NO SPOILERS PLEASE! - this character is my first playthrough .. so if you post in the diary please don't reveal any spoilers. Thanks!
SUMMARY
Play a refugee Nord that has his heart set on vengeance against the imperials. You start with nothing but rise to be a hero of Skyrim. (check back often for notes from my character's personal diary)
I BACKSTORY
II PLAYSTYLE
III PLAY RESTRICTIONS
IV CHARACTER RESTRICTIONS
V PERK TREE
I - THE BACKSTORY
When Imperial soldiers showed up in Helgen that afternoon, Hrisskar III was not around. He was off fishing for dinner and collecting herbs to go with it. But when he heard the screams echoing off the mountains and saw thick smoke billowing up from the trees he raced back as quickly as he could.
By the time he arrived the soldiers were gone. The village was a smoldering ruin and everyone was dead. Well, not everyone. There was one man left alive, a man from Riverwood. The soldiers left him alive to spread the word that the Stormcloaks were finished.
The man told Hrisskar how his father, a shopkeeper in Helgen, had been the first to walk out and greet the soldiers as they arrived. He was also the first to die .. accused of selling goods to the Stormcloaks. The truth was he sold goods to both sides. But none of that mattered now. Within 20 minutes the entire village was dead or dying and every structure was ablaze.
Hadvar, the man from Riverwood, recounted the entire nightmare to Hrisskar III. It was nearly more than he could bear. Just 3 months earlier they had moved to Helgen from the land of Morrowind, after his mother's death at the hands of a roadside bandit near Ginsis. Now Hrisskar was alone in his own homeland, and a desire for revenge was boiling deep within.
Hadvar offered to escort Hrisskar back to the village, and Hrisskar accepted. His pride prevented him from accepting anything that Hadvar's blacksmith father had to offer. Instead, Hrisskar began hunting and gathering in the surrounding countryside. Selling what he could and using the rest to spend the night at the local inn. At night he would lay in his bed and dream of the day when he had a weapon and some armor and could head to Windhelm and join the Stormcloaks and avenge his father's death.
II - PLAYSTYLE
When you start the game select a Nord character and when you go through the intro dungeon don't fight anything or pick anything up that you aren't forced to by the game. Just before you leave the dungeon and head to Riverwood, drop everything you were forced to picked up. You should start the game with nothing but your foot wraps, ragged clothes and your fists.
Your immediate goal is to get your hands on a weapon and some armor. But with no gold in your pocket you have to look to the land. Head to the surrounding land and gather ingredients, kill deer and harvest fish. At night, make sure you stay in the inn (costs you 10g). Also, before you sleep always eat a meal. Keep in mind you are a shopkeeper's son and you're not proficient in combat. So stick to hunter/gather mode until you can procure a weapon and start training yourself.
I went this route because I wanted to play a Nord for my first time through the main quest, and I also loved the idea of a character who starts with literally nothing and has to make his way in the world. My character has a good heart, so I won't steal anything or attack people for no reason, but how you choose to handle your 'grief' is up to you. Also, the list of play restrictions that follows is what I use to achieve better immersion in the game. If you choose to play this character feel free to use whatever restrictions you want to keep the game enjoyable for you.
III - PLAY RESTRICTIONS
- difficulty set to 'master'
- HUD set to 0%
- brightness dropped down 2 notches
- only carry 30% of what game allows
- only carry 30 arrows max
- must fully sheath weapon to use a potion
- may not harvest unreasonable items (if a dead elk has a garnet don't take it)
- may not activate overpowered/unrealistic perks (like conditioning; heavy armor weighs nothing)
- must sleep for at least 8 hours every day (allowed to make rare exceptions)
- must eat 3 meals a day (allowed to make rare exceptions)
- must always carry clothing (worn under armor)
- may not use smithing or enchanting (must find/purchase all gear)
- may not swim while wearing armor
- may not enter freezing water unless on a horse
- may not use in-game map unless at a known location
- may not fast travel unless by cart
- may not use of exploits
- may not cut wood for money
- may only use manual saves after sleeping (resting)
- when character dies must load from a previous manual save
- may only use auto-saves in the event of a game freeze or a glitch
- if character dies must stay at an inn for 7 days and spend 300 gold with the innkeep
- a mercenary's fee is for 1 24-hour period
- a companion may carry 10% of your carry ability
- when a companion/mercenary dies they are dead, no save loading
- horse may carry 10% of your own carry ability
- you may not access the 10% that your horse is carrying during combat
- horse must be fed 5 points of health per day (it is assumed horse will also eat grass)
- if horse dies it is dead, no save loading
IV - CHARACTER RESTRICTIONS
- not allowed to use magic other than power and shouts
- not allowed to pick locks
- not allowed to steal from or harm friendly or neutral characters
- must apply level points to health and stamina in a 2-1 fashion
V - PERK TREE
By request here is a link to my character's perk tree:
Skyrim Perk Calculator - Plan the perks for your Skyrim character before spending them!
I'll update this post periodically with notes from Hrisskar's diary. Hope you guys enjoy!
