Player's life as a centaur [IDEA]

[pick-le-dork]

Hey there! I'm completely new here, and I was just curious to share my.. quite overly ambitious idea. But please, keep that in mind, its only a rough idea 😛

This is mostly something for me to explore my own similar idea for the story/game, separate from TES games. But I thought it would be fun to imagine how it would fit Skyrim, and if anyone would be interested in it. 
I would love to develop such a mod myself some day, but for now its more of an open discussion.

 

I know that there are mods that let you play as a centaur, but I'd like to approach it from a bit of a different angle, including things that was inspired by other mods out there. So it might be not even a mod, but a mod compliation, to provide similar experience.

 

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"Player's Life as a Centaur" mod would let the player character to transform into a centaur inside the game.
Following a new quest, PC will somehow fall victim of "equestrian curse" and will transform into a centaur version of themselves (initially it was an idea of charater genderbending in the process too, focusing on M2F scenario in mind, adding more troubles to character's fate, but it could also have an option to stay the same gender). 

 

The mod idea is heavily based on player and NPC switching sides. You can still fight (although not as good as before) and be an adventurer, but human superiority, and harsh temper of humans inhabiting Skyrim's world, will sooner or later bend you into accepting the norm of serving a human in some way. And then, from being a skilled warrior, player will become just another horse in the stables near Whiterun, waiting for its owner to saddle the player and ride to THEIR adventure.. not yours.

 

Centaur, being a very rare creature, will naturally become a target for hunters, so you will need to be cautious. After becoming half-horse, you wont be as dodgy as before, especially at first, while you only getting accustomed to the change, so you better run from open combat with well-prepared hunters.
People will start to look down on you, treating you like an animal, and entrance to the cities will now be forbidden without humanoid NPC escort.
PC will be able to meet certain NPCs that will try to claim them by force, or befriend a friendly NPC that player will surrender ownership to willingly. Either way player's freedom will be limited, and you will become dependent on humanoid NPCs.

 

Your new owner can make upgrades for you. They will mostly revolve around making both your time as a horse, and his time as your owner easier (making and upgrading horseshoes, reins, saddles and saddlebags, armor and other equipment).
Instead of cozy homesteads and houses behind walls - stables in the game will become your new home, and your owner can upgrade them too! Making a better stall for you and providing you better quality food. 
Spending time in the stalls, you will live among other horses, and will be able to somewhat communicate with them.

 

You will obviously lose the ability to ride horses, but NPCs will now be able to ride YOU, using you to get to their destinations (another cities, going for a hunt or a battle) or for labor (plowing the land, carrying cargo). 
During the time of being ridden, your movements will be limited - you will be able to either resist your rider, do nothing and let them use you, or assist your rider by predicting the route and turning there, making your owner's life easier.

Your interactions with your owner will progress your relationships with them. They can be mad at you, neutural, or they can really like you. That will give you access for new equipment and unlock new centaur-specific abilities.

 

If your relationshops with owner are good, you will be able to leave stables and do whatever you want for a brief period - explore Skyrim, try to fight bandits with your new horse body and abilities, talk to strangers that will be a bit confused by your appearance.. but listen carefully for your owner's whistle - you might need to come back to him when he calls for you, to not make relationships worse!

Do that enough, and resisting the new habit of returning to the owner on command will become almost impossible.
You wont be able to enter dungeons. Instead, the role of a hero in the story is partially given to your owner, who will ride you on their adventures, that normally should've been experienced by you.

During your lone little adventures as a centaur, you will gather resources, that will be handed to your owner automatically. If you bring them better quality loot - your relationship will progress significantly, opening even more possibilities. As relationships progress you will decide what resources you will give up, and what you will keep to yourself, to make investing into relationships worth going through your troubles.

 

You will be given a new long-time goal of curing the curse, which you can follow to get back into human form, or ignore it and accept your new fate as a livestock. Almost all the other missions will be locked down, due to not anyone treating a half-animal hero seriously.
If you want to reverse the change - you will have to go through becoming an NPC's property, and progress relationships with them enough to have a possibility of exploring the world more safely on your own.

Even after finding the cure and becoming human again, you wont be free, as you are still count as NPC's property. You will have to pay them off, kill them, or negotiate, but with your aquired animalistic habits and instincts, and due to being tamed by an NPC prveiously, it might not be very easy.

 

Naturally, the biggest issue with an idea like this - is to make it engaging and interesting for the player to sink in to. I would love to have a discussion and hear your opinions and ideas!

Edited November 14, 2024 by pick-le-dork