Midnight Cult Fix (Updated)

Fixed strange settler AI issues specific to very large settlements.

Original address:

Updated on July 22, 2026:

Version 1.03

Implemented a keyword that can be applied to NPCs to make them immune to the changes of this mod.

Automatically exempt all NPCs currently talking to the player or participating in mission scenes. Thanks to RolazLaguna for telling me a case where this problem occurred!

Updated on June 10, 2025:

Version 1.02

Fixed a bug where these fixes could break packages used in certain in-settlement quests and interactions. (Thanks to ArcanicVoid for pointing out the problem)

As part of the above fixes, the following NPCs are now immune to the pack changes made by the Midnight Cult Fix: Abigail Finch, Abraham Finch, Bill Sutton, Blake Abernathy, Daniel Finch, Jacob Orden, Jake Finch, Kessler, Mama Murphy, Phyllis Daily, Preston Garvey, Roger Warwick, Supervisor Brown, Superviser Greene, Supervisor White, Sturges

Version 1.01

Exploit the fix by requiring the NPC to have a reference linked to the WorkshopItemKeyword keyword, thereby limiting the fix to workshop settlers.

Convert EXT test files to light plugins by adding ESL flags to the EXT test files.

Abernathy sleep repair patch updated on July 17th:

Removed the navigation mesh pre-cut that prevented Lucy from getting into bed, and flipped Blake and Connie's beds over, allowing them to reach their beds without trying to go through the wall.

Now repackaged and uploaded.

Did you know there's an issue with the settler AI package that could cause settlers to behave super weird? Like "standing in a circle in the center of a settlement all night" is a bit weird? Isn't this the case? That's good - it probably means your settlement isn't too big. This is for people (and mod authors) who have settlements whose perimeter cannot be ignored.

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Features

Resolved a bug involving the "travel" process in the settler AI package that runs from midnight to eight in the morning.

This fix restores normal behavior to settlers in unusually large settlements during these times.

Marked as a lightweight plugin (ESL tagged esp) to minimize impact on loading list.

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FAQ

How to start using this mod?

Just install it! No configuration or special steps are required.

Can I install it on an existing archive?

Absolutely.

What exactly is this "Midnight Cult" bug?

Okay, okay. So settlers have a bunch of different AI packages that can be run based on the time of day and their mission. Some of these packages involve a "travel" program that tells settlers to make sure they are within your settlement area before trying to do anything they want. In theory, this is a good idea.

In practice, this process may not end correctly if the destination (especially the "sandbox" build size of the settlement) is too large. This results in them being stuck "traveling" to that settlement, whereupon they will stand as close to the center of the settlement as possible. They will stay there until another AI package comes into effect. I added a simple check to cancel the travel program within a set distance of the destination.

You said this affects multiple settler AI packages. What about everyone else?

The sleep package template is the only template that I (original author Glitchfinder, the same below) can safely edit without extensive testing. There are a half-dozen other pack templates that may suffer from the same problem, but they are used by thousands of things in the game, so I'm reluctant to share changes to those templates until they've received enough testing that I'm confident they won't break your game.

Why doesn't this solve my settler problem?

Unfortunately, the Midnight Cult bug isn't the only thing that can prevent settlers from moving. It's also easy to break the navmesh in a settlement, which causes them to stand in semi-random locations in the settlement. It is also possible that another AI package is currently being used and that package has the same or similar bu …