I know - this is old news to many, Still - I am a new Oblivion player, and this is one of the wrinkles in the game that I have put off until recently. I first wanted to understand how the Attribute bonus system worked, and what the most important direction to go in might be.

I ask of the long time players to bear with me, offer what advice you think would be most helpful, and amplify if you can whatever ideas I think are probably the best to go with.

For other new players - come join with me in an exploration of one of the trickier ways to RP the game - since it means magicka does not automatically regenerate, it has to come from somewhere else. Alchemy is one avenue, and also I note that the LUCK attribute and the Endurance Attribute have to be built up from the start in order to make the most of them.

This means the I can only "EFFICIENT LEVEL" one other attribute - and because of the nature of this exploit, it seems to me that Alchemy is the most critical skill to develop right away....

Without a means of replacing magicka, and very low levels of everything - the only way to save the character would be with weapon and armor skill, or with shear stealth.

While those skills can be built up - it would take away from the central skill building idea of focussing on LUCK, ALCHEMY, and ENDURANCE at the start.

SO far - this is how I have setup the chart:

Strength:

HAND to HAND - 25

Blade - 11

Blunt - 5

Intelligence:

MYSTICISM - 40

Alchemy - 15

Conjuration - 20

Willpower:

RESTORATION - 40

Alteration - 15

Destruction - 10

Agility:

MARKSMAN - 25

Security - 7

Sneak - 5

Speed:

LIGHT ARMOR - 25

Acrobat - 5

Athletics - 7

Endurance:

BLOCK - 25

Armorer - 5

Heavy Armor - 11

Personality:

SPEECHCRAFT - 25

Illusion - 15

Mercantile - 5

ATTRIBUTES:

Strength - 40

Intelligence - 55

Willpower - 50

Agility - 30

Speed - 30

Endurance - 30

Personality - 40

Luck - 55

Red highlites are the MAJOR skill in each group, Blue is the attribute they come under - each group of three shown under it's own heading.

These are the beginning stats of a character who's name and custom class I have set as:

HOWARD

the Soothsayer

Born under the sign of the Atronach, with favored attributes of Luck and Intelligence.

He is a Breton, presently at level one.

What I have done to begin with is to go raid the tomato farm and graqe fields next to Skingrad, I have also got the weak fireball skill at that mage guild upon joining that faction.

Just prior to that (no pun intended) I dropped off the Amulet of Kings at the priory outside of Chorrol - and in the process got me a horse from prior Maborel (Such a helpful little fellow...). The stuff Jauffre gave me out of his war chest I sold to the Colovian opposite the guild hall in Skingrad...

It needs now to get exactly ten levels up in Alchemy, then raise the BLOCK skill by ten. At that point if I don't have enough ready cash to buy a hovel at the waterfront, I will crash out in Fort Caractacus after dealing with a small local incident which also results in a permanent free room to stay over at in Aleswell...

~Wolfie

PS: Since Alchemy I set as a minor skill - it will have to be BLOCK that I use for the Endurance bonus. Fortunately - there are no end of rats that can be found to assist in that effort

Questions...

Why are you emphasizing Luck, to the point where you won't raise other attributes?

What do you mean by "using Block for the Endurance bonus" when Block is a Major? (It seems to me that advancing a minor skill is more likely to result in better level-up bonuses.)

What kind of fighting tactic to you plan to use with this character, given that you've got a weak (Breton) character with only Hand-to-Hand as a major fighting skill, and no ranged major skill at all?