I got the game pretty soon after it came out but I've only recently really got into playing the game. I'm sort of running into some build issues where I think I may be trying to spread myself a bit thin. My idea for the character is basically a Mage type that can make use of sneaking. Initially before I took my long break due to technical difficulties, I started out with a Dunmer character that would use Sneak, Archery, Destruction, Illusion, Alteration and One handed. I tried to do a little bit of light armor but I wanted the magic regen that you get from the robes much more and I also didn't feel like spreading my perk points too thin. A very common tactic would be to use Illusion to get the enemy to fight one another, and I found it interesting to use Conjuration (Necromancy) to use the fallen enemies to continue the proxy battle. I'd resort to some archer sneak attacks if the target was by itself or on conjunction with the fury spells. I'd then finish up with destruction/one handed while using alteration for protection. What ended up happening is that along with the stated six skills, I took on and used more often than not two other skills spreading myself thin.

When I got back into the game I had a new character but a similar concept. Now I am dedicating myself to Illusion, Destruction, Alteration, Conjuration, Sneak, One handed. But I am not trying to use every single perk in any of those schools. Out of each skill set I want to pick specific skills that follow the theme of my character which is heavy use of magic augmented by stealth. For example i'm only really interested in the Necromancy aspects of Conjuration. That i'd use an atronach here and there sure. In sneak i'm only really interested in getting the assassin's blade perk, the rest I don't need. In destruction my goals are to get to master level but to specialize mostly in fire and lightning spells. In one handed I'm only marginally interested in being able to handle a blade decently...and so on and so forth. So far I am happy with this although i'm not sure how the perks will spread out since I want most of the perks for Destruction, Alteration and Illusion. I'd REALLY like to use a bow but I would only be able to half ass it considering my already high use of perks. Destruction will have to do and i may just make a bow focused character some other time.

That's my over all concern. My main concern however is choosing between alchemy and enchanting. The pros for choosing alchemy are very big. For one I have the +5 and I am the sort of person that will try to use all the racial bonuses that are there. (Took me a while to get over not using light armor for the dunmer to begin with) Another pro is that alchemy is always useful regardless of the level which you use it at. You can have crappy potions and you can have great potions. Alchemy has gotten me out of bad situations many times to the point that I almost felt like I was cheating. With my first character i'd roll up into town, buy every ingredient from a store and make potions. If I needed money i'd sell the potions back for a profit, if not I just kept them. Out of all my encumbrance 1/3rd of it was potions and poisons.

On the other hand I really like the concept of enchanting. It's less tedious than using potions, opening up the menu and seeing 15 different types of "restore magic" potions and so on and so forth. In essence, enchanting allows you, through your gear to touch upon playing other classes as well. Hey I can enchant a bunch of gear to make my Nightblade/Sorcerer character to now suddenly be able to sling arrows with the best of them. Enchanting also allows you to just make the enchantment and you are done. No need to go foraging for ingredients and I honestly don't mind having to recharge my stuff since I love the whole "soul trap" procedure. The downside is that I don't feel like the enchantments are satisfying until toward the very end of the skill tree set. There's always a "better version" that I could make. I can't just make the enchantment and settle with it knowing that that's it. I guess that isn't such an issue but my choice will be determined on the following question:

Insightful/Corpus enchanter says that it makes enchantments on armors stronger. Does this refer to actually only armors or does this work also on plain old rings/gloves/robes/shoes etc? Since I don't use armor these perks would be useless to me. This way I would only need to use 9 perks via the elemental route to "extra effect" perk. I'd also only have to worry about making "defensive enchantments" that i want to keep after I get the first 5 initial perks.


I guess it's a long winded OP and really the TLDR version is "Alchemy or Enchanting" but I wanted to give a bit of background on my play style and mentality. And I also wanted to address the issue of my "6 main skills" and how I want to go about all of that with the perks.

I've been playing a Dunmer Nightblade type build and i am enjoying it. I use frenzy on groups of enemies, bait guys into rune traps, raise dead bodies to fight for me, whenever I go into head to head combat I use alteration spells like Oakflesh or Ironflesh, I don't use restoration but instead I only heal with potions i create in Alchemy, and I only use daggers and bows. I've been playing on Master difficulty with minimal fast travel and I'm having a ton of fun. I've clocked in 60 hours so far and its my favorite build so far.

How do you spread your perks between so many skills though?

Also, I wish Scroll making had a bigger role in the game and part of the Enchanting skill tree. And you could combine different spell effects and the strength of the scrolls would be based on your skill in that school of magic.