So, I use alternate start mod (that is the only mod I have that changes the beginning of the main quest) and I began as a vampire. I use Better Vampires by Brehanin

I've had this problem before...but I'm thinking its not mod related, but if it is...it is either alternate start or better vampire. When I redid my mod list, the only mod I have that is the same is alternate start. I did have a vampire mod before, but I'm using a different one now. I reinstalled Skyrim and started completely fresh. I have 50 mods, but most of them are graphical. Again...this following bug NEVER happens if I do the prison start, or something other than a vampire...or if it starts in the day time.

The gameplay mods, besides the two above...SkyRE (but never had that problem with it).,..and actually I have only 3 gameplay mods that would do it. All my other mods are minor changes not related to quests, and most of my 50 or so esps are graphical.

As a vampire, I have to play during the night hours (in Skyrim). However, if I start as any other starts in the mod...or just start the regular prison on a cart...this doesn't happen. It seems to only happen as a vampire...or/and at night. As, if I play a start that doesn't change my race (to vampire) and do the main quest during the day hours...it doesn't happen. I can start as a bandit, and do the main quest...and it works fine. So, either its because the game didn't account for starting as a vampire and doing the beginning of the main quest...or the time of day...or a mix of both.

The bug is worse with Hadvar, but it happens with Ralof too.

What happens is, if I give a potion to Hadvar. He does his usual. But as soon as entering Riverwood, he sprints to the inn and then back to the entrance of Riverwood...and does this over and over.

If I wait or go to sleep, he just stands still and never does anything. I can still talk to him, but nothing else.

If I help Ralof, he makes it to Gerdur...almost...he stops just a bit ahead of the lumber mill (near the river), but then just stands there and doesn't do anything. No script happens or anything.

I tried sleeping 2 days. I tried waiting a few hours. And it gets weird...if I wait an hour...Ralof teleports to the spot he should be at. But nothing happens. If I wait another hour. He is back behind the lumber mill. And on and on.

I can still talk to Gerdur and the mainquest continues to Whiterun. But what I'm mostly curious...is it mod related? Is the main quest bugged if you are a vampire? The time of day or what?

If this part is bugged, will it effect the future main quests? Or should it be fine, since it continues (and goes past, made it to where the dragon is on the tower, killed it and that was fine. But that is when I reinstalled and redid my Skyrim mod list) just fine? It is only ralof and hadvar that are bugged for me.

It is just weird...hadvar sprinting as fast as he can. Ralof just standing there, then teleporting to two locations if I wait an hour each time. Everything else seems fine though.

I'm guessing it has to do with being a vampire uses a different race, so the game doesn't expect that in the opening part of the main quest. Or/and maybe the Better vampires mod. But it would explain it, and why the later quests I did worked just fine. Or the game expects it to be day time, and the scripts get messed up, since people are supposed sleep...and so the scripts conflict.

Has this bug occured for anyone else? If so, were you a vampire as well or what did you find cause it? Just don't want to keep playing, to find out a main quest later down the line, is broken.

My guess is it is time of day related. Doing it at night is messing with the NPC's normal AI routines.
If you're using Arthmoor's LAL, you don't need to play this scene out. You can just go straight to Whiterun to talk to the Jarl. It won't bug anything down the road.

Okay awesome. I thought it was probably time related too. Would make more sense than just being a vampire, since a lot of scripting conflicts.

I'll keep on playing then, normally.

Actually I had that exact thing happen to me with Hadvar, during the day.

Thing is that in my current game, with the exact same DLCs and mods as the previous game and in the same order, it didn't happen - Hadvar made it to the smith just fine. So for me it just seemed like a random glitch that had nothing to do with any particular mod.