Character Creation

• The first thing you’ll do is create your character.
• At this point you can choose your character’s physical qualities like:
• Race
• Facial structure and look.
• Sex
• Age
• Hair Style
• The race is your most important selection at this point. A total of 10 races are available each with skill bonuses and special abilities that will effect how you play the game.
• Argonian: Reptilian swampland creatures with immunities to disease and poison and the ability to breath under water and skilled at picking locks.
• Breton: Skilled in spellcraft, particularly summoning and healing. Also resistant to magic.
• Dark Elf: Also known as Dunmer, they are balanced between the sword, bow and destructive magic and resistant to fire. They can also summon an ancestral ghost for aid.
• High Elf: Also known as Altmer, they are the strongest race in the use of the arcane arts. They are weak against fire, frost and shock attacks.
• Imperial: Native to Cyrodiil, they are shrewd diplomats and traders, skilled in heavy armor and social skills.
• Khajiit: Native to the provice of Elsweyr, this cat based race is known for their excellent agility and acrobatic skill. They can also see in the dark.
• Nord: This race is native to the land of Skyrim to the north of Cyrodiil. They are strong handy skilled warriors known for their resistance to the cold.
• Orc: Beast or person, Orcs are a fearsome class with hight strength and strong abilities in Heavy armor, Armorer and use of Blunt weapons.
• Redguard: These are the most talented warriors skilled in many weapon and armor styles. They are also resistant to poison and disease.
• Wood Elf: Also known as Bosmer, they are nimble and quick which makes them good thieves. They are also the best archers and can command simple creatures.
• The facial construction options are also very detailed which is forshadowing of the level of detail that the game will go.
• The first quest in the game is really a tutorial, which will allow you to sample some of the basic gameplay choices you have and it will further shape your characters attributes and skills.
• During the tutorial you’ll be asked to choose your birthsign.
• Choosing your birthsign is the second step in character creation and gives you another additional bonus to your character.
• At the close of the tutorial, the game will suggest the character class you might like based on how you handled the tutorial quest.
• Choosing your class is the most important selection of the game as it will have the largest effect on how you play the game.
• The game offers 21 predefined classes for you to choose, or as always you can create your own custom class which is very similar to what was found in Elder Scrolls III .
• The predefined character classes are:

• Each predefined class has a specialization, two favored attributes, and seven major skills.
• If you elect to create your own custom class then you will get to choose your own specialization, favored attributes and major skills.
• Selecting a “Specialization” allows you to define which set of skills your character will level up quicker with and starts you with a +10 bonus to each.
• Combat – Includes the skills:
• Block – Shield use and defense.
• Armorer – Fixing broken armor and weapons.
• Heavy Armor – Use of heavy armor.
• Blunt – Use of weapons like Axes and Hammers.
• Blade – Use of weapons like swords and knives.
• Athletics – Your ability to run fast and swim
• Hand to Hand – Your ability to fight bare handed.
• Magic – Includes the skills:
• Destruction – Magic like fireball and shock.
• Alteration – Magic like open easy lock and shield.
• Illusion – Magic like Charm and Create Light.
• Conjuration – Summon creatures or magical armor.
• Mysticism – Reflect or dispel magic.
• Restoration – Healing magic.
• Alchemy – Create potions from ingredients.
• Stealth – Includes the skills:
• Security – Pick locks.
• Sneak – Move unseen.
• Acrobatics – Jumping higher and falling further.
• Light Armor – Use of light armor.
• Marksman – Use of a bow and arrow.
• Mercantile – Get better prices for buying or selling.
• Speechcraft – Persuading others.
• Each skill is a gameplay aspect that you will use on your adventures ranging from mini games to use of items in combat to just how you move around the world.
• You’ll also get to choose two favored attributes to receive a +5 bonus.
• The attributes will not be affected by gameplay elements directly but will be increased when your character levels up.
• They will have an impact on how easily your character can uses skills that are governed by those attributes.
• There are eight attributes for you to choose from.
• Strength – Controls how much you can carry.
• Intelligence – Affects total magicka and its use.
• Willpower – Affects how quickly magicka is regenerated.
• Agility – Affects your ability to move, your total fatigue and the damage done with bows.
• Speed – Affects how fast you move.
• Endurance – Affects how much fatigue you have, your health and how much it will increase when you gain a level.
• Personality – Affects how much people like you which affect the accuracy of the information you get.
• Luck – Has an effect on everything but governs no skills.
• Finally you will choose seven skills out of the 21 to be your major skills which are important for leveling up your character.
• These skills are the skills that determine when your character gains a level.
• Skill experience ranges from 0 to 100, and raising any combination of your seven major skills 10 levels will raise your characters level by one.
• Leveling up your character will then allow you to select three attributes for upgrading.
• Each will afford between a 1 and 5 points bonus to that attribute.  
• The number of points an attribute will upgrade is not in your power, though choosing which three skills to upgrade is.
• You can raise a skills level by using that skill.
• For some it’s as easy as just sneaking around or running.
• For others, there might be a little mini game associated to the skill
• Lockpicking requires you to unlock a certain number of tumblers.
• Speachcraft involves matching a speech selection to the appropriate emotion of the target.
• Each skill’s experience level is broken into five different mastery levels.
• Novice – Level 0 – 24
• Apprentice – Level 25-49
• Journeyman – Level 50-74
• Expert – Level 75 – 99
• Master – Level 100
• Each mastery level will provide bonuses to you which usually make using the skill easier.
• The combination of Race, Birthsign and Class, makes a huge difference on how your character will perform.
• For example if you choose the combinations that makes a strong mage, then you will have a higher Magicka limit, allowing you to cast more powerful spells, where other class combinations will limit your total Magicka making it impossible to cast some of the more devastating spells.
• This never prevents you from completing any quests in the game, but it will definitely change how you play those quests.
• Once your character is created you’ll have hundreds of hours to build them into the ultimate powerhouse of your choice.