Sometimes the console is not the right instrument. Maybe you want to rebuild characters from the ground up, tidy a stash full of test items, or fix a save you are not currently playing. That is where the Pillars of Eternity save editor earns its place: instead of changing a running game, this asset editor opens the save file itself and lets you edit save files directly — precisely, and in bulk.
The one rule: work on a copy
Before you open any save in an editor, duplicate it. Edit the copy, load it in-game to confirm everything looks right, and only then keep it as your main save. With a backup in hand, there is no edit you cannot undo.
What the Pillars of Eternity save editor can change
Attributes & skills
Set Might, Constitution, Dexterity, Perception, Intellect and Resolve, plus the five skills, to any value — the clean way to respec a character you regret.
Items & inventory
Add, remove or adjust items and stacks in the stash and on characters, which is a lifesaver when a scripted reward misfires.
Currency & resources
Top up copper pands or camping supplies without hunting the console for the exact command each time.
Party & character state
Fix a companion, adjust experience, or correct a value the running game will not let you touch.
Editing characters with the asset editor
Editors and the console both expect the game's own internal names. The six attributes are Might, Constitution, Dexterity, Perception, Intellect and Resolve; the skills are Stealth, Athletics, Lore, Mechanics and Survival. Item and ability names follow the game's own conventions, which the console will autocomplete for you. The attribute & skill reference and the item & money reference collect the names you are most likely to need.
Edit save with the editor, or the console?
Reach for the console when you are mid-play and want a quick toggle or a single change: god mode, a stack of coin, one attribute bumped. Reach for the Pillars of Eternity save editor when the change is larger or structural — a full respec, an inventory overhaul, or a fix to a save you cannot easily load and edit live. When you need to edit save files that are not currently loaded, the asset editor is the only practical route. Many players keep both close, and the IE Mod makes the in-game half of that workflow smoother.
Finding your saves
Pillars of Eternity keeps its saves in your user profile's saved-games area. Most editors let you browse straight to the folder; if you need to find it by hand, search your user directory for the game's saved-games path. Deadfire, note, uses a different save format entirely — a first-game editor will not read a Deadfire save, so match the tool to the game.