This mod replaces automatic dragon soul absorption for most dragons and instead has the player use a lesser power spell to do so, for better script performance and roleplaying.
This mod replaces automatic dragon soul absorption for most dragons and instead has the player use a lesser power spell to do so, for better script performance and roleplaying.
The automatic dragon soul absorption had some issues where the script uses a loop to check if the player is close enough to the dragon to absorb its soul. If the player stays out of range, this might cause the script to keep looping over a longer period.
To remedy this, I made a lesser power spell to manually absorb dragon souls.
While making it, it reminded me of Divinity: Original Sin 2's Source Vampirism spell. As such, I find it to be interesting as the player now has the choice which dragon they'd absorb the soul of.
Currently there aren't any real rewards for sparing Dragons' souls, but I am open for suggestions.
I've added an optional patch which changes the casting slot of the Lesser Power from BothHands to Voice, to make it function like other lesser powers.
Here's a showcase of the mod:
Exclusions
The following dragons are excluded from having their souls absorbed through this lesser power:
Accourding to Kirkbridian lore, absorbing Alduin's soul would "unbind the dragon" and "unmake Mundus", which is essentially the endgoal of the Thalmor. I'm no lore expert, but to succeed in this, Talos would need to be removed from the Mythic, the mere thought of mankind would need to be gone and the Towers would need to be destroyed.
Refer to this post of MK: https://en.uesp.net/wiki/General:Michael_Kirkbride%27s_Posts#What_appears_to_be_an_Altmeri_commentary_on_Talos_.282008-01-11.29
"To kill Man is to reach Heaven, from where we came before the Doom Drum's iniquity. When we accomplish this, we can escape the mockery and long shame of the Material Prison.
"To achieve this goal, we must:
"1) Erase the Upstart Talos from the mythic. His presence fortifies the Wheel of the Convention, and binds our souls to this plane.
"2) Remove Man not just from the world, but from the Pattern of Possibility, so that the very idea of them can be forgotten and thereby never again repeated.
"3) With Talos and the Sons of Talos removed, the Dragon will become ours to unbind. The world of mortals will be over. The Dragon will uncoil his hold on the stagnancy of linear time and move as Free Serpent again, moving through the Aether without measure or burden, spilling time along the innumerable roads we once travelled. And with that we will regain the mantle of the imperishable spirit."
While this sounds very cool for an Altmer Dragonborn RP that is attempting to regain divinity and undo Lorkan's Original Sin, making something like this would be far past the scope of this mod.
In addition, MK's lore is controversial, to say the least, and deemed as not canon by a large part of community.
As such, I have no current plans to add a possibility to absorb Alduin's soul.
*2 Miraak:
Spoiler:
Show
At the end of the Dragonborn DLC, the player will automatically absorb Miraak's soul. (which I always thought was a nice detail, as he as a Dragonborn has a Dragon soul as well.)
Sparing him and not absorbing his soul (and defying Hermaeus Mora), could make for an interesting alternate ending.
However, I'm not sure how to properly implement that. I could make Miraak appear in Sovngarde, but beyond that, I have no real ideas for this
I've added a formlist to exclude dragons from other mods, named "ADSLP_List_ExcludedDragons". You can use FormList Manipulator - FLM to add dragon refs to this list.
FAQ
Q: <insert mod> already does this. A: Fair enough. Link me those mods and I'll add them as alternatives to this mod, in the description, so users can choose for themselves which one that'd want.
Q: I have already defeated Mirmulnir on this save. Can I still install this mod? A: You can, but you would need to need to add the spell manually. I recommend a mod like Modex to do this. Just search this plugin for the one spell that it has and add it to the player.
Q: ESPFE? A: Yes.
Q: Does installing/updating/uninstalling on an existing save work? A: As far as I know, it should. However, it's good practice to keep a backup save prior to doing this, just in case.
Q: Is this compatible with <insert mod>? A: I don't know by heart. You might need to check yourself.
Q: Will you make a patch for <insert mod>? A: Only if it's a mod I use myself or plan on using it, I have enough time and I actually like the idea. Otherwise, feel free to do it yourself. (see permissions)
Q: I have a suggestion to improve the mod. Can you do it? A: Maybe, if I have time and I like the idea, I'll consider it.
Q: Will you port this to <insert platform>? A: No, I myself only support the Steam and GOG English SE and AE versions of Skyrim. If someone else wants to port it, feel free. (see permission) If you decide to port it, you yourself take full responsibility to offer support to said port. I will not provide no support for any ports by third parties.
Q: I use a ported version of this mod on <insert platform> and I have a problem. Can you help? A: I don't provide any support for third party ports on other platforms than the Steam and GOG English SE and AE versions of Skyrim. If you have issues, you should adress the person that ported it.
Q: Does this work on Skyrim 1.6+, aka "Anniversary Edition"? A: Yes, it should.
Q: Why don't your mods use MCMs and instead use this janky console command system to set globals? A: I am not a fan of MCMs. You can set the globals by making a patch in xEdit. I have no plans of changing this. If you want to add an MCM, feel free. (see permissions)
Q: Why don't you use FOMODs? A: That would require reuploading the entire mod, in question, even if I only make a small change. My internet is limited and reuploading the files each time will take a huge chunk of my monthly volume.
