I've seen similar threads of players returning to Morrowind after years of absence & while most of the feedback is largely mod related I had questions regarding actual gameplay. If memory serves me there are some major DO's & DONTS while leveling in Morrowind. By that I mean, you can completely screw yourself over by leveling incorrectly.

If your a experienced player & started a new character tomorrow, what things would you be absolutely certain to do? For example: If I recall right, endurance = health points. If you don't max out endurance first you miss out on a ton of hp?

I'm interested in things of this nature. For the example above, what is the best/easiest way to level endurance in "your" opinion? What skills do you find invaluable to have at the start? What birth signs do you recommend & why?

Regarding mods the only one I am really interested in, is one that prevents crashes. The last time I attempted to get into it, I remember crashing a ton despite having a super rig.

Thanks for your time & please share your advice/experience!

I'm pretty new to Morrowind and tried to keep in mind all the suggestions of character creation and leveling with my first character. I was afraid I could screw a lot and loose against the game. I even had a excell sheet to record my skill progress and not to miss the leveling +5.

At level 10+ the character mastered the world and I noticed I was not roleplaing with all the rules I set. The playthrough became rather borring and I started a new carrer.

Currently I play a conjurer with barly no armour and around 60 health points (endurance 37) – it does not realy matter, as I don't run screaming with drawn blades into battles. I don't care for the leveling bonuses and concentrate on roleplaying. My char reached level 15 yesterday and its a far more satisfying experiance. I would not recomend playing the way I started.

If You are looking for endurance bonuses try a spear fighter and some heavy armour. The long range of the spear keeps foes at distance if You are fast enogh (speed) and You will max out endurance pretty fast. If You use spears as Your main weapon maybe You should use light armour to increase agility, You will hit more often.

I think much depends on the class You start with, a sorccerer has no use in strenght and speed, a warrior should not rely on inteligence and willpower. But that's just my oppinion.

I don't think that much about leveling, I just play. It works fine anyway. It's true that endurance gives health points, but all of the attributes are useful in one way or another.

Thank you for the reply. I enjoyed reading about your Morrowind experiences. So from what I have gathered, you would recommend putting less emphasis on the whole min/max aspect of the game & focus on the roleplaying aspect. I'll work on that. On your second playthrough did you struggle in areas because you were not keeping track of stats etc? What is the leveling +5 rule? Do you use trainers at all & do they have any negative impact vs training normally?

Glad to hear it. Seems that both of you recommend just enjoying the experience/environment & stop focusing on powerleveling etc.

Yes, that is the best way to play Morrowind.

You should use at least use the two community made patches. They fix many problems.
Lots of info and links through this thread: http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1305729-mod-recommendations-for-new-players/

My advice would be to play a character that you find interesting. Use skills that you find interesting. Think outside the box a little bit (if that's your thing). Take your time and think of the many ways you can approach the game. There is no correct way, it's all up to you to find what works best for you. Just play and don't worry about creating the ultimate character (as others have said).

You can play a spear-wielding battlemage who uses heavy armor and Illusion magic to blind all their enemies.

Or a sneaky thief character who uses a bow and Alteration magic to shield himself from attacks.

There's so many different approaches you can take to make the game more interesting for you. Think of something and go with it.

Have fun!