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Getting Started -- Detailed Guide

This is the extended version of the setup instructions. If the README was enough, you don't need this. This guide is for people who want more detail at each step.

What You're Setting Up

You're giving Claude Code (an AI assistant) a "brain upgrade" for Skyrim modding. After setup, you can talk to it in plain English and it will:

  • Know 1,300+ Skyrim quirks, pitfalls, and workarounds (including VR-specific sections)
  • Protect your game files from accidental damage
  • Decompile and analyze Papyrus scripts
  • Inspect ESP/ESM mod files
  • Help you create new mods from scratch
  • Research Nexus Mods pages for known issues
  • Edit INI settings safely with automatic backups

Step 1: Get Claude Code

What is it?

Claude Code is made by Anthropic (the company behind Claude AI). It's like ChatGPT, but instead of just talking, it can actually read and edit files on your computer. It runs in a terminal window -- think of it like a very smart command prompt.

Sign up and subscribe

  1. Go to claude.ai
  2. Create an account (email or Google)
  3. Subscribe to Claude Pro ($20/month) or Claude Max ($100/month)
    • Pro is plenty for modding work
    • You can cancel anytime

Install it

Option A: Desktop App (if you've never used a terminal before)

  1. Go to claude.ai/code
  2. Click the Windows download button
  3. Run the installer (just click Next through everything)
  4. Open "Claude Code" from your Start menu
  5. Sign in with your Claude account

Option B: Command Line Install

  1. Install Node.js first:
    • Go to nodejs.org
    • Click the big green LTS button
    • Run the installer, click Next through everything
  2. Open Windows Terminal:
    • Press the Windows key on your keyboard
    • Type terminal
    • Click Terminal in the search results
  3. In the terminal window, type this and press Enter: 
    npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
  4. Wait for it to finish (takes about a minute)

Step 2: Find Your Skyrim Folder

  1. Open Steam
  2. Click Library (at the top)
  3. Find Skyrim VR (or Skyrim Special Edition) in your game list
  4. Right-click it > Properties
  5. Click Installed Files (on the left side)
  6. Click Browse...
  7. A Windows Explorer window opens -- this is your Skyrim folder
  8. Click the address bar at the top of that window (where it shows the folder path)
  9. The path turns into selectable text -- copy it (Ctrl+C)

Write this path down or keep the window open. You'll need it in the next steps.

Common paths look like:

  • C:\Steam\steamapps\common\SkyrimVR
  • D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\SkyrimVR
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SkyrimVR

Step 3: Extract the Toolkit

  1. Download the toolkit from Nexus Mods (click Manual Download)
  2. Find the downloaded .zip file (usually in your Downloads folder)
  3. Right-click the zip file
  4. Click Extract All...
  5. In the "Extract to" box, paste your Skyrim folder path from Step 2
  6. Click Extract

The toolkit files blend in alongside your existing game files. Nothing is overwritten -- the toolkit only adds new files (CLAUDE.md, KNOWLEDGEBASE.md, setup.sh, and the .claude/ folder).

Step 4: Open Claude Code in Your Skyrim Folder

Desktop App:

  1. Open Claude Code
  2. You'll see a text input at the bottom
  3. Type this (paste YOUR path from Step 2 between the quotes): 
    cd "C:\Steam\steamapps\common\SkyrimVR"
  4. Press Enter

Command Line:

  1. Open Windows Terminal
  2. Type this (paste YOUR path): 
    cd "C:\Steam\steamapps\common\SkyrimVR"
  3. Press Enter
  4. Type claude and press Enter

You should see Claude Code's interface -- a text area where you can type messages.

Step 5: Paste the Setup Prompt

Copy this entire block and paste it into Claude Code:

I just installed the Skyrim Claude Code Modding Toolkit into this folder. Run "bash setup.sh" to set everything up. Install any missing prerequisites (jq, Node.js) for me. After setup, ask me which optional modding tools I'd like (xeditlib, Champollion, Caprica, Spriggit, AutoMod CLI, PyFFI, PyNifly, Blender, NifSkope, ReSaver CLI) and install the ones I pick. AutoMod CLI adds NIF mesh editing, BSA archive tools, audio processing, and MCM menu generation -- it is a real tool you install by cloning https://github.com/SpookyPirate/spookys-automod-toolkit into tools/automod and building the Cli project (dotnet build tools/automod/src/SpookysAutomod.Cli -c Release; do not build the WPF Setup project headless), after which it runs via tools/automod-cli.sh. PyFFI + PyNifly add NIF geometry and animation/controller authoring; Blender (headless) + NifSkope add mesh repair and render-verification of meshes before in-game testing. ReSaver CLI adds headless .ess save parsing, cross-referencing, and cleaning (download ReSaver.jar from Nexus mod 5031 into tools/resaver-cli/; needs JDK 17+ (JDK 21 LTS recommended; e.g. `winget install Microsoft.OpenJDK.21`)). Be sure to tailor the environment specifically to my Skyrim version and install (may or may not be VR). Also ask me whether I want to enable the optional Nexus API integration (mod update-detection / version & changelog checks); if yes, explain how to get a free Personal API Key and save it to tools/.nexus_api_key (which is gitignored). Explain everything in plain English and ask me any questions you may need to.

Press Enter. Claude will:

  1. Run the setup script -- configures all the safety hooks and paths
  2. Install jq if you don't have it (a small tool the hooks need)
  3. Offer optional tools and explain what each does:
    • xeditlib -- lets Claude read/create ESP mod files with code
    • Champollion / Caprica -- decompile / compile Papyrus scripts
    • Spriggit -- converts ESP files to readable text (and back)
    • AutoMod CLI -- NIF / BSA / audio / MCM / ESP operations
    • PyFFI / PyNifly -- NIF geometry + animation authoring (the v3 animation/render features)
    • Blender / NifSkope -- mesh repair + render-verification before in-game testing
    • ReSaver CLI -- headless save (.ess) parsing, cross-referencing, and cleaning
  4. Verify everything works
  5. Show you what you can do

Just answer its questions as they come up. If something fails, it will explain the problem and walk you through fixing it.

Step 6: You're Done!

From now on, to use the toolkit:

  1. Open Claude Code
  2. Navigate to your Skyrim folder (cd "your path")
  3. Start talking

The toolkit loads automatically every time. No re-setup needed.

Troubleshooting

"Claude Code won't start"

  • Make sure you have an active Claude Pro or Max subscription
  • Try reinstalling: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

"jq not found" or hooks aren't working

  • Open Windows Terminal and run: winget install jqlang.jq
  • Close and reopen Claude Code

"setup.sh not found"

  • Make sure you extracted the toolkit into your Skyrim folder (Step 3)
  • Make sure Claude Code is running in that folder (Step 4)

Something else?

  • Just ask Claude: "Something went wrong with my toolkit setup. Can you help me fix it?"