I've posted a similar query on Morrowind Summit a site that has a dedicated Character Creation Forum but have only had one reply in the last couple of days.

Basically, I played a Dwarven Cleric on Everquest, kind of Battle Priest with all the healing skills but could duke it out with various enemies, although always in a party. I now want to create the character for Morrowind as I note there are mods allowing you to be a Dwarf.

Now, I definitely want an armour skill (possibly Medium?), Restoration and Blunt Weapons. As you know, traditionally, priests/clerics didn't like to shed blood hence Blunt Weapons. Also, possibly Alchemy for healing herbs.

I want to role-play this character as I did in Everquest so would be grateful for any advice on to other skills needed, favoured attributes, birthsign etc.

One final question, if I don't use a Dwarf mod, what other race? Imperial perhaps?

Thanks.

Then you probably need a custom class. that way you can select which skill you like as a major or minor skill.

For the race thing, It depends on the race ability and bonuses that you like.

edit : here's a suggestion
Major skill = blunt weapon, restoration,alchemy,medium armor,block
Minor skill = Merchantile, sppechcraft, armorer, your choice,your choice..

Race = breton or imperial or red guard

[ 04-23-2004, 10:03 AM: Message edited by: Kakero ]

Thanks Kakero. Looks good to me. I'll use all those skills with the possible exception of armourer as I can't see a priest doing his own mending.

There's the Ritual birthsign which seems made for a priest with turning undead and healing. Has anybody tried it? Would this be feasible for my character or should I take a magic birthsign?

Unsure if the Atronach (which is a favourite) would be suitable for my character because of role-playing reasons although it could be legitimate if I use Alchemy to replenish magicka rather than summoning Ancestor Ghosts.... Hmm.

I think Imperial because of their charisma and personality bonuses if I don't like any of the Dwarf race mods. Is there a good one of these anybody can recommend?

Thanks.

The ritual sign is perfect for your cleric. I can't think of other.

I don't like any of the dwarf mod because using a dwarf really doesn't make any sense in Morrowind. You'll understand when you progress the game storyline further.

Go Atronoch: your mana will replenish every time you touch an altar or shrine, and the spells are so pricey to cast, only the 2x magika bonus makes a spell caster practical.

Divide your major/minor/misc carefully: Don't have the same governing attribute present too many times, or you'll have difficulty earning your 5x multiplyer bonuses with each level.

Oru

I second that. If you decide not to go with a mod, but do want a dwarf-like character, in personality at least, try out a Nord. Not only do they have vey useful special abilities, but they're described as being strong, stubborn and fearless in battle. Bit tall for a dwarf, but at least they're supposed to act like one. ;)

And to elaborate on the skills a bit, I'd recommend adding another magic skill. Alteration seems a good choice as it harbors a lot of protective spells.

Thanks everybody. I wish I had posted here originally as I've never been let down for good advice from this forum.

Just to say I have finalised my character taking note of what everyone has said.

I've taken J'aran's advice as the Nord has bonuses to Blunt Weapons etc.

Major skills: Blunt Weapons, Medium Armour, Restoration, Alteraion, Speechcraft.

Minor skills: Mercantile, Alchemy, Block, Mysticism and Unarmoured.

This way I have all attributes covered except Luck of course. So I've made Luck and Intelligence my favoured attributes. And gone for Magic as my specialisation.

Birthsign is the Ritual as this seemed appropriate for my character.

What do you think? Do I need to swap over any major/minor skills, for example?

Thanks.

look nice but for the fav attributes I think a cleric should have Personality and Luck.

For the skill get rid of the unarmored and put armorer. In Might and Magic, Cleric have repair item as starting skill and this this is an indication that they can naturally fix weapon/armor.

um, forget armorer. you'll be able to steal enough loot that paying for repairs wont cost anything significant and hammers are too heavy to carry into the woods anyway.

Go with acrobatics. jump whereever you go. you're level will increase dramatically (allowing fast level ups) and it is based on agility so it is a good replacement for unarmoured (covers your basis)

Acrobatics is based on strenght, unarmored on speed.

Clerics don't steal do they? And they also don't go on bunny hopping no?

I agree with Kakero. I intend to properly role play this character so no stealing (unless a quest forces it), no acrobatics etc.

I know clerics had Repair Item in the Might & Magic series but didn't like the image of a cleric being a blacksmith which is why I went a more traditional route.

By the way, I only chose unarmoured as I had no skill which had Speed as it's governing attribute, and also because ordinary priests did only wear robes. As I said earlier, all attributes are then covered except for Luck.

I suspect I will struggle in the magicka department with no magicka multipliers. However, if it doesn't work out, I'll re-start with a magicka oriented birthsign instead, rather than the Ritual.

Thanks again for all your good advice.

um, krull...

using the ritual as my sign, i can tell you that its usefull, but only for the first part of the game. once you've advanced enough the healing part of it wears out its usefulness.

also, sneak does more than just steal, it lets you move around undetected and get closer to enemies. i'm willing to bet that there are some pretty shifty clerics out there who sneak around pretty well.

unarmoured is still a pretty useless skill. pick something else that requires speed. besides, you can wear a robe over your armor, and many of the dungeon clerics/spellcasters seem to also do this.

Thanks Promethius. Good points.

Sneak is, I think, Intelligence based which would make that attribute easier to build up. And, as a magic user, that can't be bad.

As for the Ritual, I'm already regretting not using a magicka boost birthsign...

Question. Speed will be pretty low with no skill that uses Speed. How effective is it to raise Speed only using miscellaneous skills?

As I understand it, the only skills that have Speed as a skill booster are Athletics, Hand to Hand, Short Blade and Unarmoured.

Edit: Or am I worrying unduly about boosting attributes with no corresponding skill? I know Luck doesn't have any skills attached of course.

[ 04-25-2004, 01:20 PM: Message edited by: Krull ]

Honestly, I don't find increasing misc. skills or attributes much of a problem...

My main foucus when doing a new character is to have a good range of activities I'll be using a lot IN THE MISC category, so that I can practice/train them without them contributing to a 'premature leveling'-- I want 3 x5 multiplyers every level.

A character thats been carefully leveled will be far more potent at level 10 than a randomly leveled character is likely to be at 20 or 25.

The only way to really assure x5s is to either train your them at the beginning of every level, or make a chart and track you skill
increases.

For instance, assuming your priest is going to be a magic oriented character, you'll want to have some skills governed intelligence and will in the MISC category. You'll be able to train/practice them so that you get those big multiplyers.

My current character is a magic user with the all important alteration as a misc. skill, but he still has more points in that than in any other 'school', just because I use it a lot. He hit 100 int at around level 10 [I think, not really sure], and since he's breton/atronach, has a manna reserve of 350. Can literally levitate from one end of morrowind to the other without running out of juice...

Due to no skills being lucked based [which would be a contradiction in terms, I suppose], luck is almost always the last category to hit '100'...

Secruity is Int, Sneak is agility, I think.

Oru

speed will increase naturally because you will run/jump wherever you go (trust me on the jumping part, its actually faster to move around than running). if you have an aspect you dont like, go back and restart, so long as youre at the beginning of the game. if you wait till the middle to realize that the ritual doesnt do anything for you, then you're just going to be that much weaker for the rest of the game.

remember, though: jumping increases strength...

Oru