Rebuilding Skyrim with Mods - Elvenwood, Smithing, Divine Punishment

This week, we at Game Rant take a look at three mods for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: a quaint little tree town called Elvenwood, an extremely robust and expanded blacksmithing mod that includes a reworked skill-tree and a lot of new crafting abilities, and a humorous antidote that should leave a few gamers in stitches.

As always, to install a Skyrim mod, remember to subscribe to the mod, allow it to download when you launch the game through Steam, and check it out. Remember that all data files can be managed in Skyrim at the launcher screen, giving players the ability to disable mods if undesirable consequences or mod conflicts occur. It is always a good idea to backup important game files before modifying the structure (of any game for that matter), but the Skyrim Data File manager does a great job of this as well.

Let's take a look at this week's mods!

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First Up: Elvenwood

Elvenwood

Author: Nick7575

Elvenwood is large for a tree-house settlement but fairly small for a town in comparison to others in Skyrim. Located between Falkreath and Helgen, Elvenwood is also directly Southeast of Pinewatch. According to the author, it was constructed by the Bosmer (Wood Elves) who were attracted to the rich forests of Skyrim. A book can be found in the settlement to further describe the back-story of Elvenwood.

Elvenwood is a fully functioning city that includes resident Bosmer NPCs, including a blacksmith, bartender/innkeeper, and a general goods merchant. The interior and exterior areas are adjacent and connected to the existing exterior cells, so an attack upon the city by hostile bandits (and there are plenty in the area) is entirely possible. The elevated nature of the city does provide it some protection against common bandits however.

Elvenwood includes a blacksmith with full smithing facilities, two alchemy tables, an enchanting table, sleeping areas, and storage. There is also a player house (does not have to be purchased) that includes ample storage and a rooftop loft for even additional storage, though the balcony that connects the home to the loft includes a table and items on the table that are clearly not owned by the player, which is slightly odd.

The Bosmer Bard will sing any song...just ask her...

Next: Guide for the Perfect Blacksmith

Guide for the Perfect Blacksmith

Author: Alan_Ejnar

This mod is a whale - an absolutely huge and very robust Smithing mod that ridiculously expands what the player can create in Skyrim. It's best to simply list out the additions, as they are numerous.

  • Smithing Skill Tree Overhaul: The skill tree has been reworked, modified, and added upon to give the player more options.
  • Arrowsmith: Ability to create arrows in bundles of 24 using ingots of the appropriate type.
  • Advanced Arrowsmithing: Create enchanted and explosive arrows. The recipe will show up only when fire/void/frost salts are in your inventory.
  • Skyforge: Skyforge is now complete and Skyforge/Wolf smithing has been implemented.
  • Metal Recycling: Sustainability reaches Skyrim giving the player the ability to break down gear into raw materials, with the necessary skills of course. Players can also smelt down cooking pots, clothes irons, silver goblets, etc.
  • Leather Recylcing: Recover leather from Leather, Hide and Fur armors.
  • Exotic Smithing: Grants the ability to craft Falmer and Forsworn weapons and armor.

This mod also adds a completely new forge to the game called Gunnar's Homestead, which is near Helgen and opposite to the mountain where players discover Bleak Falls Barrow. At the forge, players can find an in-game list of the following books which adds even more smithing abilities, though they are completely optional.

  • Blades Smithing: The book can be found in Sky Haven Temple.
  • Circlets Smithing: The book can be found in Markarth, in the building sitting over the river.
  • Robes Smithing: The book can be found in Winterhold College, in The Hall of Attainment.
  • Staves Smithing: The book can be found in Windhelm, near the market.
  • Executioner Smithing: The book can be found in Lod's House, in Falkreath.
  • Redguard Smithing: The book can be found at the Chillfurrow Farm, Nazeem property.
  • Jester Smithing: The book can be found in Dawnstar's Jail
  • Religious Amulet Smithing: The book can be found in the Temple of the Nines, in Solitude.
  • Noble and Jarl-like Clothes: The book can be found in the Blue Palace, in Solitude.
  • Gem Cutting: In Morthal, at the Thaumaturgist's Hut

It should be noted that rags are needed to craft robes. Don't feel like collecting rags (who does?)? Fear not, the mod also gives players the ability to create rags at the tanning rack using leather, linen piles, four plants of Tundra Cotton, or even bloody rags. Increasing a magical perk like Destruction or Restoration will grant the player the ability craft the more powerful robes.

In short, this mod is incredibly detailed and very well done, adding a lot of depth to an already deep part of Skyrim.

Next: Divine Punishment for Mention of Arrows in the Knee

Divine Punishment for Mention of Arrows in the Knee

Author: Turn_on_a_Dime

The phrase "arrow to the knee" has certainly grown legs and become one of the most popular phrases in Skyrim, giving birth to some truly funny and sometimes insane jokes on blogs and forums. Turn on a Dime, the author of last week's "Stones of Barenziah Quest Markers" mod, has created a truly comical mod that divinely punishes any guard who dares utter the popular phrase.

Essentially, when a guard says the popular (or dreaded) phrase, a lightning bolt sent from the gods (or perhaps the Daedra!) will strike down the offending guard, killing him/her instantly. It should be noted that this can can occur inside or outside. In the image above, one of the guards flanking the Jarl of Whiterun dared to utter the phrase and was punished severely. Interestingly enough, no one else in the room seemed to care too much. Poor fella.

The only downside to the mod is actually two-fold. One, while guards can die inside buildings, the player will only hear the clap of thunder and the sound lightning makes when it strikes something, but the lightning is not visible (however, outdoors, players can see the guard fry in their full glory, complete with lightning effects and static discharge ravaging the body, similar to Emperor Palpatine frying Shaft). Secondly, though more time would be needed to fully clarify this, but it appears that the guards are not replaced and their bodies stay where they are indefinitely.

What do you think of these mods ranters? Be sure to tune it back here next week for another round, and keep modding!

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