The Elder Scrolls Online's Justice System Profiled

ZeniMax is gearing up to release their Update 6 content patch for The Elder Scrolls Online later this winter, and has teased us with a summary of what to expect from the justice system that they'll be adding to the fantasy MMORPG. With every choice, a consequence:

Assault and Murder

Most of the citizens of Tamriel are susceptible to attack and assassination. Other citizens will react if you attack another townsperson unprovoked. Not every citizen reacts the same way, so you may end up with more than you bargained for if your crime is witnessed. If you go so far as to kill an NPC, you'll be able to loot the body, but be ready to deal with the consequences, especially if the city guard noticed your disruption of the peace.

The Consequences

If someone notices your crime, the bounty on your character increases. If you want to avoid having a bounty on your head, make sure you're completely undetected by using the eye reticule in stealth mode to determine whether or not you are hidden from view.

When you have a bounty, guards will attempt to bring down the heavy hand of the law upon you, making you pay a sum in gold for your transgressions. Your bounty level determines how guards react to your presence. There are three bounty levels:

'¢ Disreputable The guards will generally ignore you unless you approach them.
'¢ Notorious You'll be chased down by the guards, who enlist other guards to assist in the pursuit.
'¢ Fugitive You are Kill On Sight to the guards. To lower your bounty at this level, you must either wait for it to decay over time or find a fence that can assist you in paying it off.