Pillars of Eternity Modding on OpenMods

A modern infinity-engine-inspired RPG with a UMM modding scene

Pillars of Eternity (2015) is Obsidian's spiritual successor to the Infinity Engine RPGs (Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Planescape: Torment). Built on Unity with a Mono runtime, it sits comfortably in the Unity Mod Manager modding ecosystem, the same UMM that powers the Pathfinder games and Pillars of Eternity II.

The modding scene is small but mature. Pillars's mechanics are deep enough that "tweak the rules" mods have a real audience (rebalanced classes, adjusted attribute curves, expanded loot), and the UMM framework makes them easy to install.

The toolchain

• Unity Mod Manager (UMM): by NewmanCreations. The standard mod manager for Mono Unity RPGs. Drag-and-drop install, in-game hotkey-accessible menu (Ctrl+F10 by default).
• dnSpy / dotPeek: used by mod authors to inspect Pillars's compiled C#. Not needed by players.

Mods ship as folders containing an Info.json manifest plus a .dll. UMM reads the manifest, lists the mod in its in-game menu, and lets you toggle it on/off without restarting.

What you'll find on OpenMods

Pillars's mod community is small enough that most popular mods live on Nexus Mods exclusively. GitHub-published Pillars mods are rare, typically library mods or UMM-utility tooling. OpenMods catalogues these.

Practical notes

• In-game menu access via Ctrl+F10. UMM's defining feature: toggle and configure mods without leaving the game. Each mod's settings appear in the same menu.
• Pillars vs Pillars II have separate mod ecosystems. PoE 1 mods don't load in Deadfire (the sequel). Different mod catalogues on Nexus.
• Save compatibility varies per mod. Most balance/UI mods are save-safe. Content-adding mods can leave dangling references; back up first.
• The Definitive Edition is the modding target. Most mods assume Definitive Edition. Earlier game versions may not have the same Mono assemblies.