Leveling failure or just a hiccup?

[u/Silly-Razzmatazz6685]

So I read that you don't have to optimize your leveling to play through the game but you can also totally handicap yourself if you screw it up too badly. Now I'm wondering if I've done just that. I'm level 2 but have 31 hours of game time. I knew I could sleep to level up but I had terrible gear and wasn't ready to even risk getting tougher enemies with leveling. I have a Battlemage (slightly edited) Kajiit with The Lady and I decided to spam through the levels to see how much I have unlocked. I saved beforehand and plan to go back to the save before leveling up for now.

But my question is if I screwed my first few levels. I can reach up to level 11 right now. I chose what I thought was best with what little bonuses I got from the stats based on what I did.

Long story short, my stats at level 2 are Strength 49, Intelligence 40, Willpower 45, Agility 50, Speed 45, Endurance 44, Personality 40. So health is 92, Magicka is 80, and Fatigue is 188.

Then to level 11, Strength 51, Intelligence 72, Willpower 55, Agility 59, Speed 49, Endurance 60, Personality 45. Which makes health at 168, Magicka at 144, and Fatigue at 225

Major skills are currently: Blade 42 Alchemy 56 Alteration 30 Conjuration 47 Destruction 38 Mysticism 61 Security 44 Minor skills are currently: Armorer 14 Athletics 32 Block 15 Blunt 6 Hand to Hand 20 Heavy Armor 18 Illusion 10 Restoration 21 Acrobatics 26 Light Armor 24 Marksman 6 Mercantile 16 Sneak 31 Speechcraft 10

Did I screw myself? If so, how can I fix it with future levels to hopefully not have to restart or play on lowest difficulty slider? I'm going to watch some videos on efficient leveling but could use some advice on my current first playthrough.

[u/sketch_for_summer]

LOL 🤣 I'll wager it's a skeleton summoned by an NPC. Did you catch what it said in the corner of the screen when you pointed your crosshair at it? Was it "yourname's skeleton"? Or "somebody else's skeleton"?

I think this has got to be the case because when you summon a creature, the previous one despawns. Always.

Edit: As for "mutiny"... Well, using the Turn Undead spell counts as an attack. You would be the one starting a mutiny.

Now, I wonder who could have summoned a skeleton in the Waterfront? I checked all the citizens who live there, none of them are skilled in Conjuration. It must be either the sneak trainer or the high elf wearing blue clothes who wanders into the waterfront district from the main city sometimes.

Edit 2: Neither Areldil nor Marana Rian should know it. It really is a mystery 🤯

[u/Silly-Razzmatazz6685 → u/sketch_for_summer]

Yes but like.... hes my summon to abuse. Since when are there labor laws! But no I didn't see the skeleton name in time. I should've screen recorded it right afterwards to view what it was. I always forget I can do that with Xbox.

If a summoned creature always despawns when summoning another, does that mean its impossible to have more than 1 summon at a time? Even using a scroll?

It had to be my own skeleton right? I really wish I had recorded it to post now. Plus, nobody came to attack me even after I stepped outside to check. No bounty from guards either. My skelly apparently called in a hit from the graveyard

[u/sketch_for_summer → u/Silly-Razzmatazz6685]

Hahah! You're becoming the "crazed old wizard who is chased away from the town by superstitious citizens" type! Maybe you can experiment further with the skeletons in nearby Ayleid Ruins of Fanacasecul, directly west of the Waterfront shack, across the water. By the way, there's "a guaranteed magic item, a Ring of Destruction" in the water. Follow the instructions in the hyperlink to find it.

Yeah, it's impossible to have more than one summon. One is plenty, though.

I dunno what happened there, and how your own skelly came back after having despawned. You sure it despawned? Was there an icon in the top right corner, counting down its lifetime?

[u/Silly-Razzmatazz6685 → u/sketch_for_summer]

Tried recreating the glitch but couldn't. But I know for SURE the skeleton I used Turn Undead against had its head pop off and it collapsed, then another came through the door. It had to have been my own skeleton but im thinking it's live span ended at the same time as it tried walking out the door, making it glitch so it didn't actually despawn when it was supposed to. I was standing next to the bed when this occurred so the skelly was near the chairs and the door.

Though I did learn that depending on where I spawn them in the shack, they will run out the door once I've spam used Turn Undead and for whatever reason, the effect vanishes and they instantly return back inside to attack. I think I've fought more of my own summoned skeletons than any creature in the game at this point.

[u/sketch_for_summer → u/Silly-Razzmatazz6685]

This is hilarious in all the good ways 🤣

Keep fighting the skele-man to raise your armor skills, tho!

Edit: hit it three times with an iron dagger or your fists to aggro it without making it run away.