Hi all! I'm new to the forums but a long time gamer... I've recently gotten into Skyrim and I'm really enjoying myself but is it me, or is it difficult to be Good in Skyrim?

Like many players I tend to have a "theme" for my characters. Either I'm a mage or a warrior or something like that, and on that level the game work brilliantly (in my opinion). However, it's really difficulty to play a Paladin. Paladins being something I enjoy playing, whether in pen and paper RPG's or MMO's or just your everyday RPG like Neverwinter Nights. Now, I'm not talking about melee warrior who uses one handed weapons and casts restoration. I'm talking about a character who has a morale compass. A character who doesn't break the law and tries to do good. Ok, here's a short list of things "Good Guys" might want to do, but simply can't.

-find an alternate way to enchant weapons. Using the souls of living creatures, including other sentient beings might hint at necromancy.
-I can't destroy or bring the thieves guild to justice! Maybe I don't like murdering and stealing!
-The Dawnguard are not my idea of "Good" guys. Dawnguard are more chaotic than law abiding.. they're a "any means necessary" kind of faction
-Weapons or Armor that can be "Good" alligned... my options are Daedric... or the Bones of sentient beings.... (dragons) (I will give them kudos for the Dawnguard and Steel plate however)
-Dawnbreaker is a Daedric weapon, couldn't we have a non-Daedric undead slaying weapon just as awesome?

Maybe it's me, but I find it difficulty to be a "Good Guy" in Skyrim? What do you guys think?

Some might say good is a point of view, but as the Old Miyamotto Musashi, I try to follow the Warrior's Way, even in real life, good is good, bad is bad, there are no grey areas, as deep inside yourself, you know what you're doing is wheter bad or good, so in Skyrim, we are given the tools but is up to you how you use them

That's kinda my point... The Thieves Guild is an excellent example. Yes I have the tools, but for some reason... there's no way in game to drive the corruption out of Riften and/or crush the Thieves Guild.

Honestly I can't think of any group in Skyrim that is really good. Even the ones that you would think are good, the Vigilants, Silver-Hand, etc. have some extreme methods that cross the line. Most factions are neutral at best and some are down right evil.

I always liked playing the Paladin type and loved the Knights of the Nine DLC in OB. But there is nothing like that in Skyrim.

So many times in this game I have to 'pretend' things just are not happening and to be honest, I hate it. But what can you do...

Well, If it involves killing evil in a reasonable manner, I don't see how most of what you said can be considered bad.

Wearing the Bones of Murderous winged-beasts is simply a use of justly acquired resources.
The Dawngaurd protect the "sheep" from the "wolves". Hardly Evil.
Dawnbreaker was simply an award for putting down a defiler.
And so on.

Do you play PC? if so go to Steam Workshop, I promise you can at least get "Good" looking equipment. And Dawnbreaker comes from a Deadra dedicated to slaying undead, and the weapon has a celestial feel, so I think you are being too picky in regards to that. after all paladins don't have this Black/White mindset. Not all Deadra Lords are evil, it is just a majority. I mean would your paladin attack Drizzt because dark elves are reknowned for evil?

Yes, many people have comented something like this before and have your same opinion (including myself), and is like Skyrim pushes you to do "evil" quests, even when you are trying to be the good guy. At least you have the option to avoid quest you dont want, and even have the option to banquish the evil Dark Brotherhood, but as any man, you can't get rid of ALL the corruption in the world, so at least I think that's a good feat that the game offers you. Btw, wellcome to the forums

You're right! It's one of the few Daedric artifacts I own... that I don't feel breaks the characters "compass". I guess a Paladin in Skyrim has to be... "flexible" lol

The last question about Drizzt is a whole other thread... I was just pointing at the game mechanics and how often you have to turn a blind eye or just not have the option to do something about things that affect many characters in the game world. Riften and Markarth are excellent examples of cities that could use some cleaning up... some really nice intrigue and quests could be explore if the player wanted to bring change. In the case of Riften, there are tons of people complaining about the Thieves guild! So what are my options? Join the guild, ignore the guild.... that's absurd! I'm not the only one who thinks that maybe the obvious choice might be missing... disband and destroy the thieves guild or bring them to justice.

Just pointing to the absurdity... I can murder any person in the game and go to jail... I can pick hundreds of locks and steal to my hearts content. I can work with demons and raise the dead... but I can't stop theives from theiving...

Even Paarthanaxx.... I need to KILL him to form the Blades... Maybe a Paladin doesn't want to kill a peaceful sentient being... But there's no option to do Blades... it's just "ignore quest"... no official "decline" or anything.

I have to agree with the op, it is difficult to rp a paladin type character at least if you are a completionist like myself. I wish there was a way, to give certain quests an ending, even if it is much shorter than going the "evil" route. I do not expect every single quest to have, fully fleshed out multiple choice endings for every character type out there. But there should be a way to finish them somehow or properly decline them, without having to resort to immoral methods.

Look at it this way...It's not Dragon Age 2, where every morally upright or compassionate action you make comes back to bite you in the ass in catastrophic ways.