Ever wish you had option to just disable your opponent rather than kill him? Frustrated that your expert thief can't knockout a guard and take his weapons? Tired of never ending fights with essential NPCs who just won't stay down? Irritated that you can't loot NPCs who are paralyzed? Well, friend, you've come to the right place.

NPC Knockout Overhaul makes it possible to knockout most NPCs in Skyrim, the DLCs, and any mod that adds humanoid NPCs to the game. An NPC can be knocked out by a sneak attack or by anything that does enough damage to incapacitate, but not actually kill the NPC. Once an NPC is knocked out, a variety of new options become available including searching, grabbing, and reviving the NPC.

Humanoid races that are susceptible to knockout include: Breton, Imperial, Redguard, Nord, Altmer, Bosmer, Dunmer, Orsimer, Argonian, Khajiit, Dremora, Vampire, Lycanthrope, Hagraven. Any NPC who belongs to one of these races and who is not invulnerable or a ghost can be knocked out under certain conditions. Children can also be knocked out if Non-Essential Children is installed.

The mod can also be configured to protect all unique NPCs from death by any source except the player. This helps keep unique NPCs alive throughout your game by allowing them to get knocked out rather than die when they get attacked by enemies.


STEALTH KNOCKOUTS

There are two ways to knockout an NPC. The first way is to sneak up behind and clonk him in the back of the head with a blunt weapon like a mace. You can also sneak up and bash an NPC with a shield or a weapon for the same effect. This is known as a stealth knockout. This feature allows you to disable unsuspecting enemies, neutralize pesky guards, as well as kidnap and/or rob people. You can also use a sneak attack with your fist to knockout an NPC, but that won't work if your target is wearing a helmet - a limitation which is lifted if you have the Fists of Steel perk and you wear heavy gauntlets.



An NPC suffers a stealth knockout when hit by:

• A sneak attack from a mace.
• A sneak attack from a shield bash or weapon bash.
• A sneak attack from a punch (ineffective if the NPC is wearing a helmet).
  

DAMAGE KNOCKOUTS

The second way to knockout an NPC is to damage him enough to make him lose consciousness or go into shock. This is known as a damage knockout. This feature allows you to disable enemies in combat without having to kill them. Most NPCs go into a 'bleedout' state at low health where they become injured and crawl on the ground. If an NPC takes any damage during bleedout, that will result in a damage knockout. An NPC is also knocked out automatically if he remains bleeding out for longer than X seconds without recovering, where X is equal to the NPC's current character level. Enemies who are essential or protected are also knocked out after taking enough damage.



An NPC suffers a damage knockout by:

• Taking non-fatal damage while bleeding out.
• Remaining in the bleedout state for too long, resulting in loss of consciousness.
• Suffering from a stealth knockout and then taking a large amount of damage afterwards.
• Getting beaten in a brawl (Brawl Bugs Patch required).
  

KNOCKOUT AND PARALYSIS OPTIONS

Once an enemy is knocked out or paralyzed by a spell or other means, a variety of options become available for dealing with the NPC's helpless body. Options include accessing the NPC's inventory, grabbing and moving the body, reviving the NPC from knockout, feeding on the NPC, killing the NPC etc. You can choose to map one of the search, grab, and revive options to a particular activation method (standing or sneaking) in the Mod Configuration Menu or have them all display in a small menu when activating the NPC.

Once an NPC is knocked out or paralyzed, you can:

• Search and/or disarm the NPC without being charged with stealing.
• Grab the body and move it or toss it into a river, off a cliff, into a fire, etc.
• Revive the NPC with any non-hostile spell or potion, such as healing hands or a stamina potion.
• Kill the NPC if the NPC is not flagged as essential or protected.
• Have a snack if you're a hungry vampire with Better Vampires.
  

All of these options are also available for all NPCs who are paralyzed.


KNOCKOUT PROTECTION

The Protect Uniques option in the Mod Configuration Menu will add the protected flag to unique NPCs as you encounter them in the game. This feature is scripted and will apply to all humanoid, vampire, and non-essential child NPCs who are not already protected, essential, invulnerable, ghosts, or meant to die in a quest. This allows unique NPCs to join you in battle during bandit raids, vampire attacks, and dragon sieges and they will only get knocked out rather than die due to the protection. However, you and your allies still have the option to kill protected NPCs at any time. This feature is automatically compatible with any mod that adds unique NPCs to the game.



Certain NPCs are excluded from protection because they are meant to die in quests. Please see the Unique NPCs with Scripted Deaths for NKO spreadsheet for a list of NPCs who are always excluded from protection. I also recommend NPCs Protected Redux by Blattgeist for a more comprehensive solution with more features.


KNOCKOUT REVIVAL

NPCs will eventually revive on their own after being knocked out for a period of time, but any healing spell or non-hostile spell will revive an NPC from knockout immediately, provided the NPC has restored an adequate amount of health. The percentage of health needed to revive a knocked out NPC is configurable in the Mod Configuration Menu. Potions can also be used to revive NPCs from knockout. Simply activate the NPC, choose the 'Search' option, and give away any potion you have. The potion will be used immediately and the NPC will regain conciousness if the NPC has enough health. The mod can also be configured to prevent NPCs from reviving from knockout for any reason until combat is over and/or to enforce lethal consequences for NPCs who are knocked out from damage, but are left untreated.

When an NPC revives from knockout, that NPC will look for someone to blame, so he or she sends out an assault alarm (Help! I'm being attacked! or Last mistake!). If you're nearby and you did it and you get spotted, then you get slapped with a bounty and probably assaulted. However, if you stay out of sight until the NPC stops looking for the culprit, or if you leave the area for a while, then you're off the hook. Also, if you knockout an NPC with relationship status of friend or better (like a follower), then no assault alarm is triggered upon revival.


CONFIGURATION

How long knockouts last and how lethal they are depends on how you have the mod configured using the Mod Configuration Menu. By default, stealth knockouts last for 15 in-game minutes to 1 in-game hour and damage knockouts last for 1 to 2 in-game hours. You can also turn off stealth or damage knockouts entirely by setting the corresponding time intervals to 0. By default, activating an NPC who is knocked out will open a menu which provides the options to search, grab, and/or revive the NPC. The action performed when activating an NPC can also be changed and a separate action can be assigned to both the sneaking and standing activation.

The mod can be pre-configured by editing the NPC Knockout Overhaul.ini file. Initialization will only happen once per save game when the mod is first loaded. Once you have found your preferred settings, you can turn on debugging and copy the INI configuration String from the Papyrus log and paste it into your NPC Knockout Overhaul.ini so the mod will automatically load your preferred settings whenever you start a new game.

• No Action - Activation does nothing. This allows for compatibility with other mods.
• Options Menu - Activation opens a menu with the search, grab, and revive options.
• Search - Activation opens the NPC's inventory.
• Grab - Activation prepares your character to grab the NPC with your left hand.
• Revive - Activation attempts to revive the NPC, which is only successful if the NPC has enough health.
  

INSTALLATION

NPC Knockout Overhaul comes with its own FOMOD installation script and requires the following unless otherwise noted:

• Skyrim version 1.9.32.0.8
• Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE) 1.7.1 or above: http://skse.silverlock.org/.
• SkyUI 4.1 or above: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/3863/ (optional, but requires use of command line to change settings otherwise).
• Brawl Bugs Patch: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/24020/ (optional, but highly recommended to prevent issues with brawls caused by the cloaking scripts used by this mod).
  

Before uninstalling or upgrading, make sure all NPCs have recovered from knockout and then save the game and then uninstall the mod. My users report that you will also need to use a script cleaner of sorts to get rid of any remaining scripts baked into your save, but that could cause more harm than good if you don't know what you're doing, so I would only recommend that for advanced users. The simplest solution is to start a new game or leave the current version installed until you do start a new game and then install the newest version at that time.

I also highly recommend the following tools for modding Skyrim in general:
Mod Organizer because it's freaking awesome.
LOOT to get your mods loaded in the right order.
TES5Edit to clean and merge mods.
Skyrim Startup Memory Editor to prevent CTDs from memory issues.


DESIGN

NPC Knockout Overhaul works by attaching an invisible cloak magic effect to the player via a reference alias from a self-starting quest that never ends. This cloak magic effect is used to attach another magic effect to NPCs in the surrounding area on a periodic basis which attaches a script to the NPC to manage and apply the knockout effect. This is a standard method used by many mods to dynamically attach scripts without directly modifying records from the vanilla game. However, just because this method avoids record conflicts does not necessarily mean it avoids conflicts at runtime, particularly with other mods that use similar techniques or make similar changes. Since a cloaked magic effect is considered cheating in a brawl, the mod also requires the Brawl Bug Patch.

The magic effect applied to each NPC runs a script which initializes the NPC for knockout and listens for certain events to keep track of the NPC's state and apply the knockout effect when necessary. The knockout effect itself is essentially a paralysis effect, followed up by a ragdoll effect to simulate NPC knockout. The mod also keeps track of NPC paralysis and provides all of the same options as if the NPC were knocked out.

SkyUI and SkyUILib are used to provide the MCM and various menus added by the mod. All optional settings can be initialized from an INI file via utilities provided by Jaxonz. SKSE supports those utilities as well as many of the mod's key features.


KNOWN ISSUES & CONFLICTS



By design, NKO doesn't conflict with much of anything and is generally compatible with most mods. The only exceptions being mods that deal with NPC bleedout, such as yield mods. There are also some minor conflicts with the mods below that can be resolved with the proper configuration:

Requiem by Xarrian and Ogerboss - Enable 'steadfast enemies' in Requiem's MCM.
Amazing Follower Tweaks by Dheuster - Disable 'no combat recovery' in AFT's MCM or enable no follower KO in NKO's MCM.
Death Alternative - Your Money or Your Life by BralorMarr - Disable follower tracking in DAYMOYL.
Sneak Tools by Borgut1337 - Disable the knockout feature in Sneak Tools.
NPCs Protected Redux by Blattgeist - Disable 'protect uniques' in NKO's MCM.

The few vanilla records that NKO does overwrite are as follows:

fBleedoutRate=15 -> 86400
fEssentialDeathTime=20 -> 86400
fEssentialDownCombatHealthRegenMult=0.75 -> 0
fEssentialHealthPercentReGain=0.3 -> 0
fEssentialNonCombatHealRateBonus=5 -> 0
DialogueGeneric - added unconscious and paralysed conditions
DialogueGenericUniqueVoices - added unconscious and paralysed conditions
WICastMagicNonHostileSpell01 - added unconscious and paralysed conditions

Some NPCs do not trigger a bleedout state in vanilla and so these NPCs are always immune to damage knockouts.
Bandits outside of Whiteriver Watch: 812fd, 80b81, 81329


FAQ

Q: One of my NPCs is permanently knocked out and won't revive! What do I do?

A: Open the console (tilde [~] key), click on the NPC, and enter the following commands:

forceav paralysis 0
setunconscious 0

If that still fails, try command: recycleactor


TROUBLESHOOTING & TESTING

1. Turn on Papyrus trace logging in your Skyrim.ini file:

[Papyrus]
bEnableLogging=1
bEnableTrace=1

2. Turn on DebugKO in the MCM or open the console and type -> set debugko to 1

3. Confirm that you can recreate the issue with a given NPC or NPCs. If you can not make the problem happen consistently, then the problem is not caused by NKO. Most likely a mod conflict, load order problem, or corrupted save game.

4. Confirm that you can recreate the issue after starting a brand new game with only minimal mods. I highly recommend using Mod Organizer to do this. It will allow you to quickly and easily setup a profile with only a select few mods and start a game completely separately from your other save games so that you can test things out in isolation like a proper modder.

5. Provide my team with as much information as you can about the NPC(s) in question: name, ID, mod, quest, location, papyrus logs, load order, what seems to cause the issue, and any other relevant information you can think of. More is better here.


GLOWING TESTIMONIALS

Some mods just seem fun, others add something novel, and then there are mods like this. Mods that notice an irritating or broken aspect of the game and take it for a long drive out to the woods, push it out of the car, and then release a pack of snarling wolves on top of that. - Peccadillo

I absolutely love this mod. I decided to take on some strangers at the risk of getting a bounty. However, I noticed some of them, during the fight, fell unconscious rather then died. So I piled the bodies up and burned them, just to make sure they were dead. Morbid stuff. - Thingamajig

I dropped a bunch of things on the floor in the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood, including some armor. Suddenly, several NPCs run over, and start arguing over who is going to take it. "I'll take that." "Not if I have anything to say about it." "I'd like to see you try!" Before long, a brawl ensues, that eventually sucks in almost every NPC in the building, and when the dust settles, the only ones left standing are Delphine and me... and a pile of knocked out fools. - noobzor

I love this mod. Love it love it love it. Probably more than would be considered healthy by members of the psychiatric profession. - TwilightStar

I am eternally thankful for your efforts. - crisandleon


RECOMMENDED MODS



Combat Evolved by CrushBoss
Revenge of the Enemies by MyEvergreenHometown
High Level Enemies by Dalquist
VioLens - A Killmove Mod by Reko
NPC Smarter Water AI by John Jarvis
Follower Trap Safety by Alek
Faster Get Up Stand Up Animation by DarkAngel13
Non-Essential Children by The Team Mystery
Better Vampires by Brehanin


CREDITS



noobzor for creating NKO's Mod Configuration Menu.
btbg for Telekinesis can grab and throw people.
ColonelCorn for the Werewolf Bleedout Fix.
Brodual and EonBY for making the mod videos.
Blattgeist, kryptopyr, Seb263, fireundubh, tonycubed2 and others for helping me learn and improve the mod.
The SKSE team for providing more functionality to mod Skyrim with.
The SkyUI team for providing the MCM framework and SkyUILib.
The Nexus for hosting the mod and supporting the community.
The Nexus community for testing the mod and suggesting interesting ideas.
Bethesda Softworks for creating Skyrim.