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In the beginning, stuff goes down and you must choose one of two NPCs. What are the differences between them in terms of how my choice-of-whom-I-pick will affect me?
I can grind Sneaking and One-handed on Ralof. Can this also be done on Hadvar?
NiteCyper
NiteCyperNiteCyper5,7382323 gold badges8484 silver badges145145 bronze badges
8 Answers
Roleplay/story factors aside, the main gameplay differences between the two are the gear you'll get access to during the Unbound quest, and the amenities and items you'll get in Riverwood.
If you plan to wear Heavy Armor and use One-handed Weapons, Ralof's a good choice - but if you plan to start levelling Smithing and/or use a Two-Handed Weapon, Hadvar may be preferable. You'll likely pick up a level or two your chosen skill(s) before you get out of that cave under Helgen.
Really, though, anything you pick up at this early stage is highly likely to be replaced once you start exploring properly - particularly if your questing takes you to the nearby Bleak Falls Barrow - and neither choice affects later quests in any major way, so don't lose any sleep over the decision.
If you follow Ralof:
- You will have the opportunity to take and wear Heavy Armor early on (taken from the first pair of Imperials you battle after getting your bindings removed,) but it will be a little longer until you get easy access to a Two-Handed Weapon.
- You will be directed towards, and become friendly with, Gerdur, Ralof's sister in Riverwood, providing you with a house in which to sleep and free access to some limited loot.
- You will be able to name-drop Ralof when encountering Ulfric Stormcloak in Windhelm (although this has no major effect on the dialogue or outcome thereof.)
- If you accompany Ralof to Riverwood, you'll recieve the miscellaneous quest to Join the Stormcloaks on your way out of the cave.
- During the Jagged Crown quest:if you've sided with the Stormcloaks and meet Ralof, he'll respond to you positively. (If you didn't follow him at the start, he'll respond in a more neutral manner. Neither affects the outcome of the quest, and for the remainder of the quests in this chain, his responses aren't affected by your actions in Helgen.)
If you follow Hadvar:
- You will have the opportunity to take and wield a two-handed weapon early on (taken from the first pair of Stormcloaks you battle after getting your bindings removed,) but it will be a little longer until you get access to Heavy Armor.
- You will become friendly with Alvor, Hadvar's uncle and the Riverwood blacksmith, providing you with free access to some limited loot and some Iron Ingots by the Anvil outside Hadvar's house.
- You will be able to name-drop Hadvar when encountering General Tullius in Solitude (although this has no major effect on the dialogue or outcome thereof.)
- If you accompany Hadvar to Riverwood, you'll recieve the miscellaneous quest to Join the Imperials on your way out of the cave.
- During the Jagged Crown quest:if you've sided with the Imperials and meet Hadvar, he'll respond to you positively (if you didn't follow him at the start, he'll respond in a more neutral manner. Neither affects the outcome of the quest, and for the remainder of the quests in this chain, his responses aren't affected by your actions in Helgen.)
Source: UESP, adventuring!
psyk0psyk0
The only differences are the route you take out of Helgen and the encounters there (side with Hadvar and you'll fight Stormcloaks, side with Ralof and you'll fight Imperials).
There are also slightly different rewards if you choose to follow them to Riverwood. Hadvar's uncle Alvor will give you free materials if you went with him whereas Ralof's sister Gerdur will let you stay at their house.
Both can be used for levelling- they're both invincible and never turn hostile.
Neither choice affects the Civil War Questline or any other quests.
It's also worth noting that neither Ralof nor the Stormcloaks tried to cut your head off. Just food for thought there..
shanodin9,13399 gold badges5353 silver badges8787 bronze badges
StudokuStudoku37.8k1515 gold badges113113 silver badges174174 bronze badges
Adding to Studoku's answer :materials are Iron Ingots and basic Iron equipment which becomes available for pickup near his forge.
If you are willing to steal they are easy to get ( as well as the steel ingots lying right beside them . just saying) and if you value the resting place, then siding with Ralof can be considered the better choice.
Community♦
CiacciuCiacciu
There aren't really consequences, but if you go with the imperial guy you get discounts on items at the blacksmith in Riverwood. And if you go with Ralof you get to stay at his sister house and her husband's. It wint effect civil war quests either
GeekyGamerGeekyGamer
The consequences of following either Hadvar or Ralof at the beginning of the game reflects on who you kill when escaping:
- If you follow Ralof, you kill Hadvar with the Imperial lady as they come through the gate together.
- If you follow Hadvar, you join up with him instead and kill the Stormcloaks (which is Ralof and his dead friend) trying to get through the gate.
Ever wonder what happened to either one after following one or the other? Now you know. You kill them escaping Helgen. Additionally:
- Ralof gives you more heavy armor and one-handed weapons as you fight through imperials to get out.
- Hadvar's path gives you more light armor and two-handed weapons early on as you fight through the Stormcloaks getting out, but does not reflect what you get after escaping as it's open-world.
- After getting to Riverwood, either one gives you a place to stay with their family and free stuff.
So in truth, it makes no real difference who you choose to follow escaping; only that you have the option of killing either one, which is why they are gone from the game after leaving Helgen.
Remember: both Ralof and Hadvar enter the same building on different sides. Hadvar's family has better valuable free stuff than Ralof's, and a better home with a basement to use anytime. However, Ralof's family member (Hod) gets stuck and never comes out of his home, so not deciding to follow Ralof early-game could result in a crime while trying to get to him to sell or to buy wood from him. He is not, however, the only one in charge of a mill in Skyrim.
No matter who you choose to follow early on, it comes down to who you like the best, and has no consequences in game as you can still join either faction no matter who you follow. I personally like following Hadvar as I like him more, but I have followed Ralof quite a bit in other play throughs. I tend to join the Imperials side most of the time, just because am a huge Game of Thrones fan and Ulfric's clothes remind me of Jon Snow's outfit :P
Keaanu10.9k1212 gold badges5757 silver badges101101 bronze badges
NXS1FYNXS1FY
A few years too late lol. Well if you follow Hadvar you end up killing Ralof and another Stormcloak in the beginning of the dungeon. Remember Ralof enter the opposite side, those tunnels ends up joining one another. If you follow Ralof you get to kill Hadvar and that stupid legion officer lady that wanted to chop off your head instead. Ever wonder why they disappear after Helgen well know you know. It doesn't take a mind f*ck to know that. It all rallies around who you like the most. It doesn't matter or have any late game choices other than that you sent one or the other to Valhalla escaping Helgen. The only difference is the rewards with armor or weapons early on escaping from Helgen, but that means nothing as you will find far better armors and weapons within your first few hours of gameplay. Following Ralof will grant more gold by selling items than you would necessarily with Hadvar. But gold is easy to come by in Skyrim if you know what your doing by picking up nearly everything to sell throughout your adventure. No weapon or armor in game is more powerful than the weapons and armors that you create and improve. You will get the dialog to join either faction Stormcloak or Imperial but you can get that dialog after talking to the other faction later in game. If you follow Hadvar and join the Stormcloaks Ralof is not around because hes dead and vise verse with Hadvar The choice is yours. Who you rather kill Hadvar or Ralof you can't avoid it. That is the only consequence. I say follow the one of the faction you rather join that way they are around and help you during the missions.
Wayne PadgettWayne Padgett
If you follow Ralof you get heavy armor right away but if you follow Hadvar you get two handed weapon right away
shanodin9,13399 gold badges5353 silver badges8787 bronze badges
saibinsaibin
Luke SmithLuke Smith
protected by Wrigglenite♦Jun 12 '17 at 12:16
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In the beginning, stuff goes down and you must choose one of two NPCs. What are the differences between them in terms of how my choice-of-whom-I-pick will affect me?
I can grind Sneaking and One-handed on Ralof. Can this also be done on Hadvar?
NiteCyper
NiteCyperNiteCyper5,7382323 gold badges8484 silver badges145145 bronze badges
8 Answers
Roleplay/story factors aside, the main gameplay differences between the two are the gear you'll get access to during the Unbound quest, and the amenities and items you'll get in Riverwood.
If you plan to wear Heavy Armor and use One-handed Weapons, Ralof's a good choice - but if you plan to start levelling Smithing and/or use a Two-Handed Weapon, Hadvar may be preferable. You'll likely pick up a level or two your chosen skill(s) before you get out of that cave under Helgen.
Really, though, anything you pick up at this early stage is highly likely to be replaced once you start exploring properly - particularly if your questing takes you to the nearby Bleak Falls Barrow - and neither choice affects later quests in any major way, so don't lose any sleep over the decision.
If you follow Ralof:
- You will have the opportunity to take and wear Heavy Armor early on (taken from the first pair of Imperials you battle after getting your bindings removed,) but it will be a little longer until you get easy access to a Two-Handed Weapon.
- You will be directed towards, and become friendly with, Gerdur, Ralof's sister in Riverwood, providing you with a house in which to sleep and free access to some limited loot.
- You will be able to name-drop Ralof when encountering Ulfric Stormcloak in Windhelm (although this has no major effect on the dialogue or outcome thereof.)
- If you accompany Ralof to Riverwood, you'll recieve the miscellaneous quest to Join the Stormcloaks on your way out of the cave.
- During the Jagged Crown quest: How to create an incognito shortcut specific website chrome.if you've sided with the Stormcloaks and meet Ralof, he'll respond to you positively. (If you didn't follow him at the start, he'll respond in a more neutral manner. Neither affects the outcome of the quest, and for the remainder of the quests in this chain, his responses aren't affected by your actions in Helgen.)
If you follow Hadvar:
- You will have the opportunity to take and wield a two-handed weapon early on (taken from the first pair of Stormcloaks you battle after getting your bindings removed,) but it will be a little longer until you get access to Heavy Armor.
- You will become friendly with Alvor, Hadvar's uncle and the Riverwood blacksmith, providing you with free access to some limited loot and some Iron Ingots by the Anvil outside Hadvar's house.
- You will be able to name-drop Hadvar when encountering General Tullius in Solitude (although this has no major effect on the dialogue or outcome thereof.)
- If you accompany Hadvar to Riverwood, you'll recieve the miscellaneous quest to Join the Imperials on your way out of the cave.
- During the Jagged Crown quest:if you've sided with the Imperials and meet Hadvar, he'll respond to you positively (if you didn't follow him at the start, he'll respond in a more neutral manner. Neither affects the outcome of the quest, and for the remainder of the quests in this chain, his responses aren't affected by your actions in Helgen.)
Source: UESP, adventuring!
psyk0psyk0
The only differences are the route you take out of Helgen and the encounters there (side with Hadvar and you'll fight Stormcloaks, side with Ralof and you'll fight Imperials).
There are also slightly different rewards if you choose to follow them to Riverwood. Hadvar's uncle Alvor will give you free materials if you went with him whereas Ralof's sister Gerdur will let you stay at their house.
Both can be used for levelling- they're both invincible and never turn hostile.
Skyrim The Choice Is Yours Bugs
Neither choice affects the Civil War Questline or any other quests.
It's also worth noting that neither Ralof nor the Stormcloaks tried to cut your head off. Just food for thought there..
shanodin9,13399 gold badges5353 silver badges8787 bronze badges
StudokuStudoku37.8k1515 gold badges113113 silver badges174174 bronze badges
Adding to Studoku's answer :materials are Iron Ingots and basic Iron equipment which becomes available for pickup near his forge.
If you are willing to steal they are easy to get ( as well as the steel ingots lying right beside them . just saying) and if you value the resting place, then siding with Ralof can be considered the better choice.
Community♦
CiacciuCiacciu
There aren't really consequences, but if you go with the imperial guy you get discounts on items at the blacksmith in Riverwood. And if you go with Ralof you get to stay at his sister house and her husband's. It wint effect civil war quests either
GeekyGamerGeekyGamer
The consequences of following either Hadvar or Ralof at the beginning of the game reflects on who you kill when escaping:
- If you follow Ralof, you kill Hadvar with the Imperial lady as they come through the gate together.
- If you follow Hadvar, you join up with him instead and kill the Stormcloaks (which is Ralof and his dead friend) trying to get through the gate.
Ever wonder what happened to either one after following one or the other? Now you know. You kill them escaping Helgen. Additionally:
- Ralof gives you more heavy armor and one-handed weapons as you fight through imperials to get out.
- Hadvar's path gives you more light armor and two-handed weapons early on as you fight through the Stormcloaks getting out, but does not reflect what you get after escaping as it's open-world.
- After getting to Riverwood, either one gives you a place to stay with their family and free stuff.
So in truth, it makes no real difference who you choose to follow escaping; only that you have the option of killing either one, which is why they are gone from the game after leaving Helgen.
Remember: both Ralof and Hadvar enter the same building on different sides. Hadvar's family has better valuable free stuff than Ralof's, and a better home with a basement to use anytime. However, Ralof's family member (Hod) gets stuck and never comes out of his home, so not deciding to follow Ralof early-game could result in a crime while trying to get to him to sell or to buy wood from him. He is not, however, the only one in charge of a mill in Skyrim.
No matter who you choose to follow early on, it comes down to who you like the best, and has no consequences in game as you can still join either faction no matter who you follow. I personally like following Hadvar as I like him more, but I have followed Ralof quite a bit in other play throughs. I tend to join the Imperials side most of the time, just because am a huge Game of Thrones fan and Ulfric's clothes remind me of Jon Snow's outfit :P
Keaanu10.9k1212 gold badges5757 silver badges101101 bronze badges
NXS1FYNXS1FY
A few years too late lol. Well if you follow Hadvar you end up killing Ralof and another Stormcloak in the beginning of the dungeon. Remember Ralof enter the opposite side, those tunnels ends up joining one another. If you follow Ralof you get to kill Hadvar and that stupid legion officer lady that wanted to chop off your head instead. Ever wonder why they disappear after Helgen well know you know. It doesn't take a mind f*ck to know that. It all rallies around who you like the most. It doesn't matter or have any late game choices other than that you sent one or the other to Valhalla escaping Helgen. The only difference is the rewards with armor or weapons early on escaping from Helgen, but that means nothing as you will find far better armors and weapons within your first few hours of gameplay. Following Ralof will grant more gold by selling items than you would necessarily with Hadvar. But gold is easy to come by in Skyrim if you know what your doing by picking up nearly everything to sell throughout your adventure. No weapon or armor in game is more powerful than the weapons and armors that you create and improve. You will get the dialog to join either faction Stormcloak or Imperial but you can get that dialog after talking to the other faction later in game. If you follow Hadvar and join the Stormcloaks Ralof is not around because hes dead and vise verse with Hadvar The choice is yours. Who you rather kill Hadvar or Ralof you can't avoid it. That is the only consequence. I say follow the one of the faction you rather join that way they are around and help you during the missions.
Wayne PadgettWayne Padgett
If you follow Ralof you get heavy armor right away but if you follow Hadvar you get two handed weapon right away
shanodin9,13399 gold badges5353 silver badges8787 bronze badges
saibinsaibin
Luke SmithLuke Smith
protected by Wrigglenite♦Jun 12 '17 at 12:16
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About this mod
Stop quests from starting automatically. Pursue the quests you want, ignore the ones you don't. Make your choices matter.
Mods requiring this file
Mod name | Notes |
---|---|
The Choice is Yours - Deutsch | |
The Choice is Yours - Fewer Forced Quests - Improved Dialogue Options - TRADUZIONE ITALIANA | |
The Choice is Yours - Fewer Forced Quests - Improved Dialogue Options PL - Polish Translation | |
The Choice is Yours - Italiano |
Author's instructions
You are not allowed to upload or distribute this file on any other website or platform.
You are not allowed to use the assets included in this file without permission from the author.
You are not allowed to package this mod as part of a mod collection.
You are not allowed to use assets from this file in any mods/files/collections that are being sold or distributed for money.
You are allowed to create compatibility patches for this mod as long as the patch requires that the user download the main file from this page in order to work.
TRANSLATIONS
If you wish to translate this mod into a language other than English, your translation MUST require that the user download the original file from this page in order to work. You have permission to upload and distribute, on nexusmods.com, only those portions of this mod that are required for the translation. Do not post translations on additional platforms or websites without written permission from the mod author. You are NOT permitted to release any stand-alone translations that would work without the user first downloading the file from this page.
You may opt-in to earn donation points for any mods (patches, translations, etc) that use my work, provided you've adhered to the permissions and terms of use as stated above.
For questions or to seek additional permissions, contact the author at [email protected]
You are not allowed to use the assets included in this file without permission from the author.
You are not allowed to package this mod as part of a mod collection.
You are not allowed to use assets from this file in any mods/files/collections that are being sold or distributed for money.
You are allowed to create compatibility patches for this mod as long as the patch requires that the user download the main file from this page in order to work.
TRANSLATIONS
If you wish to translate this mod into a language other than English, your translation MUST require that the user download the original file from this page in order to work. You have permission to upload and distribute, on nexusmods.com, only those portions of this mod that are required for the translation. Do not post translations on additional platforms or websites without written permission from the mod author. You are NOT permitted to release any stand-alone translations that would work without the user first downloading the file from this page.
You may opt-in to earn donation points for any mods (patches, translations, etc) that use my work, provided you've adhered to the permissions and terms of use as stated above.
For questions or to seek additional permissions, contact the author at [email protected]
File credits
Teabag86 for putting together the Legendary version of this mod.
Donation Points system
This mod is opted-in to receive Donation Points
Translations- Turkish
- Polish
- Italian
- German
Translations available on the Nexus
Language | Name |
---|---|
German | The Choice is Yours - Deutsch |
Italian | The Choice is Yours - Fewer Forced Quests - Improved Dialogue Options - TRADUZIONE ITALIANA |
Turkish | The Choice is Yours - Fewer Forced Quests - Improved Dialogue Options Turkish Translate |
Polish | The Choice is Yours - Fewer Forced Quests - Improved Dialogue Options PL - Polish Translation |
Italian | The Choice is Yours - Italiano |
German | The Choice is Yours - German |
Version 2.0
- Carried over a couple of minor changes from USLEEP (small grammar/text changes to the quest 'An Axe to Find').
Version 1.6
- Updated a handful of scripts with recent changes from the Unofficial Patches.
- LEGENDARY/DAWNGUARD: Reading the book 'The Aetherium Wars' will now present the player with a choice to pursue the quest 'Lost to the Ages' or ignore it.
Version 1.5.1
- Minor change. Legendary file name changed from TheChoiceIsYours_Legendary.esp to TheChoiceIsYours.esp
- This will allow greater compatibility for players using patches
Version 1.5
- Legendary version released. No other changes to the mod
- Vanilla and DLC versions available as an optional download for those who do not have all the DLC
Version 1.4
- Added 'Rise in the East'
- Added 'Buy Dwarven Artifact'
- Added 'Rebel's Cairn' and 'Forbidden Legend' (book starts)
- Added 'Promises to Keep'
- Added 'Delayed Burial'
- Changed 'The Man Who Cried Wolf' so the quest wouldn't start until you talk to either Elisif or Falk.
- Greatly improved the dialogue options for the quest 'Lights Out!'
- Carried forward changes from USKP Version 2.0.6 and earlier.
- Incorporated relevant changes from Even Better Quest Objectives; a patch is no longer needed as long as TCIY is loaded after Even Better Quest Objectives.
Version 1.3.1
Version 1.3
- Hopefully fixed issue where Azura's quest would dominate rumor dialogue.
- Removed 'Stendarr' reward for refusing Boethiah. Gauntlets were not deleted from the file, so players who have already received the reward won't lose them.
- Asking further questions of an Afflicted will result in a map marker for the Shrine of Peryite getting added to the map.
- Made a handful of changes to various quest scripts in order to carry over recent USKP fixes.
- Added 'The White Phial'
- Added 'A Lovely Letter'
- Added 'A Return to Your Roots'
- Added 'Missing in Action'
- DAWNGUARD: updatd 'Rising at Dawn' script to include changes added by Dawnguard.
- DAWNGUARD: map marker should no longer get added each time you hear dialogue about Dawnguard.
Version 1.2
- Added 'Thieves Guild' (Maul only; you still need Thieves Guild Requirements for Brynjolf).
- Added 'The Challenger'
- Added 'Frostflow Lighthouse'
- Added 'Moss Mother Cavern'
- Added 'Laid to Rest'
- Corrected several scripts so that quest objectives acquired prior to installing the mod will still be completed properly.
Version 1.1a
- Updated script for 'In My Time of Need' to include corrections made by the Unofficial Skyrim Patch
Version 1.1.2
Version 1.1
- Added 'Rising at Dawn'
- Added 'Soljund's Sinkhole'
- Added 'In My Time of Need'
- Added 'The Raid' and 'Supply & Demand'
- Added 'Lights Out!'
- Added 'The Man Who Cried Wolf'
- FIXED GAME BUG: Made previously unused dialogue available for 'Soljund's Sinkhole'
- Cleaned mod using TES5Edit
Version 1.0
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@@ -1660,3 +1660,24 @@ plugins: | |
# version 2.1 | |
- crc: 0xDD84DD4C | |
util: SSEEdit v3.2.1 | |
- name: 'TheChoiceIsYours.esp' | |
url: ['https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/3850/'] | |
after: | |
- 'BetterQuestObjectives.esp' | |
- 'BetterQuestObjectives - BCS Patch.esp' | |
- 'Book Covers Skyrim.esp' | |
- 'Immersive Citizens - AI Overhaul.esp' | |
- 'Relationship Dialogue Overhaul.esp' | |
msg: | |
- <<: *hasPluginPatch | |
subs: | |
- 'Book Covers SE' | |
- '[Book Covers Skyrim](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/3850/)' | |
condition: 'active('Book Covers Skyrim.esp') and not active('TCIY_BCS Patch.esp')' | |
tag: | |
- Actors.AIPackages | |
- Names | |
clean: | |
# 3.2 | |
- crc: 0x9F3FDA79 | |
util: SSEEdit v3.2.1 |
The Choice Is Yours Skyrim Xbox
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