Cheats & Secrets

Introduction

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim offers a wealth of cheats and secrets, ranging from official developer console commands (PC only) to hidden quests, Easter eggs, and safe exploits. This guide covers all legitimate, developer-intended hidden content and known secrets. Note that console commands cannot be used on Xbox or PlayStation without mods or special devices (e.g., Mod Support on Xbox One/PS4 allows some console-like commands via mods, but not native). All cheats listed here are considered safe for single-player use, but always save before experimenting.

Console Commands (PC Only)

To open the console, press the tilde key (`) on your keyboard. Type commands and press Enter. Use `help` for a list of all commands.

Essential Commands

Full Item/Quest ID Lists

To find item IDs, use `help "item name" 4` in console. For quest IDs, use `help "quest name" 0`. Many IDs are available on UESP.net.

Hidden Console Commands

• `bat <filename>` – Execute a batch file of commands. Create a .txt file in your Skyrim folder (e.g., `cheats.txt`) with line-separated commands, then type `bat cheats`.


• `qf <QuestFormID> <stage>` – Force a quest stage.


• `cow <WorldSpace> <x> <y>` – Teleport to coordinates in a worldspace.


• `fw <FormID>` – Force weather.


• `setgs fJumpHeightMin <#>` – Change jump height.


• `getgs <game setting>` – Display current game setting.




Hidden Quests & Locations





The Lost Legend (Quest: Forbidden Legend)



• Location: Reachwater Rock, near Markarth. Read the book “The Legend of Red Eagle” to start.


• Secret: Finding all three word walls for the Become Ethereal shout in this dungeon is not hidden per se, but the secret is in the final boss room—a unique weapon (Red Eagle’s Fury/Bane) and a level-based reward.




The Pale Lady (Unmarked Quest)



• Location: Frostmere Crypt (east of Morthal). Inside, you’ll find the Pale Lady, a unique ghost, and a quest to return her sword (The Pale Blade) to her. Talking to her triggers options that lead to different endings.


• Secret: If you refuse to take her sword and instead attack her, she drops the sword anyway. The sword has a unique enchantment that causes a fear effect.




The Lighthouse of Solitude



• Location: Solitude Lighthouse (north of Solitude). An unmarked location with a tragic story told via journals. The secret is the unique weapon “Windshear” (a one-handed sword) hidden in the dead captain’s quarters.


• Link: Windshear is one of the best swords in the game due to its unique stagger effect.




Halted Stream Camp (Transmute Ore Spell)



• Hidden Spell: In a locked chest inside the camp, you’ll find the Transmute Mineral Ore spell tome. This allows you to turn iron ore into silver, and silver into gold. This is developer-intended for smithing.




Easter Eggs & Developer References





The Headless Horseman



• Visual Easter Egg: Randomly encounters near Whiterun at night—a spectral horseman riding a horse. If you follow him, he may lead you to a dead body with a treasure map. This is a reference to the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.




The Chicken of the Sea



• Dialog Easter Egg: In Solitude, a guard says “I used to be an adventurer like you, then I took an arrow in the knee.” This has become a meme. Many other guards reference popular culture.




The “M’aiq the Liar” NPC



• Random Encounter: M’aiq the Liar appears in random locations. He gives cryptic, often humorous statements that sometimes hint at cut content or previous Elder Scrolls games. He is a running gag.




The “Wabbajack” – Daedric Artifact



• Quest: “The Mind of Madness” from Sheogorath. The Wabbajack staff has a random effect (polymorph enemies, heal, etc.). The quest also includes a reference to Oblivion and the Shivering Isles.




The “Skeleton of a Giant” near Dawnstar



• Location: Near Dawnstar, a giant skeleton lies partially buried. This is a nod to the size of giants in lore.




The “Dovahkiin” Statue



• No Easter Egg: Actually, there is a giant statue of a dragon in the Throat of the World, but it’s not an Easter egg. However, there is a hidden message in the game’s audio files: if you reverse the music track “Dragonborn”, you can hear a message saying “We are the Dovahkiin” in reverse. This is developer-intended.




The “Nirnroot” Reference (Oblivion callback)



• Easter Egg: The alchemy ingredient Nirnroot glows and makes a unique sound. This is a direct callback to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. In Skyrim, there is a quest “The Nirnroot” in which you collect 30 Crimson Nirnroots for a reward.




The “Barenziah’s Treasure” Quest



• Hidden Quest: Collect 24 Stones of Barenziah to unlock the “Crown of Barenziah” and a permanent active effect that increases the number of gems found in containers. The quest is started by reading the book “The Kings” in the Thalmor Embassy or by stealing a stone.




Safe Exploits & Glitches (Developer-Not-Intended but Fun)



Effort was made in later patches to remove many exploits, but some remain. These are considered safe and won't corrupt saves:



The Fortify Restoration Loop



• Exploit: Create a potion of Fortify Restoration (requires the alchemy perk). Equip four pieces of apparel with Fortify Alchemy enchantments (crafted early). Then:

1. Create a Fortify Restoration potion.
2. Drink it.
3. Unequip and re-equip your Fortify Alchemy gear (the enchantment strength increases).
4. Repeat to create extremely powerful potions of Fortify Smithing or Fortify Enchanting.

• Result: You can create weapons and armor with millions of damage points. This is a well-known exploit (often called “Alchemy-Enchanting loop”) that has not been patched.




The Merchant Chest Glitch



• Location: In Solitude, under the “Angeline’s Aromatics” shop, there is a chest that can be accessed by looking through a gap in the floor. It contains Flax, Jazbay Grapes, etc. This is unintended but provides early alchemy ingredients.




The Dawnstar Chest Glitch



• Location: Behind the house of the Iron-Breaker family in Dawnstar, there is a giant rock. If you look under the texture, you can see a chest belonging to the Khajiit caravan. It respawns every few days with high-value items. This is considered a safe exploit.




The “Briarheart” Reset Glitch (Forsworn)



• Exploit: If you kill a Forsworn Briarheart and loot their briarheart, then loot their corpse again after moving away and coming back, the heart may respawn. This can be repeated for infinite money (since each heart sells for ~50 gold). Not game-breaking but a small exploit.




The Understone Keep Glitch (Fishing)



• Location: Understone Keep in Markarth. If you stand on a certain ledge and look down, you can see a pool of water. Jumping in will trigger a high fall damage if you land wrong, but if you use the Become Ethereal shout, you can “swim” on nothing and find a hidden room with a few items. This is a developer oversight but harmless.




Unlockable Content & Hidden Features





The “Eyes of the Falmer”



• Unlockable Enemies: The Falmer (betrayed Snow Elves) are only encountered in dwemer ruins. There is no way to unlock them as playable, but you can learn about their lore.




The “Hermaeus Mora” Black Books



• Unlockable Powers: In the Dragonborn DLC, you can find Black Books that give you unique powers (e.g., “Companion’s Insight” – no damage to followers). These are hidden behind quests.




The “Dawnguard” Crossbows



• Unlockable Weapons: Complete the Dawnguard questline (join the Dawnguard) to unlock crossbows that can be upgraded with explosive bolts. This is developer-intended.




The “Ancient Shrouded Armor”



• Hidden Armor Set: If you complete the Dark Brotherhood questline, you can find the Ancient Shrouded Armor set in the Sanctuary. It provides better stealth boosts than the standard armor.




The “Bard’s College” Unmarked Song



• Unlockable Song: After joining the Bards College in Solitude, you can learn the song “The Dragonborn Comes” sung by the Bard. This is a scripted event and not a cheat, but it’s a hidden reward.




The “Word of Power” Locations



• Hidden Shouts: There are 27 word walls scattered across Skyrim. Each unlocks a word of a shout. Some are hidden in obscure locations like the “Throw Voice” shout behind the Solitude throne room or “Storm Call” on the Throat of the World. Finding all three words for each shout is a secret achievement.




Developer-Intended Hidden Content (No Cheats Required)




• The “Notched Pickaxe”: A reference to Minecraft creator Notch. Found at the top of the Throat of the World, near the word wall for the “Clear Skies” shout. It can mine ore slightly faster and has a unique enchantment (increases Health by 5). This is a deliberate Easter egg.


• The “Wabberjack”: A staff from Sheogorath that has random effects. Its name is a portmanteau of “Wabbajack” and “Jack” (the player? Sheogorath’s voice actor?)


• The “Museum of the Dead”: In Windhelm, you can find a house called “House of Horrors” (Museum of the Dead is a quest location). It contains a unique artifact called the “Mace of Molag Bal”. The quest itself is a Daedric quest and is considered a hidden boss fight.


• The “Easter Egg Room” near the top of the world: Using the `coc qasmoke` console command teleports you to the “Quality Assurance Smoke Room,” a test cell with every item in the game. This is developer-only space but easily accessed with cheats.


• The “Crab” at the bottom of the Sea of Ghosts: If you dive deep enough in the Sea of Ghosts (north of Solitude), you can find a giant skeleton of a sea creature, possibly a reference to the “Mistmare” from earlier games.




Final Tips



• Always save before using console commands or exploits. Some commands (like `showracemenu`) can break quest progress.


• Many secrets require the Legendary Edition or Special Edition (or Anniversary Edition) for DLC content.


• For achievements/trophies, using console commands disables them (PC). To re-enable, use a mod like “Achievement Mods Enabler” or play on an alternate save.

This guide covers the most comprehensive known cheats and secrets in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Enjoy exploring the hidden side of Tamriel!