Skyrim Tabletop - Who Becomes the Dragonborn?

[Echoside]

Lorewise it only takes time, study, and practice to shout. Yet even large number of Shout using warrior aren't unbeatable. After all it was the Nords defeat at Red Mountain that lead Jurgen Windcaller to create the Way of the Voice. Being Dragonborn only grants the power to bypass the need to train/practice/amount of time needed to learn to use words of power by adsorbing the knowledge from the souls slain dragons but it doesn't effect the ability to use the words outside quicker learning and maybe getting some of the word phrase buffs like you do from Paarthurnax.

 

I'd make to where the Dragonborn can learn words instantly via Dragon Souls, while the others can over perhaps a day to a week(Maybe more if your gonna be going for a large campaign into the Epics) depending on the word/phrase and depending on it's tier of power. Also bring in the danger of friendly fire, like how Storm Call doesn't target its caster but it will everyone else(even friendlies) like it does in game and Unrelenting Force/Fire Breath/Ice Breath/Ice Form/Disarm/Marked for Death having indiscriminate cones/lines of effect on hostiles, friendlies, and environment making you need to think more about the where and when of usage. I'd keep the usage time penalties the same among all users.

 

I'd make shouting a 5 tier pseudo magic class

1st

First word attack shouts(Fire Breath/Ice Breath/Ice Form/Unrelenting Force/Cyclone), First Word Buff/Debuff Shouts (Elemental Fury/Marked for Death), Throw Voice, Clear Skies

2nd

Two Word Attack/Buff/Debuff Shouts, Animal Allegiance, Aura Whisper, Clear Skies, Kyne's Peace

3rd

Three Word Attack/Buff/Debuff Shouts, Drain Vitality, Become Ethereal

4th

Massive Effect Shouts (Slowtime, Storm Call, Soul Tear)

DB Only

Dragonrend, Dragon Aspect, Call Dragon, Call of Honor, Bend Will, Battle Fury, Word Meditations

 

Maybe even add in some type of certain affinity for performing certain types of shouts based on race. Especially since lorewise Nords are the only ones historically known to have the ability to shout, so to over look this certain races may have certain shouts they can learn easier then others to help keep it fair to the DB player and the non-db players and to explain how they picked the word up so fast.