Skyrim, the vast and immersive world of Tamriel, beckons with adventure. But before you embark on your epic journey as the Dragonborn, you must first create your character. The character creation process in Skyrim is more than just picking a race and a name; it’s about forging an identity, defining your playstyle, and shaping the destiny of your hero. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step, helping you create the perfect character to experience Skyrim the way *you* want to.
I. Understanding the Races of Skyrim
Your choice of race is the foundation of your character. Each race in Skyrim boasts unique racial abilities, starting skills, and lore that can significantly impact your gameplay. Let’s delve into the strengths and weaknesses of each:
A. The Human Races
- Nords: The hardy inhabitants of Skyrim, Nords are renowned for their resistance to frost and their prowess in combat. Their racial ability, Battle Cry, allows them to frighten enemies, providing a tactical advantage in challenging encounters.
- Imperials: The cultured and diplomatic people of Cyrodiil, Imperials possess the Voice of the Emperor ability, which calms nearby humanoids. They also have a bonus to finding extra gold, making them ideal for players who enjoy accumulating wealth and influence.
- Bretons: Hailing from High Rock, Bretons are known for their natural aptitude for magic and their resistance to it. Their racial ability, Dragonskin, allows them to absorb magicka from incoming spells, making them exceptionally resilient against mages.
B. The Elven Races
- High Elves (Altmer): The tall and proud Altmer are masters of magic, possessing the highest base magicka pool of any race. Their racial ability, Highborn, grants them a temporary surge of magicka, further enhancing their spellcasting capabilities. However, they have a weakness to frost.
- Wood Elves (Bosmer): The nimble and stealthy Bosmer are skilled archers and hunters. Their racial ability, Command Animal, allows them to charm animals to fight alongside them. They also have a resistance to poison and disease.
- Dark Elves (Dunmer): The resilient and versatile Dunmer are adept at both magic and combat. Their racial ability, Ancestor’s Wrath, surrounds them in flames, damaging nearby enemies. They also have a resistance to fire.
C. The Beast Races
- Khajiit: The feline Khajiit are known for their agility, stealth, and unarmed combat skills. Their racial ability, Night Eye, allows them to see in the dark, making them excellent for exploring dungeons and sneaking through shadows. Their claws also provide a bonus to unarmed damage.
- Argonians: The reptilian Argonians are well-suited for aquatic environments and are resistant to disease and poison. Their racial ability, Histskin, allows them to regenerate health rapidly, making them incredibly durable in combat. They can also breathe underwater.
II. Choosing Your Skills and Playstyle
Once you’ve selected your race, it’s time to consider your character’s skills and playstyle. Skyrim offers a vast array of skills, allowing you to specialize in various combat styles, magical disciplines, and crafting professions. Consider these points:
A. Combat Styles
- Warrior: Warriors excel in melee combat, wielding swords, axes, and maces to crush their enemies. They rely on heavy armor for protection and strength and endurance for sustained combat.
- Mage: Mages harness the power of magic to cast spells, summon creatures, and manipulate the elements. They often wear robes for unrestricted magicka regeneration and rely on strategic spellcasting to overcome their foes.
- Thief: Thieves are masters of stealth, using daggers, bows, and poisons to eliminate their targets from the shadows. They rely on light armor for mobility and cunning tactics to avoid detection.
- Hybrid: Many players choose to create hybrid characters, combining elements of different playstyles. For example, a Spellsword might wield a sword in one hand and cast spells with the other, while a Ranger might use archery and light armor to hunt from a distance.
B. Major and Minor Skills
Skyrim features a skill-based leveling system. Your character levels up by improving their skills. As you level up, you can choose to increase your Health, Magicka, or Stamina, and select a Perk from any of your skills. Focus on skills that align with your chosen playstyle. For example, a Warrior might prioritize One-Handed, Two-Handed, Block, Heavy Armor, and Smithing, while a Mage might focus on Destruction, Restoration, Alteration, Conjuration, and Enchanting. Consider a good mix of combat, utility, and crafting skills to make your character well-rounded.
C. Skills to Consider
- One-Handed/Two-Handed: Determines your effectiveness with one-handed or two-handed weapons, respectively.
- Archery: Governs your proficiency with bows and arrows.
- Block: Allows you to block incoming attacks with a shield or weapon.
- Heavy Armor/Light Armor: Increases your defense while wearing heavy or light armor, respectively.
- Smithing: Enables you to craft and improve weapons and armor.
- Enchanting: Allows you to imbue weapons and armor with magical effects.
- Alchemy: Lets you create potions and poisons.
- Illusion: Affects minds with spells that control, terrify, or turn invisible.
- Conjuration: Summons creatures and atronachs to fight for you, and reanimates the dead.
- Destruction: Wields elemental magic to damage enemies.
- Restoration: Heals wounds and fortifies defenses with restorative magic.
- Alteration: Manipulates the physical world and protects from harm.
- Sneak: Allows you to move undetected and deal extra damage with sneak attacks.
- Lockpicking: Enables you to open locked doors and chests.
- Pickpocket: Lets you steal items from NPCs.
- Speech: Improves your ability to persuade, intimidate, and barter with NPCs.
III. Customizing Your Appearance
Skyrim offers a robust character customization system, allowing you to fine-tune your character’s appearance to your liking. Here’s a breakdown of the options available:
A. Basic Appearance
- Gender: Choose whether your character is male or female.
- Race: Confirms the race you selected earlier.
- Weight: Adjust your character’s weight, affecting their physique.
- Complexion: Select a skin tone for your character.
B. Facial Features
- Hair: Choose a hairstyle and hair color.
- Eyes: Select eye color and shape.
- Scars: Add scars to your character’s face for a battle-worn look.
- War Paint: Apply war paint for a fierce and intimidating appearance.
- Dirt: Adjust the amount of dirt on your character’s face and body.
C. Advanced Options
The advanced options allow for precise control over your character’s facial features. You can adjust the shape and size of the nose, mouth, eyes, jaw, and other features to create a truly unique and personalized character. Experiment with different settings to achieve the desired look.
IV. Roleplaying Considerations
While stats and skills are important, don’t underestimate the power of roleplaying. Think about your character’s backstory, motivations, and personality. Consider these aspects:
A. Backstory
Where did your character come from? What were their experiences before arriving in Skyrim? Did they have a family, a profession, or a particular set of beliefs? Crafting a backstory can provide a rich foundation for your character’s actions and decisions throughout the game. For example:
- The Wandering Scholar: A Breton mage seeking ancient knowledge and forgotten spells in Skyrim’s ruins.
- The Disgraced Knight: An Imperial warrior seeking redemption after a dishonorable act.
- The Escaped Slave: An Argonian seeking freedom and revenge against their former captors.
B. Motivations
What drives your character? Are they seeking power, wealth, justice, or something else entirely? Understanding your character’s motivations will help you make decisions that align with their goals and create a more immersive roleplaying experience. Do they want to:
- Become the Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold?
- Amass a fortune through trade and exploration?
- Defeat the dragons and save Skyrim from destruction?
- Become a master assassin in the Dark Brotherhood?
C. Personality
Is your character kind and compassionate, or ruthless and cunning? Are they honorable and just, or selfish and opportunistic? Defining your character’s personality will influence how they interact with NPCs and how they respond to different situations. Do they:
- Always help those in need?
- Prefer to solve problems through diplomacy rather than violence?
- Have a dark sense of humor?
- Always put their own interests first?
V. Fine-Tuning Your Character After the Tutorial
The initial character creation is just the beginning. As you progress through the game, you’ll have opportunities to further refine your character’s skills, abilities, and even their appearance.
A. Skill Progression
Focus on improving the skills that align with your chosen playstyle. As you use a skill, it will increase, eventually allowing you to level up and choose a Perk. Perks provide passive bonuses that enhance your character’s abilities. Carefully consider which Perks to choose, as they can significantly impact your gameplay. For example, the “Overdraw” perk in Archery increases bow damage, while the “Stealth” perk in Sneak makes you harder to detect.
B. Gear and Equipment
Equip your character with gear and equipment that complements their skills and playstyle. Warriors will want to seek out heavy armor and powerful weapons, while Mages will prioritize robes and staves. Thieves will benefit from light armor and daggers. Enchantments can further enhance your gear, providing additional bonuses to your skills and abilities. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different combinations to find what works best for you.
C. Questing and Factions
Choose quests and factions that align with your character’s backstory, motivations, and personality. Joining the Companions is a natural fit for a Warrior, while the College of Winterhold is ideal for a Mage. The Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood offer opportunities for Thieves to hone their skills. Participating in these factions will not only provide valuable rewards and experience but also allow you to further develop your character’s story.
D. Re-sculpting Your Face (via Mods/Console Commands)
While the in-game character creator is robust, some players may want even finer control over their character’s appearance. On PC, mods can significantly enhance the customization options, allowing for more detailed adjustments to facial features and body types. Console commands can also be used (though with caution) to modify your character’s appearance. On consoles, re-sculpting options are generally more limited. If you are using mods, read the descriptions and install instructions carefully before using them.
VI. Example Character Builds
To give you some inspiration, here are a few example character builds:
A. The Nord Warrior
- Race: Nord
- Skills: One-Handed, Block, Heavy Armor, Smithing, Archery
- Backstory: A seasoned warrior returning to Skyrim after years of fighting in foreign lands.
- Motivations: To protect Skyrim from its enemies and restore honor to their family.
- Personality: Honorable, courageous, and fiercely loyal.
B. The Breton Mage
- Race: Breton
- Skills: Destruction, Restoration, Alteration, Conjuration, Enchanting
- Backstory: A gifted mage seeking to unravel the mysteries of magic at the College of Winterhold.
- Motivations: To expand their knowledge of magic and become a powerful spellcaster.
- Personality: Intelligent, curious, and studious.
C. The Khajiit Thief
- Race: Khajiit
- Skills: Sneak, Lockpicking, Pickpocket, Archery, Light Armor
- Backstory: A cunning thief seeking to make a name for themselves in the criminal underworld of Skyrim.
- Motivations: To amass wealth and power through cunning and deception.
- Personality: Sly, opportunistic, and resourceful.
VII. Tips and Tricks for Character Creation
Here are some additional tips and tricks to help you create the perfect character:
- Experiment with different races and skills: Don’t be afraid to try out different combinations to find what you enjoy the most.
- Consider your playstyle: Choose skills and abilities that complement your preferred combat style and roleplaying preferences.
- Don’t be afraid to respec: The Dragonborn DLC allows you to respec your skill points, so you can change your build if you’re not happy with it.
- Use mods to enhance customization: Mods can provide a wealth of additional options for character creation and customization.
- Have fun! The most important thing is to create a character that you enjoy playing.
VIII. Conclusion
Creating the right character in Skyrim is a crucial step in embarking on your adventure. By carefully considering your race, skills, appearance, and backstory, you can create a unique and personalized character that perfectly suits your playstyle and roleplaying preferences. So, take your time, experiment with different options, and have fun crafting your Dragonborn. Skyrim awaits!