The Elder Scrolls is one of the most beloved RPG series ever created, featuring stunning open worlds and engaging quests. From helping guilds out to slaying a world-ending dragon, Skyrim has plenty of quests to keep players engaged for hundreds of hours.
But there does come a time where the plentiful quests of Skyrim have been exhausted. Fortunately, there are hundreds of quest mods for Skyrim made by talented modders to keep you engaged for even longer. Ranging from exploring a plane of Oblivion to entirely new worlds, here are 15 quest mods that you need to experience in Skyrim.
Updated November 24th, 2021, by Charles Burgar: With the release of Skyrim's Anniversary Edition, now is a great time to jump back into the world of Tamriel to slay dragons and steal sweet rolls once again. If you've done everything Skyrim has to offer, installing some quest mods is a great way to spice up your playthrough. We've updated this list with two new mods, and we've also updated a few entries to better reflect what the mod adds and why it's worth installing.
16 Falskaar
It's difficult to talk about quest mods without mentioning the everso popular Falskaar. This mod introduces a new island that is packed with quests and loot. Most of the quest content in this mod is well-made, although players that are sticklers for quality voice acting or world design might dislike what is delivered here.
That doesn't take away from the sheer breadth of content this mod has. Dozens of dungeons and side quests are all expertly crafted and offer some unique items you can take to Skyrim once you're done with the mod. It is rough around the edges and has certainly shown its age when compared to other entries on this list, but there is no denying that Falskaar is one of the most content-packed quest mods available.
Download link: Falskaar (by AlexanderJVelicky)
15 Wyrmstooth
If you haven't modded Skyrim in 2021, you might be surprised to see Wyrmstooth on this list. This mod was taken down for unknown reasons in 2016, unable to be downloaded unless you knew someone who had a copy.
Fortunately, the mod is back and better than ever. Players get to embark on a trip to Wyrmstooth, an island north of Solitude that houses a dragon that's been interrupting Empire trade routes. Your task is to slay the dragon, but it isn't that simple. Featuring a new island, dozens of quests, and new items, Wyrmstooth is a fantastic DLC-sized quest mod that all Skyrim players should try at least once.
Download link: Wyrmstooth (by Jonx0r)
14 Enderal: Forgotten Stories
Enderal: Forgotten Stories is much more than a quest mod. This is a complete, feature-rich game that uses Skyrim's engine as a framework. Since you need to have Skyrim installed to play Enderal, this technically counts as a mod.
Players are set off to the unique world of Enderal, a land filled with mystery and a psychological story pulling it all together. Classes are used instead of Skyrim's dynamic skill system, skills have been overhauled entirely, and it has the same charm and accessibility that The Elder Scrolls is known for. Since Enderal is incompatible with virtually every mod for Skyrim, it's hard to recommend this mod for players that just want more quests. That said, those that want a whole new game experience need to give Enderal a try.
Download link: Enderal: Forgotten Stories (by developer SureAI)
13 Undeath
Fans of liches need to give Undeath a try. This quest mod adds a new questline to Skyrim that focuses on tracking down a powerful necromancer that is on the verge of becoming immortal. Completing the quest allows you to become a lich yourself, complete with unique gameplay effects. Besides the sheer fun of becoming a lich, the quest tied to Undeath is surprisingly good and worth experiencing.
Download link: Undeath Remastered (by Antioch08)
12 The Wheels Of Lull
The Wheels of Lull delves into the bowels of The Elder Scrolls' lore to deliver one of the strangest, most memorable quests that you can find. Through a series of ten quests, you will get to explore Sotha Sil and uncover many of its strange secrets. Not only are the quests well-made and have excellent writing, but they also delve into the strangest aspects of TES lore that only the most diehard fans will recognize. The Wheels of Lull has almost everything you could ask for in a quest mod.
Download link: The Wheels of Lull (by Trainwiz and The Chronographer Maintenance Team)
11 Moon And Star
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Note: Most of this quest is part of the Legacy of the Dragonborn mod. |
Moon and Star is a simple quest on the surface, asking the Dragonborn to track down a criminal from Morrowind. This quest quickly evolves into a multi-quest epic with a few surprises in store. A great mix of puzzles, combat, and lore make Moon and Star a must-have for players that want a solid, medium-sized quest mod.
Download link: Moon and Star (by Gan Xingba)
10 Vigilant
The Vigilants of Stendarr is an organization dedicated to stopping Daedric schemes, ranging from manipulating townsfolk to full-scale invasions.
Vigilant is a mod that puts you in the shoes of this group, but not all goes as you'd expect. Taking inspiration from games like Dark Souls, this mod takes players through multiple acts of an engrossing story, complete with new locations to explore and NPCs to interact with. If you want to get fully immersed in this mod, there is a fan patch for Vigilant that voices most of the core NPCs in this mod. You can find that patch here.
Download link: VIGILANT SE (by Vicn)
9 Carved Brink
Made by the same mod team that created Project AHO, Carved Brink is yet another massive quest mod in a new location for players to explore.
This mod focuses on Peryite's part of Oblivion named The Pits. This location has been overrun by Goblins after the original Snow Elf inhabitants vanished. Carved Brink explores Peryite's own pocket of Oblivion while exploring interesting lore pieces from The Elder Scrolls. It has plenty of well-made characters, quests, and a stunning new open world to explore that has unique methods of traversal.
Download link: Carved Brink (by Haem Projects)
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7 Helgen Reborn
Fans of Skyrim can recite every line that leads up to the dragon attack on Helgen. Many players know this location well, but Helgen remains forgotten past this opening tutorial.
Thankfully, Helgen Reborn exists to allow players to rebuild this outpost. It isn't easy, however. This quest comes with a fully voiced main story that builds up towards rebuilding Helgen. Players get a large amount of control on how to rebuild Helgen, including who guards the location and an ever-evolving display room to show your accomplishments. It comes with its own player house as well.
Download link: Helgen Reborn (by Mike Hancho aka Balok)
6 Project AHO
Fans of Morrowind's alien atmosphere are going to love this next mod. Project AHO takes players to a hidden settlement that House Telvanni resides in.
Just like Morrowind, this location is filled with alien fauna, towering mushrooms, and thick fog. The NPCs that reside here are all elitist mages that want nothing more than to bolster their own power. Because of this, the main story in Project AHO can be infuriating to play through since NPCs simply treat you as trash rather than the revered Dragonborn most of Skyrim does. If you can get past that, the world created in this mod is so breathtaking it is worth a playthrough.
Download link: Project AHO (by Haem Projects)
5 Beyond Reach
Not to be confused with the Beyond Skyrim series of mods, Beyond Reach takes players through a gritty adventure through the eastern part of High Rock. Hired as a mercenary, you'll quickly realize that High Rock's problems aren't so black and white.
Beyond Reach has everything you'd want from a good quest mod: an intriguing new land, a plethora of new items, well-written quests, and quality voice acting. More importantly, Beyond Reach's quests are some of the best you'll find in a quest mod of this scale. Players are left to make difficult decisions where there isn't a right answer. Quest decisions have consequences, side quests have small impacts on the main narrative, and all of the quest content is well written. If you love the tone and style of The Witcher games, Beyond Reach might be right up your alley.
Download link: Beyond Reach (by razorkid1)
4 Interesting NPCs
Interesting NPCs is one of the most ambitious mods for Skyrim. Unlike most ambitious mods, this mod nails everything it sets out to do with few flaws.
The premise of this mod is simple: add more NPCs to the game that are more than simple townsfolk or guards. Each NPC in this mod has a unique backstory you can explore, most of which have quests tied to them. If you solve enough of these quests, a main narrative begins to form that players can try to complete. Whether you just want more NPCs to talk to or want a substantial amount of new quest content, Interesting NPCs is hard to beat.
Download link: Interesting NPCs SE (3DNPC) (by Kris Takahashi)
3 Beyond Skyrim: Bruma
No mod for Skyrim captures Bethesda's magical open world like Beyond Skyrim: Bruma does. Set in the Bruma province of Cyrodiil, players return to the iconic city from Oblivion to uncover the current state of the Imperial Legion.
Beyond Skyrim: Bruma is a true love letter to the fanbase and the franchise as a whole. The Beyond Skyrim team has done a brilliant job respecting the source material from Oblivion while tweaking the setting in ways that make sense. Quests include proper decision-making and further the mod's world-building. The soundtrack is superb. Bruma itself is a sight to behold in Skyrim's engine. If the entire Beyond Skyrim: Cyrodiil project lives up to the bar that Bruma set, Elder Scrolls fans are in for an incredible time once it releases. But for now, Bruma is more than good enough to warrant an install.
Download link: Beyond Skyrim - Bruma SE (by The Beyond Skyrim - Cyrodiil Development Team)
2 Legacy of the Dragonborn
Like other mods on this list, Legacy of the Dragonborn is deceptive in what it does. This mod says it adds a museum for players to display their goods, but it is so much more than that.
This mod starts with players fleshing out a museum in Solitude with rare antiquities, but this mod quickly ramps up to a fully-fledged main story. What this story evolves into is so astonishing that it would be downright disrespectful to spoil it. Without saying much, it involves recreating or finding notorious artifacts from previous Elder Scrolls games. This mod also has dozens of compatibility patches with other quest mods, making it perfect for any playthrough—modded or otherwise.
Download link: Legacy of the Dragonborn SSE (by icecreamassassin)
1 The Forgotten City
The Forgotten City needs no introduction for most. This mod is so good that it won a national Writer's Guild award for its stellar script, and The Forgotten City has been converted into a standalone video game—proving to be one of 2021's best indie titles.
That excellent foundation for Modern Storyteller's mystery thriller can be traced back to this free Skyrim mod. The premise is simple: you're trapped in a groundhog day scenario, forced to stop a cataclysmic event from occurring. Each loop gives you a chance to experiment, follow leads, and uncover clues about what's happening. Spoiling the entire narrative would be a disservice to the incredible writing here. Trust us; this mod is amazing. And if you especially enjoy this mod, consider buying the standalone game to support the developers.
Download link: The Forgotten City (by Nick Pearce)