ClericEdit
(Religious Enthusiast-type Roleplaying)
My life has been devoted to the Nine. I am their champion. I am both a warrior and a priest, and evil fears my wrath.
The Cleric is a righteous warrior, a defender of the helpless, and a paragon of his race. They seek out evil where they go, and the rid the world of it. They devote their lives to a specific god, and follow his or her teachings strictly. They have no need for material wealth, as they receive their fulfillment from preforming good deeds and honoring the gods. To role-play a Cleric, you must be willing to forfeit personal fortune, instead working towards the common good. The life of a Cleric is strict, rigorous, and, often thankless. Only people wholly and truly pure of heart can follow the way of the Cleric.
Being a Cleric requires many things, including, as stated before, the willingness to fight for good instead of personal gain. It also requires a strict control of your deeds, as well as a very religiously centered existence. If a Cleric voluntarily and knowingly commits an evil act, he immediately loses his status as a Cleric, and must complete a Pilgrimage (Such as the one involved in the Knights of the Nine questline which also provides you with a map to the Wayshrines)to all the Wayshrines of the Nine, ending it by praying in the chapel of his patron Divine. Depending on the severity of the evil act, multiple Pilgrimages must be completed. A good rule of thumb is one Pilgrimage for each point of Infamy gained during a quest, one Pilgrimage for each evil quest even if no Infamy is gained, or, if a crime has been committed, a Pilgrimage for every 100 Septims of your bounty. If your bounty is less then 100 Septims, a single Pilgrimage is still needed. If possible, he must also embark on a quest to right the said wrong or wrongs. Concerning the topic of his wealth, the Cleric can only retain enough gold (i.e. no more then 250 Septims in his/her inventory at one time, less if that much is not needed) to buy and maintain his equipment, and to support a modest lifestyle and home (i.e. the Shack in the Imperial City, or similarly inexpensive housing). The rest of his gold he must donate either to his patron's chapel (Do so by "Bribing" the priests there), another Divine's chapel (Again, by "Bribing" the priests), beggars, or to a worthy and noble cause of the cleric's choosing. Also, make regular visits to your patron's chapel to pray, and deliver sermons. Make monthly Pilgrimages, even if you have committed no evil. Always carry with you the Ten Commands of the Nine Divines, and any other relevant tomes about your patron, as well as tomes about the other deities. Also, avoid joining any guilds, so as to not divert your attention from the gods.
When creating your character, create a custom class. Favored main attributes are Strength and Willpower, Strength and Endurance, or Endurance and Willpower, depending on personal preference. The favored major skills are Blunt, Block, Heavy Armor, Restoration, Alteration, Armorer, and Speechcraft. After you have created your character, class, and so forth, choose one of the Nine Divines to devote your life to. He or she will become your patron god.
When choosing equipment, be sure to use Heavy Armor. Steel, Iron, or Dwarven is preferred, but the Armor of the Crusader is also an excellent option, if you have KotN installed. Be sure to use one handed Blunt weapons, such as Clubs or Maces, and avoid Axes, Swords, Claymores, or Daggers. Avoid Warhammers as well. Use a shield, as well. Clerics are opposed to bloodshed, so the must use crushing weapons, instead of cutting weapons. If you can, avoid using Orchish equipment, as the Daedra are prevalent in their culture, especially Malacath. Avoid using Daedric equipment altogether, as it's essence is evil. Also, above all else, hone your skill at Restoration, as this is the essence of a Cleric! If you enchant your equipment, be sure to avoid enchantments that cause undue pain or destruction. Try to enchant them with calming or restorative spells. This somewhat defeats the purpose of your weapons, so it may be more beneficial to leave them unenchanted. Also, never soul trap anything, as this is in direct opposition of the core spiritual beliefs of a Cleric. Train yourself in the ways of Alteration, as well.
Whilst traveling through the world, root out and destroy evil wherever you find it. Help the oppressed, and protect the innocent. Destroy any Bandits, Vampires, Undead, or any other evil creatures you find. Take life only as a last resort; kill only in self defense, never be the aggressor. Visit graveyards and leave behind flowers, gems, and other such things to show respect to the dead. Respectfully tend to any dead bodies you come across. Pray that the Divines grant them passage to the afterlife, and then dispose of the body by either cremating it, or casting it out into the sea. If you wish, leave a token of your patron on any body, to show respect to the dead, and sorrow for their death. Actively seek out and destroy Daedric Shrines and Oblivion Gates. Afterwords, embark on a Pilgrimage to rid your body and soul of the taint of the shrine or of the taint of Oblivion itself. If you do somehow find a Daedric artifact in your possession, ensure that none will ever use it again by throwing it in the sea, or, if you are feeling poetic, by casting it into the fires of Oblivion. Should you, Divines forbidding, commit a crime, do not resist arrest, or attempt to pay the fine. Serve out your sentence as a debt to society, then embark on a Pilgrimage to absolve yourself. Multiple pilgrimages may be needed, depending on your bounty. If possible, compensate the victim or the family of the victim of your crime, either through service or gold. Monetary compensation can be made by "Bribing" the victim or a relative of the victim. A good rule of thumb is 100 Septims for each transgression made against the victim. For example, if you steal a ring from So-and-So, and he catches you and engages you in combat, and you kill him, you would have to pay 300 Septims to a relative of his, if he has any, due to an account of pickpocketing, assault, and murder. In addition to that, you would have to complete 11 Pilgrimages due to a bounty of 1065 Septims!
When you feel that your adventuring days are at an end, or if you feel it necessary to atone for something, and a Pilgrimage is not enough, leave your armor and weapons behind, save for a simple Club for self defense, a modest sum of gold (no more then 125 Septims), and some simple clothes, ideally some Monk or Priest robes, and live as a religious hermit, either by wandering the wilds, or confining yourself to a remote monastery. Study any tomes you may find, purchase, or own about the Divines, especially about your patron. Read the Ten Commands multiple times a day. Stay away from cities as much as possible. Allow yourself only one or two visits a month to a city to buy supplies, services, or tomes, and always visit the city's Chapel and pray for multiple hours upon each visit. Continue this self imposed exile until you feel that you have been cleansed, or that Tamriel needs you once more. Always end this exile with a Pilgrimage before re-joining society.
I hope you enjoy this role playing idea! I will hopefully be creating more soon! If you have any suggestions for role playing ideas, or just wish to give some feedback on some of my current ones, feel free to post on my talk page.
RangerEdit
(Wilderness Dweller-type Roleplaying)
I have no need for your cities, for your civilization. My palace is the forest, my subjects the animals, and my family, my weapons.
The Ranger is a warden, a protector of nature, and a champion of good. He lives off the land, and has no need for "civilized" life in the cities. He is an expert tracker, archer, and swordsman, as well as having a knowledge of alchemy, and of the flora and fauna of the natural world. He can also move unseen and unheard by his enemies, if he so wishes. He has no need for Heavy Armor, preferring the mobility offered by Light Armor.
When creating a Ranger, you must keep in mind that they rely on their ability to move quickly to survive. The favored main attributes are Speed and Agility, Strength and Agility, or Strength and Speed, depending on personal preference. The favored major skills are Marksman, Blade, Light Armor, Alchemy, Armorer, Block, and Sneak.
When choosing equipment, a good quality bow is a must. After all, it is the image of the Ranger! A good quality longsword is also a must. Iron, Steel, or Silver weapons are preferred. Avoid the other materials, if possible. Always carry a backup shortsword and dagger of the same material as your longsword, as well as a Silver Shortsword, if your main sword is Iron or Steel. When choosing armor, Leather or Chainmail is the most preferred. Avoid the other materials, if possible. Try to acquire a hood with similar coloring of your armor to wear instead of a helmet. If you cannot acquire a hood, forgo headgear altogether. Always avoid using a shield. Also, try to obtain a Command Animal spell, so you can befriend animals you meet in the wilds.
Above all, a Ranger must avoid committing evil acts. If he does, he must atone for the act somehow. It is up to the Ranger to decide how best to do that. The Ranger must also live off the land as much as possible. Hunt animals, and sell the skins and meats to make a living. Pick ingredients and create potions to sell as well. When selling your items, prefer smaller settlements to the larger cities. Only enter the major cities is you absolutely have to, and never stay for more then a few hours. Also, choose one creature, be it Goblins, Trolls, or whatever else, that your Ranger hates above all else. Actively seek out and slay this creature. Engage them in combat without hesitation when you come across them. Learn the lay of the land, and learn how to navigate by landmarks. Explore forts, ruins, and caves. Find a relatively safe camp, ruin or cave in the wilderness to call home. Clear it of enemies regularly, if necessary. Repeatedly renting a room in an inn that is in a remote (i.e. away from any major roads) settlement is also allowed. If you do this, protect that town and all of it's inhabitants. Avoid joining guilds. Learn basic healing spells, for both yourself and others.
I hope you enjoy this role playing idea! I will hopefully be making some more! If you have a suggestion for a role playing idea, or if you want to submit some feedback about one of my current ideas, feel free to post on my talk page.