Fantasy. Adventure. Flying Trains? Dapper Crabs? This went places. In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the best-selling open-world action role-playing video game, the world of mods (modifications) is all the rage and can add to the overall experience of the game itself. You want to have extra detail on the blades of grass and in the snowy mountains? You can. Want to have extra quests that weren’t included in the original game? You can even do that! I’ve compiled some of the cool mods you can add to your game, as well as some of the more ridiculous mods that can add a layer of hilarity to your gameplay.
Being a Bard!
While the normal gameplay within The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim follows the warrior’s quest of being the Dovahkiin, slaying foes and shouting people off cliffs, there is one profession that you might not think could be playable: The Bard. You read that correctly. You see them in taverns in every city and now you can join the Bard profession and sing your way through the world of Skyrim. With this mod, you can play any instrument within the world and can make your character burst into song by the simple stroke of a key. You want your companions to sing with you? Oh, they will. Now you’re imagining Aela the Huntress singing along to your songs, aren’t you?
Enhanced Lights and FX
(Bethesda/Nexusmods)
If you’re looking to make your gameplay look stunning, then you need to make some changes to the design you see in the game. With this mod, you’ll have a more dramatic and realistic Skyrim experience. According to the mod creator, “Enhanced Lights and FX has the goal to create a more dramatic and realistic mood to the Skyrim lights by adding lights to all light sources and removing any light without a source, as well as the addition of many more effects like smoke, volumetric lights, driples, etc.” Check out the difference the mod adds to the game in these photos!
Monster Mounts
Horses are great, but what if you could ride something else throughout the world of Skyrim? Well, you’re in luck with Monster Mounts! This mod allows you to ride on the back of a plethora of different monsters that gallop, crawl, run, and fly. You want to ride on the back of a giant rabbit, here’s the mod for you.
Jedi of Skyrim
The Force is strong with the Dragonborn. Now you can turn the swords scattered throughout the realm into iconic lightsabers. You can fill the assorted dungeons with the hum and pop of a lightsaber battle that rivals those of the Jedi in the films. As an added benefit, you also can gain powers that fit a Jedi such as Jedi mind tricks, grip, and deadly lightning.
(Bethesda/Nexusmods)
Unread Books Glow and Detailed Covers
If you’re more the collector within Skyrim and find yourself wanting to collect and read every single book in the game, the Unread Books Glow mod is for you. This mod makes any book you have not read glow, so it’s easily found. On top of that, for the bookworm gamer, there is a mod that adds extra detail to the covers of the books, making each find just a bit more special!
While writing this piece for the Daily Crate, I had first-hand experience with someone using these two mods in her own game. I had the chance to ask my wife Stacey, who is a huge fan of Skyrim, what she had to say about the mod:
“The mod that makes unread books glow is especially useful for the avid Skyrim reader, and it means I can walk into a room and see which books I’ve never stolen—I mean, read. Also there’s a cool mod that adds detailed covers to the books like someone went through and made them custom covers.
I gave up trophies for glowing books and book covers.”
Mudcrab Mods
The mudcrabs of Skyrim aren’t the prettiest thing to look at, nor are they the hardest “enemy” to defeat, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways that you can perk them up! Have you ever seen a crab wearing a top hat and monocle? Now you can with this mod! Your mudcrabs have never been this stylish before!
But why not Zoidberg? Yes, the character from Futurama has found his way into a mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and it’s either the best thing you’ve seen or the most terrifying. The mod comes equip with sights and sounds so you can hear sound effects from Dr. Zoidberg himself as you hack and slash him to survive. Unfortunately, the mod is not available for download anymore but you can still see a gif of the Zoidberg mudcrabs in action below!
