea for bows and arrows. (Though I believe there's a merchant that sells different kinds of arrows.)

A pure archer probably wouldn't use restoration, IMO. I think that a small melee weapon like a dagger could come handy. Archers tend to have a dagger or something similar in case an enemy comes close.

I think without a RP, this right here is really all you need. Perhaps add sneak to get one shot kills with the bow?

My very first character that I made on Skyrim was a sneaky archer.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the replies! I now know what to do with my perks and skills but where should she live? She won't have a family and Markarth is out due to being too close to the Forsworn. I'd kinda like her to live somewhere like Riverwood or Falkreath due to her being a hunter. She wouldn't mind sharing a home already owned by an NPC.

This.

Practice at least a little bit of one-handed, maybe invest a couple perks to up the damage but that is it. Consider it a secondary skill.

After archery, I would say sneak would suit you very well. Consider an archer to be like a sniper class in that sense. Light armor would be optional, but prefered if you're detected you can take a few hits, but no armor and you raise your sneaking ability. (though once you get the perk, wearing armor won't affect sneaking).

I would also suggest alchemy. Poisons are great for archers as well as using a few buff abilities to up your skill in archery and sneak.

In my opinion, a good build would be something like:

Primary: Archery, Sneak, Alchemy

Secondary: Light Armor (optional), One-handed.

Extras: anything that suits your fancy for non-combat...speech, lock picking, etc.

You could use smithing to help you out too, but imo it's not needed. If anything, do some basic enchanting for rings and such instead.

Another option could be to make a non-sneaking archer and wear heavy armor.

Primary: Archery, Alchemy, Heavy Armor

Secondary: One-handed, Smithing



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As for living space, that is entirely up to you. If you have Hearthfire, going to Morthal and getting the house in the swamps would be nice or Falkreath as well. If you have no desire to get any house from the Jarl's, then maybe Hunter's Rest. Easily taken by the hunters that live there. Also from an RP perspective, Crystraldrift Cave has an old follower of Kynareth in there and can be used as a camping spot.

http://uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Hunter%27s_Rest

http://uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Crystaldrift_Cave

If you plan to have her live "outdoors" so to speak, then she can use furs for armor. Also, Falkreach offers land that you can purchase, if you have the dlc Hearthfire. A nice house can be built.

Yea Lakeview seems to fit her nicely. For some reason though I see the main hall with no other wings being adequate enough.

You might not even need the main hall. I love using the base house as just a place to sleep and keep stuff. Great for characters where I don't like collecting things.

Nice thing about Hearthfire. One can build as much as one wants. Yet she has to have storage and a library. She can then climb up to the roof to take in her surroundings and to kill any giants that happen to roam by.

I had no idea you could do that with a bow. I've got to try that as I love bashing.

Found that out by accident once, when I went to shoot a bandit and bashed him instead. I know that the 3 perks I listed do good for me, and gives the bow a better "bashing" ability. They actually stagger back a little more than usually. I have never tried the disarming bash, so I do not know on that one.