User generated content can be a mixed-bag of results, but when it comes to Skyrim, the online community, having access to the powerful Steam Workshop, has generated quite an impressive library of mods for players to download and use.
We at Game Rant want to draw our readers' attention to some of these mods that we find particularly interesting. By no means is this an exhaustive list, and by no means does exclusion from this list mean that a particular mod is of no use; no, we simply want to emphasize those mods that add to the Skyrim gaming experience.
Each mod we highlight will have a link to the Steam Workshop. To download the mods, users must "subscribe" to the mod, launch the game within Steam, and the mod will be downloaded, installed, and ready to use once the game starts.
Let's get to it!
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First Up: Hermit's Tree House
Hermit's Tree House
Author: Crim5on Duck
Sometimes less is more. While there are plenty of examples of large, spacious palatial estates that can be downloaded and used as the player's home, the Hermit's Tree House is a shining example of how to create a player home that does not take up a lot of space, is simple in design, offers great access to the central heartland of Skyrim (i.e. Whiterun), and has a breathtaking view of the plains surrounding Whiterun.
Situated on the East bank of the river that runs out of Riverwood, the Hermit's Tree House is a short walking distance away from the mid-sized town where players first encounter the natives of Skyrim, and is also a short walk down the path to Whiterun.
The Hermit's Tree House has several advantages. First, it is available immediately to all players, even first-time characters, and is already a known location on the player's map. Secondly, there are no interior cells for the home, meaning you can view the landscape and scenery. The mod includes a tanning rack and a wood chopping block as well as a storage chest and a few weapon racks.
This mod is a perfect starter home for players who feel that loading up an 8,000 square foot home at the start of the game cheapens the Skyrim gaming experience.
Next: Stones of Barenziah Quest Markers
Stones of Barenziah Quest Markers
Author: Turn_on_a_Dime
There are mods that are flat-out cheats, and there are mods that might not technically be cheats but are definitely exploits. Then there is the "Stones of Barenziah Quest Markers" mod, which fits into another class all together - "essential and insanely useful."
The title is self-explanatory: that ridiculously insane quest to bring all 24 Stones of Barenziah to the Thieves Guild is a beast to complete, mainly because the player never really knows where to look for them. While some of the stones are in quest-related caves and dungeons, many others are in non-quest locations, making it very hard to complete this quest. No doubt, part of the fun of Skyrim is exploring and finding hidden oddities and treasures, but that should be reserved for non-quest tasks.
This mod will save players a lot of time looking for the Stones of Barenziah as all the locations will be revealed on the player's world map, freeing up the enterprising thief to get back to other tasks, like forging the financial numbers of the Bannered Mare for the seventeenth time.
Next: Unread Books Glow
Unread Books Glow
Author: duggelz
While being mostly cosmetic and ultimately ancillary, this mod is a definite time saver for the ultra-completionist player. Let's face it: there are TONS of books in Skyrim, and no one can keep up with what they've read when the numbers start approaching triple digits. Heck, those who remember the last 10 books they've read are doing pretty well!
When loading this mod, every book in the game that the player has not read will glow with a subtle blue hue - think Obi-Wan Kenobi from Return of the Jedi. Open the book, read it, and the blue hue will just as subtly fade away. Obviously, this doesn't technically mean the player has read the book, only that they opened the book.
While skill books should obviously be sought out for the benefits they provide, not everyone gets into all of the lore that the non-skill books provide. However, for those players who can't pass up the extra information, this mod is a great tool to have to point out what books have already been looked at.
Next: Goldbrand
Goldbrand
Author: (^-.-)>
Goldbrand was a sword that players would receive upon completion Boethiah's Daedra mission in Oblivion. While there are many mods in the Steam community that bring this sword to Skyrim, this one is particularly unique in that it doesn't simply put the sword in a far-off cave or house with little-to-no information on how it got there. Instead, the author placed the sword aboard the Katariah, in the cabin of Emperor Titus Mede II.
The sword itself is enchanted, doing 30 points of fire damage to the target, making it an extremely powerful sword.
It should be noted that the Goldbrand, being on-board the Katariah, can only be "found" by players who advance to that point of the Assassin's Guild storyline (the ship is not present in Skyrim until that point of that questline). According to the mod's author, it was his intention to make the sword appear at Boethiah's shrine if players instead chose to destroy the Dark Brotherhood, but the script never seemed to work properly. Fear not then: those who destroyed the Dark Brotherhood (or have no desire to do that questline) can simply add Goldbrand to their inventory after installing the mod by using the console to add it.
The item code is xx000d62 (where "xx" is the numbered order that the mod loads by - so if Goldbrand is the fifth mod, the insert code is 05000d62); use this to add it directly.
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