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About this mod
Intelligent main quest stopper. Allows you to choose in-game whether you want to have the main quest and Dragonborn powers.
- Permissions and credits
This is a much sought-after, long-awaited, with-permission-from-the-author, port of the excellent mod In Your Shadow by thingyperson for Skyrim LE, coming to you live on Special Edition!
You may be asking, what do I need this mod for? There are plenty of Alternate Start mods out there that allow you play as a non-Dragonborn character who doesn't do the main quest! To this, I would say you're only half correct. There ARE plenty of Alternate Start mods out there that don't force you to start the main quest, BUT not every one of them actually prevents the player from absorbing dragon souls, interacting with word walls, and becoming the Dragonborn eventually should the main quest be triggered.
I found this mod while doing a paladin-style Dawnguard playthrough who was NOT the Dragonborn, using Arthmoor's Alternate Start. I eventually began the Gildergreen quest, which as you may know sends the player near enough to Helgen to trigger Alduin flying away and activating the "Investigate Helgen" quest that ASLAL uses to start the main quest. I didn't want to just ignore the quest, but did not under any circumstances want to be sent to the Greybeards down the line either. I couldn't find a way to get to the Eldergleam without triggering Alduin, so I decided to embark on the (not so straightforward) task of converting this mod to be used in Special Edition, and here it is!
This mod makes an excellent companion to Arthmoor's Alternate Start for non-Dragonborn characters (and should work with Realm of Lorkhan too, though I haven't tried it).
I wouldn’t recommend trying to use this with Skyrim Unbound/Skyrim Unbound Reborn, as that mod works by removing the main quest before the Greybeards calling entirely. Another nice alternative in case you have issues with the others for any reason, and to my understanding it has its own method for becoming Thane of Whiterun and handling dragon spawns.
So! Who might this mod be for?
Some notes on features and compatibility:
BIG thanks to thingyperson for being cool with this port and also answering a couple questions! The rest of what follows is the original mod's description (go drop an endorsement on it if you decide to use this, by the way). Remember to use the power that's added to your magic menu after character creation, and happy modding!
In Your Shadow adds an in-game option to play without dragonborn powers, and to stop the main quest right after becoming thane of Whiterun, without any indication that the player is a dragonborn. The mod still lets you choose to be a dragonborn, if you so desire. This means that you can switch between “dragonborn” and “common peasant” characters, without having to change your mod load order.
Important
If you have an existing character who has already learnt words of power, BE CAREFUL when installing this mod. If you choose not to be a dragonborn on that character, the visual and sound effects of the word walls you have already visited will become stuck on with no way to turn them off.
Required: Skyrim 1.8
Optional: SkyUI 3 or later (for the Mod Configuration Menu)
Optional: Dawnguard
Optional: Dragonborn
Overview
When you start a new game, or load an existing game for the first time afterinstalling this mod, you will receive a lesser power called “Dragonborn Awakening”. Using this power brings up a simple question, asking you whether you want to be a dragonborn. If you answer yes, you are granted an invisible perk, and the menu disappears, never to be seen again (unless you use the Mod Configuration Menu – see below). If you answer no, you do not get the perk, and the menu also disappears.
If you are a dragonborn, all word walls are enabled as usual, you can absorb dragon souls, and the main quest will proceed normally. If you are not the dragonborn, all word walls are simply there for decoration, dragon corpses remain intact, and the main quest ends at Dragon Rising. Dragon Rising itself will be a little more streamlined.
DLCs
The Dawnguard patch extends the mod’s functionality to Dawnguard’s word walls and adds an experimental (untested) measure to stop Durnehviir from respawning and addressing the player when you’re not a dragonborn.
The Dragonborn patch extends the mod’s functionality to Dragonborn’s word walls and fixes an incompatibility relating to the MQKillDragon script.
Compatibility & problems
This mod edits the base forms for word wall triggers and sounds. I don’t know of another mod that does that. A patch for Freedom of Speech is not required.
This mod edits two quests: MQ104 (Dragon Rising) and MQKillDragon, along with some related scripts.
Mod Configuration Menu
This mod comes with a basic config menu (SkyUI required to use the menu).
-Enable Dragons: Allows you to toggle random dragons at any time. Dragons are not automatically enabled when you’re not a dragonborn, so use this option if you want them.
-Re-add Menu Power: Lets you bring up the menu again, so you can choose once more, if you’ve changed your mind. I don’t recommend using this feature after you’ve slain Mirmulnir. Disable/enable all word walls: For debugging reasons, mainly. You don’t need these options during normal gameplay. Don’t enable all word walls if you’ve already learnt any words, because that will bug the walls in the manner described above. You could try to fix it by disabling all word walls. If you chose not to be a dragonborn and you want to uninstall the mod, it’s best to run “Enable all word walls” right before uninstalling.
Acknowledgements
Inspired by Moon-and-Star Ring – Morrowind Lore Friendly
Thanks to Arthmoor for answering some questions many months ago
Tools used: Creation Kit, TES5Edit, Bulk File Changer, Microsoft OneNote
You may be asking, what do I need this mod for? There are plenty of Alternate Start mods out there that allow you play as a non-Dragonborn character who doesn't do the main quest! To this, I would say you're only half correct. There ARE plenty of Alternate Start mods out there that don't force you to start the main quest, BUT not every one of them actually prevents the player from absorbing dragon souls, interacting with word walls, and becoming the Dragonborn eventually should the main quest be triggered.
I found this mod while doing a paladin-style Dawnguard playthrough who was NOT the Dragonborn, using Arthmoor's Alternate Start. I eventually began the Gildergreen quest, which as you may know sends the player near enough to Helgen to trigger Alduin flying away and activating the "Investigate Helgen" quest that ASLAL uses to start the main quest. I didn't want to just ignore the quest, but did not under any circumstances want to be sent to the Greybeards down the line either. I couldn't find a way to get to the Eldergleam without triggering Alduin, so I decided to embark on the (not so straightforward) task of converting this mod to be used in Special Edition, and here it is!
This mod makes an excellent companion to Arthmoor's Alternate Start for non-Dragonborn characters (and should work with Realm of Lorkhan too, though I haven't tried it).
I wouldn’t recommend trying to use this with Skyrim Unbound/Skyrim Unbound Reborn, as that mod works by removing the main quest before the Greybeards calling entirely. Another nice alternative in case you have issues with the others for any reason, and to my understanding it has its own method for becoming Thane of Whiterun and handling dragon spawns.
So! Who might this mod be for?
- You absolutely adore ASLAL but don't necessarily want to become the Dragonborn just because you helped a tree,
- You REALLY like Bleak Falls Barrow and therefore don't want to use Unbound and skip this “legendary” dungeon entirely,
- You're not particularly partial toward ANY of the aforementioned mods one way or another, but you happened to choose ASLAL or RoL and are in way too deep to be restarting your character, OR
- The Helgen cart ride is your favorite part of the entire game (no alt starts at all) but are somewhat scared of Dragons and/or responsibility (saving the world is tough (you may want to try a different game (if this actually describes someone out there please let me know)))!
Some notes on features and compatibility:
Spoiler:
Show
- I've merged the three plugins of the original mod, since Dawnguard and Dragonborn are universally a part of SE. Wahoo for your plugin limit!
- I don't believe this is a suitable candidate for ESL-flagging as it contains scripts and quests and such. Not as wahoo for your plugin limit :(
- The original mod had a somewhat confusing BSA file structure, which has now been remedied! Nothing that stopped it from working properly, though.
- My first time using this as described above was a mid-playthrough installation and worked as intended. As the author notes, it could cause problems if you've already done Dragonborn-related things, but if you've never touched a dragon or a word wall you should be good to go. I have not, however, tried UNinstallation mid-playthrough, and wouldn't recommend it.
- I haven't tried the MCM option to enable dragon-spawning, as it doesn't make sense to me to be targeted by dragons while not being the Dragonborn (I just wanted to kill vampires, ya feel?). YMMV with this, there are a number of comments on the original modpage discussing various workarounds if you need it and it doesn't work.
- The base game's word walls are dim and non-functional while not the Dragonborn as they should be, but for some reason the DLC word walls still glow (though they correctly don't teach you a word). I have no idea why (or if it's just a conflict from my own modlist), but I'll be trying to figure out a solution to this.
- Dawnguard spoilers: Spoiler:ShowThe experimental Durnehviir measures mentioned on the original modpage seemed to be working in my last playthrough! He did respawn outside to address the player, but when the conversation got to where he'd teach you the shout and all that he just disappeared again. Not sure if this is exactly as intended, but suits me just fine. Slightly more spoilery, I can confirm that the OTHER 2 special Dawnguard dragons (in the very special place) were in fact disabled as well. Not sure how that last part interacts with the dragon-spawning MCM option.
- I have not tried going to Solstheim with this mod enabled, but I don't think it's possible to start (or at least complete) Dragonborn's main quest if you're not, well, the Dragonborn. I personally use Timing is Everything and set cultist attacks to not happen until some quest further along than Dragon Rising, which will then never trigger because you're not the Dragonborn. Immersion!
- If you get stuck on "Investigate the dragon" after killing Mirmulnir, I believe it's due to a conflict with Not So Fast - Main Quest (edits MQ104), and it can be resolved by moving this mod's ESP to be after that one in your load order (at least that's what worked for me). If you don't use that mod but still get stuck there please leave a comment about it.
- I have no idea if this works in AE (SE version 1.6+). If you try it, leave a comment about that as well!
- I think it would be cool if the "Are you a Dragonborn?" popup happened automatically after character creation (similar to Imperious, Wintersun, etc.) instead of having to use a power, but I have no idea how to do that. Maybe someday!
BIG thanks to thingyperson for being cool with this port and also answering a couple questions! The rest of what follows is the original mod's description (go drop an endorsement on it if you decide to use this, by the way). Remember to use the power that's added to your magic menu after character creation, and happy modding!
In Your Shadow adds an in-game option to play without dragonborn powers, and to stop the main quest right after becoming thane of Whiterun, without any indication that the player is a dragonborn. The mod still lets you choose to be a dragonborn, if you so desire. This means that you can switch between “dragonborn” and “common peasant” characters, without having to change your mod load order.
Important
If you have an existing character who has already learnt words of power, BE CAREFUL when installing this mod. If you choose not to be a dragonborn on that character, the visual and sound effects of the word walls you have already visited will become stuck on with no way to turn them off.
Required: Skyrim 1.8
Optional: SkyUI 3 or later (for the Mod Configuration Menu)
Optional: Dawnguard
Optional: Dragonborn
Overview
When you start a new game, or load an existing game for the first time afterinstalling this mod, you will receive a lesser power called “Dragonborn Awakening”. Using this power brings up a simple question, asking you whether you want to be a dragonborn. If you answer yes, you are granted an invisible perk, and the menu disappears, never to be seen again (unless you use the Mod Configuration Menu – see below). If you answer no, you do not get the perk, and the menu also disappears.
If you are a dragonborn, all word walls are enabled as usual, you can absorb dragon souls, and the main quest will proceed normally. If you are not the dragonborn, all word walls are simply there for decoration, dragon corpses remain intact, and the main quest ends at Dragon Rising. Dragon Rising itself will be a little more streamlined.
DLCs
The Dawnguard patch extends the mod’s functionality to Dawnguard’s word walls and adds an experimental (untested) measure to stop Durnehviir from respawning and addressing the player when you’re not a dragonborn.
The Dragonborn patch extends the mod’s functionality to Dragonborn’s word walls and fixes an incompatibility relating to the MQKillDragon script.
Compatibility & problems
This mod edits the base forms for word wall triggers and sounds. I don’t know of another mod that does that. A patch for Freedom of Speech is not required.
This mod edits two quests: MQ104 (Dragon Rising) and MQKillDragon, along with some related scripts.
Mod Configuration Menu
This mod comes with a basic config menu (SkyUI required to use the menu).
-Enable Dragons: Allows you to toggle random dragons at any time. Dragons are not automatically enabled when you’re not a dragonborn, so use this option if you want them.
-Re-add Menu Power: Lets you bring up the menu again, so you can choose once more, if you’ve changed your mind. I don’t recommend using this feature after you’ve slain Mirmulnir. Disable/enable all word walls: For debugging reasons, mainly. You don’t need these options during normal gameplay. Don’t enable all word walls if you’ve already learnt any words, because that will bug the walls in the manner described above. You could try to fix it by disabling all word walls. If you chose not to be a dragonborn and you want to uninstall the mod, it’s best to run “Enable all word walls” right before uninstalling.
Acknowledgements
Inspired by Moon-and-Star Ring – Morrowind Lore Friendly
Thanks to Arthmoor for answering some questions many months ago
Tools used: Creation Kit, TES5Edit, Bulk File Changer, Microsoft OneNote