Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ

"Is this mod compatible with "x" mod?"

The Serana Dialogue Add-On (SDA) works with most mods, but there are some exceptions. Mods that add to Serana's dialogue, such as SDE, Serana Relationship Revamped, and Marry Me Serana, are not compatible. Additionally, some quest edits or overhauls may be incompatible due to changes to quest stages or NPCs, which SDA relies on for the correct Serana commentary to trigger. While some of these mods, such as Timing is Everything, will receive official awareness and compatibility support in the future (as outlined in the Planned Content Article), others are not on the list. Third-party developers can make their own patches, but they must first consult with me.

If you hear Laura Bailey's dialogue instead of the new actress (Kerstyn), it may be due to another Serana dialogue mod in your load order. You can use LazyVoiceFinder to identify the culprit and download a patch from the SDA Patch Hub or contact the SDA team for support. For more information on compatibility, visit the website's compatibility section.

"Is it safe to update this mod?"

Read the description before installing SDA. Existing saves are safe for versions 4.0 and newer. Users on versions 3.3 and older need to start a new game when updating. Remove old SDA versions and loose files before installing the latest version.

Installing SDA mid-save is technically possible, but not recommended. A message box may appear for enabling SDA's romance if you're far enough in the Dawnguard questline. Uninstalling SDA mid-save may corrupt your save and is not recommended.

"Are there console commands to fix quests or features I'm stuck on?"

To resolve issues in SDA quests, there are various quest commands and non-console methods available depending on the problem. Additionally, you can join the Discord channel and seek support by sharing details of the issue in the troubleshooting channel or by directly messaging Taylor, a moderator, on Discord @ taylorclone#2001 or on the Nexus @destroyaha. 

"How can I get Serana to sing?"

Ask her about her hobbies back on the island first.

"Does Serana feed?"

I think that should already be a given, although I don’t depict that in the mod. Save it for your headcanon. For roleplay/immersion purposes, she periodically drinks blood potions with both a visual bottle and message notification but they have no impact on gameplay.

"How can I experience the most amount of content that this mod has to offer?"

Start Dawnguard as soon as possible, which means heading to Dayspring Canyon as soon as you've left Helgen or begun your Alternate Start.

In order to unlock dialogue for things such as guild commentary and the main questline, you have to become her friend first. You may receive a message when you start Prophet and she follows along with you that states something along the lines of warming up as a friend first. This is when you can start becoming friends with her. You can do this via spending a week in-game with her or going through her new dialogue options until you get the "Do you have anything else you wanted to ask me?" topic in which she asks "What brings you to Skyrim?". After that conversation, you will get a message stating she is your friend now.

"Can you ESL-ify this mod?"

No. This is too large of a mod (both currently, and in terms of planned scope) for that. Also, I would not like to break people's saves.

"Does SDA change things within Dawnguard?"

No, it doesn't. If something is wonky, it's probably either A. a mod conflict, B. another faulty mod, or C. you don't have the USSEP installed.

"Do I need a patch for Serana's banter with other custom-voiced followers?"

No, you don't. All of that content is already integrated into the SDA .esp, all without requiring any of the followers master files.

"Your mod causes freezes" or "It crashed my game!"

This is a dialogue mod. There is a slim to none chance that it would be the cause of stuttering or crashes. SDA's scripts are efficient, and only occur when some dialogue or scene triggers fire. If you're having these issues, there's something else in your load order causing it.

"I've noticed a bug, consistency issue, or a feature of the mod that could be improved"

If you are 100% sure that your bug is caused by my mod, and not from a simple conflict, load order issue, or another mod entirely, then first make sure you are using the latest version of SDA; besides new content, those contain the latest bugfixes/improvements. If the bug hasn't been covered or fixed, make a new post or comment on an existing report if other users have been experiencing the same issue.

You can join our Discord to report the bug/issue in the troubleshooting channel. Reports should only go in the bug report channel if you and others can reproduce the issue reliably. You can also DM Taylor (a moderator) on Discord @ taylorclone#2001 or on the Nexus @destroyaha.

"I'd like to donate!"

I will never charge anyone for this free mod and Kerstyn and I only work on Serana due to our love for the character. On the other hand, we do spend a lot of time and effort on this mod, so if anyone would like to subscribe to SDA's Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/martimius) it would really be appreciated. 

Seriously, thanks to all who wish to do this. I'm very grateful.

Serana Romance FAQ

How does this work, story-wise? 

The Serana romance quests occur during and throughout the Dawnguard campaign, but unlike Amorous Adventures, they would focus on an actual romantic relationship being developed between the player and Serana (something hinted at, but not fully explored in the vanilla game). After the Serana romance is finished, quick, repeatable romance scenes will be made available to the player. 

Why is Serana romanceable?

I've implemented a Serana romance as I see it to be an extension of Bethesda's original plans for the character. If you look into the actual Dawnguard records, besides being referenced as "DLC1Serana", Serana is also uniquely referred to as "RomanticFollower". This is a handle specific to her, and not available to any other NPC in the game. This "RomanticFollower" record is responsible for and linked to her unique vanilla relationship mechanic, animations, and dialogue moods (in fact, one of those emotions/moods is called "Flirty"). If I were a betting man, Bethesda most probably intended for her to be romanceable in the vanilla game, but had to cut it sometime in development either due to budget or time constraints. 

Also, besides the technical aspect of the Serana romance, let's talk about story reasons. People have brought up before that due to Serana's past trauma and dysfunctional family experiences, she would not like to engage in romantic relationships. However, it is also important to note that while this definitely will be a limiting factor, it is not an end-all, be-all. Just because Serana may have existing biases and safeguards against family attachment, it does not mean she can't ever get in a relationship. Serana could also use a positive monogamous relationship to move past her family trauma- showing her that marriages don't have to be dysfunctional and broken if done right- and sex can also be used as an act of love, not only domination. It is also noteworthy that Serana most probably attached her trauma to religious temple rituals, not just physical intimacy.

Notes about the mechanics of the romance mini-quest: 

To experience everything, a fresh Dawnguard save (Serana was never met before) would be ideal. However, if the player installs/updates the mod during Dawnguard, they'd still be able to access the romance quests that haven't occurred yet (since they are largely dependent on the DLC quest progress, with some exceptions). 

However, if the player installs/updates the mod after Dawnguard, then they won't be able to experience most of the romance quests, but they'd still get access to some post-Dawnguard romance conversations and features (including the Serana marriage).

For those who don't want to romance Serana: 

It's important to note that all of this is optional. When you first meet her, there would be a dialogue option to reject her outright (for the RP of certain characters, or players who just wouldn't prefer it). Later on, as well, there would be a dialogue option for players who would only want to pursue a platonic relationship. Romancing Serana is also only available for players who are currently single/unmarried in the game. Amorous Adventures/FG lovers are not affected by this, only spouses that the vanilla game recognizes.

Marrying Serana? 

For the romance, marriage is implemented, but not in the official sense. That means potentially eloping with Serana at the end of the romance questline, but no formal marriage ceremony (due to Serana's past trauma with temple ceremonies, i.e. Molag Bal and how she first became a vampire). 

Animation patch? 

Flower Girls, OStim, and Sexlab are supported via their respective patches on the SDA Patch Hub.