This guide offers the following playable races for an Elder Scrolls setting:
The High Elves, Argonians, Wood Elves, Bretons, Dark Elves, Imperials, Khajiit, Nords, Orcs, and Redguards.
Altmer, or High Elves, consider themselves the most distinguished among the races of Tamriel, and they have the pedigree to prove it. ### Elder Race The High Elves are the direct descendants of the first elves to sail to Tamriel. The ancient Aldmer settled the paradisal Summerset Isles and began to record their storied history. The modern Altmer like their Aldmeri ancestors believe that they are originally descended from the Divines. Owing to their long lifespans and longer memories, High Elves keep careful records of their ancestries, deeds, and grudges. They have had millenia to hone their technology and knowledge of the arcane on the isolated Summerset Isles, and many High Elves are exceptional wizards. Other races may consider Altmer snooty or arrogant. While some mer certainly fit that description, the truth is that High Elves are raised with high expectations and hold both themselves and others to a high standard. ### Appearance High Elves are often tall, with slender builds that lend them an ethereal grace when they practice magic or the martial arts. Their faces are angular and they sport long, pointed ears. ### Traits #### Ability Score Increase Your Intelligence score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1. #### Age High Elves mature at the same rate as humans, though may not be taken seriously until they have several decades under their belts. A 200-year-old elf is considered old, while a 300-year-old elf is considered very, very old. #### Size High Elves are often over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium. #### Speed Your base walking speed is 30 feet. #### Languages You can speak, read, and write Cyrodilic and High Elvish. #### Practiced Hands Gain proficiency in your choice of painter's, jeweler's, glassblower's, or weaver's tools, or any musical instrument. #### Legends Learned You have proficiency in History and you can speak, read, and write one extra language of your choice. #### Superior Breeding When you make a contested ability check, you may roll the check with advantage. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest (a contested check is when two or more creatures roll separate ability checks against each other). #### Cantrip You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it (choose the ability when you select this race). \pagebreak # Argonians
The mysterious lizard-folk prefer to keep to themselves, but are resilient enough to weather any hardship. ### People of the Root The Argonians hail from Black Marsh, a province inhospitable to the other races that was never fully conquered by any empire. There grow the great Hist trees, and from them all Argonian life stems. The Hist are all connected to one another and guide the Argonian tribes who commune with them. The trees are inscrutable beings that possess wisdom far beyond the ken of most ordinary mortals, and are said to give Argonians their souls. The Hist hold that Sithis, a being of primordial chaos, Argonians may also be found across Tamriel, and have a history of being exploited by other races. The Dark Elves have spent centuries raiding Black Marsh for captives to enslave in Morrowind, and because of this many Argonians are born outside their homeland. ### Appearance Argonians are similar in shape and size to humans. Their scales come in a myriad of colors. All Argonians have tails and may have horns, feathers, or spines. \columnbreak ### Traits #### Ability Score Increase Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1. #### Age Argonians have similar lifespans to humans and often live around 75 years. #### Size Argonians can be bulkier and taller than most humans, or they can be slighter and smaller. Your size regardless is Medium. #### Speed Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed of 30 feet. #### Languages You can speak, read, and write Cyrodilic and Jel, or another language of your choice. #### Natural Armor You have tough, scaly skin. When you aren’t wearing armor, your base AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor. #### Black Marsh Resilience You have advantage on saving throws against disease and being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage. Additionally, you can breathe underwater. #### Regeneration As an action on your turn, you may spend one of your hit dice and regenerate hit points equal to half the number rolled + your Constitution modifier, rounded up. ### Argonian Origin When you choose this race, choose one of the following. #### Saxhleel You are an Argonian hatched and raised in Black Marsh. After your hatching, you drank of the Hist-Sap that granted you a soul. As a result of your environment, you gain proficiency in the Nature skill, and you have the ability to communicate with any Hist-Tree you encounter. Hist-Trees speak to one another and all share one mind, though in very rare cases single trees may go rogue and dissent. #### Lukiul You were born outside of the boundaries of Black Marsh. Your family has assimilated into another Tamrielic culture, or perhaps was forced to do so under the yoke of slavery. Choose a skill proficiency of your choice from: Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Perception, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Survival. \pagebreak # Wood Elves
Bosmer, or Wood Elves, are as subtle as they come, but have a wild side when it comes to protecting the natural world they treasure. ### Defenders of the Green Deep in the jungle province of Valenwood, towering Graht-Oaks provide shelter for the Wood Elves who call the land their home. Expert archers, stealthy stalkers, and peerless hunters are the champions of this race. The Bosmer believe they were given their shape by the god Y’ffre, to whom they swore an oath known as the Green Pact. This Pact leads the Wood Elves who follow it to protect all plant life, and even avoid eating any plant matter. Instead, they exclusively eat meat and vow never to waste a scrap of it, leading some other races to believe that Wood Elves are bloodthirsty cannibals. Generally, the Wood Elves are known to be more carefree than their fellow elven races, yet they possess curiosity and passion that often surpasses their brethren. ### Appearance Wood Elves are, on average, the smallest race in Tamriel. Most Bosmer are less than five feet tall with wiry and lithe builds. Some Bosmer sport gently curving horns in addition to their long, pointed ears. ### Traits #### Ability Score Increase Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1. #### Age Wood Elves reach adulthood in their late teens or early twenties and can live up to 250 years old. #### Size Wood Elves range from 4 to 5 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium or Small. You choose the size when you select this race. #### Speed Your base walking speed is 35 feet. #### Languages You can speak, read, and write Cyrodilic and High Elvish. #### Darkvision Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. #### One with the Green You have proficiency in the Nature skill. \columnbreak #### Valenwood Weapons Training You have proficiency with shortbows and longbows. #### Mask of the Wild You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena. #### Bones of the Earth Once per round, when you make a Dexterity saving throw, you may give yourself advantage on the roll. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. Regain all expended uses when you take a long rest. \pagebreak # Bretons
Combining elven cunning with the tenacity of mankind, Bretons are known for both wily magecraft and heroic feats of arms.
The Dunmer are as strange and forbidding as the lands they inhabit.
The shrewd humans of Cyrodiil exercise strength and wisdom as maintainers of a great empire.
Under the light of two moons, the Khajiit of Elsweyr move with graceful feet and speak with clever tongues.
The rugged Nords of Skyrim are equally at ease with a weapon in their hand or a mug of warm mead.
The much-maligned Orsimer are considered brutish rivals to be eliminated by the other races, but the Orcs survive, and even thrive, despite the animosity.
Survivors of an ancient calamity bearing the traditions of the finest warriors in Tamriel.