I can't decide what I want to do for my first character! I really want to try out the combat system so a sword or two is a must, but I also love using a bow, and the magic looks awesome!

If I can, I'll probably go for a character who does a little of everything (Jack of All Trades if you will). However, would you say this will make the character less powerful in the higher levels? Since he would alternate between melee, ranged attacks and magic, he would not level up either of these as quickly as a pure tank or mage would. Hence making the character perhaps weaker? It's been too long since I played Oblivion, I can't remember how this works.

imagine there's not many on here who would go for an all round character but i'm with you on this one.

Don't have time for multiple playthroughs and want to try and see as much as I can and don't want to have to rely on the same style of play contiunuously.

Here's to all rounders!

Test them all out. Don't use Perk points in the beggining, save them a bit. After a short while, one will surely come out as a favourite (I hope). Then it's time to spend those points.

Edit: Jack of all trades usually comes out as weaker than others at higher lvl's.

You could use all three styles, but you will have to sacrifice perks in one of those. I would recommend using all the magic you want, but do not perk it. This way, you can pour perks in one-handed and archery. If you end up liking magic the most, then remake a character as a pure mage. That is what I would do anyway.

i have to agree with the weaker higher lvl's. it takes you 2x the time to get really good at a specialty, but you get to explore every possible fighting style.

with that said, i always start out as a ranged fighter (with a bow) early on, then as a sword weilding infighter in the middle lvls, then finally find a groove as a warrior mage at the upper lvls.

If its as flexible as previous games I'd suggest any all-rounder learn alchemy. Should be able to duplicate a lot of Alteration and Restoration effects with potions.

Well this is why I play the PC version.

I start playing how I want just having fun. Then when I realize that I messed something up, I use a mod or CC to change it

Keep in mind the more skills you use the slower you'll level. The game's balanced in such a way that the skills you use most often will contribute more to your level. Also you may find that maintaining your status as a jack of all trades class isn't as easy as it sounds. You would have to consciously use as many skills as possible and you'll more than likely find yourself using some skills a lot more often than others.

The saying goes, 'Jack of all trades, master of none'.. [censored] the saying, a fire-throwing-axe-wielding--cutlery-thieving-super-awesome-assassin orc sounds pretty sweet to me!

Tried that on Oblivion where I created my own kind of form. Like bow, blunt and sword. Didn't work out too well I used sword more than anything else.

The idea of this sounds awesome to me it just seems like I would kind of svck at everything until 40 hours into the game

The saying initially had a positive connotation. Jack of all trades was obviously a good thing. Shows you are willing to try many things, as well as to pull your knowledge together and apply it across disciplines.


Then it became negative in the 20th century.

Recently it has been expanded into a rhyming couplet
"Jack of all trades, master of None,
Certainly better than a master of one"

I love Wikipedia.

My first character is always a mixed type. I dissagree that a jack of all trades character is weaker at high levels. Not so, if you do it smartly. Just pick seven varied skills and focus on them.

My example

Argonian

Skill focus:

Archery
one handed
destruction
illusion
Alchemy
Sneak
Pickpocket

(These are the skills I want to max out, if possible. Although, I'm sure 70-80 in destruction or Illusion would be perfectly useful to supplement my playstyle, given I will have lots of other weapons to fall back on.)

Other skills I may only use when I need them. I don't think 100 in lockpick is going to be that useful. I'm sure you can pay to enchant or smith, and my character is stealth focused so healing and defensive magic is not necessary.