Modders have put an awful lot of effort into making sure Skyrim has continually evolved and expanded in the years since it was first released into the world.
Many have focused on changing the game by adding new questlines, fresh spells, and upgradeable shouts to it, with a few even going as far as giving the Dragonborn the chance to take on some tougher bandits whenever they head into Cyrodiil or watch an NPC gradually restore a ruined house.
If you’re someone who enjoys playing as a mage and loves making the game as immersive as possible, a new mod, which should help you avoid unprovoked attacks from friendly NPCs, might be worth taking a look at.
Sick of having Skyrim’s citizens overreact to your harmless spellcasting?
The mod in question is called ‘World Encounter Hostility Fix’, and is the latest work of prolific modder wSkeever. Some of their previous projects have massively expanded the game’s pool of wall-mounted home decorations and added a quest based around helping an Elven knight take on the Thalmor to it.
This time, they’ve decided to take on the task of fixing the array of vanilla encounters and scenarios that can see NPCs that are only supposed to become hostile in response to attacks have this response accidentally triggered by the player using a harmless spell on them, as you can see demonstrated in the showcase video below.
Thankfully, with this mod installed, you’ll be able to cast incantations like courage, calm, and healing hands without having to risk ending up in sticky situations that can usually only be resolved by brutally murdering the innocent folks who’ve misunderstood your intentions.
It also ensures that their hostile behaviours will still be triggered by any harmful spells or blows that should require the NPCs to respond in self-defence, ensuring that Tamriel isn’t suddenly full of helpless, peaceful folks who’ll be easy prey for the next bandit or bear they come across.
If that sounds ideal to you, you’ll need to grab the Skyrim Script Extender and the Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch, both of which are required to get things working as intended.
Regardless of whether you’re now glad you won’t end up having to slaughter most of Vittoria Vici’s wedding guests before they reach Solitude, make sure to follow us for more updates on The Elder Scrolls 6 and the interesting world of Skyrim modding, including our top mods of the month.
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