The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, developed by Bethesda Game Studios, was released in 2011 and continues to see a thriving community of gamers and modders a decade later. The world of Skyrim modding is a core element of the game’s longevity and replayability value. Talented coders and modders release daily content fixing gameplay glitches, enhancing graphics, and adding plenty of additional content to the massive game. As a longtime Skyrim player, I’ve used hundreds of mods over the years and I am always excited to discover what is trendy and new in the world of mods. However, there are plenty of Skyrim mods that don’t get celebrated enough for the content they add to the game.
Previously, I’ve written about some of my favorite underrated Skyrim mods and I wanted to continue the series with this next post, Five More Underrated Skyrim mods. Ready your broadswords and grab a stein of mead; here are my picks for five more underrated Skyrim mods.
The Notice Board
Skyrim offers hundreds of quests for players and there’s never a lack of anything to do. However, The Notice Board created by MannyGT adds even more radiant quests to the game in an immersive and lore-friendly way. Inspired by the Witcher series, The Notice Board is outside every inn and village and features side-quests as well as immersive messages left behind by the game’s NPCs.
Players can select notices prompting quests like retrieve an item, gather ingredients, hunt bandits, collect books, and item delivery. I also love the messages the NPCs leave behind, from gossip about locals to information about landmarks, and even love letters and stories. The Notice Board adds more realism and a touch of comedy to the game.
Shiva’s Vanilla Clothing Replacer
The vanilla clothes in Skyrim sometimes look boring, even among the nobles and the wealthy elite who can afford fancier clothing and material. Shiva’s Vanilla Clothing Replacer, created by Shiva182, fixes this issue by replacing vanilla outfits with high-resolution and beautiful clothing. The mod makes the clothes look vibrant and colorful, perfect for Skyrim’s richest citizens and jarls. The mod requires another mod, The Divine Elegance Store. Combined, the mods give players a vast collection of outfits and extend those outfits to Skyrim’s many NPCs. Shiva’s Vanilla Clothing Replacer mod adds more elegance to the game and makes the NPCs look even better.
Thieves Guild Redone
The Thieves Guild is my favorite faction and questline in Skyrim. I replay it all the time and try to avoid using mods that affect much of the guild’s core gameplay. However, Thieves Guild Redone, created by senterpat, adds much-needed realism to the guild’s home base, the Ragged Flagon. When the player initially joins the guild, the Ragged Flagon is dirty and grimy, down on its luck, and infested with rat-like creatures called Skeevers.
As the player progresses in the story and brings the Thieves Guild’s influence back to Skyrim, the Ragged Flagon will dynamically evolve and redecorate to reflect the guild’s new social standing and wealth. The mod adds extra storage, a safe bed, a Khajiit vendor, and many lore-friendly upgrades.
Your Market Stall
Your Market Stall, created by wgstein, allows players to open a flea market-inspired stall and sell merchandise to NPCs. When I activated this mod, I set my Market Stall in a high traffic area with plenty of rich NPCs looking to spend their gold. The mod makes selling the merchandise and treasures from your adventures realistic and lore-friendly. The mod requires a bit of strategy as players decide to sell items at the going rate or higher, but it’s easy to use and requires little effort. I think Your Market Stall works perfectly with merchant and vendor builds and playthroughs.
Immersive College NPCs
The College of Winterhold is another one of my favorite factions, but it’s lacking in atmosphere. For a magical college that attracts students from all over Tamriel, the student population is almost non-existent and there’s only a scattering of teachers. Immersive College NPCs, created by VorpalRunner and SomethingObscure, comes to the rescue by adding students, guards, and groundskeepers, making the college feel livelier. Mages and students will practice their magical abilities around the college, and many NPCs will visit the library.
The mod even adds more mages and workers to a nearby Nordic tomb often frequented by the college’s students and faculty for their research purposes. I love immersion mods, and Immersive College NPCs goes a long way in enhancing the college and adding detail to the game.
Do you have a favorite underrated Skyrim mod that should be on this list? Let me know in the comments. For all things Elder Scrolls and pop culture, check out my website! Stay nerdy.
Mack's Musings 