How Long Will Dropped Items Stay in Skyrim?
The simple answer to how long dropped items stay in Skyrim is: it depends on where you drop them. The game uses a system of cell resets to manage its vast world. Generally, items dropped in the wilderness or dungeons will disappear when the cell respawns. This respawn occurs after a specific amount of in-game time, typically 72 game hours, provided you are not present in that cell. However, there are many nuances to this system, including exceptions for certain locations and the behavior of containers. Let’s delve deeper into the mechanics of item persistence in Skyrim to give you a comprehensive understanding.
The Basics of Cell Resets
What are Cell Resets?
Skyrim’s game world is divided into cells, or smaller areas, that the game loads and manages separately. When you leave a cell, the game keeps its data in memory for a set period. If you stay out of that cell for the necessary amount of time, the game will “reset” it. This reset typically involves the respawning of enemies, loot, and yes, the removal of dropped items. This is done to optimize performance and maintain a dynamic world.
The 72-Hour Rule
As stated, most cells will reset after 72 in-game hours. This means if you drop items in a random dungeon, cave, or even out in the open wilderness, they will be gone if you leave that area and don’t return for three full days. This is important to remember if you’re planning on leaving items temporarily.
Exceptions to the Rule
Player Homes
Player homes are a significant exception to the cell reset rule. Any container in a player home, whether it’s a purchased house like Breezehome in Whiterun or a custom-built house from the Hearthfire DLC, will not reset. You can store items in chests, cupboards, dressers, and even on shelves, and they will remain there indefinitely. This makes player homes the safest place to store your most valuable items.
Faction Headquarters
Similar to player homes, some faction headquarters and specific locations do not reset. These include, but are not limited to, specific rooms within the College of Winterhold, the Abandoned House in Markarth, certain areas of the Thieves Guild, and Delphine’s secret room at the Sleeping Giant Inn. These offer safe storage spaces outside of player-owned homes. However, it’s crucial to note that not all areas within these locations are safe. It’s always best to check specific container details using online resources like UESP (the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages) to confirm their safety.
Containers
The persistence of items in containers is a complex matter. Containers that are tagged to respawn will lose any items that are left inside after a reset, regardless of whether they were placed by the player or by the game. These typically include any container found in dungeons or the wilderness. If you leave loot in a respawnable container, it will disappear alongside the container’s loot during the cell reset.
However, as previously mentioned, containers located in player homes will not reset. A useful tip to remember is that examining the contents of a container resets its reset timer. If you open a container that would normally reset, the reset timer will start from zero again. This can be useful to delay respawns.
Item Behavior
Equipped Items
Items that are equipped on enemies will generally disappear along with their corpse. If you kill an enemy and they drop a weapon or shield, you may find that it disappears when the corpse is removed from the game. Thus, it’s always best practice to manually loot everything before an enemy disappears.
Display Cases and Plaques
Be wary of placing items, especially unique quest items and weapons in display cases or on plaques. These items often suffer from bugs, frequently falling off their displays or even disappearing completely. Although often recoverable from the floor below, it is unreliable and not recommended. Instead, you must manually place the item in the case.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I leave items in barrels in Skyrim?
Yes, you generally can. However, it’s generally safer to stick to containers that you know are safe, like those in player homes. Barrels can be safe, especially if they were initially empty, but they are often in locations that do respawn.
2. What happens if I drop an item in a respawning container?
If you drop an item in a container that respawns, the item will disappear when the container resets. This is very important to keep in mind if you are looking for safe storage, and should be avoided unless you intend to lose the item.
3. How do I know if a container is safe?
Checking resources like UESP (the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages) is the best way to determine if a container is safe for storage. Generally, any containers in player homes are safe, while most outside these locations are not.
4. Is the chest in Breezehome safe?
Yes, the chest in Breezehome is safe for storage. It is a very deep storage container, and will not reset.
5. Can clutter in my house reset?
Yes, clutter can reset. If you stay away from your live-in house for longer than 10 days, the clutter may respawn. At the same time you should wait 10 days before visiting ‘farming houses’ to allow for loot to respawn.
6. Where can I safely store items without a house?
There are some limited locations. You can safely use:
- All containers in the Abandoned House in Markarth.
- The chest in Delphine’s secret room inside the Sleeping Giant Inn.
- The end table and wardrobe inside the ruined Helgen Inn.
7. Do items in display cases disappear?
Yes, items in display cases, particularly unique weapons and quest items, can disappear or fall off their display locations. To keep them from falling off, you must manually place them inside the case.
8. What happens if I leave an item on the floor?
Items dropped on the floor will disappear when the cell respawns after 72 in-game hours.
9. How can I clear unwanted items quickly?
You can quickly get rid of items by dropping them in a respawnable container, they will disappear when the container resets. You can also sell items to merchants or use the console command removeitem to delete them directly from your inventory.
10. What happens if I pay a bounty with stolen items?
When you pay a bounty, all stolen items will be confiscated. To prevent this, store your stolen items in a safe container, like in your house.
11. Are containers in the College of Winterhold safe?
Not all containers in the College of Winterhold are safe. The dresser, wardrobe, and end tables in your dorm room are safe, but the food barrels are not.
12. Does resetting my skill tree cause item loss?
No, resetting your skill tree will not cause any item loss. You are simply refunded your Perk points to use on other skills.
13. Is it safe to store items in a corpse?
It’s best not to store items in a corpse. Equipped items will be deleted when the corpse disappears. You can try to store items in a corpse’s inventory, but this method is unreliable as they can still disappear during cell resets.
14. How can I find lost items in Skyrim?
The only way to find a lost item is to search every possible container where you could have placed it. If the item was dropped in a respawning cell or put in a respawning container, it’s likely gone permanently.
15. What is the best store to sell items?
Belethor is often considered the best general goods merchant due to his convenient location in Whiterun, which most players frequently visit.