0 of 0
About this mod
Overhauls Skyrim’s food by adding meaningful buffs and strategic drawbacks. Food now provides long-lasting benefits alongside stamina regen penalties, encouraging thoughtful use. Designed to complement alchemy, not replace it. Every bite matters—buffs don’t stack, but the consequences do.
- Requirements
- Permissions and credits
SPAM - Pros & Cons: Food
A Strategic Overhaul of Skyrim’s Culinary System
A Strategic Overhaul of Skyrim’s Culinary System
Pros & Cons: Food is the first in a potential series of mods aimed at transforming underdeveloped gameplay elements into meaningful, strategic choices. This mod specifically reimagines food and alcohol consumption in Skyrim - not as trivial sustenance, but as a deliberate gameplay decision with both positive and negative consequences.
Skyrim's default food system, even when paired with survival mods, tends to offer minimal or short-lived benefits - often a few seconds of minor health regeneration. This felt like a missed opportunity. With this mod, I’ve overhauled the way consumables work to:
- Enhance immersion and realism,
- Eliminate exploitative, one-sided buffs,
- Support (but not replace) the role of alchemy as the source of pure, high-intensity effects.
Instead of acting like weaker potions, food now grants slower, longer-lasting effects that reflect a well-maintained and balanced diet - encouraging consistent, thoughtful consumption throughout the day.
⚖️ Core Mechanics – Every Buff Has a Cost
All food and alcohol items now come with a combination of benefits and drawbacks:
🍽️ Primary Benefit (Does Not Stack)
- Moderate to strong Fortify effect (e.g., stamina, magicka, health)
- Lasts ~1320 seconds (22 minutes)
- Only the most recent primary benefit is active
🥄 Secondary Benefit (Stacks)
- Long-duration healing to a specific attribute (excluding stamina)
- Lasts ~660 seconds (11 minutes)
- This is not a regen buff; it restores the attribute over time even if base regeneration is zero
- Preserves and extends most vanilla food effects for consistency
🍲 Tertiary Bonus (Occasional)
- Found mostly in cooked or processed food
- Lasts ~440 seconds (~7 minutes)
- Additional bonuses vary depending on the food item
⚠️ Stamina Regeneration Penalty (Always Applies, Always Stacks)
- Every food or drink reduces stamina regeneration significantly
- Lasts ~660 seconds
- Stacking too many consumables can entirely shut down stamina regen
- Simulates the real-world “rest and digest” fatigue after eating
- Larger and more processed foods cause a greater stamina regen hit
🥃 Alcohol Mechanics
- Grants a temporary carry weight bonus (typically +10)
- Often paired with fortify maximum stamina
- Worst stamina regen penalty of all consumables
- Designed to create temptation: a short-term solution to dungeon over-encumbrance at a long-term cost
🧠 Strategic Layering – Choose Wisely
- Buff effects do not stack — the most recent replaces the last
- Stamina regen penalties do stack — eat or drink carelessly, and you’ll feel it
- Undead(Vampire)/Automaton races will receive NO buffs, but will receive debuffs (stamina regen)
- Meat and protein-rich food: Health and stamina benefits (type-dependent)
- Vegetables: Mostly stamina-focused, occasional magicka
- Fruits: Mostly magicka-focused, occasional stamina
🔧 Compatibility & Availability
- Currently AE (Anniversary Edition) Only – tested and built on the latest AE version
- A non-AE version may be released in the future based on demand and time
This mod is about balance - not punishment. Buffs now come with meaningful downsides, encouraging smarter resource management and more immersive decision-making. Alchemy remains king for power buffs, while food becomes a slow-burning companion to your journey. Happy adventuring!
Installation:
Unpack with your favorite mod manager and play.
NOTE: I strongly advise you not only have it low down in your mod load order, but also run a bashed patch/smashed patch to ensure this mods changes are carried forward.
Enjoyed this mod? check my profile for others!