10. Diverse Skyrim
Skyrim Mod: DIVERSE SKYRIM
Introduction: This mod seeks to add to the racial diversity of Skyrim by adding hundreds of NPCs to the vanilla lists. Increase racial variety among enemies and allies alike with this seemingly simple mod.
Points of Interest:
- Racial Enemy Variety: Ever notice a few odd things? Like how every legionnaire is an Imperial, fire mages are almost always dunmer, and khajiiti vampires are practically unheard of? This mod ensures that from now on, almost every faction is prone to having at least some racial diversity.
- Realistic Racial Distribution: Despite this mod focusing on racial inclusion, it tries to set up these racial distributions in a way that still make sense given the setting. So you won’t see orc vampires running everywhere or bandit camps that are primarily manned by non-nords.
- Lore Consideration: This mod takes existing lore into consideration when deciding which races go to which faction. So now the Stormcloaks may have a few redguards in their ranks because of a civil war in Hammerfell where the redguards are fighting for their independence and thus may hold a grudge against the Empire. Similarly, dunmer and argonians may be seen among the imperials since the local Nords are exceptionally prejudiced toward them and their people.
Get the mod HERE or HERE (for Special Edition)
9. Genesis Unleashed Leveled- Dungeon Spawns and Encounters
Skyrim Mod: Genesis - Dynamic Spawner
Introduction: This mod essentially adds a “spawning system” that injects enemies into dungeons. These enemies are not randomly selected, and instead each enemy is paired with their appropriate dungeon type. It’s a mod that is meant to keep the game’s dungeons heavily populated in order to ensure that no dungeon becomes a boring cake-walk.
Points of Interest:
- Leveled Enemies: Several dungeons in Skyrim have a hard level cap where enemies are prevented from getting any stronger than a predetermined amount. This can be particularly tedious for players who have already reached certain levels and are looking for a challenge. Enemies spawned by this mod are automatically set to be near or at your character’s current level. This means that the player is in for a challenge at almost any dungeon.
- Toggle On or Off: This mod comes with a menu book so the player can decide if dungeons are automatically populated with spawned NPCs or not. Perfect for anyone who may want a break or want to temporarily turn off most of the mod without uninstalling it.
- Exceptionally Compatible: Perhaps the best part of this mod is its compatibility. Because this mod is only a spawning system that doesn’t touch things like stats and items, this means that the mod can incorporate other enemies and locations into its spawn lists.
Get the mod HERE or HERE (for Special Edition)
8. Immersive Patrols
SKYRIM: Immersive Patrols 2.0.3 (aggressive battles)
Introduction: This mod adds several patrols to Skyrim in order to make it seem like a land that is actually embroiled in a set of bloody conflicts. These patrols can come from various factions and their ability to engage in combat means that players are likely to encounter enemies or allies more often depending on their allegiance.
Points of Interest:
- Several Faction Patrols: Because Skyrim is having a civil war, the game initially starts with patrols from the Stormcloaks, Imperials and the Thalmor. Dawnguard patrols will also begin scouring Skyrim when Fort Dawnguard begins repairs. Which is to say nothing of the Riekling, Reaver and Skaal patrols on Solstheim. All of it combines to make Skyrim seem more alive and immersive.
- Civil War Skirmishes: With Stormcloak and Imperial patrols walking all over the place, it is not unheard of for the two enemy factions to cross paths and attack each other. And if the player has chosen a side in the conflict, this means that traveling Skyrim’s roads comes with the chance to encounter enemies.
- Enemies Scale to Level: In order to ensure that these encounters don’t become too boring, the patrols are scaled to player level. Their weapons and armor don’t scale with them, but it does ensure that their health raises so they don’t die in one hit.
Get the mod HERE, HERE (for Special Edition) or HERE (on Steam)
7. Ultimate Deadly Encounters-The Way of the Dovahkiin (AKA Sands of Time)
Skyrim Mod: Sands of Time - Deadly Random Encounters
Introduction: This mod increases the chance of hostile encounters by vanilla NPCs and enemies when the player performs certain actions like sleeping or fast travelling. These hostile encounters can happen at almost any time, and succeeds in making Skyrim an exceptionally hostile place where danger can find you at any time.
Points of Interest:
- Perpetual Chance at Danger: The player has a chance to trigger these hostile encounters when they perform certain actions like sleeping, fast traveling, dungeon crawling and more. who are searching for you.
- Immersive Encounters: The types of enemies that can attack you are determined by factors such as location and player allegiances. So if you sleep in a tomb you will most likely be assaulted by draugr. Fast travel after midnight and you may be followed by vampires. Wait as a stormcloak soldier on a road and you may encounter an imperial patrol.
- Special Encounters: Sometimes the player may trigger a special encounter. These encounters usually consists of bosses or minbosses who are stronger than your average encounter. But they can also include enemies like desperate refugees or a bandit trying to extort money.
Get the mod HERE or HERE (for Special Edition)
6. Better Vampire NPCs
Skyrim SE - Better Vampires NPCs SE Overhual Mod Review
Introduction: This mod affects the vampires of Skyrim. Allowing vampire NPCs new arms, armor, perks, and abilities based on the player’s level, this mod adds more variety and challenge for anyone who wants to hunt or encounter vampires.
Points of Interest:
- More Powerful Vampires: Vanilla vampires may have tendency to use vampiric drain and have a few boosted stats, but otherwise they are like your standard bandit. This mod gives vampires with new ranks, spells and tactics in order to make them more challenging. Examples of this is how they have the ability to turn into mist while they heal, summoning bat swarms to attack nearby enemies, and a blink attack to close a long distance. In addition, instead of limiting vampires to dungeons, the player now has a chance to encounter vampires more often in the overworld as a world encounter.
- New Unique Weapons and Armors: In addition to simply expanding what type of armor vampires can wear, a few vampires may now be wearing or using arms and armors that have their own unique effects. For example a weapon may now have a “bat swarm” effect which absorbs health from nearby enemies.
- Bloodglass Weapons and Armors: Upon death, each vampire may drop a “blood gem”. These blood gems can be collected, smelted and then crafted into a unique set of bloodglass weapons and armor. These powerful weapons not only give an incentive to hunt vampires, but also come with a host of new abilities to make it rewarding.
Get the mod HERE or HERE (for Special Edition)
5. Beasts of Tamriel
Skyrim Mods: BEASTS OF TAMRIEL
Introduction: This mod adds several new creatures to Skyrim that can be tracked and hunted down by the player. These creatures are (mostly) lore friendly and only moderately placed in Skyrim so they seem like rare encounters.
Points of Interest:
- Various New Creatures: The mod adds 100+ new creatures to Skyrim. They can range from the aquatic narwhals and whales to the deadly weretigers and fire golems. The mod author had lore and believability in mind, but he admits that the lore can be pretty hazy. If you don’t want a certain creature in the game simply disable it in the mod’s MCM menu.
- Not Too Common: For the most part, the creatures are not randomly generated into the world. Instead, they are set to spawn in either specific predetermined locations, at the use of spellbooks, or areas that make sense. For instance, weresharks can usually be found by the coast while angelfish are only supposed to be found in the deep sea and not just any body of water.
- Trophies and Ingredients: All of these creatures have new ingredients and trophies that the player can harvest. This includes things like skin, bone, horns and more. Alongside a few added vegetables, this means the player can hunt and kill several of these creatures and get a substantial alchemic or decorative use out of them.
Get the mod HERE or HERE (for Special Edition)
4. Diverse Dragon Species
Diverse Dragons Collection SE - Skyrim Mods
Introduction: There are several dragon mods, but few focus on variety like Diverse Dragon Species does. It adds several new dragon species, each with their own unique models and abilities.
Points of Interest:
- New Dragon Species: This mod adds over 28 new dragon varieties, with 7 new ranks of strength in order to ensure these dragons scale close to the player’s level. Each of these dragons come with their own appearance that make them visually distinctive and appropriate to their environment. For example, the Glacial Dragon can be found atop of mountains and its scales look like they are either frosted or made out of ice.
- New Dragon Abilities: Along with their appearance comes new fighting abilities. The mod adds 16 new breath attacks and 19 new abilities for its dragons to use. These abilities are given to dragons based on their species. For example, the Arcane Dragon can use a magical breath attack.
- Customizable: The mods comes with a spell and MCM menu so the player can control which dragons can spawn and how often they can appear in the game.
Get the mod HERE or HERE (for Special Edition)
3. Monster Mod
Skyrim Mod: Monster Mod - Reborn
Introduction: This mod adds several new creatures to Skyrim’s leveled lists. These monsters come with their own appearance and their sheer variety means that the amount of enemies the player can encounter is drastically increased
Points of Interest:
- New Creatures: As stated before the mod adds hundreds of new monstrous creatures. These creatures include new draugr, female giants, several new daedra varieties and much more. Th result is a new array of monsters that the player can defeat.
- Additions to Creature Types: Several of these added creatures add onto already existing creature types. This includes new draugr types, varieties of daedra, spider species and more. Examples of such additions include daedroth, fire lords, female giants and several werecreatures.
- Immersive Mod Version: For those who want a more lore-friendly experience, there is an alternate version of the mod that removes some of the less immersive creatures like nekkers, ogres and dinosaurs.
Get the mod HERE or HERE (for Special Edition)
2. Skyrim Immersive Creatures
Skyrim Mod: Immersive Creatures
Introduction: Taking inspiration from previous games and lore entries, this mod adds several dozen new creatures to Skyrim. These new creatures have their own custom appearances, behaviors and abilities to really make them stand out from vanilla creatures.
Points of Interest:
- New Creatures and Creature Variants: The mod adds several new hostile creatures like goblins, dreugh, bone wraiths, male spriggans, etc. Each come with their distinct appearance and vary in difficulty.
- Unique Strengths and Weaknesses: To set them apart from their vanilla counterparts these new creatures with their own set of abilities, strengths and weaknesses. This is order to encourage the player to adopt new strategies when encountering a certain enemy.
- MCM Menu: The mod comes with MCM menu so the player can customize several aspects of the mod, like which creatures can spawn and how difficult they are. So if the player doesn’t like certain aspects of the mod, they can simply head to the MCM and changeit.
Get the mod HERE or HERE (for Special Edition)
1. OBIS-Organized Bandits in Skyrim
Skyrim Mod: OBIS - Organized Bandits in Skyrim
Introduction: This mod adds and enhances Skyrim’s most prevalent enemy: bandits. Completely revamping the bandit system in Skyrim, this mod adds several new bandit types and overhauls their items, weapons, behavior and abilities to make them an actual legitimate threat in Skyrim.
Points of Interest:
- New Bandit Types: In total, this mod ads 2500+ new bandits who are separated into 57 new types. So now in addition to standard bandits there are now bandit gangs who have their own ideologies, strengths, and weaknesses. For instance, the Addled are addicted to drugs and predominantly wear rags, but compensate for their low defence by travelling in large numbers. In contrast, the Butchers specialize in two-handed weapons but are slow and easy to dodge.
- Combat Variety: The combat experience will depend on the type of bandit(s) the player encounters. Looters and other low-tier bandits will only wear fur armor and use only one type of weaponry. Meanwhile higher tier bandits will be equipped with better armor and be able to switch between weapon types depending on the situation. Naturally, members of bandit gangs come with their own specializations in order to make combat more varied.
- Notes, Names and Letters: Several bandits will drop certain items that help describe which bandit gang is which, describe existing gang alliances and generally make the mod more immersive for anyone who is interested.
Get the mod HERE, HERE (for Special Edition) and HERE (on Steam)
