Brawl results in NPC deaths

[anonymouselbow]

Every brawl but one has resulted in the NPC's death, but I don't know why.  I do have the setting so that no NPC is marked as essential, could this be the cause?

[Greg]

Yes, installing a mod that removes the essential setting from all NPCs can cause brawls to end in death. Killing NPCs that are required for quests may also break these queues meaning either the quest can never start or the quest can never be completed.

[anonymouselbow]

I didn't install any mods yet, but I did find the Beth INI setting to mark NPCs non-essential, or maybe it was a console command, not sure right now which it was.  But if that is the factor, then I guess I change it before I brawl again?

I changed the setting because followers that are defined with "foolhardy" confidence makes no sense to me, and just presumed that combat marked as "brawl" would get priority/be isolated from the changed setting.

Edited January 29, 2022 by anonymouselbow

[Greg]

I'm not aware of any setting to mark all NPCs non-essential, but it can be done with console commands and I think there are a few mods that do this. I've never done this because it can break quests even though having foolhardy farmers is seemingly nonsensical as well.

[anonymouselbow]

Okay, I must've done it with console command, was quite a while ago now.  I think I changed that setting after acquiring the red-head Nord from the Bannered Mare in Whiterun.

(Serana which I posted about recently, was also and surprisingly designated foolhardy evidently, and she killed herself in a dwarven ruin.  Strange because she was cautious not to trade with me when meeting her, and comments how she was always told to stay away from these types of ruins, but she still followed me.)

Edited January 30, 2022 by anonymouselbow

[Greg]

Serana is essential when you find her because she is required to complete the quest line. If you make her non-essential and she dies, I believe the elderscroll is not a lootable item in her inventory. She is also required when she confronts Harkon, when she appears in Fort Dawnguard, and she is required to get you into Soul Cairn. There may be a few other places she is required to progress quests to the next stage.