Character races

According to Bethesda's hint book, increased attributes have a starting range of 50 to 70 while decreased attributes have a starting range of 30 to 50. A normal range is 40 to 60. Remember that you can roll the dice as many times as you like and you get bonus points to add to your attributes (translation: don't take these too seriously).

ARGONIANS

MALE: Increased AGI, SPD; Decreased END

FEMALE: Increased STR, Decreased END

BRETONS

MALE: Increased INT, WIL; Decreased STR, END

FEMALE: Increased INT, WIL; Decreased STR, END

DARK ELVES

MALE: Increased STR, INT; Decreased WIL, PER

FEMALE: Increased INT; Decreased WIL

HIGH ELVES

MALE: Increased INT, WIL; Decreased STR, END

FEMALE: Increased INT, PER; Decreased STR, END

KHAJIIT

MALE: Increased END; Decreased WIL, AGI

FEMALE: Increased LUC

NORDS

MALE: Increased STR, END; Decreased INT, WIL, AGI

FEMALE: Increased LUC; Decreased INT

REDGUARDS

MALE: Increased AGI, LUC; Decreased INT, WIL, END

FEMALE: Increased SPD, LUC; Decreased STR, INT, WIL, END

WOOD ELVES

MALE: Increased AGI, SPD; Decreased END, LUC

FEMALE: no pluses or minuses

Custom character generation

You can forego one of the pre-made classes and create a unique class (most players do – custom characters is one of Daggerfall’s greatest assets). What you put into your class depends upon your own desires and ideas, but there are a few tricks you can use to help your character.

Attributes

The basic class you are creating starts with all attributes set at 50 (maybe or maybe not modified by race). You may add as many points to any attribute as you would like, however, you must also subtract an equal number of points from other attributes. These stats are the minimum requirements for the class. When you roll up your character, your stats will be equal to or higher than these, plus you’ll have a few bonus points to distribute as you like. The two attributes that are most often sacrificed are Personality and Luck.

Two areas where your attributes directly affect your game play, regardless of your class, are your Encumbrance and your Fatigue. The amount of weight that you can carry (your Encumbrance) is 1.5 times your Strength. The amount of time you can keep on trucking without having to rest (your fatigue) is equal to your Strength plus your Endurance.

Skills

You must choose your skills for your new class. While the choices depend upon your character concept, there are a few items that will make life easier:

1) You should always take a melee weapon (even Hand-to-Hand) as either a Primary or Major skill. Be careful that you don’t take a weapon skill you will later regret when you start adding disadvantages (it's kind of silly to take Blunt Weapon as a Primary Skill and then restrict your class from using it).

2) Some skills (Medical, Stealth, Dodging, Critical Strike, etc.) will develop on their own. Placing one as a Primary or Major skill will give it a head start. This is especially true of Medical. Once it hits 50, the only way to develop the skill is to rest frequently and for short periods of time.

3) Taking even a single School of Magic as a Primary, Major or Minor skill will give you starting spells (typically Shock, Chameleon and Slowfall).

4) Once you reach skill 51% in any skill you will no longer be able to get training in that skill. From that point, you must develop it on your own for the rest of the game.

There are a couple of schools of thought on which skills to place as Primaries and Majors. One argument says to place the skills you will be using most frequently in these slots. This will help you gain levels quickly, but will also mean tougher critters at an earlier point in the game. The opposite argument says to put less-used skills in these slots so you can have some measure of control over when you go up in levels. The drawback to this is developing those skills past 50 since you have to do it without the help of a trainer.