Crime

Overview

In Skyrim, Crimes are reported to an Actor's Crime Faction. Crimes are only reported if they were witnessed by an Actor who reports crimes; if an Actor without a crime faction witnesses a crime, they will warn the player or start combat directly. If the last Actor who viewed a crime is killed before guards arrive, the crime gold is removed.

Types of Crimes

There are a number of different types of crimes in Skyrim, and Actors will react differently depending on the type of crime committed.

Minor Crimes

• Trespassing: Entering a cell marked 'Off Limits', or failing to leave an owned cell when instructed to do so by the owner.
• Pickpocketing: Trying and failing to pickpocket an item in another Actor's inventory.
• Theft: Taking an item marked 'Steal'.

Major Crimes

• Assault: Attacking a guard or civilian.
• Murder: Killing a guard or civilian.
• Escape: Escaping from jail after being imprisoned.

Special Crimes

• Vampirism
  • Feeding on a guard or civilian, if detected, is treated as an assault.
  • As a Stage 4 vampire, all guards and civilians will be hostile, and fighting back is considered a crime (assault or murder, as appropriate).
• Lycanthropy
  • Transforming to/from Beast Form in sight of a guard or civilian is a crime.
  • While in Beast Form, all guards and civilians will be hostile, but fighting back is not a crime.
• Cannibalism
  • Feeding on a corpse, if detected, is treated as an assault.

See Also

• Creating a Custom Crime Faction