We have warrior, thief, and mage. What about the druid? Nature-based 'classes' are a gaping hole in TES.

The Druid
Earth: spells like stoneskin, earthquake, and a spell which causes targeted plants and mushrooms to release a toxic cloud.
Wind: spells which control opponents by pushing them back, or making arrows miss.
Water: soothing spells which can restore magicka or health, and protect against fire attacks.
Tracking: allows you to read creatures' tracks (works much like detect life), giving you combat bonuses against them.
Taming: allows you to tame a permanent animal companion. Different animals serve different functions.
Alchemy (in the thief skill pool, alchemy should be replaced with trap-making).

note: druid spells use stamina instead of magicka.

This would open up so many new builds... And the interplay between druid and mage spells would be interesting.

How about a crafter?

Because your idea will never ever bear fruit. Not in DLC or otherwise

It's still magic you use. And alchemy will never be moved from the stealth tree in this game.

Idea rejected.

We don't need to expand the central 3 archetypes to incorporate all the classes. What about rangers or clerics?

You can play a Druid as it is now just like you can play a bard or a barbarian. We don't really need to start DnD'ing The Elder Scrolls series.

all spells use magicka, that is the way of TES, and alchemy is fine as a thief skill, but other than that it is a good idea. lore-wise i think earth magic was used by redguards on yokuda (its been awhile since iv checked though) and the akavir races may use other types of magic

It's a mage you just described. You don't need a new archetype, you just need more spells.

There are no strict "archetypes" in this game. Just 3 categories of skills, which you can mix and match to get the character you like. There are no "classes", only professions. The previous games had optional predefined professions, but they (and unfortunately many skills with them), are gone. Adding a single "class" to a classless game would be just beyond weird.

As for stone skin, we already have it in the Alteration school. As for making plants explode-- that would be either OP or tedious, considering how many plants there are in the world.


Fus ro dah. Already have it.


Already available under different names (i.e. Restoration school)


Like you said, we already have detect life. As for bonuses... nah.


Wood Elves have the next best thing-- their racial. Also, you can have a dog as a companion follower.


I disagree. I associate posions with rogues moreso than trap making.


This would be game breaking, stamina regens too fast. There would be no reason to roll a magic class.


I think you just need to use your imagination. Cast a restoration spell and just say it's a "water" spell, for example. I play as a Cleric, even though that's not a readily recognized "archetype."

Yea, because according to OP's logic i could branch out into virtually infinite archetypes; the spells need more variation probably.

Well oblivion had that druid mod and you can role play a druid if you like the forsworn gear.

Looking through the list of all of all the shouts I have collected the magic of those seems very druidic. You can do everything from tame wild animals to call down lightning from the sky.

Part of what may help with feeling like a druid or any concept (along with several posts mentioning how to just work with the skills and spells to come closer to your concept) might be in also renaming enchanted items. Perhaps working with inspired names can help add to the druid immersion.

Not understanding what gives you the right to reject OP's idea.

Do you work for Bethesda?

The druid is just an archetype, which you can use to create many builds, such as rangers, shamans, witches, etc.., which don't fit very well in any of the existing archetypes. This is a shame, because these builds are extremely popular in fantasy, particularly druids and rangers. I know that TES likes to avoid the beaten path, but one can dream, right? And more options is always a good thing.

Bring back Morrowind's class system. Ahhh memories.

Not only that, but even if we went back to D&D, there can only ever be three archetypes, period. Any idea for any kind of class whatsoever is just a mix of those archetypes.


Relate it, for instance, to the alignment system. There are only so many kinds of alignments, but characters can be any mix of those. The alignment table works as follows, with all characters ever falling into one group:

----------|-----Good/---------------Neutral/---------------Evil
----------|
Lawful............Lawful Good.............Lawful Neutral...............Lawful Evil
----------|
Neutral..........Neutral Good............Neutral Neutral..............Neutral Evil
----------|
Chaotic..........Chaotic Good...........Chaotic Neutral.............Chaotic Evil
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Much like this, all characters ever will be a mix of Mage/Warrior/Thief, Mage/Warrior/Theif, and Offensive/Defensive/Balanced.

The table used to describe this would be similar to the alignment table, but would require a Z axis. For simplicity's sake (and using simple language instead of arguing the differences between Battlemage, Arcane Warrior, Paladin, etc.), it looks like this:

----------|-----Mage---------------Warrior---------------Theif
----------|
Mage............Pure Mage...................Battlemage..............Shadow Mage
----------|
Warroir.........Battlemage..................Pure Warrior..........Skirmisher/Rogue
----------|
Theif...........Shadow Mage...........Skirmisher/Rogue.............Pure Theif
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Then, you basically have to multiply that table by Offensive/Defensive/Balanced playstyles.

Here's a very simple anolysis: In my opinion, in the case of a pure warrior,

----------|-----Pure Warrior
----------|
Offensive.......Dual Wield Melee
----------|
Balanced...........Two Handed
----------|
Defensive.....Weapon and Shield

As I've said, in most RPGs, including TES (as well as others, like D&D, Pokemon [where magic/combat/stealth is replaced by physical/special/speed], Final Fantasy, etc.) follow this logic. Characters and even whole parties can be described as Mage/Warrior/Theif multiplied by Mage/Warrior/Theif multiplied by Offensive/Defensive/Balanced.

In my opinion, it's not a matter of Skyrim needing more viable "classes," it's a matter of Skyrim needing more fun stuff. Spells, weapons, and fun obstacle courses for thieves (as well as things to steal!) via DLC would really enhance the game.

Also, Earth magics, but I've always been partial to it

We just need more spell effects, and more reason to use them.

As it is, playing a Druid currently is rather pointless, mainly because there simply isn't enough use for the Druidish style of spells, such as Command Animal (Wood Elf racial ability), there aren't enough animals in dungeons or the wild to make this viable. Same goes with focusing on the Animage perk in Illusion to get a boost to Illusion spells against animals - again, there just aren't enough animals to make this viable. And the animals that are around, are too isolated. I.E. - there aren't any Sabretooth camps where a Command Animal would allow you to turn the tides against the animals.

I say we need a baker class

Dragons see me bakin'

they hatin'

Everything you have described, is in the game... Apart from the ONE thing i 110% agree on and i really don't know why it isn't in the game, Traps and trap making, the amount of situations i have found myself in where i have wanted to drop my own personal bear trap in a tunnel in a dungeon or out in the wilds, in the path of an unaware elk

That is the Skyrim i one day want to live in.

Archetypes are fokin stupid. That's like someone telling you that you will svck at sport be cause you play the nerd class. And wtf is a "rogue"? "An unprincipled, deceitful, and unreliable person; a scoundrel or rascal." Doesn't sound like invisible man or damage dealer to me.

Ya man we should be whatev we want cuz fuk u crayon box i dun want red or blue i want a mix of yellow and purple

which is brown, lol

I love your idea of adding classes to open possibilities of more character builds. One of the best ideas I seen yet, although I strongly disagree on your opinion about alchemy. The only other element that needs improvement, in my humble opinion, is NPC dialogue, which lacks a decent quantity.

The combination of NPC Dialogue improvement and your idea would greatly strengthen the role-playing capabilities of the game.

I dont like some of the spell ideas, though like making mushrooms shoot clouds of poison... the tracking one sounds pretty badass though

You do realize that pretty much every RPG you've ever played will be based on archetypes in one way or another?

@OP: Everything you described is already covered by the original three archetypes. Stealth, magic, and fighting; those are the only big ways to play Skyrim.

Wouldn't anything magic related fall under the mage class? They don't need a new archetype, they need more spell variety so you can RP a druid