Alternate Start: Live Another Life is a Skyrim mod that places the player in a prison cell, recalling previous entries in the series, and then allows them to choose one of several dozen "other lives".

New ways to play

Alternate Start replaces Skyrim's traditional, carriage-bound introduction with a brief quest in which the player wakes up, stuck in a prison cell, and speaks to a statue of Mara that offers them a new life. The player is given many options with different starting points: being part of a faction like the Mages' Guild, arriving by boat at a city, being left for dead in the snow, or even owning a farm near Rorikstead that does not exist in the normal game.

High compatibility, high flexibility

The mod allows the player to choose many other starting points, including simply escaping the cell or being brought to Helgen as normal. It also features integration with several other mods, so consider using a Mod Organizer to keep everything straight.

Great for successive playthroughs...

Once you've grown used to playing Skyrim, this mod should be installed early. It offers plenty of options, from Owning Proudspire Manor for a free glass sword and lavish home, to starting as a necromancer in a secluded lair, menaced by the dwarven automatons just outside. These transform the early-game experience and your character as well.

...but not recommended for first playthroughs

Skyrim's introduction is an integral part of the experience. Although the original introduction is still an option, the other options are tempting, and as discussed above, can alter the game's balance. New players should go without this mod at first.