~Skyrim Mod Recommendations~

Here is a list of mods, which I recommend, for Skyrim. This isn't quite a mod list, but you can treat it like one, as long as you choose one mod out of categories like Odin or Mysticism.

~Important Patches~

- Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch

A mod that fixes thousands of bugs and inconsistencies with Skyrim. It's useful for removing annoyances and making sure some parts of the game actually work.

The unofficial patch has been quite controversial over the years. Its lead developer, Arthmoor, is known for stubbornly insisting that Shor's Stone should have secret quicksilver deposits instead of secret ebony deposits, getting similar patches taken off Nexus Mods for copyright reasons, hiding older patches for outdated Skyrim versions, and being very right-wing. However, it does enough to improve the game that I still sort of recommend it.

- Skyrim Misc Fixes Pack

The Skyrim Misc Fixes Pack is a smaller mod in the vein of the Unofficial Patch. It makes a lot of nitty-gritty changes to Skyrim's inner workings, on things like spell mechanics, NPC equipment and abilities, levelled lists for shops and loot, and which things are affected by what perks. You probably won't need the Misc Fixes Pack if you have mods to overhaul everything, but for a light set of mods, it will be helpful.

- Adoption Spouse and Moving Fixes

A mod to fix quite a few problems with adoption, bringing your partner to live with you, and so on; problems that became much, much worse when the Creation Club, Anniversary Edition and Verified Creator Programme happened to Skyrim. Adoption Spouse and Moving Fixes fixes a lot of problems where adopted children would get "stuck" in the radiant story manager and fail to come home, your whole family would get "stuck" and fail to move house, your children would give you nonexistent presents, your family wouldn't know what to say about Creation Club houses, children who've died would still try to move house with you, and so on.

~Key Gameplay Mods~

- True Directional Movement

A useful mod which allows your character to turn, move and attack independently from the camera in third-person view. Basically, it lets them move in all (true) directions, instead of walking sideways and backing up towards the camera. It also improves horseback archery, lets you lock onto enemies and face them automatically, swim upwards and downwards, and use homing projectiles.

True Directional Movement works with most other combat and animation mods, and makes wandering Skyrim in third-person feel much nicer. Unless you're doing something significantly off the walls, it's worth getting.

. For the best familiar-feeling Skyrim combat:
- Valravn - Integrated Combat of Skyrim

Valravn makes a lot of improvements to how combat works, in particular making Stamina more important for warriors and archers, balancing stat regeneration and armour, and allowing you to make "attacks of opportunity" against opponents when they're vulnerable. It takes a fairly restrained approach that builds on the game mechanics Skyrim already has, and in my view makes it feel a lot better to play.

Ideally, you should only have one combat overhaul at a time, like Valravn or Blade and Blunt (see below). I recommend Valravn for the everyday user.

. For an uphill struggle with harsher enemies:
- Blade and Blunt - A Combat Overhaul

Blade and Blunt is a combat mod which uses SKSE to add some deeper mechanics: different Stamina costs for sprinting in different armour, different stagger amounts for power attacks with different weapons, automatic "interrupts" when you bash at the right moment, and a Stamina cost for sneaking. It even includes an injury system which kicks in below half health, allowing enemies to give you injuries that last until you sleep in a bed.

Blade and Blunt has a harsh approach to balance that can be difficult to get to grips with, but it's well-made and consistent, and adds a strategic element to fights that builds on what Skyrim has to offer.

- Adamant - A Perk Overhaul

Adamant is a comprehensive perk overhaul which changes all of Skyrim's perks, adding new perks to build on Skyrim's game mechanics, and condensing bland perks like the "20% more one-handed damage" crowd into more impactful perks. It tries to bring the best out of Skyrim's game mechanics and not add anything too crazy.

Adamant touches on game mechanics beyond the perks; for example, it changes skill scaling and experience gain "behind the scenes" to improve problems such as not getting much experience from enchanting, getting too much experience from enchanting, or smithing taking forever to level up.

There are also some optional add-ons adding to Adamant's array of skill trees, notably the bard add-on, which allows you to play instruments for temporary bonuses; and the hand-to-hand add-on, which adds an unarmed combat skill tree, while also condensing Lockpicking and Pickpocket into one combined skill. I do recommend these for the extra gameplay options, although unlike regular Adamant, the add-ons need SKSE and other framework mods.

- Hand to Hand - An Adamant Addon

Adamant's most prominent add-on, with its own page and a sizeable list of requirements.

- Alternatives

EnaiSiaion's Ordinator is a bigger perk mod with Adamant, one of the all-time classic Skyrim mods with a lot of perk options. https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/1137

For a more simple perk overhaul, Jelidity has a mod worth trying: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/134760

If Adamant just doesn't feel right, try Vokrii, also by EnaiSiaion: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/26176

- Mysticism - A Magic Overhaul

Mysticism makes a lot of changes to improve the magic-usage experience in Skyrim, inlcuding balance changes to nearly every spell, letting scrolls and staves benefit from your magic perks, and making sales-wizards sell a lot more staves and scrolls. It also adds plenty of new spells, such as animal- and skeleton-based Conjuration summons, Alteration spells that weaken enemies, and the full sets of poison and sun magic under Restoration.

- Alternatives

If Mysticism feels a bit bland, Apocalypse by EnaiSiaion offers a massive variety of spells:https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/1090

And if Apoclypse doesn't feel bland enough, you could try Odin, also by EnaiSiaion:https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/46000

- Forceful Tongue - Shouts Overhaul

A simple, but impactful mod to improve Shouts. Forceful Tongue takes away the ridiculously long cooldowns on some Shouts, and strengthens relatively underwhelming ones such as Fire or Frost Breath. It's well worth getting if you would like the legendary power of the Thu'um to feel suitably legendary.

- Morningstar - Minimalistic Races of Skyrim

A mod that balances and improves on the different playable races and species, distinguishing them all without making any the obvious choice.

- Evenstar - Minimalistic Standing Stones of Skyrim

A mod that balances and improves on Skyrim's standing stones and what bonuses they offer. Some of Skyrim's default standing stones are pretty uninspired, while a handful such as the Atronach Stone are worth designing your character's build over; Evenstar tries to make them all interesting and useful.

- Alternatives

You probably won't be surprised to hear that SimonMagus has also made standing stone and racial differentiation mods. His are a bit simpler and more numbers-based than EnaiSiaion's, but worth considering even so.

Aetherius is for standing stones: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/26686
And Mundus is for species: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/33411

- Apothecary - An Alchemy Overhaul

A mod to improve on Skyrim's alchemy. It makes a couple of noteworthy changes: changing healing potions to work over time, meaning you won't be able to instantly heal yourself to escape death, and replacing Fortify Smithing and Fortify Enchanting with non-crafting effects, thwarting the restoration loop.

Apothecary rounds alchemy out quite nicely, adding all the useful effects you could want, except ones pertaining to crafting. By necessity, it touches a lot of the game to edit alchemy ingredients and their effects. It works alongside most other mods, even if they add new alchemy ingredients, but patches would probably be needed for consistency.

- Thaumaturgy - An Enchanting Overhaul

The sister mod to Apothecary, spiffing up Skyrim's enchanting in a similar manner. It adds new enchantments such as poison damage, sun damage and "burden" for weapons, slowfall for boots, and splits the fortify magic enchantments between reducing the cost, increasing the power or increasing the duration of spells from each school.

Thatmaturgy rounds enchanting out very nicely, although similar to Apothecary, it edits most of Skyrim's enchantments and pre-enchanted equipment. Thaumaturgy works fine with other mods, but new enchanted equipment might need patching for proper consistency.

- Sacrilege - Minimalistic Vampires of Skyrim

"Minimalistic", here, is a relative term. Sacrilege improves your vampire or vampire lord experience in many ways. It changes vampire abilities, so you won't paradoxically get stronger by starving yourself of blood, adds some new spells and powers, and many new vampire lord perks. Skyrim leaves vampirism a bit sidelined as a game mechanic, so I recommend a mod like Sacrilege to make it more worth playing as one.

- Alternatives

Immortal Blood by MoSami2003 is another good vampire mod, handy if you think you've installed Too Much Simon and/or Too Much Enai. Immortal Blood adds a new spell system for vampires, which ties into the time limit for the vampire lord form, and otherwise delivers most of what you'd get from Sacrilege. www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/101470

- Growl - Werebeasts of Skyrim

This mod isn't pretending to be "minimalistic", but it's actually a bit less involved than Sacrilege. Isn't that funny? Anyway, Growl improves upon the werewolf experience, by adding more perks for werewolves, adding a form of level-scaled damage which is affected by your skills, and giving you a couple of ways to become a werebear instead. Like with vampires, I recommend a mod such as Growl to turn being a werebeast into a meaningful part of gameplay.

- Alternatives

MoSami2003's Moonborn is another good choice for werewolf enthusiasts. It includes an infectious werewolf disease, Sanies Lupinus, and the possibility of your character getting turned into a werewolf unwittingly.www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/92365

- Saga - Skyrim Religion Overhaul

A fun mod which improves on the blessings you can get from shrines, and adds a lot of new deities with corresponding blessings from the Elder Scrolls's lore. Saga also lets you pray out in the open, and be blessed by the god whose shrine you last visited. It's a good choice for role-playing as a religious character, and for making shrines a bit more than free Potions of Cure Disease.

- Paradigm - A Quick Start Overhaul

A simple mod which lets you start a new adventure outside the Helgen caves, skipping the tutorial, but otherwise starting the main quest as normal with Ralof of Hadvar directing you towards Riverwood. Paradigm also lets you choose from twenty-one sets of starting equipment and spells.

- Underwhelming Multiple Followers

A useful mod which, in the simplest possible way, allows you to bring up to three followers around. While having three followers can throw off the game's balance, it's fun to bring a team sometimes, and not so much "unbalanced" as "necessary" if you have a difficult mod like Vominheim. Having three followers opens up new role-playing and story possibilities: suppose Lydia, Derkeethus, and Adelaisa Vendicci walked into a bar...

~More Gameplay Mods Worth Trying~

- SUMMER: Skyrim Universally ‘Mursive Mechanical Expansion & Recalibration

A modular pile of gameplay mods which add a lot of new game mechanics, including parrying and dodging, stamina costs and aim-shake for bows, a disguise system, non-lethal knock-out attacks, unarmed combat built into the one-handed skill, several new types of spell, and more damage from jumping off cliffs.

Although it's a lot to take in, SUMMER meshes nicely with Skyrim, adding depth and new options which build on what mechanics Skyrim had already without feeling tacked on. With it, you probably won't need a dedicated magic mod like Mysticism.

- Skyrim Vanilla Plus Overhaul

A simpler, more restrained flavour of "overhaul" than some of these, but still a comprehensive one that brushes up every part of Skyrim. It fixes a lot of oversights and annoying things about Skyrim, balances and tries to more-satisfyingify the gameplay, while staying with the original flavour.

I recommend this mod if you want Skyrim to feel like Skyrim, except with minimal make-up and a couple more years' worth of patches. You won't need a lot of gameplay mods on top of this one.

~Weather and Lighting Mods~

. Best in show, with gorgeous weather and realistic visibility:
- RAID Weathers

A very beautiful, lovingly-crafted weather mod which makes Skyrim gorgeous, with beautiful sunsets and lush banks of fog. It was designed to balance stealth and detection with the player's own ability to see; at night or in dense fog, you should have as much chance of seeing a nearby enemy as they will of seeing you.

- Realistic AI Detection (RAID)

RAID actually came before RAID Weathers, and is a do-over for stealth gameplay and detection mechanics. RAID makes NPCs rather more likely to see you when you try to sneak in broad daylight, placing an emphasis on staying in the shadows and avoiding your enemies' line of sight. A lot of jokes have been made that stealth archery is the best way to play Skyrim, and RAID will indeed make it more of a challenge.

. Best in show, with classic Skyrim flavour and night-time visibility:
- Obsidian Weathers and Seasons

A mod which builds on Skyrim's original lighting and colour palette, making its sunny days clearer and brighter, its skies glowier and more colourful, and its fog deeper and more crisp. Unlike a lot of weather mods, Obsidian Weathers keeps some visibility at night

. For a bright, colourful Skyrim:
- Mythical Ages - Weather and Lighting Overhaul

Another weather mod, among my favourites. It keeps the weather natural-looking and Skyrimesque, but also gorgeous, soft and sun-soaked, or bathed in luscious banks of fog, with beautiful, glowing sunsets and northern lights. It adds a lot of colour and allows you to select a visual "mood" for the overall look of the game.

. For natural-looking Scandinavian weather:
- Aequinoctium - Weathers and Seasons

Aequinoctium was made by the same author as Mythical Ages, but with a more understated, real-world approach to its weather. It goes for crisp winter mornings with pale blue skies, soft banks of fog rolling over the forest, dark clouds full of heavy rain, cold yet beautiful sunshine, and the pale turquoise glow of the northern lights.

~Character Models and Texture Packs~

- Simply Skin - Female Texture Replacer and Male Texture Replacer

Two mods full of nice, but real-looking face and body textures for humanoid characters, including Argonians and Khajiit. They cover all the base textures, but not the tint-maps for individual characters. The textures are 2K and occasionally 4K, which will be handy if you like squinting at the tiny little pores on your character's nose, but it may be worth scaling them down to ease on memory usage.

- Variations

A texture pack for most of the armour, weaponry and clothing in Skyrim, with improved models for some outfits and weapons. Variations has 1K textures and quite a real, grounded look that suits Skyrim. Notably, it replaces the models for some women's armour to remove an overemphasis on the bust. If you don't want big texture packs, I'd recommend Variations as more of a medium-sized big texture pack.

- Faces of Oblivion

A mod to give humanoid characters a better range of facial expressions. Faces of Oblivion is inspired by the bold, cartoonish animation style of Oblivion (the previous The Elder Scrolls game), but it makes Skyrim's characters look more expressive without feeling silly.

~World Models and Texture Packs~

. For nicer-looking Skyrim-style grass:
- Enhanced Landscapes - Grass Standalone

Despite being just the grass bit of a larger mod, this is one of my favourite grass texture packs. Enhanced Landscapes - Grass Standalone has nice, natural-looking replacement textures for every type of grass, without looking too pretty or out-of-place for Skyrim. Some of the default grass in Skyrim looks a bit rough, so I do recommend a grass texture pack.

. For prettier, but still fitting grass:
- Veydosebrom Regions - A Skyrim Grass Overhaul

Veydosebrom Regions is a high-quality, quite customisable grass mod. It gives Skyrim more stylised, pastoral grass, while matching the overall colours of the game's different regions. It's compatible with "ENB complex grass", if you like that sort of thing.

- Nordic Snow

A mod which makes the snow in Skyrim look much nicer. Skyrim has a lot of snow, but its default snow looks slightly grey and gloopy under decent lighting. Nordic Snow makes the snow look crunchy, white and fluffy, and I do recommend it even if you aren't interested in Texture Packs for Everything.

~World and City Mods~

~Enemy and Creature Mods~

~Equipment Mods~

- Awesome Artifacts

A mod to improve all the unique weapons and armour in Skyrim, including all the ones added by the unbalanced, cheaply-made "Creations" bundled with the Anniversary Edition. Awesome Artifacts adds fun, unique effects to a lot of items, and improves on ones which might have felt weak.

~Quests and Story Mods~

~Smaller Touches~