The world of Skyrim and mods from other games + How to install mods

Skyrim mods has some of its unique characteristics that set it far apart from other medieval RPG high fantasy settings, including its rugged Nordic esthetic. But there are a good number of characters from other games that would fit well in its world.

Top 5 follower mods ported from other games that suit Skyrim well

1) Yennefer of Vengerberg – The Witcher 3 Voiced Standalone Follower

Yennefer of Vengerberg is one of the main characters in Sapkowski’s Witcher series. The Sorceress Supreme appears in all six novels and a number of short stories in The Last Wish, and plays an intricately vital role in the main plot regarding Cirilla.

In CD Projekt RED’s video game adaptations, Yennefer physically appears first in The Witcher 3. Irresepctive of who Geralt chooses to pursue romantically, Yennefer becomes a temporary companion to Geralt for a good portion of the main questline.

“Yennefer of Vengerberg – The Witcher 3 Voiced Standalone Follower” brings the character to The Elder Scrolls V as a mage companion. Yennefer is an essential NPC (meaning she cannot be killed completely without console commands) with her familiar electricity spell repertoire from The Witcher 3. She also has optional spells that are toggable through the MCM like Candlelight and Detect Life.

2) Dragon Age Origins Followers

Released two years prior to Skyrim, Dragon Age: Origins is still considered by many to be Bioware’s magnum opus. Barring its engaging narrative, its followers were the biggest standout features at the time. Not only were they individually well-characterized, but their lively banter brought out some of the best moments of the game.

Anduniel’s Dragon Age Origins Followers brings Alistair, Leliana, Morrigan, Wynne, Zevran, and the DLC companion, Shale, to the world of Elder Scrolls. Not only do they retain some of their original dialogue, but the mod author went the extra mile to re-implement them to fit The Elder Scrolls‘ lore.

3) Dragon Age Followers

While the previously featured mod by Anduniel brings over the major followers from Dragon Age: Origins, and some from Dragon Age 2, Enaya13’s Dragon Age Followers complete the Thedas collection by adding Dragon Age: Inquisition followers.

Unlike the previous mod, these followers are not custom-voiced, but used repurposed vanilla game voice files. However, this mod painstakingly recreates the original look of Iron Bull, Dorian, Zevran, and Solas to fit the Skyrim NPC mould. The mod also comes with its own reimagination of their original attire and armory, which the players can equip for themselves with AddItemMenu.

4) Divinity Followers

Larian’s Divinity franchise brought about the popular AAA turn-based RPG of the last decade with Divinity: Original Sins 2. The companions in this game, especially Fane and The Red Prince, were phenomenally written, managing to bring back some of Bioware’s Dragon Age Origins charm. Unfortunately, there are no follower mods from this game for Skyrim.

What we do have instead is ‘Divinity Followers,’ a Gamebryo recreation of four followers featured in the first Divinity: Original Sin. Bairdotr the Nord Warrior, Modra the Breton Archer, Wolgraff the Imperial Thief, and Jahan the Redguard Mage all travel Skyrim’s inns and wilds on their own, leading up to some great emergent gameplay moments.

5) Vilja in Skyrim

Emma’s ‘Companion Vilja’ was one of the first feature-complete follower mods in Oblivion, released back in 2009. The very first version had over 500 lines of unique dialogue, a revolutionary feat for the budding modding scene back in the day.

Lifelong fans of the franchise who also used Vilja in Oblivion are in luck when modding Skyrim, because ‘Vilja in Skyrim‘ is more or less a continuation of the original.

How to install Skyrim mods

Once you’ve found some mods you’d like to try, here are the tools you can use to get them working. Make sure you read the description page for each of your mods: many of them require specific steps and instructions.

Vortex

Replacing the Nexus Mod Manager is Vortex, a newer program for organizing your mod loadout. Available from the Nexus Mods website, just like most of the mods on our list, it will handle everything for you. It’s easy to use and makes downloading, activating, and deactivating mods a breeze. It’s also useful in that it supports tons of other games, like The Witcher 3, Fallout 4, and many more.

Skyrim Script Extender

Skyrim Script Exstender (SKSE) is a utility that’s required for some of the more complex mods to work. Not every mod on this list requires it, but many do, including the essential SkyUI, so you’re best off just installing it up front. SKSE is now available directly through Steam, but you can still find it here if you prefer manual installation.

Steam Workshop

You can also browse and use Skyrim mods via the Steam Workshop. It’s easy to navigate and adding them to your roster is accomplish by simply clicking the subscribe button. Keep in mind, more complex mods usually require a few more steps to install, and even if they appear in the Workshop they may require more steps to get running.

PATCHES

It’s no secret Bethesda’s RPGs can be more than a bit buggy. Thankfully, long after the official patches stopped rolling out, modders remained devoted to making the game more stable and usable. Here are some mods that will improve your overall experience.

Can you survive Frostfall?

Skyrim has a ton of quality mods, and their numbers continue to grow as the community hones its skill and develops even more impressive additions to the base game. Given just how many mods players have to choose from, it says a lot when one of them rises to the top and becomes one of the most popular within the game’s community. That’s just what Frostfall did when it released, and now, after several iterations and patches, it is the best it has ever been.

Frostfall transforms Skyrim not in location or style, but in its very genre. Frostfall turns the game into a survival title, adding several mechanics to the game like coverage, exposure, and a new perk system that is based around braving the harsh winter weather. Exposure measures how much current weather conditions are affecting you, for instance, whereas the new perks like endurance will help you survive longer in the cold.

Frostfall makes Skyrim highly realistic for its climate, and makes the game much more difficult to manage than its original form. It’s a fun spin on what the world of Skyrim probably looks like for people who aren’t the Dragonborn, and it is an addictive, immersive experience that really needs to be played before anyone passes judgment on it.

Is it better to mod Skyrim or Skyrim se?

Skyrim Special Edition comes with all DLCs included plus it runs smoother and looks better. Skyrim Special Edition is 64-bit and DirectX 11 while regular Skyrim is 32-bit and DirectX 9. The advantage of regular Skyrim is it has lots of mods while on Skyrim Special Edition their mods are just getting started.

Which Skyrim should I buy for modding?

Skyrim SE is 64bit and Skyrim (2011 edition) is 32bit, -> That´s means that Skyrim SE is more mod friendly and more stable. So it´s easier to mod the game without crashes, CTD, lags or other issues. It also has better performance (FPS), better texture´s and is more optimized for newer and better computers.

Is Skyrim worth modding?

The game feels completely different and refreshing with only a few simple mods, and the more I download, the more fun I have. Yes, it’s absolutely, completely 100% worth it.

Is Skyrim the most modded game?

For gamers, Skyrim is the common name. Every gamer has played this once in his lifetime (at least). This game holds the record of being the most modded game ever. With over 60,000 submissions of the nexus mods and 28,000 for the steam workshop, these games have been a gamers paradise.