The Elder Scrolls games are vast, engaging adventures taking place in gigantic, open-worlds with endless possibilities and situations to get immersed in. Gamers have clocked 300+ hours in these worlds, easily, but ask any one of these die-hard Elder Scrolls fans and they'll tell you that 20 of those hours was deciding what race their character should be. This avatar is going to be the figure who's backside you'll be staring at for the rest of the game. Will your Skyrim character be a clear representation of your Nord warrior within? Or will it be a comical, giant cat-man for all the Khajiit laughs you can have? These are The Edler Scrolls V: Skyrim races, so choose carefully. Your race doesn't just affect the aesthetics of your character, but the latent and passive abilities as well! Make your Dragonborn!
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Races
One of the biggest parts of an Elder Scrolls game is creating your own, unique character! Check out all the The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim races and their unique abilities and create your Dragonborn!
 |
By Sal Basile November 16, 2011 |
Argonian |
The reptilian Argonians hail from the southeastern part of Tamriel known as the Black Marsh. Because of their surroundings, the Argonians have been able to develop the ability to breathe underwater. Likewise, because of the harsh, marsh environment, the Argonians are more immune to diseases and regenerate health at incredible speeds. The Argonians are stealthy creatures, with a natural proficiency for stealth and lockpicking, making them excellent thieves.
Special Abilities:
- Histskin: Health is recovered 10 times faster than normal for 60 seconds
- Water Breathing: Breathe underwater (Passive)
- Resist Disease: 50% resistant to disease (Passive)
Special Skills:
- +10 Lockpicking
- +5 Sneak
- +5 Alteration
- +5 Pickpocket
- +5 Light Armor
- +5 Restoration
Breton |
Bretons are a race of half elves that hail from the province of High Rock, a western region of Tamriel. Bretons are proficient mages, known for their high magic resistance. They start off with a high conjuration skill and the "Conjure Familiar" spell, which allows them to summon the ghost of a wolf to fight alongside them.
Special Abilities:
- Dragonskin: 50% of magic damage from hostile spells is absorbed for 60 seconds
- Magic Resistance: 25% resistance to magic (Passive)
Special Skills:
- +10 Conjuration
- +5 Illusion
- +5 Alteration
- +5 Restoration
- +5 Alchemy
- +5 Speech
Dunmer |
The Dunmer hail from the province of Morrowind and, due to the darker tone of their skin when compared to their Altmer or Bosmer cousins, are commonly known as Dark Elves. Dunmer have a high Destruction skill and start off with both the Flames and Sparks spells, in addition to Healing.
Special Abilities:
- Ancestor's Wrath: Opponents within range are burned with fire damage for 60 seconds
- Resist Fire: 50% resistance to fire (Passive)
Special Skills:
- +10 Destruction
- +5 Alteration
- +5 Illusion
- +5 Alchemy
- +5 Light Armor
- +5 Sneak
Altmer |
The Altmer are the lighter-skinned cousins of the Dunmer and are commonly referred to as the High Elves. They are strong users of Illusion magic which in they have a high skill and also have incredible magic regeneration. Like the Dunmer, they start off with the Flames, Sparks and Healing spells. In addition, they also start off with Fury, an illusion spell that makes enemies target each other for a period of time.
Special Abilities:
- Highborn: Magic is regenerated faster for 60 seconds
- Fortify Magicka: Magic is increased by 50 points (Passive)
Special Skills:
- +10 Illusion
- +5 Restoration
- +5 Alteration
- +5 Conjuration
- +5 Destruction
- +5 Enchanting
Imperial |
The Imperials are natives to the province of Cyrodiil and are children of the Empire. They control most ports in Tamriel due to their prowess in trading, bargaining and speechcraft. They have a high skill in restoration giving them an edge when it comes to healing and restoring health mid-battle.
Special Abilities:
- Voice of the Emperor: Nearby enemies are calmed for 60 seconds
- Imperial Luck: Increased amounts of gold will be found (Passive)
Special Skills:
- +10 Restoration
- +5 One-Handed
- +5 Block
- +5 Heavy Armor
- +5 Destruction
- +5 Enchanting
