The art of leveling

[Warren abc]

What are the best skills to choose initially to level fast and effectivly? It took me a while to figure out that your primary and secondary skills are what cause you to level but how do you get the best balance?

[-Tempus Mori-]

I think any skill that involves using a weapon (i.e blunt weapon, axe, long blade etc.) help you level up quick. You use weapons everytime you fight so it happens to go up a lot quicker. Thats what I think. Seems to work for me.

[dragon wench]

In addition to long blade I also selected light armor and block since these are all skills I use constantly. I also made speechcraft and restoration major skills for the same reasons

The thing to note is that even working up your miscellaneous skills has an affect when you level because there is a built in multiplier. For example, lets say that of your major/minor skills "long blade" is the only ability governed by strength and you've only went up in it once. Lets say, however that you have increased numerous times in "armorer" even though it is counted as a miscellaneous skill. When you level, your strength will go by about five instead of once, because "armorer" is also governed by strength.

Um... I hope that makes sense..

[Warren abc]

Actually thats pretty helpful.

[Fer'or]

And if you want to be really cheap, make athletics and acrobatics a minor/major skill.

[Moleman]

Even more cheap, or at least lazy - make sneak minor/major skill and lvl up by leaving your computer with a weight on your keyboard so that your character is constantly sneaking, for a period of time (longer time results more level ups).

[Kingslake]

that multiplier

As Dragon Wench pointed out earlier in this thread, that multiplier really makes a difference.

To spell it out, 10 increases in either major or minor (but not miscellaneous) skills are needed to go to the next level.

However, if (like Dragon Wench) you picked Light Armour (Agility based) then you may wonder how on earth you will get your Endurance to rise since only Spear, Heavy Armour and Medium Armour are Endurance based, and it is quite possible you have selected none of these as major or minor skills if you have picked Light Armour.

This is where multipliers really work. Once you have a little money train up, say, heavy armour 10 times. It shouldn't cost too much money at first since training is cheap on a skill that still has a low rating. Although this will not help you at all in levelling up, when you DO get to level up your endurance multiplier will be 5x.

I regularly train miscellaneous skills I don't particularly need just for the multiplier.

[Xandax]

The alchymy skills is also rather easy to level up on. (Plus you can make some very cheesy items and potions using it )

[HiRo11er]

I feel the most effective way of leveling up is by including mercantile, speechcraft, sneak, some armor, a weapon, athletics and acrobatics as your major/minor skills. They are skills that are constantly being used, and as such you will level up appr. twice as fast as you otherwise would. I had all those skills my very first time playing it, and without any tips, hints or spoilers I built that character up to around lvl 40-45 before I even was finished with Cassius in Balmora!

And if you want to be really cheap, make athletics and acrobatics a minor/major skill.

Booo. I don't agree at all that this is cheap. Choosing skills is a reflection of the character you want to be in the game, not of how cheap or lazy you are...

[thousandfrac]

any skills that you use often or passively are good. such as your weapon and armour skills.
but to be honest, you dont need an optimal balance. its easy enough whatever you've chosen. you might as well pick whatever and roleplay a character, perhaps even one with weaknesses