The Elder Scrolls V: Hearthfire

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The Elder Scrolls V: Hearthfire
Publication Information
Developer	Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher	Bethesda Softworks
Release date	Xbox 360: Sep. 4th, 2012 Windows: Oct. 4th, 2012 PlayStation 3: 19 Feb 2013 (USA) 20 Feb 2013 (Europe)
Modes	Single Player
Platform	PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Game Information
Setting	Skyrim
Time Period	4E 201

The Elder Scrolls V: Hearthfire is the second official add-on for the fifth installment in The Elder Scrolls series, Skyrim.

Released for the Xbox 360 on September 4th, 2012. Hearthfire focuses around purchasing land and designing, building and maintaining a homestead. The option to hire stewards, carriage drivers and a personal bard are also available. With five pre-built purchasable houses already present in Skyrim, it's now possible to own property in every hold, except Winterhold.

In addition, an adoption mechanic has been introduced that allows the Dragonborn to adopt children and raise them in the newly built home, provided there is room for them. Previously bought homes can be altered to have a children's bedroom fitted into them.

Official summary

Create a living home
With this official add-on to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, you can purchase land and build your own home from the ground up - from a simple one-room cottage to a sprawling compound complete with an armory, alchemy laboratory, stable, garden, and more. Use all-new tools like the drafting table and carpenter's workbench to transform quarried stone, clay, and sawn logs into structures and furnishings. Even transform your house into a home by adopting children.

Building a homestead

The early stages of construction in the marshes of Hjaalmarch.

Main article: Homestead (Hearthfire)

The first step to building a homestead is to purchase one of three plots of land available and obtain a title deed from the local Jarl or steward. Multiple plots can be purchased, and a house can be built on each.

The locations for building a homestead are:

• Heljarchen Hall, located in the snowy tundras of The Pale.
• Lakeview Manor, located in the dense forests of Falkreath.
• Windstad Manor, located near the salt marshes of Hjaalmarch.

After a plot has been purchased, the Drafting Table is used to plan any structures to be added, and the Carpenter's Workbench is then used for the actual building of the house.

The building itself is typically composed of several housebuilding materials, including Quarried Stone, Clay and Sawn Logs, that when combined make up the structure of the house.

Furnishings

A trophy room with several taxidermied creatures.

Main article: Furnishings (Hearthfire)

Once the main building or a wing has been constructed, an interior workbench can be used to furnish each room.

Furnishings can be either bought directly from a steward or crafted using a wide variety of items. Furnishings vary for each type of building addition and include:

• Alchemy Lab
• Arcane Enchanter
• Armor Mannequins
• Divine Shrines
• Display Cases
• Most regular furnishings found in homes.
• Smithing stations
• Taxidermied or mounted creatures.
• Weapon Racks

Servants

Several types of servant can be hired to perform different tasks around the house:

• A Steward can be hired to buy raw materials for building the home and equip it with furnishings. Followers can be turned into a steward. Any housecarl from the various holds can be hired as the Steward. Stewards can be used to purchase Bards, carriage drivers, cows, chickens, and horses.
• A carriage driver to provide transportation.
• A personal Bard.

Family life

Once the house is complete, the option to move in with a spouse or adopt a child is available. Additional options will be present for any adopted children, such as giving gifts, playing games or instructing them to do their chores. The option to allow them to keep pets is also included. Children will ask to keep a dog if one shows him or her the dog, setting the dog's home to the Dragonborn's.

Occasionally the home may become subject to skeever infestations, giant attacks, marauding bandits, kidnappers, wolves, Draugr or armed bandits that must be slain.

Characters

Children

• Alesan – Child found working for the miners in Dawnstar.
• Blaise – Child found working as a stable boy at Katla's Farm.
• Lucia – Child found begging near the Gildergreen in Whiterun.
• Sofie – Child found selling flowers in Windhelm.

Housecarls

• Gregor – Housecarl upon becoming Thane of The Pale.
• Rayya – Housecarl upon becoming Thane of Falkreath.
• Valdimar – Housecarl upon becoming Thane of Hjaalmarch.

Bards

• Llewellyn the Nightingale – The Bard who can be hired for Lakeview Manor.
• Oriella – The Bard who can be hired for Heljarchen Hall.
• Sonir – The Bard who can be hired at Windstad Manor.

Carriage drivers

• Engar – Carriage driver hired for Windstad Manor.
• Gunjar – Carriage driver hired for Lakeview Manor.
• Markus – Carriage driver hired for Heljarchen Hall.

Items

Main article: Items (Hearthfire)

10 new crafting materials have been added, which are used in the construction of a homestead. Several new food items and consumables are also added, including updated models for all soups and stews, giving each a distinctive look.

Achievements

Main article: Achievements (Hearthfire)

There are 5 possible achievements, totaling 50 gamerpoints.

Bugs

This section contains bugs related to The Elder Scrolls V: Hearthfire. Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following: Please reload an old save to confirm if the bug is still happening. If the bug is still occurring, please post the bug report with the appropriate system template  360  /  XB1  ,  PS3  /  PS4  ,  PC  /  MAC  ,  NX  /  PS5  ,  XS  , depending on which platform(s) the bug has been encountered on. Be descriptive when listing the bug and fixes, but avoid having conversations in the description and/or using first-person anecdotes: such discussions belong on the appropriate forum board.

•  360   Upon downloading Hearthfire, there is a chance that none of the children in game will be wearing clothes. This includes children eligible for adoption. There is currently no known fix.
•  360   If the Dragonborn buys the child bedroom in Hjerim, there will be two changes to the furniture. The items in the wardrobe next to the entrance to the alchemy/enchanting lab will be replaced by a cupboard in the child's room. The cupboard next to the chest in the Dragonborn's room will disappear with all of the items in it. It is advisable to clear these containers, or save before buying the decoration.
•  360   Sometimes, when using the Carpenter's workbench in one's home, it may revert to a menu of items one has already built in the room, essentially wasting any supplies. To correct this, exit the menu and re-enter it.
•  360   Main Hall wing extensions with balconies will give one the option to build exterior objects i.e., Chairs, Tables and Benches. When building "Exterior" ornate style benches, note that the in-game image is incorrect. What the game will actually build is a standard flat bench. There is currently no fix to this bug.
•  360   It is advisable to take caution when creating an enchanting table while the Black Star is in one's inventory, as the Grand Soul it requires will remove the star from the inventory.
•  PC   Objects left in display cases or on top of other objects may be seen to slowly work their way out of the case or to the floor.
• Upon installing Hearthfire, the cooking stations at Proudspire Manor, The Winking Skeever, and Angeline's Aromatics may disappear.^{confirmation needed}

Gallery

Expansion official banner.

Early construction 2.

Early construction.

Working at the Drafting Table.

The Enchanter's Tower.

An example of a finished home.

Construction: Stage 1.

Construction: Stage 2.

Construction: Stage 3.

Construction: Stage 4.

The menu while using a Drafting Table.

Working at the drafting table.

The menu to create locks.

Nails are one of the many components used to create the home.

House blueprints 1.

House blueprints 2.

House blueprints 3.

Cooking at a furnace.

A greenhouse with several plants.

Customized room with an Arcane Enchanter.

Customized room with added mannequins.

Divine Shrines can be added to the home.

A trophy room.

Stewards may be hired to buy materials.

Stewards can hire a personal bard.

Stewards can also provide transportation options.

The adoption mechanic.

Additional options for children.

The Hearthfire logo.