City Guard (Oblivion)

Every major city in Cyrodiil and Skyrim has its own guard force, although the Imperial City has the Imperial Legion instead. Each city's guard wears a chainmail hauberk and tabard with their city's insignia on the tabard. In addition they wear chainmail leggings, boots, gauntlets, and a unique light helmet called the guard's helmet. The only exception to this is Skingrad, whose guards use Steel, rather than Chainmail. In addition they wield either a silver or steel long sword, carry a bow, and fine silver arrows. They also carry light shields. To obtain this gear, there are several options. If you can pickpocket a sleeping guard in the barracks, you can take his armor piece by piece. The second option is to kill the guard, but unless you have a very high combat skill, there is little chance of killing them without gaining a bounty. Finally, during the Kvatch missions, as well as the Bruma missions in the Main Quest you fight along side the guards, and can loot their corpses should they die.

The guards ceaselessly patrol the city, as well as standing guard near the gates. There are also many more guards at the castle, where the local jail and barracks are located. At certain times, guards will relieve each other with a short dialogue. The guards all have a captain who reports the local Count or Countess, and these Captains are all tougher than your average City Guard, and may also carry different weaponry and armor. The guards are not of only one race, in fact, the only races not present amongst the guards are the Khajiits and Argonians.

While inside a city, any crime you commit will gain the attention of the City Guards. They will immediately come running when you commit a crime, and offer you three choices, pay gold, resist arrest, and go to jail. If you do not have the money to pay for your fine, or if your fine is particularly high, the option to pay will not appear. If you select to pay gold, the guards will take you to the nearest castle and take the payment as well as all stolen items in your possession. If you opt to go to jail you will be sent to jail for a time based upon your offence. If you choose to resist arrest, the guards will immediately begin to attack until you yield or you are dead. If the guard likes you enough (charm or not) he will instead look the other way and take care of the fine for you. This is only with small fines, however.

In battle, the guards will never run away, and are all ten levels higher than you. They will quickly begin to outnumber you, as they begin to swarm upon you as soon as you commit a crime. Some guards will pull out their bows and shoot you from afar, however if you choose to melee with them, they will usually put away the bow and switch to their swords.

There is some advantage to picking a fight with guards while at lower levels, as it yields fine steel or silver weapons along with a set of light armor (if in Skingrad, it is mixed with heavy), including the city's unique Guard curiass and shield, and the Guard Helmet, which can only be obtained through guards. Likewise, the Legion Horseman's helm, despite it's name, can only be obtained through an Imperial City Watchman. In Skyrim guards are not as powerful as the ones in Oblivion. Guards generally have poorer weapons and armour then the ones seen in Oblivion. But in groups they can still pose as a challenge.

The bounties in Skyrim are all seperate. For example, you can obtain a bounty in Whiterun, and all the other Holds will not recognize it.


 * Note*

Normally all guards can be bribed if you are in the Thieves Guild. Without the exception of Markarth after the completion of The Foresworn Conspiracy And No One Escapes Chidna Mine. Guards will not accept your bribes and you have No choice but to fight. You can select go to jail and after selecting that option the guard will have dialogue but push B, Circle to cancel out the conversation and the guard you talked to will ignore you.

Guard Talk (Skyrim)

 * 1) "I used to be an adventurer just like you, but then I took an arrow in the knee. (Casual.)" 
 * 2)  "I used to be an adventurer just like you, but then I took a sword in the chest. (Casual.)" 
 * 3)  "I wonder how the Thalmor are feeling now that they've been taken down a notch." (after saving the Gray-mane brother from the Thalmor) 
 * 4) "The guards have been talking about you. (Casual.)"
 * 5) "By the gods, I dont know what to say." (After defeating a dragon.)
 * 6) "Let me guess, someone stole your sweetroll." (Casual.)
 * 7) "So you know alchemy? Maybe you could make me some mead." (With decent Alchemy. Doesn't start quest.)
 * 8) "My cousin is out fighting dragons, and what do I get? Guard duty."
 * 9) "I can handle the occasional drunk or bandit. I don't know about dragons."
 * 10) "Hail summoner, why don't you go and conjure me up a warm bed?" (with high skill in Conjuration, unconfirmed value)
 * 11) "So you can cast a few spells, am I supposed to be impressed? (with decent skill in Destruction)
 * 12) "Disrespect the law, and you disrespect me." (Casual)
 * 13) "Watch the skies, traveller." (Casual)
 * 14) "Don't think you can barter with me like I'm one of those damned shopkeepers." (With decent Speech)
 * 15) "No lollygaggin'." (Casual)
 * 16) "You couldn't possibly be the Dragonborn of legend, could you?" (After first dragon kill)
 * 17) "They say Ulfric Stormcloak murdered the High King... With his voice! Shouted him apart!" (Casual)
 * 18) "Keep your arrows in their quiver, archer." (With decent Archery skill)
 * 19) "Heard about you and your honeyed words." (With high speech skill)
 * 20) "Go fiddling with any locks around here, and we're going to have a real problem. (With high lockpicking)
 * 21) "Hands to yourself, sneak thief." (with high sneak skill)
 * 22) "I'd be alot happier and a lot warmer with a bellyful of mead." (Casual)
 * 23) "Go cast your fancy magic somewhere else." (when using magic near a guard)
 * 24) "If I find your hand in my pocket, I'm going to cut it off." (With high pickpocketing)
 * 25) By Shor, is that... is that Azura's Star? How did you come to possess such a rare treasure? (Upon completing the Black Star)
 * 26) You wield... Azura's Star? How... how can such a thing be possible? (Upon completing the Black Star)
 * 27) "That's a fine shield you have there. Dwarven isn't it?" (if wielding Spellbreaker)
 * 28) I find your wolfish grin... unsettling (If werewolf) 
 * 29) "Is that...fur? Coming out of your ears?" (if werewolf)
 * 30) Lightly armoured means light in your feet. Smart. (If wearing light armour)
 * 31) A guard could get nervous, someone approaching with their weapon drawn. (Upon closing up with weapon drawn)
 * 32) You are like me then. You don't fancy those big clunky two-handed weapons (If you are with a one-handed weapon)
 * 33) "The gods gave you two hands, and you use them both for your weapon. I can respect that." (with decent two-handed skill)
 * 34) You can trade in that junk at... (depends on the city)
 * 35) Iron armour heh... now that's true nordish armour (if iron armor is equipped)
 * 36) "Psst...I know who you are. Hail Sithis." (if in Dark Brotherhood)
 * 37) "You know, I could have gone into that Sanctuary, wiped out all those Dark Brotherhood types... But I was... Sick, that day."(Casual, after ending of the quest Destroy the Dark Brotherhood!)
 * 38) "That mace... get it away from me!" (After Completing House of Horrors)
 * 39) "Get that acursed mace away from me!" (After completing house of horrors)
 * 40) "Stop right there criminal Scum! You broke the Law, Now pay the court a fine, or face jail time" (Oblivion Guards after you have commited a crime)
 * 41) "You have commited crimes against Skyrim and her people, what say you in your defence?" (Skyrim guard after you have commited a crime)
 * 42) "Then Pay with your blood!" (Guards after you resist arrest)
 * 43) You come to me wearing Imperial armor?! Do you have steel for brains?
 * 44) "Now that's a fine sword you have there, like a sliver of midnight." (Having an Ebony Sword equipped.)
 * 45) "You're the one who kill all those Thalmor? You sure know how to pick your enemies." (After saving the Gray-mane brother from the Thalmor)
 * 46) Smart man. Now come along with me. We'll take any stolen goods you have and you'll be free to go. After you pay the fine, of course. (Skyrim guard after choosing pay fine option)
 * 47) You're going to rot in (whichever jail is nearest). (After choosing the "go to jail" option)
 * 48) Wait... I know you. (high bounty or low bounty)
 * Ugh, you smell like wet fur, have you been tending to your hounds?(werewolf+/or after swimming or have a war hound) (needs to be fixed(closes guess))