Yesterday, I started a new DiD character on Master difficulty for the first time. After visiting Riverwood and clearing out Embershard Mine, I decided to further clear out the unmarked Bandit camp that's south-west of the Guardian Stones for the Treasure Map one of the Bandits is guaranteed to carry. I was level three at the time.

I got there, the Bandits understandably attacked me. The two melee Bandits were barely doing enough damage, even on Master difficulty, but suddenly, I dropped dead. I thought it was some strange glitch that I've never heard of, so I ignored the DiD rule, reloaded and went back. I managed to kill the two melee Bandits and as I was rushing at the archer Bandit, I notice that it was a FREAKING BANDIT MARAUDER. While I was level three! Aren't these guys supposed to spawn way, way later? I deduced that it was he who managed to kill me the first time, so I fleed.

After that, I decided to make Anise's Cabin my own. I swam across the river and was greeted by a Bear west of the Cabin. I have NEVER noticed Bears in that location. At that level range, I only encountered Wolves, maybe some low-level Frostbite Spiders, but never a Bear.

Is my game glitched or is this a feature of the Master difficulty? Are high-levelled enemies supposed to spawn early on Master difficulty? This is the first time I've ever played on Master so early in the game.

No. The difficulty slider affects only damage taken and damage dealt.

Are you using any mods that could cause this glitch?

Level scaling failed to protect you ?No but seriously unless you are using mods that shouldn't happen.

Hes' not using mods. See his signature.

Very strange. I am playing on the 360 so I don't have any mods. Unfortunately, I was forced to delete this character thanks to the combination of DiD rules and a surprise Hired Thug attack, so I won't be able to see if this phenomenon occurs in locations other than that unmarked Bandit camp and the Bear spawn. I did manage to clear out Embershard Mine and Brittleshin Pass and the enemies appeared to be scaling fine in those areas.

I'm thinking of starting another character to see if this Bandit Marauder spawns in that camp again.

It can happen. I've had two bandit and to bandit chiefs attack me at the exit of Bleak Falls Barrow. On 360 also.

This is fascinating so I googled a bit and found a couple of references to dormant E3 demo code that can activate under some unknown circumstances.

The strong marauder is named "Marauder" instead of the usual "Bandit Marauder". It would be cool if the OP can go back to the saved game and double check the name.

http://imgur.com/a/CsM6r

https://www.reddit.com/r/skyrimmods/comments/1jimw3/the_great_thief_and_marauder_unsolved_mystery/

Thank you, thank you


YES and I'm on Xbox360


For a couple of years the new bandit crew that takes over Helgen spawned the expected low level types around level 10.


Then....one day.....one of the bandits was a Marauder....wtf?

As I neared Helgen from Riverwood the three courtyard bandits push the doors open and come out at me....the Marauder was full on too...high level hitter, well armoured.....lethal.


Thats not all....it kept spawning this Marauder there ON EVERY PLAY THROUGH around level 10 ish.....for about a YEAR.


Suddenly sometime last year it reverted to all low level bandits again...never got the Marauder again.


I never found what triggered him.....but its good to know I am not alone in this weirdness.


Edit....I agree it sounds like special 'Demo code'


But it is NOTHING to do with mods....although I do have the official dlc installed.


Clearly...there is some special set of trigger conditions that I was somehow fullfilling. Note my spawn was in Helgen....so the same general area...but not the same cell as the op.

Unfortunately, I deleted the saves, thanks to the DiD rules I was playing, but I am 100% that it was a Bandit Marauder and not a ''plain'' Marauder. He also appeared to be wearing the regular Fur Armor and he even appeared to have the Ranger perk for he was moving very fast with a drawn bow.

My Marauder usually appeared in heavy iron or banded iron with a banded iron shield and the iron horned helm

Very rarely do I also find enemies at low levels with the ranger perk... very scary. Common in Morag Tong assassins.

I just made a new character and pretty much immediately after leaving Helgen, I visited the two places that had those weird spawns. The Bandit Marauder and the Bear were not there. The unmarked camp had three regular Bandits and instead of the Bear near Anise's Cabin, there were only two Wolves. The only difference between this character and the one that encountered those spawns is that he is level two (not level three like the previous one) and that I am playing him on Expert difficulty instead of Master.

If something like that happens again, I'll let you all know.

You need to duplicate the spawning conditions as accurately as possible to have a chance of it triggering.....but since I had it every single restart for at least several dozen restarts over two years....I would say it is NOT a random generated event. But the precise trigger condition is unknown.


But things do trigger depending upon initial conditions.


Eg. When you leave the exit cave at Helgen....do not go to Riverwood.....run directly up the road past Helgen going to Riverwood first cancels it.


For years I went directly to Riverwood, thus missing it. So, yeah, odd stuff is built in for sure

You could be unlucky and run into an bandit with good gear, perhaps an enchanted weapon, they tend to be brutal at lower levels. If bandit was max level for the level scaling bracket you have a problem.

Isn't there are bug where spawning enemies sometimes have double their damage/health rates? Right after loading a save or something.

There is. Meh321 fixed it. http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/76747/?