Character Build: Fisherman of Gnaar Mok ? of the Bittercoast?
(Modded Build)
Concept:
Fishing is much more than fish. It is the great occasion when we may return to the fine simplicity of our forefathers.
- Herbert Hoover
This Build is a Morrowind version of my build for TESV: Skyrim, which can be read here.
The Fisherman of Gnaar Mok/the Bitter Coast is a simple and honest man trying to make a simple and honest living. While mercenaries, spellswords and warriors head off on risky adventures, the Fisherman of Gnaar Mok/the Bitter Coast is more than content to stay behind and do what they do best: catching fish and selling their haul off at the local marketplace.
Though satisfying, the lifestyle can at times be lonely, and they are often known to spend plenty of their time in taverns and inns, enjoying a drink and chatting with their fellow folk.
While by no means an expert warrior, they are well-versed in the art of the spear and also carry around a small knife to untangle their ropes and nets. With keen senses, they can spot danger quickly enough and resort to hiding and hunting in the shadows.
Build:
Note: While this build is more than playable on vanilla Morrowind, there are a handful of mods that enhance the experience, in my personal opinion. This includes Skyrim-Style Player Tasks and CM Minor Quests.
See Recommended Mods section for more mods that enrich the Fisherman experience.
Race: Irrelevant. Lore-wise, Dunmer would be perfect.
Class: Fisherman (Custom).
Specialization: Combat.
Sign: The Lady.
Attributes: Light Armor, Archery, Alchemy.
Major Skills: Spear, Marksman, Unarmored, Light Armor, Armorer.
Minor Skills: Athletics, Medium Armor, Short Blade, Mercantile/Speech, Sneak.
Misc Skills: Alchemy, Block, Acrobatics, Blunt Weapon, Restoration.
Factions: None.
Weapons: You are a spearfisher, and as such, spears will be your main weapon. You will also be hunting mudcrabs and cliff racers, so bring along a bow as well.
Equipment: Common (shirt), -pants, -shoes, and Gondolier Helm (accessible via console commands). Cheap light armor such as Chitin or Netch if need be, you are a common citizen, after all. A backpack, goggles (mod-added).
Combat and Skills:
The Fisherman also has a good eye for business, and knows who to invest in.
One-Handed:
Armsman (3/5)
The common fisher knows their way around a knife, expertly gutting fish and using their blade to free their nets from a tangled mess. Likewise, they are handy with an axe and know how to use it properly. They are, however, by no means an expert swordsman.
Sneak:
Stealth (5/5) and Muffled Movement
One doesn’t survive Skyrim’s harsh and dangerous lands by bringing attention to ones self. The fisher has keen senses and an instinct that lets them know when danger is around the corner. When life-threatening situations arise, the Riften Fisherman knows his place andquietly hides away until the danger is gone.
Armsman (3/5)
The common fisher knows their way around a knife, expertly gutting fish and using their blade to free their nets from a tangled mess. Likewise, they are handy with an axe and know how to use it properly. They are, however, by no means an expert swordsman.
Sneak:
Stealth (5/5) and Muffled Movement
Gameplay:
This build actually isn’t half as boring as you probably think it might be. Rather than attacking everything head-on and being a renowned warrior, you are a Nobody – a commoner simply trying to survive the day-to-day life of Morrowind. Being a commoner is an interesting and satisfying way to go about playing TESIII.
After the business at Seyda Neen, you will want to find your way back home to Gnaar Mok as swiftly as possible. You will arrive to find thieves and looters have stolen most of your equipment, including your fishing pole and spear and you must somehow earn the coin to replace it. Maybe the Fisherman of Gnaar Mok/the Bittercoast takes up cave-hopping, trying to find anything of value to sell; perhaps they even stoop to looting from the corpses of fallen soldiers and bandits or stealing another fisherman's equipment.
Alternatively, you've heard rumours that the thieves who stole your equipment can be found in a cave near Seyda Neen, called Addamasartus (one of the few places to acquire a fishing pole).
Once the chaos of rebuilding your life is complete, you can resume your simple lifestyle.
Daily Routine:
The early bird gets the worm. The Fisherman’s day starts at the crack of dusk. After eating a healthy breakfast, he leaves his home (Abandoned Shack southwest of Gnaar Mok) to fish in the Bitter Coast, swimming in the open waters and hauling in fish wherever they can find it.
By around 9am however, they head over to town to hang out by the docks and chat with the other folk while hauling in more slaughterfish at their fishing post (Skyrim-Style Player Tasks). Come nightfall, however, the light is scarce and the Fisherman calls it a day and sells off their daily haul at the local market. They speak with (NAME) the fish merchant at the docks to barter, before heading over to (NAME) to hand over their slaughterfish.
Your weapon is your spear and bow. Your follower is more skilled at combat and you will typically let them do the dirty-work, though you occasionally will need to support your companion, striking the enemy from behind while your friend keeps them busy. Should an enemy attack and die by your company's hand, it is not uncommon for the fisher to loot valuable items off the attacker, so they may sell them for some coin.
The Riften fisher is a kind and friendly soul, and doesn't simply fish all day long: they often help tend the crops of their neighbors, do small tasks from those who ask, and spend their evenings drinking and chatting away at the local inn, listening to tales of adventure from the traveler's of Skyrim. Perhaps they even meet their soulmate in one of these inns and eventually asks them to move in with them, where they can hunt and fish together or earn extra income through a shop.
The Fisher is also an amateur alchemist, experimenting with ingredients and coming up with useful concoctions to either heal themselves or poison and slow down the occasional deer and enemy.
A fisher is not a man without aspirations, however: they too dream of being rich and living in their own manor where they can retire comfortably. The Windstaad Manor property in Hjaalmarch is one such dream location, being so close to the Capital of Skyrim, with the Solitude Docks offering a great fishing haul.
(Highly) Recommended Mods:
Equipment: Adventurer's Backpack for two great backpack variants with constant feather enchantments. OAAB Armor Preview. Adds a variety of different bonemold and bug items, including several new Gondolier Helm styles. Goggles adds a bunch of different eyewear, including goggles to protect from ash storms and to use while swimming.
Survival: Any you like, really. I enjoy using Easy Camping for when I'm traveling, which adds a bonfire and resting mat. For something more luxurious, try On the Move - Ashlander Tent Deluxe.
Gameplay: Fishing Academy gives the player a sailable boat, as well as the opportunity to join a fishing guild and hunt more types of fish. Sell n Sail also adds a sailable boat, and Water Life gives more diversity to the underwater life.
Gameplay Restrictions:
Assuming you don’t have any survival mods installed, you will need to follow a strict set of rules.
- 1. You must eat at least once every 8 hours and sleep once a day.
- 2. Wear appropriate attire. When travelling in ash storms, wear helmets with eye protection, and when in Solstheim, you must wear fur items.
- 3. All diseases are fatal. You must cure yourself within 2 weeks.
Optional Restrictions:
- 1. You are a fisher and will get wet. Always travel with a spare change of clothes.
- 2. When going fishing, wear only pants or underwear. Fishermen don't swim fully clothed (except on hot days to avoid sunburn).
- 2. Clothes also get dirty when worn too long, try to switch up your wardrobe every couple of days (or even daily)
Photo Credits:
hideyoshi/ erenarik/ santeri/ artbytheo/ tomscholes/ tsonline
Character Build: Fisherman of Gnaar Mok ? of the Bittercoast?
(Modded Build)
Concept:
Fishing is much more than fish. It is the great occasion when we may return to the fine simplicity of our forefathers.
- Herbert Hoover
This Build is a Morrowind version of my build for TESV: Skyrim, which can be read here.
The Fisherman of Gnaar Mok/the Bitter Coast is a simple and honest man trying to make a simple and honest living. While mercenaries, spellswords and warriors head off on risky adventures, the Fisherman of Gnaar Mok/the Bitter Coast is more than content to stay behind and do what they do best: catching fish and selling their haul off at the local marketplace.
Though satisfying, the lifestyle can at times be lonely, and they are often known to spend plenty of their time in taverns and inns, enjoying a drink and chatting with their fellow folk.
While by no means an expert warrior, they are well-versed in the art of the spear and also carry around a small knife to untangle their ropes and nets. With keen senses, they can spot danger quickly enough and resort to hiding and hunting in the shadows.
Build:
Note: While this build is more than playable on vanilla Morrowind, there are a handful of mods that enhance the experience, in my personal opinion. This includes Skyrim-Style Player Tasks and CM Minor Quests.
See Recommended Mods section for more mods that enrich the Fisherman experience.
Race: Irrelevant. Lore-wise, Dunmer would be perfect.
Class: Fisherman (Custom).
Specialization: Combat.
Sign: The Lady.
Attributes: Light Armor, Archery, Alchemy.
Major Skills: Spear, Marksman, Unarmored, Light Armor, Armorer.
Minor Skills: Athletics, Medium Armor, Short Blade, Mercantile/Speech, Sneak.
Misc Skills: Alchemy, Block, Acrobatics, Blunt Weapon, Restoration.
Factions: None.
Weapons: You are a spearfisher, and as such, spears will be your main weapon. You will also be hunting mudcrabs and cliff racers, so bring along a bow as well.
Equipment: Common (shirt), -pants, -shoes, and Gondolier Helm (accessible via console commands). Cheap light armor such as Chitin or Netch if need be, you are a common citizen, after all. A backpack, goggles (mod-added).
Combat and Skills:
The Fisherman also has a good eye for business, and knows who to invest in.
One-Handed:
Armsman (3/5)
The common fisher knows their way around a knife, expertly gutting fish and using their blade to free their nets from a tangled mess. Likewise, they are handy with an axe and know how to use it properly. They are, however, by no means an expert swordsman.
Sneak:
Stealth (5/5) and Muffled Movement
One doesn’t survive Skyrim’s harsh and dangerous lands by bringing attention to ones self. The fisher has keen senses and an instinct that lets them know when danger is around the corner. When life-threatening situations arise, the Riften Fisherman knows his place andquietly hides away until the danger is gone.
Armsman (3/5)
The common fisher knows their way around a knife, expertly gutting fish and using their blade to free their nets from a tangled mess. Likewise, they are handy with an axe and know how to use it properly. They are, however, by no means an expert swordsman.
Sneak:
Stealth (5/5) and Muffled Movement
Gameplay:
This build actually isn’t half as boring as you probably think it might be. Rather than attacking everything head-on and being a renowned warrior, you are a Nobody – a commoner simply trying to survive the day-to-day life of Morrowind. Being a commoner is an interesting and satisfying way to go about playing TESIII.
After the business at Seyda Neen, you will want to find your way back home to Gnaar Mok as swiftly as possible. You will arrive to find thieves and looters have stolen most of your equipment, including your fishing pole and spear and you must somehow earn the coin to replace it. Maybe the Fisherman of Gnaar Mok/the Bittercoast takes up cave-hopping, trying to find anything of value to sell; perhaps they even stoop to looting from the corpses of fallen soldiers and bandits or stealing another fisherman's equipment.
Alternatively, you've heard rumours that the thieves who stole your equipment can be found in a cave near Seyda Neen, called Addamasartus (one of the few places to acquire a fishing pole).
Once the chaos of rebuilding your life is complete, you can resume your simple lifestyle.
Daily Routine:
The early bird gets the worm. The Fisherman’s day starts at the crack of dusk. After eating a healthy breakfast, he leaves his home (Abandoned Shack southwest of Gnaar Mok) to fish in the Bitter Coast, swimming in the open waters and hauling in fish wherever they can find it.
By around 9am however, they head over to town to hang out by the docks and chat with the other folk while hauling in more slaughterfish at their fishing post (Skyrim-Style Player Tasks). Come nightfall, however, the light is scarce and the Fisherman calls it a day and sells off their daily haul at the local market. They speak with (NAME) the fish merchant at the docks to barter, before heading over to (NAME) to hand over their slaughterfish.
Your weapon is your spear and bow. Your follower is more skilled at combat and you will typically let them do the dirty-work, though you occasionally will need to support your companion, striking the enemy from behind while your friend keeps them busy. Should an enemy attack and die by your company's hand, it is not uncommon for the fisher to loot valuable items off the attacker, so they may sell them for some coin.
The Riften fisher is a kind and friendly soul, and doesn't simply fish all day long: they often help tend the crops of their neighbors, do small tasks from those who ask, and spend their evenings drinking and chatting away at the local inn, listening to tales of adventure from the traveler's of Skyrim. Perhaps they even meet their soulmate in one of these inns and eventually asks them to move in with them, where they can hunt and fish together or earn extra income through a shop.
The Fisher is also an amateur alchemist, experimenting with ingredients and coming up with useful concoctions to either heal themselves or poison and slow down the occasional deer and enemy.
A fisher is not a man without aspirations, however: they too dream of being rich and living in their own manor where they can retire comfortably. The Windstaad Manor property in Hjaalmarch is one such dream location, being so close to the Capital of Skyrim, with the Solitude Docks offering a great fishing haul.
(Highly) Recommended Mods:
Equipment: Adventurer's Backpack for two great backpack variants with constant feather enchantments. OAAB Armor Preview. Adds a variety of different bonemold and bug items, including several new Gondolier Helm styles. Goggles adds a bunch of different eyewear, including goggles to protect from ash storms and to use while swimming.
Survival: Any you like, really. I enjoy using Easy Camping for when I'm traveling, which adds a bonfire and resting mat. For something more luxurious, try On the Move - Ashlander Tent Deluxe.
Gameplay: Fishing Academy gives the player a sailable boat, as well as the opportunity to join a fishing guild and hunt more types of fish. Sell n Sail also adds a sailable boat, and Water Life gives more diversity to the underwater life.
Gameplay Restrictions:
Assuming you don’t have any survival mods installed, you will need to follow a strict set of rules.
- 1. You must eat at least once every 8 hours and sleep once a day.
- 2. Wear appropriate attire. When travelling in ash storms, wear helmets with eye protection, and when in Solstheim, you must wear fur items.
- 3. All diseases are fatal. You must cure yourself within 2 weeks.
Optional Restrictions:
- 1. You are a fisher and will get wet. Always travel with a spare change of clothes.
- 2. When going fishing, wear only pants or underwear. Fishermen don't swim fully clothed (except on hot days to avoid sunburn).
- 2. Clothes also get dirty when worn too long, try to switch up your wardrobe every couple of days (or even daily)
Photo Credits:
hideyoshi/ erenarik/ santeri/ artbytheo/ tomscholes/ tsonline
