Discover new worlds, uncover lost secrets and unlock the new Arcanist class in Necrom, the latest Chapter for The Elder Scrolls Online, available now on PC/Mac, PlayStation and Xbox! Find out more here.
So you’re looking to start your adventure in The Elder Scrolls Online, eh?
Whether you’re a long-time Elder Scrolls fan pining for a new adventure, a curious onlooker or you’re just after that next hook, there’s never been a better time to jump into the thriving MMO set in Bethesda’s iconic fantasy universe. For starters, The Elder Scrolls Online’s exciting new Necrom Chapter is available now on PC/Mac, Xbox, and PlayStation, bringing with it a brand-new adventure and the mystical new Arcanist class.
Also, to celebrate The Elder Scrolls Online launching on the Epic Games Store for the first time ever, ESO is offering the standard edition for free on the Epic Games Store right now until July 28th. Grab it here.
With years of great content and updates to experience in ESO, the possibilities are endless and exciting – but crucially, not daunting. Still, there’s something be said about introductions so we’ve gone ahead and put together a very quick and easy-to-read guide on taking your first steps in Tamriel and charting a course all your own in The Elder Scrolls Online.
First things first though, if you’re yet to pick up the game you can find out where and how to get The Elder Scrolls Online base game and the new Necrom expansion on your platform of choice right here.
Step I: Create Your Character
Your first task in ESO is arguably one of the most exciting parts of diving into any new MMO or RPG world – creating a character. Much like the single-player Elder Scrolls games, The Elder Scrolls Online features a ton of customisation options for players to sink their teeth into. You’ll get to choose your gender, Alliance, Race and Class and as well as tweak your look from a range of presets and sliders for your body and face.
While we’d encourage you to experiment and play with a character that feels uniquely you, and every class can fulfill multiple roles and playstyles, it’s also important to understand how some of the options will affect your journey, so below is a quick breakdown of each of the available races and classes that you have to choose from:
Playable Alliances/Races
Aldmeri Dominion Alliance
- High Elf – Powerful spellcasters with increased experience gain in the Destruction Staff Skill Line, increased Maximum Magicka and increased Weapon and Spell damage.
- Wood Elf – Acrobatic archers with increased experience gain in Bows as well as decreased fall damage, faster movement and stamina recovery and resistance to Disease and Poison.
- Khajiit – Experience gains with Medium Armour, higher pickpocket chance and better stealth ability make this a good class for players interested in being a little sneaky and cutthroat.
Daggerfall Covenant Alliance
- Breton – Masters of the sword with One Hand and Shield skill line experience bonus, decreased Weapon Ability cost and stamina bonuses.
- Redguard – Opportunists with a boon to Maximum Magicka and Spell Resistance, and increased experience gain with the Light Armour skill line.
- Orc – A very physical race with an experience bonus in Heavy Armour, increased movement speed and stamina when sprinting, and Maximum Stamina and Health bonuses.
Ebonheart Pact Alliance
- Nord – Hardy folks with a Two Handed skill line experience bonus as well as increased Physical, Spell and Frost Resistance.
- Dark Elf – Intelligent and agile, Dark Elves get better experience gain with the Dual Wield skill line, improved Maximum Magicka and Stamina and increased Flame Resistance.
- Argonian – A life in the swamps gives Argonians better resistance to Disease and Poison as well as increased healing and experience gains with the Restoration Staff skill line.
Any Alliance
- Imperial – Available for purchase in the Crown Store. As well as being able to join any faction in the game, Imperials get an experience bonus with the One Hand and Shield skill line, better Maximum Health and Stamina, and a decreased ability cost.
This is very important.
Playable Classes
Classes in The Elder Scrolls Online each have three unique Skill Lines that players can progress and will affect what type of role or playstyle they fall into, which can be important down the line when it comes time to play in groups and tackle late-game content. You can learn more about each one in-game or on the ESO website but here’s a quick run-down of each:
- Dragonknight – A tank-focused class that wields destructive fire magic and unbridled rage in battle.
- Nightblade – A stealthy class that can poison, sap and cripple foes from the shadows.
- Sorcerer – A magic-wielding class that can channel various elements and stand strong in battle.
- Templar – Another magic class that wields both holy spells in battle as well as healing and support to allies.
- Warden – Available for purchase in the Crown Store, this class is in touch with nature and can summon Animal Companions to aid in battle.
- Necromancer – Available for purchase in the Crown Store, this class is in tune with the dead (and undead) and able to perform unspeakable acts that can land players in actual trouble with the law.
- Arcanist – Available for purchase in the Crown Store, the Arcanist is introduced in the new Necrom Chapter and also deals in the undead and other creepy, Eldritch horrors with a variety of different magical abilities.
Step II: Complete The Introductory Quest
Your very first steps in the game will come by way of a tutorial quest that’s the same for every player regardless of who they are and where their journey will eventually take them.
After being unceremoniously teleported to the Isle of Balferia and finding yourself in a position very familiar to Elder Scrolls fans – behind bars – you’ll need to aid Norianwe of Clan Direnni in taking down a Daedra named Shyazzel, who’s seized control of some local Golems and powerful Gargoyles and is using them to reign terror on Balferia.
In this tutorialised section of the game you’re encouraged to not just learn the ropes of ESO’s very dynamic combat and gameplay but also experiment with any and all of the available weapon and armour types, skill lines and abilities. Try out as much as you can to get an understanding of how everything works and how you’d like to play, and use the opportunity to get into the habit of looting everything that isn’t nailed down to fill your pockets with useful items and gold for the adventure ahead.
Step III: Choose A Portal And Start Your Journey
Once you’ve completed the tutorial quest, which should take less than 20 minutes if you’re not dawdling too much, you’ll have access to a number of portals, all leading to different regions of Tamriel with different adventures to kick off, depending on which The Elder Scrolls Online content you own or have access to. The first four portals will take you to areas and questlines from the base game and from Morrowind:
- The Portal to Stros M’Kai leads to the Daggerfall Covenant questline.
- The Portal to Khenarthi’s Roost leads to the Aldmeri Dominion questline.
- The Portal to Bleackrock leads to the Ebonheart Pact storyline.
- The Portal to Vvardenfell leads to Morrowind for a brilliant, standalone adventure that will definitely still work as a first experience with the game, but if you’re just starting out and would prefer to start from the start, you can always save this for later.
The important thing is, there are no wrong turns in The Elder Scrolls Online and you’re free to play your way, in every way. Which leads us to the final step in our brief introduction to your very first ESO journey…
Step IV: Go Forth And Play Your Way
MMO or not, this wouldn’t be an Elder Scrolls RPG without a massive amount of freedom to go questing, delve into dungeons, fight monsters, pick up a trade, seek hidden treasures, find companions, join guilds or anything in-between, now would it?
Once you’ve stepped through that portal, you’ve entered your new life in The Elder Scrolls Online, and what you do with it is entirely up to you. Don’t feel like heading straight into combat scenarios? Why not take up fishing? Or become an antiquities expert and search Tamriel for lost artifacts and special rewards while levelling up two special non-combat skill lines. Or how about crafting? With seven different professions from alchemy to blacksmithing and woodworking the opportunities are plentiful.
And as any seasoned Elder Scrolls player would know, Guilds are the place to be for would-be adventurers to find companionship and take on new questlines for orders like the Dark Brotherhood or Thieves Guild.
Most of all, don’t forget to find allies out in the world – whether they’re well-versed in all things ESO and can give you a guiding hand or similarly green and willing to take on this new adventure with you, Tamriel is better with friends!
But Wait, There’s More… With Necrom!
Now that you’re well and truly on your way to exciting adventures in The Elder Scrolls Online, don’t forget to check out Necrom – the brand-new expansion for ESO that’ll see you discover the forbidden secrets of Apocrypha and fight to preserve the very fabric of reality in an all-new adventure and with the addition of the dark and mystical Arcanist class.
It’s a good time to jump into Necrom too – ESO is currently having a limited time Ascent of the Arcanist in-game event until July 28th. All you have to do to be a part of it is level up your brand-new Arcanist character class to level 10, and you’ll receive free in-game rewards for your Arcanist during the event.
The Collection and Deluxe Collection versions of Necrom also grant access to the base game and all of the previous ESO Chapters including High Isle, Blackwood, Elsweyr and Summerset. And to further enhance your Elder Scrolls Online experience you can also become an ESO Plus member to get access to a huge number of added perks, including bonuses to earned Gold and XP, free Crowns to spend in the store, access to all of the DLC game packs, exclusive abilities and more:
ESO Plus Member Benefits
- Full access to all DLC game packs
- Unlimited storage for crafting materials
- 1650 crowns per month for mounts, pets & more
- Double Bank space for your account
- 10% increase to Crafting Inspiration & Trait Research rates
- Double Furnishings & Collectibles space in player housing
- Exclusive ability to dye costumes
- Double currency cap for Transmutation Crystals
- Exclusive access to unique Crown Store deals
