So you waited too long in Skyrim…here‘s what happens

As a passionate Skyrim player with over 500 hours under my belt, I often get asked: "what actually happens if you wait too long?"

After leaving Lydia standing in a dungeon for a few months, I can assure you her patience wore thin quick. But other than grumpy followers, waiting has limited side effects.

That said, we‘ll cover all of them here. Grab a sweetroll and let‘s dive in!

Enemies and dungeons rise again

If you wait 30 in-game days, cleared bandit camps, draugr crypts, and dwarven ruins will suddenly repopulate. Respawn times average around a month.

Exact Respawns (according to UESP wiki):

• Falmer Dungeons: 10 days
• Outdoor Areas: 30 days
• Dwarven Ruins: 30 days

So if you wait over 30 days, expect enemies of all kinds to return. That includes bosses you previously slayed.

However, quest items and progression stays intact. While the Draugr you killed for the Gauldur Amulet may revive, the amulet itself won‘t disappear from your inventory.

Shopkeepers restock their shelves

If the general store‘s shelves look empty, just hang around for a few days.

According to confirmed players, most shopkeepers fully restock items and gold every 48 hours.

So if you‘re looking to sell that finely crafted Dwarven armor set, consider waiting a couple days if shops are tapped out.

Followers may leave you behind

While shopkeepers happily reset for you, the same can‘t be said for followers.

If you make Lydia stand in a dusty dungeon for months, don‘t be shocked to find her gone.

Every follower has an invisible stat called "patience" that continuously drains when left idling. If it fully depletes, they‘ll ditch you and head home.

Now this isn‘t documented officially by Bethesda, but many players have experienced it firsthand.

So unless you enjoy frantically searching cities yelling Lydia‘s name, be kind and dismiss her before extended waits.

Buffs and debuffs may vanish

Waiting won‘t just respawn enemies – it can reset you as well.

Any temporary boons/effects applied to your character may disappear after 48+ hrs waiting. This includes:

• Standing stone abilities
• Weapon enchantments
• Guardian Circle spells
• Dragon Aspect Shouts
• Alcohol effects
• Food bonuses

So if you‘re waiting for shopkeepers to restock, make sure to reapply any essential effects after.

Dragon spawning resumes

Another impact of waiting 30+ days is resetting random dragon attacks.

As you progress main quests, dragon spawn rates dynamically increase across Skyrim through an invisible timer. Extended waits reset this clock.

So don‘t be surprised if early-game dragons reappear after extended timeouts. You may have better gear, but the jump scares still get me!

Consider player needs

While less immersive, Skyrim does model basic needs requiring attention:

Hunger: After 48 hrs without food, health regeneration slows by 25%

Sleep: Going 24+ hours sans sleep halves magicka and stamina. Additionally each hour slept restores health.

So before any long timeouts for shop/dungeon respawns, be sure sleep and eat to avoid debuffs!

While Lydia may extend you an icy cold shoulder, waiting truly poses limited issues. Feel free to wait as needed for adventure pacing and shop/dungeon resets.

Just be sure to:

• Dismiss followers before extended waits
• Recast buffs like dragon aspect after
• Sleep/eat to maintain character needs

Now grab your sweetroll and get waiting wanderer! Skyrim offers endless adventure at your own pace.