This simple mod aims to make Shady Sam a plausible fence for freelance thieves that doesn’t trump Thieves Guild ones. This is accomplished via the following changes:

Firstly, setting the NPC’s Responsibility to 0. This allows the merchant to buy stolen goods and gives the highest possible positive modifier to disposition from player character Infamy. As Shady Sam cannot be persuaded, this makes it so that getting good deals from him requires being notoriously shady or a frequent enough customer. Were Sam to be given a normal routine, this change would also make him readily steal anything to fulfill his needs.

Secondly, increasing his amount of gold to 600. This is the same as Ongar the World-Weary, the first fence that Thieves Guild members can access. Both are thus just as convenient in terms of raw gold, but Ongar’s disposition is much simpler to influence.

Thirdly, setting his Buy/Sell options to check every box but ‘Spells’. He’ll buy just about anything you steal, not just random silverware — But don’t expect him to have much gold without buying some of his wares first.




Shadier Sam improves the eponymous NPC’s stock with a focus on poisons and thematically appropriate items without Thieves Guild overlap. The following changes were made to his vendor chest:

• Damage attribute potions removed.
• Added 5 (weak) Damage Health poisons.
• Added 5 (weak) Damage Fatigue poisons.
• Added 5 Damage Magicka poisons.
• Added one of each (Strong) Damage Health and Damage Fatigue poison.
• Added one of each Cure Disease, Cure Poison, Cure Paralysis and (weak) chameleon potions.
• Added a small variety of alcohol.
• Added a selection of robes and hoods. To allow Sam to sell the black robes and hood, these have their gold value set to 1.
• Added Moonshade, a unique alcohol item of questionable legitimacy. Whenever Shady Sam restocks, you can buy one bottle. Its effects are Chameleon 15, Resist Normal Weapons 15, and Drain Intelligence 10, all over 60 seconds. The base value is set to 50 rather than the autocalculated cost, to be more affordable while still balanced by stock.
  

Now, there is always the possibility that you might be shadier than shady. Or at least shadier than Shady Sam. If you are disinclined to buy from him, his entire stock is moved to his body upon death. You’ll find that he is not quite as unprotected as he used to be:

• Sam now carries a partial leather outfit composed of boots, greaves, Hide Bracers (Standard Leather Bracers with a Petty tier Shield enchantment), and the Smuggler’s Garb, a leather cuirass with a Common soul gem tier Feather enchantment.
• His Blade skill has been raised from 6 to 25.
• In addition to his leveled shortsword, Sam now carries a leveled dagger, a bit of stock he usually keeps away for himself. Disarming the lad won’t completely doom him now.
• His spell list now includes the standard Spark spell.
  

Installation Instructions: This file contains a single .esp and the Readme. Simply drop it in your Data folder and enable it through your launcher, or place it in the installer folder of your choice of mod manager.

Permissions: You may non-commercially modify and/or redistribute this file as you please, so long as you clearly credit the original author. More personally, I'd appreciate a heads up if you upload my content elsewhere to check the place out myself.

Compatibility: No major incompatibilities are expected, but you may have to load Shadier Sam.esp after any mods that modify all/most vendor chests, and of course Shady Sam himself. A script is attached to Sam with an OnDeath condition to transfer the contents of his vendor chest to his body — Heavily modded installations may experience a delay before the transfer. Bear this in mind if looting the NPC immediately after death.