So for awhile I've been set on a character I wanted to play: a Wood Elf orphan who was taken as a slave as a youth. After growing up, he eventually killed his slave master and escaped into Skyrim. However, he was captured there and sentenced to death for the murder of his slave master. Upon escaping execution, he'd learn a set of skills and eventually fulfill the Dragonborn legend. Those skills were: 1-handed (dual wield combat), Conjuration, Illusion, and Enchanting with possible dabbling in Destruction and Alteration. Hadn't decided between Light Armor or Heavy Armor but leading towards heavy.

But the racial benefits came out, and Bretons (the original race I wanted to play) have some solid bonuses to Conjuration (my #1 skill) including early access to a summon spell before other races. On the flip side, Wood Elf racial bonuses do nothing for me - except their animal companion ability. Commanding animals is a huge part of the roleplay I wanted.

Essentially, with my Wood Elf, Marr'Taan, the roleplay was that of a warrior who was "one with the forest" and used Illusion command spells for animal companions, but also corrupted by dark magic (necromancy) and commanded and summoned evil spirits as well.

With my Breton, who would be named Thadious, the "person of the wood" roleplay is lost. However, I dont think I'd want to limit my command spells to only animals. Thadious would pretty much mind control anyone, animal or man.

The Breton has more relevant racial bonuses, and fits the idea of a dual wielding arcane tank better than a Wood Elf.

The Wood Elf doesn't really have any relevant racial bonuses, but I do like the animal companion perk, as well as the idea of being "one with the wood" but still corrupted by Necromancy. Wood Elves dont fit the arcane tank mold as well, but it'll still work, or I can even go more of a light armored berserker and toss in some Stealth. Thadious would probably take up some Smithing instead of Stealth.

And now im down to only a week to figure it out.

Yeah... I've been staring at 4 races for the past 6 hours trying to decide which one so I can figure out some RP stuff for it... I want to decide tonight.

It sounds that you really like your Bosmer but feel a little discouraged because his race didn't get the most suitable skill bonusses/racial abilities for your playing style. My advice: don't put to much weight on bonusses/racials. They simply give you a head start but that's about it. You Bosmer can become as good a conjurer as your Breton.

i want to play a white redguard

You could always leave it to chance and role the dice?
It's what I do if I have a minor problem like that.

its easy play two games a little of both till you know what one you like more im going as a Breton but i dont use magic so i ignore the racial bonus stuff if you use magic a lot leveling it up isnt hard and getting the spell isnt so i say elf simply because you will get the magic sooner or later

Yes and no.

I certainly am looking at the Wood Elf racial bonuses as a waste, and looking at the Bretons as a better use of that.

There is also the element that my Wood Elf and Breton characters are both based off of characters of my own fiction. Those characters, Thadious is more of a "hero" (Thadious would be loosely based off of my story's protagonist) where Marr'Taan is more of a side character (based off a supporting character). So my Breton "feels" more like an epic hero, where my Wood Elf "feels" more like a "cool" anti-hero of sorts.

But you are right in that the racial bonuses make me feel like a Breton better suits the gameplay aspect of my character.

I think both characters are strong in both gameplay and RP, but the Breton is more focused on gameplay where the Wood Elf is more focused on RP.

Where is this information?

If you want a centralized place always trust uesp.net

Juat remember race does not matter. Even more on Skyrim, because everyone gets the same ammount of skill lvl HP,MP,Stamina (depending on you level of course) and when you have more points in a skill the less you level up. Oblivion Altmer where the only ones who got the highest magicka, but I still made Dark Elf, and Breton mages.

Just pick the race that you like the looks of the most. The rest will work itself out.

So uesp.net says that Bretons get Resist Magic 50% I thought it was only Resist Shock for 50%?

I'm already going to be a Breton regardless but if it is really Resist All Magic for 50% that is awesome!

As for your situation the bias in me says be a Breton but if you are more worried about RP then for sure go Wood Elf but if you want to do more fighting then the Breton seems a lot better skill wise.

so, starting with decent stats in archery is not good? Combined with the small boost in stealth and lockpick, you can exit from the tutorial dungeon already having gained a few points in that and this is certainly a good thing if you plan a thief/assassin type of character

It's fine if you're not playing the long game. I like everything to go nice and slow so I'm going to lay off of the skills I'll have natural bonuses in at first until I can gin up some good weapons, armor, and magic.

Sometimes I think open world games can give you Freedom overload and paralyze you into not going anywhere or checking something out because well..there's a lot of possibilities. My advice..just say screw it pick one, don't look back and run with it.

So the Wood Elf gets bonuses to skills you don't really want to increase manually as you play? I don't see your problem

If you're not planning to use those skills at all, then you are basically wasting the bonusses.
Also, from a RP-perspective, you may want your character to be completely hopeless at certain skills so having bonusses applied to them may not be of your liking.

Your Breton can learn command creature spells, and your Bosmer can level his skills to the same level as the Breton. It would be harder to replicate the Bretons racial however. So, the number one thing is which looks better and which would you feel better about using, descanting all other information.

Nah, the Imperial racial bonus' actually suit the build I'm going for, I never though that would happen but it did. I'm not happy about the lack of a second starting spell though.

Pretty sure it should read Resist Magic 25%, not 50%.

Im not playing a stealthy character, im going to play an arcane tank, so Archery and Sneak bonuses do nothing for me.

I may dabble in a little bit of sneaking, just to get the drop on my target, but im not gonna be creeping around taking out people like an assassin.

That's where my problem is.

Both characters, while virtually identical in my skill selection, will play differently RP wise, and both of them have a "feel" that appeals to me. So im not sure which I would "feel" better about using.

When it comes down to issues like this OP, I do one or both of the following (I have the same issue on my hands deciding between a Nord, Redguard, or an Orc):

1. Pick whatever looks the coolest. I've actually found that looks matter the most to me in the end since I'll be staring at this guy (gal) for endless hours--I better enjoy watching him.
2. If that doesn't work, flip a coin between my last two choices. If you get heads (or tails) for option A, but you really don't like option A, you'll know what you really wanted was option B. If heads is fine with you, stick with it. It's a good way to tell what you really, trully want.

Well, we cannot help you with that. We cannot know what you would feel better with, that is all down to you. As the post above says, flip a coin. You'll know which option you want before it lands, or be happy with whatever result.

I still have not made the choice. It is a choice between either a Redguard, Dunmer, or Altmer. However, I know I shouldn't think too much about it because when I start to play I will use each and every skill just to level my player up--so specific skills is moot to me. And, as we know, we can quickly make up the difference of character bonuses just by using and growing in our skills.