Skyrim Codex

How to Add Perk Points in Skyrim

Grant perks directly with player.addperk and free up perk points by raising your skills with player.modav in Skyrim.

Perks are the special abilities you unlock in each skill tree. You can either grant a perk directly with player.addperk, or add spendable perk points with player.modav perkpoints and pick them yourself in the skill menu.

How to add perk points

  1. Open the console with the tilde key (~) — see the open the console guide.
  2. Type player.modav perkpoints 5 (or any number) and press Enter to add that many points.
  3. Open the Skills menu and spend the points in any tree you like.

Granting a specific perk

  • player.addperk <PerkID> — unlocks a named perk immediately, for example player.addperk 000BABE4 for the first rank of Armsman (One-Handed).
  • player.removeperk <PerkID> — removes a perk you added.

Notes & tips

  • Add perks in the right order — a perk with prerequisites will not work until its earlier nodes are also unlocked.
  • Find perk IDs with help "armsman" 4 in the console, or browse the full command list.
  • Need more level-ups to justify the perks? See the level up & boost skills guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a command to add perk points in Skyrim?

There is no single "add perk point" command. The cleanest way to gain spendable points is player.modav perkpoints <number> on Special Edition, which adds that many points to spend in the skill trees.

How do I grant a specific perk directly?

Use player.addperk <PerkID>, where PerkID is the perk's 8-digit form ID. This unlocks the perk immediately without spending a point. To take it back, use player.removeperk <PerkID>.

What is the difference between addperk and modav perkpoints?

player.addperk gives you one named perk for free. player.modav perkpoints adds generic points you then spend yourself in the menu. Use addperk for exact perks, perkpoints to shop freely.

Why must I add perks in tree order?

Most perks have prerequisites — you cannot take an advanced node before its earlier nodes. Add the prerequisite perks first, or the higher perk will not function correctly.