The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Character Creation Guide

We’ve seen most of these details in the recent deluge of TES V: Skyrim previews, but MTV Multiplayer provides a good overview of the upcoming RPG’s character system.

Despite the same terminology, perks work differently than they do in “Fallout 3” or “Fallout: New Vegas.” When you character levels up in “Skyrim,” you’ll be able to select a skill perk which is specific to an individual skill. For example, you could select a perk under Marksmen (the bow and arrow skill) which would allow you to zoom in and slow down time when aiming. Or a perk under Blade weapons which adds a chance to cause bleeding damage.

Perks have certain requirements, though, so you may need to get Blades up above level 50 before you can select the bleeding perk. The perks are also in perk trees, so there may be pre-requisite perks to unlock before you can choose the one you want.

Remember, you can only select a perk when your character levels up, not when you level up an individual skill.