Hard to believe the issue still exists in the game:

I can take on 5 bandits at the same time and one-shot each in rapid sucession.
I can knock a dragon out of the sky and finish it off with two power attacks.
I can smith Daedric weapons and Dragonbone Armor.
The average Bandit Chief in furs wielding an unenchanted iron war axe can kill me with one swing. Wonderfully immersive and not in the least frustrating, confusing, or lame.

So here's my suggestion to the developers:

"Use common sense."

Example scenario--Let's play Hearts (the card game). We'll follow all the rules of the game...except...if you draw the Jack of Spades, you automatically lose. It doesn't matter how well you were doing, or how many points you were holding in your hand, or how careful and methodical you were in making all of the strategic decisions in playing each turn...you just automatically lose and the game is over. But here's the best part: you can just keep playing more games of Hearts over and over again until we're lucky enough that no one draws the Jack of Spades until the very last hand, and then you've basically completed one full game of Hearts! Doesn't that sound like fun?

No, of course not.

It's not really news that most people do not enjoy being placed in situations in which they have virtually no chance of success. I'm not talking about a challenge that we seek out to test ourselves against odds that we know will push our limits; I'm talking about situations in which we've been set up to fail. If I want to take a challenging trail on a hiking trip, I know what I'm getting into and can take the gear I need with me in case something goes wrong. If something does go wrong, I'm prepared for a rough time of it and knew ahead of time that I might wind up in that situation. If I go on a nature walk and someone purposefully sets a forest fire to prove how dangerous nature can be, that's not a challenge--that's purposeful and malicious. If I survive, I don't feel as if I've overcome anything and proven myself, I'm just happy to be alive after living through a major disaster. It wasn't fun or satisfying at all; it was bull sh*t.

(Metaphorically speaking), challenges in gaming attempt to simulate the thrill of the "challenging hiking trail" but in a safe environment. The difficulty spikes in Skyrim when bosses (Bandit Chiefs, Thalmor Mages, Blood/Ancient Dragons at lower levels, etc.) are encountered feel more like the "purposeful forest fire". It doesn't matter how well the player is prepared; the situation will be so completely unexpected and over-the-top dire that the fun and challenge goes right out the window.

No strategy, tactic, or clever trick based on role-playing a character will succeed.
The only things that will work are immersion-breaking:
1. Enter a menu and lower the difficulty.
2. Activate cheats in the console.
3. Knowingly use an exploit to confuse the AI.
Or (my personal favorite:)
4. Pause the fight every ten seconds to drink about 5 potions at a time before dying from one lucky blow and reloading the battle for the 14^th time.

So, how to fix it? Most people I've spoken to who say this isn't really a problem argue that the game is randomzed and this type of balancing is simply not possible. I say focus on the player character instead of the randomization system. Write a little bit of code that does the following:

***The player character may only take a maximum of 30% damage based on total health every 3 seconds.***

Example (again.) I have a total of 200 health. I wander around a corner in a dungeon and am jumped by three enemies. Even if I happen to be hit by a Bandit Chief with a two-handed weapon (which would one-shot me) just as a strong dark mage unleashes a dual-handed lightning spell at the same moment (which would one-shot me), I'm only going to take 66 points of damage. One barrage of attacks which happens within the span of a single second (not to mention the two arrows in the back from the bandit archers behind me that I never noticed), but I'll have two full seconds to realize I'm overmatched and decide how to handle it. I down some health potions and use a shout to send my nearest attackers flying. The archers nail me again for 12 points of damage, then another blast of lightning from the mage (which would one-shot me) and I lose another 54 points. I'm down around half-health now, and I know I can't win this fight. I turn and run...right into the Bandit Chief who circled around behind me before I let loose the shout. Whack goes his two-handed weapon (which would one-shot me) and my health drops another 66 points. But I still have a thread. Quaff a few more potions and leap around him, flat-out run for the exit. I take another blast from the mage (which would one-shot me), but again scraqe by with a thin line of health. I make it out. Didn't go well, but I acted fast and got out of there. I'll be sure to mark the dungeon in my memory and pay them all another visit later on. FUN! I can die in 10 seconds of a toe-to-to fight, but I'm always given at least 10 seconds to react.

Or, Skyrim as it stands now:

I have a total of 200 health. I wander around a corner in a dungeon and am jumped by three enemies. I get hit by a Bandit Chief with a two-handed weapon as I'm drawing my own sword--insta-kill. Reload.

I know they're there, so I quaff a solution of strength and drink a potion of regeneration. I now have 260 health and am regnerating it 50% faster than normal. I draw my weapon and charge around the corner on the attack. I land a critical strike on the Bandit Chief. His health bar shrinks by less than half-an-inch. A strong dark mage unleashes a dual-handed lightning spell--insta-kill. Reload.

I drink the health potions, a potion of shock resistance, and switch to a ring of shock resistance. 260 health + 50% health regen + 70% resistance to shock. Around the corner weapon out, but the mage unleashes the attack first. I'm staggered and lose all but 25 points of health. Into the inventory to down about 8 health potions and bring myself back up to full health. I ready a good shout and drink a potion of the defender to increase my blocking skill. Unpause and up goes my shield as I maneuver into the best postion to use my shout. Bandit Chief charges in with an overhead chop--insta-kill. Reload.

How long will this go on before a player is ready to start swearing, leave the cave, and quit the game in frustration. Potions--useless. Resistances--useless. Special abilities--useless. Tactics--useless. Why is it even in the game!? Fun? No.


So...anyone think they can write a script that does what I've suggested above and try it out?

I understand your points, but both my current characters are around level 20 and are fragile Mage/Sneak types (I put between 0 and 5 points in Health, after that it's 4:1 magicka : stamina) and I don't have too much trouble with Bandit Chiefs etc.

If they happen to hit me, yeah, insta-death. But by the time they get the chance to see me, it's far too late.

Try using Illusion or sneak attacks to initiate combat. Hitting the Bandit Chief with a Frenzy spell is an effective way to both clear out most (if not all) of the bandits around, and sufficiently weaken him/her so an arrow or dagger to the back should kill him.