» Thu Dec 08, 2016 2:33 am I've found that setting limitations on your character makes the game more interesting. I've played mages whose only weapons were ones that they'd conjured; wanderers who carry all that they own with them; monks who can't buy anything (but they can loot and make things); and warriors who can't use magic.
My current character, a level 38 Altmer, is a non-combatant. Her combat statistics are 0s all the way across the board, and the fighting skills of one-handed, two-handed, archery, and destruction magic are likewise very low. They only rise when a skill book is read.
Fighting with conjuration is going to raise your stats. What your conjured minion kills, counts. However, you can conjure something as a distraction while you run away. And you run a lot at the beginning.
You can fight by casting "fury" from sneak, letting someone else do the killing. Likewise, you can tag along with someone and let them do the fighting. I went through Ironbind Barrow like that, letting the Redguard and Argonian take out the draugr, and used a calming spell at the end.
You can lure enemies into traps, such as the swinging spiked gates in Nordic ruins. Traps don't count.
Sneak and illusion are the way to survive, and restoration school "Turn Undead" spells are your friend. Taking the illusion perk really helps.
The White Phial quest at Forgotten Cave at a low level was exciting. Sneaking, running, casting "Turn Undead" spells, looting on the run, and exiting the crypt with shouting in the background...
It is possible to make your way through Ansilvund, pickpocket the key, and get whatever you're looking for without killing.
You can creep through Raldbthar, and get your enemies to fight each other while you go looting.
Returning the lexicon at Avanchnzel is another good crawl. Lots of loot.
The Pale Lady is an exercise in sneak, illusion, and pickpocket.
Boethiah's cultists are really, really persistent. One attacked me just outside of a city. I raced back into the city and thought that I lost him. Not so! I left the city and went to the shore to practice waterbreathing spells. He came at me again. I swam away and went to a remote island with bears, who were susceptible to calming spells. He came for me again. I cast "invisibility" and let the bears deal with him. A man's got to know his limitations...
So many quests and questlines depend on killing. You can't get the Dragonstone without killing the draugr keeping it, so the main quest isn't available. You can do a great many of the Thieve's Guild quests, but you can't end the questline.
Alchemy is a major money maker, since looting your enemies doesn't happen very often. Nor can you harvest souls to fill soul gems, so you have to buy filled soul gems to advance in enchanting. Smithing will similarly cost you, as you'll have to buy leather for it, but with the Dwarven smithing perk, you can start to make money with it.
At the moment, my Altmer is a master in illusion, expert in sneaking and alteration, and adept in alchemy, enchanting, restoration, smithing, and speech. A thief and a mage, staying at the Mage's College.
