I found oblivion race choice almost aesthetical, since it's so easy make an orc mage or an altmer warrior. So I've tried to make them more focused, then I realized my changes would be inconsistent without a consequent balancing in birthsign, in skill, in magic...

1.RACE PLUGIN

I've included elaborate eyes and ren's mystic elf plug-in
since mystic elves are not lore based I've changed them in lore-based wild elves (descendants of old ayleids)

Races got less startup attribute (300 instead 320) and less skill bonus (40 instead of 45); starting attribute are different between male and female characters. All race have a starting focus in one (or more) attribute (i.e. high elf in intelligence, imperial in personality, orc in endurance etc.) and an attribute they lack more (i.e. argonian in personality, orc in intelligence, khajiit in willpower etc.) and (I hope) all my choices are made according to TES lore (khajiit lack in willpower since most are skooma-addicted, orc in intelligence since cannot read etc, argonian in personality since… well they have an awful sense of humor :P)
Of course this are just startup attribute: with a good training an argonian can still become a great merchant ;)

Race attribute:

RaceStrengthIntelligenceWillpowerAgilitySpeedEnduranceLuckPersonality
Argonian Male4030404050305020
Argonian Female3040353550355025
Breton Male3040503030305035
Breton Female3040503035255040
Dark Elf Male4035403035355035
Dark Elf Female3540403035305040
High Elf Male3550403030305035
High Elf Female3050403035305035
Imperial Male3535353030355050
Imperial Female3040403030305050
Khajiit Male4035205040355030
Khajiit Female3035255040355035
Nord Male5025353535405030
Nord Female4530303535405035
Orc Male4520453030555025
Orc Female4025453030505030
Redguard Male4030304040405030
Redguard Female4030304040405030
Wild Elf Male3535304040404535
Wild Elf Female3040304040404535
Wood Elf Male3035354540355030
Wood Elf Female3035304045355035


Note: Tattooed Wild Elves start with more luck but less personality


I've remade resistance\weakness to all races:

firefrostshockmagickapoisondiseaseparalysis(*)weapons
argonian0-60250757500
khajiit0500-50500-150
redguard5000-2550-15-50
imperial0-15015-60-6000
Bretons00-1560-15-3000
nord-5075030-30-45-100
orc00025-450-2015
bosmer-300-1000305-10
dummer75-45-15001510-5
altmer-15-30-250255020-15
wild elf00-2000015-25

(*) paralysis resistance is now controlled by personality; these're bonus to that value. So "paralysis_resistance=personality/4+race_bonus"

All races have a weakest point in one element and one in which they’re almost immune (according to lore and geographic born place); all elves got a slight weakness to normal weapons and shock, but a resistance in paralysis (as used to be in Daggerfall)

Note that if you use my spell plug-in paralysis resistance works against all illusion effect not just paralysis

All races have skill bonus\penalties according to lore and class they’ve natural gifts

Redone race-based reaction (just keep in mind that nobody likes wild elves, argonian and khajiit don't like each other and don't like dummer slavers, warrior races have more respect for other warriors, and altmer are simply too arrogant to like anyone)

Race powers :

almost all powers are immune to silence and ignore spell absorption\reflection

Argonian: Chameleon : 50*0*60 Chameleon effect with a side effect of 100% weakness to magicka and normal weapons (PW, 100)
Dummer: Ancestor Ghost: I've made ancestor guardian (0*0*240) level with you and upgrade his spell note that if he dies you suffer an health damage hit (based upon his\your level) (PW, 100)
High Elf: Aldmeris Song: Calm (30*10*30) on touch with stunted magicka on self (PW, 15)
Imperial: Star of the West grant silence on touch 0*10*60 (PW, 50)
Imperial: Voice of the Emperor command humanoid 30*0*60 on target (PW, 150)
Khajiit: Eye of Fear Demoralize 100*10*60 on touch (PW, 15)
Khajiit: Purr Charm 20*5*30 on touch (LP, 30)
Khajiit: Eye of Night Night-Eye toggleble effect
Nord: Woad Frost Shield 50*0*90 (PW, 0)
Nord: Nordic Breath Frost Damage on touch 50*5*0 (LP, 45)
Orc: Berserk: fortify strength/blade/blunt/hand2hand 30*0*toggle + restore fatigue 10*0* toggle + silence 0*0* toggle + drain intelligence/personality/block 100*0* toggle. During Berserk state you loose magicka, when your magicka is finished you’ll start loosing health (LP, 40).
Redguard : Adrenaline Rush fortify agility/strength/speed/endurance 50*0*60 + drain blade/blunt/hand2hand 25*0*60 + stunted magicka 0*0*60 (PW, 50)
Bosmer: Beast Tongue Command creature 30*0*120 on target (PW, 100)
Bosmer: Beast Aid Summon bear 0*0*60 (PW, 100)
Breton : Dragon Skin : fire shield 50*0*60 + stunted magicka 0*0*60 (LP, 100)
Wild Elf: Shadow Hiding invisibility toggle effect magicka sustained (the effect finish when you’ll remain with no magicka) + stunted magicka + 10 damage health (LP, 0)

note:
spells are described by magnitude*area*duration
PW = power, LP = lesser power
The number after PW\LP indicate the mana cost

2.BIRTHSIGN

All birthsign changes are based upon "the firmament" book: if you don't like it blame the book, not me 8)

•The APPRENTICE give you an high magic skill boost but weak considerably your resistance in all kind of magical attack

•With the ATRONACH ability you don't regain Magicka over time but got a huge magicka poll (5x) intelligence based and his spell absorption is controlled by willpower (spell_absorbption_rate= willpower - 25 ). This means you have to drastically increase intelligence and willpower to gains full advantage from atronach!

•The MAGE have 100% more magicka and restore magicka ability but cannot increase speechcraft and mercantile over novice.

•The LADY's Blessing confers bonuses of 10 points to your Willpower and Endurance attributes; Lady's Grace power fortify your Personality and Speechcraft by 20 for 30 seconds.

•Being born under the LORD gives you the Blood of the North with a +10 in Strength and Endurance. However, you also gain the Trollkin curse, a permanent 75% Weakness to Fire.

•Use the LOVER's Kiss power to paralyze an opponent for 10 seconds at the cost of 200 points of Fatigue, the Lover Whisper let you seduce anyone once a day.

•Those born under the RITUAL use the Mara's Gift power once a day as a powerful Restore Health spell. The Blessed Word can turn even the strongest undead, while the Blessed Touch works better with lower ones (area spell)

•Gain the SERPENT spell to paralyze on touch with slow but potent poison, while simultaneously curing yourself and dispelling magic on you. Casting this spell costs 100 points of Fatigue. Also got the serpent skin ability (reflect all kind of damage 25% but weakness to all kind of damage 50-75%)

•SHADOW: Use the Moonshadow lesser power to become Invisible for 30 seconds (spell cost 25).

•The STEED ability grants a bonus of 20 to your Speed attribute and restore fatigue ability.

•The THIEF ability grants a 10-point bonus to your Agility e Speed attributes, but a penalty of -10 in Luck, which can be temporarily compensate by a fortify luck +20 power.

•With the TOWER Key power, once a day open a door or container of Hard lock level or less. The Tower Warden gives you 50% resistance to paralysis and beggar nose give detect life lesser power

•WARRIOR: You get 10 skill bonus in weapon usage, +10 in Strength and -10 in Personality, Speechcraft and Mercantile


3.SPELLS

I’ve rearranged all spells (and effect) to be more useful (i.e. who need burden for 15 sec?) further I’ve merged in the same spells similar effect ("drain armor spells" drains light&heavy armor without cost the double)

Also added an automatically upgrade system: when you level up if you’re skilled enough a new stronger spell takes the place of old weaker one
Example1: bound armor at apprentice give you just cuirass, at journeyman cuirass + gauntlets that last longer, at expert cuirass + gauntlets + boots etc.
Example2: at novice you can drain 5 agility+speed+endurance for 30 seconds (torpor); at apprentice your torpor spell is upgraded (drain 10 agility+speed+endurance for 30 sec) and you learn emasculate spell (drain 10 endurance+strength+willpower for 30 sec )

Most spells now got the same name they used to have in Morrowind (shield of armiger, spirit knife, zenithar whisper…), but all got a tag with school of magic and effect (i.e. torpor spell has the tag ADA = Alteration Drain Attribute )

You start just with 2 spell (flare and heal); all other spell need to be learned from appropriate books (and cost a lot of money!) or via mage guild quests. You need certain skill to understand most difficult books. This books are sold by old spell seller (most won’t even sell usual spells anymore); note that if you want old standard spells (without side-effect and upgrading system) go to gaspar stegine in arcane university: he now sells all standard spells

I've introduced the school of necromancy: looks silly necromancy is forbidden but you can learn zombie summoning almost everywhere! Now Necromancy is a skill like destruction, conjuration etc., focused on corpse\soul manipulation and poison\curse enemies. Like all other school of magic, the more you use them, the better, just consider that cause the particular nature of this school, using its spells increase your infamy.
Example: to summon an undead you need to learn the spell from the right necromancy book (preparation of corpses, n'gasta etc.), harvest other bodies for "raw material"(there’s a book that teach you how-to) and perform a ritual: if you can perform the ritual you gain infamy, a skill increase in necromancy and an undead servant who will follow you 4ever (if you don't dismiss or kill him).

Necromancy let you use following spells:

-summon undeads (thanks TheDarkJay for it): you can summon skeleton (melee or archer), zombie, ghost and wraiths: the creature type you summon depends from your necromancy skill, the level is made upon yours; to summon an undead you need to perform a ritual (you need certain items and gain infamy) and the undead disappear only if is killed (or dismissed by a turn undead spell casted from his summoner); a master necromancer can summon lich too
-curse body\mind: the victim receive a constant damage attribute effect! Casting this spell cost you health damage
-Curse: Retribution(TKS to Cid89 for it) This necromantic curse requires the sacrifice of some health to work. When cast, it causes the target, for the duration of the spell, to take damage when attacking the caster
-Breath of Death is a damage health spell unstoppable by absorb\reflect
-Corpse Explosion (TKS PJYelton4476 for it): Causes all corpses in the area of the spell to explode violently causing damage to all those caught in the blast. Cannot be cast multiple times on the same corpse. Stronger variations of the spell (gained with necromancy skill) cause more damage.

I also made minor changes to magic effects:
•damage attrib\health\etc. and disintegrate effect can be reduced by resist poison spells instead of resist magicka
•fire\lightning bolts are faster, ice fog is slower
•you suffer an higher cast penalty if you wear armor (I know there're battlemages, but battlemages aren't all-time caster)
•removed spellmaking or enchanting to IMO overpowered magic effect
•now bound armor is heavy, and each piece have a particular power (like was in morrowind)
•illusion spells (demoralize, calm, etc.) can be reduced by resist paralysis effect (changed resist paralysis effect name in resist illusion)
•changed skill progression: you need more skill point to become apprentice (30) but lesser to become master (95). When you reach level 100 in appropriate school you get a more powerful version of the spell (Grandmaster). Note that if you already use a skill progression plug-in (and you load it after my plugins) you’ll simply receive master and grandmaster spells at level 100!
•all side-effect are script based and match the school of original spell (no more destruction side-effect for a conjuration spell!)
•absorb att\health\etc spells given to mysticism (ala morrowind) for balancing purpose (restoration was really overpowered with absorb spells!); for same reason weakening elementals and drain effect are now alteration, fire\frost\shock shields now are destruction's, and night-eye and water breathing are now restoration: guess now a mage specialized just in one school can handle almost all situation.
•the only way to get open spell is perform volarano mage guild quest
•you need to perform skingard mage guild quest to make fire spells (starting spell) upgradeable and anvil mage guild quest to make restore heal (starting spell) upgradeable
•you need to perform bravil mage guild quest to learn charm spells and Cheydinhal to learn feather and water breathing
•magic effect icons are changed with forsaken32's icons
•set max summoned creature from oblivion to 3
•finger of mountain is now a power (can cast once a day and cost 5 mana per spell level) and let you call a powerful lightning strike (don’t work in interiors)
•wizard fury got as side-effect the chance to backstab opponents
•Essence Drain is stronger and bypass spell absorption\reflection defense

This is a complete list of side-effect I've added

absorb -> stunted magicka + silence on self
bound armor -> damage pc mana+bound armor powers ala morrowind
burden -> chance to damage opponent fatigue
calm -> chance to restore the target
chameleon -> damage your fatigue + stunted magicka
a disposition check to charm (illusionist noob can cause disposition failure instead of charm on target: if disposition become less than 0 the target will attack you!)
command creature -> chance to make the creature (if a living one) your companion
command humanoid -> chance to make the target flee when the command effect finish
cure -> stunted magicka on self
demoralize -> fire damage (note dummer are almost immune to fire, and I figure dummers as the most fanatic, so less easy to demoralize)
disintegrate -> if the target wear an armor there's a chance to get poisoned with a disintegrate armor+weapon+damagehealth effect
drain attrib -> chance (based upon caster skill) to increase target's other stats!
drain health\magicka -> chance to make the drain permanent
drain fighter skill -> damage target fatigue
drain magician skill -> damage target mana
feather -> fortify agility
fire damage -> chance to make the target flee
fire shield -> random weakness to frost based upon your skill
fortify skill\attribute -> damage fatigue & mana on self
frenzy -> chance to increase permanently aggression rate
frost damage -> damage speed\agility
frost shield -> random weakness to fire based upon your skill
invisibility -> damage pc fatigue on cast + silence
open -> if player is detected, it increase his crime level
paralyze -> give silence on self
rally -> fortify health\magicka\fatigue, frenzy
reflect -> reflect damage + weak magicka&weapon
restore health -> damage fatigue
restore fatigue -> damage magicka
shield -> weakness to magicka; when grandmaster (level 100) you get sanctuary spell ala morrowind (chameleon and resist normal weapon)
shock damage -> paralyze
shock shield -> shock damage on self and on other if you wear armor!
silence -> drain magical skill on self (to simulate morrowind noise effect!)
spell absorb -> weak elemental attack
summon oblivion creatures -> drain willpower; chance summoned creature revolt against his low-level summoner
Telekinesis -> push creature\humans (TKS to PJYelton4476 for it!)
turn-undead -> chance to fire damage to undead; instant kill player undead servant

book added (thanks phoenixamon and StaticNation for custom textures)

- Volume One: The Acquisition of the Corpse -> teach harvest humans
- Volume Two: The Skeletal Corpse -> teach summon skeleton
- Volume Three: The Fresh Corpse -> teach summon zombies
- Necronomicon -> teach all necromancy spells

book modified:

- n'gasta -> teach summon liches
- The Black Arts On Trial -> teach summon ghost

•necromantic books can be found only in necromancers' lairs, necronomicon book can be obtained killing a specific innocent in the most obvious place ;)