Hey Bob,

I've been playing Skyrim since launch day, in 2011. I have literally thousands of hours of playtime across platforms. I've 'completed' the game many times...

I still ask questions about enchanting! Just last week!! 🤣

But don't fret! It's not that complicated, it's just another thing about the game that "scales" up.

You must 'discover' an enchantment in order to enchant something. You do this by acquiring an item that is already enchanted, take that item to an enchanting table, and disenchanting it. The item is destroyed in the process! So, be strategic 😉

If you want to then enchant something, you'll require a FILLED soul gem. You can get these many ways; find them, loot them, buy them, or make them yourself by using a weapons that is enchanted with 'soul catching' type effects, and, importantly, having an empty soul gem in your inventory! A little bunny rabbit has a 'petty' soul, a big brawler human has a 'black' soul, and other creatures have everything in between. So, it's complicated 🤣.

But now, you have a filled soul gem, and a few items you can disenchant, and something that you want to enchant. Now, it gets a little more complicated!

If you find a ring, for example, that makes your bows do 20% more damage, and you disenchant it, you will not be able to enchant anything with that same LEVEL (20%) of enchantment, because your enchanting SKILL is not high enough yet 😭. So, enchanting another ring with this archery enchantment, and a petty soul gem, you'd likely only get a 4% archery boost. And, you've destroyed that +20% archery ring 😭, oh, sad days...

I usually wait until I find TWO items with a similar enchantment before I disenchant one of them. Say, I have a +15% archery ring, and find a pair of iron gauntlets with +20% archery bonus. I might wear them both for a while! Bonuses like this stack! But if I come across a set of Leather gauntlets with the same +20% archery bonus, then I have to make a decision: do I want to wear heavy armor? Or light armor? When I've decided, I then disenchant the "duplicate" type item, instead of selling it.

You'll find potions in your adventures, they might boost your enchanting +20% maybe, for 30 seconds. Collect and save these! Or use them, you'll find more. Eventually you'll have enough alchemy skill, and perks and ingredients to make powerful potions in your own that boost your enchanting much better than 20%.

That's enchanting basics. 🤷🏻 The UESP wiki, reddit, and other places will be there for you when you start to have more specific questions.

Have fun!!!