Hi guys, just wondering if anyone could clue me in on the best locations and quests to give me a boost in the early levels of the game? Powerful non-levelled weapons and armour, unique perks, that sort of thing.

My personal challenge in Skyrim is to attempt a playthrough as near as perfect as possible, so i need to be able to stay ahead of the levelling system to achieve everything there is in the game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3khxmD7d13I.

I'd kiss you Vault Girl if i wasn't so scared you were a guy. Thanks.

Any other places to suggest to me are still welcome.

Meridia (near Solitude), or Molag Bal (in Marthal, but I don't want to spoil the entirety) give out some pretty good weapons.
Molag Bal's mace is the strongest one handed I've seen thus far, and while Dawnbreaker isn't as awe-inspiring in direct damage, the exploding undead power is nifty (and can even paralyze Deathlords)

Meridia's is actually better to do at low levels, or the boss gets some major spells via scaling.
Molag Bal's is just a camp to beat up thats not overly tough.

Meridia's quest needs a higher level to activate if i recall. I didn't know about Molag Bal's quest.

I would prefer a bow, i find bows quite interesting in this game.

Nevermind. It's the first thing in the video

Meridia's quest doesn't trigger until level 12. Molag Bal's quest is available after you have triggered Eltry's quest.

Not many magic bows sadly, but if you go to fort amol prison you can find the spell "Bound bow" in the first room. You can add the map marker for fort amol prison if you activate the flag on the map behind the Jarl of Whiterun's throne room. The spell is hidden inside a bucket, look for a bucket with a lantern in it and pull out the lantern and the spell book will be underneath. It's an expert level conjuration spell though, you either need a lot of magicka or conjuration cost reduction, and it's unlikely you will have either at low levels, but then again it is a good bow with 100 free arrows per cast.

Recommended level, item or prize

• 0. Wabbajack
  
• 0. Book of love 15 mag res
  
• 0. lord stone 25 mr
  
• 7. azuras star
  
• 7. Mace of malog bal
  
• 10. A deadras best friend
  
• 14. Sanguine rose
  
• 14. Sailors repose
  
• 15. Oghma infinium – black reach , geode veins-grand soul gems
  
• 18. Wolf queen returns for shield of solitude
  
• 20. Mehrunes razor
  
• 25. meeko
  
• 40. Orchendor/spellbreaker
  
• 50. Vigilance purchase

Unmarked world locations with loot:

• shipwrecked canoe - scimitar
  
• black briar lodge – steel plate armor
  
• Froki’s shack - diadem of savant

Making gold:

• Sell ebony ore 3600 for 60 ores
  
• North of shrine of pyrite – ~ 1000 gold
  
• South kolskeggr mine – flawless diamond, ruby

I'm not a guy. Not according to my va-jj. But I also have a boyfriend, and don't kiss underage kids anyway. Or any strangers, for that matter.

If you're going to take time out of your play for a good magic weapon, I'd also recommend http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Dawnbreaker at lvl 12. It doesn't take much to get, and is very useful with its effects, such as the high number of charges and the 'warning glow'. You can also spawn two of them, if you're into that kind of thing.

Are you saying I'm underage? Vault_13 is the name of the Vault from the original Fallout, not my age:( If you didn't know that you should be ashamed to call yourself Vault Girl

Are you saying that you're underage? Then I might have just broken enough paranoid child protection laws to put me away for life:) I keep forgetting this is a 13+ board.

Thanks for your help though.

There's no way of boosting without cheating?

you could go to the thieves guild, gives you a nice bow if you folow the quests. or lvl your blacksmithing fast to make your own armor.

I assumed it from your 'afraid I'm a guy' comment. It's the kind of lame joke I would expect a teenager to make.

I plan on playing through again also. I want to try it again without touching smithing or enchantment, so that there's fun and meaning in finding items in dungeons and shops, rather than them always being inferior to what I can make. And this time I won't let myself get dragged into evil-ish quests. I'll be wiping out the Thieve's Guild and Dark Brotherhood instead.

Spoilers below.

If you like Ebony swords, here's one that's easy to get while doing the Azure's Star quest (you only have to fight a few skeletons for it). But it's an unmarked location.

Travel to Saarthal, then turn south-east. Activate your map (a horizontal line can be drawn between Saarthal and Shrine of Azura). By looking at your map and pointing south-east from Saarthal, you should be pointing at exposed rock on the bottom-left corner of the overall mountain that the Shrine of Azura sits on. Explore around on the left side of that bottom-left 'blob' of exposed rock on the map. You'll find an abandoned shrine of sorts, with a sacrifice alter and skeletons. The ebony sword is on the alter, along with an Oblivion book.