The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind Guide Adventuring Across Tamriel Crime and Punishment
Tamriel Guards: Paying Your Bounty
Accosted By a Guard
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Pay Bounty | Your Bounty comes out of your carried gold, and all stolen items are confiscated. |
| Clemency | With the Thieves Guild Clemency skill, guards leave you alone for a minute unless another crime is committed. Usable once a day. |
| Flee | A timer counts down your chance to flee the guard. Once selected, run away from your pursuer. |
Guards in each city enforce the law when a crime is committed. When Disreputable, you must approach a guard before he accosts you. At Notorious, guards pursue from farther away, with more guards joining in when nearby. At Fugitive, guards attempt to kill on sight—pursuing the suspect to the city limits. If they take you down, stolen items in your possession are confiscated.
With Infamy below Fugitive, a guard stops the suspect when nearby and provides the player with three options.
Pay Bounty
The simplest means to eliminate your wanted status is to pay your Bounty. The price is subtracted from your carried gold, stolen items are confiscated, and Infamy is reduced to Upstanding. If you do not have enough gold on you, the guard attempts to kill you. If you wish to pay the Bounty, go to a Fence or use the bank in the Outlaws Refuge to withdraw the required funds, before a guard has the chance to accost you.
Clemency
The second option only becomes available with the Thieves Guild’s Clemency Passive Ability. It requires Guild Rank 4, so you must spend some time with the guild to gain the ability. Once it’s available, select the Clemency option to be released and left alone for one minute. Committing another crime within the minute cancels the reprieve. Clemency can only be used once a day.
Flee: Resisting Arrest
You only have a short time to flee, so decide quickly if a getaway is desired and use this time to plan an escape route. Once this option is selected, quickly sprint away from the hard-hitting guard. The guard cannot be defeated, so standing tall is futile. The guard possesses a couple spells that keep targets close. One stops you in your tracks, while a chain pulls you back. If you notice the guard casting, evade in the opposite direction to avoid the interruption.
Look for opportunities to hop over barriers and head for the edge of town, as the guard eventually stops pursuit. You’re a fugitive at this point, so this is a great opportunity to spend some time adventuring outside of the city or visiting the Outlaws Refuge. Bounty decreases over time when logged out or playing alternate characters on the same account.