I've started a new character with the idea that I'll play him Permadeath-style. After looking carefully at all the race options, I decided Imperial would offer the most potential for success. He's at level 12 right now still alive although had some narrow escapes from saber cats. Pretty engaging way to play - the longer he stays alive the more I have invested in him and want to keep him alive!

I'm wondering what the highest level some players have gotten before the character's first death. Also, any advice from Permadeath players would be appreciated, this its the first time I've ever played this way in any game.

Oh my. I have yet to beat the game and every quest on Dead is Dead Master. Sad times.

I reached level 48 before I died to.....BRIARHEART...yup random briarheart 3 shotted me. 650armor 500 health

I could ramble on all day about advice, but I'll keep it short.

Difficulty spikes between different enemies with the same name and enemies at different levels. Example, when I put on Daedric at level 30 I creamed everything for 10 levels or so and then the enemies "caught up" and fights became challenging again. A lot of fights were easy anyway, it's that one enemy you have to be careful of. For example the briartheart, I owned everyone one of them easily, except that one. (I got lazy and put my shield down thinking I could take a few hits) They were all named briarheart. A fun fact: Silver Hand, when you fight them they are all named "Silver Hand" but they are not all the same difficulty wise. While fighting one I froze him and swung on him, I had fire on my weapon, and I got the message "Bandit Highwayman Resists Fire Damage". So the silver hand have the levels and skills of different ranked bandits but you don't know that because they're all just called Silver Hand. One guy could hit you for 50dmg and another guy with the same name could hit you for 200.

My last piece of advice would be before you even start a dead is dead run to think of a few rules. Like maybe you can die once every 15hrs of play time, or hero's nightmare where you only save when you sleep and if you die, you reload at the save like it was all a bad dream.

Once you start a permadeath run it can be hard to stop.

First time I died, I was level 68 lol. I thought I wouldn't have to worry about some stuff--but there was a ridge area with a shout wall that I just walked right next to. In that same area, there were to Hagravens reviving a Briarheart and bringing him to life. I was minding my own business getting the shout walking past them in the area when mr briarheart jumps off the table he was revived of--and started wacking me crazy. I died within 4-5 hits not thinking I would take that much damage. Was lamesauce

Bosses can also be anything - for example one of gauldr? amulet carriers will be a random Draugr boss renamed and with a script attached to him

I hit 48 as my top level for first death as well. Sad thing. I really liked that character. Wasn't ready for a fight against an Ancient Dragon. Thought I'd gotten away, but stood up at one point while sneaking while it was nowhere in sight, and the damn battle music started up again, it swooped down, and finished me off in two bites.

good stories! My best tactic so far seems to be to run like hell! LOL

1.

My first death was from falling into a fire in Helgen. Lol.

fine. but, bullcrap, as far as, implementation/exploiting/cheating, is concerned.

at master you die in one blow, maybe 2. use of in-combat and CHEATING techniques does not apply, obviously.

bullcrap and i call you...

edit- ALL who think using unlimited potions during combat have adjusted the dead is dead mentality. no hotkeys. no mage using a special sword. no reloading cuz you just didn't know. boo hoo.

dead is dead. let's see how long you live without "cheating."

and, then say the game is ez.

how many times dying does it finally not equate to ez?

Does exploiting potions to achieve immortality count?

Technically Ive never died because if I do die, I always reload to a previous save in which I have yet to die. So I really just live on forever.

um, no.

exploiting the surroundings around you do not matter. fallout3 is the perfect example: many called it ez. when rules were applied: they shut the pluck up.

Phew, thought I was the only one

which is why a dead is dead character, completely seperate from all game files, would be a serious experience for you to enjoy.

run, jump, die, next.

epitaph

I have to agree. Beginning to realize it's a whole different ballgame when you play like that. Very intense. Definitely satisfies the thirst for immersive Epic adventure. One stupid move and you're all done.
Think about it: if you only have one life to live, how would you REALLY kill that dragon?

The highest I've reached so far is 68, and that character is not dead but retired. I play Dead-is-Dead, so for me the first death is the only death. Lost two characters at L46; one got overrun in a dungeon (didn't know an ambush was coming), and another got his head bitten off by an Ancient Dragon.

Never died.yet.

first time i died was 15min into the game....
went to riverwood, killed Hilde and stole her stuff. Then i went to the inn and sleep
5hours later, 3 thugs sent by Hilde(stolen her stuff) + 3 thugs by Sven for murdering her mother.... are at the inn's doorstep

I doubt I'd ever do that. I don't see the point of doing "dead is dead" in a game that 1) can last up to hundreds of hours, and 2) has all sorts of stuff that can just haul off and kill you.

Why bother going through all the planning a new character, opening scenes, making a face, early quests, etc, when some boss in a dungeon you randomly explore might just decide to two-shot you? Seems like a waste. But, hey, that's just me. Different people enjoy different things.
(I've also never played DiD in games like Diablo. And yeah - I generally back up my saves in roguelikes - Angband, Moria, etc - as well.)

-----

As for the original question.... probably somewhere in the teens. If not anywhere else, definitely died several times on my first attempt at going up the 7000 steps. Pesky snowcats and ice trolls. Ended up giving up and coming back for another try when I was in my 20's. (This is on Adept diff, sword/board/light armor character)

Level 6.
Thought the giants were friendly. They did give me a nice view of the entire province for free.

Level 38 haven't died yet.
But i'm playing on the normal difficulty (adept?)

Made it to level 2, saw a giant on my way towards Whiterun and started something I couldn't finish...

It's just a different way to play. I was fighting a dragon and was about to be the victim of a kill animation and I went into my menu and ate all the food I had, carrot +1, cheese +2 etc, just to stay alive. It was intense. I also use every means necessary to survive. I don't have any perks in cojuration, but I do have summon flame atronach and just enough mana to cast her on my two handed warrior. So when that frost troll is charging me I turn and run and cast. I probably won't use that spell for hours but that one time it saved me. Or that mass paralyze scroll that I would usually just pitch comes in handy vs anything that is out of my league.

Playing this way just creates a different, enhanced experience. The key is to provide my character with the tools and the ability to not get one shotted. After that I usually have what I need to survive any surprises. The downside to playing this way is complacency. I am too powerful, I won't die...or, ugh I have to open my menu to heal, I'll use a key binded spell, whoops I should have opened my menu...or I should really get the Lord Stone, but I'm sick of heavy armor and want the Steed Stone, oh look a fire mage...oh I didn't see the Ascendant Conjurer there, wish I had that magic res, etc

i was in helgen and should jump over to the other house but i didnt fully listen to the guy and also overlooked the quest marker arrow. so i jumped down to the ground and died at level 1

Highest level before my first death would have been 73. Stuck to using shields, heavy armour, a shield, & my fist. The first dragon attack almost killed me, but the final boss battle of the m.q. got me. Reminded me of testing the bozar on a death claw in N.V. on a dead is dead.

It's a lot easier to avoid the 1st death if you don't start the main quest or go dungeon diving immediately. I can usually get to level 10 before I have to worry about animals doing a lot of damage but after that unless your fighting a dungeon boss, are outnumbered and you run out of potions, you shouldn't die.