The Bretons are the least human of the four primary races of Man in theElder Scrollsseries, as their origin is directly tied to interbreeding between Man and Mer. They are often called the Manmer for this reason, like the Altmer and Dunmer, andare the primary inhabitantsof the western province of High Rock as well as The Reach (though some dispute their relation to the Reachmen).
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Bretons inSkyrim, though, don’t have quite a lot going for them. For starters, their racial benefits pale in comparison to other magic users, especially compared to pastElder Scrollstitles. While playing a Breton inSkyrimcan be underwhelming, these mods expand the race’s playability significantly.
Younger Bretons
Bretons are, for lack of a better way of putting it, abit George Costanza-like in appearance. InOblivionthey tend to be shown with a receding hairline and shorter than other races, while inSkyrimthey have more wrinkles on their foreheads than a dress shirt that hasn’t been hung up. It’s a sad affair compared to the lore descriptions of the Bretons.
TheYounger Bretonsmod rectifies this by going back over Breton models and smoothing them out slightly. The mod creator claims that this reduces their visible age by 20 years, which is great because Bretons inSkyrimlook about 20 years older than they ought to. The mod is split into female and male versions, but it’s best to install both.
Beyond Reach
The “Beyond” project forSkyrimis incredibly vast and now includes several areas throughout Tamriel. The modBeyond Reachlets players explore the rest of The Reach, an area southwest of Skyrim that serves as the primary point of operation for the witchy hedge-magic fueled Reachmen. It’s rife with new quests, new dialogue, a huge new area to explore with a variety of dungeons, and new lore that works in-universe.
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Having come from the same region of Tamriel, Bretons and Reachmen have a shared history, and some wonder whether Reachmen are technically Bretons or the other way around. This DLC-sizedmod greatly expandsBreton lore inSkyrimand shows how the easternmost region of High Rock has changed in the Fourth Era. You won’t be able to visit Daggerfall or Camlorn, but the feudalistic locations that are visitable are the perfect place to roleplay as a Manmer.
Skygerfall
First, there was the Morrowblivion mod, which aimed to putMorrowindintoOblivion. Then, there was Skyblivion and Skywind, mods that open up Cyrodiil and Vvardenfell in theSkyrimengine, respectively. Now, there’sSkygerfall, a comprehensive DLC-sized mod that adds the main quest fromDaggerfallinto a modern game engine complete with visual upgrades, modern mechanics, and plenty of places that will make a Breton feel at home.
Skygerfall givesDaggerfalla massive facelift without getting rid of the blocky, 90’s 3D dungeon-crawler aesthetic that gave the secondElder Scrollstitle its charm. It doesn’t carry everything over fromDaggerfall, as the game is larger than some real-life countries thanks to its random generation mechanics. However, playing the main quest withSkyrim’s visuals and mechanics is a blast to the past thatElder Scrollsfans shouldn’t miss.
Breton Paladin and Breton Knight Armors
Alternate armor packs are abundant for each ofSkyrim’s races, each with the aim to incorporate racially-themed armors toSkyrimthat go beyond the basics. The Breton Paladin and Breton Knight armors are exactly this, giving Bretons the chance to wearPaladin Armoror the gold-trimmedKnight Armorworn by the iconicElder Scrolls OnlineNightblade character.
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The Breton Paladin armor looks like it comes straight out of High Rock and could easily have been worn by a Knight of the Flame ora similar heavy-armoredBreton (one could compare it to the Divine Crusader’s armor, even). The Knight Armor, on the other hand, is ornate and shadowed at the same time, more closely resembling the armor of a master Assassin than a virtuous Knight.
Imperious - Races of Skyrim
The modImperious - Races of Skyrimis one of the most popular mods for the game as it completely overhauls the Racial system inSkyrim. Each race receives new powers, new attribute bonuses, and more distinct skill benefits as well as a variety of passives. The intention it to make the races feel more differentlike in previousElder Scrollsgames, and Bretons get a pretty good deal out of it.
Bretons in the Imperious mod get a larger boost to Magicka and Stamina Regen as well as a slightly higher Magicka pool on start. They also get the Spell Mantle passive, which increases Magic resistance and Spell Absorption, as well as the Stones of Galen passive, which gives Standing Stones additional effects for Bretons. With Imperious installed, Bretons will feel more in touch with their Direnni and Druidic roots, which are seldon explored inElder Scrollsgames.
SkyrimSpecial Editionis available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S
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