Dead Hand - The Ultimate Vanilla-Plus Balance
🟡 Updated this year⚠️ Install Order · 8 steps
Install in this order, then this mod last — most mods fail to load without their framework and dependencies in place.
Preview
🔍 Analysis
- 👍 3.4% endorsement rate — high engagement, a strong quality signal
- 🏆 #2 of 116 Gameplay Effects and Changes mods in this game by downloads
📋 About This Mod
Dead Hand
The Ultimate Vanilla-Plus
Requirements:
JIP LN NVSE Plugin
ShowOff xNVSE Plugin
Introduction
Dead Hand is a comprehensive, modernised, and compatible vanilla-plus balance mod based on JSawyer Ultimate Edition and its Push's Tweaks addon. It is inspired by the JSawyer mod and my personal balance tastes, which borrow from the subtly more difficult balance of the game during its beta and initial release.
This mod's name relates to the fact that the Fallout New Vegas modding community exists under the 'dead hand' of the game's rushed development and even the original JSawyer mod, which itself is imperfect. This mod intends to be the comprehensive version of my personal vanilla-plus balance vision and provides a more consistent and rewarding gameplay experience, without feeling like a full overhaul.
I probably should have made this a decade ago rather than being 'purist' about JSawyer and its flaws...
("Dead Hand" is also the name of the Soviet nuclear doomsday system and is a term used in several card games, so fits the game's themes nicely.)
Description
A full list of changes included in given in the Complete Changelog section below. A few of the main features are summarised here.
JSawyer Revised and Expanded
Dead Hand is built upon a merged and more compatible version of JSawyer Ultimate Edition and the Push's Tweaks addon. Because of this, it contains all the main features of the original JSawyer with all the expanded balance changes of JSawyer Ultimate.
A number of features from the original JSawyer that I do not agree with have been changed or removed, including:
[]JSawyer's Expired and Homemade Stimpaks are entirely removed from the game. This is done properly and not by a scripted method that just covers them up. Changes to the health restoration effects of Stimpaks, Doctor's Bags, and other medicines are also removed, returning them to vanilla. Instead, Stimpaks are made rarer.[/]
[]Changes to the health restoration of water items are also removed.[/]
[]Changes to the level cap have been removed, restoring the vanilla level cap of 50. This also means that any changes to th
Dead Hand is a comprehensive vanilla-plus balance mod for Fallout New Vegas, built from JSawyer Ultimate Edition and Push's Tweaks. It merges those changes into a more compatible package, removes Expired and Homemade Stimpaks entirely, and aims for a consistent, rewarding experience without a full overhaul. Requires xNVSE, JIP LN, and ShowOff. 107 endorsements, 3,185 downloads, updated August 2026.
✨ Key Features
📊 Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- 107 endorsements and 3,185 downloads show the community digs this balance overhaul.
- Based on the proven JSawyer Ultimate and Push's Tweaks, so you get a ton of tested balance changes in one package.
- Expired and Homemade Stimpaks are gone for real, not just hidden by scripts, which cleans up inventory clutter and removes a controversial mechanic.
⚠️ Cons
- If you actually liked JSawyer's Expired and Homemade Stimpaks for hardcore survival runs, this mod deletes them outright.
- Requires xNVSE, JIP LN, and ShowOff, so it's not a simple drop-in and adds extra failure points if those plugins aren't set up right.
- Because it's a comprehensive overhaul built on JSawyer, it will conflict with other balance mods or JSawyer variants unless you uninstall them first.
For Fallout New Vegas players who want a vanilla-plus balance experience inspired by JSawyer but without the expired and homemade stimpak clutter. For modders comfortable installing NVSE plugins and looking for a single comprehensive balance mod instead of piecing together JSawyer Ultimate and Push's Tweaks separately. Skip if you prefer a full gameplay overhaul or want to keep those stimpaks in your hardcore runs.
💡 Beginner Tips
- Launch the game through nvse_loader.exe after installing xNVSE; the mod's required plugins won't load if you start via the default FalloutNV.exe.
- Install JIP LN and ShowOff after xNVSE and check the in-game console or logs for a 'JIP LN' message to confirm they're active before enabling Dead Hand.
- Don't combine Dead Hand with other JSawyer mods or Push's Tweaks; pick this one overhaul to avoid conflicting records and unexpected balance changes.
📊 Mod Details
- Game
- New Vegas Mods
- Author
- PushTheWinButton
- Version
- 1.3.1
- Downloads
- 3,185
- Endorsements
- 107
- Category
- Gameplay Effects and Changes
- Created
- 12/14/2025
- Updated
- 8/17/2026
🔧 How to Install New Vegas Mods
Download from Nexus.
📖 Full step-by-step install guide for New Vegas →
Visit the official mod page for specific installation instructions for this mod.
🎮 Need cheat codes or console commands? Check ur gaming wiki for New Vegas commands, item IDs, and more.
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