So I'm trying to figure out how to do this. Basically, I want to be able to increase the intensity the player is staggered under certain conditions. I.E a light stagger vs a hard or long stagger. I've also been looking into increasing the chances of the player getting knocked down in certain instances.

Here's several ideas I had to accomplish this, but none of which I've managed to figure out. Any help:

Idea one: Somehow, apply a spell effect through a script to the player. In other words, "cast" a spell on the player that causes them to get knocked down or staggered with a certain magnitude. Unrelenting Force, basically, except applied to the player, through a script. I can't seem to figure out a way to do this - I can add the actual spell under certain conditions, but I can't seem to find a way to actually apply the effect to the player.

Idea two Via a script, detect when player is hit. Then, check if staggered. If staggered, knockdown the player. I can't find ANY fucntions that can check if staggered or deal with staggering at all.

Idea Three Via a script, somehow change Race settings or Game Settings. There are several gamesettings/racesettings that directly deal with stagger intensity, knockdown, etc. Shame I can't figure out how to dynamically change them!

So any help here? I'm at a roadblock here. I know it must be possible seeing as Tytanis was able to get knockdowns to happen when the player is hit with bolt spells.

Check out a spell like firebolt. See the effect "Perk Impact Stagger"? You should check out the magic effect and mess around with magnitudes.

I've already got a framework set up like that, the problem is those effects only trigger on the target of X attack, and they don't deal with intensity.

I need to stagger the player -in general- when he/she is hit with any attack, and somehow be able to increase the intensity of that stagger effect depending on certain conditions (low stamina, in this case).

I've already been able to do the first two things (with low stamina, increase global stagger chance via a hidden perk) and now I want to increase stagger intensity, OR cause a knockdown (if the former isn't possible). Spells like Unrelenting Force and Impact deal with stagger intensity, the problem is that they are fire+forget spells. As such it's something that has a caster AND a target. I have no caster in what I want to do, just a target.

Maybe

Ref.SetAnimationVariableFloat("StaggerMagnitude", Value)

Could help?

[Edit] Or...

If GetAnimationVariableFloat("StaggerIntensity")  Value

Is there an intensity to stagger? I just tried what I suggested and changed the magnitude for the Firebolt spell. Didn't notice any difference between 0.25 magnitude and 250 magnitude.

Maybe you should just go with the knockdown by using http://www.creationkit.com/PushActorAway_-_ObjectReference.

The http://uesp.net/wiki/Tes5Mod:Actor_Value_Indices lists a mass actor value, you could try modifying that.

Hmm I'll look into that actor value. I'll report back if it seems to do anything.

Also, odd about that stagger multiplier not working. I assumed that's how it worked considering the only thing Unreleting Force does between each of its levels is increase the multiplier of a stagger magic effect made just for it.