Skyrim Roleplay Ideas Options

[Lopov]

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.

Of all TES games I've played Skyrim is the one I prefer the least modded. There are many great mods out there and at one point I intended to install them and use them like: cloaks & capes, visible steps in snow, hypothermia and many more. But then I decided to install none and experience the game as it is meant to be! Well mostly, I use some mods but they don't really change anything major, instead they implement some stuff that should be available in vanilla game like: no enemies & POIs on compass, dialogue overhaul (guards correctly recognize your titles), reduced distance to initiate a conversation with a NPC, no quest items, usable lanterns, better quest objectives, rain doesn't fall through roofs and speed modifications. The only mod that I truly consider to change something is the one that makes hair look more believable and I've installed another mod that makes you feel like a prisoner if you get arrested, basically you can't just activate a bedroll and serve your time. The only category on Nexus where I'm looking for Skyrim mods is Immersion.

As I've told Lady Saga in a conversation we had, mods can easily make you greedy! You see one mod and then this fits well with another one and this with another and so on and so forth and before you know, you have your game modded beyond recognition.

So I prefer to use imagination as well at least when it's possible. But where are the boundaries of imagination? However today I found one mod on Nexus and I've just downloaded it - Armor disguises. Those that've played New Vegas know that wearing an armor of one faction can disguise you as their member to some extent. I like this approach and I decided to use it for Skyrim, might be useful for a thief that I'm currently RP-ing.

This post has been edited by Lopov: Apr 8 2013, 04:29 PM

[Renee]

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'm not too young. I probably wore crap like that in my teen years, as I cranked up some Depressed Mode and tried to curl up my hair like the Flock of Seagulls.

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.

And being around my daughter (and her friends) has inspired me. Sometimes as I watch kids play, imagination is constantly being woven in and out. Why can't I (and we) do the same, right?

Also, hi Rohirrim! I like the no-sneak approach for your Judge.

I remember Dyan (in Oblivion), my first non-sneaking character. All the characters before Dyan had used Sneak, so I wasn't even sure not sneaking around would even work! ...So I was glad to see this new approach to ES not only worked, but was also quite immersive for her type of RPing.

As I've told Lady Saga in a conversation we had, mods can easily make you greedy!

Same goes for pretend mods.

[SubRosa]

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.

That is the same problem my characters have with it. It is just a bit too much. They wear armor for protection, not to attract a mate. You could always go for one of the Fur tunics, or Hide, combined with the Forsworn gauntlets, boots, and headdress. Or you might try a cloak mod, and wear one of those over the Forsworn tunic.

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 wish I could say that I am too young to remember that. But I do! I remember Disco, and when Punk first came on the scene.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Apr 8 2013, 08:41 PM

[Renee]

I wish I could say that I am too young to remember that. But I do! I remember Disco, and when Punk first came on the scene.

Disco died right when I was getting interested in it as a kid. I remember going to some after-school class where we all learned to do "the Hustle" Me with my bell-bottoms on! Ring my Bell was probably my fave song, along with a slew of Bee Gees tunes. I actually went thru a disco phase as an adult, too. A lot of us in Baltimore did in the '90s; those were the days!

..I remember punk, too, but I was more into New Wave. Bauhaus, Smiths, Cure, Depressed Mode, Tears for Fears... that sort of thing. Punk seemed much more edgy and dangerous, but I was also probably no more than 12 or 13 when punk first hit the (underground) scene.

Dangit. Off-topic again!

[Grits]

I know what the Forsworn top needs! Spiral perm mod.

My own Flashdance attire was ripped off and ripped up boyfriend wear. Not my best look. But I did have excellent hair.

Jensa abandoned her half-naked armor once she started fighting dragons in favor of the uni-boob (and Stenvar approved) Blades armor. I remember that journal entry very well.

Aaand a roleplay idea, or more of a character idea: I wanted to try an angry Altmer, so I made a huge, red-headed Nord-looking guy. I gave him a miserable origin born to an imprisoned high elf during the Great War. When things got dicey in the IC his internment camp was evacuated in kind of a hurry. At some point a healer gathered up the unclaimed kids and marked them terminal, sickly, or hale. Our Altmer was one of the lucky ones. He had lost track of his name, so after that he called himself Hale.

Unfortunately for my plans he turned out more grim than angry. This is the guy who needs a fashion intervention. He wields an ancient Nord battle axe and shoots lightning for a ranged attack. He went to Winterhold to buy a better hood and it amused him to complete their quest line in fur armor that I suspect he doesn’t wash. Hale didn’t feel a great sense of purpose, he just wondered what was going to happen next.

Right now he’s parked outside the College in the Arch-Mage getup looking annoyed. I think he might be fun to wander with when I get the time. Lydia is still tagging along, but he’s not attached to her. She probably just likes his shiny staff.

[Renee]

My own Flashdance attire was ripped off and ripped up boyfriend wear. Not my best look. But I did have excellent hair.

Cool.

Unfortunately for my plans he turned out more grim than angry. This is the guy who needs a fashion intervention. He wields an ancient Nord battle axe and shoots lightning for a ranged attack. He went to Winterhold to buy a better hood and it amused him to complete their quest line in fur armor that I suspect he doesn’t wash.

Lol!

[SubRosa]

Speaking of Flashdance outfits, I knew I had this somewhere...

My Argonian Delves-The-Depths in full Forsworn attire (including the headdress)


Pseron, you might want to try Forsworn Legacy out. It starts you out as a Forsworn and has a questline.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Apr 9 2013, 09:21 PM

[Grits]

Here’s something we were discussing in the Today In (Spoilers) thread. I was TRYING not to go too far off topic, but that didn’t happen. Anyway the subject was using NPCs as stand-ins for characters.

For example I have my characters Jerric and Darnand in Jerric’s game using Marcurio in the role of Darnand, and Darnand and Jerric in Darnand’s game with Argis the Bulwark filling in for Jerric. A picture here might help, but I can’t find the damnable camera.

Anyway first I had to turn a NPC Destruction Mage (Marcurio) into a Destruction/Conjuration mage (Darnand). Easy, just give Marcurio a Staff of Some Creature and a bunch of scrolls.

Then I had to make a battlemage (Jerric) out of a NPC Warrior (Argis the Bulwark). I put Argis in plate armor like Jerric’s with an Adept hood and gave him ice and conjuration staves. It works great. Argis has only whipped out a bow once and tends to stay out of the way of Darnand’s messy fire spells until the poop really hits the fan. Argis already uses a shield and one-handed, so the only issue is that he likes his ebony axe better than any of the cool swords Darnand keeps giving him. With the right potions Argis even heals himself.

The roleplaying tip for the two of them occupying the same world through different games is that they both “rent” Uthgerd the Unbroken’s house. (Get her as a follower. Trade her key for some gold, dismiss her. Place subsequent rent deposits in the wardrobe behind her at the Bannered Mare or some barrel if you’d be tempted to go get it back.)

Uthgerd’s house is decorated in the same way in both games. Jerric’s weapon maintenance clutter (bloody rags, Dwarven oil, troll fat, hammer, Dwarven practice sword) on the small table as you come in the door, and Darnand’s egghead accoutrements (books, journals, folded notes, quills, inkwells, rolled paper, soul gem paperweights, more books, flagon, potions) on the desk in the back corner. Troll skulls dropped along the hearth where Darnand won’t trip over them, a kettle of spare staves against the left wall. All (non-respawning) storage arranged the same. We pretend that there’s another bed somewhere. If they’re away from home base too long the surfaces respawn and make an unholy mess but by then they usually need something to argue about anyway, so it works out.

[Renee]

You are a frickin' genius, Grits. I just want you to know this. You are a genius. Holy [censored]. I am basking in the light of a great roleplayer here.

[Pseron Wyrd]

Pseron, you might want to try Forsworn Legacy out. It starts you out as a Forsworn and has a questline.

Oh, thank you! That looks like a wonderful mod. I've downloaded it and will take a close look at it ASAP. Thanks a lot!

By the way I was only kidding when I talked about bad jokes earlier. I never tell bad jokes.

[SubRosa]

By the way I was only kidding when I talked about bad jokes earlier. I never tell bad jokes.

Much to our disappointment...

[SubRosa]

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!

Well, I have finally found a character who insists upon wearing the Forsworn Armor. Ivy just loves the stuff. Aside from being a nature girl, she is a Maomer (from a mod). She can breathe water, and says no way to any kind of robe since you cannot swim in them. She insists that the Forsworn gear will allow her freedom of movement underwater. Though since she cannot drown I am not sure what the big deal is... I think there is more to it than Ivy wants to admit...

[Renee]

Cool. Ivy looks wicked. Not long ago there was a short Maomar discussion over at Beth I think. They are the sea elves, right?

I'm wondering if they ever appeared in an ES game as NPCs?



This post has been edited by Renee Gade IV: Apr 22 2013, 10:34 PM

[SubRosa]

Cool. Ivy looks wicked. Not long ago there was a short Maomar discussion over at Beth I think. They are the sea elves, right?

I'm wondering if they ever appeared in an ES game as NPCs?

I did not know that. Maybe I should do some searches on the Beth forums.

The Maomer are the Sea Elves. Or the Chinese Communist Elves... They seem to have been the original inhabitants of the Summerset Isles, and were kicked out by the High Elves. They went to an island chain called Pyadonea, and have been at odds with the Altmer ever since.

[Renee]

That is interesting. This explains their rarity for sure. I had never heard of them until (over at Beth, I am pretty sure) somebody was planning to make a Maomar PC. I forget who it was, though. I think somebody even started a thread about sea elves or Maomar?

[Lopov]

Here's the link to that thread.

[Renee]

Here's the link to that thread.

Ahh dangit. I was trying to search for it yesterday. I couldn't find a thing, but it's because my dumba$$ was spelling Maormer wrong.

[Rohirrim]

Well, this was a character until I noticed the character topic...So, this is now a class! Magical, no? So, here is: The War Prince. It's a kind of skirmisher class, with a bow and one-handed with a shield. Light armor is essential, as it also requires sneak. Some speech is good, just for immersion purposes, like diplomacy and whatnot. You can pick any race, but I find a some better than others for the purposes of a prince or lord, elves and beast races, for example, mainly because they're more obscure and less likely to break immersion. I mean, if you were the son of the Emperor of High King, I think people would know, but the far-flung lands below the human-populated part of Tamriel are less known to the common folk. I suggest you use some kind of progression to your title, like: serve in the Legion or Stormcloaks for part of a campaign, be named as heir, rise to power, assert you rule with the other ruling bodies in your chosen province...the choices are endless.

This post has been edited by Rohirrim: Jul 7 2013, 03:41 PM

[Grey Fox]

Hey all! New to the forums, found them while looking for RP ideas/tips/challenges in Skyrim. The ones I'm currently using are these:

-Hunger/Thirst/Sleep (mod)
-Hypothermia (mod)
-Walk most places
-More reaslistic timescale
-Live Another Life (mod, allows you to choose a starting option other than caught crossing the border, though I'm only just reasling how open and usefull a beginning that is)
-Talk to companions regularly, talk to sitting people while sitting
-Earn my gold through a "carreer", i.e Blacksmith, Thief, etc.
-Scenic carriages (mod)

The only somewhat unique class or RP archtype I've thought of (at least, it was an idea I came up with on my lonesome) is the Adventurer: Skilled in one form of combat, be it sword and shield, dual weilding, two handed etc and one form of armour, with skills focused on trees that will help his adventures, such as Speechcraft to talk their way out of trouble, Sneak to avoid some combat, Illusion to control or even avoid some combat etc. It's a deliberately unfocused build that I expect could make for some very interesting characters. I haven't had a very good run at it yet, mainly due to the difficuties with starting
somewhere other than Helgen.

On the topic of mods, I enjoy them. They can add new facets to a game, as well as some very interesting and immersion-building moments. Plus, the amount of content that they can add is staggering. For someone who's played Skyrim to death before trying a role-playing approach, it's often good to have new areas to explore, rather than having to repeat certain quests ad nauseum with different characters.

EDIT: Apologies if this is reviving a dead thread

This post has been edited by Grey Fox: Feb 10 2014, 09:15 AM

[Vital]

Welcome to the forums Grey Fox!

There's a introduce yourself thread in the general discussion forums, so you might want to post there.

Threadomancy is ok, I think??? (I'm relatively new here) just make sure Arch-Mage Traven isn't watching.

I play with most of those features self implemented on my xbox I wish I had a PC capable of handling skyrim with mods. My game would be crazy with it.