Somehow, after Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, and Skyrim, Bethesda still hasn't figured out that some of us would like to put our bare fists on a hotkey.

How it Works

This mod adds a new item called "Unarmed Hotkey" to the aid section. It calls a simple script which adds a dummy weapon to the player's inventory, equips the dummy, unequips and removes the dummy, and replaces the aid item that was consumed. The practical effect is that it unequips whatever weapon you're holding and you end up with your bare fists. The "Unarmed Hotkey" aid item can be assigned to a hotkey like any other ingestible.

Some of you might have seen Gogy28's mod Bare Hands which attempts the same effect, but goes about it in a different way; that mod alters the normally-hidden weapon record for unarmed attacks so that it appears in the player's inventory and can be equipped that way. The problem is that the game actually uses two different records, one for with power armor and one for without. Gogy's mod only alters the power armor record, which will cause your unarmed attacks to use power armor impact sounds even if you're not wearing power armor. Furthermore, it causes conflicts with other mods that alter that record, such as to increase unarmed attack damage. This mod, on the other hand, doesn't alter any records.

Using this mod requires using the console to add the Unarmed Hotkey aid item to the player's inventory, as detailed below:

• Install the mod and load up a save file.
• Open the console (~ on American keyboards, above the tab key. Consult the heading of this article if you're unsure which key it is where you live).
• Enter the command help "unarmed hotkey" 4 alch
• The console will output the eight-digit formID for the Unarmed Hotkey item; the last six digits will be 000803, the first two will depend on where the mod is in your load order.
• Note the formID and enter player.additem xx000803 1, so that it matches the formID output above.
• Find the item in the Aid section of your inventory and assign it to the hotkey of your choice.
  

When all is said and done your console should look something like this (as I said, the first two digits of the formID will depend on your load order):

Issues

On a few occasions I've had the script glitch out on me and leave my player brandishing an invisible knife. Hitting the hotkey again or equipping any other weapon will set it right. There don't appear to be any side-effects and I've been unable to consistently replicate the problem.

Installation

Install like you would any other mod. Includes an .esp file and a .pex script.

Created with FO4Edit and Caprica Papyrus Compiler.

My Other Mods

Armor Prefix Fix
Rechambering Plus
Boss Chests Contain Legendaries