I think I'm using the latest version. I downloaded from Nexus today.

What actually happened was that I tried to fight a vampire and it used the life drain spell on me. So it would just hit me at first, and then keep hitting me, I may as well have been frozen in place. As a mostly melee character there wasn't much I could do. I seemed to be able to let off Unrelenting Force a couple times and hit the enemy once or twice, but they would quickly recover and just keep blasting me with life drain.

Is it possible at all that spells are hitting too frequently when they have the "continuous beam" behavior? If it has a ten percent chance to do a full stagger and it's hitting five times per second (I don't actually know how many times per second it hits, just speculating) then it seems to me that it would still be staggering fairly often.

Maybe make weak dps spells only do the camera shaking, while the big spells (projectiles) stagger just like currently is?

Let me try fighting a vampire in game and see... Otherwise, I guess you could enter the customization menu and allow enemies to be stagger spammed until I've fixed this


The problem with that is that I can't check how much damage was dealt in scripts. The only way to do this would be to, instead of using the script I use now, change every single spell in the game to have a chance for staggering, and that would of course be a lot of work, cause huge incompatibilities and not work for spells from other mods.

Been a while since last version, but next version should almost be up now. Here's what to expect for next version:

- Fixed a bug where normal attacks would only cost stamina if they also staggered the enemy
- Slightly increased stamina cost of normal attacks
- Reworked how staggering enemies works on an implementation level (on the level of gameplay it should work the same). First it worked through a perk, which I found out prevented vanilla perks using similar mechanics (for example the bleed perks) from working. Now it will work though scripts which are dynamically added and removed from actors around the player when necessary. This is fixed and now bleeding perks should work again. It might also increase compatibility with future mods.
- Now there's also a small stamina cost for being hit.
- Stamina costs for attacks and being hit will no longer be player-specific. All enemy actors will also face stamina costs.
- NPCs can now also stagger each other, with exactly the same functionality as already existed for player-to-NPC interaction. This will make for example the civil war fights much more realistic to look at.
- The optional (default on) cooldown on staggering to prevent the spamming of stagger will now also work correctly for magic and bows. This will make especially constant effects like the health-drains from vampires, ''flamethrower'' spells and cloak spells MUCH less annoying/gamebreaking.
- Timed blocking will get a condition to no longer work if the player has no weapons/shields equipped. This condition might make no sense initially since it is not possible to block without a weapon or shield in vanilla skyrim, but it makes a lot more sense for people using the Script Dragon version of my Dual Wield Parrying mod, with which it is possible to block with your bare hands.

Does anyone here use this mod with the Dual Wield Blocking mod? Both affect how blocking works in significant ways, so a compatibility report would be nice.

I made both of them, so not only have I made sure that they are compatible but I'm also going to have the 2 interact a bit. For example my next version of this mod will include conditions that the extra powerful timed block is not possible with your bare hands.

The new update looks very good Borgut!

I'd like to ask a clarification if possible because even after reading the readme it was not clear to me.

If an actor hits me with a melee weapon and I'm not blocking will I stagger (meaning I can neither attack nor move for a brief period of time) or will I recoil (meaning my camera will shake but I'll still be able to move, block etc)

If I time-block an actor's hit, you say the actor will stagger or recoil. Do them sometimes stagger and sometimes recoil? Shouldn't it make more sense if they always recoiled?

Finally, about staggering opponents by hitting them: I understand that there's an option that makes it impossible to keep staggering an already staggered opponent. However, what if you time your hits so that as soon as the opponent stops being staggered he is hit again? Wouldn't this strategy effectively perma-stagger him or is there something preventing that exploit?

Thank you for your work,
Tiny Lampe.

I actually like getting staggered by mages, because it does give them a chance to win. It's not like they're terrible hard to kill once you get into melee range. I just got ambushed by 4 apprentice necromancers (me with no Elemental Protection perk, just frost resist) and even with the stagger I was able to pull off a win. The normal attack recoil and their lack of a blocking mechanic makes them easy meat once you start digging your axe in. So if we had a surefire way to get into melee range, like charging in, then as long as we survived the initial onslaught, we'd be a little too golden imo.
Perhaps it could be balanced by making Wards absorb physical damage too? Or at least give all the mages a "Use Ward vs Melee" script so they won't be staggered as easily.

Fantabulous mod. Love it.
The block tree could use some work, though, since a few of the perks have been made redundant.
The first perk, shield wall, doesn't do much any more, since you block almost all damage from the beginning. Could be remade into faster blocking, perhaps?
Quick reflexes could also use some work, since you never really get a chance for it to proc when you're trying to time your blocks. Maybe it could slow time even if you're not blocking?
Keep up the good work!

Just uploaded a new version 2.40 to skyrimnexus.


If you get hit by an enemy, you will recoil, but that doesn't mean what you described It means a very short stagger with a different animation. You will be able to play again very quickly, but it will still interrupt any action you were taking at the time you got hit.

Time-blocking an actor recoils him if you time-blocked a power attack and it will stagger if you time-blocked a normal attack.

About stagger spamming enemies.. yes it might be possible in some cases (although they might also just block your next attack or attack you before you attacked them). But yes, it's very hard to balance without diving deep into AI.


It depends on what kind of mage it is really. Maybe some mages were fine, but some mages (like those using a cloak spell or vampires using a drain) were really impossible to reach. Let's see how it plays now in the latest update and I can always tweak it more if necessary.

Thanks for the answer Borgut!

See? I knew it would be useful to put between brackets what I thought "recoil" and "stagger" meant in Skyrim xD.
will try your mod soon!

Wow this mod sounds great! I'm using a different combat mod right now, but it's only ok. I really like the block mechanic in this one. Going to give it a go tonight. Thanks!

Borgut, this idea that Minimized proposed (faster blocking) would it be possible at all?

I believe that, right now, the time it takes from pressing the block button to actually block is slightly too long. I noticed it when fighting bandits and other human NPCs; if they do a powerattack then no problem, I have enough time to press the block button and my shield will stop the hit. If they do a normal attack however, that's a different story. Even if I press block as soon as the attack starts, most of the time my shield won't be raised on time and I'll get hit. That's why I developed the technique of constantly pressing and releasing block so that, when a hit comes, chances are that my shield will be in place. Of course that's not the most natural way of fighting so a slightly faster block will be most welcome.

What do you think? Possible? Have you experienced this issue I'm describing?

No I don't think faster blocking is possible without changing the animation (which first of all I can't do (but others probably can), and secondly that would mean it would be faster for everyone, and always, so not changeable through a perk). On the other hand, I don't really think it's a problem either. Yes, it's hard or impossible to block on time by reacting if the enemy does a quick attack. But what's wrong with that? That's the risk you take by just standing around waiting for him. Timed blocking should be rewarding if you time it exceptionally well, which is easier to do for power attacks and harder to do for normal attacks.

To timed block a normal attack you will have to try to predict what your enemy does. And I don't think switching between blocking and not blocking all the time works really well for getting timed blocks. Because my scripts need a little bit of time to react properly, you will find that if you do that it'll often not notice that you stopped blocking in between and will just count it as a long block. And that's good imo, because you're basically trying to exploit it

All I can think is... Dark Souls. Predicting what your enemy does is the difference between life and death.

Thanks again for the detailed answer Borgut;)

I confess I may be a little spoiled by Oblivion and its instant blocking system xD In Skyrim, you at least have to press the block button as soon as the attack animation starts in order to stand a chance. This makes more sense, I agree. The only thing that bothered me is that sometimes my shield is not there by so small a margin that the feeling of "almost there, but not quite" is overwhelming jaja.

This makes me wonder...what about weapon speed? Slowing swings down slightly will have the same effect as speeding up blocking. However, perhaps it's much easier to do since weapon speed modification is already present in the game (the shout called elemental fury increases (or rather multiplies I guess) weapon speed). Hypothethically, If the effect is there, wouldn't it be possible to reverse it so that weapon swings are a little slower? Perhaps this could even have beneficial side effects, like making it more difficult for the player to perma-stagger an opponent (since time between swing and swing is longer, the opponent would have more time to react...)

Just throwing the idea here. Sorry for coming to you with so many questions. I promise I'll now shut up (for today at least )

You can go in and modify every weapon's speed if you want... it would be a huge PITA though.

I guess it would work yeah... but I'm not sure if I want it My mod claims to do 3 things to combat: 1) more responsive 2) more realistic and 3) faster-paced. I'm not sure whether slowing down all weapons in the game would really help with the faster-paced thingie


Nah that wouldn't be needed... I already have the system in place to attach scripts to all actors around the player, I can use the same method to attach spells (and items and factions for that matter, only perks seems to be impossible) to all actors, and slowing down weapon speed could probably be made through a spell.

Hm I dont know, that would make some areas insanely difficult... Im remembering one cave where there was 3 mages up on a ledge and a crowd of 4-5 regular bandits down below(where you come in), yikes. Most mages have Ward and Shielding spells too... But sprinting seems like something worth trying.

Maybe having charge up spells(with cast times, like Fireball iirc) stagger but increase their casting times, but regular quick cast spells just do the little camera shake thing. But then youre getting into changing Destruction magic and NPCs , and I dont even know if its possible to change staggering on a spell by spell basis.

I think higher damage and lower speed (so that it balances out to the same or higher DPS) could make combat both faster-paced and more realistic. I think this would reward the player for precision on both offense and defense.

If you do tackle weapon speed, I'd hope it'd be optional, since that's an even bigger change than the rest of these modifications.

Also, as a note, many accounts say Elemental Fury is bugged and does not work with enchanted weapons, so avoid using that effect for anything. Instead you'd probably want to modify the Actor Value "WeaponSpeedMult".

WeaponSpeedMult works for almost all weapons (even bow draw speeds), but not for everything. For example, it is bugged to not affect dual dagger power attacks, and it has no effect on any kind of unarmed attack.

Yes, weapon speed is something that I want tweaked. Weapons are way too clunky and slow in Skyrim. Like wiz0floyd said there should be two options, faster but lower damage, or slower with higher damage. Also, if there is a way to add a global multiplier to weapon speeds, it needs to be implemented. I have a mod installed that increases weapon speeds but modded in weapons like Jaysus Swords are slower as a result.

Anyway thanks for the update, my game is awesome now.

Once SkyProc has access to WEAP records it should be possible to patch mod weapons as well as vanilla weapons to have a different speed.

Good work on the latest version by the way! However, one of the changes is causing some problems. The stamina cost on being hit applies to "flamethrower" type spells, which means a confrontation with a novice mage drains your stamina a ridiculous amount. It gets even more ridiculous when you go up against an ice mage.

I'd also like to suggest a slight increase in the delay between staggers, as stun-locking is still a little too easy (both to inflict on others and to recieve). Would it be possible to correlate stagger delay to, say, armor rating? The current delay could be used for an armor rating of 0, and greater armor ratings could provide a bit of extra time. This way, while you could easily get all up in a squishy mage's business, it wouldn't be so simple to stagger an armored bandit to death.

EDIT: a little more playtime has convinced me that stunlock is still absolutely terrible when going up against enemy mages. Primarily ice and lightning mages, which can both prevent you from retaliating (ice inflicts 2x stamina damage and slows, and lightning drains your magicka). The biggest problem is probably the fact that shouting is impossible during stagger (something Deadly Combat isn't responsible for).

Hmm I'll take a look at mages... not sure about that attack speed though, think there already are mods changing that and I'm not really bothered with it so think I'll just leave that to other mods.