I have no idea what the alignment of my character would be...I do everything in my power to destablize Skyrim and the Cyrodiilic* Empire.


(*I don't know what to call the post-Septim, Imperial rump state.)

Um. Well.... you don't need any training for what you're going to do. But if that floats your RP boat, that's fine. I don't have any way of rationalizing TG at all. DB, well, don't have to rationalize that - I kill 'em all.

Yeah, I don't think I'm gonna' do TG on any characters, but I'll DB on at least one. I may regret the DB questline after I start it (need to observe my targets), but just from the beginning of the TG quest I was turned off by what I had to do.

Yeah, I don't think I'm gonna' do TG on any characters, but I'll DB on at least one. I may regret the DB questline after I start it (need to observe my targets), but just from the beginning of the TG quest I was turned off by what I had to do.

I am at level 35 and an Archer / sneak / warrior type. I have just joined the Dark Brotherhood. I was very hesitant concerning this as I am of a lawful neutral style of play as well.

I then rationalised that the Empire is completely stuffed, the Thalmor are out there killing whom they want to, and you get sent by the Jarls to off supposed bad guys for being not aligned with the Jarls. Bandits are bandits, but Giants are living in the land and people can avoid them. I am still sent to kill Giants. Why? i do not know why, I am expected to follow Bounty orders and kill.

This then set my minds justification for the Dark Brotherhood. I am sent on what was honourable for my forefathers to go out and fulfil Contracts on people. Now they are named, but someone else wanted them dead. Okay, just like the Jarls.

Joining the Dark brotherhood allows an expansion of what I appear to be, a Heroic person for hire that kills opposition. Look out Thalmor, the Shadows are coming, and they are armed well. (Three Thalmor took down some Stormcloaks outside of Falkreath, I am not involved with the Civil War, but I am not of a high opinion of the Thalmor for transporting prisoners about and killing sons of Skyrim).

i hope I can keep my Dark Brotherhood activities from Lydia.

I'd actually planned the opposite of your path, though, I think, as I only use magic when I have to and prefer to use my bow.

I was going to finish the DB chain first, just before I go with Karliah for the Thieves' Guild.

Yay for being an Imperial Thief and not having any allignment issues, eh? DB will teach you to do what must be done regardless of your personal feelings on it, and lessons from the Thieves' Guild will definately teach your character the finest points of negotiating in a tight situation and making money for your organization.

good luck and let us know how it worked for you. I'd be curious to know.

Thieves Guild leaves me with no conscious to care about. Sending people to jail on false evidence, stealing, forging...none of it ever even has an effect. I can loot a fully jeweled stall one day, and at some point, it will all return and the owner won't even even act like it happened. I can "send someone to jail" and they'll be freely walking about FOREVER. Hell, after I did the golden claw quest, I stole that thing right back and Camilla/lucan still thank me for returning it and saying the Riverwood trader is back to good times.


Assassinations are different. You're permanently taking out an NPC, often one which you've come across and may even be quest related. I can kill any number of guards, bandits, generic enemies, etc. But there's something just wrong about killing Sven, or Vsolnga, or Vilkas. Even if you don't rely on them, it still has an impact. Assassinations are less money and more difficult than stealing anyway, so I see no point to them.

To be fair, jail time in Skyrim isn't the same as in the real world. Even Brynulf says that you're only sending people away for a couple of weeks.

In real life, dungeons were rarely permanent unless you were valuable.

It's stockades, humiliation, freedom.

That is true, but I would like to see at least some kind of impact from the actions. For instance when I assassinated one of the shatter shield daughters, the mother committed suicide during "blood on the ice" because her other daughter was the victim and she was extremely depressed. If I had never assassinated her other daughter, she wouldn't have killed herself, and this is indeed a plot hole because during that quest you're sent to talk to her but isntead you find her dead with a suicide note. After the quest the Father is completely solemn, having lost both daughters and his wife.


That has deep impact, there's a consequence and an aftermath. Stealing changes nothing really, the most you get is a smack on the wrist if you're caught and maybe some thugs are sent after you if you didn't. None of that challenges me to steal any less or feel bad for stealing at all.

Hello All,

I am playing a Battlemage - currently at level 32. I would say that my "alignment" is Lawful Neutral in D&D terms.

Having completed the Companions and College of Winterhold quest lines, I am now at about the point in the Main Quest where I am supposed to head up to Solitude.

My rationale for doing the Thieves Guild now and then maybe the Dark Brotherhood is to prepare for "what I am supposed to do" up in Solitude (trying to minimize the spoilers here).

What do you guys think? Did anyone else think like this?

Otherwise, why would my mage pursue a life of crime, if not to train myself in the art of espionage?

R