Hey everyone, this will be my first TES game that I've played and really looking forward to it! Lately they have released quite a bit of info about the different races and I've frequented many wiki's in search of lore. I thought for sure I had my character down to being either a Redguard or Nord, yet the more I read the more I leant toward the Nord. Please correct me if I am wrong in what I say but according to lore the Redguard look down on those that use magic? Is that right? Because my character will most likely be using a lot of spells I didn't feel right playing this race any more. So Nord it was going to be, but wait there are Elves in these games and I get to walk around every day as a man already so why not pick them? The Bosmer are my clear choice in preference now the only thing that is kind of getting to me is the "Green Pact". I read something along the lines of "can't harm plant life" which in turn made me doubt the use of this race. I don't know much about TES as you can probably gather but isn't collecting plants part of the alchemy system? It might sound like a silly question but I generally like to play games as if the character is real and has these moral choices/ religious beliefs, it helps me immerse myself into them. So I guess the question here is Does anyone play according to lore or do you just play however you like and forget about racial hangups?

Many times, I ignore certain aspects of the lore. That is what's great about this game- it's you're choice to do what you want, how you want.
What's more- Bethesda has made it to where your character is greater than his/her race. He/she has the ability to be different than their race.

Personally, the one thing I can ignore is the lore about 'half-breeds.' The part where you take your mother's race. I hate that.
I want half-breeds. I've noticed with Skyrim, a Dunmer's eyes can vary in color/shade. I can make a Dunmer half-sies now.

I play according to lore when I RP. But for you, and since it is your first TES, forget about the lore for your first few characters. Get a feel for the game and what race is strong in what. It doesn't matter and I doubt not conforming to your races lore will affect you later in the game.

Also, with the Green Pact, the Bosmer cannot harm plant life from their homeland - Valenwood. Everywhere else is fair game.
Really? Heh, that has always been one of my favourite parts of lore

Not all Bosmer follow the Green Pact.

Play as an Argonian, you won't be disappointed.

redguards actually just svck at magic and pretend to dislike it to cover up for their insecurity...actually they just love martial skill and are usually warriors because of it; there was a redguard mage in oblivion, so its not like magic is taboo to them, just looked down upon as a weapon of war.

the "green pact" only applies to plant life in their native land; bosmer can pick all the flowers and eat all the lettuce they want as long as it comes from somewhere else; we're in skyrim, so the green pact really doesnt apply.

how i personally play? as with any culture, its certainly a consideration when making a character, but like any individual you can follow or waver from your racial stereotypes however you want; ive played a bosmer warrior and a nord mage before, and it is quite fun coming up with backgrounds for these kind of "abnormal" characters.

at any rate, hope that helps and welcome to the TES series... i hope you havent planned to have any more free time for the rest of your life because TES is going to take all of it now :celebration: .

And not all Redguard take issue with magic.

If I recall, don't they have their own kind of magic or something? I can never remember these things...

thats right we dark elves are definately in TES and listen i have been playing a dark elf since elderscrolls began ... and trust me if you want to live like a mini GOD and a wizard/assassin/stealth/thief type then this is the race for YOU!
you can even have argonians as slaves!
the argonians willingly and Lovingly deep down pray to sithis to be our slaves and cook and clean for you and even gather items for you , they go shoping for you and EVERYTHING!
join us Dark Elve's and you will be living the peasures of a LIFETIME
trust me "dark elf" have EVERYTHING in TES ... youll see
and by the way "welcome to TES"

Dunmer and Argonian are both great 'beginner' races.

Dunmer are great because they're well balanced.

Argonians are great because they have so many racial perks.

Cept a land to call your own, right? Anyway, enjoy your stay in SK outlander.

Anywho, you can always break from racial traditions if you so wish to. Me? I love Nords, and they tend to be seen as the northern barbarian race, but I always start with a Nord spellsword. The lore is amazing, and it is fun to stick to it, but it's also just as fun to break from it.

In a sense, but what I'm thinking of is a kind of martial magic. I think they may be called "sword singers": people who can use their martial talents to summon forth blades from nothingness. Essentially, the best Redguard swordsmen can use extraordinarily powerful "bound blade" spells. As for magic beyond that, I don't know.

As others have said, the Redguard culture in general frowns upon magic in as a means of warfare, but making a character who studies it and uses it could make for interesting RP. No need to be held back by your culture's prejudice, you know? It's just like in real life: plenty of exceptions to the rule.

Behold my ability to completely take things out of context and make them look like well-wishes to me!

Thank you so very much, ResistanceKnight. I'm sure I will! [NPCTALK]May your blade always strike true... And first! Hahaha[/NPCTALK]


Exactly, sir! Elder Scrolls lore does not constrict you at all. Some races may be inclined to certain paths, and their cultures may represent that in some places, however, Tamriel is a very diverse place and the races there are like the ones here on Earth. In that, they are not bound by race, culture, gender, or anything really. There are plenty of Orcish thieves, Redguard mages. Bosmer warriors, and so on.

Role-play who you want, how you want. That's the fun, and the lore and games lend itself perfectly to that.

Thanks for all the replies! I do want to try each race, being my first TES game I want to get a feel for each race and see which one I like best. Do the races all feel different or is it just that the feel different if you play them in other classes, warrior, mage etc. I'm hoping to try to make my character balanced to best use all available options in game. I am also planning on taking a month off when it comes out so I don't have to do anything, one of my friends advised this because he is huge fan of morrowind and oblivion and said I would need that time off.

I enjoy Argonians for how alien and strange their culture and beliefs seem to be to the other races...and have played them since Daggerfall. For Skyrim however, I am purposefully making an Argonian who contradicts many Argonian characteristics...and who would likely be seen as a stranger in familiar clothing so to speak.

:foodndrink: Well played.

Anyway, the races do feel different. It's not through gameplay though. Any race can be anything, and so a orc thief plays the same as a khajiit thief - albeit a little harder to start off and get going. They begin to feel different when you start to connect with the npcs of the same race and how other races treat you differently. Each race has it's own culture which varries from the familiar to the strange. And as you see that ingame, you start to get a feel for who you are in this huge world.

I couldn't have said it better myself. When I first started out I was initially attracted to Nords because I love Norse mythology and vikings and they are somewhat close to that, especially to someone just starting. But as I played, learned more about the lore and various cultures through NPC's and the books I grew to prefer the Dunmer and Orcs. I'd say just pick a race that "feels" right to you, and go for it. After you play a good bit you might change your mind.

Also, you may be aware of it but just in case, you should really check out the http://www.imperial-library.info/ Best resource out there for Elder Scrolls lore in my humble opinion. :read: :tes:

YOU SHALL NOT VIOLATE THE LOREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :shocking:

whoops double post.