Although there are plenty of adventure modules made by Wizards of the Coast, many players still opt to set their Dungeons and Dragons campaigns in homebrew settings. While many DMs invent homebrew settings just for a campaign, making an entire fantasy world is a lot of work that isn't always worth the effort, as players have to familiarize themselves with this new world. Sometimes, it's easier to set D&D campaigns in pre-existing worlds, making it easier for players to get the ball rolling in a world that they have already spent some time in.

Plenty of worlds have been hosts to D&D campaigns, with Critical Role's Exandria being a good example of an official alternative to the Forgotten Realms. Other TTRPGs have used D&D 5e as a way to appeal to more players by adapting their worlds and rules into D&D, like Ruins of Symbaroum bringing the dark world of Symbaroum to Dungeons and Dragons' rules. Still, these worlds are usually only well-known in their respective niches. One alternative, the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Tabletop RPG, adapts D&D 5e and puts players on the famous continent of Tamriel, possibly killing two birds with one stone.

The Unofficial Elder Scrolls TTRPG Uses D&D To Bring Skyrim To The Tabletop

Having A Known World To Set A Campaign In Has A Few Advantages

The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Tabletop RPG takes D&D 5e and adapts it to the world of Nirn, changing the names of classes to better fit the people of Tamriel. Core elements should be familiar enough to D&D players, with the character customization system being largely the same with different names and some new additions, like choosing star signs for a player character. It also has faithful descriptions of races to get characters to fit well into the world of Elder Scrolls, and using this homebrew ruleset has a few advantages over using the Forgotten Realms.

Tamriel is the continent where The Elder Scrolls games take place, but the world is called Nirn. The entire universe is called Mundus.

Almost everyone has heard of Skyrim, and most D&D players have probably played the game, whether on consoles back in 2011 or heavily modded on PC. Most people have a baseline understanding of the world, and that saves time on world-building. DMs don't need to create their own history with the surprisingly deep lore of the Elder Scrolls series at hand. This helps when DMing lore-enthused players who always ask questions, and the players that don't care about anything but fighting at least know the gist of the world if they have played Skyrim.

More importantly, it can give a campaign a better focus. With so much D&D content being out right now, choosing what to include can be a difficult prospect, especially if other players are seasoned and want to use content from specific books. This can be tricky with a homebrew setting when trying to work out if content from a specific D&D book fits into a DM's world. With the Unofficial Elder Scrolls TTRPG, everything is already set up for a DM, and is the perfect alternative to the Forgotten Realms if they don't want to use an adventure module.

The Elder Scrolls TTRPG Is Perfect For A Homebrew Campaign With A Different Feel

Sometimes Homebrew Campaigns Just Feel Like The Forgotten Realms Anyway

One of the toughest things about making a homebrew campaign is trying to get it to feel different from what Wizards of the Coast already offers with the Forgotten Realms. This isn't always the goal, and homebrew campaigns that feel quintessentially D&D are just as valid as campaigns trying to do something different, but if players like the feel of Bethesda's Elder Scrolls games for a change of pace, this is a good alternative. More importantly, it gives players the unique opportunity to create their version of Elder Scrolls 6 at home.

Homebrew refers to any unofficial content not made by Wizards of the Coast (when regarding D&D).

It sometimes feels like Bethesda will never release The Elder Scrolls 6, and, while the setting has been theorized, practically no information on the project has been provided. Elder Scrolls 6 faces high expectations, which likely won't be met considering Bethesda's current run of form. Instead, players could use the Unofficial Elder Scrolls TTRPG to create their own vision for ES6 and have their players run through it. At least no one will have to deal with flying mammoths and NPCs getting stuck walking into walls.

The Unofficial Elder Scrolls TTRPG has enough mechanical changes to make D&D feel like it fits into Tamriel, with the changes to the spell-casting system being a good example. Spell slots have been removed in favor of Magicka Points. Instead of needing a specific spell slot to cast a spell at a certain level, higher-level spells require more Magicka Points, so players could spam low-level spells or wait to unleash more powerful incantations. This feels a little closer to Skyrim's spell-casting system, although Magicka will not return after waiting a while.

The Elder Scrolls TTRPG Could Be An Entry Point For New Players

And There Are Plenty Of Quest Ideas Through Mods

There are quite a few ways to get into D&D now, with Critical Role and Baldur's Gate 3 being prime examples, even if they have the side effect of potentially raising expectations for the average campaign too high. It's hard for anyone to match what Matt Mercer does as a DM, and presenting the Forgotten Realms in as interesting a way as BG3 is no mean feat, but using The Elder Scrolls as an entry point might be easier. Players know the world, and Bethesda's storytelling is often hit or miss, so it helps set more realistic expectations.

Those who have played Skyrim and want to get into TTRPGs might find that this homebrew ruleset is perfect for getting them involved, and DMs can find inspiration for quests through mods. A grand Skyrim mod like Vigilant or something more concentrated like the puzzle-focused Sirenroot could be perfect for a campaign, or DMs could go wild and take players to other countries that get less focus from Bethesda, like Summerset and Elysweyr. With it being based on 5e, it isn't a bad option for players to learn D&D.

It does feel like The Elder Scrolls series deserves its own TTRPG considering how long the IP has been around and how much it has influenced the fantasy RPG genre. While it isn't official, this adaptation using Dungeons and Dragons 5e is the closest thing out there and lets DMs use the continent of Tamriel as their playground. Whether just used to introduce people to Dungeons & Dragons or selected because players love Skyrim, this is one homebrew ruleset worth checking out, especially as a free release with plenty of content and even more planned for the future.

Source: UNOFFICIAL ELDER SCROLLS TABLETOP ROLEPLAYING GAME