There are not many gamers who aren’t in one way or another familiar with the legendary game ‘The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’ or often called just Skyrim. With over 23 million copies sold all over the world since its release in 2011 and with the release of the better version ‘Skyrim: Special Edition,’ the popularity is only bound to get greater than it is now. One of the main reasons for this scale of popularity is its gigantic modding community which provides improvements as simple as graphics upgrade to the extreme modifications that transform Tamriel into a dark version of some other realm.
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Modding is not something to be wary about and if you have never done it because the process is simple and it is very easy to install and activate mods and the more advanced ones will get their own special folders. We have compiled a list of the best Skyrim mods that we believe will help in improving the Skyrim experience a whole lot more for you. But just please note that not all mods are available for all the platforms and keep that in mind while you are considering installing a mod.
Top 20 Special Edition Skyrim Mods:
1. T3nd0’s Skyrim Redone
T3nd0’s Skyrim Redone is one of the best Skyrim mods to try out if you want to give Skyrim a total makeover with a complete overhaul of the most fundamental elements of the game right down to the perks, skills and stats of a character. The main aim of this mod is to enhance the depth of the character development by giving suitable options to the player and it does so in many ways like specialization in different weapons, harvesting bones as a necromancer and many more. But beware, as this mode is quite complex in nature, there can be some compatibility issues. So make sure that you are reading the fine print through if you wish to give it a try.
In some ways, this mod brings Skyrim’s core systems closer to the Morrowind and Oblivion and in many other ways, makes a lot of difference between the both of them. The mod has got a lot of changes like more potent frostbite venom and dual-casting spells result in 200% cost and 220% magnitude and there is also a respec potion. All the new spells can be found in loot and bought from appropriate merchants and Dawnguard crossbows also appear on enemies. The mod also adds a modified in-game menu to reflect these changes and also has a few loading screens to help you.
2. Falskaar
Falskaar is one of the top Skyrim mods for a player who has seen and experienced everything the vanilla version of the game and wish to try out a new scenery. This mod adds an entirely new world space and is accessed by the dungeons the first time and then by a boat from then on. There is a new land, quests, places, people, dungeons and adds roughly over 20 hours of additional content and suits all sorts of characters. The mod also has 26 quests including 9 quests long main story and 17 side quests along with some unmarked content, new items like books, recipes, weapons and armours and two new spells and a new shout.
For hundreds of years, Falskaar has been inhabited by Nords, and for the first time since the party’s arrival in Falskaar over 600 years ago, a portal opens deep within the ruins of Mzubthand and the player steps through it arriving in Falskaar and they are called ‘The Traveller’ and those who arrive through the shimmering wall will mark the start of the worst. Falskaar contains 14 brand new tracks composed exclusively for it, adding more than 40 minutes of new music and a fully voiced experience featuring almost 30 semi-professional and professional voice actors and actresses all contributing to make this mod an entirely separate land and experience independent of Tamriel.
3. Realistic Needs and Diseases
Realistic Needs and Diseases is a need and survival that offers extensibility and extra features. Realistic Needs and Diseases makes eating, drinking and sleeping a must for the players and if they don’t do this with conviction, they will face some serious consequences but given the ample amount of food and water resources, this won’t be too difficult and is not the most severe survival mod there is. When you are in tune with the workings of this mod, try branching out into Frostfall, a mod that makes the commute in the frozen extremities of Skyrim very challenging.
This mod is also compatible with the vampire, werewolves and cannibalism and vampires have no need for food or water and werewolves/cannibals feeding will curb both hunger and thirst. Also, with this mod, diseases are not supposed to be easily ignored like the vanilla diseases and at the beginning, you will only have mild syndromes but if you don’t get treated fast enough, things will go very wrong over time, so find a cure as soon as possible. Lee enfield no4 mk1 t. Hunger has 6 stages – gluttony, satiated, peckish, hungry, very hungry and starving with the latter three affecting your stamina and health in a very bad way.
4. Interesting NPCs
Interesting NPCs is one of the biggest & the best Skyrim mods which fill the game with an array of detailed characters each with their own stories and their own voice acting. Each NPC is integrated into the world with a backstory and an extensive dialogue tree to explore and many of these characters were given voice by a talented team of over 80 voice actors. The dialogue selections allow you to role-play, providing humour and intensity to each conversation. You can be a jerk or a comedian, a white knight or an assassin, as the most prominent character is you.
Interesting NPCs mod has got 250+ voiced NPCs, over 50 voiced quests, and over 25 followers with location-based commentary and even 15+ marriage NPCs. For better control of which NPCs are in your game, you can remove the base dialogues of the non-quest NPCs using the “setstage DialogueNPCNAME 500” console command. Some quests may have different names like “KavaldDialogue”, so if it doesn’t work type “HELP NPCname” in the console to find the proper quest name. This will turn them into vanilla clutter. Unvoiced or unfinished Dialogue can be enabled via the console by “setstage 3dnpcenable 1.”
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5. Immersive Armors, Immersive Weapons
Immersive Armors and Immersive Weapons are armour and weapons compilation mods assembled for you if you are seeking to enhance the gameplay with a greater selection of armour and weapons without losing the natural feel of the game. The Immersive weapons mod adds many custom weapons and the Immersive armour mod adds custom armours that are seamlessly integrated into the game world. You will find new and power appropriate armour sets starting from level one to level fifty as the game progresses and the mods are constantly evolving, bringing new life into your Skyrim world.
the Immersive Weapons mod adds 230 new weapons which are craftable, enchantable and upgradable as appropriate and the weapons have 5 identifying statistics – damage, reach, speed, stagger and weight. The Immersive Armor mod adds 55 new sets of armour to the game (over 60 including variants), a lot of extra helmet options, 396 new shields, a whole lot of eye patches, capes, earrings, scarves and more which are all craftable, enchantable and upgradable. The armours and weapons are both integrated into the game through levelled lists, quest rewards, placement in dungeons and/or specific people.
6. Alternate Start – Live Another Life
Alternate Start – Live Another Life together with TES V Savegame Manager (a third party program that allows you to switch between multiple characters saves) is a great mod that you can consider for a more character-driven perspective and lets you begin the game as a tavern patron, a necromancer in a hidden lair, a plain old farmer or a number of other characters that offer a very interesting starting point. Once you choose the character you want, you will start at the appropriate point with the necessary gear and. You can opt to follow the natural story of the game or you can use a mod like ‘You Are Not The Dragonborn’ to turn off the perks of being Dovahkiin and try living the life of a commoner.
Thus, Live Another Life provides an alternate means to begin the game for those who find it weary to go through the lengthy intro sequence at Helgen. You will be allowed to choose your race and also choose the new life your character will lead with a huge variety of choices. To install this mod, you will need an official Skyrim patch 1.9.32.0.8 or higher as the earlier versions will result in CTDs and many other problems and you will also need to turn on the subtitles to see the text for the startup quest.
7. Apocalypse – Magic of Skyrim
Apocalypse – Magic of Skyrim is the mod for someone who isn’t satisfied with the visual enhancements and wants to go all the way through to alter the core of the game. This mod adds 155 new spells to the game and their utilities range from common stuff like summoning to conjuring up raging tornadoes that destroy anything on their way. These spells are also lore friendly which means that they go well with the tone and setting of the game and its history.
The mod also includes scrolls and staves for these custom spells and the custom visuals used are of high quality and blend seamlessly into the magic system. High-quality custom animations, low script load, no save bloat, availability of configuration options (if SkyUI is installed) are some of the main attractive features of this one which makes it one of the best Skyrim mods available. After you install Apocalypse, any spell vendors will start selling the appropriate spell tomes once they restock their inventory (when left without disturbance for 48 hours).
8. Static Mesh Improvement Mod (SMIM)
SMIM is one of the best Skyrim mods that enhances the graphics of the game. Though the graphics of Skyrim cannot be called bad looking, it does require some fine-tuning to keep up with time and competition. Seams show when you focus on mundane objects very closely which are meant to be viewed from a distance. the details blur a lot and the round edges start showing more polygonal structure as the distance decreases.
So if you are familiar with some of the more graphically blessed games like Dragon Age: Inquisition, then this fact may irritate you to a good extent. If that is the case, try SMIM as it will make considerable changes to such small elements of the game which when combined with a few texture and effect upgrades, the overall experience will get a major improvement. Combine it with the free official High-Res Texture DLC, Skyrim Flora Overhaul and Pure Waters to get the most off of it.
9. Immersive Patrols
Immersive Patrols offers a reasonable amount of Stormcloak, Thalmor, Imperial and Dawnguard patrols to Skyrim and a few Skaal, Reaver and Riekling patrols to Solstheim. It also includes civil war battles and some basic non-Khajiit caravans who travel between major cities and the patrols often cross path with each other or the player creating new encounters or unexpected aid. There are no vampires, werewolves or bandits in this mod and all enemies scale but only through stats/player level. You can also use this mod with Open Cities.
Completing the Civil War quest will disable all patrol and battle NPCs (including Thalmor) of the losing faction and destroying the remaining enemy camps after the Civil War quest is completed will completely disable all Civil War NPCs, effectively ending the Civil War within this mod. Also, the Civil War NPCs will attack you on sight depending on your allegiance. Dawnguard patrols within this mod will only exist after reconstruction of Fort Dawnguard has begun.
10. SkyUI
SkyUI is a Skyrim mod that offers a lot of change when it comes to the navigation and makes it a lot better, especially considering the cluttered inventory of Skyrim. The mod also adds a few features of its own in addition to this as well. There is a control panel in the options menu that many recent mods plug into automatically which allows the players to fine-tune many of the more complex mod systems.
This mod will push you to install Skyrim Script Extender (also known as SKSE) a popular mod that extends what the other mods are supposed to do. Version 5 includes better crafting, alchemy, enchanting, smithing and many other enhancements. They also have a Mod Configuration Menu (MCM) which supports user-friendly in-game customizations and also offers multi-language support for English, French, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Russian, Czech, and Japanese.
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11. A Quality World Map
A Quality World Map is a mod that helps in enhancing the map of the game even though the map isn’t bad at all, this one gives it a few great tweaks. This mod provides a set of very detailed map textures, complete with roads and also adds a detailed Solsteim map and works best when used together with the ‘Clear Map Skies’ add-on. This mod brought to us by the IcePenguin is a must have for everyone who enjoys walking or riding everywhere the normal way instead of the fast travel methods and there is even a paper-style map if that is your thing.
The refreshed look of the new map holds larger and more detailed textures and includes most roads and you can select between All Stone Roads (makes some paths appear cobblestone on the map) and All Flat Roads (more of a dirt-road style). You can also combine it with the ‘Clear Map Skies’ add-on to remove all the clouds from the centre of the map thus providing you with a crystal clear view of the world below but the clouds at the corners will be still there. The paper style map is of a high quality and is a recreated version from the existing paper map texture using world space reference screenshots, the map texture and custom art assets but a paper map for Solstheim is not included in the mod.
12. Darker Nights
Darker Nights mod has a rather obvious name and this mod makes the nights of Skyrim much darker or not much, depending on your preference. The mod has got seven levels of darkness to choose from with Level 0 being the darkest (94% reduction) and Level 6 is the closest to the vanilla gameplay (22% reduction). The interiors of the game will also be darker during the night as well if the mod is activated and will remain so unless they are very well lit.
Draker Nights is one of the best Skyrim mods because, in addition to the perfect working, this mod also provides patches for all major weather overhauls and popular weather tweaking mods thus ensuring a fairly consistent level of darkness regardless of your environmental mod preferences. The mod reduces the levels of sunlight and moonlight coming in through the windows, cave entrances and other openings and the ambient light depending on the time of the day. But this mod does not affect the regular light sources which mean that using the interior light overhaul mod alongside this one will give you the best results.
13. Ordinator
Ordinator is another mod for Skyrim which adds to the perk tree to make each playthrough and build more unique and interesting by adding more than 400 perks to the game and completely overhauling each skill tree. This mod also enables many new characters builds and is compatible with almost everything with a very lightweight script and no save bloat.
Some of the main features of the mod are the alchemy mastery, physician, stimulants, advanced lab for the Alchemy section, the alteration mastery, mage armour, alteration dual casting, geomancer and philosopher’s stone for the alteration section, archery mastery, clean kill, Wingstrike and the long shot for the archery section, the block mastery, timed block, deflect arrows and poke the dragon for the block section and a whole lot more. Literally a whole lot more because there are even more trees with even more features which you can read through in the Nexus page and that is what makes this mod one of the best Skyrim mods available.
14. Enhanced Lights and FX
Enhanced Lights and FX is another good Skyrim mod and helps to create a more realistic and dynamic depth to the landscape of Skyrim by adding actual light to all the light sources and by removing any light that does not have a source. It adds a ton of features and effects in addition to this like smoke, volumic lights, dripless and more with some friendly redesigns and some tweaks for a more dramatic look. This mod makes sure that all sources emit light, even the windows in the interior and enhances the difference between night and day in the interiors.
Some notable features of this mod are the new candle smoke and water reflection, the new translucent effect to market stands and imperial tents, more shadow lights in the specific places and darker and smoky taverns. Each inn and each city with its own sets of lights and colours respectively based on the local weather. Enhanced Light and FX should be compatible with any mod that doesn’t change light, FX or meshes it adds but make sure that the meshes of this mod overwrite the others because these are must-haves. You can download this mod using the Nexus Mod Manager, activate it and pick the modules that you wish for in the installer.
15. Unofficial Skyrim: SE Patch
Unofficial Skyrim: SE Patch is one of the best Skyrim mods with the goal of fixing every bug with Skyrim Special Edition and requires Skyrim Special Edition 1.5.39 or greater and does not work on the older versions. The mod has got hundreds of gameplay, quest, NPC, object, item, text and placement bugs fixed and was created by the authors of the Unofficial Oblivion Patch Series. This mod is designed to be compatible with as many other mods as possible and no unsafe changes like deletions of stock objects will be experienced.
The load order is very important for this mod and if you are experiencing any errors, it might be because your load order is not correct. For setting the load order correctly with the other mods already loaded, you can use LOOT as it will provide a solid starting point for everything that you can tweak and change as required. Even if you are not into modding, try mod offers a lot of fixes to the actual title and some additions as well.
Bijin Npcs
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16. Realistic Ragdolls and Force
Realistic Ragdolls and Force provide a more realistic reaction to gravity and force instead of like in the vanilla game where the ragdoll effect can sometimes lead to hilarious situations which are not good for the role-playing and immersion. The mod achieves this by reducing the force for ragdolls to realistic level with different force options to choose from and fixes glitches with lightning spells duration causing the ragdolls to launch themselves when killed with any weapons. It is a small but effective mod which offers a considerable difference to the overall feel.
Some other effects of the mod are less stiffness to overall limbs of ragdolls, weight increase or most ragdolls for realistic fall velocity, increased friction, increase neck twist and bend radius and arms can now be twisted behind the back. Arrows will no longer push bodies far away when killed by stealth damage. Also, magic no longer sends people flying 20 feet away and more realistic ragdoll reaction from melee hits.
17. Realistic Water Two
Realistic Water Two makes the water flow systems and other water-related environments more realistic looking and takes everything to the next level with higher quality effects and textures. While the water flow system is much improved in the special edition of Skyrim, water flow was applied to most water bodies indiscriminately resulting in odd looking water in certain situations but with this mod, marsh, pond and river water are visually and aurally distinct from each other but both the lake and ocean water are the same.
The mod also has some optional features in addition to the assets and mainstream ones like the extended ambience which extends the lake and ocean ambient looping sound effects from 30 seconds to 50 seconds long. Flowing lakes, original foam, cinematic rain ripples, smoother rivers and the more realistic and vibrant teal colour for water are some other options changes added which will be available in the main archive. This mod must be placed after any mod that modifies a cell near a body of water to avoid the appearance of seams in the water and it is recommended that the mod should be placed very low in the load order and use xEdit to make any necessary patches with other mods.
18. Duel – Combat Realism
Duel – Combat Realism is one of the oldest mods around for Skyrim and is a true warrior’s test restructuring enemy and weapon behaviour for a more realistic level of challenge above and beyond the vanilla system’s stock hack and slash design. There are a large number of changes that vary from stamina, block and damage values which add up to create a rebalanced combat system and with the mod enabled, waiting for the perfect moment to strike becomes far more important than charging in with shouts. Always use shields because they help you in saving yourself a lot but successfully blocking a powerful attack will drain you of your stamina. In fact, if you use his mod, almost everything you do will suck your green bar empty, leaving you breathless if not tended to properly.
If you are a sneaky type of player, dropping a foe from long range or from behind will still surprise everyone and they will start searching for you but they will keep searching for a longer period of time than usual. Also, slightly armoured foes like mages and archers will try ambushing you by hiding behind obstacles and attacking you when you come closer and unaware which makes getting out undetected an accomplishment. Enemies won’t just stand still during combat and will circle around you attacking you with power attacks and bash combos and don’t think that you can shrug off an unblocked blow because your health will drop dramatically if something sharp or blunt connect with you. Basically, this mod will test you and make the game play immensly harder and is the perfect mod to try out if you are a pro at the game.
19. True Storms
The True Storms Special Edition mod is a full overhaul of the storms system in the Skyrim SE which enhances the weather effects of Skyrim which is good enough but is quite old, being compiled in 2011. The mod includes many new unique and heavy weathers, intense sound effects, interior sounds, particle effects, new rain, snow and dust textures, heavy fogs and new weather for Solstheim including dust storms and a whole lot more. This mod is one of the best mods of Skyrim and a must have for anyone looking to have a more immersive Skyrim experience with the weather really adding to the feel of the gameplay.
The mod offers high performance and is focussed on the vanilla look and feel but with more intensity and variation and is extremely lore-friendly and great for immersive gameplay. More than 25 new, carefully crafted high-quality sound effects for rain, thunder, wind and interior sounds and brand new rain and snow textures have been added to the mod. Several brand new kinds of weather for Solstheim including heavy dust storm, burning ash fall, rain and arbour fogs are also some features of this mod. You can install this mod using Nexus Mod Manager and load order doesn’t really matter.
20. The Forgotten City
The Forgotten City is the first ever mod in history to win a national Writer’s Guild Award for its script and that says something about how good this one is. This mod expansion offers a unique 6 to 8 hours of experience through the murder investigation storyline set in an underground city which you will have to solve using your brains and the ability to travel through time. It differs from the mainstream story and is a dark non-linear story in which you will have to question suspects, explore the city and its secrets and make challenging decisions regarding your morals. The dialogues are professionally voiced and it features multiple endings and an original orchestral score.
The features of the game are a beautiful and intricately designed city with secrets, mysteries and thousand year old relics, a living community of people, each with their own unique stories and roles to play, multiple endings based on your decisions and your character’s history, puzzles that reward lateral thinking, over 1200 lines of dialogues by 18 voice actors from all over the world and an original orchestral soundtrack. This mod is meant to be played solo and you can start the game if you are level 5 or above when you will be automatically approached by a courier when you enter any city. Alternatively, you can find ‘The Forgotten Ruins’ in the south-west corner of Skyrim.
Skyrim Special Edition brought advanced support for modding with 64-bit on PC, meaning players can load up more heavy mods with fewer issues and instability. For all the mods listed in this round-up, we'll be using the Nexus platform and the Nexus Mod Manager to install them. Here are the best mods you should install for your next Skyrim playthrough.
See where you're going: A Quality World Map
The map isn't necessarily bad in Skyrim, but there are a few improvements that A Quality World Map by IcePenguin brings to the table. The mod includes a set of highly-detailed world map textures, complete with roads. This is a must-have for anyone who enjoys walking (or riding) everywhere without the use of fast travel. This mod also adds a detailed Solsteim map. And there's even a paper-style map!
Free at Mod NexusStart a new life: Alternate Start
When modding Skyrim, some bad things can happen, especially during the opening scene. This is a heavily scripted part of the game and one that can cause problems if you have mods that interfere with Bethesda's code. Alternate Start provides the option to skip the start of the game altogether, protecting against crashes, and can even allow for some interesting role-playing adventures.
Free at Mod NexusCall down the heavens: Apocalypse
This is an important mod for anyone looking to do a mage build. You get 155 new spells, all of which are added to existing vendors and loot lists, no script bloat for enhanced performance, compatibility with many other spell-related mods, and the ability for unique mage builds that do not focus on destruction or conjuration. You will need ASIS (Automatic Spells, Increased Spawns) for NPCs to be given new items and spells.
Free at Mod NexusMake torches useful: Darker Nights
Best Npc Overhaul Skyrim
As the name suggests, this mod makes the nights in Skyrim darker, depending on personal preference. For many, the evenings in Skyrim were far too bright, and Darker Nights provide the option of 6 different levels that can be set to create a more atmospheric experience during the late and early hours of each day.
Free at Mod NexusSkryim never looked so good: Enhanced Lights and FX
Enhanced Lights and FX is a sizeable mod that creates a more dynamic and realistic mood to the Skyrim landscape by adding actual lighting to all light sources and removing any light without a source, as well as the addition of numerous effects including smoke, volumic lights, and more. If you want dungeons, interiors, and Skyrim in general, to look better, you need to install ELFX. Just don't install the weather part of the mod if you plan to use True Storms.
Free at Mod NexusWalk-in wardrobe: Immersive Armors
Skyrim has a bunch of armors already available, but Immersive Amors is a mod that takes kitting out your characters (and NPCs) to the next level. 55 new sets are included, alongside 396 shields and various other miscellaneous apparel items. That's a lot of new items to play around with. Different sets and items have specific stats that are integrated into the game through quest rewards, placement in dungeons, and given to certain people.
Free at Mod NexusCountless ways for decapitation: Immersive Weapons
Much like the Immersive Armors mod, Skyrim has a number of weapons already available for you to use, but Immersive Weapons adds around 230 more, not to mention new weapon sets to make various new melee builds viable. Not only is it great to see and use the new weapons, but hothtrooper44 made sure that the mod doesn't have a negative impact on the lore, just in case you wish to play as close to vanilla as possible.
Free at Mod NexusChoose your starsign: Ordinator
The perk tree could do with some improvements to make each playthrough and build feel more interesting and unique. This is where Ordinator comes in, adding more than 400 perks to the game, completely overhauling each skill tree. You'll need to visit the Nexus page to see all the perks added, but it's a comprehensive list and Ordinator is a mod I simply cannot play without.
Free at Mod NexusFus-Ro-Dah: Realistic Ragdolls and Force
The ragdoll effect in Skyrim can lead to some hilarious situations, including those moments when a giant will send you to outer space with a whack of its club. That's no good for role-playing and immersion, which is where Realistic Ragdolls and Force can lend a hand. Bodies now react to gravity and force more realistically. It's a small, but effective, mod.
Free at Mod NexusShimmering splendar: Realistic Water Two
With the updated water flow system and more included in Skyrim Special Edition, mods that affect the natural liquid are now more important when the aim is to create a more realistic-looking environment. Realistic Water Two takes Bethesda's improved system and takes everything to the next level with higher quality effects and textures, not to mention more accurate water body movement depending on the location (sea, river, pond, etc.).
Free at Mod NexusSeriously. Run.: Run for your lives
Run for your lives is a package of two handy mods, developed and uploaded by the same author. Run for your lives and When vampires attack affects the way NPCs react to dragon and vampire attacks, namely those who are unable to fight back. Instead of witnessing absolute carnage due to citizens of Skyrim not fleeing to the safe indoors, installing these mods lets you fight off deadly beasts with guards by your side.
Free at Mod NexusMust-have tool: Skyrim Script Extender 64-bit
Finally, the extremely talented modders behind the exceptional Skyrim Script Extender has released a version in beta that works wonderfully with Skryim SE. What this tool allows you to do is install mods that require additional functionality that the base game engine simply cannot offer. I'm talking a better UI experience that wasn't designed for consoles, more feature-packed mods, and more.
Just make sure you download and install the version for SE and not the old Skyrim. Afterward, you need to launch the SKSE64 .exe and not the Skyrim executable through Steam.
Free at SKSEHow the UI should be by default: SkyUI
This is currently an early testing build of the excellent SkyUI mods, but it's well worth checking out now. What it does is revamps the entire UI, allowing you to more easily navigate your inventory and such, seeing more information at a glance.
Free at Mod NexusBetter looking ropes: Static Mesh Improvement Mod
SMIM is a huge mod. And by huge we mean massive in both scale and size of the download. Totaling nearly 1GB, this package contains a bunch of improved 3D models for various things like robs, chains, lanterns, and other objects. It's particularly effective if you're one to notice when things look slightly out of place or aren't high-quality assets.
Free at Mod NexusUncover hidden secrets: The Forgotten City
How does an expansion sound? The Forgotten City has you covered with an award-winning unofficial experience, backed by superb writing, original orchestral score, and voiced dialog that offers around eight hours of gameplay. You're tasked with entering an underground Dwarven city and uncover a mystery, and it's non-linear too with multiple endings.
If you've finished the main plot numerous times and are soon running out of things to do, give The Forgotten City a go. Cappelli, p. (1999). the new deal at work. cambridge, ma: harvard business school press.
Free at Mod NexusMake Skyrim feel more alive: True Storms
The weather effects in Skyrim are pretty good, but since everything was compiled way back in 2011, there's definitely room for improvement. Cue True Storms. This is a must-have mod for anyone looking to create a more immersive Skyrim experience with the weather really adding to every outing. It brings fog, variable weather, high-quality sound effects, new textures, dust storms, and more.
Free at Mod NexusFixes Bethesda never made: Unofficial Skyrim: SE Patch
This is a must-have download for anyone, even if you do not wish to get into modding your Skyrim install. As the name suggests, it's a compiled package of fixes, improvements, and additions to the title. Hundreds of gameplay, quest, NPC, object, item, text and placement bugs have been fixed. Seriously, there's no reason as to why you shouldn't install this patch.
Free at Mod NexusChoosing the best mods
The absolute must-have mods for Skyrim include SKSE, SkyUI, and Alternate Start. The rest depends on your system specifications, your desired playstyle and what type of content you want to add to the world of Skyrim.
But what are your favorite mods for Skyrim Special Edition? Are there any you have for Skyrim that have yet to be ported? Sound off in the comments. We'd also like to thank modders for their continued support in extending the enjoyment of games, particularly Skyrim. You guys are incredible.
*Updated 09/01/2017* Four brand new mods added!
I know what you're thinking. Why bother playing Skyrim: Special Edition when you've already sunk what my mother assures me is an unhealthy amount of hours into the original game (needless to say, I disagree)? I'll tell you why: mods. Let me tell you the tale of the quality fan-made stories that are equal to Bethesda's colossus itself. Wondrous sagas await with enigmatic characters swaggering by your side, mind-boggling dwemer gadgets, and mysterious locations begging to be explored. As an added bonus they promise hours of gameplay as these mods have a ton of content. Some are even DLCs in their own right. All of the quests below are stand alone ones, meaning you don’t have to bother with joining a faction to trigger them. At last there's an excuse to neglect going outside for as long as humanly possible, just like when Skyrim first came out. Ah, good memories.
I’ll be updating this list periodically with which platforms support these mods (which you can check via the Bethesda website), so be sure to check back to see what new delights await you in Skyrim Special Edition! Make sure to take a look at our best Skyrim mods if you want to iron out any bugs, alter NPC behaviour, or overhaul the graphics.
Inigo
Available on:Xbox One, PC
It’s time to say goodbye to Lydia, as Inigo is the only companion you’ll ever need. The blue Khajit has over 7000 lines of dialogue and will develop differently depending on how you interact with him. Coming across various NPCs will trigger this chatterbox as he chats to them too. A veteran of the Skyrim mod scene, Inigo has been around since 2013 and has over 1275 ratings, all giving him 5 stars. He’s a big deal. To get on his good side you can also complete his quest, which at the moment is small as it’s being worked on as we speak. The full plot will be released in upcoming updates to the mod, so think of Inigo as an investment.
It’s time to say goodbye to Lydia, as Inigo is the only companion you’ll ever need. The blue Khajit has over 7000 lines of dialogue and will develop differently depending on how you interact with him. Coming across various NPCs will trigger this chatterbox as he chats to them too. A veteran of the Skyrim mod scene, Inigo has been around since 2013 and has over 1275 ratings, all giving him 5 stars. He’s a big deal. To get on his good side you can also complete his quest, which at the moment is small as it’s being worked on as we speak. The full plot will be released in upcoming updates to the mod, so think of Inigo as an investment.
Clockwork
Best Male Overhauls Skyrim
Available on: Xbox One
Feel like the dwemer are neglected a tad in vanilla Skyrim? Well, now you can get your fix, as nestled deep in the mountains is an enigmatic mansion heavily inspired by dwemer culture. Named the Clockwork Mansion, it’s full of mystery. Who’s that following you through its secret passages? Where have its inhabitants gone? What the hell does all this dwemer machinery do? You’ll have plenty of time to find the answers to these questions, especially as something is keeping you there. To escape you’ll have to uncover the Clockwork Mansion’s secrets. Billed as the equivalent of a DLC with 6 hours (yes, really) of playtime, new types of enemies, and side-quests as well as the main storyline, Clockwork will keep you busy for quite a while.
Feel like the dwemer are neglected a tad in vanilla Skyrim? Well, now you can get your fix, as nestled deep in the mountains is an enigmatic mansion heavily inspired by dwemer culture. Named the Clockwork Mansion, it’s full of mystery. Who’s that following you through its secret passages? Where have its inhabitants gone? What the hell does all this dwemer machinery do? You’ll have plenty of time to find the answers to these questions, especially as something is keeping you there. To escape you’ll have to uncover the Clockwork Mansion’s secrets. Billed as the equivalent of a DLC with 6 hours (yes, really) of playtime, new types of enemies, and side-quests as well as the main storyline, Clockwork will keep you busy for quite a while.
The Forgotten City
Available on:Xbox One, PC
I cannot over-emphasise how much I love this mod. By far my favourite of any I’ve played, the story is gripping, intelligent, and forces you to challenge your morals. For those who love the Dwemer it also fleshes out their legacy and ethos, as they are distinctly under-represented in Skyrim despite being, in my opinion, the most interesting civilisation as well as the most mysterious. Warning, though: once you start this story and go past a certain point - which will be obvious once you get to it, trust me - there’s no going back. You can’t exit the story location to take care of some side-quests, so this mod is one you should expect to complete without any distractions.
Aethernautics: A Space Travel Mod
Available on: Xbox One
Another dwemer-centric mod, the title to this is pretty self-explanatory. But to get the promised spaceship you’ll have to find out where the hell it is first. You might ask 'how hard can it be to find a gargantuan spaceship?'. Answer: surprisingly hard. If a quest wasn’t enough you’ll also be voyaging through a dungeon that comes with a brand new type of enemy, as well as wielding radically different weapons (which may or may not make a pew pew sound). If you can overlook the few issues the mod has, it’ll add a completely new dimension to Skyrim.
Another dwemer-centric mod, the title to this is pretty self-explanatory. But to get the promised spaceship you’ll have to find out where the hell it is first. You might ask 'how hard can it be to find a gargantuan spaceship?'. Answer: surprisingly hard. If a quest wasn’t enough you’ll also be voyaging through a dungeon that comes with a brand new type of enemy, as well as wielding radically different weapons (which may or may not make a pew pew sound). If you can overlook the few issues the mod has, it’ll add a completely new dimension to Skyrim.
Blackreach Railroad
Available on: Xbox One, PC
By now you should have realised that if you want something mechanical in Skyrim, the dwemer are your first port of call. Yes, I know this is the fourth mod that includes the underground-dwelling lost civilisation, but if you want a choo-choo train which stretches between cities then Blackreach Railroad is for you. Of course, getting this locomotive working is a key part of the quest, plus afterwards you can discover new stations and explore unmarked tunnels. You also get a train driver’s hat. Just in case you weren’t sold already.
By now you should have realised that if you want something mechanical in Skyrim, the dwemer are your first port of call. Yes, I know this is the fourth mod that includes the underground-dwelling lost civilisation, but if you want a choo-choo train which stretches between cities then Blackreach Railroad is for you. Of course, getting this locomotive working is a key part of the quest, plus afterwards you can discover new stations and explore unmarked tunnels. You also get a train driver’s hat. Just in case you weren’t sold already.
Falskaar
Available on:Xbox One, PC,
Okay, the fact that this mod landed its creator with a job at Bungie should tell you quite a bit about its quality. Falskaar feels like a seamless expansion of Skyrim and makes you the harbinger of an ancient prophecy, which is a nod towards the changing social climate of Falskaar rather than making you The Chosen One (again). Granted, the landscape does look the same no matter where you go and some of the voice acting is a bit over-the-top, but the story is completely new and feels like a DLC. Falskaar is definitely a pedigree mod.
Okay, the fact that this mod landed its creator with a job at Bungie should tell you quite a bit about its quality. Falskaar feels like a seamless expansion of Skyrim and makes you the harbinger of an ancient prophecy, which is a nod towards the changing social climate of Falskaar rather than making you The Chosen One (again). Granted, the landscape does look the same no matter where you go and some of the voice acting is a bit over-the-top, but the story is completely new and feels like a DLC. Falskaar is definitely a pedigree mod.
Moon and Star
Available on:Xbox One, PC
Missing Morrowind? Moon and Star gives the Dunmer a chance to shine, as you’re enlisted to help track down a criminal on the run who hails from Morrowind. The village of Little Vivec, new voice-acting, NPCs, and a storyline that has you trawling through a lost Dwemer civilisation are just some of the things Moon and Star has to offer, plus it works with all the Skyrim DLCs. Featured on multiple top 10 mod lists, Moon and Star is a lore-friendly addition to any Skyrim fanatic’s game.
Moonpath to Elsweyr
Available on: PC
As if building a whole new world wasn’t impressive enough, this mods has new monsters, NPCs, and items. Elsweyr looks like nowhere I’ve ever seen in Skyrim, Oblivion, or Morrowind, with dense jungles, waterways to wade through instead of roads, new creatures to fight or ally with, as well as a backstory which explains the trading prowess of the Khajit. If your Khajit is lacking in backstory and you can feel its computer-generated self aching for the motherland, Moonpath to Elsweyri is a must. Or just download it if you’re a bit fed up with Skyrim’s Norse vibe and want to go on some exotic travels!
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Enderal: The Shards of Order
Available on: PC
I’m currently in denial because my laptop doesn’t have the memory to download this mod, but it looks magnificent and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it will come out on console at some point. The amount of content is staggering which isn’t surprising as Enderal is basically an ENTIRELY NEW GAME. Enderal is a new land with its own lore and mythology, with professional voice-acting and between 30 - 120 hours of gameplay, depending on whether you like to steamroll through the story or soak up side quests like a sponge. New soundtrack, animations, NPCs, locations, combat, and even a new skill tree, Enderal is an end-game mod for you to install when you have wrung Skyrim dry.
Castle Gonduin
Available on:PC
Castle Gonduin won’t be yours without a fight. The slog to claim the castle is definitely worth it; Gonduin feels like the right top-tier reward for someone who’s completed most of the game as you don’t just get the chance to live in a castle - which, admit it, is pretty awesome - but you also have the equivalent of an estate. A guardhouse, tavern, and 40 new NPCs await you, as well as being able to choose your decor and the outfits for your guards. Strolling around the castle after having raised the money to renovate it to its ancient glory made me instantly feel like lord of the manor.
Faction: Pit Fighter
Available on: PC
If you love hearing the thud of a well-sharpened blade in someone’s skull and can’t get enough of shield-bashing, tanking, and bellowing, this mod is for you. Faction: Pit Fighter adds a whole new guild dedicated to spilling blood in an arena, with its own NPCs, quests, weapons, and guild progression. Situated in Windhelm, the Pit Fighters are an alternative to The Companions and are sure to sate the appetite of any bloodthirsty warrior.
Not seen your favourite story mod here? Mention it in the comments below!
Not seen your favourite story mod here? Mention it in the comments below!
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