Elder Scrolls d20?!

[Kauyon]

Now what the hell is an Elder Scroll anyway? Well, the Elder Scrolls series is a series of RPGs (rather good ones, at that), all set in huge, detailed and open-ended worlds - one of the games has an effective outdoors area twice the size of Britain! - and each being very fun, addictive, and awesome. The fourth game in the series will probably be out this autumn and be the best game ever, but that's not what I'm getting to.

I'm considering converting the setting to the d20 system (good thing spring break's up soon, eh?), and, if I'm not exhausted at that point, running a campaign in it, or if nothing more, at least a short or two. But before I undertake this tremendous feat, I'd appreciate it if anyone who are familiar with the any of the Elder Scrolls games, and if there is/would be any interest in such a campaign.

As for getting to know the setting... you could take a look at the main page (first paragraph), but I strongly recommend you take a look at this as well.

[Kauyon]

Taken from The Pocket Guide to The Empire and its environs:

Welcome, citizen!

With the dawn of a new era before us, it is time that we take stock of where we have been and where we are, in order to better illuminate the way ahead. Written in celebration of the Battle of Hunding Bay, which marked the return of all human kingdoms to the unchallenged rule of the Cyrodilic Emperor, this pamphlet seeks to briefly describe the present provinces of the Empire and the surrounding regions-- their history, people and current condition. We strove to balance timeliness with accuracy and completeness; if we have erred in our zeal to place this valuable guide in the hands of interested citizens everywhere, we beg the kind reader's indulgence.

The Empire stretches across Tamriel, the largest known continent of the World. To the north of Tamriel is Atmora, from whence the Men of the World came. To the west is Yokuda, the lost native land of the Redguards. To the east is Akavir, whose armies invaded Tamriel in the previous era. To the south all is mystery and the whisper of a lost Elven homeland.

Tamriel itself is generally divided into eight major regions: Skyrim, Cyrodiil, High Rock, the Aldmeri Dominion of the Summerset Isles and Valenwood, Hammerfell, Morrowind, and the Elsweyr Confederacy. Some of these, such as Morrowind or Skyrim, have historically been unified into kingdoms; others, such as High Rock or Elsweyr, are looser groupings of many kingdoms, chiefdoms, village confederations, and so forth, united under a dominant race or culture. At its zenith, the Second Empire formally organized these disparate groups into the Imperial Provinces, which were administered by provincial governors, either dispatched directly from Cyrodiil or appointed from the native populations. (Morrowind is a notable exception, having never been conquered by the original Cyrodilic Empire and, thus escaping investment as an Imperial Province.). With the fall of the Cyrodilic Empire, control reverted to the individual rulers of each province, resulting in centuries of chaos, as many of the provinces devolved into independent kingdoms and petty statelets. Now, happily, all of the human kingdoms have been recovered by the Third Empire of Tiber Septim, and once again they all bear the proud title of Imperial Provinces.

The Aldmeri Dominion, the Elsweyr Confederacy, and Morrowind have yet to join the Empire, but are described in this book for the edification of the scholar, the fascination of the common citizen, and the preparation of the soldier. The Third Empire is yet in its youth, and who can predict what new horizons might yet greet the dawn under the Red Diamond Banner?

Some regions escape provincial classification due to the primitive civilization of their beastfolk inhabitants. Collectively, these beastfolk 'states' are known as the Wild Regions, which may or may not be of interest to the Emperor. They are included only for the most intrepid of travelers, and to throw the achievements of Civilization into more brilliant relief by contrast with these benighted corners of Tamriel.

Now, citizen, we entreat you to review our modest survey of the Empire's dominions. If it entertains and edifies, reflect not upon the humble labors of this scribe, but on the gracious benevolence of our beloved Emperor, whose very name is as ambrosia upon our tongues, who in his wisdom has ordained that this survey be created and distributed among the earnest and wise people of Tamriel, that they might better understand the glories and challenges of these Lands and Dominions, and that they might better appreciate the great burdens of rulership he bears in our names with such fortitude.

[Toptomcat]

Interesting. Very interesting indeed.
I never quite liked Morrowind because you hit something with a weapon and THEN you rolled to see if you had actually hit or if you were just sorta hallucinating. FPS skill-based RPGs need to work a certain way, and that is not it.

[Kauyon]

Agreed.

I always thought that the best part of Morrowind was the lore and atmosphere, which is why I'm considering/in the prossess of doing this.

EDIT: While my original intent was to convert the ES setting to the d20 system, I've decided to use more easily adaptable BRP system, though this is not certain, as I'm not really that familiar with that system.

2nd EDIT: The hardest problem with adapting ES to BRP have been not to over-power the mages. Having no actual gaming experience with BRP I'm strongly considering going back to the system I know - d20. Though it could be interesting to run the game with a party of Battlemages, Spellswords, Nightblades, and the like. Any desires/questions regarding this?

[Kauyon]

I did some work on converting the human races. Let me know what you think - and yes, they are supposed to be this powered. Tomorrow I'll look at the Beastfolk races, and after that, the mer, or the Elven races.

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Imperial: Natives of the civilized, cosmopolitan province of Cyrodiil, the Imperials are well-educated and well-spoken. Though physically less imposing than the other races, the Imperials have proved to be shrewd diplomats and traders.

-+2 Int, +2 Cha, -2 Str, -2 con
-Medium size.
-Base speed: 30 feet.
-+2 skill bonus on Diplomacy, Gather Information checks: Imperials can be very persuasive when they want.
-+2 on any Knowledge skill they have at least 1 point in at 1st level.
-"Emperor's Voice": 1/day: Charm person as a 1st-level caster. Gained upon reaching level 10: 1/day: Command as a 1st-level caster. DC in both cases is 10 + Spell Level + Cha modifier.
-Automatic Languages: Common.
-Favored class: Any.

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Breton: Hailing from the High Rock province, these are humans with faint traces of Elven Blood, thus feeling an inborn, instinctive bond with the forces of Magicka and the supernatural. They have an innate grasp of spellcraft, enchantments, and alchemical processes alike, and every Breton can boast of at least some resistance towards destructive and dominative magical energies. They are, like the Imperials, not known for their physical prowess.

-Medium size.
-Base speed: 30 feet.
-+2 skill bonus on Spellcraft, Craft (Alchemy), and Use Magic Device.
-Spell Resistance: Character HD/class levels + 5.
-Automatic Languages: Common.
-Favored Class: Sorcerer.

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Nord: The citizens of Skyrim are a tall and fair-haired people, aggressive in war, industrious and enterprising in trade and exploration. Skilled sailors, Nords can be found in seaports and settlements along all the coasts and rivers of Tamriel. Strong, willful, and hardy, Nords are famous for their resistance to cold, even magical frost. Violence is a common and accepted part of Nordic culture; they cheerfully face battle with an ecstatic frenzy that shocks and appals their enemies. That having been said, they're also not excactly the sharpest knife in the drawer.

-+2 Str, +2 Con, -2 Int.
-Medium size.
-Base speed: 30 feet.
-+4 skill bonus on Profession (Sailor), assuming that they have at least one point invested in it at 1st level.
-Energy Resistance 5 against Cold.
-+10 on Fortitude saving throws against exposure to cold weather.
-Automatic Languages: Common.
-Favored class: Barbarian.

************

Redguard: The most naturally talented warriors in all of Tamriel, the dark-skinned wiry-haired Redguards of Hammerfell seem born to battle, though their pride and fierce independence of spirit makes them more suitable as scouts or skirmishers, or maybe as free-ranging adventurers than as rank-and-file soldiers. They are naturally quick and tough.

-+2 Dex, +2 Con.
-Medium Size.
-Base Speed: 30 feet.
-Martial Weapons Profiency: A Redguard is proficient with all forms of standard weaponry.
-+2 Will bonus.
-+2 on Fortitude saving throws against poison or disease.
-Automatic Languages: Common.
-Bonus feat: Run.
-Favored Class: Fighter.

[Kauyon]

I've decided to keep conversion to a minimum, so as to not become too focused on it and forgetting the golden rule: to have fun. I'll do my best to finish the races (the only thing I want to convert for now - most of the "normal" enemies of Tamriel can be found in DnD and the others can't be that hard to make up) as soon as possible. For now, ignore the races above, as they're subject to change, and take a look at the brief run-down of the player races.

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IMPERIAL

Natives of the civilized, cosmopolitan province of Cyrodiil, the Imperials are well-educated and well-spoken. Imperials are also known for the discipline and training of their citizen armies.

Though physically less imposing than the other races, the Imperials have proved to be shrewd diplomats and traders, and these traits, along with their remarkable skill and training as light infantry, have enabled them to subdue all the other nations and races, and to have erected the monument to peace and prosperity that comprises the Glorious Empire.

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NORD

The citizens of Skyrim are a tall and fair-haired people, aggressive and fearless in war, industrious and enterprising in trade and exploration. Skilled sailors, Nords can be found in seaports and settlements along all the coasts and rivers of Tamriel.

Strong, stubborn, and hardy, Nords are famous for their resistance to cold, even magical frost. Violence is an accepted and comfortable aspect of Nord culture; Nords of all classes are skilled with a variety of weapon and armor styles, and they cheerfully face battle with an ecstatic ferocity that shocks and appalls their enemies.

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BRETON

Passionate and eccentric, poetic and flamboyant, intelligent and willful, the Bretons feel an inborn, instinctive bond with the mercurial forces of magic and the supernatural.

Many great sorcerers have come out of their home province of High Rock, and in addition to their quick and perceptive grasp of spellcraft, enchantment, and alchemy, even the humblest of Bretons can boast a high resistance to destructive and dominating magical energies.

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HIGH ELF

In Imperial speech, the haughty, tall, golden-skinned peoples of Summerset Isle are called "High Elves," but they call themselves the "Altmer," or the "Cultured People." In the Empire, "High" is often understood to mean "tall," "proud," or "snobbish."

The High Elves confidently consider themselves, with some justice, as the most civilized culture of Tamriel; the common tongue of the Empire, Tamrielic, is based on Altmer speech and writing, and most of the Empire's arts, crafts, and sciences are derived from High Elven traditions.

However, the High Elf's smug self-assurance of his superiority can be hard to bear for those of other races. Deft, intelligent, and strong-willed, High Elves are often gifted in the arcane arts, and High Elves boast that their sublime physical natures make them far more resistant to disease than the "lesser races."

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DARK ELF

Dark Elves are the dark-skinned Elven peoples of the Eastern Empire. "Dark" is variously understood to mean "dark-skinned," "gloomy," and "ill-favored by fate." The Dunmer and their national character embrace these various connotations with enthusiasm. In the Empire, "Dark Elves" is the common usage, but in their Morrowind homeland, and among their Aldmeri brethren, they call themselves the "Dunmer".

The dark-skinned, red-eyed Dark Elves combine powerful intellect with strong and agile physiques, producing superior warriors and sorcerers. On the battlefield, Dark Elves are noted for their skilled and balanced integration of swordsmen, marksmen, and war wizards. In character, they are grim, aloof, and reserved, distrusting and disdainful of other races.

*****************************************************

WOOD ELF

The Wood Elves are the various barbarian Elven clanfolk of the Western Valenwood forests. In the Empire, they are collectively referred to as "Wood Elves," but "Bosmer," or "the Tree-Sap People," is what they call themselves. "Tree-Sap" suggests the wild vitality and youthful energy of Wood Elves, in contrast with their more dour cousins, the Altmer and Dunmer.

Bosmer reject the stiff, formal traditions of Aldmeri high culture, preferring a romantic, simple existence in harmony with the land, its wild beauty and wild creatures. These country cousins of the High Elves and Dark Elves are nimble and quick in body and wit, and because of their curious natures and natural agility, Wood Elves are especially suitable as scouts, agents, and thieves. But most of all, the Wood Elves are known for their skills with bows; there are no finer archers in all of Tamriel.

*****************************************************

REDGUARD

The most naturally talented warriors in Tamriel, the dark-skinned, wiry-haired Redguards of Hammerfell seem born to battle, though their pride and fierce independence of spirit makes them more suitable as scouts or skirmishers, or as free-ranging heroes and adventurers, than as rank-and-file soldiers.

In addition to their cultural affinities for many weapon and armor styles, Redguards are also physically blessed with hardy constitutions and quickness of foot.

*****************************************************

ORC

These sophisticated barbarian beast peoples of the Wrothgarian and Dragontail Mountains are noted for their unshakeable courage in war and their unflinching endurance of hardships. In the past, Orcs have been widely feared and hated by the other nations and races of Tamriel, but they have slowly won acceptance in the Empire, in particular for their distinguished service in the Emperor's Legions.

Orcish armorers are prized for their craftsmanship, and Orc warriors in heavy armor are among the finest front-line troops in the Empire. Most Imperial citizens regard Orc society as rough and cruel, but there is much to admire in their fierce tribal loyalties and generous equality of rank and respect among the sexes.

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ARGONIAN

Little is known and less is understood about the reptilian denizens of Black Marsh. Years of defending their borders have made the Argonians experts in guerilla warfare, and their natural abilities make them equally at home in water and on land. They are well-suited for the treacherous swamps of their homeland, and have developed natural immunities to the diseases and poisons that have doomed many would-be explorers into the region.

Their seemingly expressionless faces belie a calm intelligence, and many Argonians are well-versed in the magical arts. Others rely on stealth or steel to survive, and their natural agility makes them adept at either. They are, in general, a reserved people, slow to trust and hard to know. Yet, they are fiercely loyal, and will fight to the death for those they have named as friends.

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KHAJIIT

Khajiit hail from the province of Elsweyr and can vary in appearance from nearly Elven to the cathay-raht "jaguar men" to the great Senche-Tiger. The most common breed found in Morrowind, the suthay-raht, is intelligent, quick, and agile. Khajiit of all breeds have a weakness for sweets, especially the drug known as skooma.

Many Khajiit disdain weapons in favor of their natural claws. They make excellent thieves due to their natural agility and unmatched acrobatics ability. Many Khajiit are also warriors, although this is less common among the suthay-raht.

Note: In addition to the beastfolk, there is (naturally) humans and elves - often classified as Man and Mer in speech - thus you will see craftsmer, armsmer, and so on in addition to their human counterparts. Just wanted to clear up this grammatical tid-bit of Tamriel speech.

***

EDIT: Also - something I forgot - if things go through well enough, more interest shows up *hint, hint*, and I get to making a game for real, I'll allow any basic class found in the PHB and the Complete series (Warrior, Adventurer, Arcane, Divine) with the exceptions of the Favored Soul, which presents problems because of the mythology of Tamriel. Any basic class found in any other place (such as the Artificer of Eberron) can be played as long as they're documented for (whether by me or you) and they're approved by me.

Again, I suggest you to visit this site if you need information/inspiration.

[Kauyon]

Any interest?

[VemuKhaham]

well I know the setting cause I played one of the RPGs you mentioned, and yes I like the setting very much. What I liked about it was the great size of the island Vvardenfell and also the huge amount of stories in it that are written in those books all over the place (not that I read them all, if that would ever be possible for a sain man to achieve... ). And I liked the struggle between the native dunmer and the outlanders. But enough about that...

what I mend to say was basically: yes I'm interested in any campaign that plays in this setting, and therefore I like your idea to convert the setting to D20, but before I say anything more do you have some info on the campaign itself you might be running or is that just a little to early to ask?

[Kauyon]

Indeed I do. I was planning on starting with a mere short - the characters being trapped inside an old Dwemer ruin - or dwarven ruin - in other words just a short dungeon crawl - before I get on with the actual game.

As for the game itself... I don't know about you but I've paid more than a little attention to the development of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - the common knowledge surrounding that game is that it starts off with the player character in a dungeon, and suddenly it becomes clear that the Emperor (I think this one is Uriel Septim IV himself, the one mentioned in Morrowind) - however, he ends up being killed, and with his last breath he commands you to find the heir and save Tamriel - this becomes very urgent as the Emperor has always "hindered" the alien (in some sense of the word) Daedra from invading Tamriel - I've assumed that the game revolves around (naturally) repelling this invasion and finding a heir - or, (this is a theory of my own, and it's largely unfounded) becoming the Emperor yourself.

But what if - and this is the real deal - what if the invasion is repelled, and there is no heir? What if the Empire crumbles as a whole, and every sector is reduced to individual nations? And what of the Akaviri nations? What will they choose to do with all the recent developments?

In other, more definable words the main game will take place in a hypothetical fourth era after the Empire's downfall, meaning potential wars between the nations, perhaps a new outbreak of Bosmeri/Khajiiti skirmishes or maybe Hammerfellian incursions into Colovian Cyrodiil, or maybe even the creation new nations - perhaps the orcs of Orsinium - a district in High Rock - wants make a nation out of their own. As clichéd (that IS a word, right?) as it might sound, the possibilities are endless.

However, I must admit that the apparent lack of interest so far has discouraged me from going on with the races and actually try to make up the start of a worthwile campaign. However, two potential interested is twice as many as one potential interested, and so I'm temporarily giddy like a schoolgirl and willing to proceed.

[VemuKhaham]

sounds very nice; still I'm interested. If you decide to run the short, I'll be in. To those who now read this and think: well, I don't know the setting, so I can't say if I'm interested...

...I'd like to say: it's a great setting. I've only played one of the games based on the setting, which only takes place in a small part of the entire detailed world, called Vvardenfell, and from this experience only I can easily say that if the other part of the continent is only half as interesting and detailed, I would gladly play in it. And, judging from the many hints about the rest of the world that you get while playing the game I played, present in books and dialogue, this must be the case.

Oh, and I have taken a look at your human races, and you've done a nice job at making them. I for one am interested in seeing the other races.

By the way; what is your plan with divine magic and arcane magic? I noticed that it was handled very differently in this setting. But I think it's quite possible to just say that the standard D&D rules would apply on this, and keep the context of the setting the same. It's also easier for everyone, and its less work for you.

[Kauyon]

Well, my first idea was to simply allow everything - as long as there's a plausible excuse for using that particular class AND I approve of it. Then I got the crazy idea of converting everything to using a Magicka Point system - similar to the Power Points of Psionics - and then I stopped thinking about that and went back to the old idea.

So essentially all sorts of magics - including psionics, for those who want to play that - will essentially just be the same - "Magicka" - as there are no different types of magick in ES. Some classes will be changed - the familiars will be replaced with some other bonus (I sorta have a "Mage's Staff" in mind, more on this later) in place of it - but I'm not going to begin making new classes just because magic is handled differently in these two (different) systems. Why not? Why fix something that isn't broken?

In other words... essentially what you said.

***************

Also, I present you the Orc:

Orc: The sophisticated barbarian beast peoples of the Wrothgarian and Dragontail Mountains are noted for their unshakable courage in war and their unflinching endurance in the face of hardships. While they have been feared and reviled in the Empire previously they have slowly gained some acceptance throughout the lands of Tamriel. Orcish armorers are renowned for their craftsmanship, and Orcs' skill in war is rarely denied.

-+2 Str, +2 Con, -2 Cha.
-Medium Size.
-Base speed: 30 feet.
-+2 Bonus on any Craft skills applying to the creation of weaponry or armory, provided that there's at least 1 point in the relevant skill at 1st level.
-+2 Bonus on Intimidate checks against non-Orcs.
-+2 Will bonus. Applies only during combat against recognizable foes. Stacks with similar bonuses.
-Automatic Languages: Common, Orc.
-Favored Class: Fighter/Barbarian - whenever an orc gains one level in either one of these the other is never counted as a favored class.

**********************************

I'm going to have to do the rest of the Beast races and the Mer over the next few days - but with Easter coming up I should have more than a few days off to work on a brief layout of the world, the nations, and all the different factions and major characters so that you don't have to spend ages understanding it all - although with the size of most major campaign settings - Forgotten Realms and Eberron and the like - I honestly don't see why you shouldn't take a look at the Pocket Guide to the Empire - see my first post in this thread for the link - to gain a vague understanding of the different Tamrielic provinces.

EDIT: Also, I did some thinking: in Morrowind and Daggerfall and Arena - all the CRPG games of the ES world - there was in addition to all the other stats you would expect (Strength, Agility, Endurance, and so on) the stat of Luck. Now, there isn't really anything closely resembling this, so I was wondering if anyone would like to have Action Points represented to substitute for this?

[VemuKhaham]

The orcs look nice. It's as I would've done it.

EDIT: Also, I did some thinking: in Morrowind and Daggerfall and Arena - all the CRPG games of the ES world - there was in addition to all the other stats you would expect (Strength, Agility, Endurance, and so on) the stat of Luck. Now, there isn't really anything closely resembling this, so I was wondering if anyone would like to have Action Points represented to substitute for this?

Well, I would ignore all that if I were you. I would simply go with str, dex, con, int, wis and cha. I believe there's also something like speed, besides agility, as a basic stat and that would also be hard to implement. Just stick to what you have, and I think all will be fine. That's what I would do.

[Kauyon]

Sounds safe.

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Argonian: The reptilian humanoids of Black Marsh, shrouded in mystery and stigma as they are, few are ever seen outside of Argonia (what the elves call Black Marsh) apart from a relatively intelligent strain known as the hist. Their calm, unmoving faces does not show off the intelligence that they're - sadly - not known for. However, all argonians - hist even more so - can all be extra-ordinarily exceptional individuals, and they make equally good warriors as they make sneaks and mages. While the knowledge gained from defending the land's borders for centuries does not excactly pass down the generations along with the blood, among warriors Argonians are known for being expert guerrilla tacticians, masters of exploiting weaknesses and strengths alike - and few argonians ever do anything to change that image.

-+2 Dex, +2 Int.
-Medium Size.
-Base speed: 30 feet.
-+2 on Swim checks. Argonians are natural swimmers.
-Natural weapons: 2 claws (1d4).
-+6 on Fortitude checks against disease and poisons. The denizens of the Black Marsh are not as vulnerable to its dangers as men and mer are.
-Special quality: Hold Breath (see Lizardfolk, Monster Manual page 169).
-Automatic languages: Common, Argonian.
-Favored Class: Any, though many Argonians choose to become Rangers or Scouts.

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Honestly, I'm not too sure if I want to get started on the Khajiit - simply because it isn't really a race, it's more of a family of them. Technically speaking. There's the suthay-raht, the ones you played in Morrowind, the elf-cats, or elves with feline features (just the grace and the tail - this isn't anime, folks), cathay-raht - big, strong jaguar-men - and there's supposed to be a lot more. Heck, if you want to play a house cat sorcerer, you're essentially free to do so. Just use your imagination, and we'll work it out.

****************************************

In other news, in case anyone of you wonders if I have forgotten the most important thing - the campaign itself - I haven't. I was afraid I would stumble but now ideas are forming up rather fast in my mind and I am beginning to think that I might even have a suitable beginning. Suffice it to say that the main game will start like every other ES game; in jail - in some sense of the word.