Racial Builds Guide of the Elder Scrolls Online

Your character’s race selection in Elder Scrolls Online represents one of the most impactful decisions you’ll make before exploring the vast continent of Tamriel. Among the ten distinct ESO races available, each provides specialized passive abilities that influence combat effectiveness, resource management, and progression speed. These racial traits extend beyond mere appearance and personality differences, offering tangible gameplay advantages that can complement specific playstyles and class combinations.

Every race receives an identical number of racial passives, with the initial ability automatically unlocked for all new characters. This foundational passive grants a substantial 15% experience bonus when leveling particular weapon or armor skill lines, reflecting each race’s cultural heritage and historical preferences within the game’s lore. However, experienced players recognize this initial benefit shouldn’t dominate your race selection process, as all characters eventually reach maximum skill levels in their preferred equipment categories.

While these early-game experience accelerators provide noticeable benefits during the leveling phase, their long-term value diminishes significantly in endgame content where other racial passives become more influential. Understanding this distinction helps players avoid common mistakes like overvaluing temporary leveling advantages at the expense of more permanent combat benefits.

The Daggerfall Covenant

The Daggerfall Covenant stands as one of three primary factions competing for control of the Imperial City in Elder Scrolls Online. This powerful alliance unites the diverse peoples of northwest Tamriel—the versatile Bretons, formidable Redguards, and resilient Orcs—through a binding compact focused on mutual defense and territorial security. Their shared vision extends beyond mere protection, aiming to establish lasting peace and structured governance throughout all of Tamriel, drawing inspiration from the legendary Reman Empire as their ideological foundation.

In the current timeline, the Covenant manifests as a tripartite alliance comprising Redguard forces from northern Hammerfell led by King Fahara’jad, Orc clans from the northeastern mountains under King Kurog of Orsinium, and Breton leadership provided by King Emeric of High Rock, who governs from his royal seat in Wayrest. This coalition represents the noblest aspects of previous empires, combining military strength with diplomatic sophistication and cultural richness.

From this stable foundation emerges the potential for a third, even more powerful empire that could extend the benefits of cooperative governance, flourishing commerce, and shared spiritual values across all Tamrielic peoples. The faction’s strategic positioning and diverse racial composition offer unique advantages in Alliance War content, particularly for players who prefer coordinated group tactics and strategic warfare.

 •Light Armor Affinity – Accelerates Light Armor skill progression by 15% through enhanced experience gain.

 •Gift of Magnus – Permanently boosts maximum Magicka pool by 4/7/10% depending on passive rank.

 •Spell Resistance – Provides increasing spell resistance bonuses of 2/4/6 as the passive ranks up.

 •Magicka Mastery – Systematically reduces Magicka expenditure for all spells by 1/2/3%.

The Breton’s comprehensive magicka-oriented passive collection makes them exceptionally well-suited for magicka-focused specializations. Their innate abilities synergize powerfully with Sorcerer and Templar classes, particularly those builds emphasizing spellcasting frequency and sustained magical combat.

 •Shield Affinity – Enhances One-Handed and Shield skill line advancement by 15% through bonus experience.

Advanced players should note that Breton passives provide approximately 10-15% more effective magicka pool compared to other races when fully upgraded, making them ideal for difficult endgame content requiring extensive resource management.

When selecting your ideal race, consider both immediate gameplay preferences and long-term character development goals. While min-maxing can provide marginal performance advantages in optimized endgame builds, most content remains accessible regardless of race selection, allowing significant flexibility for roleplaying and personal preference.

For players focused on Alliance War PvP content, faction alignment becomes crucial as it determines your starting location and available allies. The Daggerfall Covenant’s balanced racial composition offers versatile options for both magicka and stamina builds, though specific races naturally excel in particular roles.

Common optimization mistakes include overemphasizing leveling speed at the expense of combat effectiveness or choosing races based solely on appearance without considering passive synergy with your intended class and playstyle.

For comprehensive build planning, consult our Class Guide to understand how racial passives interact with class abilities and skill lines.

•Medium Armor Expertise – Accelerates skill progression in the Medium Armor line by 15%, making it ideal for stamina-based builds that rely on this armor type for optimal performance.

•Robust – Enhances survivability during combat encounters by boosting Health regeneration by 5% at rank I, 10% at rank II, and 15% at rank III, providing crucial sustain in prolonged fights.

•Stealthy – Reduces detection radius by progressive values of 1/2/3 meters while simultaneously increasing damage output from stealth by 3/6/9%, creating powerful opening attack opportunities.

•Carnage – Elevates melee combat effectiveness through a dual-mechanic approach: increasing Critical rating by 1/2/3% and amplifying Critical Hit damage by 5/10/15% for devastating burst potential.

Similar to Wood Elf racial traits, Khajiit abilities create exceptional compatibility with Nightblade class mechanics, particularly for players focusing on critical strike builds and stealth gameplay approaches.

The Medium Armor Expertise passive synergizes perfectly with Nightblade stamina morphs, while the Stealthy trait enhances the class’s inherent sneak attack capabilities beyond standard parameters.

Many players underestimate the value of stacking Carnage critical bonuses with Nightblade’s own critical passives, resulting in up to 40% higher critical damage potential when properly optimized through our Class Guide for maximum effectiveness.

Ebonheart Pact represents one of three major factions within Elder Scrolls Online, characterized by its unique collaborative governance structure that requires consensus among all member races.

Jorunn, originating from Eastern Skyrim, serves as the acting High King presiding over The Great Moot—a distinctive political system where his leadership decisions require ratification from Nord, Dunmer, and Argonian representatives collectively.

His leadership style combines pragmatic earthiness with genuine humor, backed by unwavering determination that has proven essential for maintaining faction unity during crisis situations, similar to alliance dynamics covered in our Complete Guide to faction warfare.

The alliance between our distinct races emerged from historical necessity during the Akaviri invasion, when Nord, Dunmer, and liberated Argonians united against common slavemaster adversaries in a defining moment of cooperation.

Our collective strength derives from overcoming shared adversity, with resolve as enduring as glaciers, might tempered in volcanic fires, and courage honed through jungle survival—making Ebonheart Pact an indomitable force when united.

•Two-Handed Expertise – Provides significant acceleration in Two-Handed Weapon skill line progression with a 15% experience bonus, complementing the Khajiit’s natural melee combat advantages.

•Robust – Maintains consistent Health regeneration during active combat at tiered values of 5%, 10%, or 15% based on passive rank investment priority.

•Resist Frost – Offers dual defensive benefits by increasing Cold Resistance by 10/20/30 points while simultaneously boosting maximum health pool by 1/2/3% for enhanced durability.

For players transitioning to advanced content, understanding how these racial passives interact with weapon mastery systems is crucial, as detailed in our comprehensive Weapons Unlock guide for optimal progression planning.

Common optimization mistakes include undervaluing the stacking potential of Robust with other regeneration effects and misallocating skill points that could better synergize with racial strengths for specific playstyles.

No reproduction without permission：GameCDjnh » Racial Builds Guide of the Elder Scrolls Online