» Wed May 09, 2012 12:38 am Requires OBSE v0020+, Fundament R3+
The goals of TRAP are: to make racial selection matter, giving every race compelling and unique effects on gameplay that last through the entire game; to take away exploitative and "obviously better" abilities, but still increase the contribution of race to your character overall; to create a better balance and diversity of attribute and skill bonuses between the vanilla races; and in all of this, to draw as much inspiration as possible from the game lore, so that the way the races feel in play reflects their culture and mythology.
TRAP should generally be compatible with everything except other race mods. Because TRAP makes no cosmetic changes, purely cosmetic mods are compatible. If they use .esp or .esm files, Wrye Bash must be used to merge the changes. Otherwise, they should just work. Custom races are also compatible with TRAP. In the case of bg2408's Race Balancing Project, placing TRAP below RBP in your load list should safely give you RPB's new races but TRAP's vanilla changes.
Unfortunately, beta versions of TRAP cannot be upgraded. The scripts are too different to clean up the data in-place, and the beta didn't have a cleaning mode. In this case, a new character is mandatory. Otherwise, TRAP can be added to a game in progress. My sincerest apologies to those affected: I think this may be the most well-polished mod I've released as "version 1," and without you guys giving me feedback from the rough-cut versions, that wouldn't be the case.
Racial Details:
Spoiler
"H" in ability and power descriptions is equal to the player's highest baseattribute. For NPCs, H = 65.Reactions list the change in disposition TOWARD the race being described. Forinstance, Wood Elves react poorly to Argonians.The universal starting spells are removed. They can be purchased from vendors,and Heal Minor Wounds is granted if Restoration is selected as a class skill.Races with +10 to a casting skill start with a spell from that school. This hasall been done in a way that should not conflict with magic overhauls!Argonian--------Well-suited to the swamps of Black Marsh, Argonians can breathe water and havestrong natural resistance to disease and poison. Despite their alien physiologyand culture, the People of the Root are highly adaptable and have taken well tothe Empire's cosmopolitan cities. Str Int Wil Agi Spd End Per Male 30 40 30 40 50 30 50 Female 40 50 40 30 40 30 40Abilities: Skills: Athletics +10 Water Breathing Blade +5 65% Resistance to Disease Alchemy +10 65% Resistance to Poison Illusion +5 50% Resistance to Shock Mysticism +5 Security +10Powers: Histflesh - Reactions: Argonian +5 - on self, H/2 seconds Wood Elf -5 Restore Health 8Breton------The product of mingling between men and elves in ages past, the Bretons of HighRock Province have a natural affinity for magicka, rivaling their distantAltmeri cousins in arcane talent. Though less hardy than other mannish races,they posess innate mystical defenses. Str Int Wil Agi Spd End Per Male 35 45 50 30 35 30 45 Female 35 45 50 35 30 35 40Abilities: Skills: Alchemy +5 15% Reflect Spell Alteration +10 15% Resistance to Magic Conjuration +10 15% Spell Absorption Illusion +5 Mysticism +5Powers: Restoration +5 Dragon Skin - Speechcraft +5 - on self, H seconds Fire Shield 30 Reactions: Breton +5 Frost Shield 30 Orc -5 Shock Shield 30Spells: Bound Dagger, Extra Lift (new: Feather 35pts for 120 seconds on Self)Dark Elf--------A highly spiritual people hailing from the volcanic province of Morrowind, theDunmer are noted for their seamless integration of swordplay, archery andmagic. Among the races of men they are known as Dark Elves, culturally insularand cold toward other races. Str Int Wil Agi Spd End Per Male 35 40 30 45 50 40 30 Female 30 45 30 45 50 40 30Abilities: Skills: Blade +5 50% Resistance to Fire Conjuration +5 Base Magicka increased by 1/2 Destruction +10 of current Health damage Mysticism +5 Light Armor +10Powers: Marksman +5 Ancestor Guardian - Sneak +5 - on self, H/2 seconds Summon a powerful ghost Reactions: Dark Elf +15 Argonian -5Spells: Flare High Elf -5 Khajiit -5High Elf--------Called High Elves in reference both to their tall stature and often haughtyattitudes, the Altmer of Summerset Isle are the Tamrielic race most gifted inarts arcane. Though quite frail and susceptible to elemental magic, they areremarkably lithe and resistant to disease. Str Int Wil Agi Spd End Per Male 30 50 40 40 35 30 45 Female 30 50 40 40 40 25 45Abilities: Skills: Alchemy +5 Base Magicka increased by 2H Alteration +5 50% Resistance to Disease Conjuration +5 50% Resistance to Paralysis Destruction +5 25% Weakness to Fire Illusion +10 25% Weakness to Frost Mysticism +10 25% Weakness to Shock Restoration +5Powers: Reactions: High Elf +15 Deep Magicka - Dark Elf -5 - on self, instant Redguard -5 Restore Magicka 4H Nord -5Spells: Frenzy, Reach (new: Telekinesis 8 pts for 10 seconds on Target)Imperial--------Native to the province which bears their name, the Cyrodiil have time and againproven themselves capable warriors and shrewd diplomats. On the merits of thesetraits their civilization has subdued or assimilated all of Tamriel, yieldingthe common nickname for their race: Imperials. Str Int Wil Agi Spd End Per Male 40 40 40 25 30 45 50 Female 40 40 45 30 25 40 50Powers: Skills: Block +5 Pride of the Heartland - Blunt +5 - on self, 60 seconds Hand to Hand +5 Fortify Luck H Heavy Armor +5 Star of the West - Destruction +5 - on touch, instant Mercantile +10 Absorb Fatigue 3H Speechcraft +10 Voice of the Emperor - - 60 ft. area, H/2 seconds Reactions: Wood Elf +5 Charm 100 Dark Elf -5Khajiit-------Khajiit mature into various forms depending on the phases of the moons at theirbirth. The Suthay-raht are among the few types which can frequently be foundoutside their native Elsweyr. True to their appearance, they are highlyacrobatic and can see in the dark. Str Int Wil Agi Spd End Per Male 50 30 35 45 40 35 35 Female 45 35 35 50 35 40 30Abilities: Skills: Blade +5 Night-Eye when in darkness Hand to Hand +10 Reduced damage from falling Acrobatics +10 Light Armor +5Powers: Mercantile +5 Eye of Fear - Security +5 - on touch, H/2 seconds Sneak +5 Demoralize Sugar - Reactions: Khajiit +5 - on self, 60 seconds Wood Elf -5 Fortify Acrobatics 5H Fortify Athletics 2HNord----Citizens of icy Skyrim, the tall and rugged Nords place great value in personalstrength, often warring over matters of honor or simply for the challenge.Though culturally averse to conventional magic, their culture has its own richmystical traditions. Str Int Wil Agi Spd End Per Male 50 30 40 30 40 45 35 Female 50 30 45 35 35 40 35Abilities: Skills: Armorer +5 50% Resistance to Frost Block +5 10% Shield Blunt +10 Heavy Armor +5Powers: Restoration +10 Ysmir's Fist - Light Armor +5 - on touch, instant Speechcraft +5 Frost Damage H - on touch, H seconds Reactions: Breton +5 Drain Speed 100 Nord +5 Dark Elf -5Spells: Minor Respite High Elf -5Orc---The Orsimer of the Dragontail and Wrothgarian Mountains, known to most asOrcs, bitterly remember their elven roots. In form and temper, they are nowseen as brutes. Still, Orcish armorers are prized for their peerlesscraftsmanship, and Orc troops are among the finest in the Empire. Str Int Wil Agi Spd End Per Male 45 35 50 35 30 45 30 Female 40 40 45 40 30 50 25Abilities: Reflect Damage, magnitude = 1/5 Skills: Armorer +10 current % of damage to Health Athletics +5 Resist Magic, magnitude = 1/2 Block +5 current % of damage to Health Blunt +5 When current Health % is less than Hand to Hand +5 than current Magicka %, they are Heavy Armor +10 instantly balanced by converting Marksman +5 Magicka to Health (2:1 ratio) Reactions: Orc +5 Breton -5Redguard--------When their native continent shattered long ago, the survivors of Yokuda struckTamriel as a conquering wave and carved out a new home in the province ofHammerfell. In time they integrated with the Tamrielic peoples, and came to becalled Redguards. They are natural warriors: hardy, swift and tireless. Str Int Wil Agi Spd End Per Male 45 30 25 35 45 50 40 Female 40 30 30 40 40 50 40Abilities: Skills: Armorer +5 50% faster Fatigue recovery Athletics +5 35% Resistance to Disease Blade +10 35% Resistance to Poison Block +10 Acrobatics +5Powers: Marksman +5 Adrenaline Rush - Mercantile +5 - on self, instant Restore Fatigue 4H Reactions: Khajiit +5 - on self, 60 seconds Redguard +5 Fortify Strength H Breton -5 Fortify Agility H High Elf -5Wood Elf--------Clanfolk of the Valenwood forests, the nimble and wily Bosmer are better knownas Wood Elves. There are no finer archers in all of Tamriel, and their abilityto vanish is legendary. An ancient pact with the forest-god Y'ffre allows themto assert dominance over simpler creatures. Str Int Wil Agi Spd End Per Male 35 35 35 50 45 35 35 Female 30 35 35 50 45 35 40Abilities: Skills: Alchemy +5 50% Resistance to Poison Alteration +5 When sneaking, undetected and Acrobatics +5 stationary for a few seconds, Light Armor +5 become invisible Marksman +10 Security +5Powers: Sneak +10 Beast Tongue - - on touch, 6H seconds Reactions: Wood Elf +5 Command Creature Khajiit -5 Wild Aspect - - on self, 60 seconds Fortify Willpower H Fortify Endurance H
Design Notes:
Spoiler
Skills and Attributes
Powers and Abilities
Spells
Argonians
Bretons
Dark Elves
High Elves
Imperials
Khajiit
Nords
Orcs
Redguards
Wood Elves
Spoiler
There are five vanilla race/gender combinations with 50 Agility, but only two with 50 Personality. There are three races with +10 to Blade, none at all with +10 to Illusion. From a purely vanilla perspective, some of this makes sense... Personality wasn't very useful by comparison. But many mods have addressed the disparity between attributes, and the general bias toward combat skills has no real justification in the first place. Finally, for some reason nobody but the Orcs had any 5-point adjustments to attributes!
After staring at spreadsheets for untold hours, I'm very happy with the balance I've achieved. Each skill and attribute has equal representation overall, there's exactly one +10 to each skill, and there are 5's everwhere among the attributes, creating a lot more variation. Gender differences also conform to racial groups: pure elves (Dark, High, Wood) have two 5-point shifts in their attributes; humans (Breton, Imperial, Nord, Redguard) have four 5-point shifts; impure elves (Orcs and Khajiit) have six 5-point shifts, and Argonians have six 10-point shifts.
After staring at spreadsheets for untold hours, I'm very happy with the balance I've achieved. Each skill and attribute has equal representation overall, there's exactly one +10 to each skill, and there are 5's everwhere among the attributes, creating a lot more variation. Gender differences also conform to racial groups: pure elves (Dark, High, Wood) have two 5-point shifts in their attributes; humans (Breton, Imperial, Nord, Redguard) have four 5-point shifts; impure elves (Orcs and Khajiit) have six 5-point shifts, and Argonians have six 10-point shifts.
Powers and Abilities
Spoiler
Some vanilla powers were amazing at level 1, but faded to uselessness by 10 Beast Tongue and Ancestor Guardian, both inherenly level 5 abilities, are obvious examples. Complicating things, one or two stayed good for most of the game, giving too much of an edge to certain races (e.g. Dragon Skin, Adrenaline Rush). The same can be said of passive abilities: already saddled with a wimpy power, those poor Bosmer got nothing but 75% disease resistance while Bretons were walking around with 50% magic resistance, +50 magicka and one of the best emergency buttons in the game! And though it may seem like nitpicking, I really feel there's entirely too much Resist Disease and Resist Poison available among
the races. Diseases and poison are weak enough already, and those resists have been reduced across the board.
In addition to making extensive changes to the core designs of racial abilities and powers, TRAP uses scripts to make them scale with your character. Every single power varies according to your highest base attribute (i.e. at least 50, possibly a bit less with mods). In most cases the variation is in magnitude, but for some it's duration. This isn't done with simple script effects, but at a deeper level; the powers all show their effects as usual, but are replaced with stronger versions when appropriate. Some of the passive racial abilities are also scripted to create variable effects.
the races. Diseases and poison are weak enough already, and those resists have been reduced across the board.
In addition to making extensive changes to the core designs of racial abilities and powers, TRAP uses scripts to make them scale with your character. Every single power varies according to your highest base attribute (i.e. at least 50, possibly a bit less with mods). In most cases the variation is in magnitude, but for some it's duration. This isn't done with simple script effects, but at a deeper level; the powers all show their effects as usual, but are replaced with stronger versions when appropriate. Some of the passive racial abilities are also scripted to create variable effects.
Spells
Spoiler
For a very long time in my personal games, I've removed Heal Minor Wounds and Flare from the player's automatic spell list. (You might see warnings about removing these, HMW especially, but I found a safe and effective method.) Later, for a magic overhaul mod which was never completed, I implemented staged starting spells: instead of getting them at 25 skill, you would get one at 15, one at 25, and one at 35. You could get the first one with a +10 racial bonus, or +5 and magic specialization, even for non-class skills. For the third one, you had to have the class skill in addition to those criteria.
Doing all of that in TRAP would hurt compatibility with other magic mods, but I did everything that wouldn't! Using scripts, HMW and Flare are removed from the player, and HMW is added to several vendors. (For technical reasons, actually a new spell with identical name and effects.) Many vendors already have Flare. The new HMW-clone is also set as a starting spell if you have Restoration as a class skill. Finally, spells which are not already class-start spells (two new, four vanilla) are added if your race has +10 to a given school. Other than the vanilla HMW, which AFAIK no other mod touches due to the dire warnings I've circumvented, not one vanilla asset is edited; and the racial starting spells I've used have effects which I don't think anyone would ever move to different schools. Adding a spellcasting skill to your class still always gives 2 free spells (or whatever another mod determines), and vendors sell every spell. And if your race and class give no reason to start with magic, you don't. Hooray!
Doing all of that in TRAP would hurt compatibility with other magic mods, but I did everything that wouldn't! Using scripts, HMW and Flare are removed from the player, and HMW is added to several vendors. (For technical reasons, actually a new spell with identical name and effects.) Many vendors already have Flare. The new HMW-clone is also set as a starting spell if you have Restoration as a class skill. Finally, spells which are not already class-start spells (two new, four vanilla) are added if your race has +10 to a given school. Other than the vanilla HMW, which AFAIK no other mod touches due to the dire warnings I've circumvented, not one vanilla asset is edited; and the racial starting spells I've used have effects which I don't think anyone would ever move to different schools. Adding a spellcasting skill to your class still always gives 2 free spells (or whatever another mod determines), and vendors sell every spell. And if your race and class give no reason to start with magic, you don't. Hooray!
Argonians
Spoiler
With 21 skills, 10 races, and a guideline of one +10 per skill, one race had to get three +10's. Early versions gave this honor to Bosmer, but eventually I decided Argonians were a better choice because they already have bonuses within all three specializations. Giving them +10 to one skill each within Combat, Magic and Stealth solidifies their identity as the most adaptable race. They keep more of their poison and disease resistance than other races, and receive 50% shock resistance, something lore strongly implies and also the one missing element among racial resistances. Of course, water breathing stays too.
They also gain a racial power. In beta this was Sap Tongue (a reference to licking the Hist sap), low-magnitude but long-duration effect which restored all three of health, magicka and stamina, again to emphasize adaptability. Skyrim came along, and... well, either someone over there tried my mods, or they've got an employee who thinks like me! Argonians got the Histskin power which affects only health but otherwise might as well be my design. In a nod to forward-lore, I bumped up the magnitude and trimmed out stamina and magicka. This doesn't hurt the adaptability theme... everyone likes Health! Since there's already a Beast Tongue and a Dragon Skin, I settled on Histflesh.
They also gain a racial power. In beta this was Sap Tongue (a reference to licking the Hist sap), low-magnitude but long-duration effect which restored all three of health, magicka and stamina, again to emphasize adaptability. Skyrim came along, and... well, either someone over there tried my mods, or they've got an employee who thinks like me! Argonians got the Histskin power which affects only health but otherwise might as well be my design. In a nod to forward-lore, I bumped up the magnitude and trimmed out stamina and magicka. This doesn't hurt the adaptability theme... everyone likes Health! Since there's already a Beast Tongue and a Dragon Skin, I settled on Histflesh.
Bretons
Spoiler
The min/maxer's master race in vanilla... if you pay attention to numbers, there was little reason to pick anything else. Only 50 points from total magic immunity, +50 armor in a pinch, and a magicka bonus on top of it all! Of all the races, Bretons are the only one I deliberately nerfed: the bonus magicka is gone. They're still formidable casters without it; both sixes have 50 Willpower and 45 Intelligence, and they start with two good spells.
Instead of flat 50% magic resistance, they now have resist, reflect and absorb at 15% each, creating much more interesting results. (And remember, NPCs get this too!) Those three effects multiply with each other to create about 40% effective magic resistance, but each magnitude is low enough that they're not ridiculously easy to buff up into immunity. Finally, Dragon Skin is buffed to compensate: 30 points each of Fire, Frost and Shock Shield bring effective resistance against those elements to about 60%; and the built-in Shield effects add up to 90 points of armor, bringing you to the armor cap even when naked.
Instead of flat 50% magic resistance, they now have resist, reflect and absorb at 15% each, creating much more interesting results. (And remember, NPCs get this too!) Those three effects multiply with each other to create about 40% effective magic resistance, but each magnitude is low enough that they're not ridiculously easy to buff up into immunity. Finally, Dragon Skin is buffed to compensate: 30 points each of Fire, Frost and Shock Shield bring effective resistance against those elements to about 60%; and the built-in Shield effects add up to 90 points of armor, bringing you to the armor cap even when naked.
Dark Elves
Spoiler
Ancestor Guardian was my top example of a truly bad power, but it's still cool and unique in concept, so I went for the obvious solution: buff the ghost! He's now level 25, and uses a pair of custom spells which are basically stronger versions of a normal ghost's ranged and touch attacks, except based on fire instead of cold. To keep it from being too good at low levels, the duration is reduced to half your highest attribute.
Still, one good daily power and 50% fire resistance doesn't stand up to the competition. Dunmer have always been described as expertly blending together archery, swordplay and spellcasting, and I wanted to translate that into game mechanics beyond simple skill bonuses. So in TRAP, damaging a Dunmer fortifies his magicka. Taking a few hits in melee becomes a way to cast more spells, or even ones normally too expensive for you. Opening with arrows instead of magic conserves resources for that big finisher. Toward the end of a fight, a warrior could easily resemble a mage!
Still, one good daily power and 50% fire resistance doesn't stand up to the competition. Dunmer have always been described as expertly blending together archery, swordplay and spellcasting, and I wanted to translate that into game mechanics beyond simple skill bonuses. So in TRAP, damaging a Dunmer fortifies his magicka. Taking a few hits in melee becomes a way to cast more spells, or even ones normally too expensive for you. Opening with arrows instead of magic conserves resources for that big finisher. Toward the end of a fight, a warrior could easily resemble a mage!
High Elves
Spoiler
The Altmer are perhaps my least-changed race, because their racial identity is straightforward and functional: they're the guys with lots of magicka. There's not much magicka can't do, so it's a pretty good thing to have. (Removing the Breton magicka bonus reinforced the Altmer, too!) There are only three things worth noting here.
First: Immunity to paralysis was the classic High Elf ability in Daggerfall and Arena. With everything else they've got now, immunity's too good; but a healthy 50% resistance is a nod to the past I couldn't resist. Second: Like every race but one, they get a greater power. More magicka! (And again, Skyrim paralleled my idea... though this one's obvious enough that it's probably coincidence.) Third, and most important: your magicka bonus is not fixed at 100, but instead equals twice your highest attribute. This means that every Altmer, regardless of class or attribute focus, gets more magicka over the course of the game. Those who boost Intelligence get double returns, and those who take a different path aren't stuck with their starting pool.
First: Immunity to paralysis was the classic High Elf ability in Daggerfall and Arena. With everything else they've got now, immunity's too good; but a healthy 50% resistance is a nod to the past I couldn't resist. Second: Like every race but one, they get a greater power. More magicka! (And again, Skyrim paralleled my idea... though this one's obvious enough that it's probably coincidence.) Third, and most important: your magicka bonus is not fixed at 100, but instead equals twice your highest attribute. This means that every Altmer, regardless of class or attribute focus, gets more magicka over the course of the game. Those who boost Intelligence get double returns, and those who take a different path aren't stuck with their starting pool.
Imperials
Spoiler
These guys took over the continent? Well, let's make sure they deserve it. I like the idea of having one race with all powers and no passive abilities, but they need to be stronger.
Star of the West is really not that bad, though the magnitude is a bit low after early levels; boosted to 3x highest attribute, it's a solid single-target fight ender, able to knock most enemies to the ground with negative fatigue while topping you off. I got hit with it in the arena once. NPCs really do use powers! And I lost that fight.
Voice of the Emperor wasn't good for much except getting lower prices, but the base effect is appropriate, so I tried something crazy and it turned out to work: everyone in 60 feet is your best friend for a little while! This is a great combat-avoidance power now, lasting just long enough to get you away from an overpopulated bandit camp (and at higher levels, long enough to loot the chest in the back before running). Even if you're already fighting, yields will be accepted, and for the career criminal, guards will look the other way!
Two powers didn't seem like enough when that's all they get, so I added one. Pride of the Heartland fortifies your Luck, which translates to being quite a bit better at almost everything; especially handy when you suddenly have need of a skill you've neglected, or simply good for survival in the early game.
Star of the West is really not that bad, though the magnitude is a bit low after early levels; boosted to 3x highest attribute, it's a solid single-target fight ender, able to knock most enemies to the ground with negative fatigue while topping you off. I got hit with it in the arena once. NPCs really do use powers! And I lost that fight.
Voice of the Emperor wasn't good for much except getting lower prices, but the base effect is appropriate, so I tried something crazy and it turned out to work: everyone in 60 feet is your best friend for a little while! This is a great combat-avoidance power now, lasting just long enough to get you away from an overpopulated bandit camp (and at higher levels, long enough to loot the chest in the back before running). Even if you're already fighting, yields will be accepted, and for the career criminal, guards will look the other way!
Two powers didn't seem like enough when that's all they get, so I added one. Pride of the Heartland fortifies your Luck, which translates to being quite a bit better at almost everything; especially handy when you suddenly have need of a skill you've neglected, or simply good for survival in the early game.
Khajiit
Spoiler
Poor kitties had it almost as hard as the Bosmer! Eye of Fear was already up to TRAP standards; I made the duration scale, but reduced it to touch range. (Not really a penalty IMO, there's nothing worse than missing with a power.) Night-eye is important, but the implementation was terrible. There's the toggle option that several stand-alone mods use, but it doesn't seem like the sort of thing that should act like a spell; so now it doesn't. Night-eye automatically activates based on the amount of light currently striking a khajiit. (NPCs included, since there are stealth mods which check that now.)
That's half a race worth of abilities. On to the other half! Khajiit were my favorite race in Arena and Daggerfall because of their enormous jumping bonus. They've got the +10 Acrobatics boost, but that's a skill that anyone else can acquire. There's no good per-character way to boost jumping in Oblivion other than Acrobatics, and a larger passive boost didn't seem right, so I made it a power instead: Sugar boosts Acrobatics by a very large amount (guideline: every cat should be able to reach the roof), and Athletics by a fair bit as well to reflect the extra leg power. The piece that finally made me feel satisfied with khajiit was enabled by the latest OBSE plus Fundament: cats take half damage from falling (particuarly important if Sugar wears off right before you land).
That's half a race worth of abilities. On to the other half! Khajiit were my favorite race in Arena and Daggerfall because of their enormous jumping bonus. They've got the +10 Acrobatics boost, but that's a skill that anyone else can acquire. There's no good per-character way to boost jumping in Oblivion other than Acrobatics, and a larger passive boost didn't seem right, so I made it a power instead: Sugar boosts Acrobatics by a very large amount (guideline: every cat should be able to reach the roof), and Athletics by a fair bit as well to reflect the extra leg power. The piece that finally made me feel satisfied with khajiit was enabled by the latest OBSE plus Fundament: cats take half damage from falling (particuarly important if Sugar wears off right before you land).
Nords
Spoiler
One of my diversification guidelines was to ensure that the combat, magic and stealth specializations had equal representation. This is reflected in where the +10 skill bonuses were assigned; after trying a couple of options I settled on having six double-specialized races (both +10's in the same specialization), and three hybrids (+10 in two different categories). Argonians, as mentioned, round it out with a three-way split. Yet again I ran into the issue that combat skills are over-represented, and of the three obvious pure-combat races, one had to become combat-magic. (Dunmer are better suited to magic-stealth. In case you wonder, combat-stealth is khajiit.) Orcs? I had other plans for them which made magic a poor focus. Redguards? Every scrap of lore says they're consummate warriors. That left Nords. Now hear me out, I can justify this!
Nords are outspoken in their hatred for magic, but they're not being entirely honest with themselves. Thu'um is a proud and uniquely Nordic tradition, and is clearly magic of a sort whether or not they admit it. What do Nords really hate? Elves. Most conventional magic was developed and refined by elves, and to most Nords magic in general is guilty by association; but that doesn't mean they're inherently bad at it. In fact, Oblivion already gives them a +5 bonus to Restoration, and while Nordic mages may be pariahs to their people, they also seem perfectly competent. So in TRAP, that +5 became a +10 (justified by Skyrim: the Whiterun guards vocally respect Restoration!) and Nords start with a spell, Minor Respite (converts magicka to fatigue: perfect for a race insistent on claiming to be pure warriors).
Of course, their other traits got some attention too. Nordic Frost has been upgraded to Ysmir's Fist, with scaling damage and a crippling speed drain. Woad is replaced a constant 10-point Shield effect, which allows a skilled Nord to reach the armor cap without magical assistence.
Nords are outspoken in their hatred for magic, but they're not being entirely honest with themselves. Thu'um is a proud and uniquely Nordic tradition, and is clearly magic of a sort whether or not they admit it. What do Nords really hate? Elves. Most conventional magic was developed and refined by elves, and to most Nords magic in general is guilty by association; but that doesn't mean they're inherently bad at it. In fact, Oblivion already gives them a +5 bonus to Restoration, and while Nordic mages may be pariahs to their people, they also seem perfectly competent. So in TRAP, that +5 became a +10 (justified by Skyrim: the Whiterun guards vocally respect Restoration!) and Nords start with a spell, Minor Respite (converts magicka to fatigue: perfect for a race insistent on claiming to be pure warriors).
Of course, their other traits got some attention too. Nordic Frost has been upgraded to Ysmir's Fist, with scaling damage and a crippling speed drain. Woad is replaced a constant 10-point Shield effect, which allows a skilled Nord to reach the armor cap without magical assistence.
Orcs
Spoiler
While of course I've tried to make all the races equally fun to play, I've got to say that Orcs are my favorite from a design standpoint. This is probably because they're the only race where I just scrapped everything Bethesda did, and started from scratch; there was really no other way to make them properly distinct from Redguards. So where Imperials only get activated powers, Orcs only get passive abilities.
Berserk is now a benefit gained from being hurt. Relative to your percentage of damage, it grants half that percentage of magic resistance, and one fifth that percentage of damage reflection. For example, say you've got 120 base health and have taken 96 damage: that's 80% of your total, so you have Resist Magic 40 and Reflect Damage 16. The more you hurt an Orc, the harder it is to keep hurting him, and the more it hurts back!
Orcs have a second ability, which reinforces the "hard to kill" theme: if they have lower health than magicka (by percentage, not raw points), 2 points of magicka are converted to 1 point of health until the bars are even. This is a potent boost to total health, and also grants a trickle of health regeneration: when magicka regenerates to be higher than health, it gets converted. Roughly the opposite of the Dunmer ability, this poses a unique challenge to Orcs who pursue magic, but also gives unique benefits in return.
Berserk is now a benefit gained from being hurt. Relative to your percentage of damage, it grants half that percentage of magic resistance, and one fifth that percentage of damage reflection. For example, say you've got 120 base health and have taken 96 damage: that's 80% of your total, so you have Resist Magic 40 and Reflect Damage 16. The more you hurt an Orc, the harder it is to keep hurting him, and the more it hurts back!
Orcs have a second ability, which reinforces the "hard to kill" theme: if they have lower health than magicka (by percentage, not raw points), 2 points of magicka are converted to 1 point of health until the bars are even. This is a potent boost to total health, and also grants a trickle of health regeneration: when magicka regenerates to be higher than health, it gets converted. Roughly the opposite of the Dunmer ability, this poses a unique challenge to Orcs who pursue magic, but also gives unique benefits in return.
Redguards
Spoiler
This is the other race where I honestly wonder if someone on the Skyrim team borrowed an idea. (Not that I'd complain!) It's a fairly natural idea, though not as obvious as "more magicka" for the Altmer: Redguards are all about combat and, in a way, combat is all about fatigue. TRAP gives them a constant +50% bonus to fatigue regeneration, which doesn't sound exciting when I say it, but the gameplay effects are impressive. Adrenaline Rush no longer gives Endurance (that went to Bosmer) or Speed (too similar to Khajiit's Sugar), but it tops off your fatigue just in case, and the Strength/Agility boosts now scale. Note that Strength and Agility both give you more Fatigue, too. Redguards become the Altmer of fatigue, and it works surprisingly well.
Wood Elves
Spoiler
Getting this out of the way: I changed their resist from Disease to Poison. It was a diversity thing. Seems equally appropriate. Now, what to do about this terrible situation? Step 1: remove the level cap from Beast Tongue, and greatly extend its duration Morrowind-style.
Not enough. Drawing from the lore of the Wild Hunt, add a greater power to evoke that feral side without fully succumbing to it: Wild Aspect boosts Willpower and Endurance, giving Bosmer some much-needed tenacity.
Still not enough, but I found inspiration in the Pocket Guide to the Empire: "The Bosmer proved to be too undisciplined and prone to desertion for further use. They would sometimes walk into the shade of a single tree and vanish. Their forest-coupling skills are remarkable."
Based on this evocative description, I decided the Bosmer vanishing act should be more than just a Sneak bonus, and gave them a passive ability called Play of Shadows: if you are stationary, sneaking and undetected for a few seconds, you gain Invisibility, guaranteeing your ability to remain hidden. The effect is broken by movement, as well as anything that normally ends invisibility. The delay before the effect ranges from 1.5 to 6 seconds, depending on several factors: it takes longer if you were recently detected or broke it by means other than movement, and it takes twice as long indoors as outdoors. It also can't occur while swimming, because that's just silly. They're not Argonians.
Not enough. Drawing from the lore of the Wild Hunt, add a greater power to evoke that feral side without fully succumbing to it: Wild Aspect boosts Willpower and Endurance, giving Bosmer some much-needed tenacity.
Still not enough, but I found inspiration in the Pocket Guide to the Empire: "The Bosmer proved to be too undisciplined and prone to desertion for further use. They would sometimes walk into the shade of a single tree and vanish. Their forest-coupling skills are remarkable."
Based on this evocative description, I decided the Bosmer vanishing act should be more than just a Sneak bonus, and gave them a passive ability called Play of Shadows: if you are stationary, sneaking and undetected for a few seconds, you gain Invisibility, guaranteeing your ability to remain hidden. The effect is broken by movement, as well as anything that normally ends invisibility. The delay before the effect ranges from 1.5 to 6 seconds, depending on several factors: it takes longer if you were recently detected or broke it by means other than movement, and it takes twice as long indoors as outdoors. It also can't occur while swimming, because that's just silly. They're not Argonians.
