Description

Solstheim is one of my favorite locations in Skyrim. I've often wanted to start my game in Raven Rock and then make my way to the mainland later.

Unfortunately, Dragonborn was designed as a late-game DLC. You get immolated by Ash Spawn the moment you step out of the city. Or, you get swarmed by Ash Hoppers and reduced to a skeleton.

I wanted Solstheim's world to be explorable at early levels, similar to the Skyrim mainland. That's where this mod comes in:

• At early levels (under 20) - this mod will adjust the world of Solstheim to the player's level.
• At higher levels (over 20) - the game remains completely untouched by this mod.
  

Hostile Creatures

Most creatures in Solstheim had a minimum level of 20. This meant that even if you were Lv1, you would still get attacked by Lv20-Lv25 enemies.

I've added new tiers of low-level enemies which scale with the player, to fill this gap. This lets you keep exploring the world even at the start of the game.

At higher levels, this mod will not change a thing. You will see the usual high-level challenging creatures.


Enemy Camps & Dungeons

At early levels, many outside encounters and a select few dungeons will now have easier enemies.

Again, there are no changes at higher levels, so you will see the usual high-level enemies. Most quest related dungeons still remain high-level. You will have to progress through the game before attempting them.


Important Note ⚠

Solstheim is still a dangerous place. If you see a lurker, spriggan, netch, or other weird beastie at Lv1, RUN!
If you're dragged into a supernatural plane of existence, slam that book shut and get out of there like a sane Dragonborn!

Doing anything else would be like trying to take on a giant camp with your fists.


Requirements & Compatibility

In order to actually start your game on Solstheim, you will obviously need an alternate start mod like SUR or ASLAL.

I also recommend these mods for more consistent gameplay, but they are not mandatory:

• Encounter Zones Unlocked
  

Compatibility Warning ⚠

Difficulty overhauls, Encounter Zone (EZ) overhauls, and deleveling mods can overwrite parts of this mod. This will replace any changes related to dungeon enemy levels, and probably make them more difficult once again. If you want to keep easier dungeons at low levels, let this mod have higher priority in your load order.

The following mods will cancel the effects of this mod in certain cases. They are DLL-based so it will happen regardless of load order.

• Enemies Respect Encounter Zones - if you enter a dungeon above your player level.
• Locational Encounter Zones - if you approach a dungeon above your player level.
  

Future Plans

Many of these changes are subjective, based on my own gameplay and experience. You may think they make Solstheim too easy, or you may think it's still too hard. Everyone will have different opinions.

I'll continue tweaking this as I keep playing.