Forums » Elder Scrolls

Racial Benefits: How would you do it?

    • 207 posts
    August 22, 2015 7:11 PM EDT
    I admit the gravity example was absurd.
    But wouldn't classes take away more freedom?
    Or are you trying to say, you should Get classes, that give you stat boosts and powers like skyrims races, but then you are allowed to level your skills without restrictions like skyrim?
  • August 22, 2015 7:15 PM EDT

    Maybe this is my (extremely) biased opinion, but in Live Roleplaying: Skyrim we distinguish race by the following:

    - Starting Health, Magicka, and Stamina

    - Some kind of damage resistance (i.e. Nords have Resist Frost 3, Bretons have Resist Magic 1, etc.)

    - A racial ability that either provides a passive benefit (Bretons restore more Health to themselves and others) or a triggered ability (Orcs get a combat bonus for the very start of combat).

    All races have equal access to all skills, but some are generally better suited towards certain builds than to others.

    • 207 posts
    August 22, 2015 7:36 PM EDT
    Seems like i worded myself poorly. I ment the stat bonuses races receive. I wasnt talking about passives or daily abilities.
  • August 22, 2015 8:14 PM EDT

    But wouldn't classes take away more freedom?

    Only if players are not allowed to change their chosen skills, which was the case pre-Skyrim, and classes technically exist in Skyrim. Players are just not beholden to having certain skills increase their level.

    Or are you trying to say, you should Get classes, that give you stat boosts and powers like skyrims races, but then you are allowed to level your skills without restrictions like skyrim?

    A class for the skill buffs and players choosing the powers for whatever fits their desired play-style, and some of the powers can help in a variety of ways; they just happened to be locked behind a race.

    Magic resistance and absorbance will help any class as mages are not the only ones who fight mages. The Orcs' buffs would help any class as everyone gets hit. The Argonians' healing and Altmers' magicka regeneration would anyone who makes use of Restoration, which will help any class. The Redguards' stamina buffs is more weapon specific and the game already has nightblades, battlemages, and spellswords, who are quite stamina heavy.

    Furthermore, why should the powers be race specific?

    Who says a Nord cannot have heightened magicka regeneration and that a Dunmer could not have learned how to cast a permanent water breathing spell? A thief would love to swim away from trouble. Controlling animals could easily be an Illusion spell... which it is, to some varying degree.

    The powers are vague in their effects and I think it would be better if players were allowed to interpret them in their way. Those mechanics do not, in my opinion, mesh well with a world that has races in every occupation/archetype and living in various regions.

    If racial powers are somehow essential (they were not available in Daggerfall), they could be something that fits any class yet fit some aspect of their lore. They will restrict freedom in some regard but if all of these are availiable to some extent via perks/potions/etc, they can create unique ways of playing a class.

    Redguards: Make Way - attacks cause critical damage

    Bretons: Resilience - damage is absorbed

    Khajiit: Sleight of Hand - attack speed is increased

    Nords: Drunk - damage taken is decreased

    Orcs: Not knowing when to leave Redguards and Bretons well enough alone - attacks are increased in power

    Imperials: Double-talker- damage taken is deflected

    Altmer: Arrogance - attacks cost no reserves

    Bosmer: Tenderising you for the next meal - attacks will slow/disorient an enemy

    Argonians: Lizard limb regeneration - Percentage of damage taken increases reserve regeneration

    Dunmer: Xenophobic Dingleberry - attacks include all elemental damage

  • August 22, 2015 8:23 PM EDT

    There's practically no difference between stat bonuses, passives, and daily abilities though if you think about it. Highborn is just a +Magicka Regen stat that you manually trigger and that has a long cooldown between uses.

    • 207 posts
    August 22, 2015 8:29 PM EDT
    The reason a dunmer cannot cast a permanent water breathing spell is because it does not exist.
    Argonians can breath under water because they are mutated tree lizards.
    Nords dont have higher magicka because they are Not as much connected to it.
    Controlling Animals is a gift of Y'ffre.

    The abilites the game has and make a difference are useful for any class.

    A thief can make use of an area of effect fear spell, a Mage can use enhanced health regen and a warrior magicka Absorption.
    • 207 posts
    August 22, 2015 8:30 PM EDT
    Actually i worded myself poorly again (stupid me)
    I ment the skill bonuses races get.
  • August 22, 2015 8:40 PM EDT

    I appreciate your consideration. I feel better now that you tried to understand my point and was imaginative in your responses.

    I should have never bothered after your first reply.

    Take care. 

    • 207 posts
    August 22, 2015 8:44 PM EDT
    I didn't consider it because i don't think your points are that solid.
  • August 22, 2015 8:56 PM EDT

    Of course. How unwise of me to be respectful enough not to disregard what appeared to be honest questions whilst expecting an commensurate effort in response. I will take note of this honest engagement and redress not presuming to not know what you will find a situable enough response shall the fortunate opportunity of having to communicate with you arise again. Your intellectual vigor is a credit unto you.

    Take care. 

    • 207 posts
    August 22, 2015 9:04 PM EDT
    It was an honest question. You gave me your honest answer. I said i disagree.
  • August 22, 2015 10:11 PM EDT

    In that case, it depends on whether you see skill as being either completely based on training or experience, or if they are in part based on your race's genetics. Nature vs. Nurture, really. Personally I don't think an Orc should be any more naturally inclined to Smithing than an Altmer. You can't reasonably argue that racial skill values are representative of core training every member of a race receives because that wouldn't account for (as an example) an Orc orphan being adopted and raised by Altmer. Would that Orc, if raised to be a magician, be inherently terrible at them and then mysteriously gain understanding of smithing techniques? It's madness.

    • 627 posts
    August 23, 2015 12:13 AM EDT

    I think it might be more based on how each races mind naturally works, and because of this they just naturally find it easier to learn or understand certain skills. Sure being raised by another race may have an effect but at their core they would probably still get some boost.

    • 207 posts
    August 23, 2015 5:31 AM EDT
    Well, Chris you have a point.
    • 28 posts
    August 23, 2015 6:10 AM EDT

    Well I was thinking, in my opinion argonians should have 4 different skill sets, male shadowscale should be physical based assassin, female shadowscale magic based assassin, while normal argonain male would be warrior and female mage.

    • 622 posts
    August 23, 2015 6:12 AM EDT

    Only Argonian? Seems very unbalanced.

    • 1467 posts
    August 23, 2015 6:14 AM EDT

    Tae, we've only talked about Argonians :P The other Races are too boring to talk about

    • 28 posts
    August 23, 2015 6:14 AM EDT

    Well in morrowind argonain male are more fitting for combat and female for magic, and argonians born under sign of shadow are trained from birth in art of assassination.

    • 622 posts
    August 23, 2015 6:16 AM EDT

    1. That's only in Morrowind and both male and female are equal in Skyrim

    2. Not every Argonian is born under the Shadow and there is a chance they may not become assassins.

    3. Their skills are fine in Skyrim 

    • 641 posts
    August 23, 2015 6:19 AM EDT

    I feel like if they did that with Argonians then they would need to do something similar with Khajiit 

    • 28 posts
    August 23, 2015 6:20 AM EDT

    Every argonain is born in black marsh and every argonain born under sign of shadow is trained as assasins, and there skills in skyrim is a little bit nonsence (no combat skill and alchemy, for those who make most powerful poison in tamriel)

    • 28 posts
    August 23, 2015 6:22 AM EDT

    Yes, but remeber, you might end up playing as house cat.

    • 622 posts
    August 23, 2015 6:26 AM EDT

    Not EVERY Argonian and not EVERY one will become an assassin. Any Argonian just needs to be near a Hist Tree or it's sap.

    Their skills reflect their possibilities and talents are mysterious warriors. Long fingers for Lockpicking, hard scales for Alteration, making poisons easily with Alchemy and so on.

    • 28 posts
    August 23, 2015 6:29 AM EDT

    Problem is the don't have alchemy in skyrim, same with Iliusion.

    • 641 posts
    August 23, 2015 6:30 AM EDT

    Oh god I would love to play as an Alfiq! They are the smartest and most magically attuned of all the Khajiit.