The Savage Scrolls: Adventure Edition

This is a bare conversion of The Elder Scrolls to Savage Worlds Adventure Edition. Some things still very much need to be converted; I have not touched most of the monsters, Arcane Backgrounds like the Dragonborn, or many of the unique aspects of Tamriel. However, there are the bare bones to allow you to make Elder Scrolls characters and play the game.

Races

I tried to limit the number of racial disadvantages I gave out. Many of the outwardly magical abilities (such as Dunmer summoning ancestors, or Bosmer commanding beasts) were changed to Edges.

Altmer:
Advantages: Free d4 in Spellcasting, Alchemy, or Enchanting (choose one) (+1), +5 Power Points for use with Spellcasting (+2; as the Power Points Edge, but stackable with it)
Disadvantages: Frail (1, -1 Toughness)

Argonians:
Advantages: Aquatic (+2), Immune to Disease (+1)
Disadvantages: Outsider (-2 Persuasion to most non-Argonians, -1)

Bosmer:
Advantages: +4 to resist disease and poison (+2), d6 shooting (+1)
Disadvantages: Size-1 (-1)

Bretons:
Advantages: Bretons have 2 points of armor against magical effects, and gain a +2 to opposed rolls when resisting magical effects. Spells they cast themselves do not suffer this penalty. (+2; similar to, and stacking with, the Arcane Resistance Edge)

Dunmer:
Advantages: Environmental Resistance: Fire and Heat (+4 to resist effects from Fire or Heat, and 4 points of armor against fire and heat effects; +1), +1 Parry (+1)

Imperials:
Advantages: Skill Bonus: Persuasion (+2 to Persuasion checks, +2)

Khajiit:
Cathay:
Advantages: Low-light vision (+1), Natural Weapons (claws, Str+d4, +2)
Disadvantages: Outsider (-2 to Persuasion attempts on non-Khajiit, -1).

Suthay-raht
Advantages: Low-light vision (+1), Natural Weapons (claws, Str+d4, +2), d6 in Athletics (+1)
Disadvantages: Outsider (-2 to Persuasion attempts on non-Khajiit, -1), Size -1 (-1).

Other Khajiit breeds may differ significantly from this baseline.

Nords: Advantages: Environmental Resistance: Cold (+4 to resist cold, 4 points of armor against cold attacks +1), Toughness +1 (+1)

Orcs:

Advantages: Orcs are Size +1 (and thus toughness), and count their Strength die as one size higher for Encumbrance and Minimum Strength for weapons and equipment. This is similar to the Brawny edge, but stacks with it. (+2)

Redguard:
Advantages: Skill bonus: d4 Fighting (+1), Environmental Resistance (Poison): (+4 to resist poison, 4 points of Armor against poison; this decreases the duration of Paralyzing and Knockout poisons, and increases the time before death from lethal poison, +1)


New Edges
A note about Astrological Edges: Thirteen of the edges below reference Tamrielic astrology. Any given character may only have one of these edges, but not all characters will have an astrological edge. Is is not clear what triggers a sign to become active in someone; some individuals naturally have the advantages of the edge, practically from birth, while others only gain the advantage later in life, or under specific circumstances. It is said that there are runestones in Skyrim that can temporarily grant the blessings of the sign to any who approach them, but those blessings are said to fade within a year. Regardless, a character is not required to take an astrological edge, but may have only one.

Adrenaline Rush
Requirements: Redguard
Redguards are trained from birth in combat, and can briefly engage in feats of incredible ability. The have a special version of the Boost Trait power, which adds one die type to Agility, Strength, Vigor, Shooting, or Fighting per success or raise, to a maximum of one die type each. It is governed by the Adrenaline Rush skill, which begins at d4 and is linked to Vigor.Adrenaline Rush functions only on the Redguard themselves, and has its own pool of power points, equal to its die type, which replenish at the rate of 1 per hour.

Ancestor Guardian
Requirements: Dunmer
The Dunmer have close ties to their ancestors, and a long cultural history of necromancy. With this edge, the character has learned some necromancy, as practiced by the Tribunal and its temple, allowing them to call upon their ghostly ancestors for assistance. The character gains the Ancestor Guardian skill at d4, the Summon Ally power, and 15 power points with which to use the power. Ancestor Guardians may be Attendants and, at Seasoned or greater rank, Bodyguards. Instead of Construct traits, they are Ethereal.

Ancestor’s Wrath
Requirements: Seasoned, Dunmer
The Dunmer have a close tie to their ancestors, and to the Red Mountain. With training, a Dunmer may call upon their ancestors to protect them, sheathing them in flames. This grants the Dunmer the Ancestors Wrath skill at d4, the Damage Field power (with fire trappings), and 15 power points with which to use that power (and only that power). Power points from this edge do not count towards the calculations of the character’s value for Soul Gems, nor can they be stolen with the Drain Power Points power..

Astrological: Apprentice
Requirements: No other Astrological Edges
Those born under the sign of the Apprentice have great magical potential, but it is untrained, and they find magic dangerous. While they have 10 additional power points (which stack with those granted by the Altmer race and the Power Points edge), they also receive a -4 to resist magical effects, and receive 4 additional points of damage from magical attacks. Bretons born under the sign of the apprentice mitigate these numbers with their natural resistance, but do not remove it.

Astrological: Atronach
Requirements: No other Astrological Edges
An Atronach character was born under a certain sign, and absorbs magicka from hostile spells. When directly subject to a spell (within the area of effect, but not, for example, otherwise encountering a spell; this is of no effect against Armor or Barriers cast upon another, nor summoned allies), the character may make an opposed Spirit roll against the skill used to activate the power. On a success, the character (and only the character) is unaffected by the power. On a raise, the character additionally recovers a number of magicka equal to the power points used to enact the power. If the character fails, they may still resist the spell normally; an Entangle spell not deflected by the Atronach Edge can still be fought with Strength.
There are some drawbacks, however. The atronach naturally recovers magicka very slowly; one point per hour, regardless of the amount of rest they have. Additionally, this ability cannot be turned off; it applies equally to healing spells, armor spells cast to protect the character, and any spell or power where the Atronach is a target. The only exception are spells cast by the Atronach themselves.

Astrological: Lady
Requirements: No other Astrological Edges
Those born under the sign of the Lady possess remarkable poise and social grace, combined with wills of iron. Their Spirit die size is increased by one size, and their maximum for Spirit is increased by one size, as well.

Astrological: Lord
Requirements: No other Astrological Edges
Those of born under the Auspices of the Lord heal remarkably quickly. Frequently called “Troll-blooded”, they may make a natural Healing roll once per day (rather than once every five days) and, when healed of all Wounds, they may likewise attempt to heal Permanent Injuries as if they were Wounds, though only once per week. However, they are vulnerable to fire, and suffer a -4 penalty to resist fire and heat, and take 4 additional points of damage from fire or heat attacks. Dunmer born under the sign of the Lord see their natural ability and astrological debility negate each other.

Astrological: Lover
Requirements: No other Astrological Edges
Those graced by the sign of the Lover are known for their unrelenting passion, but also for the dramatic effect of their touch. At will, and at the cost of a level of Fatigue, the Lover may inflict a touch attack with Knockout poison upon a chosen victim; this is traditionally a kiss, but any touch to bare skin (or scale) will do. However, those born to the Lover are vulnerable to slights; they have a -2 to resist Taunts (similar to, and stacking with, the Thin Skinned hindrance).

Astrological: Mage
Requirements: No other Astrological Edges
Those graced by the sign of the Mage are cautious and skilled spellcasters; they receive a +2 to all Spellcasting checks.

Astrological: Ritual
Requirements: No other Astrological Edges
The power granted by those favored by the Ritual are unique and idiosyncratic; many Tamrielic scholars have attempted to understand the astrological pattern that defines which powers are granted to those gifted by the Ritual. The Ritual grants a skill, Ritual, which begins at d4 and is linked to Spirit. It also grants a single power, of any rank, and 15 Power Points with which to enact that power. Those power points may only be used for the power granted by the Ritual sign, but the character may use their own magicka to power the Ritual, as well.

Astrological: Serpent
Requirements: No other Astrological Edges
The Serpent wanders the sky, threatening other signs, but always, itself, threatened by what is to come. Those of the Sign of the Serpent may poison others with a touch; it costs nothing to inflict a mild poison, or they may create a Lethal, Knockout, or Paralyzing poison with the expenditure of one fatigue level. However, they begin each session with one less Benny, for all stand united against the Serpent.

Astrological: Shadow
Requirements: No other Astrological Edges
Those graced by the Shadow are able to become as shadows, themselves. The gain a special skill, Shadow, which is linked to Spirit. Shadow is used to activate their power of Invisibility, which affects only themselves, and 15 power points to use with the power. Power points from this edge do not count towards the calculations of the character’s value for Soul Gems, nor can they be stolen with the Drain Power Points power..

Astrological: Steed
Requirements: No other Astrological Edges
Those born under the sign of the Steed are swift; they receive a +2 to Pace and their running die increases by 1 size. This will stack with the Fleet-Footed edge.

Astrological: Thief
Requirements: No other Astrological Edges
Those born under the sign of the Thief are not necessarily thieves, but often find themselves relying on their considerable luck. They begin each session with an additional Benny. This is similar to, and stacks with, the Luck and Great Luck edges.

Astrological: Tower
Requirements: No other Astrological Edges
While those graced by the sign of the Thief are not necessarily thieves, those gifted by the Tower most often are; they receive a +2 to all checks with the Thievery skill; they understand security, and its weaknesses.

Astrological: Warrior
Requirements: No other Astrological Edges
Those born to the sign of the Warrior are born to war; they receive a +2 on all Fighting skill rolls.

Beast Friend
Requirements: Bosmer
Bosmer have an easy bond with animals. While many will take the Beast Bond or Beast Friend edges, some take on a magical bond with animals, and acquire the Beast Friend power, and 15 power points with which to use that power (and only that power). This is linked to a skill, Beast Friend, which starts at d4, which is itself linked to Spirit. Power points from this edge do not count towards the calculations of the character’s value for Soul Gems, nor can they be stolen with the Drain Power Points power.

Altered or Disallowed Edges, Hindrances, and SkillsSome Edges and Hindrances common in other Savage Worlds are not appropriate to Tamriel, or need to be adjusted to fit better into the Savage Scrolls.

Hindrances

All Thumbs: All Thumbs applies not only to Dwemer devices, but also to Thievery tests made to lockpick or disarm traps. It is otherwise unchanged.

Doubting Thomas: In Tamriel, such characters are more accurately described as Delusional (Major).

Outsider: Tamriel is a relatively cosmopolitan place, and so while Khajiit and Argonians have a version of the minor flaw as a racial trait, it is rare for someone from any of the major races to have this flaw on its own; it represents obscure subcultures, such as Reachmen outside of the Reach. Argonians and Khajiit may still take this trait, and it stacks with their racial trait; they're weird to other Argonians/Khajiit, and doubly weird to others, since they don't act typically.

Skills

Spellcasting, Alchemy, and Enchanting are not Core skills, but they are available to all characters, without an Arcane Background.

Driving, Electronics, Faith, Focus, Hacking, Psionics, and Weird Science are not core parts of the Savage Scrolls. This is not to say that they cannot exist; the Psijiic Order may well have an esoteric form of magic best represented as Psionics, and some rogue Dwemer returned from wherever they disappeared to may still understand Weird Science. But they are not a core assumption of the game.

Occult represents familiarity with magic and its principles, without reflecting actual, practical, knowledge. Someone skilled in Spellcasting, Alchemy, or Enchantment can use those skills as Knowledge skills for their own disciplines (a skilled Spellcaster knows a lot about the practice and theory of magic as it applies to spellcasting), but someone skilled in Occult knows both these practical applications, and more esoteric magical traditions, devices, and the like.

Repair, also called Smithing, covers the repair and construction of weapons and armor, as well as other mechanical devices.

Science, distinct from Occult, is not unknown on Tamriel, but it is not widely studied, and there are relatively few resources on things like Physics, Biology, or Chemistry that don't touch on Occult, as well.

Edges

Arcane Background: As noted in the Magic section, Arcane Backgrounds are not terribly common; much of the standard magic of the setting is available to anyone who explores the skills. However, Game Masters may introduce less common magics that may be available to certain people; the Thu'um would be an example of such an art.

Double Tap, Rapid Fire, Improved Rapid Fire, and Rock and Roll!: Weapons that would take advantage of these Edges do not commonly exist in Tamriel.

Two-Gun Kid: While accessible on Tamriel, this most often applies to throw weapons like knives and darts, not crossbows.

Artificer, Extra Effort, Gadgeteer, Holy/Unholy Warrior, Mentalist, and New Powers: Not available.

Channelling, Concentration, Power Points, Power Surge, Soul Drain, and Wizard: These Edges do not require Arcane Background, but otherwise maintain their requirements. They apply to Spellcasting, only.

Rapid Recharge, Improved Rapid Recharge: Magicka regenerates far faster than Power Points in standard Savage Worlds; With these edges, the amount listed (10 per hour for Rapid Recharge, 20 per hour for Improved Rapid Recharge) is in addition to the standard amount. Without significant investment in power points, this is seldom useful.

Ace: Ace becomes Expert Rider; it applies only to ridden mounts, and the Riding skill.

Jack of All Trades: As they are standard skills in this setting Jack of All Trades does apply to Alchemy and Enchanting, but not to Spellcasting (which is Spirit-based).

Mr. Fix-It: The bonuses from Mr. Fix-It apply to Repair rolls when Smithing.

Champion: The bonuses from the Champion edge apply when facing Daedra (though not Atronachs), Vampires, and Lycanthropes (Werewolves, Werebears, Wereboars, Werecrocodiles), as well as other undead like Skeletons, Zombies, and Draugr. Not empowered by the gods, per se, Champions are instead dedicated monster-hunters like the Vigilants of Stendarr, the Silver Hand, or the Dawnguard. 

Magic
Arcane Backgrounds are uncommon in the Savage Scrolls, but magic is not; everyone is capable of learning and using the magical skills of Spellcasting, Alchemy, and Enchanting, if they wish. Enchanting and Alchemy are based on Smarts, while Spellcasting is based on Spirit. These skills must be trained in order to be used. There are other, more rare, Arcane Background representing unique forms of magic; the Thu’um, or Dragon Shouts, represent a relatively well-known form of magic.

Powers must be learned for Enchanting and Spellcasting, while effects for Alchemy are based upon available components. Learning new powers for Enchanting or Spellcasting requires having at least a d4 in that skill, and is equivalent to spending a skill point, not acquiring an edge. There is no limit to the number of spells that may be learned. Powers learned for Spellcasting are not automatically available for Enchanting, and vice versa; they are separate effects.

Spellcasting is largely unchanged from the standard Savage World use of Arcane spells. Spellcasting is rolled, Magicka is spent, and spells may be maintained as per normal. Everyone has Magicka (power points) for Spellcasting equal to their Spirit die size, plus any bonuses from edges; neither Alchemy nor Enchanting rely on one’s innate Magicka. Magicka returns at a rate of 1 point per 10 minutes when active, or 1 point per five minutes when resting.

Alchemy requires alchemical reagents, gathered from the wild, from opponents, or purchased in shops. Knowing what constitutes an alchemical ingredient requires an Alchemy check. Each Raise on the check reveals an additional Alchemical property of an item. However, these raises are not cumulative; while success will reveal that it is, indeed, suitable for use in alchemy, it would require either a single check with 4 raises or significant experimentation to learn all properties of an item with four properties.

Once alchemical reagents have been identified, they must be harvested, requiring a second alchemy check. A single raise on this check either allows that no supplies were expended, or for a second reagent to be harvested from a single source. A second raise enables both of these effects. This harvesting requires an alchemical kit; not only to gather the reagent, but to have someplace to store the reagents once harvested (you didn’t think you could walk around indefinitely with a pocket full of raw giant toes, did you?). Harvesting may take one to ten minutes. Harvested ingredients can be used for “wortcraft”, providing a bonus to activities involving their most basic effects; while a healing potion is far more effective, wortcraft with a healing herb can add +1 to Healing skill, provided a successful Alchemy skill roll is made; each raise on the Alchemy roll adds another +1.

Lastly, creating an alchemical mixture requires an alchemical lab, including such tools as a mortar and pestle, a retort, a calcinator, scales, calipers, and an alembic, as well as an array of potion bottles and pouches for powders. A final Alchemy check creates the potion, oil, or dust, with each raise adding one power point (for the purpose of extending effect or duration), acting as a raise on the spellcasting roll, or allowing the potion to be created without sacrificing a use of the lab. Exactly how the power manifests is decided at the creation of the item; if your Invisibility potion is made with a single raise, it can provide another round of duration, or it can produce enough for a two potions (an additional target), or it did not require any expendable materials from your lab. If it were made with two raises, then two of those effects might be chosen. A Smite oil made with a raise might produce a single vial of +4 damage, or two vials of +2 damage oil. A single alchemy check requires ten minutes per point of power required by the base spell (before bonus points for raises are considered).

An alchemical kit costs 50 septims, with a weight of 2. Each kit has 10 “uses”, but a raise on the gathering Alchemy check may mean no use is expended. When a kit is fully expended, it must be replenished, for 10 septims; it can be replenished early for 1 septim per use, of course, and additional uses can be purchased in advance. Each use above the base 10 weighs and additional 1/10.

An alchemical lab requires 200 septims, with a weight of 5. A typical lab has 10 “uses”, with each use requiring 4 septims to replace. Some alchemists will purchase “uses” in bulk, allowing them to go longer between replenishing. Each use above the base 10 has a weight of ⅕.

Enchanting is based on Soul Gems. Soul Gems are filled through the Soul Trap spell. When an object is enchanted, it must be provided with a single soul gem with enough Magicka to enact its power. The souls of most creatures yield the total Magicka of their dice for Agility, Vigor, Strength, Smarts, Spirit, and Spellcasting, as well as the creature’s own reserve of Magicka. The more common White Soul Gems may contain any soul of those Animal Intelligence, as well as undead, daedra, and atronach (elementals). Black Soul Gems are needed to contain any other sentient. Black Soul gems are also frequently illegal, or at least viewed with suspicion; why carry such a thing if you don’t intend to kill someone?

Enchanted items consume Magicka when used, as required the spells they produce. Those spells are precisely defined at creation; if a ring provides invisibility, it provides invisibility for a certain number of turns per activation. This number of turns cannot be changed after the item is created. The Magicka for the item comes from the soul that empowers it. When an enchanted item is out of charge, it may be recharged using a full Soul Gem. The transfer requires an Enchanting check; on a raise, the donating soul gem can be reused. However, a soul gem is used in its entirety, regardless of how much was required… if originally enchanted with a 10 Magicka soul gem, that is the most the item will ever hold. Refilling it with a 100 Magicka soul gem will refill it and exhaust the 100 magicka soul gem.

Most enchanted items do not require a skill check to use; activating a Silence spell on your boots is usually a matter of simply willing it to happen (requiring an action, but nothing more). Most weapon-based enchantments simply activate as part of striking with the weapon; if you hit with your Smite-enchanted sword, the Smite activates in that moment; your damage will be increased for however many rounds the enchantment is active, so long as the soul gem has enough Magicka to empower the spell. Items that create a touch-range combat effect are activated by Fighting. Ranged combat spells (such as wands and staves) are activated with Shooting or Spellcasting. Any raises on activation skills do not affect the efficacy of their associated powers.

Enchanting is not simply a matter of smushing a soul gem onto an item; it requires careful preparation, which requires various reagents, inks, powders, and other materials. Producing an enchanted item requires 50 septims per point of the associated power; it is just as expensive to enchant a 1 point power with a 50 point magicka reserve as it is to enchant a 1 point power with a 10 point magicka reserve. Many enchanters prefer to create an enchanting altar, at a cost of 1000 septims, allowing them to forgo some of the reagents. This reduces the cost of enchanting an item to 40 septims per point of the associated power. Enchanting also requires one hour per point of the associated power (including its full cost), or thirty minutes per point of power if using a prepared altar. “Loose” enchanting reagents (not associated with an altar) weigh 1 per point of power. An altar itself weighs 70, so not too many people haul one with them.

Enchanted items usually sell for 100 septims per point of the associated power, plus the base cost of the item, plus 2 septims per Magicka in the item. Empty soul gems cost 10 septims for Petty, 25 for lesser, 50 for common, 100 for Greater, and 200 for Grand. Filled soul gems are double that, plus 1 septim per contained power point.

New Power
Soul Trap
Rank: Seasoned
Power Points: 3
Range: Touch
Duration: 3 (1/round)
Trappings: Slight glow, ethereal mists

Soul Trap creates a link between a target and a soul gem in the hand of the caster. On a success, the target must make a successful Spirit roll to resist the spell; for each raise on the Spellcasting roll, the roll is at -2. If enchanted into a weapon, raises on Fighting or Shooting roll may be applied to either the physical attack, or the effect of the Soul Trap; multiple raises may be split up as the wielder desires. If the target is killed during the duration of the spell, then their soul will be drawn into the Soul Gem.

Souls may only be contained in gems of sufficient strength to contain them. Petty Soul gems are capable of containing 20 Magicka. Lesser soul gems can contain 30, common may contain 40, greater soul gems may contain 50, and grand soul gems may contain any number of power points. The spellcaster must be holding, in their hand, a soul gem capable of containing the soul at the time of casting. If the gem is too small, the spell will work, but the gem will fail to contain the soul. If the gem is larger than normal, the soul gem will contain it, but the unused space cannot be filled with additional power.

There is a separate variation of this spell; it has a base cost of 4 Magicka, and functions at a range of up to Spellcasting or Enchantment.

Economy:

The base unit of currency is the Septim, or gold. “Septims” have been produced by the Empire and its predecessors for centuries, if not millennia, and generally have a fairly standard value; some rare coins might be overweight, but most don’t bother, unless the coin shows signs of having been modified. For simplicity’s sake, prices are largely as outlined in the Savage Worlds Adventure Edition for medieval weapons, armor, and mundane items; simply convert “dollars” to “septims” on a one for one basis.

Special materials and construction are very common in the world of Tamriel. These materials affect the cost and usefulness of the item, but are much harder to work; they increase the Target Number of any Repair checks to create or modify the item.

Material	Target Number	Weapon Effect	Armor Effect	Cost	Weight
Steel	+0	None	None	*1	*1
Silver	+0	May hit creatures unaffected by normal weapons.	None	*2	*0.9
Elven	+1	+1 to Fighting and Shooting Skills	+1 to Parry	*4	*0.9
Dwarven	+2	+1 to AP	-1 to AP	*5	*1.2
Orcish	+3	+1 to Damage	-1 to AP	*6	*1.1
Glass	+4	+1 to Fighting and Shooting skills, +1 to damage	+1 to parry	*10	*0.9
Ebony	+5	+1 to AP and Damage	-2 to AP	*16	*1.5
Daedric	+6	+1 to Fighting and Shooting skills, +1 to AP and Damage	+2 to Parry, -2 to AP	*30	*1.5
Dragonbone	+5	+1 to Fighting and Shooting skills, +1 to AP and Damage	+1 to Parry, -2 to AP	*35 (if dragons are active)	*2