We all love the default races that Skyrim gives us. Bethesda has done a stellar job in creating ten different races with unique appearances, stats and abilities. But every now and then, we crave something a little out of the ordinary. At times like that, mods come to our rescue.

There can be two reasons for wanting to add a new race. The first is appearance. The simplest way to create good-looking characters is to use a race that already has good-looking features and high-quality textures.

The second reason would be to add something exotic to Skyrim purely for your enjoyment. Maybe you want to roleplay as something foreign with unique abilities. Or maybe you just want to experience something strange and amazing. Either way, I’ve got you covered. 

10. Temptress Race

Don’t let the name give you the wrong impression, it doesn’t add anything weird to the game. Back in 2012, this was the easiest way to create a good looking female character. This mod adds an entirely new race based on the Nords. Naturally, you have several presets to choose from.

It also adds two racial abilities. One makes everyone fight, the other calms everyone. A little overkill, but oh well. This one was never ported for Special Edition, unfortunately. But the list is just getting started, so there will be plenty of options for you. 

Download Mod: Legendary

9. Lunari Race

The next one on this list is also a cosmetic mod. There are noticeable aesthetic differences between this one and the previous one. 

Lunaris begin with a buff to most combat skills, though archery is preferred. In addition to gaining shock resistance, you’ll also receive the power to heal or cure diseases. Honestly, it sounds a little overpowered but it could make for a fun playthrough. 

Download Mod: Legendary | Special

8. The Ningheim Race

Another cosmetic race mod, this time with male options! Unbelievable, right? If you want to create a male character, you’ve come to one of the appropriate race mods. This one combines high resolution textures and new options for brows and eyes. So you have many ways to create your new character.

As far as abilities go, this one may be the most overpowered. There are many to list but they go around the range of Necromancy, Teleportation, Paralysis, and many others. The way this mod applies these powers is interesting. Instead of giving them to you at the start, you receive them as you level up. This one, too, does not have a port for Special Edition.

Download Mod: Legendary

7. Xenius Otherworldly Beings

With this one, we enter a strange territory. This mod is a collection of races that you can choose from. They’re all exotic. And while you’re restricted on the genders for the races, there are options for both male and female characters.

Truthfully, I would not call this lore-friendly. You can use them for roleplaying, but I haven’t read about any of these races in the Elder Scrolls lore. But the design of the races are top-notch. The mod author put so much care into this mod that it feels criminal to ignore this.

Download Mod: Legendary | Special

6. More Playable Skeletons

You didn’t think I’d put a skeleton on the list, did you? While I’m confident that this doesn’t fit into the lore, it makes for a hilarious playthrough. And let’s not kid ourselves. When the skeletons aren’t trying to kill you, they’re pretty cute.

I actually have two mods here because there wasn’t one available for both versions. But both mods do a very similar thing. Now you can go questing in Skyrim as a skeleton. Sure, it’ll be awkward when you’re fighting other skeletons. But it’s not different from fighting bandits, when you think about it.

Download Mod: Legendary | Special

5. Dremora Overhaul and Playable Mod

Now we’re moving into a territory easier for roleplay. Dremoras are sentient creatures that are already common in The Elder Scrolls universe. Sure, they live in the realm of oblivion and are generally violent. But there’s nothing stopping you from roleplaying as a curious, friendly and helpful being.

 Other than letting you play as a Dremora, it also updates their appearances to match the dremoras of Elder Scrolls Online. The mod author also made custom voices for shouts, so thankfully you can still play as the Dragonborn. 

Download Mod: Legendary | Special

4. Triss Merigold

If you told me you haven’t heard of Triss Merigold, I’d be genuinely surprised. She is a very popular character from the Witcher series, having a significant role in the Books, Games, TV Series and the Books. This mod dedicates an entire race so your character can look like Triss. Triss doesn’t fit into the lore. But there’s nothing stopping you from creating a character that just looks like her. 

You can start from the race and edit the features to your liking, if you don’t want a complete clone. In terms of build, the race comes with magic based buffs. So it might be a good choice for a formidable mage playthrough.

Download Mod: Legendary | Special

3. Dwemer Race

We all know of the Dwemers, or the Dwarves. We’ve delved into enough of their abandoned dungeons to remember them. If you've played Morrowind, you're probably obsessed with them like I am. Unlike other fantasy games, the dwarves are just another race of elves. Their allure comes from the mystery surrounding them and their disappearance.

There’s many ways to roleplay, the only limit being your imagination. In keeping with the lore-friendly theme, both the stats and abilities aren’t too overpowered. You’ll get stat buffs in smithing, two-handed and heavy armor. There’s a passive ability that offers poison and magic resistance. And an active ability that lets you exhale steam.

Download Mod: Legendary | Special

2. Snow Elf Race

It's impossible not to feel sorry for the Snow Elves. First the Nords drove them into hiding, and later their Dwemer cousins forced into slavery. They ended up twisted, with only a few surviving. But given that there are survivors, we have many roleplaying opportunities. And with this mod, you can play out those scenarios.

Like the previous one, the stats and abilities are pretty lore-friendly and not overpowered. Snow elves get 50% resistance to frost. Besides that, these guys also get a flame cloak like ability that causes damage to enemies. And the stats are geared towards a mage playthrough.

Download Mod: Legendary | Special

1. Dagi-Raht Race

Before you go accusing me of throwing catgirls in Skyrim, hold on and listen to me. First, I don’t even like cats. Sorry. Second, this is lore-friendly. 

There are numerous breeds of Khajiits in Elder Scrolls lore. What a Khajiit looks like depends on the lunar cycle. Technically, this race should be called the Ohmes-Raht, but we can chalk it up to a typo.

Unsurprisingly, the skill buffs are centered on a stealth build. This race will give you a head start in Sneak, Lockpicking, Illusion, Light Armor and Archery. So if you want to add some cat ears to your character and have a stealth playthrough, this might be what you’re looking for. 

Download Mod: Legendary | Special

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