I just checked the save folders on this computer, and there are 81 different characters. This computer is only about a year old, and replaces a previous system that I used for several years. A few of these characters were transferred over from the old system, but not many.

I don't know how many characters were on the old system. Probably a couple of hundred.

I tend to play three or four different characters at a time, alternating between them. Sometimes I roleplay that they are connected to one another, and I make small mods to drop appropriate items into the world for them.

Some characters become very significant people, wellknown throughout Tamriel, and do a lot of quests, while others just get caught up in small personal stories. Some get dropped, as I lose interest in what they're doing, while others go on for months. One of my presently active characters has 166 hours; that may be my record, because while my characters never do "everything," Fortja comes the closest.

I've had the game for about 2 years now and am up to my 13th character

although only six of which have ever logged any decent time

My very first character was a Redguard knight finished MQ with him and FG questline
2nd was an Argonian Swordsman Finished MQ, FG questline, MG questline, DB questline, TG questline
3rd was an Argonian Archer did the same as my Argonian swordsman
4th was an Argonian Mage did the same as my Argonian swordsman
5th was a Redguard swordsman same as my Argonian swordsman
6th was another Argonian swordsman did the same as my first but of all my characters has explored most of the map and was probably my favourite

currently am playing as an Argonian Archer again.

All my characters were unique though so they all provided a different experience each time

P.S I like Argonians

Having had some experience with Morrowind character creation, when I started Oblivion I knew better than to even keep count. Over 50 for sure but who knows it may very well be over 100. It goes without saying than not many of those got too far but I made them none the less. But I can only really keep one or two characters at a time. My mind gets confused if I get too many characters going on at once.

Well over ten. I think I've played most classes and combinations of them.

There are two aspects to my creation of new characters:

In some cases I want to try a new "build" - e.g. Mage versus Thief versus Fighter versus Archer... My first tried everything (to experiment with the game) and didn't develop a character of their own, so I've made specialists since. Mostly I'm trying to break out of fixed habits when i make a new character that avoids something. These character have to make sense, and be able to survive and prosper.

In other cases, I need a test subject to run through the quests of a mod I'm making. These characters are often artificial extremes to make sure the game doesn't break if the Grey Fox is also the Archmage, and has the lowest rank in the Fighter's guild and a huge bounty. It doesn't matter if they keep getting killed, arrested etc. as they're supposed to be the ends of the curve, not mainstream. I get through a lot of these!

Only made one, and only going to make one. I haven't done a lot of quests yet as I tend to get stuck exploring everything and every area a new quest takes me to. Currently at lvl 5 and have only been to IC, Bruma, Bravil and Skingrad so far. I play highly immersed in the game and want the full experience on my first playthrough. I tried to understand the character build rules from the get go so I didn't have to go back and create a new character because I messed up the first time, and I'm happy with the way things are going.

If I ever finish this playthrough I might go back and create a real scumbag so I can do the Dark Brotherhood thing I've read so much about on these boards, but it's definitely not in the cards for Camarilla.

Haha at least do it for a while and you'll be rewarded with a magnificent horse. All of my characters except for 1 have regretted their evil ways after that.

Hehe. She'll knock down whatever gets in her way, but never will she murder in cold blood. Haven't had a horse yet either, not sure if she ever will, but she definitely won't be doing any murdering to get one. She feels bad nough about stealing =)

You can entice some of your marks to attack you and some you aren't actually the person killing them, they get killed by other forces..... Most of the DB contracts have it coming haha so I don't feel any remorse for sending them to the void.

So far my only knowledge about the DB is "I hear that the DB comes to you in your sleep" and then what I've read here, so who knows what will happen. She does live on the Waterfront, which can be a dangerous place for a drunk girl walking home from the Bloated Float at 3 in the morning, so maybe someone not so innocent will get in her way sometime =)

I see. Haha perhaps she will lose her temper and attack someone.

Lol, yeah that could be the unfortunate result of a red hot temper of course. Good point. It still wouldn't be cold blood tho cause it runs hot in this one =)

Sometimes your virgin murder could be an accident such as misfired spell or when someone asks you to kill them......
You could also hit someone once and then just defend yourself haha.

Hehe, true enough. I'm not sure how the 'murder in cold blood' game mechanics work, but if all you have to do is initiate the fight it might happen.

Ya it should count as long as they don't attack you first. Doesn't work for bandits or marauders or anything like that though.

There are several unexpected ways to attract the DB. Several quests, where a 'friendly' NPC talks to you, then attacks, can charge you with murder if you respond very quickly. It is very possible to kill these NPCs before the game takes its second or so to register that your 'friend' is now an enemy.

Another way is to command a bandit. He is temporarily your 'friend'. If, while that spell is active you, say, seperate his head from his neck, it will count as murder.

Yet on the other hand, there are numerous ways to murder someone and not have it count as murder at all (poison, poisoned apples, hood of torture, frenzy. . .).

I find the 'murder' counter so unreliable that I ignore it completely.

I've only ever needed one, my superawesome Khajiit thief.

Didn't know about the first two since I rarely use Command spells. But ya its fun to kill someone without it counting. Assaults can get really high up if you attack some essential NPC's to help power level haha although it can cause your game to crash if that piles up I believe.

I had one Oblivion character and thought i was through, then on a whim I started a second and that was so much fun I started a third but vowed, no more. Well, i eventually got bored and put Oblivion away for a while and a day. One night I couldn't sleep and I rediscovered this redoubtable game. I made a fourth character and got into it all over again. Then I realized its fun just creating new characters so I made a fifth and sixth, but I swear to Azura that's it, I like them all, and its all I need.

1) Dirge - M - Dunmer - Agent/Assassin - sneak, illusion, blade, lt armor, liberal use of poison - Serpent's Wake, Rosenthorn hall - DB and main questlines

2) Lomiel - F - Bosmer - Witchhunter/Necromancer - conjure, bow, illusion, alchemy, lt armor - Bruma, Frostcraig - mages guild questline

3) Ana Elysia - F - Breton - Healer - alchemy, restoration, mysticism, illusion, blunt - Aleswell Inn, Shetcombe Farm - no questlines

4) Tybolt - M - Khajiit - Knight Errant - blade, hvy armor, restoration - White Stallion Lodge - Knights of the White Stallion quest

5) Shadie - F - Imperial - Thief - sneak, hand-to-hand, run fast (athleticism), lt armor - Merchant Dist. Sewer, IC shack - theivesguild questline

6) Wulfa - M - Nord - Warrior/Viking Rebel - blunt, lt armor, bow, athleticism - Gnoll Mountain - no official questlines, quest to kill all imperial soldiers and nobles

I've just created my 5th character a couple days ago... A wandering redguard named Glass Eagle

My first was a Bosmer that I whipped up based on what this kid who introduced me to the game said I should try... The next one was a Nord, then there were a couple Bretons I made. All off them were trials to figure out my gaming style, leading me to my current creation.

On Oblivion, I only ever have one character at a time due to the devilish save-game system on xbox, which doesn't allow the ability to name saves.
But I've had well over 30 since I got the game.

?

But it automatically names the save by your character name . . . yes?

I can only handle three characters max at a time. Otherwise everything gets muddled up in my head. I create new profiles on my 360. I have three profiles, my son sadly, uses 6 different profiles for six diff characters.

You can just choose new save haha. When you go into the load screen and scroll around the save games it should tell you the characters name level and what day they are on as well as how many hours you have spent playing them in real time.

The game is just so fun I can't help playing it over and over. XD