Skyrim Mods—What’s The Big Deal?
The first time you play Skyrim can be a magical experience. The world is new, the characters are new, the quests are new—everything is new. However, on your second playthrough, you may begin to tire of some of the same old quests and same old stories. By your third playthrough, you’re completely over it and would like to create a character that looks different and perhaps go on quests and visit places you’ve never visited before. This is where Skyrim mods come into play. Created by fans just like you, these mods add new items, characters, stories, looks, and worlds to Skyrim and also fix many of the bugs and imbalances in the game’s mechanics. So if you want to create a beautiful woman warrior who has more than one follower and can fly through the air, then consider downloading some mods. Below I have listed 76 Skyrim mods that I am sure will make your game more enjoyable to play.
Adventure
Unofficial Legendary Edition Skyrim Patch
What Does It Do?
This mod is meant to fix bugs in Skyrim – Legendary Edition and its three DLCs (Dawnguard, Dragonborn, and Hearthfire) that the developers decided not to address.
Example:
Before: Forsworn Briarheart Without a Heart in His Chest
After: Forsworn Briarheart with a Heart in His Chest
Why You Need It:
It’s no secret that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has many bugs. Some can be hilarious, like a flying horse, while others can be frustrating, like missing a missing quest item. The Unofficial Legendary Edition Skyrim Patch fixes as many of these bugs as it can, making the game run more smoothly and making all your in-game adventures that much more enjoyable.
Molag Bal’s Inferno
What Does It Do?
Molag Bal’s Inferno is a fan-made, multi-level dungeon mod. Within the mod are eight dungeons with their own stories, quests, rewards, enemies, and bosses.
Why You Need It:
If you enjoy completing quests for the various Daedric princes throughout Skyrim, Molag Bal’s Inferno might be enjoyable for you. If you’ve completed all the Daedric quests or you’re just bored of the same old Skyrim quests and dungeons, Molag Bal’s Inferno is a whole new dungeon with entirely new quests and stories. So download it if you want a bit more excitement in your game.
Sokco’s Guild Starter
What Does It Do?
Sokco’s Guild Starter is a mod that lets you create your own guilds. You can recruit most people in Skyrim to join your guild and even send them on jobs. You will also have the ability to create a home base for your guild as well as level up your guild.
Why You Need It:
If you’re like me and have joined every guild in Skyrim, you might end up getting bored of the repetitive quests each of the guilds makes you go on. Plus, you might have always wanted to join a hunter guild or an exclusively Argonian guild. Sokco’s Guild Start makes all this possible. You can create the guild of your dreams and recruit the members you feel will make your guild a success.
Helgen Reborn
What Does It Do?
Helgen Reborn is a mod that allows you to assist in rebuilding Helgen. It includes a new story with new quests, new characters, and six new dungeons.
Why You Need It:
Helgen is the place that is destroyed by a dragon in the beginning of Skyrim. If you’ve visited the ruins of Helgen and have ever been curious as to what it was like when it was thriving town, then this is the mod for you. Not only does Helgen become a once-again thriving community with this mod, it also allows you to participate in the community. It also includes a private home for the player, so if Breezehome or Hjerim aren’t striking your fancy, perhaps a private tower in the town of Helgen might hit the spot.
Alternate Start – Live Another Life
What Does It Do?
The name of this mod is pretty self-explanatory. Alternate Start – Live Another Life is a mod that allows you to choose a different starting point than being transported to Helgen as a prisoner. From escaping from prison to being shipwrecked, this mod will allow you to start your adventures in Skyrim in an entirely different manner than the default way.
Why You Need It:
After the first couple of playthroughs of Skyrim, you might get a bit bored of the Helgen scenario. You are only given a choice to follow one of two people, and they both lead you to the same place: Riverwood. If you’re looking for a more exciting and unique start to your game, then Alternate Start – Live Another Life is sure to suit your fancy. If you want to remain as a prisoner, then this mod allows you to, but if you want to start out as someone more respectable, like a property owner or a soldier, the mod also makes that possible.
UFO – Ultimate Follower Overhaul
Ultimate Follower Overhaul
What Does It Do?
UFO is a mod that changes and upgrades many aspects of Skyrim’s inbuilt follower system. With the mod you can hear new dialogue, recruit more followers, acquire horses for followers, and give commands to your group of followers.
Why You Need It:
If you’d like to have more than one follower, UFO – Ultimate Follower Overhaul gives you the power to have up to fifteen followers. With more interesting dialogue and comments, it is bound to be a lot of fun traveling around with multiple followers. Also, if you’re tired of having to wait for your follower to catch up to you when you’re riding on horseback, this mod is a great asset to have.
Convenient Horses
What Does It Do?
Convenient Horses is a mod that creates new horses and makes them more convenient to use. This mod lets players participate in mounted combat and mounted looting or harvesting. The mod also allows followers to use the horses and participate in mounted combat.
Why You Need It:
Although it’s great that the horses in Skyrim can scale mountains if you force them to, they still don’t seem to be too convenient. With Convenient Horses, not only can you fight while you’re still riding the horse, but you can allow your followers to follow you on horseback. Also, if you’ve ever felt frustrated at having to dismount every time you see a plant you want to harvest, this mod is a godsend.
Frostfall – Hypothermia Camping Survival
What Does It Do?
Frostfall is a mod that adds immersive survival elements to the wintry parts of Skyrim. The three elements of this mod are hypothermia, camping, and cold water survival.
Why You Need It:
If you want a more realistic and challenging game, then Frostfall is the mod for you. Skyrim has no trouble getting people immersed in the environment, but when you go to the snowy parts of Skyrim, it can be hard to imagine that you’re actually there since there are no penalties for staying in the snow or freezing water for too long. Frostfall makes Skyrim more realistic while being careful not to sacrifice the fun that you already have while adventuring through the world.
Falskaar
What Does It Do?
Falskaar is a mod that adds a new land to Skyrim. It is completely separate from Tamriel and contains its own story, characters, quests, and items. It also has its own soundtrack, so it is basically a fan-made expansion of Skyrim.
Why You Need It:
If you’ve visited all the holds of Skyrim and have explored the world to your heart’s content, you may want something different. Not only does Falskaar have its own story separate from Skyrim’s, it is also a wholly separate land. If you want to venture outside of the land of Skyrim while still playing the game, then Falskaar is the perfect mod for you.
Interesting NPCs
What Does It Do?
Interesting NPCs is a mod that adds more and interesting non-playable characters to Skyrim. The characters have voice actors separate from the voice actors for Skyrim, and they also have their own stories and dialogue.
Why You Need It:
If you’ve played Skyrim for a while, you may have noticed that many of the NPCs have the same thing to say. You also may have noticed that many of the characters share the same voice actor. If you want more variety in voice actors and non-playable character interaction, then Interesting NPCs is the mod for you.
Moonpath to Elsweyr
What Does It Do?
Moonpath to Elsweyr is a mod that allows players to visit the Khajiit homeland of Elsweyr. It contains a land separate from Skyrim, new characters, stories, quests, and many custom enemies.
Why You Need It:
Khajiit are some of the most awesome characters in Skyrim. To be able to go to their homeland and meet other Khajiits and complete quests is like a dream come true to someone who has always wondered where those sneaky cats come from. You need this mod because it not only add a brand new land to Skyrim but the land it adds is home to the Khajiit.
Skyrim Unbound (Alternate Start)
What Does It Do?
Like Live Another Life, Skyrim Unbound is an alternate start mod. Once downloaded, there’s an option for the player to skip the opening sequence and choose whether or not they want to play as a Dragonborn. You can also choose a starting point from all of the holds and cities, choose starting gear, or choose to begin the game as a vampire or werewolf.
Why You Need It:
After creating two or three characters, you might be feeling burnt out on the starting options that Skyrim has to offer. Also, you might be sick of playing as a Dragonborn and having everyone referring to your character as Dragonborn. If so, then Skyrim Unbound is a great mod to try because you can choose to not play as a Dragonborn, and you can also create an entirely different life for your character starting from the very beginning of the game.
Realistic Needs and Diseases
What Does It Do?
Realistic Needs and Diseases is a mod that makes needs and diseases in Skyrim more realistic. As a result, it makes the game a bit more difficult. Some of the features of this mod include diseases that get progressively worse over time without treatment, getting tired and being unable to sleep with a disease, and also the ability to become hungry, thirsty, sleepy, and inebriated.
Why You Need It:
If you’re looking to be more immersed in Skyrim’s world while you adventure, then Realistic Needs and Diseases would be a good mod to add to your collection. When you get a disease in Skyrim, there are usually negative effects, but none of them get any worse over time. So if you want your game to be more realistic as well as difficult, then download this mod.
Become High King of Skyrim
What Does It Do?
Just like the name says Become High King of Skyrim is a mod that allows players to become High King of Skyrim. As a part of this mod, you can order any of your subjects to be killed or imprisoned, command an army, make anyone, even a Jarl, your follower, and invite people to live in your very own castle.
Why You Need It:
Becoming High King of Skyrim is something that I’m sure every player of Skyrim has thought about becoming at least one time while playing. Become High King of Skyrim is a mod that allows this fantasy to become a reality. No longer do you have to settle for being a simple Dragonborn who must serve the Jarls of Skyrim—you can be the king and have everyone else serving you.
Enemies and Combat
Deadly Dragons
What Does It Do?
Deadly Dragons is a mod that makes the dragons in Skyrim tougher and better at fighting. It makes the game more challenging and requires the player to use more strategy and strength when fighting dragons. This mod also contains different varieties of dragons in addition to the ones that are automatically included in Skyrim.
Why You Need It:
Dragon battles are rather frequent in Skyrim, and upon reaching higher levels, you might come to realize that it is easy to fight dragons. They’re not very smart in their attacks, and it’s easy to read their pattern. With Deadly Dragons, you can make the game more challenging and, hopefully, more enjoyable because you won’t be bored with predictable dragon fights anymore.
Better Vampires 7.2
What Does It Do?
Better Vampires is an overhaul mod of vampires in Skyrim. Its purpose it to balance vampires with everything else in the game and provide a more enjoyable experience to those who want to play as a vampire.
Why You Need It:
This mod is for those people who like vampires but think that vampires in Skyrim are either too weak or too overpowered. It can make playing as a vampire more challenging but also more enjoyable.
Bellyaches New Dragon Species
What Does It Do?
New Dragon Species is a mod that adds new species of dragon to Skyrim. In all, there are thirteen new species and fifty types of dragons that players can encounter in their travels.
Why You Need It:
For the dragon lovers out there, this is a must-have mod since it adds some much needed variety to the dragons of Skyrim. Combine this mod with Deadly Dragons and not only do you have tons of new dragons you can encounter, you also have the challenge of learning how to fight them.
Duel – Combat Realism
What Does It Do?
Duel is a mod that alters Skyrim’s normal fighting system and makes it more realistic and challenging. Not only does it change the fighting mechanics so that you can’t just go and blindly whack an enemy to death, it also changes the mechanics of the enemies, making them smarter and more difficult to fight.
Why You Need It:
The fighting styles of Skyrim’s enemies and bosses can quickly become predictable. For those players looking for a challenge and also looking for more realistic enemies and combat, Duel – Combat Realism is a good mod to try.
Dragon Combat Overhaul
What Does It Do?
Dragon Combat Overhaul is a lot like Deadly Dragons. It is a mod that overhauls the default dragon system in Skyrim. As a result, the fights with dragons are more realistic and challenging. With this mod dragons become smarter and more unpredictable. Dragons are also able to fight in teams and communicate strategies to each other.
Why You Need It:
If you need a challenge when fighting dragons in Skyrim, then this is the mod for you. Since Skyrim’s default dragons have predictable attack patterns and tend to not be very strong, you might get easily bored of fighting them. Dragon Combat Overhaul takes that boredom and throws it out the window by making dragons more tactically adept, in turn making you work and think harder in order to defeat them.
Warzones 2015 – Civil Unrest
What Does It Do?
Warzones is a mod that adds big, random battles to the fields of Skyrim. Included in the mod are skirmishes, epic battles, ambushes, and random encounters with NPCs that are always changing.
Why You Need It:
For a game that is constantly talking about the strife between different factions of Skyrim, Skyrim sure doesn’t have a lot of battles—or rather, any. So if you’ve ever wanted to get into a full-on battle with the Imperials or Stormcloaks, or if you just want to fight anything and everything on your travels through Skyrim, then Warzones is the mod for you.
Revenge of the Enemies 2016
What Does It Do?
Revenge of the Enemies is an overhaul mod of the enemy AI in Skyrim. It makes enemies smarter and stronger and gives the enemies new skills. Some special elite enemies can also be found throughout Skyrim.
Why You Need It:
If you want a greater challenge while playing Skyrim, then Revenge of the Enemies is a great mod to try. Combined with Deadly Dragons, this mod will make your questing throughout Skyrim less monotonous and more challenging.
SkyTEST Realistic Animals and Predators
What Does It Do?
Realistic Animals and Predators is a mod that overhauls the creatures in Skyrim. It makes them more realistic while leaving their appearance and behaviors the same as they have always been. With this mod creatures don’t ignore each other anymore, they will actually start fighting each other and ignoring you. This mod focuses on altering the AI of the creatures in Skyrim and keeps them lore-friendly.
Why You Need It:
If you like travelling in a Skyrim that is more realistic, then Realistic Animals and Predators is a mod you might want to try. It just doesn’t make sense that a wolf wandering into a bear’s territory would just be ignored, and this mod makes it so that the bear will attack the wolf instead of just letting it roam freely. Combine this with some of the other mods like Combat Realism, Revenge of the Enemies, and Deadly Dragons and you’ve got yourself an incredibly immersive game.
Appearance
ApachiiSkyHair
What Does It Do?
ApachiiSkyHair is a mod that adds 216 new hairstyles for male and female characters. The hairstyles are adapted from the Sims, the Witcher, and Oblivion.
Why You Need It:
If you like creating good-looking characters in RPG games, then this mod is one step in the right direction. There are not very many default hairstyles in Skyrim, and ApachiiSkyHair adds over 200 new ones to the game. If character creation is one of your favorite parts of playing a game, then this would be a good mod to download.
RaceMenu
What Does It Do?
RaceMenu is an overhaul of the original Skyrim character creation. The mod adds more sliders and more options to the character creation and gives players the ability to customize their characters further than the original character creation menu allowed.
Why You Need It:
Character creation is one of my favorite parts of playing an RPG game, and if it’s one of yours also, then this is a great mod to have. It gives players the ability to make their characters look more realistic and also lets players create prettier characters.
The Eyes of Beauty
What Does It Do?
The Eyes of Beauty is a mod that adds new eye textures to Skyrim. You can make your character look more realistic or make them look like a model. Not only can you alter the eyes of your own character, but you can also turn on a feature that allows you to make the NPCs eyes as you want them.
Why You Need It:
For the character-creation lovers out there, The Eyes of Beauty is just another mod that should be added to your collection. Combined with ApachiiSkyHair and RaceMenu, your characters can look exactly as you want them to look.
Download the Mod Here
Enhanced Character Edit
What Does It Do?
Enhanced Character Edit is a mod that adds more sliders to the character creation in Skyrim. The sliders it includes are: body, face, eyes, and nose, as well as color and expression sliders.
Why You Need It:
Combining this mod with other appearance mods will make your characters look beautiful. If you like beautiful characters, or even just realistic-looking characters, then Enhanced Character Edit would be a good mod to download.
RS Children Overhaul
What Does It Do?
RS Children Overhaul is a mod that makes the children in Skyrim look more unique. It changes the faces of all the children in Skyrim and adds some new clothing for boys. Some optional features of the mod include: children as a playable race and compatibility with Enhanced Character Edit and Female Facial Animation.
Why You Need It:
I don’t know about you but I’ve always disliked that the children in Skyrim all look exactly the same. Boys look like all other boys and girls look like all other girls and boys and girls look like each other, just dressed in different clothing and with different hairstyles. If you’re like me and don’t like that the children of Skyrim look alike, then RS Children Overhaul is the mod for you. Combined with some other mods, your game will become more unique and enjoyable.
Xenius Character Enhancement
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/2356/?tab=2&navtag=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nexusmods.com%2Fskyrim%2Fajax%2Fmodfiles%2F%3Fid%3D2356&pUp=1What Does It Do?
Like the other character mods, Xenius Character Enhancement adds new details to the characters in Skyrim. This mod is also a compilation of several other mods including No More Blocky Faces, which I will write about further down this list.
Why You Need It:
If you would like more variety when it comes to the characters in Skyrim, then Xenius Character Enhancement is a good mod to help meet your needs. Another reason you should download this mod is because it combines several other appearance mods into one big file, so you don’t have to go through the trouble of downloading multiple mods.
Download the Mod Here
No More Blocky Faces
What Does It Do?
No More Blocky Faces is a mod that does exactly what it says—eliminates blocky faces in Skyrim. It makes the faces in Skyrim look more realistic and less angular. It works for all the races except for Khajiit and Argonians.
Why You Need It:
If you want to create beautiful characters in Skyrim, then No More Blocky Faces is a must. With this mod, your character’s face can have a more rounded appearance that makes him/her look more attractive.
Better Beast Races
What Does It Do?
Better Beast Races is a continuation of No More Blocky Faces except that this time it concerns only Khajiit and Argonians. The mod makes it so that the beast race faces are less angular.
Example:
Khajiit Face: Before and After
Argonian Face: Before and After
Why You Need It:
If you like playing Khajiit or Argonians and you want your characters to look more attractive, then this mod is a must-have. It will give your character’s face a softer appearance so that it is more attractive.
Beards
What Does It Do?
Beards is a mod that adds detailed, realistic beards to Skyrim’s characters. It uses the existing beards in Skyrim and replaces them with hand-painted versions.
Why You Need It:
If you like making characters with beards but think that the default beards in Skyrim don’t look very good, then Beards would be a good mod to download. Also, if you want your characters to look more realistic with facial hair, then this is a good mod to use.
Better Females
What Does It Do?
Just as the name suggests, Better Females is a mod that makes the female characters look better and more realistic. The mod replaces the default face textures of the lips, eyebrows, and makeup and makes them more detailed and higher resolution.
Why You Need It:
If you like creating female characters and, in particular, beautiful female characters, then Better Females is the mod for you. This mod is great because not only does it allow you to create better and more realistic-looking female characters, it also makes the female NPCs look better.
Book Covers Skyrim
What Does It Do?
Book Covers is a mod that gives all the books throughout Skyrim new and more detailed textures. It gives unique covers to each of the books and also changes the style of some of the pages inside the books.
Why You Need It:
Book Covers is a mod that every Skyrim book collector should download. There are many great stories and secrets among the books of Skyrim, and it is very easy to get addicted to collecting them and displaying them in your home. This mod makes that collection look even more awesome than it already does.
Animation
Fores New Idles in Skyrim - FNIS
What Does It Do?
FNIS is a mod that adds custom animations to Skyrim. The types of different animations included are: poses, furniture, killmoves, creature animations, sequenced animations, and arm offset animations.
Why You Need It:
Tired of the characters in Skyrim standing in the same way? Or animating the same exact way whenever they talk? Then FNIS is the mod for you. It adds unique animations to Skyrim and can make your playthrough so much more enjoyable.
The Dance of Death – A Killmove Mod
What Does It Do?
The Dance of Death is a mod that adds unused or unassigned killmoves to Skyrim. It includes killmoves for melee combat types, such as one-handed, two-handed, and hand-to-hand combat.
Why You Need It:
If you’re bored of seeing the same killmove over and over when you kill an enemy in one blow, then The Dance of Death might be a good mod to add to your collection. Since it adds more killmoves, killing enemies in the game is bound to be more interesting.
Immersive Animations
What Does It Do?
Immersive Animations is a mod that adds new, optional animations to Skyrim. It also makes the default animations look better for those players who like to play with only the original animations.
Why You Need It:
Again, if you feel bored by seeing the same animations time and time again in Skyrim, then Immersive Animations is bound to make your game more enjoyable. Just like the name suggests, the addition of different animations can make Skyrim more immersive, in turn making it more fun to play.
Female Facial Animation
What Does It Do?
Female Facial Animation is a mod that improves facial expressions of female characters in Skyrim. It improves the expressions of all races except for orc, khajiit, and argonian.
Why You Need It:
If female characters are your favorites in Skyrim, then Female Facial Animation can help make your game more interesting.
New Animation for Magic Casting
What Does It Do?
New Animation for Magic Casting is a mod that adds new animations to magic casting. It makes the casting movements look more natural and smooth.
Why You Need It:
If you like to play mage-types in RPG games, then New Animation for Magic Casting would be a good mod to have. The default casting animations in Skyrim are very simple and not very realistic, so if you want more realistic and natural casting animations, then this is the mod for you.
Real Flying (with Gliding and Collisions)
What Does It Do?
Real Flying is a mod that allows a character to sprout wings and fly around Skyrim. All a player needs to do is cook a “Mutagen” and then the wings will appear on a character’s back whenever the player wants to fly.
Why You Need It:
Flying is always fun. Skyrim does not allow players to fly in any way in Skyrim, so with this mod, you can fulfill all your dreams of flying. See what it’s like from a dragon’s point of view for a change.
YY Anim Replacer – Zweihander
What Does It Do?
YY Anim Replacer – Zweihander is a mod that changes the animations for two-handed weapons. The mod changes the way a character looks while standing, walking, running, sprinting, turning, blocking with weapons, and equipping weapons.
Why You Need It:
If you’re just looking for something new animation-wise for your game, then this could be a good mod to download. If you have a character that consistently fights with two-handed weapons, then the change in animation might make your game more interesting.
Skills and Magic
Apocalypse – Magic of Skyrim
What Does It Do?
Apocalypse is a mod that adds tons of new spells to Skyrim—155 to be exact. The spells are balanced with the game and stay friendly to the lore of Skyrim.
Why You Need It:
If you love being a magic-caster in RPGs, then this mod is perfect for you. Being a mage in Skyrim can get old really quickly and the different spells can all start to blend together. If you download Apocalypse, then your magic-casting will get more interesting, making your game more fun to play.
Smart Souls
What Does It Do?
Smart Souls is a mod that makes the acquisition of souls less frustrating. It makes souls so that they do not go into a gem that is a different level or quality.
Why You Need It:
This mod is great because it is always frustrating when you only have great or grand soul gems available and when you by chance capture a petty soul, that petty soul takes residence in one of those soul gems, thereby making them less powerful. Smart Souls make it so that petty and lesser souls cannot go into anything but petty or lesser soul gems.
Balanced Magic
What Does It Do?
Balanced Magic is a mod that does exactly what the name says it will do: balances magic in Skyrim. The mod tries to make the magic of all different types of casters in Skyrim balanced and tries to make it so that none of them are overpowered.
Why You Need It:
If you’ve ever felt like your magic was overpowering in Skyrim, making the game too easy and less fun to play, then Balanced Magic is the mod for you. Also, if you like to play different types of magic casters, such as a healer or a conjurer, this mod is also good because it makes each type of magic casting more balanced in relation to each other.
Magic Duel – Reborn
What Does It Do?
The purpose of Magic Duel – Reborn is to make the casting of destruction magic more fun. It allows you to engage in magic duels with others—your character doesn’t even have to be a mage. All you have to do is cast a destructive spell at any other character or creature in Skyrim, including dragons, and a magic duel will begin.
Why You Need It:
Dueling in video games is always fun, and dueling with magic is just icing on the cake. You can brawl in Skyrim, but there was never an option to duel someone until this mod. So if you like magic and dueling, then download Magic Duel – Reborn.
Empowered Magic
What Does It Do?
Empowered Magic is a mod that overhauls the magic system of Skyrim. It makes magic more balanced and helps players to have more of a variety in their choices of spells, instead of choosing the same ones over and over again.
Why You Need It:
If you find yourself using the same spells and ignoring others, then Empowered Magic might be a good mod to add to your collection. Because it makes all magic in Skyrim more balanced, it gives you more opportunity to explore the different spells in your chosen mage build.
Wintermyst – Enchantments of Skyrim
What Does It Do?
Wintermyst is a mod that adds over 100 new enchantments to Skyrim. These enchantments can be accessed through various items/loot that are spread throughout Skyrim.
Why You Need It:
If enchanting weapons and items in Skyrim is one of your favorite parts of the game, then Wintermyst is the mod for you. It’s easy to get bored of the default enchantments, so install Wintermyst and make your game more interesting.
Forgotten Magic Redone
What Does It Do?
Forgotten Magic Redone is a mod that adds a few new spells to Skyrim. What is unique about the spells it adds are that the spells are balanced, and as you level them, you can unlock new effects on the spells.
Why You Need It:
If you’re a magic-caster and are bored of using the same old Skyrim spells, then Forgotten Magic Redone would be a good mod to download. With its element of surprise, your game is sure to be more interesting.
T3and0’s Perkus Maximus
What Does It Do?
Perkus Maximus is a perk, gameplay, and skill overhaul mod. The creator changed gameplay mechanics and rebuilt the perk skill trees.
Why You Need It:
If you’re bored with the way default Skyrim has made its perks, then Perkus Maximus is the mod for you. Since it introduces new perk skill trees, you will have to spend time learning new strategies for making your character more powerful than ever.
Thunderchild – Epic Shouts and Immersion
What Does It Do?
As its name suggests, Thunderchild is a mod that adds more powerful shouts to Skyrim. The mod also includes new abilities to make shouting even more powerful, a High Hrothgar library, different variations of Greybeard Robes, and some new weapons and items.
Why You Need It:
Shouting and fighting dragons is one of the most fun parts of playing Skyrim. If you’ve found all the shouts and are bored of using them over and over, then Thunderchild could be a good mod to download. It can make your game more engaging and immersive.
Gifts of the Outsider
What Does It Do?
Gifts of the Outsider is a mod that takes six abilities from the game Dishonored and adds them to Skyrim. The six abilities include blink, void gaze, devouring swarm, possession, wind blast, bend time, and shadow kill.
Why You Need It:
Are you a fan of Dishonored? Do you also love to play Skyrim? Then look no further than Gifts of the Outsider to fulfill all your gaming dreams. Not only do you have all of the abilities unique to Skyrim to choose from, but you’ll also have different abilities from a different video game to use.
Ish’s Souls to Perks
What Does It Do?
Ish’s Souls to Perks is a mod that allows players to access perks by using dragon souls. The way it accomplishes this is by adding a new Guardian Stone—the Dragonstone. Players can use this stone to exchange dragon souls for perks.
Why You Need It:
While playing Skyrim you have no doubt defeated many dragons and have an overabundance of dragon souls in your inventory. If you’re looking for something to do with those unused souls, then Ish’s Souls to Perks would be a good mod to get.
Weapons and Armor
Immersive Armors
What Does It Do?
Immersive Armors is a mod that adds new armors into the world of Skyrim. It adds 55 sets of new armor and ensures that each armor set is seamlessly integrated into the world.
Why You Need It:
It’s always nice to put a new armor set on your character. With Immersive Armors, you have more choices of armors and can make your character look as awesome as you want.
Immersive Weapons
What Does It Do?
As the name suggests, Immersive Weapons is the weapon equivalent of Immersive Armors. The mod adds 224 new weapons to Skyrim as well as six new types of arrows for those hunters out there.
Why You Need It:
If you’ve already looked at Immersive Armors and think that you might want to download it, then Immersive Weapons might also be a mod you want to consider. It is a companion mod to Immersive Armors and, I don’t know about you, but I love cool-looking weapons, so if awesome weapons are what you’re looking for, then this is the mod for you.
Cloaks of Skyrim
What Does It Do?
Cloaks of Skyrim is a mod that adds nearly 100 new cloaks to Skyrim. All the cloaks are able to be enchanted and can be acquired by crafting, levelled-lists, and static loot.
Why You Need It:
If you like wearing cloaks but are bored of the cloaks that Skyrim has to offer, then Cloaks of Skyrim is the mod for you. With almost 100 new styles, you are sure to find multiple cloaks that you enjoy putting on your character.
Auto Unequip Ammo
What Does It Do?
Auto Unequip Ammo is a mod that automatically unequips ammo whenever a ranged weapon is unequipped. When you equip the ranged weapon again, the last used ammo is automatically equipped. This mod also works for followers.
Why You Need It:
It is always annoying in Skyrim to put away your bow and then have your arrows still resting on your back until you decide to unequip them manually. Auto Unequip Ammo does away with this annoying aspect of the game by automatically unequipping ammo and automatically reequipping it when you arm yourself with a ranged weapon again.
Heavy Armory – New Weapons
What Does It Do?
Heavy Armory is a mod that adds many new weapons to Skyrim. It also expands the default weapon types like Forsworn, Imperial, Silver, and Draugr.
Why You Need It:
If you want more of a variety of weapons while playing Skyrim, then Heavy Armory has you covered. This mod is great because if you want to stick with the default weapon types in Skyrim, then you can still do that, but you can also have a greater variety to choose from within those types.
Real Bows
What Does It Do?
The aim of Real Bows is to make the bows in Skyrim look as realistic as possible. Each of the bows is redone and made to look like it could actually function in real life.
Why You Need It:
Let’s face it: there aren’t many bows in Skyrim and many of them have boring styles. If you are looking for different styles of bows, then Real Bows can help satisfy you. If you are also looking for greater immersion and realism in the world of Skyrim, then this mod is also great for you.
Dragonbone Weapons
What Does It Do?
Dragonbone Weapons is a simple mod. All it does is add a few weapons made of dragonbone to your Skyrim game.
Why You Need It:
If you’re looking for greater variety in your weapon choices and looks, then Dragonbone Weapons might be a good mod to try. If you’re also a fan of dragons and fighting with dragonbone weapons, then this mod is a must-have.
Masters of Death – Rise of the Brotherhood
What Does It Do?
Masters of Death is a mod that adds a completely new light armor set to Skyrim. The armor set is called Sicarius Armor, and it is craftable with the ebony and advanced armor crafting trees. A variant of the Sicarius Armor set also replaces the Dark Brotherhood’s Shrouded Armor set.
Why You Need It:
Dark Brotherhood Armor is awesome-looking, but it can get old fast. If you want some variation to your light armor, and if you love completing tasks for the Dark Brotherhood, then Masters of Death would be a great mod for you to try.
Dragon Slayer Shields Collection
What Does It Do?
Dragon Slayer Shields Collection is a mod that adds three new shields to Skyrim. Each shield has an image of a dragon on it and comes in wooden, steel, and dragonscale.
Why You Need It:
What better to go along with your new dragonbone weapons than a dragon shield? If you want an great-looking shield to complement all your other cool armor, then try downloading Dragon Slayer Shields Collection.
Bandolier – Bags and Pouches
What Does It Do?
Bandolier is a mod that adds various sizes of bags and pouches to Skyrim so that you can carry more. It offers small pouches, satchels, bags, box pouches, bandoliers, and large bandoliers ranging from adding 25 to 100 extra carry weight.
Why You Need It:
There have been so many times in Skyrim where I’ve had to throw out a good piece of loot or dragon bones because I didn’t have enough strength to carry all of them. Bandolier takes away the frustration of having to drop looted items or having to give them to a companion because you can’t carry them. So if you like collecting items, then consider downloading this mod.
Warmonger Armory
What Does It Do?
Warmonger Armory is a mod that adds new armors, clothing, and weapons to Skyrim. The new items included in this mod are meant to blend in with the Skyrim and the Elder Scrolls universe as a whole.
Why You Need It:
Variety is always a good thing, and Warmonger Armory adds variety to the armor, clothing, and weapons of Skyrim. If you want to be more immersed in the game, then download this mod as it is sure to satisfy.
Unique Uniques
What Does It Do?
The purpose of Unique Uniques is to make the higher-level and more unique types of weapons in Skyrim actually look unique by giving them new appearances.
Why You Need It:
If you dislike that some of the special weapons in Skyrim look too generic, then Unique Uniques would be a good mod to consider. By adding unique appearances to these special weapons, it is sure to make your game more enjoyable.
Project Flintlock Rifle
What Does It Do?
Project Flintlock is a mod that adds a new type of ranged weapon to Skyrim—guns. It includes a flintlock rifle, blunderbuss, and grenade launcher.
Why You Need It:
Guns in Skyrim? Sign me up! If you like playing characters who fight with ranged weapons, then consider downloading Project Flintlock. Sure playing with a bow and arrow is fun, but if you’re looking to add some excitement and novelty to your Skyrim game, then this is the mod for you.
World
SkyUI
What Does It Do?
SkyUI is a mod that alters the user-interface of Skyrim and adds advanced features to it. Some of the features include: inventory management, favorites menu, text search for locations of the map, and active effects being displayed directly in the HUD.
Why You Need It:
If you want an updated and sleeker-looking version of Skyrim’s UI, then SkyUI is a great mod to get. It makes the game look more organized and can make your adventures much more convenient.
Climates of Tamriel – Weather – Lighting – Audio
What Does It Do?
Climates of Tamriel is an overhaul mod of the weather and lighting of Skyrim. Some of the features of this mod include: over 500 new weather systems; over 200 unique days, nights, sunrises, and sunsets; realistic skies and clouds; and unique and natural lighting.
Why You Need It:
If you want to be more immersed in the world of Skyrim, then Climates of Tamriel is the perfect mod for you. It will also make the game much more interesting with all the new visuals it brings to the game.
Static Mesh Improvement Mod - SMIM
What Does It Do?
SMIM is a mod that improves the 3D models in Skyrim. The mod edits the 3D models and makes their appearances better.
Why You Need It:
If you have always thought that the 3D models in Skyrim, such as barrels and crates, look ugly and sloppy, then SMIM is the mod for you. It improves these 3D models and makes them look just as good as the rest of the Skyrim world.
Skyrim Flora Overhaul
What Does It Do?
Like its name suggests, Skyrim Flora Overhaul is a mod that overhauls the landscape of Skyrim and makes it look better. It adds new flora to the environment and gives the world of Skyrim an overall better look.
Why You Need It:
Much of the landscape of Skyrim, especially plants and trees, is very dull. Skyrim Flora Overhaul takes the dull landscape of Skyrim and adds new flora to it as well as improves the flora already in the environment. If you’d like to make your game look more realistic and beautiful, then try this mod.
Enhanced Lights and FX
What Does It Do?
Enhanced Lights and FX is a mod that improves the lighting of Skyrim and makes it more realistic. It also adds various effects, such as smoke and volumic lights.
Why You Need It:
If you want to be more immersed in the world of Skyrim, Enhanced Lights and FX could be a great mod for you to try. It improves the lighting within Skyrim and makes it more realistic. So dungeons are dark, as they should be, and taverns are darker and smokier, as they usually are in real life.
RealVision ENB
What Does It Do?
RealVision ENB is a mod that is designed to overhaul most of Skyrim’s visual effects. Its purpose is to improve the visual effects as well as make them look more realistic.
Why You Need It:
If you’re looking for more immersion in your Skyrim playthrough, then consider downloading RealVision ENB. Since it makes Skyrim’s original visual effects look better and more realistic, it is sure to get you more immersed in the universe of Skyrim.
Skyrim Immersive Creatures
What Does It Do?
Skyrim Immersive Creatures is a mod that adds many new creatures to the world of Skyrim. The aim of the mod is to create variety in the creatures of Skyrim.
Why You Need It:
If you want to be even more immersed in the world of Skyrim than you already are, try Skyrim Immersive Creatures. This mod is bound to make your playthrough more interesting and immersive with all the new creatures it adds.
Skyrim – Enhanced Camera
What Does It Do?
Skyrim – Enhanced Camera is a mod that changes the first person view of the camera. It makes it so that your character has visible body parts while still maintaining a first person point of view. The mod also makes certain actions, like sitting or crafting, first person where Skyrim always forces a 3rd person perspective.
Why You Need It:
If you get frustrated with the camera in Skyrim, then this is the mod for you. If you like to play in first person, but also like to see some parts of your character, then download this mod.
Sounds of Skyrim
What Does It Do?
Sounds of Skyrim is a sound overhaul mod that affects the world of Skyrim in three parts: wilds, civilization, and dungeons. These three mods put together add over 400 sound effects to Skyrim, and these sounds can be heard in almost any part of the game world.
Why You Need It:
If you’re looking for more immersion into the world of Skyrim, then Sounds of Skyrim is the mod for you. With new and more natural sound effects, your game will become more realistic, in turn making it more enjoyable to play.
Download the Mod Here (The Wilds)
Wet and Cold
What Does It Do?
Wet and Cold is a mod that adds weather-dependent visual effects to the game of Skyrim. Some of the effects include: water dripping from clothing after rain, soggy feet, being blinded by rain when looking up, visible breaths, and snow on hair and clothing.
Why You Need It:
Looking for a more realistic Skyrim? Then Wet and Cold is the mod for you. If you want to get more immersed in the world while playing the game, then consider downloading this mod, since it adds realistic visual effects depending on the weather.
Perseid’s Inns and Taverns
What Does It Do?
The aim of Perseid’s Inns and Taverns is to make room-rental in Skyrim more realistic. It adds local prices to all inns and makes it so that you’re not paying the same amount for a big room as you are for a small room.
Why You Need It:
Another mod to add more realism to your game is Perseid’s Inns and Taverns. Downloading this mod can also make your playthrough less mundane because you won’t know what to expect of the room prices when you travel to the different inns and taverns. If you want to pay realistic prices for rooms, Perseid’s Inns and Taverns has you covered.
Skyrim HD – 2K Textures
What Does It Do?
Skyrim HD is a mod that adds HD textures to Skyrim. These textures range in resolutions from 1K to 8K.
Why You Need It:
If you think Skyrim is a gorgeous game but would benefit from an update in graphics, then Skyrim HD is the mod for you. It can make your game look even more beautiful than it already does.
So there you have it: the 76 best Skyrim mods and why you need to download them. I hope this article gave you at least some ideas of what mods can do for your Skyrim game. All the mods are downloadable from Skyrim Nexus, and if you’re looking for even more mods to add to your game, then the website also has tons more mods that weren’t even mentioned in this article. Below, I have listed a few articles that may interest you.
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