This is the biggest section - little (mostly) mods to make Skyrim a nicer and more varied place.
Magic Mods
I currently use both of these but neither is essential in my mind. If I could find a magic mod that added more utility spells I would probably add it.
Phenderix Magic Evolved – 400 or so new spells. I picked this up when I started replaying this year because I thought I would like some of the options it has for new conjurations and destruction that isn’t just fire, ice, and shock. At some point I probably will use the druidic spells and a few others but right now I’m basically ignoring it because most of the spells are just different names and visuals for the same basic idea. Apocalypse has spells that actually change how you use magic.
Patron Gods of Skyrim – Adds a small temple where you can chose the patron god of your character. In turn you get a small to medium sized boost based on the patron. I like the idea but some of the boons are fairly useful while others are weak. There is also no downside to acting in a manner your patron wouldn’t like.
Armor, Clothing, and Weapon Mods
I like having more choices both the use and to see on NPCs.
Immersive Armor – more armors to help balance out the fact that Morrowloot will keep glass, ebony, and daedric from showing up. The sets are more or less reskinning of the various racial armors as far as combat value goes.
The Book of UUNP – similar to Immersive Armor except that it just adds variety to existing types of armor instead of totally new sets. A few of the pieces do wander into the steel bikini territory but not badly.
Skyrim SE Expanded Skyrim Weaponry – Adds some nice new weapons so that not everything is a dagger, mace, war axe, sword, greatsword, battle axe, and warhammer. Like the armor mods it doesn’t really change anything; it’s just eye candy. On the other hand you get to see lots of people in armor waving weapons – perhaps it’s good to see some variety.
Zim’s Immersive Artifacts – The vanilla artifacts are fairly weak. This makes them stronger and unique so that a character might actually plan on using a thane weapon, daedric artifact, or legendary item. A few of the artifacts are easy to acquire when fairly low level but I don’t really mind.
Legendary Skyrim Crossbows SSE – Because I think it is silly that people in Skyrim only use normal bows. This also adds some new bows, arrows, and bolts. The new ammo types are a slight pain in the inventory but most everything in Skyrim is a pain in the inventory so I’m willing to deal with it for the ability to use a crossbow.
Rustic Clothing – makes non-armor clothing look better. This was added when I had a monk type character.
Cloaks of Skyrim - a fantasy world in the frozen North should have more cloaks!
Winter is Coming – even more cloaks! Right now I can’t even tell which cloaks are vanilla, which are CoS, and which are WiC.
Opulent Outfits – Mage Robes of Winterhold 2017SSE – I do not recommend this mod. The mage robes are nice. A little too clean and bright on mages in dungeons but perfect on court mages and the college mages. However, it also adds bright colored dresses to certain NPCs in cities and inns. The idea is ok but the effect is not good when compared with the rest of the clothing in Skyrim. I tend not to remove mods during a playthrough, so I am leaving it in for now.
Circlets or Masks with All Robes or Hoods – Realism and RPGs might not be a perfect fit, but it seemed really silly that I couldn’t put a circlet on and then put my hood up. Like a few other mods this has the effect of allowing both the hood and circlet or mask enchantments so it does make the character a tiny bit stronger.
Equipable Tomes – Totally a personal choice and one that might be a little too powerful. Adds magical tomes that you can wear. They act mostly like enchanted clothing in that they can reduce spell costs but you wear them in slots that are otherwise unused so you can wear them with your mage robes. I like both the look and the idea even if they are more Solomon Kane then Conan.
Immersive Weapon Crafting without Unique Weapons – Allows you to craft arrows and a few other weapons that you can’t normally make. I use it for the arrows. Immersive Weapon Crafting without Unique Weapons might be unneeded with Ars Metallica but I added them both too long ago to actually remember which does what.
Flora and Fauna Mods
Skyrim Flora Overhaul SE – This isn’t needed. The vanilla plants are fine. On the other hand I find that the redone plants do not jump out at me when I’m running around which helps keep me from compulsively picking every flower I come across.
Simply Bigger Trees – One of my newest editions. It feels fairly natural and does seem to improve the look of forested areas.
Diverse Dragons – I added this when I started playing again this year. However I have been playing a Redguard who doesn’t figure the Jarl needs to hear about the dragon (clearly he already knows) so I haven’t seen any dragons yet. I am using the version with “lore friendly” extra dragon types because variety is good but I don’t want silliness.
Sky Test – Realistic Animals and Predators – Most wild animals will make noise or flee when you come close. Wolves move around more and can flee, bears charge after trying to warn you off.
SkyBirds SSE – Adds birds. Some people find that it hurts performance but my computer doesn’t seem to mind and I like seeing them. A few varieties are perhaps a little colorful but not too outrageous.
Weather Mods
Natural and Atmospheric Tamrial – I seem to be using a Beta version that is no longer on the Nexus. I installed it and have left it alone since then so I do not really know what has improved.
Skyrim is Windy – Wind sounds and effects.
People Mods
Some things relating to people are in the Other Things list below but these are specific to NPCs who are enemies or background
OBIS – More and better organized bandits. This also make bandit patrols which can lead to some interesting fights going on near the roads that you can stumble into.
More Bandit Camps – I installed this at the same time as OBIS so I don’t know which ones go with which mod but I certainly find more bandit camps.
Immersive Citizens – People respond better to weather, night, things around them, and their own improved schedules.
Run for Your Lives – Makes civilians run when vampires and dragons attack towns. I’ve never had big issues with useful NPCs dying to dragons but this should keep it from happening.
Immersive Patrols – More wandering groups of Stormcloaks, Imperials, and Thalmor. I don’t do the Civil War quest line but I like to have some more signs of the civil war around me.
Other Things
Mostly little mods that make one piece of the game nicer in some way.
Paarthurnax Dilemma – Allows for different choices at a specific portion of the main quest. Sort of like some of the fixes for the FO3 main quest it solves a brain dead mistake that Bethesda made.
Skyrim Better Roads – Improves the look of the roads
Covered Bridges – Does what it says and turns some of the bridges in Skyrim into nice looking covered bridges. No effect on gameplay but I like it.
Point the Way – Better road signs
Expanded Carriage Service – Now the drivers can take you to all of the holds. This might actually be a required mod for me now since I try not to fast travel.
Lanterns of Skyrim – Another one suggested online when I started playing SE. I don’t remember what it does other then I believe it is the mod responsible for the lanterns beside some roads.
Immersive Sounds Compendium – Suggested somewhere as an improvement. I’ve been using it since I started playing SE so I don’t remember what vanilla was like.
Realistic Water Two – Another one that was suggested online as an improvement on the vanilla SE look.
Auto Unequip Shields to Back – When you put your weapon away you put your shield on your back. It feels much more natural.
Acquisitive Soul Gems Multithreaded – stops you from wasting big soul gems on puny souls.
A Quality World Map – nice world map
Pastel Map Markers – I like these better than the vanilla ones and they look great on the Quality World Map
Unread Books Glow – I like the keep track of which books I’ve picked up. Yes it is slightly OCD.
Book Covers Skyrim – Books are now attractive even if you won’t look at them much.
Realistic Ragdolls and Force – I suppose it makes things nicer when you get shouted at. Really, it’s been in my load order so long I don’t remember Skyrim without it.
Static Mesh Improvement Mod – Big visual improvement mod for static items.
Ruins Clutter Improved – I got this one purely because I hated the vanilla (or perhaps it is the texture from the Static Mesh Improvement Mod as I had been playing with it for a while) linen wrap.
Forgotten Retex Project – Added at the same time as Ruins Clutter Improved. I did not let it overwrite anything but it changed a few more things.
Dawnguard Delayed – Because I don’t want that Orc showing up until I’m level 20.
Delayed Dragonborn Start – Nothing happens until much later in the main quest.
Less Tedious Thieves’ Guild – Because it really takes too many little quests to progress in the Thieves’ Guild in vanilla.
Extended Stay – You can rent a room for longer than 24 hours.
InnCredible – QoL improvements for inns.
Visible Favorited Items – A small change but if I think that my sword is important enough to put it on the favorite menu I’d like to see it even when I’m using my bow.
Torches Cast Shadows – Makes sense doesn’t it?
Even Better Quest Objectives – Does what it says. Obviously, it only changes vanilla quests.
Hearthfire Multiple Adoptions – I don’t want to adopt children, but it does add some functionality for resetting the home location for companions. Doesn’t work with all followers (modded or regular). Might be a requirement for some player homes.
More Tavern Idles – Just what it says.
Footprints – It can be immersive to turn around and see your path in the snow.
Realistic Lighting Overhaul – There are a few times that it leads to what I have to call glare but overall I like the look.
Lean Wolf’s Better Shaped Weapons All in One Installer – Improves the look of weapons. Seems to work well with the new weapon mods listed above.
Real Mountains – Better looking mountains. Another completely unneeded mod but you spend plenty of time looking at mountains in Skyrim, so they should look nice.
Better Horses – I picked this one up because everyone recommends it. The end result is I never use horses in Skyrim. It is waiting if I ever do.
Beauty Mods
This is Skyrim; I think I’m obligated to “fix” the character models. I really don’t feel a huge need to mess with them but I have a few things.
Total Character Makeover – All in one. Makes people look nicer. I suppose it does but I’ve never played SE without it. This was picked over other similar mods due to its general lack of conflicts.
Beards (2k version) – Silly but I downloaded it last year when I was sporting a beard that would have looked at home in Skyrim. Like the Covered Bridges mod it fills a need I never knew I had.
True Eyes – I believe it was required for some other mod? Many characters still look like they have bloodshot eyes but it doesn’t bother me enough to find the cause.
Consistent Older People – Suggested by some other mod. I think it might have been Rustic Clothing.
Seraphim Female Body Replacer –I wanted to add more variety to the armor in my game. That led me to The Book of UUNP so I added a UNP based body. I’m not sure it was needed but this body seemed tamer than some of the alternatives while also theoretically making more distinction between people with different weight sliders.
Relationship Dialog Overhaul – Not exactly beauty but it does make things more pleasant. Makes some of the dialog better. It can’t solve everything, but it helps a little.
Animation Mods
This is a category that I am hesitant to add. I use mostly combat animation mods, but I have installed them over time (including one since I started writing this guide). It is unclear that all of these are needed as some of the ones I added early on might have been overwritten. A few have specifically been overwritten; I will comment on that.
Fores New Idles in Skyrim – FNIS – FNIS Behavior SE – Required for other animation mods
Fores New Idles in Skyrim – FNIS SE – FNIS Spells – An add on required for some of the other mods.
Lifelike Idle Animations Converted for SSE – Better idle animations.
Pretty Combat Animations SSE – Required for the next two mods. Overall, they improve the look of sneaking, fighting, and magic. Included because I tend to have a follower and I’d prefer to see these animations on sneaking.
PCA 1hm Overhaul_SSE – See the entry for Pretty Combat Animations. This is the same author. I installed this second and allowed it to overwrite.
Magic Casting Animation Overhaul SSE – Improves the casting animation. Installed third.
Blocking Animation Pack SSE – Not by the same author as the last three. Makes the block animation look like you are deflecting the blow not just stopping it. Installed after the three above but I do not remember it overwriting anything.
Realistic Greatsword Combat Animation Overhaul – HEMA Plough Idle – The newest mod I’ve added. Redoes the attack, movement, and blocking animations for greatswords to match HEMA fighting styles. This is more important if you play in 3rd person but it is nice in 1st person. Only effects greatswords (and added weapons that use greatsword animations). I had this mod overwrite the greatsword animations from the Pretty Combat Animations.
Location Mods
These change the looks and populations of various location such as existing villages and cities. I’ve also included mods that add new populated areas in this section.
Open Cities – I love this mod. My current computer has nice short loading times but it is even better to just walk right in to even the walled cities. There are some problems with the Civil War and a few other mods but not many.
Darkwater Crossing – Improves the village
Helarchen Creek – New village near Dawnstar. Very nice in that survival mods can make traveling long distances in that area more difficult.
Ivarstead – Improves the village
Karthwasten – Improves the village
Kynesgrove – Improves the village
Shor’s Stone – Improves the village
Soljund Sinkhole – Improves the village
Whistling Mine – Adds a village to the mine
Old Hroldan Ruins – Adds lore friendly ruins around the inn. Also a high level dungeon.
Shelter for the Weak – Adds many small shelters with a free bed in reasonable places through Skyrim. Sort of like roadside rest areas.
Hidden Hideouts of Skyrim – If Shelter for the Weak is roadside rest areas these are remote cabins. Mostly beds tucked into out of the way locations. A few have storage, or cooking pots. I often use them for mini-homes prior to settling on a real house.
Hidden Hideouts of Skyrim City Edition SE – One per city. This conflicts with Open Cities but not badly. I like having some free housing in each city but they really only fit certain characters. My thief loved them. My alteration mage not so much.