The first step in starting a new game is character creation. Follow these steps to begin play.
Step 1: Race and GenderEdit
You will begin the process by selecting your home province. A map of Tamriel is displayed, and clicking on a province will give you a short description of its inhabiting race and a confirmation box. Note that the Imperial Province is not an option.
Once you've selected your race, you must choose a gender. Gender will not affect your character's abilities.
Step 2: ClassEdit
You will next choose one of the eighteen predefined classes from a list, make a custom class by selecting "Custom" at the bottom of the same list, or answer a questionnaire that will generate your class from among the predefined classes based on your answers.
Each class has different primary, major and minor skills, special advantages, and special disadvantages. As your class will have a significant impact on gameplay, take care to choose or create a class that suits your playstyle.
Generate ClassEdit
You will be presented with ten scenarios, each with three possible responses. Each of the answers steers your fate in a different direction. While you respond to the questions, there are three constellations visible on the screen: Thief, Mage, and Warrior. When you choose an answer, the constellation corresponding to your answer is highlighted by a blue bolt of lightning. With every lightning strike, one of the three constellations becomes brighter in the dark blue sky.
The scenarios will be presented on a piece of parchment, rolled up at the ends. To scroll down, click on the top roll of the parchment. To scroll up, click on the lower roll of the parchment. To select an answer, simply press the corresponding letter: A, B, or C.
After the ten questions have been answered, the game will calculate your class dependent on how many of each type of answer you chose. You can either accept or decline the given class. If you accept, you will be moved into the next step of character creation: generating your character's background. If you decline, you will be able to manually choose the class you wish from the Choose Class menu, and then continue normally with the character creation process.
The following table contains all scenarios you may be presented with, including the archetypes your answers will lean towards:
| Scenarios |
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On a clear day you chance upon a strange animal, its leg trapped in a hunter's clawsnare. Judging from the bleeding it will not survive long. Do you:
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One summer afternoon your father gives you a choice of chores. Would you rather:
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Your father and you are returning from the town market when you see a small boy running from a store. In his hands he clutches a loaf of bread. Behind him races the baker with a cleaver in his hands. You know that the boy must be hungry, but the town is suffering from a drought, which has made food valuable. Do you:
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Your father tells you one night the story of his battle at Borim Valley, where his men had routed the enemy. They would have captured them all if not for the brave sacrifice of a young Sergeant on the opposing side, who held a pass long enough for his men to retreat to safety. He had done so knowing that it would cost him his life. If you had been that man would you have:
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Your mother sends you to the market with a list of goods to buy. After you finish you find that by mistake a shopkeeper has given you too much money back in exchange for one of the items. Do you:
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While in a market place you witness a thief cut a purse from a noble. Even as he does so the noble notices and calls for the city guards. In his haste to get away, the thief drops the purse near you. Surprisingly, no one seems to notice the bag of coins at your feet. Do you:
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Your father sends you on a task which you loathe, cleaning the stables. On the way there, pitchfork in hand, you run into your friend from the homestead near your own. He offers to do it for you, in return for a future favor of his choosing. Do you:
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Your mother asks you to help fix the stove. While you are working a very hot pipe slips its moorings and falls towards her. Do you:
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While in town the baker gives you a sweetroll. Delighted you take it into an alley to enjoy, only to be intercepted by a gang of three other kids your age. The leader demands the sweetroll, or else he and his friends will beat you and take it. Do you:
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Entering town you find that you are witness to a very well dressed man running from a crowd. He screams to you for help. The crowd behind him seems very angry. Do you:
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You and your best friend buy your first daggers together, a matched pair. You loan him the amount since he doesn't have enough gold, and he agrees to pay you back later. After leaving the shop you and he sit down to marvel at your new weapons. To your dismay you notice that there is a small notch on the blade of the dagger you selected. Your friend asks you to please watch his weapon for him while he runs an errand. Do you:
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You are at weapons practice. Your Armsmaster is very old now, but takes his teaching very seriously. In fact you have heard him comment that it is all he has left in life. Today he has ceaselessly taunted you at every mistake. Finally he asks you to attack him with the same technique you just did, in an effort to show you the proper execution. Do you:
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While throwing a ball to you your friend breaks a window on his house. His father rushes out and demands to know who broke the window. You know that your friend's father is a strict disciplinarian and will punish your friend severely if he takes the blame. You on the other hand, not being his son, could get away virtually unscathed. Do you:
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Your Armsmaster during a lesson on strategy remarks, 'The best victory is to completely and totally humiliate your opponent'. He then turns to you and asks you if you agree with him. You know the Armsmaster has been in numerous life and death conflicts and has the experience of a seasoned warrior. Do you:
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The senior student in your weapons class has trounced you unmercifully for the past several years. Today is the Tournament of Students and you find with dismay that you are paired against him for your first match. As you prepare your friend approaches and offers to tell you of an injury the senior student suffered in yesterday's sparring class, which you missed. Do you:
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An old man stops you on the way to market, claiming to have been robbed. He is lying on the trail and seems gravely injured. He asks you to run to town and get the constable. You give him your word that you will go directly to town and bring the constable back. As you make your way back you notice a suspicious man creeping along another trail. He doesn't seem to notice you yet. Do you:
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While fishing one sunny afternoon you find that the boots which you discarded are now full of ants who are busily making their way from a piece of bread you dropped to their anthill. Do you:
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You hear the Armsmaster remark during weapons class, 'The intent of your opponent can be seen in his blade'. Many of the students scoff at this, though not openly. Do you:
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The town has a lottery in which the winning chit is called. You look in shock as the winning chit number matches your own! Before you can say anything another family walks forward. You have seen them before and know that they are extremely poor. Your family on the other hand is very well off, and could do without the 100 gold piece prize. Do you:
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Your Armsmaster poses a question one day to his class. A company of 100 men is attempting to flee from the enemy. There are two paths out of the broken stronghold. One path will kill half the men under the officers command, but the other half would survive. The other path has a fifty percent chance that everyone would die, but also a fifty percent chance that everyone would survive. As the commanding officer would you:
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You have a great aunt and a great uncle living in two different nearby villages, both of whom have asked your father to allow you to live with them for a few weeks. Your father knows where he plans to send you, but he is curious about your opinion. Given the choice, would you rather:
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A friend has on several occassions [sic] made remarks about how much he likes a particular gold ring of yours. One day you discover that this ring is missing and after making a thorough search, find it in a coat your friend had left in your pantry. Are you most inclined to:
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A good friend of yours is in love with a girl from a neighboring village, a girl who barely knows him. He is extremely shy and inexperienced, and he pleads for your help. Would you suggest he:
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Your Armmaster is relating the story of a great king he knew in a faraway land whose inventors created a wondrous balloon of such size, it could transport dozens of people through the air to any place they chose. If you were this king, he asks you, how would you use this remarkable balloon? Would you:
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There is a lot of heated discussion at the local tavern over a group of people called 'Telepaths'. They have been hired by certain City-State kings. Rumor has it these Telepaths read a person's mind and tell their lord whether a follower is telling the truth or not. You believe:
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You are told that a young man has been caught by the village guards and accused of murder. Apparently, his brother was killed by a group of four ruffians in a local tavern, and in his grief, the young man tracked each of them down and murdered them. Upon reflection, you believe that:
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One night, walking home, you are attacked by a young man you know from class. You defend yourself ably and knock him unconscious. While he is out, you:
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Your father delights in telling you stories of his travels in his youth. In one memorable tale, he tells you about a primitive island he visited where a young child was sacrificed once a year to appease Arius, the God of Fire. Whenever the natives neglected the sacrifice, the island volcano would erupt, killing hundreds of villagers. You immediately tell your father:
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Your Armsmaster introduces a new student to the class - a small, awkward boy named Tys who does not seem to have any natural talent at all. The class is divided into two sides for a mock battle and, as one of the 'generals', you are to assign your soldiers to positions. Tys is one of your men. You decide to:
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Your mother is terribly ill and you have been sent with a few gold pieces to buy some rare, medicinal herbs for her. As you reach the door to the apothecary's, you realize there is a hole in your purse and all the gold has fallen out. Do you:
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A boat you are in is suddenly caught in a tremendous whirlpool. As the current reaches an impossible velocity, the little boat begins springing leaks and starts to sink under the vortex. You can see no way out that does not promise death, so you:
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You're hunting in the King's Hunt, a contest in which the best hunter will win riches enough to live comfortably for the rest of his or her life. You track a white stag many of you had shot at earlier. You are alone as you examine the stag and recognize the arrow as one fired from your friend's bow. As you retrieve the arrow for closer examination you hear your friends arrive. Do you:
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One month after Tales and Tallows, you look at the horde of treats you have collected and find lots of brandied plums, a treat you particularly dislike. You know your younger sister likes them. Do you:
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Your cousin has given you a very embarassing [sic] nickname and, even worse, likes to call you it in front of your friends. You have asked him to stop, but he finds it very amusing to watch you blush. What do you do?:
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Othisa, a friend, has been beat by a boy several years older than either you or her. She asks for your help. Are you more inclined to:
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Your parents are having a party for several relatives. While helping around the house, you see your cousin slip into a darkened room. Curious, you follow and discover him slipping a silver candlestick into his jacket. He is an honorable boy, but you know his family has suffered some recent financial hardship. He has not seen you yet, do you:
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While exploring the woods with two other adventurers, you come across a small, abandoned hut that seems to have once belonged to a mage. Looking through the window, you see the remains of a laboratory, many potions and scrolls still on the shelves. Geotina, who thinks you a cowardly sort, suggests breaking into the shack and exploring. Another fighter named Hunard suggests going to town to find out more information. You advise:
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It is a particularly grueling class. Your Armsmaster has been unreasonably demanding on everyone, including you. His criticisms seem to border on abuse, and it seems he has no positive comments to make. He turns to berate you at the end of class, and over his shoulder, you see some classmates put an aggressive but non-poisonous snake in his hand sack. You would:
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Because you expressed interest, your Armsmaster told you a few hints about recognizing magical weaponry. Later you are practicing archery with a few friends. One boy who was never a strong archer has become something of a sharpshooter. You suddenly realize that he is using magical arrows. What do you do?:
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Practicing alone, you develop a new fighting style you are very excited about. When you mention it to your Armsmaster, he tells you it would never work in practical combat. Do you:
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As a general guide in choosing your actions in these scenarios, warriors are portrayed as honorable and brave people who will never back off on a promise. Mages strive for knowledge, make balanced decisions, and listen to those who are wiser and more experienced. Thieves are innovative; always thinking of new ideas and inventions. However, they are less ethical in their work, and always ready to change sides if it means greater profit.
Step 3: BackgroundEdit
You will next generate a background for your character based on your class (or the class you are most like, if you created a custom class), which will affect your starting skills, equipment, and reputation. You can either have the game randomly generate your background, or answer a series of questions to exert more control over the process.
Step 4: Name and FaceEdit
You will next type a name for your character and select a face based on your chosen race and gender; neither will affect your character's abilities.
Step 5: AttributesEdit
Next, the starting values for your character's eight attributes will be displayed. You will receive anywhere from 0 to 10 extra points in each attribute, and 6 to 14 bonus points to distribute among the various attributes. You can also reroll, which will again randomize your attributes' starting values and bonus points, or save a roll to later load it after a reroll.
Step 6: SkillsEdit
After determining your starting attributes, you will be shown your starting skill values and given an opportunity to distribute six bonus points among your primary skills, six points for your major skills, and six points for your minor skills.
Here is how the starting skill values are calculated:
- Primary skills will start with 25 points
- Major skills will start with 15 points
- Minor skills will start with 10 points
- Miscellaneous skills will start with 0 points
- If a skill is modified by Background choices, then it will be increased by those values directly with no randomization
- If a skill is not modified by Background, it will instead be increased by a random roll of 3 to 6 extra points
For example, if Hand-to-Hand is one of your Primary skills and one of your Background answers gave it a 6 point boost, then it will begin at 31. If two of your answers each gave it a 6 point boost, it will begin at 37. If none of your answers boosted it, then it will begin at 28 to 31.
This process results in generally expected scores of 28 to 31 for Primary, 18 to 21 for Major, 13 to 16 for Minor, and 3 to 6 for Miscellaneous, but these values could end up higher (or in rare cases, lower) depending on Background.
Step 7: ReflexesEdit
Finally, you will be asked to select a reflex level, which is intended to determine how quickly your foes move and attack, and is inversely related with how fast your character improves their skills (see Bugs).
The next screen will show an overview of your character and given one last chance to make adjustments, restart the process, or begin the game.
Once you have completed all of the above steps, you will set sail for Daggerfall. Your ship will crash, and your character will then start the game in Privateer's Hold.
NotesEdit
- Daggerfall Unity handles starting skill calculation differently, by rolling random values of 28 to 31 for Primary Skills, 18 to 21 for Major Skills, 13 to 16 for Minor Skills, and 3 to 6 for Miscellaneous Skills, then adding any bonuses from Background on top of these values. This results in higher starting skills than in the original game, and may also result in a lower maximum level, due to fewer points being needed for those skills to reach their cap.
BugsEdit
- In the DOS version of Daggerfall, the reflex level increases or decreases your character's rate of skill advancement, but enemy speed is not affected and always runs at the fastest level.[1] This is fixed in Daggerfall Unity.
- In the DOS version of Daggerfall, if you reach the end of character creation and choose to restart, all the items received from your previous Background choices will remain in the new character's starting inventory. Each repetition of this will add more items, even different types of items if repeated with different classes.