New Unarmed Hand to Hand Skill by Budcat
Fast-paced Unarmed combat. And drunken boxing.
Unarmed Hand to Hand Skill by Budcat
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What do you want in an unarmed fighting mod? Fast punches, knockout blows, drunken boxing? Look no further.
This mod attempts to overhaul the unarmed system used in Skyrim by creating an entirely new perk tree. Actually creating a brand new perk tree graphically is not an option, so I placed the skill inside the Light Armor perk tree. It does not require a single point of light armor to begin getting the Unarmed perks, it is merely one of the smallest trees and was used for layout purposes only.
The new perks allow the hand to hand fighter to disarm opponents, paralyze them, stagger power attackers, and all manner of defensive effects. However the perk tree is designed to be large enough that you have to choose the type of unarmed fighter you want to create, focusing in some areas and ignoring others, unless you want to devote a very large number of skill points to the tree. Also, unarmed damage has been kept low to allow for faster attacking and more strategic combat. While the final perk has a “wuxia-esque” feel to it and drunken boxing was obviously inspired by Jackie Chan, most of the perks were created with the intention of keeping unarmed combat down-to-earth. No hadoukens here.
Unarmed combat in this mod utilizes a new type of weapon. This is a very unique weapon type that was needed to get around Skyrim’s many unarmed fighting limitations. These weapons are craftable, temperable, and enchantable (but not poisonable) and come in every material daggers, axes, etc. do. When equipped nothing is shown but regular unarmed fists but having the weapons equipped allows the perk skills to be activated and damage to be slowly increased the way the other weapons advance. Having unarmed weapons you can see, i.e. brass knuckles, is not an option in Skyrim, so you’ll have to rely on gloves and gauntlets to give you that effect.
These weapons, as I mentioned, are sellable, craftable, enchantable and improvable and priced like the other weapons, just below daggers. They equip in either hand and crafting creates a pair. Unarmed attacks now attack slightly faster than dagger strikes and do a little less damage, effectively making a new lowest-power, highest-speed weapon bracket.
When you begin play you will notice your punches seem unchanged. You need to go craft the new weapon or visit the dojo and buy some. You will find three options when you are crafting or buying the item: (LA), (1H), (2H). This allows you to decide what skill the weapon uses for determining total damage and which skill hitting enemies with your fists will raise experience for. If you aren’t using light armor, you can use the (LA) gloves, which have the best functionality. They will raise the light armor skill, and when using the Unarmed Perk tree within the Light Armor tree, the weapon type and perk tree will work together just as One-Handed and Two-Handed do.
But you still have options based on the build of your character. If you want to use light armor, and don’t want the fists to also raise light armor, you can use 1H or 2H instead, whichever weapon type you don’t intend to use with that character. The damage you do will be based on the One-Handed or Two-handed skill, but the new Unarmed Perks in the Light Armor tree still affect it, not the One-Handed or Two-handed perks. Allowing you to have a separate, additional source of experience and skill points for leveling. The only downside to this method is that only your light armor skill will unlock new unarmed perks, so even if you’ve gotten your two handed skill up to 60 punching things, if your light armor skill is still 49, that 50 level unarmed perk will still be unavailable until that next point in light armor.
Everything included in the mod was created from scratch and impacts minimally on original files. This should allow the mod to be used simultaneously to most other mods, provided they don’t modify unarmed statistics, unarmed related skills or the Light Armor or Sneak skill trees.
I tried very hard to create a balanced mod that would not make unarmed fighters the most superior fighter out there. In fact unarmed fighting does very little damage, but now attacks are very quick, so it favors a very fast paced and mobile combat style. I think people will find their unarmed fighters very weak in the earlier portions of the game, but in time become very dangerous, in contrast to being over-powered and becoming weaklings over time in Vanilla. I am very proud of how this mod turned out. It was a painstaking, brainfrying process but it came together beautifully.
Please note: Since the dropped weapons are black rings, and often bug out immediately when dropped, it is recommended you don’t ever drop them, but rather put them in containers or sell them to get rid of them. You can’t ever be forced to drop them by being disarmed, etc.
Also, if you wish to wield the unarmed weapon in one hand and another melee weapon in the other, the unarmed weapon must be in the right hand, otherwise right clicking will only block with the melee weapon.
Also, the screenshots currently up are slightly out of date in a few minor ways:
1) Daggers will no longer appear for the items in your inventory, there will simply be nothing there.
2) Crafting now creates a pair instead of a single weapon.
3) The items must be equipped one in either hand instead of just one weapon in both hands.
4) The skill tree has been modified (rearranged) from what is visible in the pictures.
The New Dojo!
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Version 2.0 added a brand new Dojo, Rawlith Khaj Dojo and Martial Arts Supply Store, nestled high above Riverwood. Inside, elderly Khajiit martial arts master Dro’doqani will sell you fist weapons based on your level as well as a new novelty training gi. There is a map marker for quick traveling and while you are never trespassing while inside, Dro’doqani’s business hours are from 6:00 am until 10:00 pm. If you’re too early or too late, he won’t mind if you nap in his bed, all he ever does is practice.
I uploaded a map for reference but here’s directions as well: Starting at the Guardian Stones, head back uphill towards where you escaped Helgen and take the first left (east). The path appears just after a very round, rocky outcropping. Head down this path just a bit and you should see it just off the path on your left, up on a hill. There will be a shack marker on your compass so it will be hard to miss.
Compatibility Options
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Like mansh00ter’s Total Realism – Basic Needs mod?
-OR-
Prefer Andrewpk’s Basic Human Needs – Food Drink and Sleep mod?
Download the optional compatibility fix and enjoy this mod with either!
Changes from Vanilla
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Obviously the Light Armor tree has been vastly expanded but the light armor perks are otherwise untouched.
Two sneak attack perks for unarmed attacks have been added to the Sneak tree.
The Khajiit racial bonus has been modified for use with this mod.
A lesser claw bonus has also been added to the Argonians to rationalize their claw strikes. (And if you use my Lore-friendly Races mod Sea Elves as well.)
The Fist of Steel Heavy Armor perk has been adjusted to compensate for the mod.
