What are you wearing? What are you wielding?, The Skyrim Version Options

[SubRosa]

What I did to get around the Bound Bow being Adept level is to make a second, Light Bound Bow. It is easy, since all you have to do is copy the original spell, effect, enchantment, and item, etc... and make your new versions less powerful. I gave it the same stats as a Hunting Bow, and made conjuring it a Novice spell.

The tricky part is you also have to make new arrows for it as well, because otherwise you will be using arrows with Daedric stats, which is really overpowered at 1st level! Find the Bound Arrow in the Ammo section, copy and rename it, and adjust the damage down (I gave it the same as a Steel Arrow). Then go to your new magic effect for the Bound Light Bow, and in the Scripts box, go to the properties of the BoundBowEffectScript. Select BoundArrow and you can change the object type for it with your new Bound Light Arrow.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Feb 23 2015, 08:00 PM

[Acadian]

I'm quoting this from the 'Your Writing Process' thread over in the fanfic forum -

...
I'm now trying the same thing with Willatu, a Bosmer archer. She's doing Bound Bow, instead of Legendary Ebony Battle-axe, so she's more on the magical side, and Smithing doesn't help. That's hurting Derkeethus, as she can't improve his equipment the way Ina did Erik's. However, with Stealth perks adding to Archery and Conjuration for her bow, she's dishing a lot out at range, and not getting many close encounters where he's needed. She can also summon an atronach to supplement, or raise someone she's already killed.

So in each case an overpowering weapon trumps the need for armour. I can see that this could hit diminishing returns at high levels, as the weapon improvements will stop when Ina's smithing caps, or Willatu's Conjuration runs out of useful perks. Ina can switch to Alchemy to continue boosting her Smithing, but I'm not sure what Willatu can do.
,,,

I overlooked something that might help you. Enchanted 'fortify archer' items for the head, hands and ring slots. Buffy doesn't worry about this because, as I said, we just tweak her mystic bow damage to taste in the CS. If you're foregoing that though, such enchanted items, combined with trying to limit how high your character levels might help keep the mystic bow viable enough.

[Lopov]

Update on Lucius:

Head: Circlet of Eminent Restoration or Adept Hood if it's raining
Neck: Necklace of Magic Supression
Chest: Stahlrim Armor of Eminent Restoration
Hands: Scaled Bracers, Ring of Replenishing
Legs: Scaled Boots
Weapons: Blades Katana, Imperial Bow, Dwarven or Glass Arrows

Update on Aard:

Head: nothing or Shrouded Cowl if it's raining or when sneaking around
Neck: nothing
Chest: Vampire Armor
Hands: Leather bracers, no jewelry
Legs: Movarth's Boots
Weapons: Orcish Axe in right hand & Orcish Dagger in left hand

Aard carries entire set of Shrouded Armor in the backpack on his horse Loyal, he wears it only when performing special contracts, if appropriate.