LE Improving the Blades

[Logiwink]

Jibstaman - Updated first post with warning and brief explanation. Great summary document on google docs. I think the idea to bring Hannibal Traven back from the dead to serve the Blades is an interesting one. It might be difficult to pull off without feeling a little fan-fic, but I think we could do it.

[Draco856]

I was reading the final Eragon book and it gave me an idea, what if the Dragon Language of Skyrim acted somewhat like the ancient language in the Eragon books? Meaning anyone who swore an oath in the ancient language (Dragon language) would be forever bound by that oath. It could be a condition for high ranking members of the Blades, and each recruit could swear the oath, and be trusted implicitly, then we could have someone find a way around this oath and betray the blades if we are intent on a betrayer. New Blades all ready have to give an oath, just in the common tongue, this could add a bit of an element to the faction I think. Either way, we need to change the Oath of the Blades somewhat if we change their mission from Dragon extermination to just killing evil dragons. As it is now, the Oath the blades give are to exterminate all dragons where ever they may be.

[ninga_express]

Just remember to include the Thalmor in this. Remember they may catch drift that the Blades are back, with all this recruiting and base expansion or whatnot.

Missions that would include sabotaging Thalmor bases or killing any scouts that may have spotted Sky Haven temple should be included.

[JibstaMan]

@ JibstaMan: Nura Snow-Shod, Riften priestess of Talos. She's round the back of some buildings.

 

Jibstaman - Updated first post with warning and brief explanation. Great summary document on google docs. I think the idea to bring Hannibal Traven back from the dead to serve the Blades is an interesting one. It might be difficult to pull off without feeling a little fan-fic, but I think we could do it.

 

Both of you, thanks! Will keep updating the document with idea's when they come up.

[Drytor]

Just had aquick read of a few books and realised that the Blades in the OrderofTalos were reffered to as a Prior. Just to add a little more lore friendliness.

 

Just reading through "the document" and was wondering what you had in mind in terms of guards? Would these be Baldes without the option to take them as followers? Or would you have more Mercenary like Guards?

 

Interesting takeon the Wizard recruit quest aswell but is Conjuration the best route forward? Surely more people would carry out resurrections if it were just down to Conjuration. Using the Dragon Language would probably be more appropriate. The sound bites are there for some words. LAAS SLEN ZI (Life, Flesh, Spirit) would be an exampleof a potential shout.

[JibstaMan]

Your totally right about both things.

 

Making "Members" capable of taking guard duty is way better and more realistic.

 

(Following Budz42 shout template:)

Name: Bringing Life

Word 1: Laas - Life - Something like a healing spell.

Word 2: Slen - Flesh - Increases maximum health.

Word 3: Zi - Spirit - Resurrects someone.

Effect Type: Target

Cooldown: 20, 40, 300

 

But what about the re-usability of the shout. I mean, if this is a quest related shout, it's only used once and quite useless after the quest.

Should we make this shout able to resurrect any NPC or maybe just remove it from the players shout list?

And I'm not certain about how this shout is learned, not increasing the effort of completing the quest to much. Or we could just increase the reward of completing this specific quest rather then recruiting a more easy possibility.

Note; When there is a possible war fought at the doorsteps of SHT, the resurrected wizard can be much stronger then the other possible recruits, making it more rewarding in that front (if we make it so that recruits will join in defense).

 

Added (another) Priest of Talos story... and since "the document" is a stupid name... any suggestions? :P

Edited December 4, 2011 by JibstaMan

[Deleted2558536User]

I love the sound of this mod. I personally want to increase the size of the Blades, 6 when fully recruited is not enough, to the numbers of around 20+ Named characters and another 20+ generic. As said many times before Sky Haven Temple would an awesome home, it should be upgradable of course. However I would like the Blades to be able to side with the Empire. While I do agree the Empire is under the thumb of the Thalmor by the end of the Civil War Quest line it seems likely that the Empire will soon be going to war again with the Thalmor. It wouldn't surprise me if Bethesda release an Empire Vs Thalmor DLC. I would like to turn the Blades into the "Special Forces" of the Empire and eventually reinstate them as the guardians of the Empire. I also love the idea of eventually being able to change how the Empire is governed, personally I would change it towards a Democracy. Of course this mod could have serious lore problems, but that can be dealt with as DLC/Expansions are released etc

 

Overall +1000000 :D

[Drytor]

"Scroll of the Blades" perhaps? Doesn't have to be catchy or anything. I've never really done too much modding, not on any big scale anyway but this is really getting me thinking of doing some and if I can get a few pointers I'd be more than happy to lend some time.

 

There's also one or two more interesting characters that are hanging around Skyrim. One in particular was a woman called Agnis in Fort Greymoor who could be a potential cook? She seems pretty removed and uncaring about who's around her. Unfortunately there's a Darkbrotherhood related quest though I've not done it so don't know the details or her supposed background. However, it would kind of work if the Cook remained optional.

 

On this, Essential profession characters could be semi-essential with only three options while the optional profession characters could have a larger selection?

 

EDIT: @Morganite. For now, I don't think we want to stray too far into interfering with the other factions and such. The problems with suggestions of restructuring the empire is that we're only in Skyrim. Things that affect Skyrim and only Skyrim are probably more foreseeable but beyond is a different story.

Edited December 4, 2011 by Drytor

[Zero713]

I'm sure there is a way to create a shout by combining other shouts for another use. Like alchemy, you can make one combo with one set, but another combo using some of those same materials and change it up.

 

In terms of the Eragon style, I loved the movie (lol) and I think it might be a good idea. I however think the original recruitment process is a bit bland, just talking to the person, nothing official. I think that it should be like an elder scroll, at least, when you activate it. Perhaps an oath scroll from the older higher ranks of the blades lost in time. The lore master and whats not find it, tells the player to seek it out, and bam. A little texture change would obviously be in order however, but it would make it seem a bit more official. Either this, or an actual ceremony. Would be good to see something more epic.

 

When it comes to drag along recruits, one thing I found in non-quest-essentials is that they may not be able to die from normal enemys, but if the player so much as hits them while they are downed, they die. So that might be something that needs to be fixed, Is it our job to fix this? Perhaps not. Just throwing it out there.

 

I am completely on par with the recruiting missions however, it looks good.

 

The Thalmor will HAVE to attack SHT, I do believe it is a must. The scripts are basically already in the game. The temples traps should be able to be re-activated in such an event as well. Would also be interesting if they somehow bring ballistics and siege weapons in later engagements.

[JibstaMan]

if I can get a few pointers I'd be more than happy to lend some time.

What kind of pointers do you want? The Creation Kit is out yet, so I'm not sure how everything will work. But if you have The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, you could always look at Contruction Set Wiki to learn the basics from modding in Oblivion. This could help you when trying to get familiar with the Creation Kit.

 

One in particular was a woman called Agnis in Fort Greymoor who could be a potential cook?

Where can I find this Fort Greymoor? Maybe I can also take a look.

 

I'm sure there is a way to create a shout by combining other shouts for another use. Like alchemy, you can make one combo with one set, but another combo using some of those same materials and change it up.

I'm not sure what you mean. Using multiple shouts for a different purpose then the effects of the individual shouts? So, looking at the Shouts page, casting Aura Whisper for Life part of that shout, Ice Form for Flesh and Become Ethereal for Spirit? Like that?

While browsing the shouts, it is possible to let one Word Wall teach three Words of Power (see Throw Voice shout, the rest is not learned by a Word Wall). Making it not necessary to let the player seek three Word Walls or doing it by Quest/Dialogue.

Brilliant! I had a (short) hard time incorporating the shout part into the quest. Then I thought about Dragonrend and how it was created by dragonborns. This might have been what you meant. Combining the Words of Power you already know into a new Shout. Now my idea is: if the player knows the first word of Aura Whisper, the second word of Ice Form and the second word of Become Ethereal, he can learn the spell all by himself (making some sort of puzzle for this would be awesome, but might be hard to implement, idea's are welcome!). When this is not the case, the player will consult Esbern or Arngeir or Paarthurnax and will be told about the Words, unlocking the Bringing Life Shout.

Edited December 4, 2011 by JibstaMan