Abandoned Prison Tweaks

Tweaks and changes to Abandoned Prison and Helgen Keep for greater convenience, deeper character customization, and better synergy with alternate launch modes.

As someone who frequently starts new games, I wanted to improve the starting experience for some popular alternate and quickstart options. This is specifically with Live Another Life in mind, but a vanilla start and any other alternative start that has access to Helgen Keep can also be used.

Start the device

Sometimes, the game you choose to start with doesn't give you the tools you need to plan your character build. To solve this problem, this mod adds a rusty chest to Helgen Keep and the Abandoned Prison, filled with super crappy low-level gear, including amulets, robes, light and heavy armor, all weapon skills, torches, pickaxes, and carving axes.

activate spell

This mod contains a starting spell selection allowing players to quickly access the starting spells for each magic school. Find the Forgotten Scroll Case in the Abandoned Prison or the Mage's Cell at Helgen Keep and pick spells using the scroll of your choice. You'll also find two Turn Undead scrolls to help you in early undead combat.

Start with Birthsign

Thank you for choosing your sign, you can now choose a birth sign by reading your first copy of The Firmament. There is a copy of both Helgen Keep and Abandoned Prison. After reading, you'll open a menu and select a vanilla Doomstone power-up to start the game. This power changes whenever you use another Doomstone.

start stealing

Burning through lockpicks can be an issue in the early game, so caches of them - locked for extra security - have been hidden in the Abandoned Prison and Helgen Keep. This is especially useful for opening the Helgen Keep mage's cell for your introductory spell scroll or for starting with the "I want to get out of this cell" selection in Live Another Life.

I messed up my face!

Never fear, vanity mirrors are here! A new handheld vanity mirror has been placed in the open chamber of Helgen Keep and deep within the abandoned prison. When you equip an item, it opens a limited appearance editor that changes your character's characteristics, but does not change your race or gender. If lost, you can also craft the mirror again at the forge.

I play Alternative Beginning - Live Another Life

This mod is designed to work in synergy with Live Another Life, and has some extra features that will be particularly useful to users of this mod. The room itself is better lit, easier to use, has a hinted journal, a crappy silver sword to fight the prison ghosts, and if you break out you'll find a bridge and a makeshift horse outside the prison.

I play vanilla/some other alternatives to start with

You'll still benefit from this model! The starting unit of Live Another Life will not be available, but you can find all new items in Helgen Keep. Head to the abandoned prison and you'll still find a silver sword in its depths, a convenient bridge to the river mouth outside, and an abandoned makeshift horse.

compatibility

This mod should be compatible with almost everything except the three mods it contains.

The character creation overhaul will work, as all spells and fertility tokens are added post-creation via spells and books you pick up.

Since the Birth Sign is chosen from the vanilla Doomstone power, the Standing Stone Overhaul is also compatible.

If you are using the Mirror Replacer optional file, load it after Abandoned Prison Tweaks to overwrite the main file first.