A Character Profile: Finds-the-Lost

Name: Finds-the-Lost
Race: Argonian
Birthsign: Warrior
Class: Pilgrim

Premise:
I wanted a character who explores Ayleid ruins, and collects all sort of items from throughout Cyrodiil. He is a collector, merchant, dealer in antiquities. But he obtains items on his own rather than hiring out the work like Umbacano does. So, he must be a sturdy adventurer.

I decided he should be physically formidable, if not dominating. I wanted him to have the following:

• Ability to fix his own armor and weapons, even magical items.


• High level of skill at Mercantile in order to trade effectively and to invest.


• Skill with blade and perhaps light armor in order to defend himself.


• At least moderate Security skill in order to access ruins, vaults, etc.


• Considerable strength to add to his fighting skill and to enable him to carry large quantities of loot.

Somehow this idea got combined in my mind with a desire to play an Argonian for the first time. I thought this race might be a good choice for more extensive exploration of Blackwood, Lower Niben, and East Niben than I have previously done.

Even though the idea of "Pilgrim" doesn't quite mesh, the Pilgrim's abilities along with the Warrior birthsign seemed a nice fit.

Warrior gives him additional strength and endurance making him a more formidable physical opponent.

The Argonian race gives him water-breathing, which gives him easier access to some locations and items. It also gives him bonuses to blade and security, which match my goal as described above. The race also makes him more likely at home in Blackwood.

Pilgrim is suitable because it does not have blade as a major skill and because it does have armorer, mercantile, and security as majors. The other skills are filler, which helps to make leveling more manageable.

Because Pilgrim has no more than two skills associated with any attribute, it is one of the best standard classes for leveling under control.

The name was inspired by some Argonian NPC's in Leyawiin.

Character Creation: Custom Classes

Well, I've had to re-evaluate my ideas about standard classes. I've encountered a real problem with leveling, though it's not related to the scaling so many gripe about. But my issue is also well-documented and thoroughly discussed. I've only really begun to understand it.

Increasing one's level in Oblivion is tied inextricably to the use of major skills. It's worth noting that leveling is not tied only to the successful use of major skills, but even to failed attempts with those skills. So, even if you accomplish nothing and only practice with major skills, your character's level will still increase. This can potentially propel you quite prematurely to high levels, at which you may not be prepared to survive against the opponents that you will then encounter (level scaling) because you may not have had time to obtain powerful magic items or to develop other skills. Rapid leveling may also result in your character having relatively low attributes (which do increase by some measure at each level increase).

More importantly, you may miss a great portion of the game experience. I'd like to control leveling in order to maximize (or at least improve) the attribute bonuses I receive at the point of level increase. But I also want to just take a leisurely pace through the game and savor the entire experience.

In the old days of Dungeons & Dragons, experience points drove leveling. D&D had flaws, to be sure, but this might be a better idea than allowing the use of skills to drive level increases.

With all that in mind, I have second thoughts about using standard classes. Rather, I might be driven to build custom classes that reflects, not the skills I anticipate using with a particular character, but quite the opposite, skills I will not be using. This is "anti-intutive" and quite frustrating. But there is the reality.

But, it's not all black and white. I can make an effective character class that has some skills I will be using and some I will not. For example, Marksman is a skill more difficult than many other to increase, so I might like to have the 20 point bonus and the more rapid advancement obtained from choosing it as a major skill.

So, while I will try to maintain a sense of reality established by the standard classes, I will - I must - use custom classes when necessary.

Character Creation: role-playing

I want to detail, for whatever it may be worth, my own philosophy of character development in Oblivion. I have as my starting point my desire to roleplay. Oblivion provides so many and varied experiences that it is inconceivable to me that I should attempt to "beat" the game. With this in mind, I endeavor with each character to identify who the character is and how this 'person' will live.

For example, Braelon Goldenthorn is a Bosmer who does not seek to complete quests (though he has done a few and will likely do a few more) or even to be a member of any faction. Rather he desires to live a simple life wandering the hills of Western Cyrodiil, scarcely entering a city, but hunting, sleeping at camps, defeating bandits, and having Shetcombe farm as a base of operations (read: place to leave his alchemical ingredients and gear).

He is very much a Scout-type character. However, I created him with the Assassin class. This leads me to two more points. First, I like the idea of using the standard classes because it helps to maintain the definition of reality that has been defined as Cyrodiil/Tamriel/Nirn/etc. I would certainly create a custom class to fit a particular need, but only if no existing class is at all suitable.

Second, my desire in the case of Braelon was to make the most of his racial enhancements by choosing a class that had primary skills in common with the Bosmer racial bonuses. In addition, for this character, I wanted high levels of Marksman, Alchemy, Speed, Athletics, Acrobatics, as well as Illusion (for animal control) and Armorer (to avoid frequent visits to cities). The Assassin class provides a focus on most of these in addition to coinciding the Bosmer abilities.

This raises a role-playing question, but one I am satisfied to explain by disassociating the class name, Assassin, from its abilities. The Assassin skills actually fit well with the character vocation I had in mind, which is nothing at all like an Assassin. So, in a small way, I am already customizing a class by somewhat redifining only the assumed purpose of an existing class. But, in this case for reasons I will further detail under a different heading, I decided to go with a standard class rather than creating a custom class that had Armorer, for example, as a primary skill.

In summary:

• My goal is to role-play.


• I accept the existing classes as an important component of the definition of the 'reality' that is Cyrodiil while remaining open to explore the flexibility available within the provided system.


• I do not intend to disregard class names as having definitive purpose for the character, rather I acknowledge that the primary skills associated with a particular class might be defined with an entirely different vocation.

Role-playing

I've been reading some threads on The Elder Scrolls forums that argue that Oblivion is not a role-playing game. The implication of such an assertion is that the target audience largely assumes Oblivion is a role-playing game. It must be noted first, there is probably a reason for this.

Reference was made in a particular post to The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, describing it as a true example of a role-playing game. I haven't played Morrowind, though I am tempted because of all the positive reports I have seen.

As for Oblivion, I find it impossible to experience it as anything other than a role-playing game. That is not to say it is strictly impossible for it to be perceived or experienced in any other way, but my own desire to role-play is facilitated beautifully in Oblivion. I can't imagine anyone finding difficulty role-playing in this environment.

The post to which I referred, but which is regrettably lost to me, described ways in which one could merely hack-and-slash one's way through the game. It also describes, though very vaguely, some of the role-playing elements of Morrowind.

Not having played Morrowind, I can't say for sure, but the impression I get is that Morrowind forced the player to role-play. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and could easily be a tremendous asset, depending entirely, I think, on its execution.

But one of the strengths I see in Oblivion is the freedom I have precisely for role-playing. For example, I am in no way compelled, in spite of Jauffre's assumption, to pursue the main quest. If it does not suit my character's personality or motivations, then I am free to ignore that quest or any other without lacking an abundance of engaging adventures.

Not only so, but I also have the freedom to allow my character to grow and change as real people do. As a result, my character may begin selfish and concerned only with riches, but may gradually or through some traumatic event become interested in the stakes of the main quest or some other quest.

For example, I might have a Nord who considers himself a Son-of-Skyrim who is only passing through Cyrodiil. Yet, not heartless, and perhaps imagining the implications for Skyrim and the rest of Nirn, he decides to bring Martin to safety. He might reasonably expect that to be the end of things because he couldn't know Jauffre would err so egregiously (and then take no responsibility - did you notice the bulk of the main quest hinges on Jauffre's ineptitude for which he never apologizes?).

So, this Nord might become a reluctant hero or uninterested in cleaning up the Imperial mess. He might also have been eager to kill Daedra from the beginning just for kicks or as a matter of principle.

I have a Nord character named Magnus who saw himself as only a strong man. He participated in the arena and joined the fighter's guild. But he received an inheritance from a long-lost relative who was, apparently, some sort of wizard. Thus, his mind opened to possibilities, and he has begun to develop magical skills, though he has no real natural talent for it.

I have a Bosmer, Braelon Goldenthorn, whose love is wandering the country side, running with the animals (that aren't trying to eat him) and sleeping under the moon. I don't see this guy pursuing either the main quest or any of the faction quests. But things could change.

As another hypothetical, I might have a happy go lucky thief who is out for adventure and gold. If he incidentally becomes infected with vampirism, he might be so offended, horrified, etc. that he takes as his life's purpose the eradication of the disease and it's carriers.

One of my favorite aspects of Oblivion is that it is so open-ended. By every standard of role-playing game since Dungeons & Dragons, Oblivion is most definitely a role-playing game. Of course within the genre, there are infinite possible variations. Some provide more guidance; some provide more freedom.

I have to say also, I've seen many nay-sayers on the forums whose purpose seems only to pick nits and indulge some desire to complain mindlessly. I don't suggest that Oblivion is without flaws, but having begun many years ago with paper, pencil, and dice, I can't make much of them.

Off you go...

I've become a huge fan and, I confess, obsessive player of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It's too much fun in too many ways. So, here I intend to indulge my hobby (read: addiction?) further still.