Getting started
Ways to play
Nine ways to play Daggerfall Online, from heavy fighter to trader, with the guides and the journey for each. No way is the intended one.
Daggerfall does not push you toward one way of playing. You get better at a skill by using it, your level comes from the skills in your class, and every class can swing a weapon, cast a spell or open a lock. So the question is not which class is right but which skills you want to spend your time on. See Levelling and skills.
Pick the row that sounds like what you want to do all day. Each has a journey, a ready-made class build with notes on what it means in play, and the guides that cover its rules. Mixing is fine: a journey is a starting point, and the class calculator prices any build you can think of.
| Way to play | You level by | Start with | Journey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy fighter | Swinging axes, maces and blades in armour | Melee weapons and shields, Repairs and armour | Nord Warrior |
| Brawler | Fighting with fists and dodging | Combat basics, Races and weapon bonuses | Khajiit Brawler |
| Archer | Shooting a bow | Archery | Wood Elf Archer-Thief |
| Spellcaster | Casting the six schools of magic | Spells and casting | Dark Elf Sorcerer, Breton Battlemage |
| Healer and support | Restoration spells, Medical and bandages | Weight, bandages and training, Spells and casting | High Elf Healer |
| Thief | Stealth, Lockpicking and Pickpocket | Thieving, Joining the Thieves Guild | Wood Elf Archer-Thief |
| Trader and crafter | Completed deals, and the online professions | Shops and haggling, Crafting and professions | Redguard Artisan |
| Explorer and survivor | Climbing, Swimming, Running and the road | Travel and horses, Dungeons and the automap, Food and cooking | Argonian Wayfarer |
| Guild climber | Whatever your guild asks for | Guilds overview | Any of the above |
What is the same for everyone
- Your first hours. Every character begins in Privateer’s Hold. See Your first hours.
- Controls and the rules in force. See Controls and Which rules apply.
- Death. See Death and lineage.
- Money. Everyone sells loot, buys supplies and can bank their gold. See Shops and haggling and Banking, loans and letters of credit.
- Resting and food. See Resting and time and Food and cooking.
Choosing a race
A race adds a bonus with certain weapons and a few resistances, but it never locks you out of anything. Each journey explains why its race fits; the full table is in Races and weapon bonuses and the race database. Any race can follow any of the ways above.
Tools for choosing
The class calculator prices a build. The calculators on the Tools page answer the common questions before you ask them in the game: hit chance, armour, spell cost, shop prices and more.
Category: Getting started