There’s no real need for me to say this, but Skyrim is probably one of the most popular and best games out there. It’s been memed all around the internet to the point where it’s become zeitgeist and gone beyond that to the point where we cringe when we hear about anybody taking an arrow to the knee. It’s also been ported to pretty much everything, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the moon lander probably has a version running on it as well.
Aside from the fact that it’s a huge, massive and expansive RPG that allows you to live an incredibly awesome fantasy, the game has also been modded to an insane degree. In fact, Skyrim has over 55k mods made for it of varying quality, although nonetheless mind-boggling. That’s a lot of mods to go through to find the good ones, especially if you have a busy day or just want to get right down to playing the game.
Well, luckily I’ll be wading through the mud and much to find you some of the better mods out there that offer a variety of things from new armors and weapons, new areas to explore, rebuilds of towns and homes that are otherwise left abandoned or ignored, and in one case a whole new continent to explore. But first, it’s also important for you to know the Elder Scrolls timeline.
Of course, this won’t be an exhaustive list, and there are lots of more awesome mods out there, but these are considered some of the best, if not must-have mods to have. Before we start, though, I do need to mention something. You see, Skyrim got a Special Edition update a few years back which basically made it into a new game in terms of modding. Due to the aforementioned events, I recommend you check out our guide on how to install Skyrim mods before you start downloading any of these.
Actually, it sort of split up the community in two, with some people playing the vanilla game, and some playing the special edition. This has followed through to the modding scene as well, and not all mods are available on both. That being said, I do my best to include both when I can, each with their links clearly delineated. So, strap in, and let’s get started.
Graphical Skyrim Mods
#1 Sky UI
If you’re a big fan of RPG, then you know how important the inventory management system is to the overall enjoyment of the game. Similarly, if you’ve played Skyrim, then you know how almost completely terrible and useless it is to go through. This problem gets compounded even more when you do what every single person who plays an RPG does: Collect literally everything.
So how to deal with our constant digital hoarding? By not hoarding? No chance!
SkyUI fixes a lot of those issues by adding a ton of functionality, such as a search field and a way to mark things as favorites. It also helps manage and do your crafting, and for that alone, it’s awesome. Finally, and probably most useful, is the Mod Configuration menu that is added to the pause screen, which allows you to tweak and change your mods to your needs.
That last one might not sound very important if you don’t have a lot of experience with modding Skyrim but trust me, it’s incredibly handy to be able to change things on the fly.
#2 A Quality World Map
The world of Skyrim is absolutely massive and with a world that large, it’s important that the maps charting it out are good. Unfortunately, the standard Skyrim map is . . . Kinda boring and not very clear. Don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly functional and allows you to do what you need, but why not spice it up a little?
A Quality World Map adds a variety of different options that you can choose for your map, such as a more detailed texture, or differently colored areas that more easily differentiate areas. It also has hand-drawn roads with the ability to only show the main roads or all roads. Finally, it has an option to turn the map into a paper version, reminiscent of older Skyrim games if that’s your thing.
#3 Climates of Tamriel
While the default climate of Skyrim is ok, it doesn’t really take advantage of the fantastical setting, and so one day looks like the next with no real variation. Granted, this might seem like a bit of a nitpicky thing, but I assure you that adding more complex weather really creates another atmosphere altogether.
Climates of Tamriel does just that, adding literally hundreds of different types of weather, cloud formations, and even a new sun and overall lightning. You might get an epic storm one week, and super sunny and clear days the next, it helps keep the world alive. It even has a few audio improvements and additions to go with all these new forms of weather you’re going to be getting. As a plus, this mod pairs nicely with ENBs
#4 ENBs
So what is an ENB? Well, it’s basically a graphical shader library that replaces the Direct3D component, so that when your game starts, it loads up the modified file, rather than the original one Skyrim came with. If that sounds a tad complicated, just know that ENBs are essentially a configuration file that allows you to change graphical presets such as ambient occlusion, bloom, depth-of-field, etc. (that’s why they are called ‘ENB Presets’).
As for which ENB to go for, there’s absolutely tons of them with varying levels of effect on the game’s graphics, but there are two popular ones; RealVision ENB and True Vision ENB.
RealVision ENB changes the lighting vastly to give you a more realistic feel and look to the game, akin to what you might see in real life. Unfortunately, it’s also super resource-hungry, so unless you have a PC that costs at least $1000, you’re out of luck, although you could check out some great budget gaming PCs that could probably run it.
As far as I can tell though, Real Vision ENB doesn’t have a special edition version, which makes sense since the special edition already has suped-up graphics.
True Vision ENB does something similar to Real Vision, but it goes beyond just the lighting and also affects color, specular lighting, reflections, and even spells. Much like Real Vision, it’s heavy on the specs and doesn’t have a special edition version.
#5 Total Character Makeover
So in what has become a running theme of me bashing default Skyrim, the characters in the game don’t really look that great. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying they’re ugly, they just aren’t very lifelike, as if they’ve been painted on a cardboard box. Well, Total Character Makeover tries to fix this issue by essentially being a compilation of several different other mods.
It includes full higher-quality textures for all races, better hand and foot meshes, and higher-resolution version of war-paints, scars, etc. , there’s literally tons of stuff. That being said, don’t expect to see some new haircut like a pink pixie cut, or anything that isn’t in the original game, this mod only makes the base assets better. Also, there’s no nudity stuff if that’s what you’re after you perv.
#6 Enhanced Lights and FX
One of the issues in Vanilla Skyrim is that indoor lighting is a little bit . . . Strange, to say the least. Sometimes areas would be lit up where they had no right to be, and in others where sunlight should be streaming through, they aren’t. Overall, this tends to give a very artificial feel to the lighting of Skyrim
Enhanced Lights and FX changes that by adding light to light sources that should otherwise work that way, as well as removing those strangely lit areas that have no light sources. Similarly, some really great smoke effects, droplets, and other interior environmental changes to make the game feel much more realistic.
It also allows you to change how dim you want the interiors to be so that you can change how reliant you are on things such as torches and spells to keep things lit.
#7 Realistic Water Two
Something that you’ll notice in Skyrim is that pretty much all the water in the game looks exactly the same. Not only that, but it’s dark and briny, akin to grey water rather than actual clean drinking water. This tends to break the atmosphere a bit, especially if you’re walking along a river, or maybe doing some fishing.
Realistic Water Two draws from other modded work and re-imagines the whole waterscape of Skyrim, making the water look better. Better ripples, faster water in streams as it should be, and even bits of ice flowing around in the colder areas. It even alters those somewhat filthy looking pools of waters that you’d find in dungeons, so the mod really touches everything water-related.
Not only that, but it even manages to throw in some great sound effects to go with all that, so it pleases both your eyes and ears. It also has a great effect on the special edition of Skyrim, where the developers made the water better, but it was still all samey.
#8 FXAA Injector
The fancier addition of Anti-Aliasing, Fast Approximate Anti-Aliasing (or FXAA), didn’t really make it into the original Skyrim when it came out. It’s a big shame because FXAA adds a lot to the game beyond just better anti-aliasing, and can make everything look plain better.
Well, with the FXAA Injector, you can do just that; add FXAA to the vanilla Skyrim experience. It adds a bunch of post-processing effects, such a bloom, as well as just giving better color reproduction and crispness. The best part is that you can alter it as you play by using the desktop utility, so no need to constantly reload the game or save while you get the setting just right to your liking.
Of course, this mod only exists for vanilla Skyrim, as special edition added it into the mix when it came out.
#8 Static Mesh Improvement Mod (SMIM)
If you’ve ever felt that some things in Skyrim look a little bit flat, there’s a very good reason for that: The meshes are pretty flat. If you don’t know what a mesh is, it’s basically a wire-model of an object upon which you lay a texture. So if you have a pillar with carvings, but you don’t include the carvings in the mesh, they’ll look completely flat. This saves dev time and PC resources but can make the game not look as great as it could be.
Static Mesh Improvement Mod or SMIM edits over 900 meshes in 30,000 locations across the game to really bring it to life, making it look much more three dimensional. Anything from furniture to architecture looks much more detailed with this mod compared to vanilla.
#9 Book Covers
Ok, so this one might just be a little bit of nit-picking from me, but I actually think the blurred look of book covers is a bit off-putting. For a world with so much text in it, it would be nice if the book covers looks a little bit better.
Well, this mod does that by retexturing all the books and even journals in the game, giving them each a unique cover. It also has different looks for the paper inside, so that not all books look the same after the change of the book cover. Now I can sit at home and look at the glory of my library in high(er) resolution.
Combat and Magic Skyrim Mods
#1 Immersive Weapons
Now, far be it for me to claim that Skyrim doesn’t have enough weapons, when there’s clearly a ton, from the useful to the not so useful. That being said, if you’ve been playing Skyrim for hundreds of hours, then you might begin to get bored and tired of the same old weapons. Heck, you might even consider looking up individual weapon mods to add the game, which can be tedious.
Well, Immersive Weapons is the Rolls Royce of weapon mod world, with over 230 weapons in 21 categories, you’re going to be spoiled for choice. Everything from daggers, swords, and maces, you really have a lot of stuff to choose from. The best part? These weapons are balanced for the game, so they aren’t some form of OP weapon that will give you ultimate power or something.
Actually no, that’s not the best part. The best part is that all these new weapons are craftable, lootable, and even buyable from vendors. Some weapons even have quests for you to get them, which is pretty cool. Finally, this mod adds dual-wielding enemies, just to make things a little bit more interesting.
#2 Immersive Armors
Ok, I know what you’re thinking: What? Another immersive mod? Well, Immersive Armors goes hand in hand with Immersive Weapons, and just like the latter, it adds a ton of new armors to the game.
With over 55 different sets, not including one-offs, and 390+ new shields, you can basically live out any fashion dream that you’ve had for medieval fantasy. There’s even eye-patches, scarves and earrings, so you could totally be a trendy pirate if you felt like it. Like Immersive Weapons, everything in Immersive Armors is completely lore appropriate, so they don’t break the game.
Similarly, they can all be crafted, looted or bought, so they’re an integral part of the game. Doesn’t end there though, because even the NPCs are handed this great new armor since let’s be honest, nobody wants to feel out of place. Oh, and you can totally adjust what armors appear in the game through the SkyUI mod, so that’s perfect.
#3 Cloaks of Skyrim
When I first heard of this mod, I thought of Edna from The Incredibles and how she insisted “NO CAPES!”. Well, she was talking about super-powered heroes, rather than medieval fantasy heroes, and after seeing this mod, I gotta say she might not be entirely correct.
With nearly 100 different cloaks, Cloaks of Skyrim surprisingly adds quite a bit to the atmosphere even though it looks like a very little addition. An imposing guard with a massive cloak might make you think twice about attacking them, whereas a tattered cloak on a rogue will make them look sneaker. That’s not to say that you won’t look really awesome sporting your own cloak tailored to your needs (well, within those 100 anyway).
These cloaks are also craftable and lootable, as well as being very lore-friendly. They’re also enchantable and don’t take an armor slot away from anything else, so there’s no comprises here. Pair this mod up with Immersive Armors, and I dare say you could be quite the fashion standard in the world of Tamriel.
#4 Bandoliers
You might think on the surface that bandoliers sound like a weird thing to have in Skyrim, but actually, they’re incredibly useful. Aside from their snazzy looks, they add a lot of extra storage and carry weight to yourself, something which comes in handy when you can’t get over your Hoarder tendencies.
This mod doesn’t just stop at bandoliers though; you also get vial holders, book holders and belt pouches to kit yourself out. Bandoliers add seven new slots for you to equip your new gear so that you don’t have to give up any other armor. With over 60 different items available, allowing you to carry an extra 25 to 100 for the large bandolier, you’re going to be set for ages.
Much like other item mods these items here are all crafted at a tanning rack, although some of them require special ingredients.
#5 Wearable Lanterns
So this might seem like another mod that isn’t really important or interesting, but if you’re going to use any mod that alters lighting, you’re going to need it. You see, by going with some more realistic lighting, everything gets dark, really, really dark, and ultimately you’re going to have to use something for lighting. Unfortunately, that takes up a whole hand so you won’t be able to dual wield or carry a shield.
This is where Wearable Lanterns shines (hehe, see what I did there?). By allowing you to clip a lantern to your belt, either in the front or back, you free up your hand again to use it for whatever you wish. Not only that, but you can even let a companion carry it for you, and they’ll even put it out automatically whenever you enter stealth. And hey, you can even configure back and forth between wearable and holdable in the SkyUI menu.
#6 Apocalypse—Magic of Skyrim
Magic combat in Skyrim is pretty awesome, so much so that it can really make you feel like a mage or wizard. Unfortunately, it’s a shame that there aren’t way more spells for you to learn and play around with, especially if you are going in what is considered an ‘unviable’ path.
That’s where this mod comes in adding a whopping 155 spells, 31 for each school of magic. There’s a lot here from Locate Object which illuminates something you’re looking for to Backlash, a spell interrupt which backfires the caster’s spells. There are some really awesome additions in here.
All the spells can be acquired as you would in a normal game, and they all have their own unique, high-quality animations. They’re also all balanced into the game, so you don’t have to worry about them destroying the experience.
#7 Phenderix Magic Evolved
If the spells in Apocalypse are just a little bit too mundane for you, then you might consider the Phenderix Magic Evolved mod, which really doesn’t kid around. Adding roughly 400 spells in over 30 different archetypes, you’re getting some ridiculous stuff in here. Everything from the awesome such as lighting archetypes, to teleportation and summoning archetypes that allow you to summon up to three mobs at once.
You can even do a variety of combinations, so it’s certainly fun to sit and test out . . . It also makes you feel awesome. You even get some cool role-playing options with blood magic and druid magic. Everything in here has its own shaders and animations, so the spells look distinct from vanilla Skyrim.
#8 More Perks Per Level
One thing that I always had issues within RPGs is how fast you get skill points to level up your stats. Skyrim has a bit of a similar issue, and it can be a little bit tedious after the first or second playthrough of the game. After all, the idea is that you’re some awe-inspiring, god-like being, so why not be kitted like one?
More Perks Per Level is a simple mod . . . Really, it’s only five lines of code, so there’s no strain or resource usage like some other similar mods. It also doesn’t do any other extraneous stuff that isn’t necessarily required; it just gives you an extra amount of skill points on level up. The default number of skill points you get is two instead of 1 in vanilla, although you can alter that through the console and set it to whatever you want.
One nice thing about this mod is that it’s retroactive up until level 50, so if you already have a game going and you’re below that level, you can easily get it and the skill points you missed out on once you go to level 51.
#9 Wildcat/Smilodon – Combat of Skyrim
If you think your Skyrim doesn’t have enough Dark Souls in it, well you’re in luck with these combat mods. Actually, these two are basically the same mod with slight variation, and one working on vanilla Skyrim (Wildcat) and the other working on Special Edition (Smilodon). They both have quite a long list of stuff added, but I think the most important thing to point out is that the AI is much more improved and way smarter.
They also add timed blocking, and a bunch of stuff that’s too long to list here, but one main difference is that Wildcat has a controversial injury system that is both loved and hated. Either way, the mods are configurable to set things the way you like them, so don’t be too put off if some things seem a bit too hard or too easy.
#10 Immersive College of Winterhold
The College of Winterhold has always felt a little bit ramshackle, a bit . . . Dead, so to speak. That doesn’t really mesh well with how a college of magic should be like, especially when you become an archmage. Heck, if I was in charge of a magical school, I’d probably make it as badass as I can!
Well, Immersive College of Winterhold is an incredibly massive mod which brings the whole thing to life. People now attend classes in a new practice area; people move around; there are experiments going on left right and center. You also get a ton of new rooms, including a really swanky library that you can fill yourself, new quarters for the archmage, a terrarium, an alchemy station, even a whole new quest area.
You can even repair the bridge once you become an archmage, and people walk around and use it, which is pretty awesome. Seriously, this is a must-have mod if you plan to play a mage character and want to be the archmage.
Quest Mods for Skyrim
#1 Alternate Start – Live Another Life
The beginning sequence of Skyrim has become so well known that it’s been memed over, and over, and over again. But you know, the whole coming in on a wagon thing begins to get pretty old at some point, especially if you’ve played the heck out of the game. What if you could do something else, be somebody else.
Well, Alternate Start does that by basically making you skip the first part in Helgen, but it doesn’t stop there. You can actually start your game as pretty much anybody, anywhere on the map, each with their own backstory and inventory. Maybe you’re an innkeeper this time or a vampire, or maybe you’re locked in a jail cell.
Of course, with somebody that has a new life, you don’t necessarily have to even start the main quest, or even start it your own leisure. Just be aware that a force start happens when you go to Dragonhold and enter the main hall.
#2 Moonpath to Elsweyr
The cold and snowy environment in Skyrim tends to get pretty old, pretty quickly once you’ve dropped a few hundred hours to it. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s a great world, but wouldn’t it be nice to have a little bit of something different?
Well, Moonpath to Elsweyr does that, taking you to the Khajit homeland, where none except the Khajit have gone before. You get to explore two new environments, a jungle, and a dessert, both of which are massive contrasts to snowy mountains. But it’s not just empty environments, this is a full mod that includes quests, NPCs, and most awesomely, your very own airship to travel around with, even in the world of the Nords.
Interestingly enough, this is actually one of the first mods that ever came out for Skyrim, before the Creation Kit even came out, so there’s a lot of pedigree here.
#3 Enderal: The Shards of Order
Of course, the world of Skyrim is still pretty special, and there’s tons and tons to do, especially when you consider all the side-quests and just free-roaming fun. The thing is, wouldn’t be nice if we had something more? Something as big and sort of equal to Skyrim V?
Well, that’s where Enderal comes in, a total conversion mod (just like the EU IV mods), but with a massive scope. It creates a full-fledged out map almost the complete size of Skyrim V, which is pretty impressive. It doesn’t stop there though, since it adds, new quests, mobs, dungeons, and fully voiced NPCs, which is pretty awesome.
It also tweaks some of the mechanics as well, and it has between 30-50 hours of extra gameplay to be had, depending on what quests you focus on. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really work well with special edition without some playing around, but I’ve provided a link to a tutorial so that you can try your luck.
#4 T3nd0’s Skyrim Redone
Skyrim Redone is another total conversion mod, but it’s for when you’re just done with Skyrim and want another similar experience. Seriously, this mod goes whole-hog on the game, changing literally everything from the perks, stats and even mechanics of the game. Factions get changes, weapons and armor get added, as does a survival element, crafting is altered, races are altered, pretty much everything gets altered.
Honestly, I’d love to go through all the stuff it changes, but that could be a full article on its own, so you’re better off checking out the mod page!
#5 Sea of Ghosts
Did you like Assassin’s Creed Black Flag and want to play way, way more? In fact, do you just love the idea of boat mechanics like in other Assassin’s Creed games?
Well, Sea of Ghosts does something similar by allowing you to cast off the chains of your landlubber self, and instead, go out into the open sea with your own boat. You can buy your ship, hire a crew, and set sail for one of 7 different new quests scattered over a group of islands. It even has pro voice acting, which I’m pretty impressed with.
Heck, you can even acquire a new house with its own dock. Unfortunately, much like Enderal, it mod hasn’t been ported to special edition yet, but you can convert the mod on your own with some elbow grease.
#6 Airship Dev Aveza
If you liked the idea of an Airship from the Enderal mod, but don’t really want to use the whole mod necessarily, then I have some great news for you!
This mod takes the airship from that mod, combines it with another mod, and inserts it into the standard game. So you can legit fly around the world of Skyrim in an airship, plus it has space for all your stuff, so you can get around in style. When you first load the game, you can find it in the Cliffs of Solitude, right near the Blue Palace.
#7 Winterhold Rebuild
For the most part, Winterhold is essentially dead for the vanilla game, despite being the capital of Skyrim. It’s sparsely populated, dilapidated, and all the merchants are broke (although that might just be because I keep trying to sell them everything under the sun). Shouldn’t this amazing place look . . . Well, amazing!
Amazing might be going a bit too far, but Winterhold Rebuild actually addresses the issue and turns Winterhold to the great capital it was before the Great Collapse. It’s a quest-driven rebuild as well, so it’s not like it suddenly gets a make-over. You also get new merchants, such as a blacksmith and a general goods store, and they all have tons of money, so that’s awesome.
Finally, you get the option to purchase your own little home/mansion in Winterhold when the quest is over (don’t worry, it’s lore-friendly), plus a horse if you want it. I don’t know about you, but I would certainly consider this an essential/core mod.
#9 Helgen Reborn
Helgen gets a pretty bad rep for being the place you go to get your head chopped off. That’s further compounded by its bad luck when it gets burned to a crisp by a dragon within the first 20 minutes of the game. The thing is, surely Helgen doesn’t deserve to remain in the rubble for the rest of the game.
Helgen Reborn addresses that by giving Helgen a second chance at a new life by allowing you to slowly build up to a better state than when you got there. It has a variety of new quests, NPCs, dungeons, and you even get to train up a city guard. Even better you get one of the coolest homes in terms of Skyrim mods so that you can watch the town expand and become . . . Well, a town again.
#10 Heljarchen Farm
Let’s be honest; being the hero of a whole country is pretty stressful. People are constantly asking you to do stuff, talking about how you’re a Dragonborn ogling at you. It’s part-celebrity, part-errand boy, and sometimes it can all be too much. Well, with the Heljarchen Farm mod, you can leave all that behind and become just another farmer out in the world.
Once you buy this abandoned property, you can slowly build it up to a fully functional farm with crops that provides a daily income. Even better, you can even build a meadery, because of what’s farm life without drinking (and making money off of that drink)?
You can even build a guardhouse to protect your crops and stock of alcohol from would-be thieves. It’s a fun little mod and a nice getaway when the stresses of being the main character get too much.
Conclusion
Phew! That’s a whole lot of mods touching pretty much every single aspect of Skyrim you can think of. Of course, I’m not saying you should download them all; I’ll hasten to say that some compatibility issues can arise, plus you’ll likely need a pretty hefty computer to lug around all those mods. That being said, if you can get these in, you can drastically alter your Skyrim experience, but only do so when you’ve played vanilla enough that you want a change.
There are literally tons of more mods, as is evidenced by the Nexus page of the different versions of the game. Honestly, the only thing missing now is to get everything working on a VR system, and then you won’t even need to leave your home, just run Skyrim, and you can be a fantasy hero full-time! (ok, don’t seriously do this, but the idea is awesome).
Either way, whichever mods you choose to go for, I hope you have tons of fun!