In Oblivion, the one thing that irritated me was that it appeared every single NPC had a completely pure bloodline in terms of race, with not a single cross-breed. Obviously, this was done because graphics for cross-breeds would be almost impossible to implement, for example, an Orc-Khajiit hybrid. However, for Skyrim, I think that it could be done very simply: the NPC looks like only one of the races, with perhaps one defining characteristic that shows it is a cross-breed, but it's starting skill bonuses would be half of both of it's parent races; e.g for Oblivion bonuses, a cross between an Altmer and a Breton would be:
+10 Intelligence (both altmer and breton have +10)
+5 Willpower (Breton has +10)
-10 Speed
-5 Strength
-5 Endurance
-5 Agility
+10 Mysticism
+5 Restoration, Destruction
+7.5 Conjuration, Alteration
+5 Alchemy, Illusion

There were no crossbreeds in Oblivion because the TES lore has it that the child of two races is always the mother's race, with very minor features from the father. It takes dozens of generations of crossbreeding to cause noticeable changes (as was the case with the Bretons).

I've always wondered why the inhabitants of Tamriel had such big social stigmas surrounding mixed race relationships.
It would be great to have the chance at the beginning to pick a cross breed race. I think they don't do it because there's already 10 races. Other fantasy style games that do allow cross breeds only have a few starting races (human, elf, dwarf, maybe orc) and they need cross or half breeds to add more variety. With 10 races in the Elder Scrolls, that seems to be plenty of options for customization.

Exactly, a very smart rule by Beth to make things less complicated. If we have body types, genders, races AND hybrid races... it wouldn't work.

The Bretons are a result of Aldmeri/Nedic interbreeding. So it's already happened.

What about the gray prince?

Right but you still can't choose to have a crossbreed race. You're stuck with the standard 10. I think the OP was stating how it would be to choose a Dark Elf/ Wood Elf hybrid or Nord/Breton. Something like that.

an altmer would never cross breed their whole culture is about staying pure and perserving their ancesters bloodlines

Its more of an rp thing, but as someone mentioned the hybrid is basically the race of the mother. Besides, you can just make your own hybrid in the cs, its easy and takes about 4 minutes to do

Idk. Imperial + Khajiit could probably get the game banned in some states and countries.

Meh, we already have 10 races and there is a point where it seems like we're just asking too much from the devs. And in the lore as someone pointed out the hybrid race takes the race of the mother.

orc-khajiit? ha.. a furry orc with ears. I get your point though. In WOW there are blood elves and those are human/elves. That would be a cool thing to add in! not an orc-khajiit though. "All hail Dragon Born!!!! Hero of Skyrim!" *Curtain Opens, Crowd starts to cheer but stops* "What the [censored] is that?"

Read... I believe it's the 'Real Barenziah' sometime.

I don't need mulatto races in my ES.

No, Blood Elves aren't a crossbreed. When the High Elves lost their arcane magic fountain, a number of High Elves decided to find a new source, to satiate their hunger for magic. Those became the Blood Elves, but the only distinguishable trait is their green eyes, rather than their old blue eyes. Also the fact that they like red and gold, instead of the blue and silver color arrangement that the High Elves had.

Anyway, enough WoW though. This is Elder Scrolls we need to talk about.

I like the idea of crossbreeding, but... I don't know, I guess I've just grown accustomed to the 10 races. An Argonian-Bosmer crossbreed named "Fargoth-Wears-Scales" would be a horrific sight indeed.

More or less not possible in the lore.

Hey guys, I may be out of line here, but couldn't it be possible to mold an existing race to make it look like a mixed race? I mean, I may only have created a dunmer with green skin once, but I'm sure that's just the work of "heretical" chaotic forces.

But seriously, Beth pretty much ruled out 50/50 mixed races. It's more accurate to say ~98F/~2M, so the offspring of two different races will result in the mother's race, making that person just as though (s)he were a purebred. Dad's traits only get thrown in subtly (ex. a dunmer mom and nord dad will produce a dunmer child for all intents and purposes, with the child maybe slightly stronger, more tolerant of alcohol, or etc). The only time there has been a noticeable half race is with the bretons, which was centuries and semi-closed breeding of aldmer and nedes. And don't use RL genetics, as this is a freaking fantasy game where myth is real, the world you are standing on is a bunch of pieces of aedra, and your souls get recycled.

I thought vivec was a altmer/dunmer hybrid?

What? NO! Do your research on the V-man before you jump to conclusions! For one, Vivec was a Chimer before Azura's curse. Plus, Vivec is a god; he could yell "inyuk chuk" and grow 1000 ft if he wanted to. No, Vivec's form was purposely made that. He's a god of duality, and what better way to be a god of duality, than have your form look that way too (plus, he has male and female genitalia). One half is Chimer (not altmer) and the other dunmer.

Mother was an orc, father an Imperial vampire.
So he's an orc.. but the vampire, molag bal curse has left him with vampiric traits.
A half breed in name, a unique creature by curse, but an Orc in most, all respects from what I understand.
Just as many others could be called half breeds, but due to the fact they take the race of their mothers, this is just generally an insult.
In Morrowind mixing of blood lines was frowned apon, in Altmer all half breeds would be killed, even though they would be 90 - 99% Altmer if born to a Altmer mother.
Gaaah, where's me rubiks cube.


Yes, the best example of a famous half race would be Jagar Tharn, a whole mix of elves and possibly human.
Using the Facegen alone it was possible to morph any feature from a specific race to a generic could be anything one.
Mods of course allow for even more.

Well, the more famous example would be this webcomic, somewhere, where the main person was an imperial, but was blue like a dunmer and had a dunmer mom. Forgot what it was called though. It also had a robe with the emperor Uriel's face on it.

Argonian + Khajiit hybrids.

I think that I do not need to say anything else to drive my point home.

Bad avatar of Nurgle, stop nit picking.. jk.

I meant that it was the best example I could think of, man forum users are so literal.

I have not seen that, if you remember anymore about it please post, it sounds fun.

I was being silly, gawl! Any who, still trying to look for it, as it was a good chuckle.

EDIT: http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/fms/Image.php?id=38699. The comic, though, looks like it has been taken down.

I read that, i still remember the guard freaking out looking at the quest arrow over the city lol, is it oblivious in oblivion?