Character generation

When you first enter the game you must create a character. Character generation in "Daggerfall" is as free form as the rest of the game. Your first step will be to choose a race for your character.

According to the opening dialog, races have unique attributes that can enhance or detract from your character's abilities. Mostly these are modifications to the range allowed for the initial roll-up of the character attributes. The manual gives a good description of racial benefits, but the High Elf immunity to paralysis is probably the handiest for the new player.

You must also choose your character’s gender. There is a slight difference between male and female attributes, at least for the standard classes, but there does not appear to be any difference in custom class generation.

Your class does not have an effect on the treasure you will find, but gender will affect the styles of clothing and Cuirasses you find. All else is equal between genders and classes.

Unlike traditional CRPG’s, "Daggerfall" does not award levels based on how many critters you kill or how much treasure you accumulate. Instead, your level is determined by skill development. In other words, a mage doesn’t gain levels for beating something to death with a weapon. He gains levels by using magic. A Thief gains levels for being sneaky and other thief-like things, and so forth. How well your character is able to perform certain actions is a function of his/her skill level in various areas.

Your skills are broken down into 4 categories: Primary (3 skills), Major (3 skills), Minor (6 skills) and Miscellaneous (everything else). Not counting race and gender bonuses/penalties, Primary skills tend to start in the high 20’s to mid 30’s. Major skills start in the high teens to mid 20’s. Minor skills start in the mid teens. Miscellaneous skills usually start around 5%.

PRE-MADE CLASSES

There are 18 "canned" character classes. These classes have set skills, benefits and restrictions. The classes basically break down into three categories: spell slingers, skull crushers, and sneaks (or "mages", "warriors" and "thieves"). Most combine skills of two or more of these categories, except the Monk, which is pretty much in a class by itself. You will frequently encounter all but two of these classes as opponents over the course of the game. The two classes you will probably not encounter very frequently are the Acrobat and Healer. This is either Bethesda's way of telling you that these two classes lack serious offensive capabilities or a malfunction of the random critter generating subroutine.

Race affects pre-made classes more than Custom Classes. I've included the information on race provided by Bethesda, in a separate chart but do not vouch for its accuracy.

Mage

Mages are moderately wimpy characters at the start of the game. Their low combat skills and armor restrictions pretty much ensure that they will die frequently (advice: save often). Having all six schools of magic as Primary and Major skills makes it possible to gain levels quickly and puts the highest levels within easy reach. Dumping all 6 bonus skill points into Short Blade, selecting the Ebony Dagger in the background questions, and building END for more health points per level, followed by AGI and SPD early in the game make combat a bit more survivable at lower levels.

MAGE
PRIMARY SKILLS: Mysticism, Alteration, Thaumaturgy		ADVANTAGES: 2x Intelligence in Spell Points DISADVANTATES: No long-blade, axe or missile, No Chain or Plate, Buckler only
MAJOR SKILLS: Illusion, Destruction, Restoration
MINOR SKILLS: Medical, Short Blade, Blunt Weapon, Dragonish, Daedric, Dodging
HP/LEVEL: 6	Increased: INT & WILL Decreased: STR, END, SPD, AGI	STARTING SPELLS: Lock, Shock, Heal, Water Walking, Slowfall