Hey guys I wanna try to start over and RP a little bit more than I have so far on my current character/save. I want to try and RP an archer/hunter who lives off the lands, and only goes into town if supplies are needed. Obviously I'll be using a bow and putting points into archery, but what do you guys suggest as a back up for when things get up close and a bow is no longer viable? daggers and put points into 1 handed? I am open to your suggestions, and ideas.

I figure I'll put points into archery, sneaking, and not sure what else.

Bow and sneak are all you really need to be effective.

No melee weapon in case things get up close and personal?

Maybe Alchemy? You could make potions / poisons that help keep you alive or hurt your enemies. You can also make quite a bit of money from selling potions you won't use. I sell some potions for several hundred gold, and that selling also increases my speech skill, so I get better prices.

I cant really picture an archer who lives off the lands like a hunter type to be much of an alchemist. Seems more like a mage type of thing

Either destruction Conjuration or one handed. Mostly bows are effective by themselves.

Edit: duplicate post. Glitch. Sorry.

i'd say conjuration if you dont mind magic. summon up a little buddy to distract them, slip off and start sniping again.

Well Alchemy was changed to a "Thief" thing in this game. You can hunt for your ingredients that you will no doubt find in your adventures across the land. Poison for your arrows is pretty awesome.

True. Poison arrows do sound quite nice.

There is also an Alchemy perk that lets poison last for 2 hits (arrows), and the poison itself can do as much damage as the arrow (although I can make a poison that does nearly 100 damage, which is a lot more damage than a bow and arrow).

If things get up close you can just whack them with your bow and back up and keep plugging away. 1h dual or shield works since whacking stuff with your bow works block anyways. The block on a shield would help soak up the mage damage when they turn the firehose on you too /shrug

nope if you do it right. alchemy sounds good to me, also enchanting should be good (as for every char)

Alright so far I have gathered I should be putting skill/perk points into Archery, Alchemy, and armor I guess. Should I be going for medium armor?

sneaking!

ah yes, sneaking as well. But what about armor? What type of armor should an archer/hunter type character be using?

Do most archers use medium armor and what is the difference in the 3 types? What stops everyone from just using heavy armor?

Anyone?

There is only 2 types of armor ... light and heavy.

Archers usually use Light armor. More mobility, weighs less (less extra weight you have to carry), and light armor probably has more of the stealthy enchantments on it.

Speaking of enchanting, you can make an Alchemy potion that fortifies enchanting, and you can enchant an item to make potions stronger. Does that mean you can just keep making an item that has a greater and greater effect for potions? (Use "Forify Enchanting" potion, then make a stronger item that has "Increase Alchemy" [Not correct name], then equip that new item so that you can make a stronger "Fortify enchanting" potion, then use the potion to make an even stronger "Increase Alchemy" item, then keep repeating)

i play a sneaking archer and sometimes i feel like i could have left out the armor at all, instead pick enchanting and something else

Depends if you think of Alchemy as magic or Herb-lore. If you treat is as Herb-lore then you are living off the land, and there's nothing like a nice bit of seasoning to go with roast venison.

Don't forget Rune's. You can lay them down and freeze or stagger someone that gets a little too close for comfort.

You can always look to real legend/stories or even movies for ideas on Archer type heroes and what other skills they seemed to have and use that for inspiration. I'm sure Conan picked up a bow once or twice, and what about Beowulf?