How to Make Good Characters in Skyrim (How to Roleplay)

In our latest Elder Scrolls video we dive into our methods for creating character builds in Skyrim & we also elaborate on roleplaying in games in general.

GREAT ROLEPLAYING MODS:

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an open world action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fifth main installment in The Elder Scrolls series and was released worldwide on November 11, 2011. The game's main story revolves around the player character and their quest to defeat Alduin the World-Eater, a dragon who is prophesied to destroy the world. The videogame is set two hundred years after the events of Oblivion, and takes place in the fictional province of Skyrim.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

[themightyculsh]

First time I played Skyrim, I created a one eyed nord called Olaf (I was influenced by spongebob). Imagine my surprise when npcs mentioned Olaf one-eye

[Gaia_Gaistar]

I did an npc blacksmith build once and ended up living at the Hearthfire cabin outside of Falkreath, riding here and there to sell my wares. Ended up getting married and adopting kids. I kept it going for far longer than you might imagine, it was chill.

[arcaneknight]

I'm currently role-playing as Nicolus Cagius, a famous Imperial actor with the mental stability of Cicero and Sheogorath. Role-play-ception.

[nightterror]

Everyone: You are dragonborn, you're the only one who can defeat Alduin and save tamriel.

My Khajiit in jester clothes who wields a fork: *_Chuckles, _* I'm in danger.

[genericordinaryname]

I used to be a young role player like you, until I became a stealth archer.

[theinternetpolice]

I've never been a big RPer, but I always equip civillian clothes when entering cities if I'm using Dark Brotherhood armor. Makes no sense as to why a dark brotherhood member would walk around wearing the set in a town full of people.

[jovalleau]

I think I"m better at creating characters in Skyrim than I am actually _playing_ Skyrim.

[editorrbr]

“Don’t go simping for every Daedric prince...”

Ouch. I felt that one.

[subject]

The effect of RPGs to me goes beyond the gaming experience. Because of them I've become a much more open-minded person. I've come to realize that the world isn't black and white. Sometimes, people aren't necessarily "good" or "bad." Most of the time, they're just... people, playing with the cards they've been dealt with.
Thanks to you, Scott, Michael, and Drew for letting us explore and immerse ourselves into these worlds!

[brandonjohnson]

One of my favorite Wintersun playthroughs started off as a priestess of Arkay. She became a devout follower for her first 30-some levels. Then, while exploring a cave in Whiterun, she was infected with Vampirism. Arkay abandoned her and out of resentment, she began worshipping Molag Bal and became the most powerful Vampire Lord in existence (Sacrosanct). This was definitely inspired by the creation of the first vampire, and was a ton of fun to play around with!

[ClarkusMarkus]

Bruh I got up to the point where he says, "Then there's this moment of temptation where Mehrunes Dagon says, " and then I immediately got the ad with that guy saying, "You're not a dish, you're a man, " and smashing the plate. That was so seamless.

[dogbreath]

falling off the tower while paralyzed broke the physics engine and he landed near the cyrodiil border

[wiibrockster]

Roleplaying is the only way to play for me! I'll be definitley sending this to a few freinds of mine!

[enfynet]

Me: This video looks interesting.

Also me: Plays a Nord Ice Mage named Elsa

[Replica]

It's also fun to role play your characters death, that usually occurs when you mod too much and the save becomes corrupted. Just relate the death to what your character was doing last. For example, my last character was doing the dawnguard quest where he has to take Serana to Volkihar castle by boat, that's where my save got corrupt, so I just say he got attacked by vampires while traveling with boat, and while he killed a couple of them, eventually his wounds got to him. Serana managed to flee to the castle, and I drowned, embraced by the icy waters of the north.

[thesilvercircle]

I always feel so weird for being 25 and still coming up with stories for my characters in games. I’m glad I’m not alone in getting really in to my games!

[epcarter]

Would love more role playing based videos like this.

[pantsenfuego]

A good way to role play is naturally limit your character. For example never take on companions, you’re a gritty survivalist. Use one weapon for the entire play though, as if you were that weapons specialist. Imagine that Skyrim isn’t super broken and avoid exploits. Possibilities are endless.

[JackCooper]

The biggest problem I had when I started new characters was just being able to play for over a couple dozen hours. I’d get bored pretty quickly with my characters and would end up starting over. I’ll share a few tips that I learnt across the way to help maintain a perfect role play playthrough

1. Keep character backgrounds simple stupid. When I say this I mean that you shouldn’t bloat your characters background story or make a background to a character that’s supposed to be a super OP character mage but only casts novice spells. Give your characters humble beginnings so you can allow them to grow. The best thing to do is to decide a play style, choose a city/province, choose a profession (scholar, researcher, merchant, aspiring mage, merc/bounty Hunter and so on) and start just with that.

For example the best role play character I ever made was a High Elf who was a half breed and was discriminated against. He left the port town he grow up in in the summerset isles and travelled to seek new opportunities elsewhere. He travelled to Skyrim to continue his research into the dwemer. With this background I started my playthrough in the markarth house and played from there. He ended up becoming a super OP lich that was corrupted by all the knowledge he had consumed. I got a good 300 hours out of the character.

2. Let the world shape you not the other way around

Don’t do quests for the sake of you doing them, do them because the world has made you do them. The biggest example of this is the civil war. Most playthroughs the civil war isn’t something I look into doing early. I do it when one side provokes me enough to consider joining the other or if they aid/convince me enough to join their side. My high elf lich character joined the stormcloaks after the imperials sent hired thugs after him. He was in Bruma at an imperial fort at the border and was working for the jailer who betrayed him. He was previously neutral with Empire leanings but joined the stormcloaks after the imperials backstabbed him.

3. (Optional) New load order for every modded role play character

Keep the game fresh. I’ve gotten burnout many times from this game because I’ve played for so long that everything is repetitive and predictable. Try to change this. Choose a different play style for each character and base the mods you install after that playstyle. Download new quest and follower mods to add more content to give breaks between the many quests you have already complete many times over so that things don’t get old.

[jonathanevans]

In my current playthough, my character was caught by the allure of wealth, and joined the thieves guild, once it became clear that she'd have to pledge herself to eternal servitude to Nocturnal, she then set out to pledge herself to as many daedric princes as possible (Nocturnal, Molag Bal, Vermina, Nemira, Mehrunes Dagon, Hermeus Mora) under the logic that when she eventually dies, they'll be fighting over her soul, and she can just sneak off and do her own thing. This is, of course, if she dies, as she's now a Volkahar Vampire