Leveling your Character

Table of contents

Table of contents

• Why Leveling is Different Here
• How Skills Level Up
  • Combat Skills
  • Crafting & Survival Skills
  • Magic Schools
• Active Training Methods
  • Combat Training
  • Spell Research
  • Camping
  • Crafting
  • Foraging & Gathering
• Safe Training Without Combat
  • Skill Books
  • Spell Research Journal
  • Training Dummies (Revisited)
• Your First Progression Path
  • Levels 1-5: Learn & Prepare
  • Levels 5-10: Safe Combat Training
  • Levels 10+: Ready for Dungeons
• Enemy Difficulty Guide
• Next Steps

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Why Leveling is Different Here

Wildlander uses Requiem’s de-leveled world system. This means:

• The world is not scaled to your level. NPCs, creatures, and equipment have fixed difficulty levels
• You must be appropriately leveled for specific areas. A Level 5 character cannot survive Bleak Falls Barrow the same way a Level 50 could
• Early training is essential. Combat training, perks, and properly tempered gear matter far more than raw level
• You should train deliberately before attempting dungeons, using safe methods and progression paths outlined below

TL;DR: If you rush into high-level areas unprepared, you will die repeatedly. Spend your first 5-10 levels training systematically in safe zones.

How Skills Level Up

Each skill has a leveling multiplier—skills with higher multipliers (like Lockpicking at 45) level much faster than skills with lower multipliers (like Destruction at 1.35). Understanding this helps you focus training efficiently.

Combat Skills

Key Insight: Sneak, Archery, and Pickpocket level fastest. Block and weapon skills level slower but are essential combat basics.

Crafting & Survival Skills

Key Insight: Enchanting and Lockpicking have massive multipliers—they level extremely fast. Smithing is essential but has diminishing returns, so craft at least twice per item.

Magic Schools

Key Insight: Magic skills level slowly. Illusion has the fastest magic leveling (4.6 multiplier) and has passive levelling by keeping upkeep spells active, but still slower than physical combat. Use active training methods (below) to accelerate magic skill growth.

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Active Training Methods

Combat Training

Training Dummies (Safest Method)

• Available in all cities
• How to use: Equip your weapon or spell, then activate (press E) the dummy to begin training
• No damage taken, no need for supplies
• Works for: Weapon skills (One-Handed, Two-Handed, Archery). For magic, only Destruction benefits from dummy training (casting damage). Other magic schools level better through Spell Research Journal.
• Recovery: After training, find a bed to sleep away fatigue (1 hour study = 2 hours sleep needed)
• Recommendation: Use these first to level Weapon skills to level 10-15 before risking real combat

Combat Progression Path (After Training Dummies)

1. Whiterun Sewers (Levels 1-5) - Safe starter area
   • First few rooms: Level 1-2 Mudcrabs, Skeevers only
   • ⚠️ WARNING: Deeper rooms have dangerous enemies. Don’t venture too far.
2. Wildlife (Levels 5-10)
   • Mudcrabs around Whiterun (careful: Level 10+ Sabercats/Bears also in area)
   • Prey animals, Wolves, basic enemies
   • Equip a Crossbow as soon as possible—they trivialize many wildlife encounters (Elven crossbows don’t break, making them ideal)
3. Bandit Camps (Open World, Levels 10-15)
   • Less dangerous than dungeons
   • Good gold and equipment loot
   • Avoid caster bandits until higher level
4. Starter Dungeons (Levels 15-20)
   • Helgen (bandits)
   • Embershard Mine (bandits)
   • Halted Stream Camp (bandits)
   • DO NOT attempt Bleak Falls Barrow without: Silver weapons (tempered) and reaching at least Level 50 in your primary combat skills

Spell Research

What it is: The Spell Research Journal allows you to safely level magic skills without entering combat. It’s essential for Mages, Conjurers, and anyone training Restoration, Conjuration, Alteration, or Illusion.

Where to find it: Available from the College of Winterhold or crafted once you have the Spell Research mod.

How to use:

1. Equip a spell in one or both hands
2. Activate the Spell Research Journal from your inventory
3. Select “Research” to enter research mode (wait for initialization)
4. Choose your training method:
   • Cast the spell repeatedly to level through active casting (uses Magicka)
   • Study passively using the journal for slower but more sustainable XP gain (no Magicka cost)
5. Exit research mode by activating the journal again
6. Sleep to remove fatigue (1 hour of study = 2 hours of sleep needed)

Best for: Restoration (2.0), Conjuration (2.1—especially with Summon Swarms in safe areas), Alteration (3.0), and Illusion (4.6) magic schools. Destruction is better trained on training dummies.

Pro tip: Study spell research during downtime—while traveling, between combat encounters, or right before sleeping. This passive training adds up quickly without using Magicka resources.

Camping

Every campfire you build and tent you pitch will level Camping skill. The skills menu (accessible when using a campfire) allows you to:

• Build fires quicker in harsh environments
• Allocate perks from the Camping and Sunhelm mods
• Reach maximum campfire for 6-hour 5% XP gain buff

Tip: Build a campfire first thing in the morning and every time the buff expires for consistent XP boost.

Crafting

• Smithing: Craft items from low-cost materials with high sell prices. First craft = 3x XP, second craft = 2x. Always craft at least twice per item. See Crafting System Overview for more details on efficient smithing setups.
• Alchemy: Mix potions to gain XP per potion created and per gold value of potions made. Use a portable mortar and pestle to craft alchemy recipes anywhere. Spell Research cauldrons and alembics also grant XP by dissolving ingredients.
• Enchanting: Every item enchanted grants XP. Use a portable enchanting kit to enchant items in the wild. Cauldrons are used for dissolving Imbued or Enchanted loot to extract essences.

Foraging & Gathering

Foraging Skill: Levels by using the forage mechanic. Higher levels let you specify what to forage.

Butchering Skill: Process dead animals after hunting/combat to level this skill.

Endurance Skill: Run around in cold areas to passively level Endurance.

Survival Skill: Levels whenever any of your needs reach maximum value (Hunger, Thirst, Cold, Fatigue, or Uncleanliness).

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Safe Training Without Combat

Skill Books

• Available throughout the world
• Study books in your inventory for extended periods
• Grants training for however long you study
• Effective for any skill with a book available

Spell Research Journal

See Spell Research section above under Active Training Methods. The Spell Research Journal is the primary method for training most magic skills without combat risk and can be studied during downtime to accumulate XP passively.

Training Dummies (Revisited)

See Combat Training section above. Training dummies are your safest, most reliable way to level weapon and magic skills without risk. Note: Block must be leveled through actual combat (blocking damage).

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Your First Progression Path

Levels 1-5: Learn & Prepare

Goals: Survive basic encounters, get baseline perks, gather starter equipment

1. Use training dummies or Spell Research Journal to build baseline skills
2. Loot battlefields (Imperial/Stormcloak skirmishes) for starter gear and gold
3. Visit Whiterun Sewers first two rooms only—mudcrabs and skeevers only
4. Craft and temper gear with looted materials (aim for iron or steel weapons/armor)
5. Farm Smithing by crafting simple items twice each
6. Pick up easy Missive Board quests: Mudcrab parts, wolf pelts, skeevers—these are quick kills

Levels 5-10: Safe Combat Training

Goals: Build weapon/armor perks, level combat skills, gather better gear

1. Continue training dummies or Spell Research Journal to build combat skills further
2. Hunt wildlife around Whiterun (avoid bears, sabercats—they’re Level 10+)
3. Mudcrab hunting is safest
4. Equip a Crossbow as soon as possible (Elven crossbows don’t break, and are cheap making them ideal)
5. Attack Open World Bandit Camps once you feel confident in combat
6. Complete easy Missive quests for reliable XP and gold
7. Aim to reach Level 10 before attempting any dungeons

Levels 10+: Ready for Dungeons

Goals: Tackle starter dungeons, build comprehensive perks, prepare for mid-game

1. Pick easier dungeons: Helgen, Embershard Mine, Halted Stream Camp (bandit camps, not draugr)
2. Never enter Bleak Falls Barrow without:
   • Silver weapons (tempered)
   • At least Level 50 in your primary combat skills
3. Keep gear tempered and enchanted - Either farm Smithing and Enchanting yourself or pay NPCs to do it for you (see NPC Crafting Services for details)
4. Take on more Missive quests as difficulty increases
5. Join factions for additional training and perks (Companions, Dark Brotherhood, and others offer good early options)

Faction Notes: The College of Winterhold requires 25+ skill in any magic school before joining. The Thieves Guild has additional quest requirements before entry—see the Thieves Guild requirements for details. The Companions and Dark Brotherhood have no minimum skill requirements and are accessible early.

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Enemy Difficulty Guide

This chart shows enemy threat levels based on your character progression. Always err on the side of caution—a Level 15 character is not ready for Difficult enemies.

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Next Steps

Once you’ve completed the progression path above and reached Level 15-20 with solid perks, continue with the recommended reading order:

1. Read Stamina Management - Understand stamina costs and management for combat
2. Read Health Management - Learn how to manage your health pool and healing
3. Read Basic Combat Mechanics - Apply perks to detailed tactics and enemy-specific strategies

Remember:

• Perks are the true power scaling in Wildlander. Invest wisely and level steadily
• Leveling is a marathon, not a sprint. Rushing into high-level content will end in death and frustration
• Train systematically, use the tools available (training dummies, Spell Research, skill books), and progress through areas at appropriate levels

For a complete guide, see Your First Character - Start Here for the full recommended reading order.

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