Have an idea for a mod? Skyrim uses the Creation Engine and supports modding natively. The developers have also provided tooling and documentation to help new and experienced mod authors get the most out of their tools.
Almost every aspect of the game can be modded in some form. All mods generally fall into one of the categories below:
Mods that use plugins are most often created using the Creation Kit. Plugins are used to add new game data or to override existing records in the base game. This can include new or updated quests, characters, weather, weapons, armour and more.
Mods can include textures (DDS), mesh (NIF) files or any other files in a folder structure that will override the ones that already exist in the base game or are loaded by other plugin mods. This type of mod does not require a plugin.
Advanced mods can hook into the Skyrim Script Extender in order to offer features and functionality that is not present in the base game. This can include things like additional animations, behaviours or utilties such as interacting with JSON files on disc.
Before you start modding Skyrim, there are a number of tools you may wish to install based on the type of mod you're trying to create.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Creation Kit | The official modding toolset provided by Bethesda. |
| Skyrim Script Extender | A community-created tool that enhances the scripting capabilities of the game. |
| xEdit | A community-created utility for creating and editing plugin files directly. Sometimes known as TES5Edit or SSEEdit. |
| NIFScope | A community-created tool for editing 3D files. |
| Bethesda Archive Extractor | A community-created tool for extracting BSA archives. |
| Cathedral Assets Optimizer | A community-created tool to which allows modders to optimise and package their mod for sharing. |
| xTranslator | A community-created tool to make translating plugin files to new languages easier. |
Download a collection of the recommended tools for Skyrim Special Edition.