I usually try and make a character of every race in TES games starting from my favourite race (Nord) and working to my least favourite (probably orsimer). I try to make each different and base them on their racial stats and lore. I also try to dress them ethnically to suit their race.

For Redguards I used to dress them in Dwarven armor and I did make a character in Skyrim like this but she didn't play well and was to much like my Imperial so I've decide to re-do her. As I'm redesigning her stats I've noticed that Redguards no longer get bonuses in either armor but do get bonuses in Alteration magic. This makes good as I haven't got a warrior who uses alteration instead of armor. I have a Breton who is similar as she uses alteration and conjures a weapon but she wears robes and my Redguard will wear Hammerfell gard so it'll make an interesting build. Redgaurds are good with one-handed and block so I'm gonna go scimitar and dwarven shield.

So whats my point and whys it in the lore section?

What I want to know is what is the Redguards view on magic nowadays present Tamriel? I know it used to be assumed that they were mostly against magic but it seems that their lore is actually semi-acceptable towards it. Especially as they get an additional bonus in destruction if chosen path.

Is there any references that covers Redgaurds, Hammerfell and magic as it now seems that they are a race that sits on the fence.

Redguards were never a fan of magic of any kind (other than Destruction, and whatever sword-singing is). Sword-Singing is probably where the Skyrim devs were trying to o, but it just ended up making them spellblades (which is the role that Imperials used to cover).

There's a Redguard from the Mages' Guild in Oblivion that talks about this stuff.

They don't have a julianos-like god if I remember. They have a god of war, a talos-like god-emperor (of war ), and a goddess of aberrant swordmanship^^. Redguards from the north are said to be more open-minded to imperial divines but given how dragontail mountains were plagued by evil witches and that their most mystical group are sword-singers (nords have greybeards, bretons have direnni, etc)... I think mages don't have an easy life there*.

In the new racial stats the Redguards get a +5 for Alteration. They must be likened to it, surely?

Not at all, Bethesda pulled a complete 180° with Redguard.

In Morrowind they were "the most talented warriors in the empire" and had strictly combat-based perks.
In Oblivion they took it a step further. The Mages Guild had a token black guy by the name of Trayvond the Redguard. Trayvond specifically called attention to the fact that he was one of only two redguards you would see in the entire mages guild, and he explained that this was because the Redguard HATE all forms of magic, believing them to be wicked. Trayvond himself was a little more liberal, utilizing destruction and alteration but stating he still hated illusion and conjuration with a passion. Nevertheless, Trayvond was an oddity and not representative of the average Redguard.
There was also a dungeon where you could find a Redguard necromancer who specifically fled Hammerfell BECAUSE everyone wanted to kill him for practicing magic.


The sudden adoption of magic without a problem by the Redguard is practically a retcon. I suppose they're meant to have no problem with alteration and destruction while hating everything else, but I'd still think twice about utilizing magic as a Redguard.

200 years ago ethnic minorities and woman couldn't vote, most people lived on farms in poverty and children would be working the fields by the time they were 7. Fashions and tastes were almost completely different, as were political and moral views. Things change, as they have done in Tamriel. Redguards might have become more accepting of magic during their war with the Aldmeri Dominion because of finding magic to be more effective at countering the goblins and battlemages of Altmer armies than swords and shields. Fighting fire with fire.

How does one protect themselves when there is little to no armor? Alteration!

I believe you mean Spellswords.

As for the OP, I still would be wary of using magic as a Redguard. Not much explanation is presented. I suppose you could use Alteration? A Redguard mage in Oblivion talked about how almost all of them hate magic, and even he refuses to touch the schools of Illusion (Tampering with the mind), Conjuration (Trafficking with Daedra and abusing the dead), and Mysticism (Trapping souls) for those reasons. Now that Mysticism is gone, and soul trap is under Conjuration, I'd imagine they would hate it even more. Alteration seem's like something they would warm up to though. Magic armor when real armor fails. But now that Paralysis is under Alteration instead of Illusion, I'd doubt they would want to use that. It's a unfair advantage of sorts.

Edit: nevermind.

If I had to guess, they adopted Alteration for the Stoneflesh line of spells. The mobility of simple clothing while offering protection seems pretty sweet, I must admit.

A Redguard using alteration doesn't necessarily make him a mage.

If a Redguard from Hammerfell wear Hammerfell Garb as we see the NPC Redgaurds such as the Alik'r in Skyrim all wearing then they will have to rely on Alteration to balance their armor rating against enemies. It makes perfect sense considering that they even get a racial bonus in Alteration.

With all the hot weather in Hammerfell I'm sure many common Redguard folk living around the desert would prefer to use alteration magic over armor. I'm sure its more the military that would use armor. Other than Alteration for defence it seems that they rely on warrior skills for everything else (one-handed, block etc)