Extensible Alternate Start (XAS) is a freeform alternate start mod designed with extensibility in mind. It requires only the base game and the free Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE).

On starting a new game, you'll start out in the Dream of Signs. Here, you can select a standing stone blessing from any of the thirteen. There are chests you can loot for iron or hide armor or novice mage robes as well as a selection of melee weapons or bows or novice spell tomes. There are shrines to all Nine Divines you can pray to, or take their amulets for your journey. You can also take some food, mead, gold, and potions for what's ahead. You can press a button to re-open the character customization menu.

Once you are done, follow your quest marker to a hatch in the floor. This leads to the Dream of Doors, where you can select where you'll spawn in Nirn.

You can wake up at an inn in any hold capital and other settlements that have one.

You can start at a border crossing.

You can spawn at a few choice spots in the wilderness, including outside Dayspring Canyon.

You can wake up in the ruins of Helgen, with the dragon attack all over.

You can wake up in a barracks as a fresh Imperial or Stormcloak recruit.

You can also wake up in your own bed in Breezehome, Hjerim, Honeyside, Vlindrel Hall, or Proudspire Manor. (Due to Hjerim's link to Blood on the Ice, starting in Hjerim will auto-complete Blood on the Ice and drop its reward item in your inventory.

The main quest and civil war will work normally. You will get Before the Storm and it's objective to talk to the Jarl of Whiterun in your journal once you wake.

Change Log:

Version 1.2:
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* A few more sets of clothing are availabe in the starting area.
* A door behind the Serpent stone in the Dream of Signs now leads to an area where you can raise your skills.
* Added a plugin that allows you to start with any of the Hearthfire houses. The small house layout will be fully built and furnished.


Version 1.1:
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The dream of doors has been completely overhauled and is more open and less maze-like.

The melee weapons chest now contains a selection of Imperial weapons.

A blood elixir that causes vampirism can now be found next to the Serpent stone. It will vanish if taken out of the Dream of Signs.

The Dawnguard sample plugin will now offer Dawnguard warhammers and waraxes in additon to crossbows.

Both starting areas now have sourced lights to help with ENBs that turn down ambient light.

Helgen cleanup is much improved.

Helgen keep is again open. It will have a bit of a skeever infestation until bandits take Helgen.


On extensibility:

XAS supports three methods of extending the starting areas and choices with your mod's content, without needing to add XAS as a master to your mod.

You can add a whole cell full of your mod's contents in between the Dream of Signs and the Dream of Doors.

You can spawn in a container full of your mod's items in the Dream of Signs.

And you can add a custom door and destination to the Dream of Doors.

Please see the file XAS For Modders included in the downloaded archive for technical details.

Compatibility:

Load after (over-writing) any other mod that alters Unbound or Before the Storm.