GIST - Genuinely Intelligent Soul Trap
⚪ Last updated 2018⚠️ Install Order · 4 steps
Install in this order, then this mod last — most mods fail to load without their framework and dependencies in place.
Preview

🔍 Analysis
- 👍 1.5% endorsement rate — high engagement, a strong quality signal
- 🏆 #118 of 121 Gameplay mods in this game by downloads
📋 About This Mod
The problem of the underfilled soul gem: Old as Skyrim itself, yet none of the previous solutions were quite perfect.
Acquisitive Soul Gems throws small souls away to prevent under-filling larger gems. But that is removing a feature from vanilla, instead of fixing it.
The solution:
Small souls should be allowed to underfill a soul gem. But if a bigger soul comes along later, it should be able to push that smaller soul out of its way. This way you aren't missing out on small souls or big souls. If you have room for a soul, you will capture it.
Optionally, displaced souls are allowed to move to a smaller available gem. Example:
Grand Soul Gem (Lesser) + Lesser Soul Gem (empty) + new Grand soul
--> Grand Soul Gem (filled) + Lesser Soul Gem (filled)
Optionally, if there really is no gem large enough for a soul, it can also be allowed to shrink to fit in a smaller gem:
Greater Soul Gem (Lesser) + Lesser Soul Gem (empty) + new Grand soul
--> Greater Soul Gem (filled) + Lesser Soul Gem (filled)
If multiple souls are captured at once, the algorithm is multithreaded to handle them. It prioritizes them by size, finding a place for the largest soul first then moving to the smaller ones.
Lastly, there is an optional system to allow your soul-trapping abilities to level along with your Conjuration (or Enchantment) skill. All of the features of this mod, and also the ability to capture souls of a certain size, can be set to unlock at a certain level. Each feature can be configured separately. (This system is disabled by default.)
Notes:
[]Any soul gems that you've filled before installing this mod will be treated as empty by the algorithm. This is an engine limitation. Use or sell those gems before you enable this mod. (Gems that are pre-filled when you find them will be fine, and Azura's Star / The Black Star will be unaffected.)
[]Configuration works through an MCM menu. You need SkyUI to use this. If you don't have SkyUI you can still use the mod, but you need to use console commands if you want to change any options (see FAQ).
[*]Azura's Star can o
GIST - Genuinely Intelligent Soul Trap is a gameplay mod for Skyrim that fixes the underfilled soul gem issue by automatically selecting the correct soul gem size when trapping souls. It has 1,251 endorsements and 84,435 downloads, last updated in 2018.
✨ Key Features
📊 Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Community-approved with 1,251 endorsements and 84k downloads — clearly a go-to fix for a common annoyance.
- Solves the underfilled soul gem problem without needing to micromanage your inventory.
- Lightweight and focused — does one thing and does it well.
⚠️ Cons
- Last updated in 2018 — may not be fully compatible with the latest Skyrim Special Edition or Anniversary Edition updates.
- No detailed documentation or feature list provided by the author, so you'll have to test it yourself.
- Requires Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE) to function, which adds an extra dependency.
For Skyrim players who hate ending up with petty soul gems after trapping a grand soul. If you're a mage or enchanter who constantly juggles soul gems, this mod is a must-have. Skip if you prefer the vanilla challenge of managing gem sizes manually.
💡 Beginner Tips
- Make sure you have SKSE installed and launch the game through the SKSE loader, not the default launcher.
- If you're using a mod manager like Vortex or Mod Organizer 2, install this mod through it to keep your load order clean.
- After installing, test with a common soul trap spell to see the auto-selection in action — you should no longer get underfilled gems.
📊 Mod Details
- Game
- Skyrim LE Mods
- Author
- opusGlass
- Version
- 1.3
- Downloads
- 84,435
- Endorsements
- 1,251
- Category
- Gameplay
- Created
- 3/12/2018
- Updated
- 4/29/2018
🔧 How to Install Skyrim LE Mods
Download from Nexus.
📖 Full step-by-step install guide for Skyrim LE →
Visit the official mod page for specific installation instructions for this mod.
🎮 Need cheat codes or console commands? Check ur gaming wiki for Skyrim LE commands, item IDs, and more.
Keep browsing — more Skyrim LE mods await