Highlights

  • Skyrim Creation Club allows players to directly support mod creators by purchasing high-quality mods with a premium price attached.
  • The Creation Club offers a variety of mods, including Pets of Skyrim, Saints & Seducers, and Civil War Champions, each with unique features and questlines.
  • Players can access Creation Club content in-game through the main menu, where they can browse and adjust their installed mods as needed.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is one of the most popular and successful RPGs Bethesda has ever made. This popularity has sparked a dedicated community that goes as far as to mod the game, altering or adding new features for players to experience.

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Bethesda wanted to capitalize on this with Skyrim Creation Club, a means of supporting mod creators to create high-quality mods that have a premium price tied to them. This has resulted in a massive amount of controversy about the practice, but few talk about the quality of the creations in question. Like the millions of free mods on the Nexus, it's a mixed bag.

Updated on February 15, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: While the Creation Club may be replaced with the Verified Creators system now, this doesn't mean that the high-quality content present in the earlier iteration of what was essentially a paid mods system will go away anytime soon. During the time when the contentious Creation Club was in full swing, a wealth of new additions were added to Skyrim that did a great job of letting players experience brand-new quests, fun cosmetics, and great weapons to brandish in the game. A lot of the Creation Club mods are worth checking out for players who want an excuse to play Skyrim for the umpteenth time.

What Is Skyrim Creation Club Used For?

Skyrim Creation Club Storefront Page In Game

The Skyrim Special Edition Creation Club is the primary way a player can mod the remastered version of the game, as many mods can be installed via third-party means or manually. In Skyrim, all Creation Club content has a Credit amount associated with it, as players have to spend money on Creation Club Credits in the amounts listed below to download anything.

  • 750 Creation Club Credits: $7.99
  • 1500 Creation Club Credits: $14.99
  • 3000 Creation Club Credits: $24.99
  • 5500 Creation Club Credits: $39.99

In this way, players are able to more directly support the creators of Creation Club assets, though it's certainly not without controversy. With the release of Skyrim: Anniversary Edition, a variety of these mods will become built-in to the main game rather than serve as add-ons, though not all of the best creation club mods Skyrim Special Edition offers will be included.

Accessing Skyrim Creation Club Content

skyrim farming creation club

The Skyrim Creation Club is not like the Steam Workshop or Nexus Mods, where players can go to a website to view available add-ons. The storefront is only available in-game through the main menu, and Credits for the Creation Club can similarly only be bought through the in-game interface or via Steam or the console-appropriate marketplace.

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Getting access to Skyrim Creation Club mods is as easy as launching Skyrim Special Edition and navigating to the "Creation Club" tab in the main menu. This will launch a browser where players can sort through mods. Additionally, there is a "Mods" tab below the "Creation Club" tab that lets players maintain and adjust their installed mods as needed.

15 Ghosts Of The Tribunal

Category: Apparel, Weapons

Skyrim Ghosts of the Tribunal Armor
  • A love letter to fans of The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind
  • Features various apparel and weapons from a beloved Bethesda classic
  • Ghosts of the Tribunal Cost on Creation Club: 900 Credits

The Elder Scrolls 3 was a major turning point for Bethesda. Their attempts to create an epic open-world Western RPG were a massive success, with the success of Morrowind letting Bethesda stand tall as one of the best developers around. It helped that the two expansions for this game, Tribunal, and Bloodmoon, were pretty amazing in their own right.

Players who loved the content in Tribunal will be glad to know that a wealth of armor and weapons from this classic expansion pack are added to Skyrim in the form of Creation Club content. Players will love channeling their nostalgia as they use the many items present in this pack to strike down their foes while looking pretty imposing in the process.

14 The Cause

Category: Characters, Weapons, World

The Cause Creation Club mod for Skyrim
  • A great addition to the game for fans of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
  • Revolves around Mythic Dawn cultists who want to open an Oblivion Gate
  • The Cause Cost on Creation Club: 900 Credits

The Cause is one of the better Creation Club mods that fans can check out. Those who loved the fourth mainline Elder Scrolls will find this piece of Creation Club content to be right up their alley. It involves the members of a deranged cult that wants to open an Oblivion Gate once again, which is not desirable for obvious reasons.

The aim is to open a gate to the Deadlands, which is something that the Dragonborn must prevent at all costs. The many Daedric items and enemies that players will engage with make this mod well worth the price of admission.

13 Dead Man's Dread

Category: Apparel, Weapons

Skyrim Dead Man's Dread
  • A homage to the spin-off game The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard
  • Adds the quest "The Restless," which takes place on an island in the Sea of Ghosts
  • Dead Man's Dread Cost on Creation Club: 750 Credits

Most people may not be aware of The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard, which serves as an action-oriented take on one's adventures in the world of the Elder Scrolls. With how much the series has boomed in popularity following this spin-off's release, most people likely won't mind taking a glance at its interesting past.

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Dead Man's Dread is a great piece of Creation Club content that focuses on this spin-off, even letting people collect the relics of its protagonist, Cyrus. The quest added by this mod is pretty engaging and makes for a fun distraction that players can engage in if the main quest is losing its luster.

12 Pets Of Skyrim

Category: Creatures

Skyrim Best Creation Club Mods Pets of Skyrim
  • Five new pets, each with different requirements and unique abilities that aid the player in different facets of Skyrim
  • New books, items, and questlines for each pet
  • Pets of Skyrim Cost on Creation Club: 300 Credits

The Pets of Skyrim mod adds five companion pets to Skyrim; a frostbite spider, a goat, a skeever, a fox, and a rabbit, alongside a lengthy quest chain to unlock them in the first place. Each of the five pets has its own ability, like the frostbite spider being able to spin web traps, the fox being able to hunt treasure, and the rabbit that can locate harvestable plants.

But what makes Pets of Skyrim one of the best Creation Club mods Skyrim players can download is its secondary systems – the add-on introduces a lot more than just animal companions to the game. There are several new books to read that go over the new systems and new items, including a pack and a collar, as well as several new systems for taking care of and learning about the new companions.

11 Saints & Seducers

Category: Apparel, Creatures, Gameplay, Weapons, World

Skyrim Golden Saints
  • A new medium-length questline that calls back to Oblivion's beloved Shivering Isles DLC
  • Dozens of new items, enemies, and areas for players to explore
  • Saints and Seducers Cost on Creation Club: FREE

Saints and Seducers adds a new questline to Skyrim that involves an insane mage trying to merge Sheogorath's realm with Nirn. In gameplay terms, this is effectively one long Shivering Isles-themed dungeon romp with some Oblivion-themed enemies and loot for good measure, making it one of the best Skyrim Creation Club mods.

The quality of this creation is surprisingly high, blending the vibrant art style of Oblivion's Shivering Isles with Skyrim expertly. New items and enemies are also of high quality and worth using in any playthrough. Once one of the most expensive options on the Creation Club, the Saints and Seducers mod is now free to download.

10 Civil War Champions

Category: Apparel, Weapons

Civil War Champions Creation Club mod for Skyrim
  • New armors for each side of the Skyrim Civil War (Stormcloak and Imperial versions)
  • Choice-driven questline that changes depending on the side players choose to champion
  • Civil War Champions Cost on Creation Club: 600 Credits

The Civil War backdrop of Skyrim is definitely one of the world's most interesting aspects, but there's no denying the fact that this setting fizzles out a bit after the corresponding quest is over and done with. However, by heading to the Skyrim Creation Club, players can squeeze out a bit more content from this war.

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The Civil War Champions pack adds two new armors, along with a quest that sees players taking the side of one faction as their champion as they participate in a vicious duel against the other warring faction's champion. It's a great way to flesh out the conflict between the Imperials and the Stormcloaks.

9 Nix-Hound

Category: Creatures

Nix Hound Creation Club mod in Skyrim
  • Adds a variety of Nix-Hound enemies to Solstheim, further connecting the area to The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind
  • Includes a friendly Nix-Hound follower, which can carry items and search for ingredients
  • Nix-Hound Cost on Creation Club: 200 Credits

Any fan of The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind will be aware of the infamous Nix-Hound, one of the most iconic enemies in the game. It was a shame that this enemy hadn't appeared in later games. That is, until the advent of the Skyrim Creation Club mod that goes by the same name.

Downloading this mod adds hostile Nix-Hounds to the region of Solstheim, making for a rather nostalgic ride as the player hacks these iconic enemies to bits once again. Along with this, there's also a friendly Nix-Hound that the player can purchase to accompany them on their travels as well.

8 Arcane Archer Pack

Category: Weapons

Skyrim Arcane Archer Pack Creation Club Cropped
Via: AudieMurphy01 (YouTube)
  • Adds a number of new arrow types to allow for more dynamic and diverse ranged gameplay
  • Magical arrows make archery a blast to engage with
  • Arcane Archer Cost on Creation Club: 150 Credits

Skyrim has one of the most flexible leveling systems in any RPG, allowing players to play nearly any build they want. Some archetypes are missing, though. One archetype is an arcane archer, which uses magical arrows to fire spells from afar.

The Arcane Archer Pack fulfills that fantasy rather well. This mod grants spell-infused arrows such as Telekinesis arrows or Chain-Lightning arrows. It's one of the best mods on Creation Club based on cost versus content. There are mods on the Nexus that change the game in similar ways, but none are as simple and accessible by all players as this one.

7 Arcane Accessories

Category: Apparel, Weapons

Skyrim Best Creation Club Mods Arcane Accessories
  • Adds 12 new items to Skyrim, including new robes and magic-related loot
  • Includes 16 new spells for players to learn, from new Elemental abilities to much more devastating end-game spells
  • Arcane Accessories Cost on Creation Club: 100 Credits

Arcane Accessories is an add-on that no mage in Skyrim Special Edition should go without. It adds a whopping 28 new items to the game, which includes 16 new spells that fit perfectly into progression through the regular game. These spells range from a variety of Elemental ranged attacks to a variety of useful out-of-combat spells to the powerful Touch of Death absorb ability.

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Two sets of robes, the Robes of Conjuration and Illusion and the Robes of Destruction and Alteration, make their wearers more proficient at two schools of magic at once, which scale from Novice to Master level. Access to the Arcane Accessories can be unlocked by completing the new Lost Library quest, which begins in Hob's Fall Cave after unlocking the mod at the Creation Club.

6 Camping

Category: Gameplay, World

Camping Creation Club mod in Skyrim
  • Lets players set up camp out in the wilderness, allowing them to sleep, cook, and fast travel to its location
  • New items and systems naturally fit with Skyrim's base mechanics, as well as the Survival Mode Creation Club mod
  • Camping Mod Cost on Creation Club: 300 Credits

While this might be a minor integration, one can't deny that having the ability to camp will do wonders when it comes to immersion. This Skyrim Creation Club mod allows the Dragonborn to carry a portable camp that can be used for sleeping and cooking on the go.

The best part about the Camping mod is that it pairs off perfectly with the Survival Mode mod that can be purchased in the Skyrim Creation Club as well. Any player who wants their travels in Skyrim to feel slightly more realistic need only try out the Camping mod for themselves.

5 Elianora Home Bundle

Category: World

Skyrim Elianora Home Bundle
  • Three elaborate, multi-use, differently-themed homes are added to the world of Skyrim, each unlocked by a quest
  • Includes Tundra Homestead, just outside Whiterun, Myrwatch, in the Reach, and Shadowfoot Sanctum, in Riften
  • Elianora Home Bundle Cost on Creation Club: 750 Credits

Modded player houses are hit or miss in Skyrim. Most player houses either have a plethora of bugs that make them unusable over a playthrough or are located in inconvenient locations. Mod author Elianora has some fantastic mods on the Nexus as well as a few high-quality housing Creations in the Creation Club—some of which are tied to the Elianora Home Bundle.

Three houses are tied to this bundle and each has some theme. The Tundra Homestead is arguably the most whelming of the bunch but matches the style of Hearthfire's player homes perfectly. Myrwatch is an excellent player home for mages due to its arcane aesthetic that borrows heavily from the College of Winterhold. Finally, the Shadowfoot Sanctum Creation is a cozy den located in the Riften Ratways, perfect for a thief playthrough.

4 Alternative Armor Series

Category: Apparel

Skyrim Special Edition Alternate Armor
  • Each Alternative Armor pack adds a new set for players to collect, often with better stats than the base version
  • Each Armor can be unlocked and collected by finding and completing brand-new quests
  • Alternative Armor Cost on Creation Club: 100 Credits each

Looks are subjective, but most can agree that the armor in Skyrim is some of the coolest designed armor in any RPG. With that said, sometimes rocking the same look can get stale.

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Meet the Alternative Armor Series. This series of mods overhauls a type of armor with a new visual style while still respecting the source material. Each set must be purchased individually, and the quality of the armor is higher than the base armor. They look great, are easy to get, and are worth the cost.

3 Survival Mode

Category: Gameplay

Skyrim Survival Mode
  • Overhauls the way players explore Skyrim by adding temperatures, hunger, and other survival-based mechanics
  • New armors and revamped armors that include Warmth stats
  • Survival Mode Cost on Creation Club: FREE

The harsh climate of Skyrim is reflected in dialogue but not in gameplay. Mods exist that fix this, but these mods either range from too extreme to not impactful enough. Survival Mode is a Creation Club mod that adds new mechanics that mimic key survival elements seen in Fallout: New Vegas or Fallout 4 such as hunger.

Body temperature is also a key part of this mod, making inns and abandoned buildings more useful than they were in the base game. It's a nice deviation from Skyrim's core gameplay loop without being too hardcore to enjoy.

2 Forgotten Seasons

Category: Apparel, Creatures, Gameplay, World

Skyrim Anniversary Forgotten Seasons Dwarven Horse Mount
  • Adds an enormous, elaborate dungeon in the south of Skyrim that opens into four new sub-areas, themed after the Dwemer and the elements
  • New items, enemies, and locations for players to explore – including a new Dwemer Horse mount, armor, weapons, and other unique loot
  • Forgotten Seasons Cost on Creation Club: 1200 Credits

Forgotten Seasons is one of Skyrim's most expensive pieces of Creation Club content. What this Creation provides is an expertly made dungeon that is one of Skyrim's best. Each section of the new Runoff Caverns dungeon is themed off of a season, resulting in four sections in total, and each zone has enemies that accompany that theme.

It is visually impressive, has some great combat moments, and grants some impressive items for completing it. Forgotten Seasons is the highest quality content available currently, but its high price point makes it a tough sell. It is completely worth it if it ever goes on sale, but Skyrim Anniversary players can jump right in.

1 Rare Curios

Category: Gameplay

Skyrim Rare Curios Welkynd Stones
Via: Nexus Mods
  • Adds dozens of new ingredients to Skyrim, including items from previous Elder Scrolls games
  • Integrates new items and recipes into the world without seeming out of place and mixes with existing items and ingredients without issue
  • Rare Curios Cost on Creation Club: FREE

Some of the cheapest Skyrim Creation Club mods happen to be the platform's best pieces of content. Rare Curios is yet another example of a free mod. It adds over 50 new Alchemy ingredients that include various effects and recipes not available in the vanilla game, such as spell resistance and cure poison.

These items are seamlessly added into the core game, and the mod even comes with new bolt types and Ayleid treasures. The Khajit Caravans that patrol the roads of Skyrim will carry many of these goods, too, giving them a purpose beyond being a vendor for players to dump their junk onto – plus, it's free now that the Anniversary Edition has been released.

elder scrolls 5 skyrim cover
Skyrim

Platform(s)
PC , PS3 , Xbox 360 , Xbox One , Xbox One X , Xbox Series S , PS4 , PS5 , Switch
Released
November 11, 2011
Developer(s)
Bethesda
Genre(s)
RPG , Action , Adventure