[SSE] Trust Fund Brats - an Adoption Alternative

[JustAnotherNewModder]

To Start

I have no idea how to make what I am requesting, if anyone wants to make this mod, you have my full support to use the idea, and the title I've proposed. Naturally, I wouldn't say no to credit for the idea on the mod page. I don't believe - to the best of my knowledge - this concept exists as a mod.

 

The Concept

Like so many Skyrim players, I own too many player homes (PHs). I have a mod PH that I actually use, plus PHs in all the cities that I purchased to complete thane quests. They stand empty, but for the housecarls occupying them. I have started thinking of these PHs as a charity case: as a Thane, I do not live in a city, I am a landowner in the city, and the housecarls are my tenants. This headcanon has led me to think: Why can't I make these homes available to the homeless children of Skyrim? I'm an adventurer, not a parent, but I'm a rich adventurer. Let me do some good.

 

Details (or: how I imagine it)

The mod will provide an alternative to the adoption system where the Dragonborn can set up a trust for a homeless child. Once the thane quest for a city has been completed, and the PH purchased, the mod kicks in:

- Speak to your housecarl in the city (say, Lydia) who now has a new dialogue option: "Would you be willing to act as guardian for [Lucia]? She has no home and no family who can care for her. (Lucia being the homeless child in Whiterun; this would change by city.) Lydia will naturally reply in the affirmative if a child's room is available in Breezehome (e.g., "War and lawlessness have left so many victims. If I can help, I will. Yes my Thane, I would gladly care for [her].") otherwise she tells you her home isn't suitable (e.g., "I would, but there is no suitable room for her in my home. Perhaps you would be willing to pay for the renovations, my Thane?").

- Next, speak to the Jarl's Steward "I would like to sponsor [Lucia] as a ward of [Whiterun]. I will set up a fund necessary to provide for [her] until [her] majority. [Lydia] will act as her guardian until that time. (5000)"

- The funds are removed from the Dragonborn, Lucia is removed from the adoptable child list, and is assigned to Breezehome as her house. She will thank the Dragonborn if spoken to, but does NOT call the Dragonborn her parent. She now spends her days exploring the city and playing with the other children. Perhaps she has interactions with Lydia, too, for example, they might take a walk together.

- Aftermath: City Wards (Lucia, etc.) no longer have beggar dialogue, live in the PH in that city, and do not address the Dragonborn as parent. This is a feel-good way to address the adoption quest line without having to adopt children yourself, or to overcome adoption limits (two by default, six with multiple adoption mods) so that there are fewer homeless children in Skyrim. This provides an immersive purpose for unused PHs. I think this always should have been an option with Hearthfire.

 

Other Options

- The ability to send children to a PH arbitrarily, e.g., sending Lucia to Hjerim in Windhelm. I don't see this as a necessity, and it might overcomplicate development.

- Options for every homeless child in Skyrim. There are lot in Riften's orphanage; too many for Honeyside. Perhaps they default to the Hearthfire houses?

Edited June 23, 2023 by JustAnotherNewModder

[7531Leonidas]

There are a couple of orphanage mods that allow you to send homeless waifs to their facilities to live, just in case you are not aware:

 

Stonehall Orphanage ( https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/29747 )

 

Kinghall Orphanage ( https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/64908 )

[JustAnotherNewModder]

Thanks for the pointers. I appreciate you taking the time to share. I don't think either will work with the city mods I have installed, though, and I'm not willing to give those up.

 

More thoughts to elaborate on the concept:

 

Part of this mod idea is to help Skyrim's homeless children using money. I don't want to adopt them myself, but I'll happily Warbucks them into news homes for immersion. The recommended mods add more orphanages, which isn't the feel-good solution I'm hoping for, even if it is a better outcome than leaving Skyrim's homeless children on the streets. My other hope is that TFB would be light weight. It would be dialogue and character changes. No map changes, so it would be compatible with city mods.

 

(At least I hope that's how it would work.)