Modders have put an awful lot of effort into making sure Skyrim has continually evolved and expanded in the years since it was first released into the world.
Many have focused on changing the game by overhauling iconic quests, making things more immersive, and adding real-world pets to it, with a few even going as far as re-creating areas from previous Elder Scrolls games or giving players the ability to pretend they’re playing Dark Souls.
If you’re one of those players who loves to roleplay as a warhammer-toting barbarian to fit the vibe of the frigid province, but regularly find yourself missing out on valuable loot because you refuse to waste perk points on improving your lockpicking, a new mod might be worth taking a look at.
Fancy giving your heavy-handed warrior a break from futile fiddling with locks?
The mod in question is called ‘Brute Force - Simple Lock Bash SKSE’, and is the work of modder edenstal92, whose previous work has given you the chance to become shield-siblings with Aela the Huntress and made some texture tweaks to FrankDema’s Nordic Ranger Outfit.
This time, they’ve decided to make a Skyrim Script Extender plugin that will allow characters who aren’t skilled locksmiths, or who simply want to save themselves a bit of time mid-dungeon run, to bash through security measures using their armaments.
In order to ensure that this change is implemented in a balanced manner, they’ve set limits on which kinds of weapons can crack open certain difficulty levels of lock, ensuring that you can’t wallop your way into great gear at level one.
For example, if you’re rocking a steel battleaxe, you might be able to crack open containers with novice and apprentice locks, but you’ll need to upgrade to its ebony, orcish or glass variant if you want to have a chance at breaking through an expert level lock.
Meanwhile, if you’ve got your eye on a master lock, you’ll need to be rocking endgame-level Daedric or Dragonbone gear to be able to break in, assuming you haven’t taken a trip to Solstheim for some Nordic or Stahlrim equipment
This is the extent of the mod’s scope for now, though edenstal92 does suggest that they’re considering adding the ability to melt locks using potions and beat them open using your bare fists to it in future updates, so if those match your playstyle, it might be worth checking in on the mod in a few months time.
For now, if you want to install it, you’ll first have to grab the Skyrim Script Extender (linked above) or its VR equivalent, as well as meh321’s ‘Address Library for SKSE Plugins’ and ‘powerofthree's Tweaks’.
Regardless of whether you’re now hastily trying to explain to someone why you’ve broken their door down with your enchanted mace, make sure to follow us for more updates on The Elder Scrolls 6 and the interesting world of Skyrim modding. You can also check out our mods of the month for January 2023.