Morrowind Character Guide Series: The Pilgrim

Danae -

Foreword

For those who watch my let's plays and livestreams, you'll know that we're all about role-playing and not at all about min-maxing. This series is not about the ultimate [insert class] build, let's face it, sooner or later your character will be a god-killer whether you min-max or not. In addition we tend to always want to play the same way, with the same style, the same weapons, the same game play. So instead, I want to suggest ways to play a class and mods that can make the experience fresh and more unique. For more general role-playing mod recommendations, you can check this guide.

Skills, Race, and Birthsign


The Pilgrim's main attributes are Personality and Endurance. Looking at the skills, Agility increases quickly, especially if you intend to use a shield and a short blade.
Mostly for role-playing purposes, I like the Dunmer who recently arrived in Vvardenfell, trying to understand his heritage, visiting cities and places of religious significance. +5 Marksman and +10 Short Blade helps.
Looking at stats, an Altmer or Breton to do well with restoration and Illusion to keep you healthy, and to calm enemies too strong for you. I imagine the Breton or Altmer pilgrim is journeying in search of knowledge. A Bosmer to kill enemies with your bow before they get to you is a smart choice, though I am not sure what the motives of a Bosmer Pilgrim in Vvardenfell could be.
I'd go with the Steed, you want the speed bonus since you will be travelling a lot. Somehow using transport or spells to complete a pilgrimage feels like a massive cheat...

Gameplay and Mods

As a Pilgrim, you will want to kill or at least seriously injure your enemies with a bow. Since you are on the road so much, being able to craft your own ammo will save your money (maybe even your life!) For marksman related mods, check the Archer Guide.
Also because you are on the road, knowing your plants and herbs is a bonus. For mods related to alchemy, see the Healer Guide.
While the Pilgrim's purpose is to seek truth and enlightenment by travelling, you could also join a religious faction. If your Pilgrim wants to join the Temple or the Imperial Cult, see the Crusader Guide.
If you intend to use Hand-To-Hand and/or worship the Daedra, read the Monk Guide.
All right, now that you are set with combat related skills, we need places worth going to and things to see...

Cities like new

We want the Pilgrim to (re)discover Vvardenfell: cities and points of interest overhauls. They probably won't be suitable for every game: some are too fancy, too large or not entirely lore-friendly... but they'll be great for the Pilgrim experience. The idea is to use the mods you've never tried before. Unless specified otherwise, pick only one for each town.

Seyda Neen

  • Seyda Neen - Imperial Port by Aitrius. I adore this Seyda Neen, this is the one I'd pick for a pilgrim: you've never seen Seyda Neen like this.
  • Immersive Seyda Neen by DremoraLord98 is one of my favourites, I did a YouTube review shortly after the mod was released. The best Seyda Neen mod if you want to stay close to vanilla.
  • TM - New Seyda Neen by johanrosen a.k.a Trancemaster, or the very early Morrowind Rebirth town expansion mod for Seyda Neen. A little over the top for me, but remember, we are looking for a fresh experience here.

Hla Oad

Gnaar Mok

  • Gnaar Mok Expanded by Hobbit#3/Potter9156: expands the village into the water but keeps it as a humble fishing village.
  • New Gnaar Mok by Melchior Dahrk. A more expansive overhaul with shacks as well as houses, docks, and even a few quests.

Gnisis

The next few mods should be compatible with either of the previous ones:

Khuul

  • Khuul Expanded by Casey Tucker. Adds shacks, services, NPCs, and a small quest. Keeps a vanilla vibe.
  • Khuul Expansion by Crankgorilla: plenty to discover there! Crankgorilla's mods are usually colourful and not always lore-friendly. This is the perfect example of a mod I'd use for a special playthrough, such as the Pilgrim but not for a general purpose install.

Ald Velothi

  • Ald Velothi Complete by saltmummy626. This mod is... very complete! Your Pilgrim will not regret the journey to Ald Velothi.
  • Tales of Ald Velothi by Team Balmora Bandits (Enclavekiller, Greatness7, Lady Phoenix Fire Rose, and PikachunoTM). Give the town new clutter and new quests. Highly recommended.

Maar Gan

Dagon Fel

Tel Mora

OAAB Tel Mora by Melchior Dahrk. You want this.

Vos / Tel Vos

  • Vos Expansion by Princess Stomper adds a few services and an optional plantation.
  • Vos X by Pinsvinnn is somewhat larger, might hit your FPS more as well.

Then add all of these:

Sadrith Mora

Molag Maar

  • Molag Mar X by Pinsvinnn. Like all the mods in the X series, FPS can be an issue but the visual improvements are great.
  • Molag Mar Revisited 3.0 by Two Moons Productions (The_Nordavarine & Kaophyre): a rather colourful overhaul of the ugly city. Another I'd use for the Pilgrim but no other playthrough.
  • New Molag Mar Fixed by Max. The most extreme overhaul, far far far from vanilla, just for the Pilgrim, a more eccentric one at that.
  • Fortified Molag Maar by Team Voluptuous Velks (OperatorJack, Petethegoat, RedFurryDemon, Wolli). What it says on the tin. Besides giving the city a new (lore-friendly) look, also adds quests and services.

Tel Branora

Suran

  • New Suran by the Wanderer: adds houses, manors, and shops to Suran.
  • Suran Extended Gold by Princess Stomper. The most colourful of the three: Suran is now a lovely place ideal for tourists with hotels, restaurants, palm trees and pretty lights. My pick for the pilgrim.
  • Docks of Suran by Vallylilly. Makes Suran a more commercial town with docks and improved plaza.

Vivec

  • Dramatic Vivec by LondonRook. The Vivec mod I wish my PC could handle. Vivec is gorgeous, each canton is recognizable thanks to banners, road signs, planters and various clutter. Love it even though my FPS drops to 10.
  • The other very large mod: Redesigned Vivec by Hoghead the Horrible, tweaked by MaeseAtorrante. This mod adds a lot of docks and shacks around Vivec so it looks like a place where people live and trade.
  • Now for the Palace itself, the real goal for the Pilgrim. All 4 mods are compatible.

Ebonheart

(Both mods compatible.)

Pelagiad

(All mods compatible.)

Balmora

  • City of Balmora - Hlaalu Expansion by Praedator - EnvyDeveloper. Install the City of Balmora - Quest Locations Only version! This mod is not only a town expansion but also a very large quest mod. Still being developed.
  • Balmora Expansion v1.4 by Gorg & CanadianIce & Jeremy. Super classic! Once again, too much for a regular game, perfect for the Pilgrim.
  • Epic Balmora by MikeandIke. Adds many purely decorative buildings to make the city look epic.
  • Balmora Guilds Expanded by Lucevar: Mages Guild, Fighters Guild and Temple get new exteriors and a few quests. Compatible with the previous mods. A gem.

Caldera

Pick one of the first 2 mods, add the last 3 if you want.

Ald-ruhn

  • Ald-ruhn X by Pinsvinnn. My personal favourite though once again, very bad on my FPS.
  • Ald-ruhn by Crankgorilla. Lots to see, lots to do but not entirely lore-friendly. Another one I'd pick for the pilgrim but no other character.
  • Epic Ald-ruhn by MikeandIke: lots and lots of houses! (Still no interiors.)
  • Ald-ruhn Temple Expansion by Xeth-Ban. Ideal for the Pilgrim: you do want to see places of religious significance more than anything else. Install this patch if you have Mountaneous Red Mountain installed (recommended). Not compatible with Ald-ruhn X.

Ghostgate

  • Ghostgate 1.3 by Princess Stomper. Use only if you don't intend to do the main quest (or possibly install after you've completed it). This mod re-imagines the Ghostgate a year after the defeat of Dagoth Ur: a theme park of sorts that commemorates the heroic actions of the Nerevarine. Looks like a worthy pilgrimage.
  • RR Mod Series - Ghostgate by Resdayn Revival Team. Beautiful, impressive and lore-friendly.
  • Mountaneous Red Mountain by PirateLord, makes the Red Mountain a true sight to behold.

Mournhold

Unique landscapes, and POIs

Trees, fastest way to change the landscape

Bitter Coast

Ascadian Isles

West Gash

Ashlands

  • Vurt's Ashlands Overhaul. I am personally a fan of the big creepy trees but if you are not, there is a version that stays closer to vanilla.

Grazeland

Solstheim

Mournhold

Other mods

I have reviewed these 3 mods (as well as a bunch of NPC addition mods) on YouTube, here's the playlist.

Handicaps and Goals

  • Travel to every place of interest and survive! (Make that a permadeath run?)
  • Do not use transports/spells to reach new places, i.e. you have to walk to a city before being allowed to teleport there.
  • Here's a challenge for you: Don't do quests! Travel, explore, keep a couple of books to read when you are camping and again, survive! (Veni, Vidi, We didn't die)
  • For more role-playing ideas, check out Gavrilo's blog, especially his Tourist role-play.

Final words

If you want more ideas for random handicaps and goals, check this blog entry with wheels to click, you can find my permadeath modlist (and all the others, actually) here and if you'd like to see many new characters created, join us on Twitch every Sunday for our permadeath runs ;)

Happy Morrowinding!