So far I've been playing mostly at my own pace, exploring the world and not following the major questlines all that much. I am coming at a point though where I might start dabbling into some of the civil war quests. Aka "Join the Imperial" / "Join the Stormcloaks".

My question is: how mutually exclusive are these quests?
When I join one will the other immediately become unavailable? Or can I join both and only at a certain point I have to make the final decision? If such a 'point of no return' quest exists where you're stuck with your choice I'd like to know about it (go easy on the spoilers ). I would like to make an informed decision ingame about which side to join and in order to do so I kinda have to get a taste of both sides first...

Also, what about the Battleborn/Greymanes in Whiterun for example. Will helping one (free some guy out of Thalmor prison) prevent me from doing quests for the opposite side as well?

Any further information about mutually exclusive questlines is appreciated.

With the civil war you can start both. First quest for both sides is a prove your loyalty quest. Once you turn that quest in your committed to the side you chose.

I haven't seen any battle born quests so I don't think there is a problem with your second. However how much either side likes you depends on your choice in the war, tho it only affects dialogue AFAIK.

Hint, don't help the grey manes if you're gonna be an imperial.

When you go to join a side, the npc you talk to will tell you to do a certain task.. I'm pretty sure you can undertake both at the same time but once you finish one say for the legion the stormcloak quest will fail.

Ah ok, so basically there's no point starting both as the questline for the opposite side is only 1 long (technically even zero since you can't finish it).
Thanks.



Well there's the thing, even though I will most likely end up with the Imperials, I'm still currently on my way to free that Grey mane prisoner because it seems the right thing to do (so far). They lied about his death and tried to cover it up, which is wrong. At the very least my instinct is to investigate and if he turns out to be a really bad person an arrow to face normally solves that problem quite effectively.

My character tries to do the 'right thing' and since both sides in this civil war are kinda messed up (either corrupt or racist a-holes) I have no problem with helping the other side when my own side is clearly wrong on something. Problem is, I don't always know in advance obviously.

My main concern is that this might lead to some game breaking moments or bugs even, which is the reason for this topic.

Will freeing this Grey mane prisoner cause any trouble? Or just some snide remarks by the Battleborns when you walk by? I'm used to that from the guards in Skyrim so I can handle the latter.

I haven't even seen a battleborn quest... the graymanes' son is missing and the battleborns know something about this so you have to break into their home in whiterun to investigate... it doesn't change any relationship i've had or not had with them if you do it and you can be either a Stormcloak or an Imperial for the civil war and still complete the quest.

the civil war quests are fairly locked after the first step, choose wisely for you and remember that the forums are full of people with very strong opinions on the matter, so choose for you and what you think and enjoy the experience. either way you learn alot about Skyrim and her people because it's the people's of Skyrim fighting on both sides.

you have only one direction you can go with the thieves' guild, mages college, dark brotherhood, fellowship of mara, daedric princes and many of the other quests... you're either doing the quest chain or you're not doing it and for the most part once you've finished one you can go to the next mostly unhindered.

if you're an imperial sympathiser I'd recommend against dark brotherhood and thieves' guild, however... I can't say more without giving you serious spoilers so you'll have to trust my experience on it. remember that both of these "factions" are innit to winnit, so to speak, and have no alliances either side that are not to their direct benefit as a guild.

No it won't break anything, the end will just annoy the imperial and role player within you.