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Mod Authors
Big Names in Modding and Up-and-Coming Mod Authors to Track
There are a number of names that are well known related to modding Skyrim, and love them or hate them, they are famous/infamous for a reason. Some of these have contributed a few mods, and some have contributed dozens or more. They range in category, scope, and longevity. Mention these names on Reddit or Discord and some will garner compliments and normal discussion, but others will draw out the very opinionated.
(I apologize in advance if there are mod authors that you think are missing from this list. I am relatively new to modding; the game came out in 2011 and I started playing in 2020.)
(NB Some links are actually ports by others, some mods were created with other authors, and not all of each person’s mods are listed below)
(And because I am the Queen of Disclaimers, one more: some of these might not be super famous “Big Names” in Skyrim, but they ARE all mod authors that I know by name…and again I am a modding infant…so that’s saying something.)
- Unofficial Skyrim Legendary Edition Patch
- Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch
- Alternate Start – Live Another Life (LE|SE)
- Ars Metallica – Smithing Enhancement (LE|SE)
- Bring Out Your Dead (LE|SE)
- Castle Volkihar Rebuilt (LE|SE)
- Cutting Room Floor (LE|SE)
- Dawnguard Map Markers (SE)
- Dolmen Ruins – ESO Dark Anchors (LE|SE)
- ESO Skyshards (LE|SE)
- The Fall of Granite Hill (SE)
- Gildergreen Regrown (LE|SE)
- Manor Roads (SE)
- Oblivion Gates in Cities (LE|SE)
- Open Cities Skyrim (LE|SE)
- The Paarthurnax Dilemma (LE|SE)
- Point the Way (LE|SE)
- Provincial Courier Service (LE|SE)
- Run For Your Lives (LE|SE)
- Shadowmarks (LE|SE)
- Storefront (LE|SE)
- Darkwater Crossing (LE|SE)
- Dawnstar (LE|SE)
- Dragon Bridge (LE|SE)
- Falkreath (SE)
- Helarchen Creek (LE|SE)
- Ivarstead (LE|SE)
- Karthwasten (LE|SE)
- Keld-Nar (LE|SE)
- Kynesgrove (LE|SE)
- Rorikstead (SE)
- Shor’s Stone (LE|SE)
- Soljund’s Sinkhole (LE|SE)
- Telengard (SE)
- Whistling Mine (LE|SE)
- A Quality World Map (LE|SE) – originally by IcePenguin
- Arissa – The Wandering Rogue (LE)
- Belt-Fastened Quivers (LE|SE)
- Campfire – Complete Camping System (LE|SE)
- Frostfall – Hypothermia Camping Survivall (LE|SE)
- Lore-Based Loading Screens (LE|SE)
- Reflection – Level Up Messages (LE|SE)
- Simply Knock (LE|SE)
- Wearable Lanterns (LE|SE)
- CC’s Castle Volkihar Reborn (SE)
- CC’s Enhanced Ore Veins (LE|SE)
- CC’s Fort Dawnguard Reborn (SE)
- CC’s HD Daedric Weapons and Armor (SE)
- CC’s HD Dwemer Automatons – Remastered (SE)
- CC’s HD Dwemer Weapons and Armor (SE)
- CC’s HQ Alduin’s Wall (SE)
- CC’s HQ Barset (SE)
- CC’s HQ Caves (SE)
- CC’s HQ Fort Dawnguard (SE)
- CC’s HQ Guard Shields (LE|SE)
- CC’s HQ Mines Redone (SE)
- CC’s HQ Roadsigns (LE|SE)
- CC’s UHD Stalhrim Weapons and Armor (SE)
- Beginner’s Shack in Riverwood (LE|SE)
- Bluthanch – Tiny Dwemer Home (LE)
- Breezehome (SE)
- Breezehome TNF – Elianora’s Flavour (LE)
- Darkwater Den – Argonian Themed Home (LE)
- Doge – The Husky Companion (LE)
- Doge Reborn – Shiba Inu Companion (LE)
- Dovahkiin’s Vault (LE)
- Eli’s Coffee Mod (LE)
- Eli’s Poison Arrow Crafting (LE)
- Eli’s Proudspire Manor Overhaul (LE)
- Eli’s Shack (LE)
- Elisdriel – Bosmer Inspired Treehouse (LE)
- The Fancy Witch Armour (LE|SE)
- Halamshiral – Mage Tower (LE)
- Halla – A Whiterun Player Home (SE)
- Hassildor – Player Home for Vampires (LE)
- Holmwood – House for a Vampire Hunter (LE)
- House for Witches and Druids – Mielikki (LE)
- Khune – Redguard House (LE)
- Moonwatch Manor Returns (LE)
- Myrheim – Tiny Swamp House (LE)
- Nakahara – Akaviri House (LE)
- Pinegrove Lodge – Family House (LE)
- Raven Nest – Player Home in Solstheim (LE)
- Ravenholm – Vampire Home (LE)
- The Rookery – Bard and Thief Loft in Solitude (LE)
- Routa – Stormcloak and Warrior Cabin (LE|SE)
- Ruska – Riften Player Home (LE|SE)
- Serenity – Player House Ship (LE)
- Sicarius’ Refuge – A Hitman’s Hideout – Assassin Home (LE)
- Skaal You Need – Skaal House and Follower (LE)
- Thief’s Hideout Ultimate (LE)
- Thief Player Home in Riften Canal (LE)
- Thornrock – A No-Frills Player House (LE)
- Tiny Shack (LE)
- Tirashan – Necromancer Home (LE)
- Uncle Sheo Does Legendary Loading Screens (LE|SE)
- Vellamo – Mage Home in Winterhold (LE)
- Vetrheim – Apartment in the Gray Quarter (LE)
- ElSopa – Animated Celtic Icons for SkyUI (LE|SE)
- ElSopa – Animated Colored SkyUI Widgets (LE|SE)
- ElSopa – Big Backpack HD (LE|SE)
- ElSopa – Campfire HD (LE|SE)
- ElSopa – Carved Gildergreen HD (LE|SE)
- ElSopa – Glorious HD Amulets (LE|SE)
- ElSopa – Noble Furniture HD (LE|SE)
- ElSopa – Papers HD (LE|SE)
- ElSopa HD – Farmhouses (LE|SE)
- ElSopa HD – Meridias Beacon (LE|SE)
- ElSopa HD – Realistic Dark Elf Urns (LE|SE)
- ElSopa HD – Small Compilation Pack (LE|SE)
- ElSopa HD – Unique Hand Made Signs Overhaul (LE|SE)
- ElSopa HD – Unique Hand Painted Road Signs (LE|SE)
- SkyUI Longer Favorites Menu (LE|SE)
- SkyUI The Adventurer Theme Mod (LE|SE)
- SkyUI Widgets Animated Black and White (LE|SE)
- Smaller Vanilla Cursors (LE|SE)
- Andromeda – Unique Standing Stones of Skyrim (LE|SE)
- Apocalypse – Magic of Skyrim (LE|SE)
- Growl – Werebeasts of Skyrim (LE|SE)
- Imperious – Races of Skyrim (LE|SE)
- Morningstar – Minimalistic Races of Skyrim (LE|SE)
- Ordinator – Perks of Skyrim (LE|SE)
- Sacrosanct – Vampires of Skyrim (LE|SE)
- Summermyst – Enchantments of Skyrim (LE|SE)
- Thunderchild – Epic Shouts and Immersion (LE|SE)
- Triumvirate – Mage Archetypes (LE|SE)
- Trua – Minimalistic Faiths of Skyrim (SE)
- Vokrii – Minimalistic Perks of Skyrim (LE|SE)
- Wildcat – Combat of Skyrim (LE|SE)
- Wintersun – Faiths of Skyrim (LE|SE)
- SUPERSAFE DWARVEN ROCKET BOOTS (LE|SE) – “…This is totally not an April Fools joke, it’s the hot new way of travel!”
fadingsignal (Nexus Interviews)
- Bard Instrumentals Only – Sing Upon Request (LE)
- Metallurgy – Ingots Ore and Veins HD (LE|SE)
- Notice Board Redefined – New Meshes and Textures (LE)
- Realistic Husky Sounds (LE|SE)
- Simply Bigger Trees/SkySight (LE|SE)
- Skygazer Moons – Masser and Secunda HD Textures (LE|SE)
- SkySight Skins – Ultra HD Male Textures (LE|SE)
- Solstheim – Skaal Fishing Camp (SE)
- Solstheim Lighthouse (LE|SE)
- True Storms – Thunder Rain and Weather Redone (LE|SE)
- Volcanic Tundra – Heat Wave Effects (SE)
FrankFamily (aka Borx25) (Nexus Interview)
- Artifacts – The Breton Paladin (LE|SE)
- Artifacts – The Ice Blade of the Monarch (LE|SE)
- Artifacts – The Tournament of the Ten Bloods (LE|SE)
- Frankly HD Dawnguard Armor and Weapons (LE|SE)
- Frankly HD Dragon Bones (LE|SE)
- Frankly HD Dragonbone and Dragonscale – Armor and Weapons (LE|SE)
- Frankly HD Imperial Armor and Weapons (LE|SE)
- Frankly HD Markarth – The White City Redux (LE|SE)
- Frankly HD Masque of Clavicus Vile (LE|SE)
- Frankly HD Miraak (LE|SE)
- Frankly HD Nightingale Armor and Weapons (LE|SE)
- Frankly HD Shrouded Armor (LE|SE)
- Frankly HD Thieves Guild Armors (LE|SE)
- Ethereal Clouds (LE|SE)
- Ethereal Cosmos (LE|SE)
- Peltapalooza (LE|SE)
- Rugnarok (LE|SE)
- Rustic Amulets (LE|SE)
- Rustic Armor and Weapons (LE|SE)
- Rustic Azura’s Star (LE|SE)
- Rustic Clothing (LE|SE)
- Rustic Clutter Collection (LE|SE)
- Rustic Cooking (LE|SE)
- Rustic Daedra (LE|SE)
- Rustic Dragon Corpse (LE|SE)
- Rustic Dragons (LE|SE)
- Rustic Elderscroll (LE|SE)
- Rustic Forsworn (LE|SE)
- Rustic Frostbite Spider (LE|SE)
- Rustic Furniture (LE|SE)
- Rustic Mountains (LE|SE)
- Rustic Soulgems (LE|SE)
- Rustic Spriggan (LE|SE)
- Rustic Windows (LE|SE)
- Legacy of the Dragonborn (LE|SE)
- Legacy Safehouse Plus (SE)
- Mannequin Management (SE)
- Legacy of the Dragonborn – Main Menu Replacer (SE)
- Ice’s Legacy Museum Rack O Matic (SE)
- Relic Hunter – Guildmaster Start (Legacy and ASLAL addon) (LE|SE)
- Thane Weapons Reborn (LE|SE)
- Legacy of the Dragonborn Mannequin Madness (SE)
- Granite Hill (SE)
- Granite Mountains (SE)
- Sacred Trees (SE)
- Skyland – A Landscape Texture Overhaul (LE|SE)
- Skyland – Imperial Forts and Dungeons (LE|SE)
- Skyland – Ships and Shacks (SE)
- Skyland – Solitude (SE)
- Skyland – Towns and Villages (SE)
- Skyland – Winterhold (LE|SE)
- Skyland AIO (SE)
- Skyland HD Road Signs (SE)
- Skyland Markarth (SE)
- Skyland Nordic Ruins (LE|SE)
- Skyland Riften (LE|SE)
- Skyland Whiterun (LE|SE)
- Darkend (LE|SE)
- JK’s Arcadia’s Cauldron (SE)
- JK’s Belethor’s General Goods (SE)
- JK’s Dawnstar (LE)
- JK’s Dragonbridge (LE)
- JK’s Dragonsreach (SE)
- JK’s Falkreath (LE)
- JK’s Ivarstead (LE)
- JK’s Markarth (LE)
- JK’s Morthal (LE)
- JK’s Riften (LE)
- JK’s Riverfall Cottage (SE)
- JK’s Riverwood (LE|SE)
- JK’s Rorikstead (LE)
- JK’s Skaal Village (LE)
- JK’s Skyhaven Forge (SE)
- JK’s Skyrim (LE|SE)
- JK’s Sleeping Giant Inn (SE)
- JK’s Solitude (LE)
- JK’s The Bannered Mare (SE)
- JK’s The Drunken Huntsman (SE)
- JK’s Warmaiden’s (SE)
- JK’s Whiterun (LE|SE)
- JK’s Windhelm (LE)
- JK’s Winterhold (LE)
- aMidianBorn Book of Silence (LE|SE) – originally by Cabal120 & EmeraldReign
- aMidianBorn Buildings and Landscapes (LE|SE) – originally by Cabal120
- aMidianBorn Content Addon (SE)
- Armor and Clothing Extension (SE)
- Atlas Map Markers (LE|SE)
- Better Stealth AI for Followers (LE|SE)
- Complete Alchemy and Cooking Overhaul (LE|SE)
- Complete Crafting Overhaul Remade/Remastered (LE|SE)
- Improved Shadowmarks (LE|SE)
- Improved Traps (LE|SE)
- Kryptopyr’s Patch Hub (SE)
- The Choice is Yours (LE|SE)
- Thieves Guild Requirements (LE|SE)
- Timing is Everything (LE|SE)
- Trade and Barter (LE|SE)
- Weapons and Armor Clothing and Clutter Fixes (LE|LE|SE)
- .NET Script Framework (SE)
- Actor Limit Fix (SE)
- Address Library for SKSE Plugins (SE)
- Better Jumping (LE)
- Better Stealing (LE|SE)
- Bug Fixes (LE|SE)
- ConsoleUtil (LE)
- Crash Fixes (LE)
- DLL Plugin Loader (SE)
- Immersive First Person Camera (LE|SE)
- SKSE Plugin Preloader (LE)
- SSE Fixes (SE)
- Uninterrupted Ethereal Form (LE|SE)
- Uninterrupted Invisibility (LE|SE)
- Boars and Daggerbacks (LE|SE)
- Clannfears (LE|SE)
- Cliff Racers (LE|SE)
- Daedroths (LE|SE)
- Giant Scorpions (LE|SE)
- Goblins (LE|SE)
- House Cats (LE|SE)
- Imps (LE|SE)
- Kagouti (LE|SE)
- Land Dreughs (LE|SE)
- Lurchers and Briarheart Trees (LE|SE)
- Minotaurs (LE|SE)
- Ogres (LE|SE)
- Silt Striders (LE|SE)
- Watchers (LE|SE)
- 4K HQ Cowhide Yeehaw (SE)
- 8K Nordic Mountains (SE)
- Caves HQ (SE)
- HQ Cozy Farmhouses (SE)
- HQ Solitude (SE)
- MD’s Farmhouses (SE)
- MD’s Photoreal Mines (SE)
- MystiriousDawn’s HD Skyrim Overhaul (SE)
- Nordic Coast (LE|SE)
- Pondfish – HD (SE)
- Riften in High Definition (SE)
- Scrumptious Stew HD (SE)
- The Streets of Whiterun in HD (SE)
- Tree Bark in High Definition (SE)
- Bogmort – Mud Monsters of Morthal Swamp (LE|SE)
- Cannibal Draugr on Solstheim (LE|SE)
- Diverse Dragons Collection (LE|SE)
- Diverse Werewolves Collection (LE|SE)
- Durnehviir Resurrected (LE|SE)
- GIST – Genuinely Intelligent Soul Trap (LE|SE)
- HD Serpentine Dragon and Mesh Fix (LE|SE)
- Karstaag – The Frost King Reborn (LE|SE)
- Splendor – Dragon Variants (LE|SE)
- The Blood Horker (LE|SE)
- The Falkreath Hauntings (LE|SE)
I’m sad to say that this talented mod author passed away in January 2020, but his work will continue to bring joy to many modders for years to come. Check out the very nice message his grandson has added to the About Me page. And thank you to Shad0wAng3l09 for porting many of his mods to SE!
- Rudy ENB for Vanilla Skyrim – NLVA – NLA – COT – URWL – ELFX (LE)
- Rudy ENB SE for Cathedral Weathers (SE)
- Rudy ENB SE for CoT – NAT – Aequinoctium – Vivid – Rustic – Obsidian – Dolomite Weathers – ELE – ELFX – RLO (SE)
- Rudy HQ – Falling Leaves and Needles (LE|SE)
- Rudy HQ – Hay (LE|SE)
- Rudy HQ – Miscellaneous (LE|SE)
- Rudy HQ – Nordic Ruins (LE|SE)
- Rudy HQ – Standing Stones (LE|SE)
- Bijin Family – Salt and Wind Textures (LE|SE)
- Bijin Skin for Bijin Family (LE|SE)
- High Quality Tintmasks for Various Mods (SE)
- Pandorable’s NPCs – Salt and Wind Textures (LE|SE)
- Salt and Wind – Rough Hair for Apachii Sky Hair (LE|SE)
- Salt and Wind – Rough Hair for KS Hairdos (SE)
- Shiva’s Vanilla Clothing Replacer (LE|SE)
- Shiva’s Vanilla Hair Replacer (LE|SE)
- The Men of Winter – Salt and Wind (LE|SE)
- The Ordinary Women – Salt and Wind Textures (LE|SE)
- Adamant – A Perk Overhaul (SE)
- Aetherius – A Race Overhaul (SE)
- Arena – An Encounter Zone Overhaul (SE)
- Blade and Blunt – A Combat Overhaul (SE)
- Mundus – A Standing Stone Overhaul (SE)
- Mysticism – A Magic Overhaul (SE)
- There is a Wabbajack list focusing on the full suite of Simon Magus’ mods – Equanimity by Xanza
- Genesis Unleashed Levelled – Dungeon Spawns and Encounters and Treasure (LE|SE)
- Populated Cities Towns Villages (LE|SE)
- Sounds of Skyrim Complete (LE|SE)
- Ultimate Deadly Encounters – The Way of the Dovahkiin aka Sands of Time Legendary Edition ( increased spawns ) or how to have a very bad day when you bring no followers or extra potions to the party (LE|SE)
Here are some new(er) mod authors that I am tracking and thought you might like to as well!
- Audio Overhaul for Skyrim (SE)
- Housecarl Companions Refine (Unique Follower Perks – NPC Appearance Overhaul) (SE)
- Markarth Side Refine (NPC Appearance Overhaul – Standalone) (SE)
- Nexus Companions Refine (Sofia – Inigo – and More) (SE)
- Stormcloak Rebellion Refine (Civil War NPC Appearance Overhaul – Standalone) (SE)
- Whiterun Hold Refine (NPC Appearance Overhaul – Standalone) (SE)
- Estate Agents (SE)
- Lootable Ebony Mail (SE)
- Lootable Mace of Molag Bal (SE)
- Lootable Ring of Namira (SE)
- Simple Breezehome Improvements (SE)
- Simple Hearthfire Attics (SE)
- Simple Hjerim Improvements (SE)
- Simple Honeyside Improvements (SE)
- Simple Player Homes Improvements (SE)
- Simple Proudspire Improvements (SE)
- Simple Severin Manor Improvements (SE)
- Simple Vlindrel Hall (SE)
- Water from Wells (SE)
Please remember to endorse any mods you download and like, and if you appreciate all the hard work that goes into creating a mod, consider giving kudos to the author on Nexus as well (the Give Kudos button can be found on the user’s page).