The thrill of playing Skyrim is getting to roleplay as a mighty hero, battling across a frosted nation to save the world from annihilation. Sure, the sight of a Frost Troll, Giant Spider, or that first Dragon encounter can be pretty intense, especially early on. I wouldn’t say they were wholly fear-inducing, though, but that’s where one modder would disagree.
Back with another immersive way to play Skyrim, Nexus Mods user JaySerpa brings us “Stress and Fear,” a “dynamic sanity system” that actually gives your character a feeling of dread. As you wander this cold slice of Tamriel, enemy encounters can leave the Dragonborn feeling a little weakened from the stress of fighting and losing health.
Stress meters affect your stats, such as your Magicka, and you can even develop a fear of a particular enemy. Say you barely make it out alive after fighting a bandit, the next time you come across one, you will experience a kind of phobia. Defeating bandits will allow you to conquer this new-found fear, though.
[Pet dog to recover]
Fortunately, you can rectify these stress-inducing debuffs. Eating comfort food, such as sweetrolls, is just one way to make yourself feel better. As does drinking alcohol. In fact, according to the mod description, just four bottles of booze is enough to take you from 100 to 0 stress.
You can also take part in a relaxing activity, such as fishing, reading a book, or playing some music. And yes, in case you are wondering, petting a dog will also help reduce your fear and stress levels. Just like in real life.
JaySerpa’s mod also introduces dynamic story-telling. In this case, as you conquer your phobias, you will become stronger. Of course, you have to actually overcome the Dragonborn’s anxieties first. Gee, I wonder if there’s a mod that allows me to get over my fear of the London Underground.
