Your First Day

CRITICAL: Do These First!

Avoid combat until you’re level 3-5! Wildlife will kill you at level 1. Play safe and focus on survival and leveling.

Immediately after character creation:

1. Allocate your 6 perk points - Don’t skip this! Assign them to your build
2. Set up the “Q” Favorites menu - Assign hotkeys (0-8) for quick weapon/spell switching
3. Review keybindings - Press F11 to see all critical hotkeys
4. Go to Riverwood - It’s the safest starting location. Run north from Whiterun Inn

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The First Hour: Survival Basics

Your FIRST priority is staying alive. Get these items and skills working:

1. Food & Water (first priority to to make sure that we have food and drink to meet needs)

Establish food and water sources before adventuring—once hunger or thirst icons appear, the negative status effects will accumulate quickly. Having reliable access to both prevents complications during exploration or training.

2. Warmth & Sleep (Establish Early)

• Get a tent (find a free one, craft one, or buy from a merchant) to sleep in - refunds stamina
• Tents restore sleep need but at 75% effectiveness compared to inn beds
• Inn beds restore full sleep and grant the “Well Rested” buff (+10% Magicka Regen for 8 hours)
• Build a campfire when traveling to reduce exposure
• Check your Exposure gauge (bottom right of screen) - it rises in cold/wet weather

Exposure is fatal in harsh weather—build a campfire or find shelter immediately when weather turns bad. Sleep sources (tent/bed) can be established later when the exhaustion icons appear, but warmth cannot be ignored.

3. Cleanliness (IMPORTANT)

• Bathe in rivers regularly (Hotkey ’/@) - BUT avoid rivers in cold climates as they raise exposure
• Use soap when bathing - Different soaps provide beneficial buffs (see Cleanliness on the Needs page for soap types and effects)
• Alternatively, hire a bathroom from innkeepers Available everywhere and better than bathing in cold rivers (see Needs & Survival for a full list of bathroom locations)
• Dirtiness reduces your speech skill and disease resistance
• Always bathe before buying/selling to get better prices (see Cleanliness for dirt effects)

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Early Game Income (Levels 1-5)

You need gold to buy gear and food. Here are your best options ranked by profit:

Best: Fishing (Easy + Profitable)

1. Buy a fishing rod from a general merchant, or find a free one at the Guardian Stones (near Riverwood if you start there)
2. Equip it as a weapon and “attack” a water source to fish
3. You can get armor, weapons, unique fishing rings, and the fish itself
4. Most profitable activity for solo players

Good: Foraging & Herbalism

• Use Forage ability (Hotkey >) to search for plants
• Pick all herbs you see - they all sell
• Combine with cooking for extra value

Okay: Wood Chopping

• Get a wood chopping axe and harvest trees (by attacking them) or use Wood chopping blocks at lumber mills
• Sell the wood (1g each - not great but early money)
• Use leftover wood to make kindling and level Camping skill

Attacking trees with weapons degrades them faster. Chopping blocks at lumber mills are safer for your gear. If you must chop trees, use a dedicated wood-chopping axe and keep a backup weapon ready.

Good: Missive Board Quests

• Check missive boards in nearby cities for delivery quests
• Easy way to earn early gold while exploring

Tip: Always Bathe Before Selling

Dirtiness reduces your speech skill and disease resistance, making merchants harder to negotiate with. Always bathe before visiting merchants to get better prices.

Best bathing options:

• Innkeepers (12 gold for 12 game hours access, available everywhere) - Safest option and prevents exposure
• Rivers (Hotkey ’/@, free but avoid cold climates due to exposure) - Use soap for beneficial buffs
• See Cleanliness on the Needs page for soap types and effects

IMPORTANT: Make sure you’re fully clothed (at least a chest piece) before selling. Nudity has harsh selling penalties. This is especially critical when handing your primary armor to NPCs for upgrades—always have backup clothing to wear while they work on your gear.

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Before You Start Adventuring: Shopping List

Priority (Get These):

• Primary weapon (2H, 1H+Shield, Bow, Staff, etc.)
• Armor/clothing for your build
• Hunting knife (for harvesting dead animals)
• 1+ waterskin (for portable water)
• Iron Lantern (press L to toggle; better than torches)
• Survival toolkit (essential for camping and survival)

Important (Strongly Recommended):

• Backup weapon (for when your primary breaks)
• Backpack (increase carry weight)
• Cloak (extra protection)
• Fishing rod (best early income)
• Tent (if you plan to camp)

Optional (Depends on Your Build):

• Cooking pot (if camping regularly)
• Mortar & Pestle (if you’re an Alchemist)
• Research Journal (if using Spell Research - beneficial for Mages, Alchemists, Enchanters, or anyone wanting magic skill XP without perks)
• Crafting toolkits (if you want to craft immediately)

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Key Hotkeys to Remember

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Important Notes on Equipment

Weapons and armor degrade in combat, so you need backups ready. Tempering improves weapon damage and armor resistance. Important: Wood-based bows can break if hit by melee attacks—carry a backup bow or a melee weapon for close combat situations.

Armor & Clothing stats: Cover protects from wet weather, Warmth protects from cold. Pick appropriate gear for where you’re traveling.

Waterskins let you carry portable water (fill from any river or use hotkey ;). Better than manually drinking every time.

In northern regions (north of Morthal Horizonal line accross the map), rivers give saltwater instead of freshwater. You’ll need a cookpot to distill saltwater into drinkable water. If traveling north without a cookpot, carry enough waterskins of fresh water before leaving the south, or ask for refil’s at inns.

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What to Avoid at First Level

• Don’t fight bandits or animals - They’re too strong at level 1
• Don’t go to dungeons - Come back at level 5+
• Don’t ignore exposure in harsh weather - Exposure is fatal and requires immediate action (build a campfire or find shelter)
• Don’t neglect armor - Even basic gear makes a huge difference
• Don’t travel north without fresh water - Rivers give saltwater north of Morthal; you’ll need a cookpot or pre-filled waterskins

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Your First Safe Routine

This is a simple routine to follow until level 3-5:

1. Start in the South with your gear and fresh waterskins (avoid northern regions until you have a cookpot)
2. Spend time fishing - Most profitable, safe activity
3. Forage while traveling - Free money
4. Cook meals at campfires - Keep your hunger need managed (bonus: leftover food sells for profit)
5. Sleep when exhaustion icons appear - Rest in your tent or find an inn bed
6. Sell your goods (always bathe first for better prices!)
7. Buy new gear with proceeds
8. Repeat until level 5

By level 5, you’ll have: better gear, more perks, full supplies, and be ready for light adventure.

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Next Steps

You’ve survived your first day! Continue your journey with recommended reading order:

1. Read Leveling your Character - Master skill and perk progression
2. Read Stamina Management - Manage your resources for combat effectiveness
3. Read Health Management - Learn healing strategies for every situation

See also: Needs & Survival, Magic Mechanics, Carry Weight

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