Armored Skeletons
Version 1.1
Download: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=39784

1. Description

In vanilla Oblivion there are four types of skeletons (eight if we consider that each type can also be an archer). However, all of them look the same. The purpose of this mod is to fix this lack of differentiation by making skeletons wear armor in accordance to their rank (guardian, hero…) and combat specialization (melee or archery). These armored skeletons will wear a cuirass, a pair of boots and a helmet.

From version 1.1 onwards players will have to decide whether they want to replace all vanilla skeletons by my armored versions or if they would prefer to add armored skeletons as a separate creature. The later alternative means that the player would be able to encounter both armored and vanilla skeletons in his journeys. In this case, roughly 1 of every 2 skeletons found by the player would be armored.


- Armoreed skeletons wear heavy armor if they are melee-oriented and light armor if they favor archery.

-The more powerful an armored skeleton is, the higher the quality of his armor. ‘Plain’ skeletons wear iron/fur, ‘Guardians’ use legion armor/chainmail, ‘Heroes’ are equipped with orcish/mithril and ‘Champions’ rely on ebony/elven.

-Summoned skeletons are also affected by this mod. This includes the ones the player can summon and also those conjured by NPCs. In version 1.1 ALL summoned skeletons will wear armor.

2. Future Plans

- Retexture the armors so that they look old/rusty. I never made a retexture before so although I will try no promises here.
- Make the armor the skeletons wear lootable. This can be achieved by simply adding the relevant armor pieces in the skeletons' inventory. The problem with this approach is that removing the armor from the inventory will not cause it to get unequipped. I suspect I may need a special script for this. I will ask in the OBSE thread.


3. Compatibility

Two .esp files are provided with this mod: 'Armored Skeletons.esp' and 'Armored Skeletons (LL). esp'.

The first one replaces all vanilla skeletons by my armored skeletons. If you choose it, changes in the following entries of the CS will be applied to your game:

The second .esp file adds my armored skeletons as separate creatures. If you choose it, changes in the following entries of the CS and in the following leveled lists will be applied to your game:


Mods that alter such entries and leveled lists will conflict with Armored Skeletons. If you suspect you have a mod that modifies the same entries in the CS, please load it before mine so that the changes I made can take place in your game. If you have a mod that modifies the same leveled lists I edited, please use the 'merge leveled lists' function of Wrye Bash.

4. Known issues and bugs

Clipping. I tried very hard with blender to remove any clipping from this mod. These are the results:

You will not see clipping when the skeletons are stationary, move (walk/run) and attack with bows.
You will almost never see clipping when the skeletons go melee on you. Exceptions: two animations used by the Skeleton Hero and Champion are known to cause clipping: 2handpowerattack and 2handblockhit. The only way to fix those would be by editing the animations in blender and I don't know enough to do such thing yet.

5. Acknowledgements and Credits

Ginnungagap for his 'Skeleton Helmet Resource'. Thanks to him, I only had to adapt the mesh of the fur helmet.

Jahmir0 for his very insightful comments on how to make skeletons wear a cuirass as well as the likely problems one could encounter when pursuing this goal. The irony is that these comments were not directed to me but to another user. This didn't make them less useful though.

LHammonds for his tutorial 'Blender import and export armor for Oblivion'

6. Legal

If you want to use the meshes I adapted for your mod, please contact me first. I'm at Tesnexus and at the official forums. Nick is 'Tiny Lampe'.

These look cool - I assume making a bashed patch will let them work in a FCOM setup?

Yeah, that’s a very nice mod. I never fought about it like that.
Just to point out a little visual bug, the following models have transparent insides.

- sk_chainmail_cuirass.nif
- sk_elven_cuirass_noPauldron.nif
- sk_fur_cuirass.nif
- sk_iron_cuirass_noPauldron.nif
- sk_legion_cuirass_noPauldrons.nif
- sk_mithril_cuirass_noPauldron.nif
- sk_orcish_cuirass_noPauldrons.nif

I noticed it in one of the screenshots so I had to look at the models up close.

You can fix this by setting the textures to apply on both sides of the model.
The only problem is I forgot how to do it in NifSkope.
Hopefully someone ells will point out how to set it up.

You need to add NiStencilProperty to the mesh branches, that's what Sjors is talking about.

Also, can I suggest making worn-down/beaten/rusted/rotting textures for the armors? Seems strange that for skeletons they are wearing armors that haven't aged as much as their bones... Nevermind, I should read more

Yeah, that’s it.

1- Just open the meshes with NifSkope
2- Select the model part with the transparent inside
3- Right click on it, select Node, Attach Property
4- Select the NiStencilProperty
5- Save the mesh

Don’t forget to upload a new version for us all to use.

Thank you so much Sjors_Boomscors and ziitch for reporting the bug and helping me to fix it!

I did as instructed and I think the invisible insides are gone.

Here a couple of screenies:

http://imageshack.us/f/43/beforewv.jpg
http://imageshack.us/f/508/afterq.jpg/

Here the edited files uploaded at Forshare: http://www.4shared.com/get/Yltqdkaw/sk_cuirasses_fixed.html

Could you guys check them out and confirm that everything is OK? If it is then I'll update the mod.

Thank you!