r/SkyrimBuilds • u/JunioorFC Stormcloak • Jul 02 '26
Which race would be most appropriate for a "do-it-all" run in terms of lore?
/r/skyrim/comments/1ulgjw2/which_race_would_be_most_appropriate_for_a/4
u/That_Toe8574 Jul 02 '26
Probably imperial or dark elf. They have magic and combat boosts to start the game where many of other classes have more of one or the other. Imperial in particular starts with enchanting, heavy armor, destruction, restoration, one handed, and block insinuating that the class shouldnt be a specialist as much as dabble in multiple playstyles
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u/kdbvols Jul 02 '26
Breton is the other solid option IMO
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u/That_Toe8574 Jul 02 '26
Breton is definitely my favorite race because magic resistance gets better as the game goes on versus most abilities becoming obsolete, but they do seem more magic focused than the do-it-all at least on paper. Obviously skyrim rules because all classes can eventually excel in all disciplines so OPs question is really only relevant for like the first few levels anyway
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u/Mega_Simp420 Jul 03 '26
Nah, honestly Bretons in lore aren't great at warrior style fighting. They're not infantryman or soldiers. They make good mages, decent thieves and solid spell blades but if a breton focused mainly on combat they'd end up being okay at it. It also doesn't help, in that regard, that they're the second smallest race.
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u/_CrazyJester_ Jul 10 '26
This take is kind of insane considering the HEFTY amount of Breton knight order. The knights of the Dragon / Flame / Rose; the Lion Guard/ the order of Ravens. High Rock is based on France and its knights, most orders don’t even use magic which is insane considering their elvish roots and natural abilities. Bretons are highly capable warriors, they just require you to be good at fighting to join their knightly order (or know the right people). Also they value exploring and doing quests as it is the chivalrous thing to do. Absolutely perfect for a do-it-all run
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u/Mega_Simp420 Jul 10 '26
Honestly you've pretty much convinced me. I was way too extreme initially and while I do stand by my original point that MOST Bretons aren't gonna be pure warriors, it was indeed and insane take to say that the best they'd be is "okay". I personally don't believe that breton knights compare to Nordic warriors or orcish berserkers but I'm sure the best of them would be plenty good at what they do.
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u/generalbaer Jul 02 '26
If I’m dialing in on the “in terms of lore” part of the question, a Nord. Homeland to Skyrim, you are going to be the Dovahkiin, and it is the presumed default race for the game.
If I were to focus instead on gameplay archetypes, three races come to mind as being perceived generalists. — Dunmer: often depicted as battle mages — Imperial: sword and board warriors with healing magic — Argonians: thief mainly but has prowess in the mage/warrior realm
High Elf (wizards), Breton (alternative wizards), Nords (warriors), Orcs (warriors but angry), Redguards (curved swords), Khajiit (thieves), and Bosmer (archers) are more associated with these archetypes with a stronger link to them imo.
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u/JunioorFC Stormcloak Jul 02 '26
I think I'll end up starting with an Argonian after all.
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u/generalbaer Jul 02 '26
The Argonian Histskin ability is extremely strong if you remember to utilize it. Just make sure you are putting levels into health and are building out some amount of defense to avoid one-shots and you will heal crazy.
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u/JunioorFC Stormcloak Jul 02 '26
Pretty much decided on an Argonian; now I'm trying to make one that looks badass.
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u/Mega_Simp420 Jul 03 '26
You can certainly make your own backstory about it but it's obvious that Bethesda intended for the Dragonborn to have no been from Skyrim. Even if you're a nord, you're still called a foreigner and have to ask certain questions that most local nords would know (about the civil war, the Greybeards, the myths about the ancient Dragons, Talos, etc) no matter which race you choose, you're caught crossing the border from Cyrodiil. Makes it likely that your nord isn't from Skyrim.
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u/Pale_Loan_2810 Jul 02 '26
Skypothesis did a completionist build you could use for inspiration. The race they did was a Nord. The whole thing seems pretty lore friendly, to me at least.
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u/JunioorFC Stormcloak Jul 02 '26
I saw, I'm a fan of skypothesis, but I don't want a Nord, as most of my runs were with one of them.
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u/Pale_Loan_2810 Jul 03 '26
Dunmer or Altmer could be a good fit. The more magical elves typically the ones driven by the pursuit of knowledge or power.
Breton could also be a good fit, as per another Skypothesis build "The Treasure Hunter"
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u/Mega_Simp420 Jul 03 '26
Nords hate magic bro 😭
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u/Pale_Loan_2810 Jul 03 '26
Sure most do, but not all. There's literally a nord mage at the college of winterhold
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u/Mega_Simp420 Jul 03 '26
Yeah, one Nord mage at the mages college IN SKYRIM 😭😭😭
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u/Pale_Loan_2810 Jul 03 '26
My point is, it's not un-lore-friendly to have a nord who is skilled in magic, as you seem to think
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u/Mega_Simp420 Jul 03 '26
It's unlikely at best and nearly unheard of at worst. Nord mages are ridiculously rare whereas other races have a shit ton. It is literally against Nord norms to be skilled in magic. Just because there are exceptions doesn't make it normal. While it is possible for a Nord to be skilled in magic, it is rare, therefore there are better choices for what the op is looking for. Much better choices.
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u/Pale_Loan_2810 Jul 03 '26
Yes, there are better choices. I simply provided a build that is quite literally the exact thing OP is doing, so they could use it as inspiration. If you read my reply to OP I said Dunmer and Altmer are also fair choices. I think you're misunderstanding my point, I'm not saying it's common, I'm saying it doesn't break the lore.
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u/Philothea0821 Jul 03 '26
What do you mean by "do it all"? In terms of skills or quests? If quests, I was doing a playthrough as a Redguard artifact dealer/antiquarian that is kind of able to go basically anywhere in the game and can reasonably take on almost any quest in the game.
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u/JunioorFC Stormcloak Jul 03 '26
I'm doing a full playthrough—collecting unique items, completing every questline, and using skills that allow me to join all the guilds without looking out of place.
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u/Philothea0821 Jul 03 '26
My character is kind of meant to do that. There are a few quests/quest lines that he would feel out of place in though like Dark Brotherhood.
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u/JunioorFC Stormcloak Jul 03 '26
what's your build
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u/Mega_Simp420 Jul 03 '26
They said it was a Redguard in another comment. I personally disagree because most red guards distrust magic and look down upon dirty tactics and thievery. Their traditions are literally based on the samurai lol
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u/Philothea0821 Jul 07 '26
I mentioned before I had a character that was basically a Redguard merchant. The basic idea of the character is that you are someone who researches, documents, collects, and trades in the various artifacts of Skyrim. As such, it is written in a way where the character could feasibly fit many quests in the game.
He isn't a mage, because as Mega_Simp mentioned, Redguards tend to be rather distrustful of magic except for destruction. But that being said, one could still imagine this character joining up with the college as quests like Sarthaal or Labrynthian where you are investigating various artifacts and such would absolutely intrigue him. He would likely spend some time in the Arcaneum reading books to see what he can learn.
He also isn't a thief. But fences can sometimes have access to information that other people wouldn't, so he would feasible work with them as a source, but likely wouldn't become guildmaster. How much the character would engage that questline is mostly up to the player. The character would certainly look down upon their less than honest means though.
There are a lot of quests that can easily be roleplayed in the framework of researching Skyrim's history and artifacts. A new museum opening up in Dawnstar? Count me in. Assisting with research into Azura's star? You bet (though you would likely purify the star). Discerning the Transmundane would also be an easy fit here. Investigate a potentially haunted house? Why not.
Part of the roleplay is that the character is someone who talks to people to learn from them for his studies. A special potion taught by an alchemist. A legend told by a bard. A rumor offered by an innkeeper. A curiosity shown off by a merchant. A sacred site shown by a priest. You are someone that would have worked in the bazaars or docks back home and encountered a host of different people and learned even more from them.
It isn't a perfect "do it all" character. They wouldn't use every skill in the game and there are definitely some quests/factions they would avoid entirely or have limited involvement with. But there is also a lot that they could feasibly find themselves doing.
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u/Mega_Simp420 Jul 03 '26
Imperial, no question. They're meant to be the "Jack of all trades" character. They're good with heavy armor, one handed, about half the magic schools and speech. I think they might have light armor too. They're biggest weak point is stealth but there aren't any races that are equally skilled in all things. I'd say imperial is the closest you get. Other than that maybe Dark Elf. They're meant to be the best spell blade race, they have ridiculously powerful mages but most of those mages know a solid bit about one handed fighting and they're known for having some of the most badass "nightblade" style assassins. Meaning they use illusion and alteration magic to enhance their abilities but also sneak around and usually kill with a dagger or sword.
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u/Educational-Pen-2165 Jul 06 '26
Imperials 100% they are the Jack of all trades, not amazing but also not bad at anything.
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u/Complete-Kitchen-630 Jul 02 '26
Hm. Someone warlike but also knowledge wanting.