Skyrim Special Edition

File information

Last updated

Original upload

Created by

iMACobra

Uploaded by

iMACobra

Virus scan

Safe to use

About this mod

Mod aimed to Protect NPCs from unwanted death through Reference Aliases instead of editing Actor records ensuring maximum compatibility with mods that edit the same NPCs, such as appearance overhaul mods.

Requirements
Permissions and credits
Translations
  • Turkish
  • Russian
Changelogs

Thank you guys so much! I thought I'd never make it with this... ;_;

Premise
Hate it when NPCs die from pesky dragon/vampire attacks? Use OBIS and can't stand overpowered bandits from murdering everyone in that unwalled town? Well boy have I got a mod for you. This mod saves your friendly neighbors from untimely deaths. Technically, it flags certain NPCs Protected. But wait! Aren't there already mods that do just that? Well, yeah but I don't like the way they implement the Protected flag so I'll explain it as thoroughly as possible.
What's the difference?
Past NPC protection mods got the job done. They worked as they were supposed to. NPCs would not easily die because they were flagged Protected, meaning they can only die from a hit by the Player. So what's the big deal? Past mods protected NPCs by editing NPCs' Actor records and checking their Protected flags on. By all means, this works but what happens when you install another mod that edits those same NPCs' Actor records? Their Protected flags get overridden because the new mod you installed didn't enable the Protected flag for them. But isn't it just a matter of using SSEEdit and forwarding the Protected flag onto them? Yes, that problem is easily solved but what about the NPCs that become non-Essential after certain quests end? Check their Protected flag on? That can't happen if they're already set Essential in their Actor record in the first place.

{Throughout this description, I use the term "Actor record" to refer to the "NPC_" Form Type used in the Creation Kit to designate NPCs' and creatures' object records. The reason why I referred to them as Actor records is because NPCs and creatures are collectively known as Actors in the CK Wiki. Sorry if anyone was confused by this naming scheme.}

Bryling Example
Spoiler:  
Show

Let's use Elisif's thane, Bryling, as an example.

Image Credit: UESP Wiki
She wears a unique set of clothing that is worn commonly by Jarls. Fortunately, Bryling can actually die after Bound Until Death (as well as Erikur ;)), then you can strip her unique clothing off her dead body.



But what if you were an honorable assassin who only killed who you were contracted to and happened to have superb thieving abilities at the same time? You can use the Perfect Touch perk to undress Bryling without her noticing and take her unique clothing that way.


But wait! She's no longer Protected is she? She is now susceptible to untimely death by dragon/vampire/bandit attacks. See the problem here? She can't be flagged Protected in her Actor record because she's already set Essential.

NPCs' Actor records can't have both their Essential and Protected flags on at the same time. Past NPC Protection mods fail to protect certain NPCs that become non-Essential after certain quests end.

source: QF_DB05_0001EA54.psc
Here's where my mod does things differently.

This isn't a new discovery that people never knew about but I don't understand why anyone hasn't utilized this. I mean it's right there (in the CK I mean). What I'm talking about is Reference Aliases. What about Reference Aliases? They have a Protected flag that can be checked. What?!

I find this way of protecting NPCs through quest aliases much more efficient than editing a whole slew of Actor records that can easily be overridden by other mods. Having to resolve conflicts in patches all the freakin' time gets really annoying so I'm saving you the time of protecting NPCs yourself by making them Protected through a quest that can't be overridden by anything. This will make your life easier because you won't have to worry about civilian NPCs dying anymore because you didn't know a mod you installed edited Actor records' Protected flags off. I know, for sure, a lot of people use NPC appearance overhaul mods because they think Skyrim NPCs look ugly but, guess what? Loading that mod after an NPC protection mod makes those NPCs unprotected again. Sure you can resolve it by making a patch but you can save time by using this mod and ensuring that your NPCs never get killed because my Protected flags can't be overridden!

Who did I Protect?
My mod protects:
  • unique named NPCs
  • all vanilla children
  • named animals - all named dogs, the Stray Dog that can follow you, the goat Lucky from Dragon Bridge, Gleda the Goat, the fox Pumpkin from Southfringe Sanctum, Frost, all Hearthfire pets, Bilgemuck, Old Salty, Lord Tusk
  • named creatures - Grok, Moira, Melka, Uderfrykte, Sinding (werewolf)
My mod doesn't protect:
  • already Protected NPCs
  • respawning NPCs (including Shadowmere)
  • NPCs that are supposed to die during a quest
  • initially hostile NPCs
  • NPCs that aren't very important or you only meet once - Giana, Gissur, Rulindil, all the hunters from Ill Met By Moonlight, the 3 DB captives in the Abondoned Shack, Shavari, Tsavani, Kematu's Alik'r, etc.

I used NPCs Protected Redux as a base and started from there. I found NPCs that I didn't agree with protecting or inhibited you from killing them in other ways.

These NPCs are Protected by NPCs Protected Redux but I chose to not protect them for reasons:
Spoiler:  
Show
  • Ahjisi - only appears during Ill Met By Moonlight
  • Alain Dufont - You can't kill him by burning him alive with the flammable oil puddle beneath him
  • Alea Quintus - only appears in the Abandoned Shack; NPCs Protected Redux, for some reason, doesn't protect the other 2 captives
  • Anise - Goes hostile after coming out of her Cellar; Shouting her off a cliff won't kill her; other hostile animals can't kill her
  • Arondil - A trick to kill him is to turn his ghosts against him by stealing the Soul Gem on the pedestal near him but they won't be able to kill him if he's Protected sooooo... no.
  • Captain Avidius - he's always hostile, there's no reason to protect him
  • Captain Hargar - same thing as above
  • Champion of Boethiah - another hostile, plus more flammable oil
  • Drelas - same as the Captains
  • Emperor Titus Mede II - Why? You only encounter him once and you're supposed to kill him anyway
  • Eriana - only appears during Ill Met By Moonlight
  • Gian the Fist - left unprotected so he can die by stubbing his toes on the bear traps
  • Gissur - not important enough to be Protected; turns hostile later anyway
  • Haldyn - another hostile; you're supposed to kill as part of an objective anyway
  • Heratar - only appears during Ill Met By Moonlight
  • J'darr - turns hostile towards you soon after
  • J'datharr - only appears when Malborn is at the New Gnisis Cornerclub
  • Lieutenant Salvarus - as hostile as Captain Avidius
  • Maluril - only appears when his DB contract is started
  • Old Orc - just a random old orc who wants to die; let him get killed by some animals instead
  • Orini Dral - always hostile
  • Ra'kheran - Ill Met By Moonlight
  • Rissing - see above
  • Rulindil - he's only encountered in the portion of the Thalmor Embassy you can't reenter
  • Sarthis Idren - see Orini Dral
  • Shadowmere - he freakin' resurrects, might as well let him use his special ability
  • Shavari - only appears after coming out of the Ratway with Esbern, then turns hostile
  • The Caller - you only meet her in that one room
  • Tsavani - only at Thalmor Embassy party
  • Tsrasuna - Ill Met by Moonlight
  • Yar gro-Gatuk - see above
  • Ahlam [DLC1TestAngry] - an unused Ahlam duplicate added by Dawnguard probably used for testing only
  • Minorne - hostile
  • Moric Sidrey - see above
  • Volk - see above
  • Dravynea the Stoneweaver [DravyneaDUPLICATE001] - an unused Dravynea duplicate added by Dragonborn; was probably created accidentally

I mostly Protected unique named NPCs. I even Protected NPCs that are normally Essential throughout the whole game. These NPCs cannot be Protected or else quests won't progress properly:
Spoiler:  
Show
  • Arivanya - when Calixto tries to kill her near the end of Blood on Ice, Arivanya won't die but run away glitched out like if you used console command tim on the Player Character and get killed by a kill move [Now Protected in 1.4]
  • Betrid Silver-Blood - won't die by Forsworn agents if Protected [Now Protected in 1.4]
  • Challenger - guards can't kill him if he's Protected
  • Chief Yamarz - giant can't kill him if he's Protected
  • Emperor Titus Mede II (decoy) - won't die if he eats the poisoned Potague
  • Margaret - same reason as Arivanya
  • Medresi Dran - won't die by trap if Protected
  • Nurelion - can't die of old age if Protected
  • Ondolemar - won't die in Stormcloak siege of Markarth if Protected [Now Protected in 1.4]
  • Savos Aren - not replaced by dead NPC version during Containment
  • Septimus Signus - won't die by Hermaeus Mora if Protected
  • Silvia - possibility to Shout off Darklight Tower
  • Skjor - not replace by dead NPC version during The Silver Hand
  • Telrav - Shouting him off Nilheim Towers or down the series of waterfalls nearby won't kill him if Protected
  • Thonar Silver-Blood - Madanach's group can't kill him at their confrontation if Protected
  • Weylin - guards can't kill him if Protected
  • Arch-Curate Vyrthur - Shouting him off the balcony won't kill him if Protected
  • Storn Crag-Strider - won't get killed by Herma-Mora if Protected
  • Varona Nelas - not replaced by dead NPC version during Reluctant Steward
Why do I bother protecting Essential NPCs? Because there are mods that set Essential NPCs non-Essential without Protecting them as well.

With my mod, you won't have to worry about making a patch to keep your NPCs Protected. :)


In total, my mod protects around 800 NPCs.


Requirements
Skyrim and all official DLCs for PyP_Legendary.esp.
Cutting Room Floor for PyP_CuttingRoomFloor.esp.
Inconsequential NPCs for PyP_InconsequentialNPCs.esp.
Interesting NPCs for PyP_InterestingNPCs.esp.


USSEP is not required.
SKSE is not required.
A new game start is not required.

Installation
Use a mod manager or install directly to data folder.

Uninstallation

Use specified console commands.

PyP_Legendary.esp Pre-1.4
stopquest pyp_legendary

PyP_Legendary.esp Post-1.4
stopquest pyp_skyrim
stopquest pyp_dawnguard
stopquest pyp_hearthfire
stopquest pyp_dragonborn

PyP_CuttingRoomFloor.esp
stopquest pyp_cuttingroomfloor

PyP_InconsequentialNPCs.esp
stopquest pyp_inconsequentialnpcs

PyP_InterestingNPCs.esp
stopquest pyp_interestingnpcs

Obsoleted PyP_LE+CRF.esp
stopquest pyp_legendary
stopquest pyp_cuttingroomfloor

PyP CRF More Patch.esp (not my mod but some people might ask me)
stopquest pyp_legendarypatch
stopquest pyp_cuttingroomfloorpatch

Delete .ESPs and their corresponding .BSAs.


Compatibility
Completely compatible with almost anything because of the way my mod is set up. Just a single quest protecting individual NPCs instead of editing Actor records so there will be no conflicts with other mods that edit the same NPCs. I chose not to make quest NPCs Protected after their quests end directly through the aforementioned quests themselves because I don't like making huge edits to important things like quests, plus it would be harder to uninstall if you didn't like this mod.



As of 1.4, I officially supported detecting Innocence Lost Alternative and Adoption Without Murder (Innocence Lost for Good Guys) since both mods kill Grelod the Kind without the Player physically attacking her. Lemkil is killed in the latter mod through a scripted kill. Basically, any mods that want to run scripted deaths on NPCs protected by PyP are inherentlyincompatible unless you use a specific script to detect my mod and turnoff the targeted reference aliases which I sent script files to the mod authors of each mod to include in their own in order to make them compatible with my mod.

Permissions

Why? Please ask me first for whatever reason.

Credits

-NPCs for dropping like flies.
-blattgeist for NPCs Protected Redux.

Check out my other mods

Jarek is only for Original Skyrim (for now).