New Skyrim Alternate Start Mod Lets You Play as a Non-Dragonborn Character

First released in 2011, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is still an excellent action adventure experience. In 2016, a remastered version of the game, Skyrim Special Edition launched with improved visuals and graphical effects. While the game gives the player complete freedom throughout the story, the repetitive intro sequence of the game can get boring. Released today, the Skyrim Unbound Alternate Start mod mixes things up by allowing the player to experience the world of Skyrim from the perspective of a non-Dragonborn character.

Alternate Start

Available to download for free on Nexus Mods, this mod has a lot to offer, including changed dialogue and various starting locations. When enabled, the Skyrim Unbound mod allows the player to skip the opening sequence, control dragon spawns, and play as a regular Skyrim citizen. As the main storyline of Skyrim has a lot of focus on the Dragonborn, a number of quests and dialogue have been removed. For example, as a non-Dragonborn, you will no longer have to acquire the Dragonstone for Farengar or defeat Mirmulnir for the Jarl of Whiterun.

In Skyrim Unbound, players have the choice of starting in a number of different cities, towns, holds, and even inns. By default, after a few weeks have passed in-game, dragons at word walls will become active, and shortly after, random dragon attacks will begin. For the non-Dragonborn characters, soul absorption will be disabled but shouts can still be learned from word walls. Additionally, the mod allows players to purchase Breezehome at the start of the game, although the price has been doubled for balance reasons.

The Skyrim Unbound mod is available for Skyrim on the Nintendo Switch as well, but does not feature a mod configuration menu. With the mod enabled, players can complete the Civil War questline without encountering dragons as a non-Dragonborn character. If the player wants to complete the main quest as a non-Dragonborn, all they need to do is absorb a dragon soul which will summon them to High Hrothgar by the Greybeards.