i'm curious if anyone has done this.

I'm sure there are people who play Skyrim but simply don't start the main quest. However, in trying this recently, I notice a couple of the quest lines - particularly the Dawnstar DLC - are broken if you don't do this (you need the ES from the MQ - hope that's vague enough - to finish the DS questline.

I want to avoid launching into a long roleplay only to find out that I can't finish it because, wouldn't you know, I have to finish the main quest.

So, first question, has anyone successfully avoided the MQ by either mods or in the vanilla, and what your suggestions.

Another point to this: I usually play good characters. People that are really decent at their heart. But I decided I wanted someone to finish the Thieves Guild - Dark Brotherhood quest lines. This is my character creation:

A Breton or possibly a Bosmer who was in love with a famous Dark Elf archeologist from the Mages Guild in Cyrodiil. They came to Skyrim to search the old ruins, but in altercation with some Nords, the Dark Elf was killed. My character, in return, kills several Nords to escape which puts them on the wagon to be killed. They now have a bounty - a large bounty - on their head (I'm playing on PC and may actually try to put a bounty on character) and they're just trying to stay alive and deal with their grief.

I'm assuming at the end of the tutorial dungeon, I'll take off on my own and not start the MQ. Any thoughts on how well this will work? I won't have access to shouts, and I won't be fighting dragons. Is there anything else I'll miss?

Thanks for any help.

It's actually quite fun and increases the feeling of freedom surrounding your character. In many ways, it's better to RP this way as it's easier on your backstory. lol

I am not aware of other major things you'll miss out on, except becoming Thane of Whiterun. However, with your character, that seems unlikely to begin with

I don't see why it wouldn't work,looks good.

And you don't have to start the main quest to do the dawnguard quest's.
just get the elder scroll like you normally would

Without mods, the Civil War is impossible to complete without progressing through the main quest to the point where you kill the first scripted dragon. With Dawnguard, you need the Dragon Scroll which is obtained in the main quest, though you can get the scroll without getting that far in the main quest. You just need to ignore some of the quest description as it references a particular character.

Shouts are the biggest change in not doing the MQ. The game also has a couple of places where you will stumble into the MQ and start it, (just talking to the Jarl in Whiterun can do this, but I think you can exit out of the dialog without triggering anything).

Most of my TES playthroughs ignore the MQ, this game makes this a bit of a challenge if I want to complete a large part of the non MQ game. I really don't know if there is a mechanism in place for the Elder Scroll if you avoid the Skyrim MQ, maybe there is. Check in the DG CHS section for any details on that.

On PC, the "Live Another Life" mod (for one) stops the main quest-related events from happening until you go to Helgen (or decide to start there as per normal).

All you need to get the Elder Scroll is to start "Discerning the Transmundane" (Hermaeus Mora's daedric quest). You don't even have to finish the quest - just take it far enough to get access to the scroll.

Which you can do by just showing up to his cave, you don't need to be directed there.

That cave is Septimus Signus' Outpost, by the way, a cave located on the ice fields north of Winterhold. Talk to Septimus to begin the quest leading to the Scroll.

Wow ... thanks for the great responses. I'm going to try this now.

I've used Live Another Life but as CCNA points out, I keep stumbling into the main quest references.

Another question: I'm having a really hard time surviving without using the Holy Trinity of skill advancement. (Smithing, Enchanting, Alchemy). My characters then end up too God-like for my tastes.

If I create a Bosmer (unique in I've never played one before), any suggestions on limiting skills so I don't end up uber-powerful. One thought was "no magic" but I'm not sure I can survive without restoration. One forum post suggested only archery but archery up close is, well, not effective. If you were playing my RP, how would you limit character development.

Thanks again - a lot of useful info here.

Tend to advance smithing a lot, but I'm currently not taking any perks in it or creating any new items with it, just enhancing existing ones.

Well, just because you use Smithing, doesn't mean you have to abuse it.

If you're worried about having a God-like character that breaks the game, then don't grind those skills. Once your overall character level gets high enough that running into even Bandits starts becoming a real issue, just use Smithing enough to get you the types of weapons equivalent to your level, then stop using it until you need to.

Same goes for Enchanting and Alchemy. There's nothing except a lack of willpower that forces you to grind those Skills until you break your own game. Just use them in moderation and your Role Play should not only stay intact, but enhance your game in remarkable ways.

I play a strict rule with my Bosmer were I do not use enchanting or smithing at all, and magic only for combat. Specifically I only use illusion and Conjuration with a bit of destruction should the situation call for it. I try not to use physical weapons, any weapons I use are conjured weapons. It's pretty fun, I'd recommend it to anyone to at least try it.