Daggerfall:Factions
Major Factions
There are six categories of factions the player can join. Each faction gives random quests, ranging from a menial courier duty to killing liches and dragons. Most factions will give quests to all adventurers, although in most cases they will not provide an allowance, you will only improve your Reputation with them. For benefits, more money, and harder quests one must join.
- Knight Orders - Valiant Knights look no further for a lord
- Fighters Guild - The Imperial Mercenary's guild
- Mages Guild - Spellcasters and Scholars alike will enjoy the benefits of the Mages Guild
- Thieves Guild - Sneaky sorts reside in this guild
- Dark Brotherhood - The assassins guild led by the Night Mother
- Temples - Temples devoted to the Eight Divines of Tamriel
Guild Advancement
Each guild requires all members maintain proficiency with a specific set of skills. To be eligible for a given rank, one's reputation with the guild must meet or exceed a given value, and at least one of the preferred skills must meet or exceed the "High skill" degree, and one of the other skills must meet or exceed the "Low skill" degree.
| Rank | Reputation | High skill | Low skill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 22 | 4 |
| 1 | 10 | 23 | 5 |
| 2 | 20 | 31 | 9 |
| 3 | 30 | 39 | 13 |
| 4 | 40 | 47 | 17 |
| 5 | 50 | 55 | 21 |
| 6 | 60 | 63 | 25 |
| 7 | 70 | 71 | 29 |
| 8 | 80 | 79 | 33 |
| 9 | 90 | 87 | 37 |
Within a faction one must wait 28 days between promotions. One may skip ranks when promoted; the highest rank for which one is eligible (according to the above chart) is the rank to which one is promoted.
Guild Titles and Ranks
The following are the various titles associated with each faction and rank.
| Rank | Mages | Fighters | Thieves | Dark Brotherhood | Temples | Knights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Apprentice | Apprentice | Apprentice | Apprentice | Novice | Aspirant |
| 1 | Journeyman | Journeyman | Journeyman | Journeyman | Initiate | Squire |
| 2 | Evoker | Swordsman | Filcher | Operator | Acolyte | Gallant |
| 3 | Conjurer | Protector | Crook | Slayer | Adept | Chevalier |
| 4 | Magician | Defender | Robber | Executioner | Curate | Keeper |
| 5 | Enchanter | Warder | Bandit | Punisher | Disciple | Knight Brother |
| 6 | Warlock | Guardian | Thief | Terminator | Brother | Commander |
| 7 | Wizard | Champion | Ringleader | Assassin | Diviner | Marshal |
| 8 | Master Wizard | Warrior | Mastermind | Dark Brother | Master | Seneschal |
| 9 | Archmage | Master | Master Thief | Master Assassin | Patriarch | Paladin |
Guild Training Skills
The following is a list of skills and which guilds can provide training. Please note that knightly orders do not offer training services. The costs for a training session are 100 gold x player's current level. Training is only available for members of the respective faction. An exception are Temples, they will train also non-members. However in this case the costs per session are 400 gold x player's current level. A training session lasts for three hours and consumes 30 fatigue points. If the player has less than 31 fatigue points he will drop to the floor exhausted to awake one hour later. The player must wait for 9 hours before he may receive another training session.
| Skill | Guilds Where Skill can be Trained |
|---|---|
| Alteration | Mages, Akatosh, Julianos |
| Archery | Fighters, Kynareth, Mara, Akatosh, Dark Brotherhood |
| Axe | Fighters, Arkay, Stendarr |
| Backstabbing | Arkay, Thieves, Dark Brotherhood |
| Blunt Weapon | Fighters, Stendarr, Thieves, Zenithar |
| Centaurian | Zenithar |
| Climbing | Kynareth, Arkay, Thieves, Dark Brotherhood |
| Critical Strike | Stendarr, Fighters, Mara, Arkay, Dark Brotherhood, Julianos |
| Daedric | Dibella, Mages, Kynareth, Stendarr, Akatosh, Mara, Dark Brotherhood, Zenithar, Julianos |
| Destruction | Kynareth, Mages, Akatosh, Arkay, Dark Brotherhood |
| Dodging | Kynareth, Stendarr, Thieves, Dark Brotherhood |
| Dragonish | Akatosh, Mages, Kynareth |
| Etiquette | Dibella, Mara, Zenithar |
| Giantish | Fighters, Zenithar |
| Hand-to-Hand | (none) |
| Harpy | Dibella, Mages, Mara, Kynareth, Zenithar |
| Illusion | Kynareth, Mages, Dibella, Mara |
| Impish | Mages, Julianos |
| Jumping | Fighters, Thieves |
| Lockpicking | Dibella, Thieves, Julianos |
| Long Blade | Dibella, Akatosh, Fighters |
| Medical | Arkay, Mara, Stendarr |
| Mercantile | Zenithar, Julianos |
| Mysticism | Mages, Julianos |
| Nymph | Dibella, Mara |
| Orcish | Stendarr, Dibella, Fighters, Mages, Zenithar |
| Pickpocket | Thieves, Zenithar |
| Restoration | Dibella, Mages, Stendarr, Arkay, Mara |
| Running | Akatosh, Fighters, Kynareth, Dark Brotherhood |
| Short Blade | Fighters, Arkay, Thieves, Dark Brotherhood, Julianos |
| Spriggan | Stendarr, Mages, Zenithar |
| Stealth | Kynareth, Akatosh, Thieves, Dark Brotherhood |
| Streetwise | Dibella, Mara, Thieves, Dark Brotherhood, Zenithar |
| Swimming | Fighters, Akatosh, Thieves, Dark Brotherhood |
| Thaumaturgy | Mages, Zenithar, Julianos |
Minor Factions
The following factions are not "joinable" per sé. These factions do not offer rank advancement, training, or any other service offered by the "normal" factions, but nonetheless offer some notable opportunities, usually quests. Given the intricate political web of the Iliac Bay, it is often beneficial to perform quests for one faction since that will improve one's standing with another faction.
Political Entities
Each region within the Iliac Bay is an autonomous entity within the Empire, each with their own allies and enemies, thriving populations and noble courts. The people, the noble court, and rulers of each provide for endless intrigue; but beware the fickle alliances can often have unintended consequences when traveling to a different region. While these factions do not offer training, performing quests for the nobility or commoners of a region is the quickest way to improve one's legal reputation within that region. There is also a nobility quest which reveals a witch coven on one's map. See:
Witch Covens
Perhaps the most notable minor factions in Daggerfall are witch covens. They provide Daedra summoning, and a handful of quests. Witch covens apparently have the ability to create a Universal Cure, which can cure both vampirism and lycanthropy. An unscrupulous player can use the associated quest as a means to cure either ailment, if they become thus afflicted.
Notably, the Glenmoril witches are the only ones in Daggerfall able to summon Hircine, and thus the only way to obtain Hircine's Ring, a powerful artifact for lycanthropes.
Vampire Bloodlines
Although the vampire bloodlines do exist in the game, and one is occasionally contacted by them if a vampire, that's about it. Bethesda has stated that the bloodlines don't work quite the way they were intended and this was never fixed.