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About this mod
Adds randomised themed spawns to dungeons. Make sure to watch your six!
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Description
I've been playing Oblivion now for over a decade, and by this point dungeons are a bit predictable. I remember one of the most tense parts about playing the game originally was not knowing what lurked in the darkness, or if something was sneaking up behind you from a side-passage. This mod tries to bring some of that feeling back.
Dungeon Surprise Attacks will occasionally spawn a creature or NPC in the current dungeon, which will try to hunt you down and take you at unawares. This adds some extra tension in not knowing if something is skulking around in a passage you've already cleared, and means you might have an extra fight on your hands if you're backtracking out of a completed dungeon. Waiting can also be treacherous...
The creature or NPC is selected from leveled tables which are dependent on the theme of the dungeon you're currently in. For example, in a goblin lair, a goblin-themed creature will always be selected. This uses vanilla leveled lists, so it shouldn't feel out of place and will also include any new creatures added by other mods. The chance of a spawn occurring has been balanced so that spawns don't feel too frequent. Even if a spawn does occur, there's not a 100% chance the creature will successfully find you. There can be multiple spawns, which are randomly spaced out as you explore—some dungeons may spawn several, some may spawn none at all. You might even forget you had the mod installed until that Skeleton jumps you from behind!
The surprise attacks are implemented through two simple scripts. As such, this mod should be compatible with everything. Even mod-added dungeons are covered. If the dungeon contains creature types which aren't recognised as one of the pre-configured dungeon themes, a random dungeon critter will be spawned instead.
(Note: This mod is intended for the long-haul, so don't expect to see its effects immediately after installing. It has been balanced so that spawns occur relatively infrequently, to prevent a predictable or paranoid feeling that something might be behind you.)
Installation
This mod requires the Oblivion Script Extender.
Standard installation procedure: add the file to your data folder and check in the game launcher or your mod manager of choice.
Uninstallation
This mod can be uninstalled at any time and will have no permanent effects on your game.
Compatibility
Mod-added dungeons and creatures should all be covered without the need for a patch. All implementation is done through scripts, and no base forms have been edited. As such, this mod is considered compatible with everything.
Technical
This mod uses the PlaceAtMe function, which is widely believed to cause savegame bloat. However, based on my thorough research, testing, and over one decade of experience with the Oblivion CS, I have concluded that leveled actors placed in interior cells using this function are cleanly removed from the game when the cell resets. Cell resets occur naturally as you play the game; therefore, to the best of my current knowledge this mod should not cause any savegame bloat or related issues. I have been using this myself for a full playthrough on a level 30+ character and have seen no issues whatsoever. Most of the claims that PlaceAtMe causes savegame bloat are related to non-actor objects or exterior cells, and this has led to some confusion in modding circles. Many vanilla scripts in Oblivion, Fallout 3, and Fallout New Vegas actually use PlaceAtMe for leveled actors too.
TL;DR: I've tested the reference cleaning on cell reset, and have been using this mod for over a year now—everything should be fine.
The story is different with exterior cells, which is why there's no wilderness encounters version of this yet. Just some small tweaks, and I'm sure I'll have that solved, though.
My Mods
I spend a lot of time creating and supporting my mods, so any donations are gratefully received.