Ninja/Kunoichi
(Assassin-type Roleplaying)
Ninja/Kunoichi are the fabled shadow warriors of Japan. Praticing the art of Ninjitsu, they favor using stealth to blend in with the environment and kill their targets to complete their objectives. Their signature weapons are a katana, bow and arrows, shortswords (ninjatō), and knives (kunai). They are also known for using magic (Ninpo), manipulating the powers of the earth to destroy their enemies.
Race: Imperial, Redguard, or Dark Elf
Attributes: Endurance, Speed, Strength
Specialization: Combat or Stealth
Skills: Alchemy, Acrobatics, Blade, Destruction, Light Armor, Marksman, Sneak
Optional Skills: Athletics: Fleetness of foot is a traditional attribute of a ninja/kunoichi. Hand to Hand: Aside from the use of weapons, ninja/kunoichi also practice various forms of martial arts. Illusion: As the ninja/kunoichi are capable of manipulating magic, they are also have the ability to become invisible to avoid detection or chameleon to blend in with the environment.
Alteration: Includes the ninja/kunoichi's signature ability, Water Walking. Restoration: Ninja/Kunoichi have an ability to heal wounds and restore their magic (Ninpo).
Weapons: The Akaviri Katana is the preferred weapon of choice for your ninja/kunoichi. Give it a name and enchant it with any type of magic on it. Give your weapon a backstory on how you've obtain it in the first place (e.g., passed down from one generation to the next). Shortswords and daggers of any type work well as a ninjatō and kunai, respectively.
Armor and Clothing: Leather, Elven, Glass and Amber armor (requires the Shivering Isles expansion pack) (minus the helmet) or the Dark Brotherhood armor are excellent choices for your ninja/kunoichi. A black hood (which can be obtained by killing any NPCs wearing it, e.g., Shady Sam) works very well as it conceals your face. If you have the Shivering Isles expansion pack, the Order Priest's hood goes well for your ninja/kunoichi because not only does it have a unique design, it also completely conceals your entire face.
Spells: Since there are no actual throwing weapons in the game, you can create on target spells to resemble your ninja/kunoichi throwing a shuriken or kunai.
Oni
(Wilderness Dweller-type Roleplaying)
Oni are creatures of Japanese folklore, variously translated as Demons, Devils, Ogres and Trolls. They are popular characers in Japanese art, literature and theater.
Depictions of oni vary widely but usually portray them as hideous, gigantic creatures with sharp claws, wild hair, and two long horns growing from their heads. They are humanoid for the most part, but occasionally, they are shown with unnatural features such as odd numbers of eyes or extra fingers and toes. Their skin may be any number of colors, but red and blue are particularly common.
They are often depicted wearing tiger-skin loincloths and carrying iron clubs, called kanabō (金棒?). This image leads to the expression "oni with an iron club" (鬼に金棒 oni-ni-kanabō?), that is, to be invincible or undefeatable. It can also be used in the sense of "strong beyond strong", or having one's natural quality enhanced or supplemented by the use of some tool.
Race: Imperial, Redguard, or Orc
Appearance: When creating your character, play around with the skin tone bar and adjust the colors you see fit.
Attributes: Endurance and Strength
Specialization: Combat
Skills: Alchemy, Athletics, Blade, Blunt, Destruction, Marksman, Restoration
Optional Skills: Hand to Hand
Weapons: Club: Oni are sometimes depicted wielding a club as their weapon of choice. Place any enchantment and give it a name. The Akaviri Katana and Dai-Katana also works well as either their primary or secondary weapons.
Ronin
(Fighter-type Roleplaying)
A ronin is samurai that has refused to commit Seppuku after his leader's (lord, etc.) death. The ronin can either become a hero that keeps his noble objectives or become a wanted criminal to spread chaos and infamy throughout the land.
Since they are considered samurai, they are still allowed to wield their weapon of choice, the katana. Their primary outfits are robes of different colors (to represent their clan) and sandals.
Race: Imperial, Redguard, Dark Elf
Appearance: Any as you see fit.
Attributes: Endurance and Strength
Specialization: Combat
Skills: Acrobatics, Alchemy, Athletics, Blade, Hand to Hand, Marksman, Restoration
Weapons: Since they are considered Samurai, the Akaviri Katana serves as the primary weapon of the Ronin. Place an enchantment, give it a name and develop a backstory on your weapon. Besides the Katana, being former Samurai, Ronin are exceptionally skilled in the ways of the Bow and Arrow. The recommended materials for the Bow and Arrows are Fine Iron, Fine Steel, Ebony, and Madness (the latter requires the Shivering Isles add-on).
Samurai/Lady Samurai
(Fighter-type Roleplaying)
The Samurai/Lady Samurai are, quite simply put, one of the most recognizable warriors in the continuing dialog and history of war. Recognized for their legendary status through the weapons they use, through tactical planning to prepare for battle, and through the strict code of Bushidō, they are a force to be feared within the eyes of many.
Name: Think of a unique name to fit your role as a Samurai/Lady Samurai.
Race: High Elf, Dark Elf, Imperial, and Redguard
Appearance: Any as you see fit.
Attributes: Endurance and Strength
Specialization: Combat
Skills: Acrobatics, Alchemy, Athletics, Blade, Heavy Armor, Marksman and Restoration
Weapons: The main weapon of the Samurai/Lady Samurai is the Akaviri Katana or the Dai-Katana and Shortsword (recommended materials are Fine Iron, Fine Steel and Ebony), serving as the daishō (katana and wakizashi set). Two Daedric Artifacts, Goldbrand and the Ebony Blade, obtained by completing their respective Daedric quests, can serve as their main katana. A Samurai/Lady Samurai's arsenal of weapons includes a dagger (recommended materials are Fine Iron, Fine Steel and Ebony), serving as the tantō. Not only are the Samurai/Lady Samurai masters of the ways of the Blade, they are also skilled in the way of the bow. A bow and a set of arrows can serve as a base for the yumi (the recommended materials are Fine Iron, Fine Steel, Ebony and Madness; the latter material requires the Shivering Isles expansion pack). Give each of these weapons a name and enchantment, and give them a backstory about the weapons the Samurai/Lady Samurai is using (passed down through the clan, forged for personal reasons, etc.).
Armor and Clothing: As Heavy Armor is the major skill for this custom class, use only three pieces of armor: the helmet (serving as the kabuto), the cuirass (serving as the dou/dō) and the gauntlets (serving as the tekkō). The recommended materials are Iron, Orcish, Ebony (Regular or Umbra's) and Madness (requires the Shivering Isles expansion pack). In place of greaves and boots, pants (recommended is the Black Wide Pants and Light Brown Linens) and footwear (Sack Cloth Sandals is recommended) complete the appearance of the Samurai/Lady Samurai. Whenever you're inside a city, a Samurai/Lady Samurai must wear robes (recommended are the Black and Red Silk Robes), a shirt (recommended is the Zero-Weight Shirt with Suspenders), pants (recommended are the Black Wide Pants and Light Brown Linens), and shoes (recommended are Quilted Shoes and Sack Cloth Sandals for males, Huntsman Moccasin and Sack Cloth Sandals for females).
Spells: As Restoration is one of the major skills for the Samurai/Lady Samurai custom class, make custom spells that restore and fortify your health, magicka and fatigue (as in "meditating" before and after a major battle), fortifying both your blade and marksman skills, and the like.
Home: The recommended homes to set up your clan for a Samurai/Lady Samurai are Cloud Ruler Temple, Skingrad's Rosethorn Hall and Battlehorn Castle (requires the Fighter's Stronghold add-on).
Potions: As alchemy is one of the major skills of the Samurai/Lady Samurai custom class, brew potions and poisons with the name "Sake" and the subject added in the Alchemy menu.
Ashigaru
(Fighter-type Roleplaying)
The Ashigaru are foot-soldiers that are employed by the Samurai class of feudal Japan. Proficient in a variety of weapons including swords, bows and arrows, the Ashigaru are the perfect soldiers to engage in the battlefield.
Name: Think of a unique name to fit your role as an Ashigaru.
Race: Redguard, Imperial, Dunmer
Appearance: Any as you see fit.
Attributes: Endurance and Strength
Specialization: Combat
Skills: Alchemy, Athletics, Blade, Blunt, Hand to Hand, Light Armor, Marksman
Optional Skills:
Weapons: The main weapons for an Ashigaru is the Akaviri Katana/Dai-Katana and Shortsword (the recommended materials are Fine Iron, Fine Steel, Elven, and Glass) serving as the daishō (katana and wakiszashi set). The Ebony Blade and Goldbrand, two Daedric Artifacts that can be obtained by completing their respective quests, can also serve as their katana. For blunt weapons, warhammers (the recommended materials are Fine Iron, Fine Steel, Elven, Glass and Amber, the latter material requires the Shivering Isles expansion pack) can serve as an Ōtsuchi and War Axes (the recommended materials Fine Iron, Fine Steel, Elven, and Glass) can serve as an Ono.
Armor and Clothing: The recommended materials from the light armor skill are leather, elven, glass and amber (the latter material requires the Shivering Isles expansion pack). Use only three pieces of armor for the Ashigaru custom class: the cuirass, the gauntlets and the helmet. These three pieces serve as the Dou/Dō (Cuirass), tekkō (Gauntlets) and kabuto (Helmet). For pants and shoes, use Black Wide Pants for hakama and Sack Cloth Sandals for waraji.
Home:
Potions: