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About this mod
Blade and Blunt is a streamlined combat overhaul designed to enhance Skyrim’s difficulty and encourage active resource management.
- Requirements
- Permissions and credits
LE Port of the Mod Blade and Blunt - A Combat Overhaul by SimonMagus616
Blade and Blunt is a streamlined combat overhaul designed to enhance Skyrim’s difficulty and encourage active resource management. Unlike other combat overhauls, it does not seek to import mechanics from other games into Skyrim. Instead, it enhances the existing mechanics of Skyrim’s combat and focuses on tightening the gameplay to allow for more player skill and RPG-like character development.
Features
I’m new to combat mods. What should I expect?
The aim of Blade and Blunt is not to nerf the player or make the combat experience “hardcore.” My goal is to encourage the player to interact with mechanics, especially Stamina-related mechanics, in new and refreshing ways. Simply put, I want to encourage more thoughtful play.
Enemies will be more aggressive and difficult with Blade and Blunt installed. They will also play strategically. Human enemies will block more often, and bash you out of your power attacks. Archers and mages will chase you down if you try to hide from them.
Blade and Blunt introduces some attack commitment to Skyrim. That means that the game will automatically reduce your ability to move and turn when you swing your weapon. If you’re not used to a mechanic like this, it might feel sluggish at first. However, enemies experience the same level of attack commitment. This change allows for precise control and fast dodging in combat.
In addition, Blade and Blunt significantly restricts your ability to regenerate Stamina. You will need to invest in Stamina to a much higher extent with Blade and Blunt installed.
Stamina Management
Managing your Stamina is an important part of combat in Blade and Blunt. You will not be able to regenerate Stamina while attacking or blocking, and successfully blocking will take more Stamina. Furthermore, when you drop below 0 Stamina, your weapons will deal 25% less damage and you will be 50% less effective at blocking. In addition, if a power attack would bring you below 0 Stamina, the 25% debuff is applied to that power attack. NPCs will also deal less damage and be less effective at blocking when they are below 0 Stamina. Outside of combat, Stamina will continue to regenerate very fast, ensuring that you enter every encounter with full Stamina. You will also find that sprinting is cheaper both in and out of combat.
Advantage
You will now be rewarded for seizing the advantage and striking your opponent when they cannot defend themselves. Attacking with advantage gives you 50% extra damage. This occurs when the target is power attacking, drawing a bow, or casting a spell, as well as when they are sleeping, sitting, sneaking, or staggered. Attacking with advantage works whether you are using melee weapons, bows, or spells. NPCs can also benefit from advantage, and the player receives a full body stagger when they are power attacked by an enemy with advantage. Casting a ward spell prevents enemies from gaining advantage on you.
Epic Creatures
You are at a significant disadvantage when fighting large creatures such as Giants, Lurkers, Centurions, and Dragons. As such, you deal 25% less damage and take 25% more damage when fighting these creatures. In addition, you cannot benefit from advantage against epic creatures.
Speed, Reach, and Attack Commitment
The player will now be significantly slower while attacking, power attacking, drawing a bow, or casting a spell. In addition, the player's weapons will have a reach that is more appropriate to the models of weapons in the game. Both attack commitment and the reach changes will apply to all humanoid NPCs. Two-handed weapons will be slightly faster than in Vanilla.
Game Settings and Combat Styles
Many changes have been made to game settings and combat styles that provide subtle improvement to the combat experience. These changes largely focus on combat mechanics such as blocking, bashing, and combat regeneration. Enemies will be more aggressive, and more intelligent, with Blade and Blunt installed. You may wish to ensure that Blade and Blunt loads lower than any other mod that changes these game settings or combat styles.
Combat Difficulty
The various game difficulties have been adjusted to provide increased lethality, while still giving players control over their own experience. Please be sure to select the difficulty you find most enjoyable in play, rather than the difficulty that you are used to using (don’t be scared to turn the difficulty down; you’re using a combat mod, after all!). The difficulty modifiers are:
I have set Adept difficulty to a level that I think most players will find agreeable in a vacuum. I recommend that instead of looking at these settings as being about "difficulty," you look at them as being about speed. If you want to clear content more quickly, choose Adept. If you want to slow the pace of the game, and push yourself to plan ahead for encounters, choose Expert. Master and Legendary difficulties are intended for higher level players.
Kill Moves
With Blade and Blunt installed, the player will be immune to kill moves. While cinematic executions are fun when used on NPCs, allowing them to affect the PC often prevents players from surviving difficult encounters through skill and good play.
Compatibility
Blade and Blunt is designed to be a total combat package. However, some users will likely wish to combine Blade and Blunt with other mods. In general, whatever mod is loaded last will “win” conflicts. Load Blade and Blunt after Mortal Enemies if you choose to keep Mortal Enemies in your load order, as it will effect non-humanoid NPCs which are not touched by Blade and Blunt.
Blade and Blunt includes the Modern Brawl Bug Fix by Enai Siaion. Modding tools will thus indicate that Blade and Blunt conflicts with other mods that contain the Brawl Bug fix. However, you can safely ignore this conflict. It does not matter which mod wins, since they all contain the same fix.
Blade and Blunt - A Combat Overhaul
Blade and Blunt is a streamlined combat overhaul designed to enhance Skyrim’s difficulty and encourage active resource management. Unlike other combat overhauls, it does not seek to import mechanics from other games into Skyrim. Instead, it enhances the existing mechanics of Skyrim’s combat and focuses on tightening the gameplay to allow for more player skill and RPG-like character development.
Features
- More aggressive and intelligent enemy AI
- Speed and reach tweaks for tighter gameplay
- Heavy emphasis on resource management
- No mention of From Software titles anywhere on the mod page
- (Almost) entirely script free, no impact on performance
- Lightweight and compatible
I’m new to combat mods. What should I expect?
The aim of Blade and Blunt is not to nerf the player or make the combat experience “hardcore.” My goal is to encourage the player to interact with mechanics, especially Stamina-related mechanics, in new and refreshing ways. Simply put, I want to encourage more thoughtful play.
Enemies will be more aggressive and difficult with Blade and Blunt installed. They will also play strategically. Human enemies will block more often, and bash you out of your power attacks. Archers and mages will chase you down if you try to hide from them.
Blade and Blunt introduces some attack commitment to Skyrim. That means that the game will automatically reduce your ability to move and turn when you swing your weapon. If you’re not used to a mechanic like this, it might feel sluggish at first. However, enemies experience the same level of attack commitment. This change allows for precise control and fast dodging in combat.
In addition, Blade and Blunt significantly restricts your ability to regenerate Stamina. You will need to invest in Stamina to a much higher extent with Blade and Blunt installed.
Stamina Management
Managing your Stamina is an important part of combat in Blade and Blunt. You will not be able to regenerate Stamina while attacking or blocking, and successfully blocking will take more Stamina. Furthermore, when you drop below 0 Stamina, your weapons will deal 25% less damage and you will be 50% less effective at blocking. In addition, if a power attack would bring you below 0 Stamina, the 25% debuff is applied to that power attack. NPCs will also deal less damage and be less effective at blocking when they are below 0 Stamina. Outside of combat, Stamina will continue to regenerate very fast, ensuring that you enter every encounter with full Stamina. You will also find that sprinting is cheaper both in and out of combat.
Advantage
You will now be rewarded for seizing the advantage and striking your opponent when they cannot defend themselves. Attacking with advantage gives you 50% extra damage. This occurs when the target is power attacking, drawing a bow, or casting a spell, as well as when they are sleeping, sitting, sneaking, or staggered. Attacking with advantage works whether you are using melee weapons, bows, or spells. NPCs can also benefit from advantage, and the player receives a full body stagger when they are power attacked by an enemy with advantage. Casting a ward spell prevents enemies from gaining advantage on you.
Epic Creatures
You are at a significant disadvantage when fighting large creatures such as Giants, Lurkers, Centurions, and Dragons. As such, you deal 25% less damage and take 25% more damage when fighting these creatures. In addition, you cannot benefit from advantage against epic creatures.
Speed, Reach, and Attack Commitment
The player will now be significantly slower while attacking, power attacking, drawing a bow, or casting a spell. In addition, the player's weapons will have a reach that is more appropriate to the models of weapons in the game. Both attack commitment and the reach changes will apply to all humanoid NPCs. Two-handed weapons will be slightly faster than in Vanilla.
Game Settings and Combat Styles
Many changes have been made to game settings and combat styles that provide subtle improvement to the combat experience. These changes largely focus on combat mechanics such as blocking, bashing, and combat regeneration. Enemies will be more aggressive, and more intelligent, with Blade and Blunt installed. You may wish to ensure that Blade and Blunt loads lower than any other mod that changes these game settings or combat styles.
Combat Difficulty
The various game difficulties have been adjusted to provide increased lethality, while still giving players control over their own experience. Please be sure to select the difficulty you find most enjoyable in play, rather than the difficulty that you are used to using (don’t be scared to turn the difficulty down; you’re using a combat mod, after all!). The difficulty modifiers are:
- Novice: 1.5x Damage Dealt / 0.5x Damage Received
- Apprentice: 1.25x Damage Dealt / 1x Damage Received
- Adept: 1x Damage Dealt / 1.5x Damage Received
- Expert: 0.75x Damage Dealt / 2x Damage Received
- Master: 0.5x Damage Dealt / 2.5x Damage Received
- Legendary: 0.25x Damage Dealt / 3.0x Damage Received
I have set Adept difficulty to a level that I think most players will find agreeable in a vacuum. I recommend that instead of looking at these settings as being about "difficulty," you look at them as being about speed. If you want to clear content more quickly, choose Adept. If you want to slow the pace of the game, and push yourself to plan ahead for encounters, choose Expert. Master and Legendary difficulties are intended for higher level players.
Kill Moves
With Blade and Blunt installed, the player will be immune to kill moves. While cinematic executions are fun when used on NPCs, allowing them to affect the PC often prevents players from surviving difficult encounters through skill and good play.
Compatibility
Blade and Blunt is designed to be a total combat package. However, some users will likely wish to combine Blade and Blunt with other mods. In general, whatever mod is loaded last will “win” conflicts. Load Blade and Blunt after Mortal Enemies if you choose to keep Mortal Enemies in your load order, as it will effect non-humanoid NPCs which are not touched by Blade and Blunt.
Blade and Blunt includes the Modern Brawl Bug Fix by Enai Siaion. Modding tools will thus indicate that Blade and Blunt conflicts with other mods that contain the Brawl Bug fix. However, you can safely ignore this conflict. It does not matter which mod wins, since they all contain the same fix.