Finally hit 65. It took me just over 200 hours to get to 60 and now another 62 hours to get to 65. And one of those levels was entirely thanks to the daedra in winterhold with his book that gave me 85% of level 63 into 64.

302 Locations
52 Words of Power
98 Quests Completed
281 Misc. Quest Objectives Completed
Still working Stormcloak, Mage College, Brotherhood and Companion Quest Lines (although all of those are in final stages). Have not done any Thief Guild Quests yet.

Skill Level (Change since 60)

Illusion 57 (+19)
Conjuration 46 (+6)
Destruction 50 (+6)
Restoration 67 (+11)
Alteration 41 (+8)
Enchanting 100 (+4)
Smithing 100
Heavy Armor 100
Block 100 (+4)
2Handed 83 (+9)
1Handed 100
Archery 48 (+6)
Light Armor 97 (+22)
Sneak 81 (+11)
Pickpocket 25 (+5)
Lockpicking 90 (+7)
Speech 100 (+4)
Alchemy 100

I was hoping to get to 70, but I dont know if that will be possible. Will be close. Will be switching over to casting soon as well to keep leveling.

i think that you can reach 81 if you max every skill

67.6 here - 217 (christ!) hours played.

Does any of you know what the upper limit is? I've maxed all warrior skills and thief is getting up there, but my mage skills are still pretty low, so I was hoping I had some ways to go yet.

Well... Level 81 is the level "cap".. Better get to it! XD

I have a question about being super high level like that.

Is it a good idea to be that high? Will there will be problems with spells scaling to enemies at those levels such as fear and frenzy effects, even while perked...? On that note, do the last destruction spells only seem to "tickle" enemies like I'm imagining it would?

I am hesitant to go past 60ish. I just don't want to overpower everything, and I'm not sure how that works. Will enemies continue to level as my skills do? Or do enemies cap at 50?

Christ and I thought I had done a lot in 140hrs. (bout 16hrs idlish time)
Level 45, have done up to Elder Knowledge.


Quests Completed = 64
Misc Quests = 177
Main Quests = 12
Side Quests = 19

Books Read = 272
Barters = 909

Spells learned = 40
Dragon Souls = 48
Words Power/unlocked = 41
Shouts learned = 16

Killed
People = 780
Animals = 529
Creatures = 243
Undead = 567
Daedra = 36
Automaton = 56

Skills

Destruction = 100
Restoration = 40
Alteration = 29
Enchanting = 86
Smithing = 100
Heavy Armor = 75
Block = 50
Two Handed = 20
One Handed = 84
Archery = 22
Light Armor = 33
Sneak = 32
Lock Picking = 73
Pick Pocket = 23
Speech = 53
Illusion = 27
Conjuration = 43

My expert spells seem to tickle high end enemies.

I wonder how many people think that once you hit level cap, it's a completely new ball game (like WoW).

I definitely don't, and that's why I asked about the cap - nice to know there are 13.4 levels left. I want to squeeze as many hours as possible out of this amazing game, but with all ES games (for me at least) after I hit the cap, I get bored and have to wait a year or so before I would want to pick it up again and start with a new character.

No, technically you can lose skill levels by spending time in jail. Raise those skill levels again and it may be possible to get more perks beyond level 81. Though that would take a long time.

Would be funny if Skyrim came out with two new characters.
Snow Elfs +100% mana recovery
Dirt Elfs +50% hp recovery
passive over time

If you have to ask that then it isn't

I like to see how the perks affect my character, how powerful I can get my weapons and armor etc. At adept difficulty I can take down a giant with one steel arrow (without sneak), which isn't very challenging of course, but still strangely satisfying when they've launched me into space on so many occasions in the past just for looking at them the wrong way.

As for fear and frenzy, I haven't touched that at all so I don't know.

I am currently a sliver away from 81 and have every skill maxed besides lockpicking which is at 88. I have 218 hours played and stats currently go:

Locations Discovered: 158
Dungeons Cleared 52
Days Passed: 355
Quests completed: 68
Misc Objectives: 95
Main Quests: 4
Side Quests: 14
People Killed: 613
Animals Killed: 319
Creatures Killed: 137
Undead Killed: 390
Daedra Killed: 21
Auomatons Killed: 21
Bunnies Slaughtered: 1

Anyways, I have mainly been focusing on leveling more than the game itself. I have completed every guild save bards (which I am half way done?). Haven't started main quest or civil war.

EDIT: How do you guys get so many misc quests? Maybe I am not talking to enough people but I only have 11 quests in my log.

i was just thinking to myself today lock picking would be the hardest to max. chest hunting takes a little bit of effort and some time.

Yeah, it is indeed a pain; especially when every master lock in dungeons has a key you obtain beforehand to open it. Tempted to stop picking up keys. I have yet to reach the infinium so I was going to save that for the last 5 levels of lockpicking lol.

Haha, a nice touch by Bethesda there, I think: "bunnies slaughtered". Not only do they give bunnies their own row, separate from "animals", they hammer home the point of what a beast you've been by using "slaughtered" instead of "killed".

Lockpicking is not hard to max at all. Just pick the locks where ever they are immediately when you find them. Chests, doors, jail cells, .... Get them all. Especially the Master and Expert level locks for big boosts. I never pass a locked anything. Just watch the wiggle so you don't break your lockpicks. But then you do receive XP when you do break a lockpick. Takes me two or three lockpicks at any level to bust a Master or Expert lock. XP for the Master lock opened and XP for two or three broken lockpicks while trying to open it. I have no Lockpick perks. It's just not hard to do for me. (In some different games in the past however ....)

Save your game immediately before the lockpiock attempt and be in the Hidden position so as not to be caught.

So very true on the launch to space!

True. Make sure you give any keys to your companion first.

Wows..

Mine
Locations discovered 219
Dungeons clear 97
Days passed 213



I have no clue, but I talk to everyone also checking rumors in bars etc.

Well I talk with everyone I meet just about every time I meet them. Additionally, both of the book quests for the Mage's library are repeatable. I do one just to find new locations, the other gives you scrolls or level ups in magic. Each of the people in the mages college will give you a quest at some point in the journey. And some more than 1.

Then you can get a repeatable quest from the Gray Beards to find words of power. Another great way to find new locations.

The bartenders in the inn will also give you repeatable Bounty quests and I just do those as fill ins if I am in the area. They are however very nice at lower levels because of the gold (until you reach around level 25 and it doesnt matter much).

I am also a big explorer. There are quite a few mines and dungeons where you will just wander in and find someone looking for help or they will tell you to stop because they have a draugr problem.

And read every book you come across when you come across it. After you learn a title from reading it a time or 3, you can stop for that book. But I have found 5 to 10 book quests so far. (Part of my other problem is I have to take every book left behind regardless of value). You just cant leave knowledge laying around because it can get into the wrong hands or may get lost entirely. Both are equally bad.

That should give you a good start.

As for lockpicking, besides all of the chests and locks you find in normal dungeons, when doing the Storm/Imp Quests, don't forget to clear the Prison sections out of the Forts. There are usually 5 or 6 cells with good picking possibilities. The same thing with anywhere there are necromancers or assorted mage bad guys. They have a lot of cages and usually a lot of booze laying around. And their robes are easily carried for treasure. And the Silver Hand also have a bunch of cages for our Werewolf brethren. Do that werewolf in the cage a favor. Kill him before he starves to death. He would do the same for you.

And for me its not so much the leveling as the wondering around I enjoy which is why it is probably taking me so long to get up there. I still have a few holes in my map that I am working on (area just North of Marakath and West of Solitude for sure) and probably a few more that I don't know about yet.

^ I run similar thoughts tbh.I only take enchanted items now, and only of a certain level of gold.