The Elder Scrolls: Hammerfell

The Elder Scrolls: Hammerfell is a single-player role-playing video game set in the open world action/adventure RPG fantasy world of The Elder Scrolls video game series.

Taking place in the harsh arid province of Hammerfell the latest installment of The Elder Scrolls series takes the player on a fantastic journey through a land caught in the grips of tempest, turmoil and war as part of an epic desert odyssey.



ABOUT
Time is against you Seeker, it yawns at your heels.

''You must be wiser than the divided house. Swifter than the shadow of dominion. One wrong step and we are lost. I know the hand that fate will deal, but not how the cards will be played. The only certainty is Blood and Steel, Tears and Fire. And the deep threat long forgotten. Time is against you. You must be Kai'Adwani. Find the truth.. ''

STORY
Over a hundred years have passed since the events of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and it is now 4E 316.

The land of Hammerfell is in a weakened state after having cut ties with the Empire. Increased hostilities between The Crowns and The Forebears, the leading factions of Hammerfell, has left them open to invasion by the Thalmor starting the Second Great War. In the midst of this chaos the Dwemer, a long lost race, have seemingly returned to Tameriel with monstrous constructs of flesh and steel at their command. Hammerfell must unify if it is to survive these dire threats.

The player starts the game in a dark prison mine. You are befriended by an fellow inmate named Ketch Varkas, who listens to your creation story and gives you the run down on the prison. Ketch tasks you with helping plan a prison riot to mask your escape. During the madness, Ketch betrays you to make his escape leaving you and other fellow conspirators to be captured. You are sentenced to death and taken into the badlands on a sand barge. During the trek to your final destination the convoy is shaken when a colossal Dwemer construct suddenly erupts out of the ground and lays waste the convoy. Your cage is sent flying into a ravine and smashed against the rock. The player dies watching the Colossus disappear into a sand storm. The player awakens in a shadowy realm where they are met by mysterious presence who states that they will be returned from death to "Find the Path". The player resurrects next to the broken cage, their body healed. Making their way out of the wreckage and navigating the labyrinthine ravine they eventually find a remote village where people take you in to recover. Impressed with your efforts they award you the title of Adwani - a Pathfinder.

The world is now yours to explore at will and the three major story threads of Hammerfell, the truth of your resurection, the outcome of the Second Great War, and the return of the Dwemer are ready to be investigated but the tide of fate will define your life in ways you could never have foreseen.

SETTING
This installment of The Elder Scrolls takes place in the new region of Hammerfell

Hammerfell, also known as Volenfell in Dwemeris, is a vast province in the west of Tamriel, bordered by High Rock to the north, Skyrim to the northeast and Cyrodiil to the east and southeast. It is the homeland of the Redguards. Once a province of the Tamrielic Empire until the Great War, Hammerfell became a sovereign nation in 4E 175 after its rejection of the White-Gold Concordat.

Hammerfell is a massive region, covered by vast mountain ranges, grasslands, and deserts. The desolate Alik'r Desert is one of Hammerfell's most well-known regions, taking up a large fraction of the province.

Hammerfell is especially notable for being the home of the Redguards, a race of men known for being cunning warriors and skilled swordsmen. Though many skirmishes followed upon the invasion of Yokuda, the land remained Redguard territory. Before the Redguards, however, the Dwemer once occupied Hammerfell.

Hammerfell is a completely new kind of landscape to explore in The Elder Scrolls series. A harsh, arid but beautiful land with unique cultures, characters and locations. The 8 major cities are the most well realized in the series and they are complemented with smaller townships, ruins and dungeons dotted through the land with huge swaths of wilderness separating them all.

Hammerfell is divided up into 10 regions with unique but complementary biomes, geography and settlements. The Alik'r Desert, Totambu Forrest, Dragontail Mountains, Western Reach, Colovain Highlands, Helkori Plains, Dak'Fron Badlands, Goldmoor Coast, Hew's Bane and The Abecean Isles.

Alik'r Desert
The Alik'r Desert takes up all of the western region of Hammerfell, and is widely regarded as the most inhospitable region in all of Tamriel. The Alik'r Desert is home to the ruins of countless civilizations that had perished beneath its sands. Its blazing heat, ferocious sandstorms, and lack of water, makes it nearly impossible to survive in the Alik'r Desert. The Desert is populated by monstrous beasts, including giant scorpions and Dunerippers and is inhabited only by the nomadic Dune Dweller Redguards. The Sands of the Alik'r stretch for miles and miles, where one can easily get lost. They have been described the sand sea, in that the dunes are constantly changing. Sometimes covering an oasis that existed only yesterday, other times reveal a ruin that had been hidden for centuries.

A large settlement in this region is the ancient city of Hegathe.

Unique gameplay mechanic of the region is how the shifting sands of the Desert conceal or reveal entrances to particular dungeons over set time period. These dungeons can be quite high level and require careful planing and coordination but have great rewards.

The Alik'r Desert has a similar landscape as the Sahara Desert.

Totambu Forrest
Totambu Forrest is a small tropical region on the North of Hammerfell between the Dragontail Mountains and Illiac Bay. The Totambu Forrest is a hot and humid jungle where mountain streams flow from rocky waterfalls to deep cool freshwater pools. A royal family dwell in a city with the same name and the region is policed by the Order of the Scarab. The people of the region are steeped in traditions and are known to consume native plants with psychotropic effects as part of ceremonies and visions quests. Totambu Forrest shares its largest city and Capital of Hammerfell with the Alik'r Desert; Sentinel - The Jewel of the Desert. Sentinel is bay far the largest city in the game an operates as a port and centre of all trade and knowledge.

Unique gameplay mechanic of the region is to partake in Spirit Walks. By consuming certain herbs the player can participate in surreal adventures with set unique completion conditions.

The landscape of Totambu is similar to Kakadu in Australia and Sentinel is based on Constantinople in its prime

Dragontail Mountains
The Dragontail Mountains are a mountain range in Northern Hammerfell that acts as a border to many other regions including Totambu Forrest and the Alik'r Desert. The mountains are mostly steep and barren places where the people live in a few sheltered valleys or the giant underground cavern cities that the ancient Dewmer carved into the mountainsides. These caverns go deep into the earth and have never been fully explored. Adventurers have been known to return with treasures and unbelievable tales. Others never come back at all. Hidden deep within the mountains is the almost inaccessible Valley of the Blades, where Redguards devoted to the mastery of combat seek to revive ancient secrets.

Unique gameplay mechanic of the region is the Undergroud Dugenons. These are randomly generated dungeons that reward exploration and encourage replayability.

The landscape of Dragontail reference the Afghan mountains and large caves of Mexico.

Western Reach
The Western Reach is the northern most region that borders both Skyrim and High Rock. This is a wild area with few flat clearings, dotted with trees and rich in valuable ore. Marauding orcs and otherworldly creatures stalk the land while the Reachmen, the natives of this region allied with the Foresworn, fight a constant proxy war with the Nords to the North. The city of Elinhir is secretly home to the "Mages Guild". As magic is not as accepted in Hammerfell as other regions of Tamerial, mages must practice far away from civilization or risk their lives.

Dragonstar is the largest settlement in the region. Once a small mining settlement it has expanded over centuries and evolved into a centre for trading and clashing of cultures.

Unique gameplay mechanic of the region is the Proxy War. Players can choose a side to fight with as a mercenary in wave based combat against low level grunts and highlevel named bosses.

The Western Reach is based of the Andes Mountains of South America.

Colovian Highlands
Colovian Highlands lie in the far east of the country serving as the rugged frontier between Hammerfell and Cyrodill. The Highlands are the desolate western foothills of the Jerall Mountains. North-south travel is quite often impossible due to the sheer sides of the Highlands. The foliage and colour is similar to the Goldmoor region, with light forestation and wispy grasses between islands of bare rock. The Highlands are among the sparser regions in the country, both in terms of vegetation and dungeons.

Few roads run through the area meaning adventures travel by foot or one small goat trails. Far from anywhere however is the secretive Assassins Guild, not to be confused with the Dark Brotherhood as their methodology and beliefs are incompatible.

Unique gameplay mechanic of the region is the Assassins Guild. By joining the guild the player can take part in covert assassinasion mission around Hammerfell. Targets can be quite difficult to attack and players are rewarded based on speed and lack of detection.

The Colovain Highlands are based on Aragon region of Spain

Helkori Plains
The Helkori Plains is a rolling grassland scattered with shrubs and isolated trees. The region is extremely diverse with numerous animal species found here, including the largest and most beasts in Hammerfell. Though mostly flat there are different habitats including riverine forrests, woodlands and granite outcroppings known as Steppes, the largest being Mount Corten. Once a year, the great storms transform the landscape from dry, wildfire prone grassland into rich swampland which starts the mass migration of animals in the area.

Though the Helkori Plains has been claimed by a dozen empires, buts its rural peoples have remained largely undisturbed, remaining simple farmers and hunters, pledging allegiance to none but their Ra Gada forebears. Hunting parties travel in search of food and trophies, as well as culling monsters that would threaten the ecosystem.

Unique gameplay mechanic of the region is the Hunting Party. Players are tasked with tracking down a specific target to capture or kill across the Plains. Higher level monsters appear as you rank up.

The Plains are based on the African savanna.

Dak'Fron Badlands
The Dak'Fron Badlands is commonly known as the driest place in the world. This is due to strange weather patterns that hinders any rainfall in the area. Most of the desert is composed of stony terrain, salt lakes, lava flows and almost entirely devoid of plant life. Razor sharp pillars of stone junting out of the ground like spears and deep ravines litter the landscape. Dak'Fron has no native people, it is said the the only inhabitants are outcasts and madmen but traces of failed civilisations do exist. The largest habitat is the vast city Necropolis that is caved into rock and stone. People still travel here to honour their dead and lay them beside ancient mummies preserved in the arid climate. It is rumoured that somewhere in this land a powerful vampire bloodline exists in secret.

Unique gameplay mechanic is Grave Defense. Players face waves of undead enemies of increasing difficulty.

Dak'Fron is based on the Atacama Region in South America.

Goldmoor
Goldmoor is a vast land of grassy hills, monolithic tors, and marshy coastal inlets located in the south of '''Hammerfell. '''The air is damp and moist, and rain falls regularly. Many communities thrive in the area due to it having the most pleasant climate of the entire Hammerfell region. Goldmoor is home the two large cities, Taneth and Rihad. Taneth is built upon the ruins of a former city destroyed in the third Era. Rihad is a port city located on the coast of the Abecean Sea, on the main road between Anvil and Taneth. The city is an eclectic mix of people from all over Tamriel. Buildings in the city with their flying domes, flying dew sails, and the mosaic colophons were constructed over the ruins of past civilizations.

Unique gameplay mechanic is the Colessium. Players can compete in simulated combat with NPC's or competeive online multiplayer matches.

Goldmoor is based on Turkeys Mediteranian Coast

Hew's Bane
Hew's Bane also known as Khefrem's Boot is a barren peninsula located on the southern coast of Hammerfell, with the bustling seaport of Abah's Landing as its only settlement. Hostile to most life; scorching heat and seasonal flooding led to brackish water and ground which is unsuitable for crops. Shear cliffs and dangerous currents make navigating the surrounding seas difficult for most sailors. Most the peninsula remains unsettled however strange ruins remain in the interior.

Hew's Bane has a reputation for being a safe haven for thieves, rogues and scoundrels, and acting as the unofficial pirate kingdom of the region. Thus the thieves guild rule the peninsula despite the kingdoms desire to be percieved otherwise.

Unique gameplay mechanic Piracy. Player can become a captain in a ship and engage in transport and naval combat.

Hew's Band is based on the Arabian Coast

Abecean Isles
The Abecean Isles is a group of tropical islands in off the coast of Hammerfell. The largest island is Stros M'Kai, which lies to the south of Hammerfell and is similarly dominated by Redguards. Due west of Stros M'Kai is The Chain, a series of three islands of which little is known, a lack that also to applies to Cespar, a larger island to the west-northwest. Just northwest of Cespar is Herne, which was used as a temporary refuge by the Redguards as they migrated across the sea from their ancestral home in Yokuda. Lastly, at the western ends of the sea, are The Systres and Pankor. The Sestres is a group of three islands northwest of Summerset Isle, and Pankor lies to their northwest. A whirlpool located somewhere in the Abecean, known as the Maelstrom of Bal, is rumored to be a portal to Oblivion. Ships which ride its waters are said to disappear.

The sea surrounding the Hammerfell are generally tropical with a very rich sea life and some of the world's largest and most pristine coral reefs. Slaughterfish and Abecean whales travel these waters in large numbers.

Unique gameplay mechanic is diving for treasure.

GAMEPLAY
As with all Elder Scroll games, you start as a nameless prisoner. Using the character creator you can determine your race, sex and appearance. There have been adjustments made to the more animistic races - the Argonians run like bipedal raptors and the Kajiti have more feline stances and characteristics for example. After deciding on your look during your conversation with Varrik you can choose the reason for you imprisonment. If you choose "For killing a guard" - you gain boosts to Combat Skills. "For practicing magic" - Boosts to Magic Skills, "For thievery" - Boosts to Cunning Skills. "For no reason at all" - no boosts but grants more freedom to select skills from the start. After this you run through the tutorial in the prison and the game begins in real. The three gameplay pillars of Hammerfell are Exploration, Combat and Survival.

Exploration
Hammerfell retains the traditional open-world gameplay found in The Elder Scrolls series. The vast landscape can be freely roamed through an immersive first person perspective. Hammerfell is played strictly in a first person perspective to increase the feeling of immersion, only changing to a cinematic third person perspective during cinematic cut-scenes and character conversations. Hammerfell is a large land waiting to be explored but it is meant to take time to travel between place. To reduce the player frustration they are given multiple alternative transport options. From the very start the player is given a horse that can be summoned anywhere on the map with a button press. This horse can be traded for other breeds and customized with saddles, saddle bags etc and will retain any relevant stat investments. Other modes of transport include other mounts such as wild camels or vehicles such as stage coaches or sail boats.

Navigation
Hammerfell is large, with much to do and explore. Early in the game you are given a map that is slowly filled in as you explore and arrive at new locations. These locations include be are not limited to Cities, Towns, Camps, Waymarkers, Dungeons, Lost Treasures, Landmarks and other places of interest. Waymarkers are signposts you find on roads that when discovered can be used as a fast travel point. Fast travel is only accessible between waymakers by using the teleportation magic skill to travel from where the player is to a waymarker.

Traversal
Hammmerfell has a number of new ways to get around including horse riding, climbing, swimming and sailing. Early in the game you are given a horse to be used to get around the map faster. The horse is invunerable and can be summoned anywhere in the open world by a button press. Later on you can choose different creatures as your mount if you so chose.

Climbing involves approaching a surface and holding the climb button. Almost any surface from mountains to castle walls can be climbed and your grip lasts as long as your stamina bar holds out. Weather and weight can have a negative effects on your climbing ability. To aid in climbing awareness the camera will swap to a third person perspective while climbing.

Focus
Focus is a key gameplay mechanic introduced in Hammerfell. When activated the character focuses their senses to locate a target or object or highlights items of interest. When outside of combat the focus allows the player to see clues, tracks and interactive objects. It also makes the player move stealthy and additional abilities can be unlocked through perks.

When in combat, holding the Focus targets the nearest opponent causing the camera to lock on to the enemy to create more engaging duels. Other enemies can still attack the player but their direction of attack is indicated on screen leaving a good player enough time to react. By moving the camera controls the player can swap targets to their preferred choice.

Stealth
In previous Elder Scroll games stealth involved crouching to enter stealth mode. In Hammerfell stealth means that the player is move observant and is more careful with their movements with no need to crouch. By holding the focus button outside of combat the player will reduce their detection level and be able to preform certain feats from skill trees they have unlocked such as picking pockets or moving silently. Icons on screen show how aware an NPC is of the character and once detected the player must break the line of sight and remain hidden until they can enter stealth mode again.

Conversation
For the first time in an Elder Scrolls game the protagonist will have a voice. There is both a male and female option with modulators for non human races. While Hammerfell is primarily played from a First Person perspective, during NPC conversations or cut-scenes the view will change to more a more cinematic camera. This allows the player to not only see their character speak and interact with other characters but makes to story more engaging. Conversations involve selecting your desired line a questioning from the available list. For clarity your first spoken line is always viewed in full.

Combat
Combat has undergone a significant overhaul from previous installments of the series. Gone are the days of simply swinging your sword blindly hoping to deal damage until your stamina is exhausted. Instead there is a new combat system designed to create a more responsive, immersive and visceral experience.

Melee Combat
Melee Combat involves the use of close quarters martial weapons including Fist, Dagger, Short Sword, Hammer, Longsword, Shield, Spear. The largest change is that upon entering combat the first thing to do is to lock onto an opponent by holding the focus button. By "locking on" you enter combat mode and you no longer have control of the camera, instead the camera now follows your opponent keeping them centred and moves your character according. The camera controls now only swap between targets when facing multiple opponents.

Once focusing on a target you can use your melee attack moveset. Fast attacks are quick but don't deal much damage. Heavy attacks are slow but deal a lot of damage. Dodges are quick movements based on your directional input. Blocking involves holding the block button before an attack against you lands. When facing multiple opponents an indicator highlights the direction an attack is coming from giving you time to react. Parrying involves blocking just as an opponents attack is about to land - this opens them up for a follow up attack. Each weapon type has a unique move set that needs to be learnt and more advanced moves are taught by Master Trainers in the open world.

By using a variety of fast and heavy attacks, dodges, blocks and parry's and counters in deep combo strings the player is able to break though an enemies defences and deliver maximum damage. The combo heavy design means that it is more important to master a weapons attack pattern and your stamina consumption than just using a weapon that has higher stats.

An example of a weapons combo list is as follows:

LONGSWORD (Beginner)

Ranged combat
Ranged combat involves the use of projectile weapons that include short bows, long bows, throwing knives, chakram and rare Dwemer pistols and rifles. The controls of a projectile weapon are the same as any FPS game where aiming and shooting are separate inputs. Investing in skills that provided boosts to ranged combat will unlock unique abilities. Spears are unique weapons in that they are primarily a melee weapon but by holding the strong attack they can be prepared for a throwing attack.

Magic combat
Mage combat has changed significantly from previous titles. Magic from the Elemental, Mental, Spiritual and Dimensional schools can be used during combat after be selected from the magic menu or through quick use slots. Casting magic involves using the same controls as melee combat to focus on a target and pressing the magic button. Initially the magic used will only be at the 1st level. By holding the button down the magic is charged through its subsequent levels provided you have spend the points unlocking that level. Magic users can also craft staffs that do melee attacks by using the fast attack button and cast a chosen magic with the heavy attack. This heavy attack with the staff can also be charged up to its max level.

Survival
Hammerfell introduces new survival conditions to the game series that was previosly available only the mods. Survival is meant to increase the world immersion and keep the player engaged in the moments outside of standard missions. Hammerfell is a dangerous place and the natural landscape is as likely to kill you as any bandit if do take precautions. To survive the wilderness the player will have to eat, sleep and limit their time in hazardous situations. The two major criteria to be aware of are Exposure and Vitality.

Exposure
Exposure represents how dangerous the local environment is to your survival with an indicator representing this ranging from Benign to Lethal. Each Region has a default threat level associated to it but this can change based on situational phenomenon such as sand storms, wild fires or noxious gasses. At certain levels of exposure you start experiencing debuffs to health and other abilities, such as slower movement or cut to max mana. Exposure rises the longer the player remains in that environment until it maxes out causing the player to collapse and pass out. When passed out you may be rescued by NPC's and when you awaken you will be in a completely different location and an unknown situatioin. You can limit exposure by seeking out protection. Protection involves number of factors ranging from finding shelter, wearing appropriate armour and clothing and seeking out beneficial conditions such as an oasis in the desert.

Vitality
Vitality is a measure of your overall wellness. You’ll need to take care of yourself over days and weeks, or suffer the consequences of compromised health. Wellness is achieved by catering to the primary needs of the body: food, water, rest. Each need is coupled tightly with a primary attribute. Hunger influences, and is influenced by, health and combat actions; thirst, by stamina and acts of exertion; and fatigue, by acts of concentration and spellcasting. If your vitality goes to low you will begin to suffer health penalties. High exposure will also limit your vitality. Losing all your vitality will lead to your death. Eating and drinking does not restore health or stamina. Instead it accelerates the natural regeneration of that resource. It is also accompanied by an animation meaning you are unlikely to eat a big hearty stew in the middle of combat.

Hunger affects your ability to regenerate health, damage dealt with weapons and ability to block. At high levels hunger affects your vitality. To restore hunger simply eat. Eating cooked meals will provide greater benefits than raw food so you are encouraged to prepare meals in advance. Raw food can also spoil and eating rotten food increases your chance to getting a disease.

Thirst affects your ability to regenerate stamina, movement speed and conversation abilities. At high levels thirst affects your vitality. To restore thirst simply drink. You can craft water skins to carry with your or water barrels and lodgings you own. Drinks can also be found in taverns or pilfered from defeated enemies. You can refill water skins at any water source but drinking from dirty or polluted sources can increase the chance of getting a disease.

Fatigue affects your ability to regenerate mana, strength of cast spells and negatively affects your character growth. At high levels fatigue affects your vitality. To restore your fatigue sleep regularly. You can sleep at campsites in the wild or buildings in cities. Better bed conditions will lead to more restful sleep and faster restoration.

Alert
When you enter a dangerous situation such as combat or a dungeon the character enters an "Alert" state. During this state your character is focused on staying alive and dealing with the immediate situation. As such vitality and exposure do not decrease until the encounter has ended. This is to minimize micro management during dangerous situations. Once the encounter is over or you leave a dungeon, the impact to your health is immediately felt so as to simulate the exhaustion and stress felt during the trails.

Health and Diseases
Throughout your adventure you may suffer impacts to your overall condition through injury, disease or misadventure. These various aliments will negatively affect your gameplay and must be treated. Thankfully there are multiple avenues for treatment such as seeking out a local doctor, using magic or potions or crafting medicines. It will be up to the player to diagnose the best form of treatment.

Campsite
When exploring the wilderness of Hammerfell it is best to be prepared. By traveling with camping gear you can extend your time in the nature and protect yourself from exposure. You can create campsites anywhere outside of civilization or dungeons. There you can set up tents, bed rolls, start fires, cook and save your progress. Campsite can be upgraded overtime and Camping gear can be crafted or purchased from merchants.

Resources
Resources are gathered in the wild by hunting animals, harvesting plants, mining ores and trading with merchants. These resources will be required to craft the multitude of items in Hammerfell.

Companions
Throughout the game you will meet characters in Hammerfell who will befriend you and can join you in your quests if you wish. Companions will aid you in battle, provide commentary on the world and introduce specialized story missions and quests. Two companions can travel with you at any time. While Hammerfell can be played entirely solo no one likes to travel alone. List of available companions are

Devon Ajanth - Human Warrior: Repentent former Blade.

Irma Oldoran - High Elf Mage: Immodest Dwemer scholar

Kanimba - Kajit Rogue: Mischievous pety thief

Gruell - Orc Shaman: Cunning battle priest (Warrior/Mage)

Mintorr Vhass - Aragonian Pirate: Devious plundering scoundrel (Rogue/Warrior)

Camil Kurlenko - Human Witch Hunter: Duty driven exterminator (Mage/Rogue)

Perspective
As with previous Elder Scrolls games, Hammerfell is meant to be played from a first person perspective. New animations are added that gives the character real substance throughout the game. Hands now grab onto objects, lift them if they can be lifted, open doors, push yourself up after fall, light fires etc. Legs and feet can be seen as you move. In essence your whole body exists within the world of Hammerfell. Seeing your created character interact with the world will help the player feel as though they are inhabiting their character instead of floating through it.

As your character now has a voice, the player can now have greater agency in story cutscenes. In these instance the camera shits to a cinematic perspective, moving with and highlighting actions beats increasing the players experience in interacting with world focusing their attention

SKILLS
Unlike previous Elder Scroll games, there are no fixed classes in Hammerfell. Instead you have a selection of talents that conform to the Warrior, Mage and Rogue class archetypes. The Warrior class for example focuses on direct combat and skills that aid in survival. Each of this archetypes that have seven unique talents that can be leveled as you play. By investing levels into any of these talents it is possible to create any class you like. Each talent has four related skills the level up as you gain experience from Novice (lv1) to Master (lv5). These levels increase that skills effectiveness as well as offering unique perks to aid in gameplay.

For example: Warrior (Class) has a talent named Fast Attack (Talent). Within that talent there are 4 skills to upgrade (Muscle Memory, Precision Blows, Critical Strikes Whirl) and each skill has associated perks.
 * Class
 * Talent
 * Skill
 * Perk

WARRIOR
The Warrior Class use their might and iron will to overcome all foes. Their talents are combat focused and enhance direct damage and survival. Their talents are as follows

Fast Attack
Preform fast melee attack

1) Muscle Memory: 5% damage increase for Fast Attacks per level 2) Precision Blows: 2% crit chance per level 3) Whirl: Spinning attack that uses stamina to attack all foes. 10% stamina decrease per level 4) Crippling Strikes: Apply bleeding effect. Enemies lose 25 Vitality per second per level
 * Perk 1: Quick Draw - Quickly draw a sheathed weapon with a chance to deal critical damage on strike
 * Perk 2: Light Finishers - Final attack may cause an execution animation
 * Perks 1: Instant Kill - 2% chance to instantly kill an enemy with a single blow
 * Perk 2: Two-Handed Finesse - Reduce dual wield stamina consumption
 * Perk 1: Onslaught - Whirl damage increases over time
 * Perk 2: Dual Flurry - Perform whirl with two weapons
 * Perk 1: Concussion - Enemy is stunned for 5 seconds
 * Perk 2: Paralyzing Strike - Permanently cripple enemy attack or movement

Strong Attack
Preform strong melee attacks that ignore armour

1) Strength Training: 5% damage increase per level 2) Crushing Blows: 2% crit chance and 15% crti damage per level 3) Rend: Increase damage proportional to Stamina consumed 4) Sunder Armour: Reduce enemy damage resistance by 5% per level
 * Conditioning - Heavy armour no longer effects stamina while sprinting
 * Steel Fist - Unarmed attacks do increased damage
 * Charge - While sprinting preform a leaping high damage attack
 * Dual Aggression - Dual wielding does increased damage against low health enemies
 * Perks: Decimate - Strong finisher my cause dismemberment execution animation
 * Dual Savagery - Dual wielding does 20% more damage
 * Perks: Cleave - Permanently shatter defenses
 * Juggernaut - Sprint into enemies while wearing heavy armour to preform a shoulder charge

Defense
Defensive techniques

1) Guard: Reduce stamina reduction to blocked attacks by 20% per level 2) Fleet Footed: 20% damage reduction while dodging per level 3) Counter Attack: 30% damage increase after parried attacks per level 4) Deflection: Deflect projectile attacks with reduced damage
 * Spartan - Sprint while blocking
 * Iron Tower - 10% stagger reduction wearing light armour, 25% in medium armour, 50% in heavy armour
 * Combat Roll - Double tap dodge in combat to preform a combat roll
 * Cushioned - Halve fall damage
 * Reversal - Restore stamina with counter attack
 * Riposte - Instant counter attack
 * Resend - Reflect projectiles back at enemies
 * Reflect - Reduce magic damage by 50%

Marksman
Projectile attacks

1) Reflexes: Increase firing and reloading speed 2) Cold Blooded: Time slows by 10% per level 3) Anatomical Knowledge: Increase projectile crit chance by 5% per level 4) Crippling Shot: 10% chance to paralyze target per level
 * Ranger - Move faster while aiming
 * Trick Shot - Fire twice before reloading
 * Eagle Eye - Zoom in while aiming
 * Steady Hands - Damage increase over distance
 * Snipe - Head shots deal 20% extra damage
 * Pierce - Bypass armour rating
 * Immobilize - Targeted shots to legs pin targer
 * Kinetic - Stagger all but the largest opponents 50% of the time

Survivalist
Wilderness survival skills

1)Hunter: Gain resources from hunting animals in the wild. 2) Gatherer: Increase resource gathering % 3) Provisions: Cook more complex recipes 4) Wanderer: Increase resistance to negative effects of exposure in the wild.
 * Big Game - Increased resources from animals
 * Keen Senses - Detect items and animals at greater distances
 * Horder - Reduce carry weight of resources
 * Prospector - Increased resources from harvesting and mining
 * Master Chef - Increase number of servings of cooked meals
 * Gourmand - Increase restoration and buff rates after consuming meals
 * Swagman - Gain rested status from sleeping at Campsites
 * Adaption - Standing still prevents exposure from rising above 60%

Smith
Forge Weapons, Armour, Jewelry, Mechanism

1) Weapons: Raise weapons forging ability 2) Armour: Raise level of Light, Medium and Heavy armour 3) Jewelry: Raise level of crafted 4) Mechanism: Raise level of crafted mechanisms
 * Honed - Improved items statuses last longer
 * Fortified - Improved weapon durability
 * Matching Set - 25% bonus if wearing complete set of armour
 * Custom Fit - 5% bonus to each hand crafted armour piece
 * Exquisite - Increased value of crafted jewelry
 * Imitation - Create knock of jewelry using lower quality materials
 * Engineered - Stat boost to crafted mechanism
 * Lucky Strike - Stack chance that crafted items have increased stats

Battle Trance
Skills that provide passive boosts to all the other talents

1) Resolve: When taking damage, reduce damage by 2% and stamina loss by 10% per level 2) Unyielding: When vitality reaches 0, consuming stamina to extend life. Additional second per level 3) Flood of Anger: Increase damage dealt by 2% per level 4) Razor Focus: Increase stamina regeneration in battle by 10% per level
 * Survival Instinct - Increase maximum health by 500
 * Retaliation - After receiving critical damage your next attack deals 20% extra damage.
 * Reprisal - Critical damage increases as health decreases
 * Wraith - Kill an enemy while dying to gain health
 * Brutalize - Finishers or excutions cause terror
 * Vendetta - Consume health when stamina depleted to continue fighting
 * Peak Condition - Increased damage at full health
 * Combatant - Chain consecutive hits without blocking or taking damage to slow time

MAGE
The Mage Class use their intelligence and mystical skill to overpower all foes. Their talents are magic focused and enhance magic pool and effectiveness. Magic spells are are ranked into 5 Tiers reflecting your level of proficiency. Higher tiers take longer to charge but deal more damage. The talents are as follows

Elemental
Manipulate the destructive forces of nature

1) Pyromancy: Increase pyromancy effect per level. Can cause panic 2) Cryomancy: Increase cyromancy effect per level. Can cause frozen 3) Geomancy: Increase geomancy effect per level. Can cause stagger 4) Aeromancy: Increase aeromancy effect per level. Can cause stun
 * Spells: Flame, Ignite, Fireball, Incinerate, Inferno
 * Fire Starter - Chance for burning to explode
 * Scorched Earth - Burning effects last longer
 * Spells: Frost, Freeze, Icicle, Glacier, Blizzard
 * Chilled - Frozen enemies explode on death
 * North Wind - Increase frozen effect chance
 * Spells: Sand, Bolder, Tremor, Fissure, Meteor
 * Quick Sand - Stagger effects last longer
 * After Shock - Secondary shock wave at no mana cost
 * Spells: Spark, Electrocute, Lightning, Thunderbolt, Lightning Storm
 * Energized - Speed boost from each enemy hit
 * Chain Lightning - Chance for shock effect to chain to other enemies

Mental
Manipulate the mind

1) Illusion: Distraction and confusion causing spells 2) Divination: Reveal knowledge through supernatural means. Change spell effect per level 3) Domination: Control the minds of others 4) Meditation: Mantras that aid you and allies
 * Spells: Blind, Silence, Hypnotise, Invisibility, Hysteria
 * Mesmerize - Illusions last longer
 * Prestige - Increased area of effect
 * Spells: Clairvoyance, Second Sight, Scry, Void Gaze, Possession
 * Seer - Increase range of effect
 * Precognition - Chance for enemy attacks to miss
 * Spells: Calm, Command, Frenzy, Courage, Mayhem
 * Rally - Improve stats on dominated characters
 * Master Mind - Spell effects last longer
 * Spells: Haste, Enhance, Fortify, Serenity, Vortex
 * Unity - Allies get same buffs as player
 * Synergy - Chance to deal additional damage with next magic spell after receiving magic damage

Spiritual
Manipulate internal energy forces

1) Wards: Cast protective barrier strength increases with level. 2) Glyphs: Magical traps. Increase glyph intensity 3) Shapeshift: transform into new beasts with each level 4) Restoration: Recovery Spells
 * Spells: Barrier, Unity, Mirror, Force-field, Agies,
 * Exploding Shield - Knock back enemies when shield breaks
 * Hunger - Convert a small % of magic attack against you into player mana pool
 * Spells: Block, Detonate, Pin, Antagonize, Curse
 * Sustained Glyphs - Glyph last longer before disapating
 * Supercharged - Increased effect
 * Spells: Gazelle, Hawk, Lion, Crocodile, Dragon
 * Natural Order - Decrease rate of mana pool drain when transformed
 * Bestial Rage - Increase attack damage when transformed
 * Spells: Heal, Cure, Healing Rift, Rejuvenate, Revival
 * Starlight - Increase health regen during the day and mana regen at night
 * Avoid Death - Once a day receive 250 health when health falls below 10%

Dimensional
Manipulate external energy forces

1) Bound Weapons: Summon unique spiritual weapons per level 2) Necromancy: Reanimate the dead to fight for you 3) Theomancy: Summon extra dimensional spirits to fight for you 4) Chronomancy: Control the flow of time
 * Spells: Sword, Dagger, Great Axe, Bow, Simulcrum
 * Mystic Binding - Bound weapons deal more damage
 * Soul Stealer - Bound weapons can cast soul trap
 * Spells: Raise Zombie, Boneman, Revenant, Thrall, Dread Corpse
 * Grim - Increase enemy chance to be effected by curse
 * Risen Dead - Undead have more health
 * Spells: Soul Trap, Conjure Familar, Antronch, Wraith, Dremora Lord
 * Summoner - Summon being twice as far away
 * Conjurer - Summoned being linger longer
 * Spells: Slow, Stasis, Time Bubble, Flux, Calamity
 * Exploit - Small damage buff to slowed enemies
 * Time Bomb - Cause damage on effected enemies when chronomacy spell ends

Arcana
Advanced understanding of the Magic Realm

1) Siphon: Absorb soul energy from surrounding area 2) Banish: Remove lingering spell effects from area. 3) Coven: At rest, commune with your chosen Divine to receive blessings. Boon increase per level 4) Teleport: Teleport to any fast travel marker outside of combat.
 * Drain Essence - 20% increase on soul energy
 * Vampire - Drain health and magic from enemies in close proximity
 * Explode Corpse - Corpses or Undead explode causing damge
 * Exorcist - Magical entities receive damage if they are not banished
 * Piety - Commune twice a day
 * Preacher - grant Divine boon to allies
 * Forethought - Reduce teleport casting time
 * Blink - Teleport short distances by holding dodge while in combat

Enchantment
Create magical artifacts

1) Potions: Increase effectiveness of brewed potions per level 2) Runes: Raise level of applied stat upgrades and buffs to Weapons and Armour 3) Relics: Raise level of constructed magical items 4) Spellcraft: Combine spells from different talents to create new spells. higher levels result more complex spells
 * Refreshment - Heal a % of max health with every potion
 * Delayed Recovery - Potion effects last 20% longer
 * Insightful - Enchantments on weapons are 25% stronger
 * Runewright - Health, Magic and Stamina enchantments on armor 25% stronger
 * Soul Squeezer - Soul energy of relic last longer
 * Artificer - Increase value of constructed relic
 * Spells: 20 unique spells to discover,
 * Acolyte - Decrease to total mana cost
 * Second Wind - Mana regenerates faster

Mystisicism
Skills that provide passive boosts to all other talents

1) Destructive Force: Increase spell intensity by 5% per level

2) Prodigy: Spells consume 2% less mana per level 3) Indomitable: Consume health to cast magic and mana reaches 0. Additional second per level 4) Attuned: Increase mana regen by 2% per level
 * Blood magic - Gain health from critical damage cause by spells
 * Audacity - Casting destructive magic in close proximity to enemies increases their effectivness
 * Dual Cast - Cast the same low level spell a second time at a reduce mana cost
 * Evocation - Spells charge faster
 * Unwavering - Gain magic resistance while standing still
 * Forceful - Consuming all mana with final spell causes them to be supercharged
 * Harmony - Mana regens faster outside of combat
 * Druid - Beast less likely to attack

ROGUE
The Rogue Class use their cunning and agility to overwhelm all foes. Their talents a tactically focused and enhance movement and strategy. Their talents are as follows

Stealth
Skills that aid in stealth mode

1) Shadow: Reduce range of detection in darkness 2) Silence: Reduce noise while moving 3) Evasion: Increase swoop distance while in stealth mode. Press dodge to swoop 4) Swift: Increase speed while in stealth mode per level
 * Night Owl - Increase visual clarity in darkness
 * Stalker - Shadow cling to you when moving into the light
 * Soft Landing - Land quietly while wearing light and medium armour
 * Ninja - Silent sprint
 * After Image - Leave a shadow to attract enemies to your last know location
 * Flank - Swoop and attack an enemy for increased damage
 * Pounce - Brief window of slow down when detected
 * Light Foot - Do not set off traps when walking over them

Steal
Act of stealing objects

1) Pickpocket: Steal items from NPC. Increase chance by 20% per level 2) Lockpick: Level of locks you to attempt to crack increase per level 3) Seize: Increase speed of Stealing motions 4) Deceit: Reduce chance of being detected by 5% per level
 * Hidden Pockets - Increase carry capacity by 100
 * Cut Purse - 50% bonus gold when stealing
 * Wax Key - Create a copy of a picked lock if it has matching one
 * Insight - Visualize the inner workings of a lock mechanisms
 * Snatch - Chance to pluck a projectile out of the air preventing damage
 * Midas Touch - auto loot gold from NPC you kill
 * Infiltrate - Wearing a full set of enemies clothes prevents detection
 * Kleptomaniac - stealing gives you a minor health regen

Sabotage
Incapacitate enemies

1) Disable: Increase effectiveness of Bombs, Oils and Traps by 10% per level 2) Disarm: Disarm and recover higher level traps. Increase chance to disarm opponent by 10% per level. To Disarm - Block while unarmed. 3) Takedown: Perform lethal and no lethal takedowns on higher level enemies.
 * Shell Shock -Status effects last longer
 * Vulnerable - Disabled enemies take 20% extra damage for 8 seconds
 * Spotter - Notice traps while focusing
 * Opportunist - quickly steal and attack opponent with their own weapon
 * Non-Lethal (fast attack button), Lethal (strong attack button)

4) Incapacitate: Disabled enemies take 15% more damage per level
 * Chain Throw - Takedown an enemy and throw a weapon at a second target
 * Aerial Takedown - Drop onto an enemy from above for an instant takedown
 * Overrun - Disabling an enemy with a critical hit regenerates stamina
 * Set Up - 5% bonus party critical hit chance

Traversal
Assist in moving around the world

1) Horsemanship: Increase mount gallop stamina and handling 2) Seamanship: Increase vessel speed and durability per level 3) Mountaineer: increase grip stamina 4) Orienteer: Increase distance player can run or swim before becoming fatigued
 * Pack Horse - Greatly increase carrying capacity
 * War Horse - Increase damage dealt on horseback
 * Deep Breath - Increase lung capacity
 * Ramming Speed - Cause greater damage when crashing into other vessels
 * Daredevil - Increase climbing speed
 * Cliffhanger - Slow down stamina drain when climbing but not moving
 * Marathon - Increase sprint speed and slow stamina drain
 * Olympian - Armour weight does not affect stamina drain

Alchemy
Create Medicines, Oils, Bombs and Traps

1) Bombs: Craft higher level hand held bombs which can be thrown at targets. Increase number by 1 per level. 2) Medicines: Create medical supplies, cures and other drugs 3) Oils: Higher level blade oils. 4) Traps: Craft higher level traps. Increase number by 1 per level
 * Pyrotechnics - Bombs that don't usually cause damage deal 30 damage per level
 * Cluster Bomb - Bombs fragment upon detonation
 * Stimulant - Time slows when using medicine at full health
 * Medic - Healing medicines are much more effective
 * Fixative - Oils contain 50% more charges
 * Venom - Oil effect deals more damage per level
 * Trip Wire - Increase trap radius
 * Fail-safe - Traps trigger a second time with a reduce effect

Persuasion
Conversation increasing skills that open additional dialogue options.

1) Charm: Charm NPC's into helping you. Additional dialogue options 2) Intimidate: Scare NPC's into helping you. Additional dialogue options 3) Barter: Directly effect the prices paid when buying and selling to merchants 4) Leadership: Increase the health management of Settlements
 * Beast Master - Command creatures into helping you
 * Good Company - When travelling with a companion you do 25% more damage
 * Inspire - Command humanoids into joining you
 * Highwayman - Demand payment from travelers
 * Trader - Sell any type of item to any kind of merchant
 * Investor - Invest money into a merchant
 * Inspirational - Your companions do more damage
 * Commander - Create supply lines between settlements

Intuition
Skills that provide passive boosts to all other talents

1) Luck: Find more gold in chests per level 2) Perception - Highlight loot, interactive items and enemies at 5m increments per level 3) Reflex - 5% increase to all resistances while sprinting per level 4) Preperation
 * Discerning Eye - Increase chance of finding rarer items
 * Favored - 2% increase on all chance based actions
 * Awareness - Focusing senses enemies outside of your line of sight.
 * Savant - XP bonus on all actions
 * Adrenaline - Speed boost at low health
 * Acrobatic - Health regen when you dodge an attack
 * Body Guard - Chance that a companion will save you from a killing blow
 * Second Chance - Once a day, drop a flash bang to confuse foes while you get a 40% health regen