Oh yes! This is true, especially with alcohol. Some of mine will never touch a drop while "working"; alcohol gets reserved for when the day is done. This is Lord Haaf-Mersey for instance. But Thor a'Zaene the Nord (pure fighter, now dead) would get drunk while dungeon-diving. Drinking would help build his confidence.



I have heard that fur armor is fine, actually. With all the perks a character can wind up with, fur and hide is actually the best armor since it weighs so little, and a variety of perks help keep the PC insulated from damage. Haven't had a character get past Level 50-ish so far, though

This post has been edited by Lady Saga: Feb 17 2013, 01:49 PM

Aravi doesn't have very many armor perks, so she always ends up pretty vulnerable. It doesn't help either that she never wears boots, gauntlets that cover her fingers, and rarely wears a helm.

You are right though, with nearly any armor you can max out the rating.

This post has been edited by King Coin: Feb 17 2013, 04:15 PM

Great thread y'all got goin' on here! [/endSouthernAccent] (No offense intended....)

In all seriousness, I think I may have to "borrow" some of the ideas here....

My mage character also wears fur when it is cold out, but he's just a poor old man! Speaking of my mage, here's his bio!

His name is Tristram Songsteel (Or Steelsong. I have a horrid memory XD), a former Breton merchant of repute throughout High Rock and Cyrodiil as a seller of swords.

He was well into his seventies when his eldest son grew tired of waiting for him to die. Hiring a band of of mercenaries, the eldest son had Tristram thrown into Skyrim to die and be taken care of. As the band entered Skyrim through the Cyrodiil border, the mercenaries had the misfortune of angering some Imperial border guards who slaughtered the mercs, and took Tristram prisoner.

By this time, Tristram was a broken man. His beloved family had betrayed him. All he had strove for was for naught; some Nord rebel named Ralof showed him some kindness, trying his awkward best to calm the melancholic Tristram.

When the cart stopped in a village Ralof explained was called Helgen, Tristram wanted to die. When the Imperial captain called him forward, Tristram knelt at the headsman's block and prayed to Mara. Just when Tristram closed his eyes, ready to meet the Gods, a dragon arrived.

Eyes wide and unbelieving, Tristram ran with Ralof, through the burning town of Helgen. It was than that Tristram believed his prayers had been answered. Mara had saved him! In Helgen's keep, Tristram also learned of the power buried deep within him. Magic flowed in his veins. For the first time, Tristram felt young again, like he had a purpose in life.

After escaping Helgen, Tristram received a vision from Mara telling him to spread the word of her love to all Skyrim. In exchange for doing her bidding, Mara would grant Tristram strength, stop his aging, and grant him magical powers. Tristram has accepted this offer.

Currently, Tristram has a horse he's named Mara's Grace (or just Gracie), and a dog he bought outside Markarth named Vigilance.

Role-playing Tristram means I must be a pacifist - I will not seek death, but if provoked, I will fight back - I must always wear an amulet of Mara, and must do "good" - helping people etc. This, plus the usual RPing restrictions/limits (eat 3x a day, sleep, etc.).

I'm also going to play Tristram as a Gandalf-style wizard with a staff (Once I find one!).

Another RP character concept I thought of was a Hedge-Mage or Hedge Wizard!

Rules:
1) No learning new magic - the spells you start with is all you get.
2) No armor - you're an ordinary person who happens to know a little magic, not some UBER SOLDAT of DOOOOOM
3) Use Alchemy to make money - your talents enable you to make potions.
4) Be a thief? - I always pictured this kinda character as a loveable cowardly rogue - a cross between Gandalf and a con-man really.
5) The only weapon you're allowed is a dagger and you magic, this means no staffs!

That was all the extra RPing rules I could think of - but than again I'm pretty tired right now. XD
Sorry for the rather large wall of text.

It's okay. I'm from Maryland, some of us say y'all up here too!

Thanks for adding! That one "hedge wizard" idea is edgy! Starting spells only? Yikes! It might work, but I'd be afraid to try it!

I wanted to make a Gandalfy type of wizard in Oblivion, but alas, we can cannot have beards in the vanilla game. I will someday make a pure wizard for Skyrim, and yes he will have a beard. He's gonna become the head of the Winterhold College (Yea, I know..how original), but that idea is ages away from implementation.

You must be new here, so have some cake.



This post has been edited by Lady Saga: Feb 18 2013, 05:11 PM

Tristram sounds like an interesting character to play, Prince Hal. I like the careful and thoughtful ones as much as the adrenaline-fueled brawlers.

Welcome, and I hope we get to hear more about your characters' adventures!

Here are a few ideas on vampirism. These ideas come from media (I've read some Anne Rice in the past), lore, and my ancient first edition D&D Monster Manual.

Movement: In Anne Rice's stories, and also in Stephen King's Salem's Lot, master-type vampires can move very fast, too fast for the human eye to register. By "master" I mean stronger vampires. So in Skyrim, my current vampire Mycharonna can outrun just about anything (sprinting), and I've dropped a few points into Stamina to enhance this, even though she is primarily a magic-user. Sprinting is not exactly "too quick for the human eye", but this is the best I can do to support what I've read in books.

Energy Drain: D&D vampires have an energy drain. I don't know if Bethesda meant this or not, but "energy drain" is similar enough to Skyrim's Vampiric Drain spell. Somebody on Bethesda's team is sticking to tradition, whether they were inspired by D&D or some other RPG with similar rules.

Exiting on two planes at once: Vampires exist on a negative plane and a material plane (like Earth) in some tabletop RPGs. I like to think that Mycharonna does this as well. I am not exactly sure how this negative plane works according to the books, but I like to think that Time has no meaning on this other plane. Mycharonna can see into the material plane from the negative, and learn about anybody (I can use UESP to look up NPCs and what they're all about).


Gaseous Form: Upon death, a D&D vampire does not actually die, it turns into a 'gaseous form'. It then must return to its coffin within a certain amount of time, and rest at least 8 hours. Umm....yah....I don't think I'll do that exactly. But I do like the idea that if my vampire dies, she has to do something to not be "dead".

Not sure how I'll handle that one yet. But suffice it to say, Mycharonna's game is not going to be strict dead-is-dead. I've found a loophole!

Okay, one more.

Turning into a large Bat: This one is in the cheesiest of vampire lore, but also in some of the best of vampiric lore. I am not going to say Mycharonna is able to turn into a bat (like on Earth) but I like the idea that she has the ability to fly.

Yes, I am going to have my first fast-traveling character. I am also going to use the 3D world map (the in-game map, not the paper one) for Mycharonna's game. For her to be able to fly, she'll also need to be able to wait at least one hour, though.

There are a typical list of other things in the Monster Manual: typical Hollywood/Bram Stoker stuff: garlic repels vamps, vampires cannot see themselves in a mirror, water kills vampires, etc. I don't like any of these, and I believe in Miss Rice's book (as well as Salem's Lot by Stephen King) powerful vampires aren't affected by this stuff, either.

The only thing everybody agrees on is sunlight. And what it does to vampires.

This post has been edited by Lady Saga: Feb 23 2013, 02:32 AM

I recently thought I'd try playing a Dunmer and a female, something I haven't done before, so I created this class: The Judge. This is based off of Judge Dredd, but I've tried to make it lore-friendly. After the Great War, the Legion has been looking at the military of the Thalmor. They have created an elite cell of law-bringers, based upon the Justiciars, to keep order in the remote places of Tamriel. My character, Estarael Santori, is fresh out of the academy in Daggerfall, and has been sent to Skyrim. Because of the experimental nature of this program, no gold or equipment can be provided. Ok, enough of story, let's go into mechanics.

-Light armor, for mobility and flexibility, is recommended
-One-handed weapons (I use an axe) are a must
-Destruction magic is used in the off-hand, use the one best suited to the situation at hand
-NO SNEAKING. All lawbreakers must be given a fair trial, and that means a fair fight
-I suggest you recite a list of crimes for people like named bandit chiefs (i.e., Hajvarr Iron-Hand), as a list of their misdemeanors would probably be on file
-Try some one-liners for killmoves (case closed, I knew you'd say that, guilty as charged, etc.)
-This class is nothing new, it is very story-driven

Well, that's it. Hope I didn't make a gigantic idiot out of myself. Thanks!

Yes! My crusader (and a paladin I had during my Oblivion days) also do not ever sneak, for the same reason you list. Both these characters also gave/give their enemies the chance to "redeem" themselves (assuming these enemies can understand "English"), before the attack commences.

There are a few enemies in Skyrim who do not attack, which seems to be glitch-related. But when these glitches occur, I try to work it into RP as the enemy has chosen redemption.

Both these characters are/were LG types, so they sometimes do the second thing you've added (spell out a list of crimes and such)>

This post has been edited by Renee Gade IV: Mar 29 2013, 01:57 AM

If your sneak skill is high enough, and you crouch down in front of someone, they won't be able to see you, even in a full set of dragonbone armor and while carrying a big, clunky weapon

This post has been edited by King Of Beasts: Mar 29 2013, 02:21 AM

I posted this idea in another thread but I think it actually more properly belongs here.

So my new Skyrim roleplay idea is a Forsworn warrior. I can use mods to actually start her as a Forsworn, Forsworn armor and all, in Druadach Redoubt. I've already made a Forsworn-looking Greatsword for her, using a model from an older Dragonbone weapons mod. And, thanks to inspiration from SubRosa, I have also decided to make Hagravens pacific. An important part of my character's adventure is going to be a pilgrimage to all the Hagravens in the game, to receive spiritual guidance from them.

My character's adventure will kick off when the Shaman of her clan receives a vision while trying to sleep on one of those lumpy straw mats they have. It is a vision of great happenings far to the south in a place called Helgen. The Shaman will send my character to find this place.

I'm not too familiar with that part of the Reach so both myself and my character are sure to get lost trying to find Helgen (I won't be using my in-game map this time around). My alternate start mod places a charred corpse in Helgen that has a journal that can begin the main quest. My character will stumble upon this corpse, read the journal and set off for Riverwood.

She doesn't know it yet but she is going to also have an encounter with vampires and travel to a distant land called Solstheim also. I'll let her know about those little details when the time is right.

I'm really excited about this game. I'm particularly excited about my home made Hagraven pilgrimage quests. I guess I'm easily pleased.

As much as I mentioned in the other thread that I am not a big fan of the Hagravens (though I did love teaming up with Melka, she was very entertaining!), I think this is an excellent idea. It goes back to what I observed in that Mojave thread, that the people who play Bethesda games for years on end tend to be the ones who create their own stories. I will probably try it myself sometime. I have never been able to find a reason for a character of mine to wear one of those skimpy outfits, and that would certainly fit the bill!



Does that mean the Hagravens were Atlantic before?

Sorry, I could not resist. I am a bad person...

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Apr 5 2013, 03:54 PM

Very cool, Wyrd. I've actually had this idea rolling around in my head too (RPing a Forsworn bandit) but to make it happen in a vanilla game requires a bit of creativity, since I can't start him or her with Forsworn armor & items. And I still haven't gotten around to starting some of the ideas I had over a year ago in the OP. Who knows if I ever will?



Sweet!

This post has been edited by Renee Gade IV: Apr 6 2013, 01:34 AM

Well, you know, now that the first flush of unbridled enthusiasm has worn off I'm beginning to rethink what I said in the other thread. Maybe I will make Forsworn non-hostile after all. Because I'm having trouble explaining why a Redoubt full of Forsworn guarding a Hagraven would attack me on sight while the Hagraven herself is my spiritual adviser. That makes about as much sense as one of Bethesda's quests. I can do better than that. I can rise above mediocrity if I really put my mind to it.

Anyway, so, I think I'm going to go back into the CK and fiddle around with my Forsworn. *sigh* As usual, I'm putting more time and energy into planning my game than into actually playing the thing.

This gives me yet another idea. I'm going to invent a new way of playing video games. I think I'll call it "Conceptual Gaming." The Conceptual Gamer lays (lies) down on his or her back, closes his or her eyes, and imagines his or her character battling through Helgen, fighting those three wolves that are always lying (laying) in wait on the way to Riverwood, yawning through the conversation between Alvor and Hadvar, high-tailing it over to Whiterun, getting sent right back to Riverwood, the place you just left minutes ago (thanks, Bethesda), chasing Arvel the Swift through Bleak Falls Barrow, and then opening your eyes, getting up on your feet, stretching, and shouting out, "Wow! Now that was a great session of gaming!"

Think of the money that could be saved on gaming hardware. And best of all: no Steam requirement. I can see it all now: Pseron Wyrd Conceptual Gaming seminars, Pseron Wyrd Official Conceptual Gamer Player Handbooks, which can be purchased in the official Pseron Wyrd online store (offering exclusive Conceptual Gamer collectibles by Todd McFarlane) at pseronwyrdenterpises.com. Why, I could make a mint off this thing if I play my cards right.



Yeah, okay, the next time I think of a really bad joke when I'm reading one of your posts I'm not going to hold it in. You're going to suffer through it the way I suffered through this. I'm just warning you.

This post has been edited by Pseron Wyrd: Apr 6 2013, 09:18 AM

Having all Forsworn non-hostile sounds like a great plan to me. I’m sure there are unfriendly politics going on between different groups, but if they made a habit of slaughtering each other on sight there probably wouldn’t be many of them left by now to harass the local non-Bretons.

It’s a shame that the game doesn’t make NPCs react appropriately to the Forsworn outfits. I’ve thought of playing a Forsworn Looter/Pillager tasked with bringing junk back to the hideout, but having to kill them all upon arrival “home” was too much of a stretch even for me.

Lol, Conceptual Gaming. I think that’s what I’ve been calling “fan fiction.”

I have taken this a step further, kinda/sorta. Several of my characters were created with me just sort of rushing through the Tutorial with the sound on my TV turned down. I'll just sort of make a bunch of spontaneous choices with where to go and who to follow, pick up some gear, and then 'wind up' in a particular spot. Then I will turn off that game for weeks. When I come back to it, it truely does feel as if my character has alternately started somewhere else (other than a near-execution that is). The near-execution can be seen as a dream or whatever.

If I can't get my Pretend Alternate Start from Bethesda (by fiddling around with new protagonists just before leaving the sewers as in Oblivion) I'll make my own alternate starts.



Me too.

Awhile back I was looking on YouTube how to get CK commands to work on Xbox, and there's a whole list of things I could see myself doing (not that I ever will; I don't want to fry up my system). One of these would be to make certain NPCs friendly to certain characters. I could see making a bandit for instance who can just return to his camp or whatever.

Now I'm the one who's conceptualizing, though. I need to stop that.

What, no welcome-to-Chorrol routine for lil' ol' me?

Welcome to chorrol. Visit the Intro thread to introduce yourself

I welcomed you (in a way) by responding to your post, friend. See Post #208. That's me welcoming you to this thread, in my own way.

Here, have some cake. And as Mr. Coin says, introduce yourself if you haven't already.

Thanks. It's easier said than done. I had no idea there were so many Forsworn in this game.



I've been taking a test version of the character out to test mods and, damn, I'm feeling a little...exposed. I love the gauntlets and I love the boots. And I even like the lower loincloth thingy. It's that low scoop neckline. She's no prude and has no trouble going naked when there is a reason to, but wearing something to attract the sexual attention of men (or women) is just not how this character thinks.

The top actually is beginning to remind me of those off-the-shoulder tops women used to wear in the 80's. You all are too young to know what I'm talking about so I have provided a visual aid in the form of a picture. It's something more or less like this. I would find a closer match but going through photos from the 80's on Google was making me nauseous.

I'm not sure what to think now. The more times I see that post-disco, one-brastrap-showing, scoop-neck top on my fierce warrior the more wrong it looks.




I do this exact thing all the time myself, actually. I've taken a bunch of characters past Oblivion's tutorial dungeon or Skyrim's Helgen and then shut the game off for a day or two (or longer). I turn it back on when I am mentally prepared to begin the character.

I love mods. But more and more I'm finding I'd rather use my imagination to make my characters and their stories come to life when I can. Being around you has inspired me to think more and more in terms of home-made mods.

This post has been edited by Pseron Wyrd: Apr 8 2013, 02:52 PM

I have similar thoughts about the Forsworn getup. My tribal Nord Jensa (with a completely made-up background) wore it for some time. The boots and gauntlets cover where I tend to get scratched wearing shorts and a T shirt, and I get why she liked her skin in the breeze. But Jensa is a big girl, and that top would do little to minimize bounce and sway. Oh well. That wasn’t the only thing she and I disagreed about.

I guess a jog-bra top mod would be too much to hope for.

Oh, Jensa also liked the little peek of butt cleavage that the loincloth provided. What can you do.


Also, hi Rohirrim! I like the no-sneak approach for your Judge. Sneaking is one of those moral litmus tests that can really define a character, like whether or not it’s OK to murder butterflies. We have “Today In” threads in both spoiler and non-spoiler versions, I hope you’ll share your adventures with Estarael!