Important Notes

Save Management

Manual saves are your safety net. Auto-saves and quick saves are unreliable—they can overwrite each other or become corrupted (especially with many mods). Create a new manual save at the start of every session, before any major decision, and before entering a dungeon longer than a few minutes. Use at least 5–10 rotating slots.

Do not rely only on quick saves. Quicksaves are prone to corruption and may not capture your full progress. Hard saves (via the menu) are always safer.

On PC, use F5 for quick save and F9 for quick load by default, but set these as backups only.

Mod users: Always test new mods on a new save file, not your main playthrough. Uninstalling mods mid-game can orphan script references and corrupt the save.

Achievement note: On Steam, mods disable achievements unless you use the unofficial SSE Engine Fixes mod (PC). Console commands do not disable achievements by default, but using them might flag the save as modified if you later change versions.

Irreversible Choices

Civil War: Choosing the Imperial Legion or Stormcloaks is permanent for that playthrough. You cannot switch sides after starting the respective quest 'Joining the Legion' or 'Joining the Stormcloaks' (without reloading an earlier save).

Dark Brotherhood: You can destroy the Dark Brotherhood early (by attacking Astrid in the Abandoned Shack) which permanently locks the entire guild questline and its unique rewards (e.g., Shadowmere, Cicero‘s outfit, etc.).

Daedric Artifacts: Many Daedric quests force a one-time choice between two rewards. For example:

Marriage: Once married, you cannot divorce. To remarry, you must kill your spouse (in-game consequences) or reload a pre-marriage save.

Skill Perks: The Legendary perk system (added in Dragonborn DLC) allows you to reset a skill to 15 and refund all perks after reaching level 100. This makes perks effectively reversible, but the process is expensive (you lose all progress in that skill) and you may need to grind again for high-level spells/enchantments.

Statue of Mara (for marriage) is permanent once you wear it; you can remove it but the marriage is still active.

Become a werewolf or vampire lord: You can be cured later (via quests or shrines), but the transformation lines (e.g., Companions quest) are partially locked after curing unless you reload.

Missable Content

Civil War questline: If you finish the main quest before joining a side, you can still join, but some special dialogue changes. No content is truly lost.

Dark Brotherhood questline: Destroying the guild (as above) locks all DB content permanently for that save.

'The Lost to the Ages' (Aetherium Wars): Requires reading the “Aetherium Wars” book, which appears only after reaching a certain level (>= 14?) and may not spawn if you clear the wrong dungeon first.

'The Book of Love' (Mara quest): Easy to miss because you must visit the Temple of Mara in Riften and speak to Dinya Balu. Not triggered automatically.

'The Mind of Madness' (Sheogorath quest): Starts by reading the book 'Wabbajack' in the Blue Palace‘s Pelagius Wing. The book is only present if you haven’t cleared that wing yet.

'A Return to Your Roots' (Crimson Nirnroot): Requires collecting 30 Crimson Nirnroot in Blackreach. If you completely clear Blackreach early and leave, you can still return later, but it's easy to miss because the quest doesn‘t start until you pick the first plant (and the plants are subtle).

College of Winterhold: Some quests lock out if certain NPCs die. For example, if you kill the mages inside the College during side quests, you may block progression.

Thieves Guild special jobs: After joining, you must complete five jobs in each of the four major holds (Whiterun, Solitude, Markarth, Windhelm) plus 5 in Riften to become Guild Master. The special jobs appear randomly; you can miss them by never checking Delvin or Vex for new work.

'The Pale Lady' (Frostflow Abyss): The quest is missable if you kill the named Falmer leader before you read the journal that starts it.

'Rise in the East' (East Empire Company quest): Starts by speaking to the Orc in Windhelm—if you kill him first, quest is gone.

Dragonborn DLC: The Black Book powers can be re-chosen at any Black Book after you finish the book‘s dungeon, but only one power is active at a time. The ability to reset perks via 'Winds of Change' is a separate Black Book power.

Unique items: Many quest rewards are one-of-a-kind (e.g., Volendrung, Wabbajack, Mehrune’s Razor). If you sell them, you can buy them back only if the merchant still has them—they may respawn in the world, but not guaranteed.

Difficulty Spikes

Early game: A single giant can one-shot you (level 1–10). Avoid the giant camps near Whiterun, Riften, and the Pale. Same for random dragon encounters—dragons scale but their breath attacks can kill a low-level character instantly.

Draugr Deathlords begin spawning around level 20–25. They wield shouts (Unrelenting Force) and can stagger you repeatedly. Bring resist magic/fire/frost potions or gear.

Falmer are tough at all levels—their poisoned arrows and high damage output make them a threat. Stock Cure Disease potions if you become infected with Falmer disease (Ataxia? Actually can cause permanent stat drain if not cured).

Legendary difficulty is brutal: enemies have 3x damage output and take 1/3 damage. Enemies will kill you in 1-2 hits even with max armor. Only attempt after level 30+ with crafted gear.

Boss fights:

The “Disarm” shout from Draugr Deathlords can permanently equip your weapon away (you can retrieve it after combat). Keep a backup weapon.

Grinding Traps

Over-leveling from crafting: Smithing, Enchanting, and Alchemy give massive XP. If you power-level them early (e.g., making hundreds of iron daggers), your character level increases rapidly, but your combat skills remain low. Enemies scale to your level, so you will face difficult foes you cannot kill effectively. Rule: Level combat skills (One-Handed, Two-Handed, Archery, Destruction, etc.) roughly in sync with your total level. Wait until at least level 20–30 before heavy crafting grinds.

The “Fortify Restoration” loop (alchemy/enchanting exploit) can produce gear with +1,000,000% increased damage—makes the game trivial and often boring. Avoid if you want a balanced experience.

Oghma Infinium exploit (the book that gives +5 to three skills) can be reused by opening the inventory quickly before the animation finishes. This breaks leveling and makes you overpowered instantly.

Stealth Archer trap: The game naturally pushes you toward stealth archery because it’s extremely effective. Many players report ending up as a stealth archer unintentionally, locking themselves into a repetitive gameplay loop. If you want variety, consciously choose a different playstyle early (e.g., heavy armor warrior, pure mage, or assassin with daggers).

Leveling pickpocket/lockpicking: They give little combat benefit but contribute to leveling. Don‘t invest heavily early.

Skill books: You can read each book only once per skill—reading them at low levels wastes the XP bonus because the gain is flat (it’s a fixed number of skill points, which are more valuable at higher levels since you need more XP per point). Save skill books until the corresponding skill is 90+ to maximize the benefit.

Online Etiquette / Anti-Cheat Notes

Skyrim is a single-player game—there is no official multiplayer, so standard online etiquette (e.g., in chat or cooperative play) does not apply. However, if you play with the Skyrim Together Reborn mod (unofficial multiplayer), treat it like any co-op experience: be respectful, don‘t grief, coordinate actions, and avoid stealing from other players’ chests unless PvP is allowed.

Modding: When using mods from Nexus Mods or Bethesda.net, always read the mod page for compatibility notes. Uninstalling a mod mid-playthrough can corrupt your saves—the game will try to load scripts that no longer exist. Use [Mod Organizer 2](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/6194) on PC to manage separate profiles and virtual installs.

Console commands: Using console commands (PC) does disable achievements? Actually, mods disable achievements, not console commands. But if you use the console to add items or teleport, you may forget and not get the intended experience. Save before using console.

No anti-cheat is built-in because it’s single-player. Cheats and exploits do not affect other players. However, if you intend to share saves or compare online, be aware that modded saves may be incompatible.

Common Regrets (What Most Players Wish They Knew Sooner)

Not buying a house early. Storage is scarce in the beginning. Buy Breezehome in Whiterun (5,000 gold + 1,800 for upgrades) as soon as possible to store loot. Without a house, you’ll be forced to drop items or carry everything.

Selling unique items. Do not sell Daedric artifacts, dragon claws, unique weapons/armor, or quest items. Many are one-of-a-kind and cannot be re-obtained. Store them in your house chest.

Killing named NPCs too early. Some NPCs are essential to quests (they are marked essential and cannot die). But non-essential named NPCs, if killed, may lock out related quests (e.g., killing Vittoria Vici before the wedding quest). Always check if a named NPC has a quest before killing them.

Not saving before entering a dungeon. You may encounter an inescapable trap, a boss that one-shots you, or a quest choice you regret. Manual save at the dungeon entrance.

Ignoring the main quest too long. While you can delay it indefinitely, some side quests only become available after certain main quest stages (e.g., Bards College quest requires you to have completed 'The Way of the Voice'). Also, dragons appear everywhere only after completing 'Dragon Rising' (level ~10). If you never do that quest, you’ll miss random dragon encounters and soul collecting.

Over-using fast travel. You miss many random encounters (couriers, wandering merchants, vampire attacks, etc.). Walk or ride a horse between major holds to enjoy the world.

Not learning all shouts from word walls. Many word walls are in remote locations. Use the Clairvoyance spell or online maps to find them. Shouts like Unrelenting Force and Whirlwind Sprint are incredibly useful.

Not getting the Stones of Barenziah early. The quest 'No Stone Unturned' (start by stealing the Unusual Gem in the Thalmor Embassy or by reading the book 'The Dweller‘s of the Deep'?) rewards the Prowler’s Profit passive—increases chance of finding gems in chests. This makes you rich quickly. But collecting all 24 stones is tedious; many players ignore it and later regret not having the income.

Not joining the Companions early. Werewolf form (even if you later cure) gives immunity to disease and a powerful transformation. The questline also awards free skill increases in heavy armor, two-handed, and smithing.

Not using the Quick Menu for potions. Assign health potions to favorites (Q key on PC) for quick access during combat. Painful to open inventory mid-fight.

Not doing the Thieves Guild questline early enough. You get access to fences, special merchants, and the ability to bribe guards. Also, the Nightingale armor is one of the best light armor sets.

Over-relying on grinding combat skills by attacking friendly NPCs. Killing a chicken in Riverwood (which is a pet) causes the entire town to turn hostile and you get a huge bounty. Be careful with accidental attacks.

Warnings & Pitfalls

Vampire stage 4: If you contract Sanguinare Vampiris and do not cure it within 3 days, you become a vampire. At stage 4, NPCs will attack you on sight. Feed on sleeping people to revert to stage 1 (but feeding lowers your reputation). Cure with a shrine of Stendarr or by completing the quest 'Rising at Dawn'.

Werewolf rampage: If you transform in a town, citizens will run in fear and guards will attack. Feeding while in werewolf form will calm them (but you still have a small bounty).

Standing Stones: You can only have one stone active at a time. Switching to a new stone deactivates the previous one permanently. Choose based on your build: Warrior (combat), Mage (magic), Thief (stealth) for 20% faster skill progression in those skill groups. Later you can use the Lover Stone for 15% gain in all skills, but no specific boost.

Bounty system: Committing a crime in a hold adds bounty. You cannot fast travel while a guard is chasing you. You must either pay the fine (gold), go to jail (may lose skill progress), or escape (adds more bounty). Killing guards increases the bounty drastically.

Merchant inventory restocking: Generic merchants restock gold and items every 48 in-game hours (or when you wait/sleep 48 hours). Unique merchants (e.g., the Khajiit caravans) restock every 24 hours.

Skill books can only be read once per skill. If you already have that skill at 100, the book is wasted.

Quest items may be weightless but cannot be removed from inventory until the quest ends. If you start many quests, you may accumulate dozens of quest items that clutter your inventory.

Followers can be killed permanently if you hit them enough (friendly fire). Essential followers (e.g., Mjoll, Serana) only go unconscious and stand up later. If you want to keep a follower safe, dismiss them before combat or use console commands to make them essential.

Marriage house skill training: After marriage, your spouse can open a store and give you a share of profits (500 gold per day in the home market). Use this as passive income.