What is a Nightblade? (opinion topic)

[Rithm Fluffderg]

Is a nightblade a magically-inclined rogue? (ala a stealthy "spellsword")
Is a nightblade a mage that specializes in infiltration, espionage, appropriation, and/or assassination? (ala a stealthy "battlemage")
Or is a nightblade a western-themed ninja with wizard powers instead of ninjitsu?
Or do you have a different idea about what defines a TES character a a "Nightblade"?

(Asking here since of the three TES forums [four if you count SkyrimSE], this one seems to have the most balanced viewpoints)

[Gamma Zark]

Well obviously they are inspired by amazonian strippers from mars.

[The Flying Rodent]

As in, from a RP perspective? Or a 'match-the-skills-from-the-classes-you-just-mentioned-and-work-it-out-empirically' perspective?

From a RP perspective: don't know.. In oblivion, from an empirical perspective, we have:


Nightblade
Spell and shadow are their friends. By darkness they move with haste, casting magic to benefit their circumstances.
Nightblade
Specialization: Magic
Attributes: Speed, Willpower
Skills: Acrobatics
Alteration
Athletics
Blade
Destruction
Light Armor
Restoration


Battlemage
Able to resolve most conflicts with either spell or sword. They are a deadly mix of scholar and soldier.
Battlemage
Specialization: Magic
Attributes: Intelligence, Strength
Skills: Alchemy
Alteration
Blade
Blunt
Conjuration
Destruction
Mysticism



Spellsword
More nimble and athletic than the sorcerer, and better suited for spell-casting than the knight, their attacks are unpredictable. Students of combat and magic.
Spellsword
Specialization: Magic
Attributes: Endurance, Willpower
Skills: Alteration
Blade
Block
Heavy Armor
Destruction
Illusion
Restoration



Nightblades share willpower as a favoured stat with spellsword. They share 4 skills with spellsword [alteration blade destruction restoration] and 3 with battlemate [alteration destruction restoration].

I suppose that makes them closer to a spellsword than a battlemage?

[Rithm Fluffderg]

I mean from a lore/RP perspective.

Like, do you view them as mages that are specialized for sleuthing, or rogues that are adept at magic?

[The Flying Rodent]

Ah, as in what's their basis: magic or stealth.

The oblivion version of a nightblade doesn't have sneak or illusion, which I'd say are the two more stealthier options that could be available to them. Which is a bit weird imo.

I suppose that skews them more toward being a Mage. I'd even hesistate to say that they 'sleuth' given they kinda lack stealth? They seem more like a light-footed Mage. And more toward willpower (intuition) than intelligence (study).

In D&D terms I'd almost call it a monk/sorcerer 😛

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

I think a Nightblade is a spellcasting Agent, Thief, or Assassin with a Skooma addiction.

They lie, steal, cheat, or kill for their next fix.

[Shadowdrake]

play eso

[CullinB]

I have created one Dummer Nighblade character inspired by this forum's discussion last December and still playing with him.
In the course of his play, I noticed this class grows his level very rapidly or too rapid for me to handle situations around him.

Now i am thinking Nightblade needs to be a good illusionist and also he must be skillful stealth walker.

[CullinB]

Originally posted by Shadowdrake:

play eso

Yeah if nightblades in TES4 can wield dual blade like Gothic3 it will be more fun class.

[The Flying Rodent]

http://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Nightblade

In ESO, there's only 4 classes, and a Nightblade seems basically like 'the stealth character' [the others being 'the mage character', the'fighter charcater' and 'another fighter character'].

This is substantially different from Oblivion, where theres 21 classes not 4, and the Nightblade doesnt actually have any stealth-like skills as major skills.

So one's definition of a Nightblade is subject to change depending on what TES game-lens it's viewed through.

[BondageSpider]

Originally posted by Confusing_Zark:

Well obviously they are inspired by amazonian strippers from mars.

Or maybe Leather Goddesses of Phobos?

[Customs Officer]

I always play as Nightblade, but I switch out the annoying running or jumping skills for Alchemy. For that reason, I always imagined it as fast, agile, armed with a poisoned dagger, and always ready to fall back on a Destruction or Restoration spell if things turn ugly.

Originally posted by Omgwtfbbqkitten:

I think a Nightblade is a spellcasting Agent

Now that I see that Alchemy is not a tenant of the class, I suppose it really is more like a spellcasting Agent. Perhaps, depending on his motivations, he could be more of a thief who relies more on agility and willpower then stealth. Maybe like the would-be thieves who tried to steal Shia's flag from Liverpool. :)

[Rithm Fluffderg]

I'm gonna be honest, the reason I didn't want to base it off of the class itself is because Oblivion's prebuilt classes are a freaking mess (Healer with Destruction? REALLY? Battlemage with no armor? *REALLY*?????) so I just tend to ignore them and focus on how either Morrowind handled it or how the NPCs handle it (which tends to vary wildly, but more often fits the Morrowind definition than the Oblivion definition)

[The Flying Rodent]

Yeah the default classes in Oblivion are pretty sh*te. I don't think I've EVER made a default classed character in either Morrowind OR Oblivion.

But anyway, the Morrowind Nightblade is:

In-game Description: Nightblades are spellcasters who use their magics to enhance mobility, concealment, and stealthy close combat. They have a sinister reputation, since many nightblades are thieves, enforcers, assassins, or covert agents.

Specialization: Magic

Attributes: Willpower, Speed

Major Skills:
Mysticism
Illusion
Alteration
Sneak
Short Blade

Minor Skills:
Light Armor
Unarmored
Destruction
Marksman
Security

It seems more mage than thief to me. So I suppose if you were to adapt that to Oblivion: Maybe ditch Marksman, Security and Unarmored, but keep everthing else? So for Oblivion:

Specialization: Magic

Attributes: Willpower, Speed

Major Skills:
Mysticism
Illusion
Alteration
Sneak
Blade
Light Armour
Destruction

I'd be tempted to switch out either Mysticism or Alteration for Athletics too.

It'd have mostly mage-like abilities, but would be played more like a thief [focus on close combat and mobility].

[cyäegha]

soul trapping, marking and recalling and so on seem more in tune with what i'd consider a 'nightblade' than most of what alteration has to offer, though 'open' spells would also fit the bill

then it becomes a case of would they be more in-tune with using magic to break locks or just good 'ol lockpicks?

[Rithm Fluffderg]

Originally posted by cyäegha:

soul trapping, marking and recalling and so on seem more in tune with what i'd consider a 'nightblade' than most of what alteration has to offer, though 'open' spells would also fit the bill

then it becomes a case of would they be more in-tune with using magic to break locks or just good 'ol lockpicks?

Technically, Morrowind Nightblades have room for both.

They can also use Mysticism for Telekinesis to avoid traps.

On the other hand, the Thieves Guild doesn't care if you can open locks with a word and open traps from a safe distance - they'd rather you use lockpicks and probes.