This Oblivion modding guide will attempt to teach the new player the basics of modding Oblivion, inform about recent, popular and well-received mods, and instruct how to use essential Oblivion tools like Wrye Bash, TES4Edit, BOSS and BethINI and good practises to follow when using them, as well as how to clean mods and which ones need cleaning (not all dirty mods are registered as such in the LOOT masterlist). It is recommended that users of this guide have the Oblivion GOTY Deluxe edition of Oblivion (all DLCs).
I stress that I don't have knowledge about every Oblivion mod that is worth using out there. This will be a simple list just sharing what mods I personally use, have used, seem interesting and others that might interest you.
This guide has a graphics section, but if you want fully remastered graphics, please see the excellent [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47591]Bevilex' modlist for Oblivion - Graphics[/url] for that (either before or after using this guide). That guide will also cover mods such as Oblivion Reloaded and ENB. Though it can be used for stability, I cannot list Oblivion Reloaded as a mod to use here, as I use an outdated version, version 6.5.0, which is no longer available (I have experienced issues personally with the latest version, 7.1.0, and so reverted back).
This guide won't require you to use websites written in languages other than English. Only a few, optional mods listed here will be hosted on external websites that require you to sign up to download.
Hopefully you have a fresh install that hasn't been touched, or you've just come from Bevilex's guide. If it's the latter, then simply skip sections that were already covered in that guide. Most of the mods in this guide are optional unless otherwise noted, or you may have to choose between a few mods which to get.
With these things said, let us move on to the guide itself.
[center][size=6][b][u]Modding Tools[/u][/b]
[/size][/center]
[spoiler]Don't skip any of the tools here.
[b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/22368]Wrye Bash[/url]
[/b]The first tool we are interested in is Wrye Bash. Wrye Bash is probably the most reliable mod manager for Oblivion. It is capable of many things, such as:
[list]
[*][size=2]Mod installation and file conflict management[/size]
[*][size=2]Plugin load order management[/size]
[*][size=2]Screenshot management[/size]
[*][size=2].ini tweak management[/size]
[*][size=2]Clean uninstallation of mods, even conflicting ones[/size]
[*][size=2]The "Bashed Patch", which allows you to increase the compatibility of mods, configure the game to your liking via tweaks and to surpass the 255 plugins limit by merging patches into it[/size]
[/list]
No other mod manager can install a mod via a 'wizard.txt' file (like FOMODs in Skyrim). There are several of these mods that come with a wizard, that would otherwise be very complex to install by hand. DarnUI, All Natural, Animated Window Lighting System and Chimneys - AWLS, and Robert Male Body Replacer are just some of them. Therefore, I cannot help you if you wish to use another mod manager.
Download it from the Nexus (recommened). Alternatively, you may wish to join the Wrye Bash Discord server to download Work-In-Progress builds or to seek help. [url=https://discord.gg/gAPGs6U]You can find that discord server here.[/url] (Note that you must read the rules and type in the command to talk in the server).
Wrye Bash can be quite intimidating for users just first starting out. I recommend you read up on the [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/35230/]Wrye Bash Pictorial Guide[/url].
To set it up, download the Installer version. Run the exe and allow it to run if Windows thinks it is unsafe. Install for any Bethesda games you wish. When that's completed, go to your Oblivion directory, then Mopy, then see bash_default.ini. This .ini file won't actually do anything unless you rename it to just bash.ini. This is fine unless you wish to have your bash installers (the archives of mods which will be installed in Wrye Bash) on your HDD instead of your SSD, to save space (assuming Oblivion is on an SSD).
To do this, duplicate bash_default.ini and rename the duplicate .ini to bash.ini, then set:
[b]sOblivionMods=[A Folder Path That Will Be Created Somewhere On Your HDD]
[/b]For example, mine is [b]sOblivionMods=D:\Oblivion Mods[/b]. Make sure to uncomment the line you edited (that is, remove the semicolon (;) at the start of the line).[b]
[/b]
For [b]sBashModData=[/b], do the same path except add on to the end [b]\Bash Mod Data[/b]. Mine looks like [b]sBashModData=D:\Oblivion Mods\Bash Mod Data[/b].
Finally, for [b]sInstallersData=D[/b], add [b]\Bash Installers\Bash [/b]to the first entry's path. Mine looks like [b]sInstallersData=D:\Oblivion Mods\Bash Installers\Bash[/b].
Save and exit. Now Wrye Bash can install mods from your HDD while keeping Oblivion on your SSD.
To install a mod with Wrye Bash, place the downloaded archive of a mod in the [b]Oblivion Mods\Bash Installers[/b] folder. You may want to make a shortcut of this folder or pin it to quick access. If you don't know which mod test it out with, use the [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/5296]Unofficial Oblivion Patch[/url]. Once that's done, open up Wrye Bash. Click on the 'Installers' tab in the top left. Let it scan all data, this may take a while and is only needed the first time around. You should find the mod's archive (in our case the Unofficial Oblivion Patch) in here. Clicking on it, you should see If the mod has any esp file(s), make sure the esp file(s) you want are checked (they will be by default). For use in this guide, uncheck 'UOP Vampire Aging & Face Fix.esp' under Plugin Filter to the right. Then, right-click on the archive, and click 'Install'. For this mod in particular, you will get warnings that it contains OBSE plugins, click yes both times. The mod is now installed, and you can activate it in the 'Mods' tab.
Almost all mods can be installed via Wrye Bash and it is recommend to install with it for easy uninstallation and file conflict detection. A few exceptions are OBSE which we will install later, the Construction Kit and its Extender, ENB, and perhaps a few others.
Uninstallation of mods that only have textures or meshes is fine. Uninstalling mods with an esp in Oblivion is [i]mostly [/i]safe (much safer than uninstalling a mod in Skyrim), but avoid uninstalling huge mods like Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul and Maskar's Oblivion Overhaul. These mods will make permanent changes to your save file. Some smaller mods have the potential to make permanent changes to your save file too (mostly cell and worldspace related ones).
If you uninstall a mod that affects NPC levels, you should open the 'Saves' tab in Wrye Bash, right-click on your save file and select 'Update NPC Levels...' This will update the levels of NPCs to match your current load order and undo any NPC level changes made by a previously used mod.
You should also enable 'Check mods against LOOT's dirty mod list' by right clicking on the top white bar under the Mods tab.
[b]Do not use Oblivion Mod Manager, it is heavily outdated, not required for anything and is incapable of doing many things.[/b]
[b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/11536]TES4Edit[/url]
[/b]This tool will let you clean mods, make patches, sort masters of plugins with incorrect masters order and much more. You can [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/11536]download it from Nexusmods[/url] (recommended) or alternatively join the [url=https://discord.gg/5t8RnNQ]xEdit Discord server here[/url], and download the latest builds from xedit-builds (avoid the extremely experimental builds).
To clean a dirty mod, open TES4EditQuickAutoClean.exe. [i][b]Choose only one mod to clean at a time[/b].[/i] The cleaning process most likely won't be correct otherwise. The application should automatically do everything for you from then on, reporting how many ITMs and UDRs were cleaned, if any (and which UDRs could not be undeleted). Some mods in this guide will benefit from being cleaned by TES4Edit. Note a mod with cleaned ITMs or undeleted UDRS changes its CRC, meaning the Wrye Bash installer will declare there to be a mismatched ESP or ESM installed. This isn't particularly a big deal. One solution is to unpack the mod's archive to a project, place the cleaned esp in the project, install it, then uninstall the original archive. It will then be a 'clean' install.
All of the official DLC ESPs need to be cleaned in TES4Edit, except for the DLCShiveringIsles.esp. If there are any UDRs which can't be undeleted, either don't worry about them, or just remove them manually out of cleanliness.
I recommend you also giving the [url=https://tes5edit.github.io/docs/index.html]Tome of xEdit[/url] a read to learn more about this program.
[b][url=https://github.com/boss-developers/boss/releases/tag/v2.3.2]Better Oblivion Sorting Software (BOSS)[/url]
[/b]BOSS is what we use to sort our load orders. It is generally agreed upon to be better than LOOT for Oblivion. You'll want to use this when adding new ESPs and ESMs to your game, before building your bashed patch. Not doing this will cause problems in your game in any decently sized load order. Either use the boss_gui.exe or boss.exe to sort. If you want to add a manual rule for a mod not yet in the BOSS masterlist, use the boss_gui.exe and add one so it sorts. Otherwise it will just go to the end of your load order after sorting.
[b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46440]BethINI[/url]
[/b]BethINI is used to manage the Oblivion.ini file. You can change the graphics quality as well as some other tweaks like being able to travel outside of Cyrodiil borders (required for mods such as Mannimarco Revisited). In the 'Basics' tab, you may want to select 'BethINI Presets' followed by 'Ultra', then 'Recommended Tweaks'. This is assuming you at least have an entry level gaming PC of the past five years or so. If you use Oblivion Reloaded in the future, you'll need to uncheck 'Water Ripples' in the 'Detail' tab. When you're done, click 'Save and Exit'.[/spoiler]
[center][b][u][size=6]Core Mods[/size][/u][/b][/center][center][/center]
[spoiler]I recommend not skipping any mods here.
Create a new marker in Wrye Bash by right clicking on the top bar, and rename it to 'Core'.
[b][url=http://obse.silverlock.org/]Oblivion Script Extender (OBSE)[/url]
[/b]OBSE is an essential mod to have in Oblivion - many great mods depend on it to function, including stability mods. It cannot be installed via BAIN (Bash Installers in Wrye Bash). Under 'Current Stable Version: v0021', click on the link following 'Download:'. Extract the 'Data' folder, obse_1_2_416.dll, obse_editor_1_2.dll and obse_loader.exe into your Oblivion root folder (not the Oblivion Data folder). If you use the Steam version of Oblivion, extract obse_steam_loader.dll into the root folder as well. If you use the GOG version of Oblivion, download the link following 'Latest loader:' on the OBSE website. Extract that obse_loader.exe into your Oblivion root folder, replacing the previous non-GOG obse_loader.exe.
From now on you will be running the game through obse_loader.exe. Steam users can start the game normally and OBSE will load automatically.
If you want to change the loader icon and name, create a shortcut of the loader, rename the shortcut to 'Oblivion (OBSE)', right-click to properties, shortcut tab, Change Icon, Browse, then look for your Oblivion folder and select Oblivion.exe. Hit OK, apply, and OK.
[b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/23208]Oblivion Stutter Remover (OSR)[/url]
[/b]Oblivion Stutter Remover is another essential mod for Oblivion. There's no reason not to grab this, it does what it says in the name. [b]Download 'OSR_4-1-37' only.[/b] Install it via Wrye Bash, i.e. place it in your Bash Installers folder inside the Oblivion Mods folder. If it doesn't show up in BAIN, right-click the top bar and select 'Refresh Data'. After that's done, [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47591]download Bevilex's great OSR .ini from her guide here, in 'Various .ini files'.[/url] Place it in Bash Installers. Unpack it to a project by right clicking on it. Open the project. Delete everything except for the 'Oblivion Stutter Remover ini file' folder.
Now open 'sr_Oblivion_Stutter_Remover.ini' inside the OSR folder. Under [b]FPS_Management = {[/b], set [b]fMaximumFPS = 59.5[/b], instead of 45. This will raise our FPS cap to just under 60, while avoiding the Havok-based physics engine bug. Refresh BAIN data if it hasn't updated, then install the project. OSR should be now set up. Optionally, delete the 'Various .ini files' archive, or right-click on it and select 'Hide'.
[b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47085]Engine Bug Fixes[/url]
[/b]This mod employs some fixes into the game engine as well as some patches.
[b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45576]4gb Ram Patcher[/url]
[/b]Do not use this if you have the GOG version of Oblivion - it is already patched. Otherwise, run the 4gb Ram Patcher on Oblivion.exe, OblivionLauncher.exe and obse_loader.exe. It simply allows the game to use more RAM where needed.
[b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49874]Clean Up Cleaned Up[/url]
[/b]Prevents saved-game file-size bloating by cleaning the game of actor and item references that are no longer required. (e.g. inactive references created from dropped items that were picked-up by the player.) Cleans long-dead actors that may have been corrupted somehow.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46674]Floating weapons Fix (Enemies keep weapons in inventory)[/url]
It will prevent NPCs from creating dynamic items and make it easier to loot their weapon.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/53635]NVAC - New Vegas Anti Crash
[/url]An anti-crash plugin which can be used in Oblivion. Download the main file. [b]Note:[/b] You'll need to unpack it to a project to install it with BAIN. Then rename the NVSE folder to OBSE.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45266]CTD and Memory patch ENBoost[/url]
x64 optimized patch for a heavily modified game, it much more efficiently utilizes memory. Specially for users with HD textures. [b]Only use this if you don't intend on using Oblivion Reloaded or a graphics enhancing ENB as they have similar features or are incompatible respectively.[/b]
[b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49568]SkyBSA[/url]
[/b]This relatively new OBSE plugin is designed to fix Oblivion flawed handling of loose files inside the Data folder. Read about the problem in the game without this mod on the mod page. Previously people used a tool called 'Archive Invalidation' to get around this, which is no longer needed. Wrye Bash does this automatically however when installing mods but it is reportedly still useful to have for stability.
[b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/23979]Pluggy[/url]
[/b]Can be used by some mods (but not required by) such as Cobl and Enhanced Economy. [b]Download Pluggy Dev v132 only. Note:[/b] needs to be unpacked to a project to be installed. Create the folder structure OBSE\Plugins\ and place the dll and dlx there.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/43752]Blockhead[/url]
Required for Oblivion Character Overhaul version 2. [b]NOTE:[/b] I have experienced crashes with this plugin during Peryite's daedric quest, when entering his realm of oblivion. After narrowing down all my mods, I am quite certain this seems to be the culprit. Therefore, if you experience crashes inside Peryite's oblivion realm during his quest, try uninstalling this mod temporarily while doing it, and re-install when the quest is complete (and let me know if it works).
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/32200]MenuQue[/url]
Required by mods such as Oblivion XP Update and Ultimate Leveling, among others. [b]Download MenuQue v16b only.
[/b][b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/16622]OBSE -Elys- Universal Silent Voice[/url]
[/b]This is very useful if you are playing a mod with no voice acting. The unvoiced lines won't go by incredibly fast with this. [b]Download OBSE -Elys- Universal Silent Voice v93 only. Note:[/b] it needs to be unpacked to a project to install it in BAIN. Create the folder structure OBSE\Plugins\ and put the files in there. Refresh Data if it hasn't updated the project contents, then install.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/44337]Oblivion - Enhanced Camera[/url]
This plugin lets you look at your body in first person. [b]Do not use it with Oblivion Reloaded version 7 or higher, otherwise your game will crash.[/b]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49067]WalkBlessed OBSE Plugin (diagonal move)[/url]
NorthernUI is not fully compatible with WalkBlessed; however, as of version 1.3.0, NorthernUI offers the same or similar features, making WalkBlessed redundant.
Allows your character to move diagonally.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/22170]Operation Optimization[/url]
This will optimize some meshes that aren't covered by future mods we'll install. Download and install Operation Optimization 1_1_1-BAIN.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/5296]Unofficial Oblivion Patch[/url]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/10739]Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch[/url]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/9969]Unofficial Oblivion DLC Patches[/url]
Resolves bugs in the game not fixed by Bethesda. Uncheck 'UOP Vampire Aging & Face Fix.esp' in Plugin Filter before installing. This is not needed, as the bashed patch we will build later already contains it.
[b]Note:[/b] there are 6 ITMs in the Unofficial Oblivion Patch.esp, supposedly intended to fix things in a non-SI Oblivion game. You may choose to clean them if you wish.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49652]Oblivion BSA Decompressor[/url]
Uncompresses the game BSAs for supposedly faster game load times and less stuttering. You may want to back up your Oblivion BSAs before using it.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/42658]Migck's Miscellaneous fixes tweaks and additions[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45875/]MigMaster Script Resources[/url]
Mod notes: "A collection of all my changes which don't depend on Oblivion.esm to play. Includes:- Creature Damage Fix- Telekinesis Fix- Elemental and Armored Fist- Silver Damage Bonus- Random Loot Durability- And more!"
Useful for its Quick Save & Load Replacement feature: "Pressing the quicksave control when not in combat will perform a hard save, with a number appended that increases every time you do. Pressing the quickload control will reset this number and quit the game, and the function is even renamed to that in the control menu. Don't say you weren't warned! Experience says the vanilla quicksave and loading a game while already playing are prone to corruption, which is why I offered these as another avenue to get rid of them. If you rely heavily on quicksave/load and never had any issues, more power to you."
Quicksaves and quickloads can be dangerous in Oblivion. Quickloading altogether should be scrapped if you play a modded game. The best thing to do when you die or want to reload the game is to completely close Oblivion (you can use the quit hotkey the mod adds), and reopen it. This is because scripts still run in the background from previous saves. Also, always save in a new slot and don't overwrite old ones. Combat saving is also ill-advised and this mod prevents you from doing it.
Use MigMaster Script Resources to open up some extra features in this mod. Concerning the save enhancing features, you can alternatively use the mod [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48106]Better Saves[/url] to achieve similar results.[/spoiler]
[center][size=6][b][u]Texture Packs[/u][/b][/size][/center]
[spoiler]These are highly recommended (the first three are semi-optional). You can install them all together in the following order.
Create a new marker with the name 'Texture Packs'.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49351]Oblivion Upscaled Textures (OUT)[/url]
Upscales the vanilla Oblivion textures. Download the main file 'kart_OUT_default'. If you have a weaker computer, download 'kart_OUT_default_2x' instead.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49645]Shivering Isles Upscaled Textures (SIUT)[/url]
Upscales the Shivering Isles textures. Do the same process as before.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49798]DLC Upscaled Textures (DLCUT)[/url]
Upscales all the other DLC textures. Download the Knights component (4x file for good computers) and kart_DLCUT_4x or kart_DLCUT_2x if you have the other DLCs.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45666]Qarls Texture Pack III Redimized - QTP3 R[/url]
My preferred texture pack.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/5296]QTP3 UOP350 Compatibility Patch[/url]
Compatibility patch for Qarls and the Unofficial Oblivion Patch.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46162]Bomret's Texture Pack for Shivering Isles v1 with meshes from USIP[/url]
Another great texture pack, this one for the Shivering Isles.[/spoiler]
[center][b][u][size=6]Interface[/size][/u][/b][/center]
[spoiler]These are highly recommended, unless listed as optional.
Create a new marker titled 'Interface'.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48596]DarNified UI[/url]
This is considered the best UI mod for Oblivion. It maintains the game's original UI style and colour scheme while improving on features that were sorely lacking. [b]Download the main file DarN BAIN wizard.[/b] You can alternatively use the DarkUId DarN BAIN wizard version for a darker theme, but I don't use it.
Drop it in your Bash Installers. Right click and install using a manual wizard. Go through the options and choose 'All'. Select 'Colored Local Map'. Then select default font. Check the 'Apply these selections' box and hit 'Finish'. Say yes/ok to any following bash popups.
Now go to the 'INI Edits' tab at the top of Wrye Bash. Select Oblivion.ini from the drop down menu in the top-right of the client if it's not already selected. Go to the leftmost pane and find the entries starting with 'DarN'. Right click on any that are not green and checkmarked, and select 'Apply'. It should look similar to this:
[img]https://i.imgur.com/ZDzC533.png[/img]
That's all you need to do for installing DarNified UI. There is alternate and newer UI mod worth mentioning called [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48577]NorthernUI[/url], but the full version removes the Oblivion aesthetic and replaces it with a Skyrim theme. You can choose it instead of DarNUI if you wish, but I cannot help you with anything relating to it. It also will be incompatible with many other mods in this guide, therefore I do not recommend NorthernUI at this point in time.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/35969]Dynamic Map[/url]
This mod is not for NorthernUI.
"Dynamic Map makes the world map reflect your installed mods. It reads your active mod list, and modifies the world map accordingly, by placing sub-map components for the supported mods, onto the main world map so it looks exactly like the world map was made that way."
Download and place in Bash Installers folder. Check 00 Core and for 01, the map style of your choice. I personally use Color Map. Many people like Elven Map, however.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/12797]nONatees colored Shivering Isles map[/url] or [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/16640]Elven Map For Shivering Isles[/url]
I personally prefer nONatees SI map, and it goes well with the Color Map from Dynamic Map. If however you are using the Elven Map from Dynamic Map, then you'll most likely want to use Elven Map For Shivering Isles.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48479]Pick Me - lockpicking interface retexture[/url]
A very nice change from the vanilla interface. Grab the main file. NorthernUI users will need the optional file as well.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48027]Loot Menu[/url]
NorthernUI compatible, but it can't react to the gamepad. This is highly optional, it brings the Fallout 4 loot menu to Oblivion. May not suit Oblivion in my opinion but you may like it.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49266]UHD Fonts for Darnified UI[/url]
This is optional. Replaces the DarNUI fonts with sharper, higher resolution letters. Works well on 1440p monitors and above. It may not suit everyone's taste.[/spoiler]
[center][b][size=6][u]Character[/u][/size][/b][/center]
[spoiler]The following mods are highly recommended.
Create a new marker called 'Character'.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/44676]Oblivion Character Overhaul version 2[/url]
A masterpiece. Changes the potato faces to be much more realistic. Download Oblivion Character Overhaul v203, Roberts Male Body replacer texture compatibility addon and HGEC texture compatibility addon. Install only the first two packages for now, we will install the last one later.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48136]Oblivion Character Overhaul v2 - Unofficial Patch[/url] (Needs TES4Edit cleaning)
This OCOv2 replacer ESP carries over all Unofficial Patch changes. Unfortunately, it's only usable if you have all DLCs (the GOTY Deluxe edition) installed. If you don't have all DLCs, then simply skip this and the bashed patch should carry forward most changes.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48199]New Brows for OCO v2[/url]
This mod replaces the brows of all humanoid races.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47463]Detailed Mouth for OCOv2[/url]
HD mouth and teeth textures Oblivion Character Overhaul version 2.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46995]New Eyes for OCO v2[/url]
New eye textures for OCO v2, includes all races except Orcs. This mod is made to be something more related to ESO and TESV design, also, following the line of OCOv2 itself.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48557]Oblivion Character Overhaul V2 - DLC Faces[/url]
Fixes up some of the NPC faces from the Vile Lair and Mehrunes' Razor DLC. Without it, Rowley Eardwulf's face looks broken.
Now, you have the a choice to choose an easy or hard installation for the following mod. The easy way is only one file but is not customizable and is not fully updated, the hard way also lets you choose what your character will look like when naked. Only stick to one method.
[b]Easy way:
[/b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45859]Seamless - OCOv2[/url]
First, install the HGEC texture compatibility addon you installed from the OCOv2 mod page.
Then, download SR- OCOv2 IDIOT 44676 from above. Uncheck 'EVE_ShiveringIslesEasterEggs.esp' in Plugin Filter before installing. The easter eggs plugin only adds a hidden Haskiil Suit and Syl Dress somewhere in the Shivering Isles. It's not worth the plugin slot in my opinion, unless you really want it.
Also download SR- OCOv2 Wider Chin Dunmer on this page and install it.
[b]Hard way:[/b]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45864]Seamless - Robert Male[/url]
Download SE- Robert Male v5.2 CORE for OCO. Right click and choose manual wizard. You may have your own choices here, but if not just follow my choices. Select flapping in the wind (this means nudity). Select muscular body. Select Robert Male V5 default. Select No. Then select Yes. Select Apply these selections and click Finish.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/24078]EVE HGEC Eyecandy Variants Expansion[/url]
Download EVE_HGEC_BodyStock and Clothing Wrye Bash BAIN. Place it in your Bash Installers. Notice Wrye Bash will highlight this package grey, as one file has been skipped (namely the install guide text file, see that in the Skipped tab). It won't affect the installation of this mod.
In Sub-Packages, check (you may choose your own configuration but I recommend these):
00 Core
01 Body Textures
10 Normal E-Cup Nude
15 Lowerbody Normal Nude
20 Equipment Replacer Upperbody - Normal E-Cup
25 Equipment Replacer Lowerbody - Normal
In Plugin-Filter, uncheck EVE_KhajiitFix.esp (it is not needed) and EVE_ShiveringIslesEasterEggs.esp. Then, install the package.
Now, also install HGEC texture compatibility addon-44676-2-0 you downloaded from the OCOv2 mod page.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45858]Seamless - HGEC Female[/url]
Download SE- HGEC CORE 24078. Select the same Sub-Packages as the previous file, only this skip skipping the Core and Body Textures parts as they aren't there. Install it.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45859]Seamless - OCOv2[/url]
Download SR- OCOv2 BAIN 44676. Check the only three Sub-Packages there, then install.
Also download SR- OCOv2 Wider Chin Dunmer and install.
[b]---End of hard way---[/b]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47765]J17's OCO and Hair Conversions[/url]
This is optional but I use it. Download the main file and install. I don't know any other good hair replacers for OCOv2. Also, grab the[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49892] patch to fix the female hair on male elves here[/url].
There is alternatively [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48588]Lore-Friendly Replacer for Default Hair for OCO v2[/url] instead, but it's personally not my taste, and it also gives Emperor Uriel VII very unfitting hair in my opinion.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47071]Beards in Tamriel[/url]
Gives beards to some male characters in the game.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49861]NPC Hair Matches Beard - Updated[/url]
Makes the beards added by the previous mod match an NPC's hair colour.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48378]OCOv2 Uses Merged Teeth[/url]
Mod notes: "This mod is simply a mergeable plugin that makes Oblivion Character Overhaul use merged teeth. I made this fix specifically for better compatibility with Beards in Tamriel. I was always bothered by that NPC's who were sporting a beard were missing their upper set of teeth because they were overwritten by Blockhead. So this mod basically makes the playable human/elf races use merged teeth in their Lower Teeth slot."
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49080]Light compatible Skeleton[/url]
This is modified version of Vanilla skeleton. Its light, compatible to almost everything and supports "diagonal movement:" OBSE plugin.[/spoiler]
[u][b][size=6][center]Graphics[/center][/size][/b][/u]
[spoiler]This graphics section will hopefully be quite lite. Users seeking to enhance a majority of the game's assets should refer to Bevilex's guide. This will cover environment and flora, weather and atmosphere, architecture, creatures and monsters, weapons, armour and clothing, and various meshes and textures. The texture packs installed before should cover most things but the mods here are recommended to install afterwards.
Admittedly, this list will be decently similar to Bevilex's list, as I use that guide for graphics. I have decided against linking to foreign language website hosted mods for various reasons.
Create a marker called 'Graphics', and one for each subheader.
[center][size=5][b]Environment and Flora[/b][/size][/center]
All of these mods are recommended.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49615]Far Cry inspired Grass - Expanded
[/url]A great grass overhaul.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49616]Let there be Flowers[/url]
Mod notes: "This mod adds some flowers to a few ground textures."
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/8298]Improved Doors and Flora[/url]
Makes some doors and flora look a lot better. Install Improved Doors and Flora, then IDFUpdate.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/8500]Improved Trees and Flora[/url]
Same author as the previous mod. Looks fantastic as usual.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/11891]Improved Trees and Flora 2[/url]
Install it on top of the previous mod. First install Improved Trees and Flora 2, then ITF2Update, then ITFBark2012.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/2037]Harvest Flora[/url] (Requires cleaning in TES4Edit - 'Harvest [Flora] - Shivering Isles.esp' and 'Harvest [Flora] - DLCFrostcrag.esp')
I like this mod a lot. It actually changes a plant's appearance after you harvest it, which was lacking in the original game.
Uncheck any plugins in Plugin Filter for the DLCs which you do not have and install.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49150]TreeOPT[/url]
Mod notes: "This will optimize mushroom trees, unpack to Data, enjoy faster mushroomtrees render."
[center][b][size=5]Weather and Atmosphere[/size][/b][/center]
The first mod and its addons are highly recommended. The rest are rather optional.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/18305]Weather - All Natural[/url]
Another masterpiece mod. Mod notes: "All Natural combines a robust custom weather system that allows the use of weather types from all existing weather mods with custom versions of Natural Interiors and Real Lights in order to provide the greatest weather/environment experience possible."
Download the main file. Go through the manual wizard.
I choose 'All Natural - Full', but some users use 'All Natural - No Real Lights'. Reportedly users of Simple ENB experience interiors that are too dark with the Real Lights addon. If you're not sure, just choose the first option.
Select Yes for Shivering Isles support.
Select Yes for additional weathers.
Select Yes for Bash Filter patch support.
Next, leave all three boxes checked.
Use Default - No Tinting unless you have a preference.
Select default fog distance.
Select default nights unless you have a preference for darker nights.
Select Default Timescale.
Check the Apply these packages box, then click Finish.
[b]All Natural addons:[/b]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/34199]Immersive Interiors[/url]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47039]Immersive Interiors - Imperial City
[/url][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/43072]Immersive Interiors Landscape AddOn[/url]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45297]Immersive Interiors - Bravil and Leyawiin
[/url]All of these are spectacular addons to the All Natural weather mod. They will allow you to see outside of the windows in most buildings, increasing immersion drastically.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/35593]Falling Stars[/url]
Mod notes: "A tiny mod that adds falling stars to the game. They appear randomly at night when the sky is clear, the amount can be adjusted via console."
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/44257]Falling Leaves
[/url]Mod notes: "Adds falling leaves to the trees in the autumn forest located north-east of Chorrol."
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46917]Realistic Aurora in motion[/url]
Mod notes: "The aurora is visible at night in and around Bruma and also some other places like: Cloudruler Temple etc.".
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46625]High Quality Snowflakes[/url]
Mod notes: "A simple mod that re-textures the vanilla snowflakes with a higher quality version."
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45545]Improved Moons[/url]
Download and install the main file. I don't believe you need the update file.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45520]DOWNPOUR - rain retexture
[/url]In BAIN, select the Sub-Package '00 Large', then install.
[center][b][size=5]Architecture[/size][/b][/center]
These mods are highly optional. Using all of them will make your game look better however.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47156]Arena Redone HD[/url]
A HD Retexture of Imperial City Arena, and it looks fantastic.
Install the '00 Core [2K]' and '01 UOP Patch [Optional]' Sub-Packages (or alternatively go through the wizard).
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46920]Imperial City Retextured[/url]
Download 'Imperial City Retextured - Modular version v 1.2', drag and drop into BAIN.
For Sub-Packages, check the boxes:
00 Base
01 ICcobblestones01
02 ICfloor01
03 ICHdomestrip01 A
04 ICroof01
05 ICSidewalk02
06 ICsidewalk01 A
07 High res LOD bridge
Then install the package.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/44001]Cathedral HD[/url]
If you want better looking cathedrals, grab it.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45996]Gecko's Fort Interior Textures[/url]
Mod notes: "2K high res overhaul of Imperial fort interiors."
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46864]Gecko's Imperial Dungeon Textures - 2K Parallax[/url]
Mod notes: "True HD, parallax-enabled remake of Imperial dungeon/prison"
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46579]Gecko's Ayleid Ruins Textures V2 - Parallax[/url]
Download Geckos Ayleid Ruins Textures V2 - NO Parallax in Optional Files. There are reports that the parallax version has some missing meshes in the mod posts.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47355]Farm fence retexture and UV maps[/url]
Small but fantastic retexture.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/44685]Cheydinhal retexture[/url]
Mod notes: "This mod retexture Cheydinhal with 2k textures".
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/44677]Bruma retexture
[/url]Mod notes: "This mod retexture Bruma with 2k & 1K textures."
Download the 2k version.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46628]Leyawiin Woodland[/url]
Mod notes: "This MOD is retextures MOD in the town of Leyawiin. Change the whole city."
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/9500]Improved Chorrol[/url]
Mod notes: "This is a retexture of Chorrol with 1024x1024 ,1024x512 and 512x512 new textures. I did not redo the stucco textures . I have no performance hit in fps, but my memory usage increases about 40mb with this set."
Download and install 'Chorrol2011' in Update Files.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48759]
Leyawiin Woodland floor fix[/url]
Mod notes: "Fix for some issues with interior floor textures from rabilinth's Leyawiin Woodland retexture mod".
If you have All Natural (which I highly recommend), grab Leyawiin Woodland floor fix -All Natural compatible. If not, grab the other version.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/10383]Improved Bravil[/url]
Mod notes: "This is a retexture of Bravil with 1024x1024,1024x512 & 1024x256 textures.The only texture not done is the gate.Still looking for the right texture. . I have no performance hit in fps, but my memory usage increases about 25mb with this set."
Install Improved Bravil, then BravilUpdate.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45670]Kvatch HD[/url]
Mod notes: "Enhances Kvatch with HD textures."
Download and install the main file, then the update file.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/43100]Oblivion Realm HD[/url]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47407]Oblivion Caves retexture[/url]
These will cover the realm of Oblivion.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/43104]Statues HD[/url]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/43356]HiRez Architecture- God Statues[/url]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/43442]HiRez Architecture- Daedric Shrines[/url]
All of these mods make statues look better.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48614]TD_Tombstones retextures
[/url]Mod notes: "TES-Diesel modding dream team presents a new tombstone textures."
[center][b][size=5]Creatures and Monsters[/size][/b][/center]
The first four files are recommended, the rest are optional.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/29569]Mythic Creatures[/url]
A very well done creature texture pack, one of my favourites.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/29638]Mythic Animals
[/url]More animals retextured. Download and install Mythic Animals High res part 1, then Mythic Animals High res part 2.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/36000]Mythic Ghosts and Goblins[/url]
Mods notes: "High-res Retex for Ghosts, Goblins, Wraiths and Gloom Wraiths!"
Install the main file, ignore the skipped files in Wrye Bash.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/38251]Mythic Madness[/url]
Mod notes: "High res retexture of shivering isles creatures!!"
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/43285]Beautiful Creatures - Spriggan[/url]
Mod notes: "Some tweakings i made for the spriggan''s models to look better".
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/43297]Beautiful Creatures - Spider Daedra[/url]
Mod notes: "Another replacer for vanilla Spider Daedra".
Download and install the main file, and optionally the Nude mesh in Optional Files too afterwards if that interests you.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45356]Improved Flame Atronachs[/url]
Mod notes: "Improved Flame Atronachs is a simple replacer mod that aims to improve on the vanilla Atronachs with new hi-res textures and a few mesh tweaks."
Download the main file and place it in Bash Installers. Right-click on it and unpack it to a project. In the project, delete the 'optional flame replacer' folder, and drag readme.txt into the 'flame atronach replacer' folder. The you can install it.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49520]Improved Frost Atronachs[/url]
Mod notes: "Updated hi-res textures and altered mesh for a colder icy look."
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45536]Improved Storm Atronachs[/url]
Mod notes: "A high resolution total re-work of the vanilla storm atronachs with added variable glow."
[center][size=5][b]Weapons, Armour and Clothing[/b][/size][/center]
All following weapons and armour replacers are optional.
[url=http://tesalliance.org/forums/index.php?/files/file/797-insanitys-improved-armoury-compilation/]Insanity's Improved Armoury Compilation[/url]
It's only listed here because it covers so much, but it requires you make an account on TESAlliance, AND install a download manager to download it (the download breaks midway otherwise). Bit of a pain, so only get it if you want it. The manager I use to download it is [url=https://www.freedownloadmanager.org/]Free Download Manager[/url] and its [url=https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/free-download-manager/ahmpjcflkgiildlgicmcieglgoilbfdp?hl=en]Chrome extension[/url].
Install it with BAIN, with the Sub-Package '00 Core' checked. I also check '01 Alternate Elven - Golden' and '02 Alternate Glass - Dark Green', because they look awesome.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/7487]Mikes Clothes Replacer[/url]
Mod notes: "This Mod replaces the textures of almost all the clothes in Oblivion."
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/43852]Weapon Improvement Project[/url]
Another InsanitySorrow mod. Mod notes: "This is a project that aims (over time) to replace the vanilla weapon meshes and textures with completely new and more detailed replacements. The new replacements are based on the original designs."
Download and install the main and optional file.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/30386]HiRes Iron Armor[/url]
Mod notes: "This mod replaces the iron armor textures with more detailed, high resolution textures".
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/14634]Dalls_Horse_Armor[/url]
Mod notes: "Royal Ayleid and Iron Horse are new Textures for Bethesda Horse Armor plug-in. Note prior to download that this are textures only and not whole Horse Armor Plug-in! Official Horse Armor plug-in is necessary!"
[b]These next mods all replacers from the same author. Install all or just choose a few you like.
[/b]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47773]Aqua Silk and Tattered Robes Replacer[/url] - Download and install 'Aqua Silk and Tattered Robes Replacer' and 'HGEC conversion by Asteriasennall'.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47719]Black Hand Robe Replacer[/url][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47875]Daedric Armor Replacer[/url]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47917]Elven armor replacer[/url] - Download and install both files.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47023]Fantasy Mithril[/url]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47949]Fur Armor Replacer[/url] - Download and install 'Robert Male Body version' and 'HGEC version'.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47044]Madness Armor Replacer[/url][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47747]Necromancer Robes Replacer[/url][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46670]Barbaric Orcish Armor[/url] - Download the non-nude version, Orcish armor remodelled, as there is a clipping issue with the rear end in the nude version. Then in BAIN check 'HeavyMuscular' and install.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48001]King of Worms Robe Replacer[/url]
You don't actually need to download this mod from the mod page as it has a bug with hands and feet while wearing the robes. Instead, [url=https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/515842332201975821/517062254353580032/main.zip]install the King of Worms' Robes replacer found here[/url], which contains the fixed meshes. If you don't like the shoulderpads, also [url=https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/515842332201975821/517062254202716179/no_shoulderpads.zip]install the no shoulderpads version[/url].
Credit to DeathWrench in the posts of the mod page. Afterwards, download the original mod so you can endorse it.
[center][b][size=5]Various Textures and Meshes[/size][/b][/center]
The first two mods and the book replacers after it are highly recommended, while the rest are optional.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/44501]Mesh Improvement Project[/url]
Mod notes: "This project is a large undertaking with the aim of (slowly) fixing or replacing broken/ugly meshes found throughout the game's world."
Install the '00 Core' and '10 Optional - IC Sign Textures' Sub-Packages.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/38061]Improved Fires and Flames
[/url]Download and install the first main file and the optional file.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/5570]Book Jackets[/url] (Requires TES4Edit cleaning) - [b]Note:[/b] uncheck Book Jackets Oblivion - BP.esp in Plugin Filter, it is only to be used if you have a book placement mod.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/16247]Grimbots DLC Book Jackets[/url] (both files)
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/27521/]Book Jackets KOTN[/url]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49307]Book Jackets KOTN HD update[/url]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49260]Book Jackets for Misc DLC[/url]
These will make your books looks much, much better.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/43728]
Hi-res Soul Gems[/url]
Mod notes: "Replaces all the soul gem textures to a high resolution texture. The new textures is in 512x1024, the vanilla ones were in 64x128."
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/38546]HiRes Silver and Gold Clutter[/url]
Mod notes: "Replaces default textures for silver items with high resolution ones (mainly 512x512).
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46642]High Quality Rugs
[/url]Download the main and optional files.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/25123]Strada Citta Imperiale[/url]
Mod notes: "Simple mod that changes the textures of the street of the imperial city."
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47734]Retextured Amulets[/url]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47742]Retextured Rings[/url]
Retextures for amulets and rings.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48576]
Retextured Inn Signs[/url]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48235]Retextured Road Signs[/url]
Very well done inn and road signs.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46789]Alluring Wine Bottles with Real Glass[/url]
Makes the wine bottles look more realistic.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45018]Nirnroot retexture[/url]
Very pleasant Nirnroot retexture.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49068]Retextured Potions[/url]
An incredible potions replacer. I personally also install the Sub-Package '10 Optional Slimy' in the package, but you the choice is yours.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46482]Paintings Variation[/url]
Install both main and optional files.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48460]Strand Magic - A Mage Guild Theme[/url]
A very well done Mages Guild assets replacer. Mod notes: "A Regal Gold and Navy Blue Theme for Mage Guild Assets."
Download and install the main file only.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49318]Give Me Back My Gray Prince Dammit[/url]
Mod notes: "Simple mod that gives back the original color of the Gray Prince after this being changed by Oblivion Character Overhaul"
Not technically a mesh or texture replacer, but a mergeable ESP. From my experience, a CBash-built bashed patch may not merge this properly and will instead bash in favor of Oblivion Character Overhaul version 2's skin changes, with green skin for Agronak. Therefore if you want to use CBash you will have to manually fix your bashed patch to favor this mod's facegen data.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46889]Faster Dungeon Doors[/url]
No more slow dungeon doors.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/2808]Better Horse Eyes[/url]
Mod notes: "This mod gives new eyes for all the horses in the game. I thought the original horse eyes the game came with looked terrible, so I decided, as my first mod, to repaint and replace them with deeper, more realistic eyes."
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/29321]Akatosh Retexture by themythofstrider[/url]
Very optional. Makes Akatosh less yellow and more scaly.[/spoiler]
[size=6][center][u][b]Overhauls[/b][/u][/center][/size]
[spoiler]These overhauls are optional, but I highly recommend at least using Maskar's Oblivion Overhaul to improve the game considerably. Not all of them will be compatible with each other, so you can only choose two at most.
Markers from here on are optional.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/42780]Maskar's Oblivion Overhaul[/url]
MOO is the best, most stable, and most compatible Oblivion overhaul that exists currently, and is probably one of the greatest Oblivion mods to come out of the last decade. I don't think I will ever play without this mod again. It affects the game world by an incredible amount, all without modifying a single existing game record (it uses OBSE scripts religiously). From the mod description:
"This is an overhaul mod, improving many aspects of the game, while maintaining the overall feel of the game and ensuring compatibility with most other mods. All features are configurable through OMOD installation and/or editing the ini file.
Features added by this mod are:
[list]
[*]Unpredictable encounters;
[*]Loot and equipment improvements;
[*]New and better looking creatures;
[*]Fully configurable level scaling;
[*]New warring factions;
[*]Improved combat AI;
[*]Notice Boards and dynamic quests;
[*]Treasure hunting;
[*]Skill based equipment system;
[*]Resource gathering and crafting;
[*]Animal taming;
[*]Traps and the ability to disarm them;
[*]Bashing locks abililty;
[*]Feign death ability;
[*]Spellbooks;
[*]Darker dungeons and nights;
[*]Npcs in dungeons and outdoors having torches;
[*]..and much more."
[/list]
And it does these things incredibly well. Needless to say, you'll want to use this if you want Oblivion to be a much better game. It's updated regularly unlike most other overhauls, and the mod author is fantastically talented, responding regularly to feedback and suggestions.
I recommend unpacking it to a project in BAIN, so you can edit the .ini files to your liking. It needs to load after the bashed patch, always (BOSS will handle that). And remember to consult the readme PDF if you want to find out more about the mod. You may also like [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48858]MOO Themed Loading Screens[/url]. MOO users should aslo take note of the 'Seamless Equipment - MOO' file on this mod page, which was uploaded with permission from the original author (the author chose to delete the mod page).
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46199]OOO - Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul - Updated[/url]
Compatible with MOO along with all its addons.
The second best overhaul mod for Oblivion. This overhaul is more similar to the Requiem overhaul for Skyrim. OOO poses a great amount of challenge in the game. In fact, you may find the game to be too hard after installing it. Monsters with high spell reflection will start to appear in high level dungeons, so mages are a lot less powerful. Notably it also amplifies the 'damage sponge' issue in vanilla Oblivion, where enemies feel like they have a lot more health or you do a lot less damage. Unfortunately with this Overhaul, you will likely need many patches if using it with other mods, to 'tune' them to OOO standards. It also has more bugs than MOO, and may not carry forward all Unofficial Patch changes (not necessarily a bad thing if that is intended by design).
That said, it can provide an amazingly immersive and hardcore experience. New NPCs, creatures, weapons, armor, artifacts, quests and more are added to the world. From the mod page:
"You must be prepared to cast aside your previous notions about Cyrodiil. The world no longer revolves around you, the player. Do not expect to be able to beat every monster or NPC you meet. Previously familiar areas may now be much more dangerous and you will frequently be forced to retreat from enemies who are too powerful to beat until you are stronger. You will probably die a lot more often now. However, if you have the ingenuity, skill, and luck to survive the odds stacked against you then you will be justly rewarded for your bravery!"
If you want to find patches for it, check the requirements tab of the OOO mod page. I recommend using [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47127]OOO-Rebalanced for Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul[/url] with it for some improvements. If using the mini-DLCs (such as the Orrery), you might want to check out [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47187]OOO Improvements and Additions[/url] which tunes them to OOO standards, among other tweaks. And read on for some additional OOO mods.
[b]
Note:[/b] if you intend to use OOO, you'll have to backtrace your steps in this guide to the Seamless OCOv2 install (only if you did the hard way). Install [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/24078]EVE for Oscuro Oblivion Overhaul 1_3 BAIN[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45858]SE- HGEC OOO 24078[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/14984]Robert Male Muscular OOO Armor[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45864]SE- Robert Male v5.2 all-in-1 Addons[/url] (OOO Sub-Package). After this, [b]uninstall non-OOO versions of EVE and Seamless HGEC (SE-HGEC).[/b]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47177]Oscuros Oblivion Overhaul Extended[/url]
If you're using OOO, I also recommend this extension. It adds tons of new creatures and equipment for OOO. Download and install the Meshes and Textures, but don't doanload the OOOExtended esps. You'll want to use the .esp hosted on the OOO Updated mod page. That .esp is more recent and has more bugs fixed. On the OOO Updated page, download OOO Misc Files. You may need to unpack it to a project. There are two OOOExtended versions, Real Swords and No Swords. Real Swords just adds more swords to the game. I advise using it. So in the project you unpacked, delete everything except the OOO Extended (Real Swords version), then in that folder delete OOOEquipmentAddon.esp (it is already in OOOExtended.esp). Install OOOExtended.esp and you should be good.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46508]OOO Shivering Isles[/url]
This mod does not actually require OOO to use. But it will OOO-ify the Shivering Isles, something the original mod does not do. No reason not to use it if using OOO. Remove the R.Head bash tag from the ESP description if using Oblivion Character Overhaul version 2, as it will conflict with it.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48681]Zensalin's Oblivion Overhaul[/url]
Most likely compatible with MOO.
A relatively new and more lightweight overhaul, based on the older [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/37217]Brashers Oblivion Overhaul[/url].
"This overhaul/compilation is meant to keep the game as close to vanilla feel as possible while improving on various aspects of the game. I hope for this mod to be appealing for new players, people who come back after some time to replay once in a while or people not interested in doing huge mod-lists, installations or configurations by themselfes."
Not much else to say about this one. If MOO and/or OOO+addons don't satisfy you, this is always an option.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/35265]TIE - Tamriel Immersion Experience[/url]
Most likely compatible with MOO.
Another fairly small overhaul. This one tends to reward thieve-type characters more than in vanilla. It uses strictly vanilla resources found only in Oblivion and Shivering Isles. Adds things like new NPCs, Non Leveled Loot, Items, Creatures, and NPCs, Deadlier Traps, Morrowind Ingredients, Better and more lethal Archery, Fiercer Combat, Revamped weapons and armor system and more. Again, here if the first one or two don't satisfy you.
There are more overhauls, but they are mostly outdated, have been abandoned or I personally don't think they are worth using.[/spoiler]
[center][size=6][b][u]Combat Mods[/u][/b][/size][/center]
[spoiler]Combat mods are optional.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49873]Dynamic Oblivion Combat
[/url]A much more recent combat overhaul. I would probably only choose this if I played a melee character. Features:
• "Timed Block
• Overhaul of the stagger-recoil system
• Bob and weave style dodge
• Acrobatic roll style dodge
• Opponents can bob and weave
• Shield bashing
• Opponents can shield bash to counter a player's failed attack
• Location based leg-shots
• Opponent AI can predict and counter repetitive player offensive moves
• Opponent AI can predict and counter repetitive player defensive moves
• If player is disarmed the opponent can pick up and use player's weapon
• Lunge style attack
• Hit from behind knockdown on player
• Two hand weapons, in addition to damage, also drain fatigue on target
• New defensive abilities for unarmored mage type opponents
• Combat damage multiplier
• Block - parry fatigue
• Changes to Oblivion's Game Settings such as:
⦁ decreased combat hit cone angle from 35 to 26
⦁ decreased Max armor rating from 85 to 80
⦁ increased magicka regeneration multiplier from 0.02 to 0.04
⦁ and several others, all easily changed or disabled in the ini file
• Extensive user adjustable ini file to customize features
• Compatible with most other mods
• Cleaned with TES4Edit. FPS friendly"
It only uses scripts to modify the game. [b]Note:[/b] there are reports that there may be an incompatibility with this mod and WalkBlessed's diagonal move plugin, in vanity mode. I'm not familiar with WB's vanity mode so I am unable to say.
[i][u]and/or (only one is recommended for new players)[/u][/i]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45314]Vanilla Combat Enhanced[/url]
Adds a whole bunch of combat tweaks to improve on the vanilla combat, customizable through the accompanying .ini file. Take a look at the mod page for all the new features. I would suggest however reverting the slower character speed change to vanilla, unless that's your thing.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48122]Bashing Reworked[/url]
Only use this if you do not use Dynamic Oblivion Combat, as DOC already has bashing.
Bashing Reworked allows you to 'bash' enemies with your shield or torch. NPCs have a chance to do this too.
[b]Note:[/b] you must rename the archive to something else, such as 'Shield Bashing Reworked'. Wrye Bash won't recognize any installers starting with the word 'bash'.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/44846]Idle Stagger and Recoil[/url]
Heavily optional. Just makes you and other NPCs able to be staggered without needing to be holding a weapon.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/37187]Better recoil and stagger[/url]
Makes stagger and recoil more realistic and less frustrating.[/spoiler]
[center][size=6][b][u]Magic Mods[/u][/b][/size][/center]
[spoiler]Most people recommend you use a magic overhaul. There are four big magic mods to choose from: Balanced Magic, LAME, Av Latta Magicka, Supreme Magicka Update.
From the following four magic overhauls, choose only one.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45249]Balanced Magic[/url]
This is probably the most 'vanilla plus' and most balanced magic overhaul available. It is my preferred magic mod. Whereas other magic mods add unbalanced, un-lorefriendly or game-breaking spells, this mod tries to avoid adding any fancy and outlandish spells. Created by the author of OOOExtended. Recommended to use [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49895]Balanced Magic Unofficial Patch[/url] to carry forward Unofficial Patch changes. If you use the enchantment rebalance module, replace it with [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49258]Complete Enchantment Overhaul[/url], it covers all of the official DLCs.
[url=http://www.theelderscrolls.info/?go=dlfile&fileid=219]Less Annoying Magic Experience (LAME)[/url] (Needs TES4Edit cleaning)
This is most people's preferred magic overhaul. It is quite old but still can be worth using. It is not hosted on the Nexus. It adds more spells than the previous mod (more than I would prefer if I'm to be honest). Also worth noting is that is has potentially 'un-lorefriendly' spells not suited for Oblivion, such as Mark and Recall, teleports and divine intervention (think cheesing your way out of escaping the building in the last Thieves Guild quest). It is also less balanced than the previous mod I have found. Some of the modules can be quite fun, like the Paper Chase module which has you finding spells throughout the world. Overall, probably my second choice for a magic overhaul in Oblivion.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49096]Av Latta Magicka[/url]
This is the newest magic overhaul to come out, in 2019. It makes magic more like Skyrim, changing the magic mastery perks to be similar to perks from that game. It requires the Oblivion Magic Extender, which is unfortunately reported to be somewhat buggy. This also means that you won't be able to create a bashed patch with this mod enabled, as Wrye Bash cannot import OBME records correctly (you'll have to deactivate some modules before building it). This would be my third choice for a magic overhaul.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/12466]Supreme Magicka Update[/url]
It can be a lot of fun, while being heavily imabalanced. Adds many teleportation spells as well as... levitation. Levitation allows you to skip the annoying parts of Oblivion, like levitating all the way up to the Sigil Keep inside an oblivion gate. Only recommended if you truly don't care about balance and just want instant gratification and neat spells. Fourth magic overhaul choice for me.
[b]Non-overhaul magic mods:[/b]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/39226]Magic Effects OBSE Tweaks[/url]
Compatible with the previous mods. "Remember how in Morrowind there were on target Absorb and on touch Open spells? This mod makes that available, and some more, thanks to OBSE".
Adds some nifty tweaks to the magic system through OBSE. Strictly optional. Also recommended you don't use the OBME tweaks.[/spoiler]
[center][b][u][size=6]Skills and Leveling[/size][/u][/b][/center]
[spoiler]I highly recommend you use a leveling overhaul mod as the vanilla one is broken. Choose one of the next three leveling overhauls only.
[center][b][size=5]Leveling[/size][/b][/center]
[left][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/35333]Oblivion XP Update[/url][/left]Automatically supports MOO and OOO.
Said to have problems with NorthernUI despite having support.
This leveling mod is my current favourite pick.
"Oblivion XP... brings the experience point reward system to Oblivion. You gain experience points for performing a variety of actions, including completing quests, killing monsters, picking locks or discovering new locations. When you accumulate enough experience points, you will gain a new level. Upon gaining the new level, you spend points to increase your attributes and skills. You no longer improve your skills by using them. You earn experience points by action and spend an allotted number of points on skills and attributes to improve them, anyway you wish, when you level-up."
Want to play a mage or thief with high Endurance? A warrior with high Willpower? This mod will let you choose which attributes and skills to advance upon level up. Granted, some skills will be harder to raise if they don't fall under your class skills or specialization. Therefore it is most similar to Skyrim's leveling system, which was a big improvement over Oblivion's and Morrowind's, compared to the other mods here.
[b]Note:[/b] If using Balanced Magic or another magic overhaul that affects Magicka regeneration, [b]Set ObXPSettings.magickaControlEnabled to 0[/b] in the Oblivion XP Settings.ini. This will allow the magic overhaul's changes to take precedence.
Unfortunately this mod does not support new skills added by other mods. If you want new skill support, use the following leveling mod.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49134]Ultimate Leveling[/url]
Automatically supports MOO and OOO.
The newest leveling mod to come out, created by the author of MOO. This leveling mod has more potential than the previous one. It introduces power scrolls throughout the world, which lets you raise attribute caps beyond 100. Another optional feature is horseshoes throughout the world which will raise your Luck when found.
The mod comes in two modes - an experience based leveling system (like Oblivion XP), or a skill usage leveling system (like Realistic Leveling). I have only played with the experienced based leveling system personally. One gripe with this system is that it does not allow you to manually choose which attributes to advance on level up. Therefore it forces thief and mage type characters to level heavy armor, armorer and block if they want Endurance (which gives health) increases. Thankfully, Maskar is addressing this in the version 1.9 update, which will allow you to manually assign attribute points.
The version 1.9 update currently in development will also add "a completely new and unique leveling system, where the level of the player character is removed and the game made completely unleveled. This means that the character can only gain skills and that any encounter (and loot) is based on the distance to a major city."
Sounds very interesting. I eagarly await the next update of this mod where I will most likely start using it over Oblivion XP Update.
Another minor issue is its calculations for quest completion experience. Some quests I have found reward way too much experience, like the Dark Brotherhood quests that simply tell you "I must accept a quest from Vicente Valtieri." then once that's done, "I have accepted a quest from Vicente Valtieri." This counts as a whole quest, and will reward slightly less experience in Ultimate Leveling than a normal contract quest for the Dark Brotherhood. Again, supposedly this is being improved on in the next update, thankfully.
Overall, a solid mod with a choice of two leveling systems, as well as many great features.
[b]Note:[/b] If using Balanced Magic or another magic overhaul that affects Magicka, [b]set ULVL.ini_magicka_multiplier to -1[/b] in Ultimate Leveling.ini. This will allow the magic overhaul's changes to take precedence.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/13879]Realistic Leveling[/url]
An oldie but goodie. "This mod changes leveling and attribute advances to be more realistic and provide better game play. Level and attributes will increase naturally as your skills improve, without the need to micromanage them or worry about what skills to use to optimise your advancement."
This is closer to the vanilla game's leveling system but without the bad stuff vanilla had. Although, if I wanted to use this type of leveling system, I would still probably use Ultimate Leveling's skill usage leveling system instead, as it has more interesting features.
[b]Other leveling related mods:[/b]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/41005]Fundament[/url]
Can modify the rate at which you advance in skill levels to be more like Skyrim's system, which can be a good thing to have for non-experienced based leveling systems. For instance, in vanilla Oblivion, casting a novice level Illusion spell will advance your Illusion skill at the same rate as if you were casting an expert level Illusion spell. This mod will rebalance it so the novice spell will reward less experience than the expert spell. From the mod page:
[list]
[*]"Global Rate Control
[i]Base skill slowdown and training cost control, with change-over-time options.[/i][*]Magic Prices
[i]Adjusts gold prices for enchanting, spellmaking and spell purchase.[/i][*]Racial Talents
[i]Skills with a racial bonus also get improved advancement rates.[/i][*]Variable Advancement: Armorer
[i]Rate of Armorer advancement depends on amount repaired per swing.[/i][*]Variable Advancement: Marksman
[i]Gains are dependent on target's range; bonus for sneak attacks.[/i][*]Variable Advancement: Melee
[i]Slower weapons give more skill; bonus for power attacks and sneak attacks.[/i][*]Variable Advancement: Mercantile
[i]Rates vary with trade value and vendor's skill; get skill for buying spells.[/i][*]Variable Advancement: Spells
[i]Per-effect gains; gains on-cast; magicka-based, range-based, and more!"
[/i][/list]
All features in the ini are disabled by default, so you have to uncomment the lines you wish to have an effect in the game. To do this easily, see the Fundament posts section, and copy CarlosS4444's settings into your .inis.
If you just want to use this mod as a requirement for a new skill or other mod, and you use a experience based leveling system, there's no need to change anything in the .inis.
[center][b][size=5]Skills[/size][/b][/center]
Optional skill-related enhancements:
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/38801]Real Time Lockpicking[/url]
An effort to replace the mundane lockpicking minigame in vanilla. Most people found the minigame to be either very easy or obnoxiously challenging. For us who found it very easy, it made the Security skill pointless, as very hard locks could be unlocked with 5 Security skill and only one lockpick. And also for those who hated the original minigame, that's where this mod comes in.
"Gets lockpicking out of a menu and into real time: Your lockpicks are now the currency used to open locks, your skill in Security is your ability at spending them, and getting caught is now a real threat."
I will definitely be using this one, personally. It is compatible with Ultimate Leveling [b]if you use the replacer ESP in this mod page's files[/b]. Maskar has given instructions on how to make Real Time Lockpicking and Ultimate Leveling compatible at the end of the Ultimate Leveling readme PDF. If you don't want to dive into the Construction Kit scripts and do it yourself, I've conviently done it for you already and uploaded the compatible ESP. You will need to install it after the original Real Time Lockpicking archive however.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/25226]Alchemy Advanced[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/44925]Alchemy Advanced Adjustments[/url]
You may want this mod if you use Alchemy a lot (I personally don't however). Some features:
[list]
[*]"a quantity slider for brewing batches of potions
[*]ingredient filters that can be edited in-game
[*]a new type of autofilter that looks for replacements for the current ingredient
[*]a new type of alchemal apparatus (the Refiner) for temporarily removing selected effects from ingredients.
[*]integrated saving and loading of recipes, and a new type of alchemical apparatus (the alchemist's Notebook) for storing saved recipes.
[*]a duration slider to specify the target duration of potion effects
[*]the ability to use potions and other recipes as ingredients in the current recipe
[*]customizable calculation of potion weight and gold value
[*]customizable calculation potion effect strengths"
[/list]
Recommended for those players who have a high focus on Alchemy, otherwise it's completely optional.
[b]The following new skill mods are highly optional.[/b] They won't work well with Oblivion XP Updated. Best bet is to use Ultimate Leveing.
[b]
Note:[/b] Sometimes, when reloading a savegame, the name of these new skills would show as “NOT INITIALIZED”. In that case you'll need to restart the game, before the savegame can be loaded correctly.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/41553]FEA - Fundament Enchanting Addons[/url]
Adds the Enchanting skill to Oblivion, which is very similar to the Skyrim Enchanting skill.
Mod notes: "Adds arrow and staff enchanting, scroll scribing, magic item renaming, and uses Fundament to keep it all under control like you've never seen before! Also adds an Enchanting skill, right in your character stats menu. Such is the power of MenuQue."
Requries [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/41005]Fundament[/url] among others.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48118]PSO - Pickpocket Skill Overhaul[/url]
Gives you a Pickpocket skill much like Skyrim's one. Includes several new perks when reaching new mastery levels.
Mod notes: "The Pickpocket skill, finally rifted apart from the Sneak skill. Includes perks and features affecting the success chance, options to set custom trainers and skill books... the usual."
Requries [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/41005]Fundament[/url] among others.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49555]Maskar's Unarmored Skill[/url]
Mod notes: "This mod adds the Unarmored Skill. It's used to avoid or reduce injury during combat while not wearing any armor by evading, deflecting, or absorbing blows."
This is probably not that interesting compared to the previous two skills. Perhaps if you wish to play a monk like character it may be of use.
Requires [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/33248]AddActorValues[/url].[/spoiler]
[center][size=6][b][u]Race and Birthsign Mods[/u][/b][/size][/center]
[spoiler]Oblivion's races and birthsigns are terribly imbalaned. If you're looking to make the races and birthsigns more reasonable, then some of the following mods may interest you. Note: Unfortunately, I don't think that there are any truly great race and birthsign mods for Oblivion. Therefore, this section is really quite optional. But if you want a reason to play something other than a Breton or Orc or Redguard, and not use an overpowered birthsign like the Atronach or Warrior, then it's worth taking a look.
You shouldn't install race and birthsign mods midgame, maybe with the exception of Birthsigns Expanded, as it provides a means to reset your birthsign safely. Racial adjustment mods added midgame won't bring the new race changes over to your current character.
Race overhauls will likely conflict with Oblivion Character Overhaul version 2. I have however made a few patches for the following mods that needed it (that the bashed patch cannot solve on its own).
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47639]Dahyka's Vanilla Racials and Birthsigns Improved[/url]
The only race and birthsign adjustment mod I would use. A welcoming change is Breton Magic Resistance bonus reduced from 50% to 15% (Orc also reduced from 25% to 15%). The Voice of the Emperor greater power is now a lesser power with no cooldown on touch (from on target), still +30 charm for 30 secs. More racial tweaks are on the mod page for you to see.
Concerning its birthsign changes, some look pretty good. "The Steed now grants a +20 bonus to both Speed AND Athletics, as well as boosting fatigue regen rate by +5. Players who choose this sign also gain the Freedom lesser power, a spell that fortifies their speed and feathers them for +100 whilst also adding waterwalking for 10 seconds, burning 15 fatigue a second to compensate." That to me sounds quite fun and would make me want to choose that birthsign more - use it too much and your character will become fatigued, and likely collapse for a few seconds.
"The Shadow: The Moonshadow greater power is now a lesser power; it turns the user invisible and fortifies their speed by 50 for 8 seconds, damaging their fatigue for 8 every second as a cost for a total of 64 fatigue lost." A lot more useful and interesting than in vanilla.
"The Lover fortifies your Personality by an additional 100 and gives you the Lover's Caress lesser power, a free touch spell that boosts all of your target's attributes by +30 and restores their health by +3 over 60 seconds." I don't know if I like or dislike the huge Personality buff. But it does fit the theme of the sign, and is quite unique.
Plenty more birthsign changes are there for you to glance at on the mod page. Overall, this seems to be the best choice, if you're looking for a race and birthsign balancing mod.
There are some minor problems with the mod, like a few typos, some Unofficial Patch changes not being carried forward, and the fact that it has the version number of the mod in its ESP filename (a very bad practice, when the mod receives an update and changes its name again this could cause problems in your save).
No patch needed with Oblivion Character Overhaul version 2, just use a bashed patch.
[i][u]or[/u][/i]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/26216]tejon's Racial Adjustment Package (TRAP)[/url]
This race rebalancing mod is probably the most similar to the mod 'Imperious - Races of Skyrim' by Enai Siaion in Skyrim. It adds many new and uniqe racial abilities to the races. One feature for Khajiits, the Auto Night-Eye, may become very annoying eventually. Notably, the Dunmer Ancestral Guardian is less useless than in vanilla. See [url=https://file-metadata.nexusmods.com/file/nexus-readmes/101/26216/TRAP_readme.txt]the official readme document here[/url] for the new abilities, attributes, skill and relations to other races.
Oblivion Character Overhaul version 2 patch [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49864]available here[/url].
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/12149]Birthsigns Expanded[/url]
Made by the author of TRAP, this and TRAP are intended to go together. [url=https://pastebin.com/raw/KM6LvUyj]Changes made are listed here in a pastebin.[/url] I find some of these overpowered personally. Specifically the Mage ability which increases your Magicka thirteenfold for 60 seconds (once per day), and the Warrior ability which makes you invulnerable, indefatigable and immune to paralysis for 60 seconds (once per day). Another ability that users have reported annoynace with is the Steed's constant waterwalking abillity. From my own experience this can get very annoying and it becomes difficult to dive into water.
The Shadow sign also provides 100% chameleon once a day. You also lose carried gold at a rate equal to your Luck^1.5 per day. Not sure I like this one, but I'll leave it up to you.[/spoiler]
[center][b][u][size=6]General[/size][/u][/b][/center]
[spoiler]This will list mods touching gameplay, immersion, world enhancements and also extra UI mods. I will list some mods I consider 'essentials' (not actually essential but they improve or enhance the game in a substantial way).
[center][size=5][b]'Essentials'
[/b][/size][/center][url=http://www.theassimilationlab.com/forums/files/file/951-cobl/]
Cobl[/url]
This mod enriches the world in various ways, by adding new books from previous games, lore ingredients, foods and beverages, and optionally races (I don't use the new races). It also provides utility features such as a fame/infamy tracker, which will "track changes to your fame, infany bounty, murders and oblvion gates closed and report with a short message as they change.", optional bypassing of the poison confirmation, denocking for bows and the options to remove spells from your spellbook.
It also introduces the Luggage, "a simple wooden chest that once acquired, will show up in many places: Mages Guild and Fighters Guild guild halls, inns and taverns where you've rented a bed, wilderness camps (after a night of rest), bought houses, etc."
There are also grinders, available in all Mages guild halls. The grinders will grind gems, bones and some minerals and metals into alchemical ingredients.
And there's more, the optional "Item Interchange feature cross-polinates items between different mods. E.g. Happy Hannah's wines may be found being sold by Tamrielic Travellers, or fish from Alive Waters! may be found in remote taverns, etc. No longer will cool items added by one mod be found only in one or two spots, but instead, it will be found in locations old and new across Cyrodiil and beyond!"
It can be somewhat subtle compared to other big mods, but not everything has to be a major change. You may not find it so 'essential' to you, but I always use it and recommend it.
See which official homes and mod homes have Cobl mods available for them [url=https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Tes4Mod:Cobl/Mods]here[/url] (I use Frostcrag Alchemy Sorter, which happens to need TES4Edit cleaning).
[b]
Installation:[/b]
Download the package and drop it in BAIN.
Run the wizard.
Choose Stable.
Just check only 'Tweaks' unless you really want the the others.
Select Cobl Tweaks - SI (OOO users should use the updated OOO Tweaks instead on the OOO mod page)
(Optional) Choose Item Interchange and then select in bulk
Apply these packages then click finish.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45214/]GOSH - Gecko's Oblivion Sound overHaul[/url]
A magnificent sound overhaul.
Download and place into BAIN, then uncheck GOSH Region Ambiance.esp before installing, as it conflicts with All Natural.
[b]Choose one alternate start mod between the next two:
[/b]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/11495]Alternative Start Arrive by Ship[/url]
This is my preferred alternate start mod. It is fairly old, but it is simple and effective. The starting location choices are a bit limited however, either Anvil or the Imperial City (because you arrive via ship). You do get to choose your starting gear, faction relations and even a few starting spells depending on your occupation.
It lets you start the main quest immediately after getting off the ship. After arriving, a dream leads you to know the location of The Amulet of Kings; it can be found on a dead rat not far in to the Imperial sewers. It fits in to the game world somewhat well, your dialogue with Jauffre will change slightly to reflect how you obtained the Amulet and your dream of Uriel. Overall, not a bad choice for a alternate start mod.
Grab the [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49897]unofficial patch here too[/url].
[i][u]or
[/u][/i][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/37382]Alternative Beginnings[/url]
This was my previous choice, but I found few problems with it. It offers an impressive amount of choices regarding your starting location.
However, the mod tries to enforce a pre-assassination time period where Uriel is not dead until you eventually gain enough fame. Unfortunately, there are numerous dialogue topics with NPCs, Black Horse Courier publications in the world, and even quests that inform about the Emperor's assassination during this time period where he is alive (you can find him in the White Gold Tower). So it does not make much sense unfortunately and there is some confusion.
I don't believe you can also start the main quest immediately either, until a Dunmer shaman contacts you about the impending assassination of Uriel. This leads to you either ignoring his requests or accepting his task of going to prison and going through the prison escape with Uriel again (I never want to go through that place again). Also what happens if you assassinated Valen Dreth before going through the secret escape with Uriel, would he just not be there? I don't know.
If you don't accept the shaman's task, you can eventually find a dead adventurer with the Amulet of Kings in their inventory at Fort Ash, which you can take to Jauffre (note: I don't think the dialogue with Jauffre has been changed to reflect this).
This mod is therefore more complex compared to the previous one. This would be my second choice for an alternate start mod.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/19628]Animated Window Lighting System and Chimneys - AWLS[/url]
Mod notes: "AWLS is an illuminated window system that has three goals:
1) Add illuminated windows to all vanilla building meshes in such a way that also allows all mods using vanilla buildings to also have illuminated windows without the need of patches.
2) Allow the player to choose to have the lights on 24/7, at night only, or also during rainy weather. The player can pick what option is best for him or her by using one or none of the three included plugins (medium and advanced plugins require OBSE v14 or higher).
3) Add smoke effects to all chimneys if desired."
This mod makes for a very nice effect on the windows of houses in cities and such. Very nice mod.
[b]Go through the manual wizard in BAIN and select the default options, except:[/b]
No (to having RAEVWD)
Yes (to having Bomrets Texture Pack)
You're free to choose the colours you want instead of course.
Apply packages then click finish.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/26389]Map Marker Overhaul[/url]
Adds more map markers, such as ones for the wayshrines (making the Knights of the Nine entry quest a lot less painful), ayleid well, magical stones, player-owned houses and obselisks of order. It also changes some existing map marker icons to be more immersive and appropriate. It will let you mark dungeons as incomplete if you wish to come back to them later. And it optionally overhauls the map markers to match elven maps and the like.
The wizard reportedly has problems, instead just select the Sub-Packages '00 Core', an '01' package which suits your preference (I use '01 Vanilla Icons'), and '02 SI additions'. Then install.
[b]Note:[/b] if you don't want the range at which you can see a location on your compass lowered greatly, [b]set tnoMMO.visibleDistance to 0 in the Map Marker Overhaul.ini[/b].
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/34735]Enhanced Hotkeys[/url]
Most likely not NothernUI compatible.
[list]
[*]"Assign items up to 40 hotkeys, with up to 4 'wheels' for a total of up to 160 hotkeys!
[*]You can freely decide the number of hotkeys (max 40), and the layout of the hotkey menu.
[*]Freely assign any keyboard button or mouse button to any hotkey.
[*]Allows auto-casting of spells. Cast one or more spells by tapping a hotkey, without changing your current spell.
[*]Assign more than one item to the same hotkey, for cycling through the items or casting them all at the same time (if spells).
[*]Use hotkey buttons or mouse wheel to cycle through items.
[*]All 40 hotkeys and their bound items can be viewed and easily changed.
[*]Will equip all arrows of a type if bound to a hotkey.
[*]Has special hotkey items for unequipping any weapon, or equipping bow+arrows.
[*]Has gear hotkey items for equipping many items by one hotkey tap.
[*]Improved User Interface."
[/list]
If you want to expand on the 1-8 hotkeys available in vanilla, then grab this.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/12859]Toggleable Quantity Prompt - Updated[/url]
Not needed with NorthernUI.
Mod notes: "With this mod, you can auto-confirm the quantity prompt (\"How many?\") and confirmation prompt that you get when an item or spell is transacted (moving/buying/selling/dropping). Items may be transacted one at a time with by holding down either ctrl key, or an entire stack at a time by holding down either shift key."
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/23404]QZ Easy Menus Update[/url]
Most likely not NorthernUI compatible.
Mod notes: "Enables hotkeys/shortcuts for getting out of menus quickly, as well as accessing specific tabs of the journal. Finally you can press M to see the map!"
Alternatively you can use [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48144]Better Menu Controls[/url]. I've always stuck to QZ, though.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/22894]Crime has witnesses[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/33682]Crime Has Witnesses - Responsibility Tweak[/url]
It may be a little overpowered, but it's the probably the best solution to the awful crime system in vanilla. You can kill those who have witnessed your crimes (or persuade them) and they won't report your crime.
[b]set kCWWQuest.showWitnesses to 1[/b] in the .ini to avoid message box spam when comitting a crime.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48914]World Maps For All Worldspaces[/url] (Requires TES4Edit cleaning)
Mod notes: "Adds a world map to every worldspace in the game, particularly the Oblivion planes."
A mod I recently picked up. You can actually have maps of Oblivion realms, Paradise and other worldspaces now!
[center][b][size=5]New Weapons[/size][/b][/center]I recommend at least the first mod.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45440]Weapons Of Morrowind[/url]
Mod notes: "Weapons Of Morrowind (W.O.M) is a project that aims to expand the available weapons found in-game via loot. All of the included weapons are faithful recreations of the weapons from TES3: Morrowind."
One of the best weapons mods out there. Almost a must have for me.
I personally do not install the 'Weapons Of Morrowind - Daedric Crescent' file as I don't use two-handed weapons. If that interests you, then feel free to download it as well.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49871]Unique Artifacts for Unique People[/url]
Ever heard of the Royal Armory - New Artifacts mod for Skyrim? This mod is quite similar, but with less weapons added to royal characters and more to the interesting ones.
27 new weapon artifacts are added to the inhabitants of Cyrodiil and the Shivering Isles, using resources from the Nexus. Unlike Royal Armoy where it was virtually impossible to obtain all the new weapons, all weapons in this mod are readily available to acquire throughout your adventures.
[center][b][size=5]Quests[/size][/b][/center]
You may be asking why there aren't many quest mods here. This is because I have not played a substantial amount of good quest mods. Unlike in Skyrim where there are many masterpieces such as Moon and Star, Legacy of the Dragonborn and VIGILANT, most quest mods for Oblivion were made in a completely different modding era, and as such vary in quality judging by today's standards.
I have some quest mods in my sights however and will update this list later on. For now, here's some that I can recommend.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/31773]A Brotherhood Renewed[/url]
This quest mod is probably worth playing through at least once, if you like the Dark Brotherhood and were disappointed by its vanilla ending as I was. It is fairly well done. After the Dark Brotherhood questline, it involves you rebuilding the sanctuaries hidden around each city, as well as recruiting suitable people to look after them. Take a loot at it if that sounds appealing to you. If so, grab the [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/35333]Oblivion XP Update patch[/url] as well if you use it.
It is better than the other Dark Brotherhood quest mod 'Dark Brotherhood Chronicles' from my experience, which is incompatible with this mod. Dark Brotherhood Chronicles is also incomplete.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/16316]The Ayleid Steps[/url]
Another decent quest mod. Adds new 'ayleid steps' all around Cyrodiil, which can teleport you to another step when used. It inolves a lot of exploration, and is still updated today.
[b][size=5][center]Miscellaneous[/center][/size][/b]
These mods are all optional.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/39635]Auto Update Leveled Items And Spells[/url]
It will update your leveled quest item rewards as you level up, as well as leveled spells from quests. This means you don't have to wait until you are a higher level to receive the best version of a quest reward item.
You should [b]Set AULIAS.FotMCostMultTo 0[/b] in Auto Update Leveled Items And Spells.ini, as the Unofficial Oblivion Patch and most magic mods fix this.
Maskar's Oblivion Overhaul users should [b]set MOO.ini_ability_imbuing to 0[/b] in Maskar's Oblivion Overhaul.ini as this mod does the same thing and more (albiet in a slightly less immersive manner). Imbuement in MOO does not upgrade leveled quest reward spells.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/39415]Bruma Guild Reconstructed[/url]
This mod will rebuild the Bruma Mages Guild Hall from an otherwise state of eternal destruction after the Mages Guild questline. A well needed change. You can also grab the [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47157]Immersive Interiors - Bruma Guild Reconstructed addon here[/url].
Note: the mod will unfortunately likely cause FPS drops on decent computers while in the new Bruma Guild Hall (I do not know why this is). It also will cause a neck seam to reappear on one new NPC due to adding custom clothing.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48728]No Anachronistic Main Quest Comments[/url]
Mod notes: "Disables most references to specific events in the Main Quest after a certain time."
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/42510]DLC Spell Tomes OBSE fixer and translator[/url]
Pretty much no reason to not use this mod if using a magic overhaul. It will update the texts of the spell tomes from the Spell Tomes DLC to reflect the new effects of your magic overhaul mod.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48200]Is Anybody Home (AoG)[/url]
This mod will allow you to knock on locked doors. NPCs will come outside to talk to you. Note that at night, waking up NPCs to talk to them through this will cause a disposition drop.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48277]Greed Arena (AoG)[/url]
It's a nice quality of life addon for the Arena. Allows you to skip the arena announcement before each fight, fight at any hour, optionally fight without an arena rainment (nice for mages), bet an infinite amount of gold, choose any creatures to fight during the grand champion recurring fight, increased spectator size, and even the option to loot your defeated foes in the Arena.
One feature that is not optional and that I don't like is the Gray Prince and the Yellow Team Champion for some reason return to the yellow team base after you complete the questline as if they didn't die. I am not sure why the author decided to add this in. If that doesn't bother you, then I recommend the mod.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/25078]Enhanced Economy[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47184]Lubrons patch - Enhanced Economy[/url]
A very well done economic overhaul mod. Mod notes:
"Main features are:
* [i]Dynamic Barter Gold:[/i] Merchants don't have infinite gold, but receive/lose gold when you buy/sell items.
* [i]Merchant Quests:[/i] Merchants will ask you for help to find items in caves/ruins that otherwise see little action.
* [i]Haggle Overhaul:[/i] Disable Haggle menu and get automatically correct prices - or keep it, but with restriction on the number of haggle attempts.
* [i]Real Values:[/i] Bartering are done at real values, and not rounded up. So an arrow worth 1 gold, sold at 30% will net you 0.3 gold, not 1.
* [i]Local Economy:[/i] Item prices varies depending on the city and the merchant. A Smith will pay well for swords, but not for clothes. Also let you easily change the base price of variuous item types.
* [i]Item repricing:[/i] Lets you easily reprice individual items by editing/importing text files with price data. A number of such files included.
* [i]Global Economy:[/i] The merchants' prices and willingness to trade is affected by the Oblivion crisis.
* [i]Gold Adjustment:[/i] Adjust how much gold you get from quest or any other source.
* [i]Item Removal:[/i] Reduce the number of enchanted items found in the game.
* [i]Repricing:[/i] Reprices the buyable houses, Reduces the high values of enchanted loot. Reprices all services.
* [i]House Taxes:[/i] Makes you have to pay tax for your houses.
* [i]Mercantile Leveling:[/i] Gain more experience when selling expensive items or group of items.
* [i]Illegal looting:[/i] It is illegal to loot dead guards or other friendly NPCs, containers in cities, or plants belonging to farms."
I personally no longer use it because I like merchants having infinite gold but you should use it if you want a more realistic experience. I also turned off house taxes and merchant quests when I used it (the merchant quests reward very little gold by default). If you use MOO then turn off illegal looting as companions will often loot crates and barrels marked as stolen.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46160]Harvest Nearby Flora[/url]
This mod is very optional, as it may be considered a cheat mod by some.
It is [i]very[/i] convenient, however. There are places like Frostcrag Spire and the Arcane University where a bunch of harvestable plants are all together. Individually picking them may become very tedious. Casting the spell (given to you at character start) will harvest everything in the small area around you. Fits mage characters very well.
There is a similar feature in Maskar's Oblivion Overhaul I believe called the scythe, which lets you harvest some plants via using it, but I have never used this feature.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/14200]Mannimarco Revisited[/url]
This mod is extremely optional. It overhauls the Mannimarco encounter to resemble more that of Daggerfall's appearance. It is a good amount more immersive than vanilla's fight.
[b]WARNING:[/b] This mod makes the Mannimarco fight [b]incredibly difficult.[/b] You will likely not be able to defeat him without 'cheesing it' or using the console. I do not recommend this mod for absolute new players. Mannimarco will self heal, have spell reflect, be immune to frost and shock, and have many minions to assist him during the fight. I am only listing it here because the fight in the vanilla game is incredibly easy.
Do not get this mod if using OOO, as Mannimarco is already overhauled there.
Download 'MannimarcoRevisited', 'MannimarcoRevisitedv11' and the [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49272]Mannimarco Revisited UOP Patch[/url].
For the first file, [b]uncheck both ESPs in the Plugin Filter[/b], then install.
Then install the update ESP file afterwards.
Finally install the UOP Patch for it.
If you haven't already and you don't use MOO (MOO does this automatically), turn off border restrictions in BethINI. It is needed for this mod.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/34474]Jovs Mages Gloves[/url]
This mod simply adds mage gloves to the game, a feature which was lacking from the original game. Recommended to use if you play a mage and don't use OOO (OOO adds a few non-armour gloves already). Otherwise you will have to use wrist irons if you want non-armour gloves. They are purchasable at the Mystic Emporium.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/17413]Sigil Stone Selector[/url]
This mod will let you choose which sigil stone you receive when closing an oblivion gate.
Place the archive in BAIN and uncheck all ESPs in Plugin Filter except for 'SigilStoneSelector.esp', then install.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/19847]Put it in its Place - Enhanced Grabbing[/url]
You can actually move around owned objects for a little while without gaining a bounty if you get this. It also lets you dispose of corpses. Another thing is "Throwing things around will no longer go unnoticed – If you grab and throw something around, you'll probably lower your standing with any NPCs nearby, who had witnessed your antics. On the other hand, lending a hand will most definitely get you places."
There are more features too, check out the mod page for them.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49131]Uncapped Skeleton Key[/url]
A handy mod that will fix the broken +40 Skeleton Key Security buff, which is a hard increase until you drop the key. This buff otherwise can interfere with leveling and will conceal your true Security level.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49611]Rebalanced and Unleveled Quest Gold Rewards[/url]
It rebalanced and unlevels various quest gold rewards, to make them more worthwhile and suitable for the circumstances in which the gold rewards are received. No more Dark Brotherhood contracts rewarding 50 gold from levels 1-4.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49866]Rebalanced Arena Gold Rewards
[/url]This is an extension to the previous mod, and makes the Arena gold rewards less pitiful. I use the 1.5x gold version.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49024]Oblivion Character Overhaul v2 Female Dremora Voices[/url]
Mod notes: "Oblivion Character Overhaul v2 adds female Dremora by changing approximately half the vanilla game Dremora to female, but doesn't add any voices for those female Dremora. This mod rectifies that."
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/16704]FormID Finder[/url]
If you want to find out which mod is adding something in-game, or know which mesh and texture path something in the world has, then get this mod. Great for debugging purposes or if you're just curious about the origins of a thing.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49277]Artifacts Redone[/url]
This mod will retexture and remodel most unique items in the game where a unique model was lacking, using Nexus resources. Really nice robe meshes and textures from this mod in my opinion.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45517]Local Guards Features[/url]
This mod makes the town guard outfits and weapons more diverse. It may not suit your tastes however. And it will introduce neck seams to the Leyawiin guards, so this one is your choices. If you get it, install the [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49896]Local Guards Features Unofficial Patch[/url] afterwards. There are also some addons such as for Kvatch and Knights of the Thorn that can be found in the requirements tab.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47191]Oblivion Uncut[/url]
This is heavily optional as I'm on the fence about this one. It restores a ton of content scrapped early on in development. I personally feel like this mod adds too much. I will leave it here though because it is highly praised and there's some changes I do like, such as seeing Raven Cameron in the Imperial City streets.
Not all Unofficial Patch are changes forwarded, random changes to NPC stats and there's a few typos here and there. It may also cause compatibility issues with some mods.
[b]Note:[/b] from the time when I used to use it, I received some crashes associated with it. That was a year or two ago, these may have been fixed or ironed out (notably it is now Battlehorn DLC compatible).
Either pick the full or purist versions if you wish to get it.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45061/]Casual Conjurers[/url]
This mod will sometimes make Conjurer's wear normal clothes instead of always wearing a Mage Robe, for some variation.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48253]Variant Vagabonds[/url]
Similar to the last mod, this diversifies the types of emeny NPCs you can encounter in the game. "Bandits, marauders, sorcerers, necromancers, and vampires have all been expanded to better reflect Cyrodiil's ethnic distribution and according to each race's most prominent abilities."
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/20303]SM Combat Hide[/url]
Mod notes: "This mod allows to more effectivly hide from npcs you are in combat with. If you stay out of visible sight from them long enough the npc will not be sure where you have gone and lose track of you. No more do npc's have homing beacons on your position.Once the npc has lost you if brave enough or dislike you enough they will search the area for a while and if they come accross you they will instantly attack. After some time they will stop actively searching the area for you.There is also a fix to the never ending combat situations so that when its obvious the area has no enemies combat mode will end."
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/29649]QQuix - Rock rock rock your ship[/url] (Requires TES4Edit cleaning)
Mod notes: "Ships and boats will rock with the wind improving the ambience in dock areas."
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49893]Quest NPCs Run
[/url]This will speed up slow walking NPCs during quests, like the Odiil Brothers heading to their farm, and Pinarus Inventius looking for the mountain lions during one of the first Fighter's Guild quest.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/44862]Dialogue Tweaks Fixes and Restorations
[/url]Mod notes: "Restores a few lines of dialogue and overhauls how some of it works."
I would turn off the new trespassing dialogue however, as it may interrupt some quests, such as ones in the Mages Guild.
[b]Note:[/b] it seems to conflict with OOO's increased Theives Guild fencing requirements, with no way to turn it off. So I don't recommend this mod if you use OOO.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/36189]Vampire Power[/url]
If you want to play a vampire in Oblivion (something I'd advise against doing), this is probably the most reasonable mod to go along with it.
Also an optional module also to make the Seridur fight harder and make him look more vampiric, and a module to make the Hindaril fight harder and gives him a new unique weapon. These last two modules do not require the main ESP to use. The Seridur ESP will also let you give Roland Jenseric all of your Vampire Dust at once.
The optional ESP files can be worth using even if you never want to become a vampire (don't need the main ESP). Hindaril ESP however is not needed if using OOO due to that buffing him as well.[/spoiler]
[center][b][u][size=6]Bashed Patch[/size][/u][/b][/center]
[spoiler]Before continuing, download and install [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49849]Bash Tags for Mods[/url]. It is installable like any other mod. It will apply more bash tags to your mods, if they are covered by this utility. This will increase the capabilities of the bashed patch to import and merge more changes from some mods (many that are in this guide), resulting in more compatibility overall. After installing, close and reopen Wrye Bash to be sure that the new bash tags are all applied.
After doing that, sort all the mods in your load order with BOSS. You may need to close and re-open Wrye Bash to see the updated load order.
[b]Optional:[/b] After they're sorted, load all of your mods in TES4Edit by right-clicking on the module selection screen and clicking Select All, then press OK (shift clicking on OK is faster but won't build references). Highlight every mod on the left using control+A, then right-click anywhere on your mods and select 'Sort masters'. This will sort the masters of any plugins that are out of order. Exit out and save any plugins that were sorted.
Close and reopen Wrye bash if things aren't updated, then activate all of your mods by right-clicking on the white bar titled 'File' at the top, going to Load Order and selecting Activate All. Then, deactivate all mods that are gold coloured in their name. These are not intended to be activated but rather imported into the bashed patch, because they have the NoMerge bash tag. There was a recent change that made all mods tagged with NoMerge not deactivate upon building the bashed patch. Unfortunately, most authors assigned this bash tag in a time where NoMerge tagged mods [i]were[/i] deactivated by the bashed patch upon being built. Thus they weren't intended to be active. So simply deactivate all gold coloured plugins loading before the bashed patch.
Once that's done, right click on Bashed Patch, 0.esp in your load order in the Mods tab. Select 'Rebuild Patch...'.
[b][u]On PBash vs CBash
[/u][/b]There are two modes to building the bashed patch, PBash and CBash. PBash is the stable and standard mode for all Bethesda games. CBash merges more mods and bashes more records but is older and is in beta forever until a developer who knows how to continue it joins the Wrye Bash team. It's only for Oblivion.
I may get a lot of hate for this, but I cannot recommend CBash anymore, unless you have too many mods and need to merge some into your bashed patch (you shouldn't be playing Oblivion with that many mods anyway as the game engine most likely can't handle it). I had noticed CBash being unreliable after inspecting the patch via TES4Edit, and saw it failing to resolve some simple incompatibilities compared to PBash's patch. This may be because CBash has not been updated since July of 2017 and is in beta. CBash seems to 'have a mind of its own' at times and can do nonsensical things, and therefore is much more experimental than PBash.
Wrye Bash developers will offer you no support relating to CBash issues, as it is not understood well by any current developer. That said, use whatever suits you. This is just my own experience from modding Oblivion for a few years and using Wrye Bash a lot.
[b]---End of commentary---[/b]
You should see a list of some of your mods on the right panel and things that will be merged/imported/tweaked on the left panel. Don't unselect anything.
Go to 'Tweak Assorted' and check the 'DarNified Books' box.
Now go to 'Tweak Settings'. Scroll to the bottom and check the '[b]UOP Vampire Aging and Face Fix.esp[/b]' box. That is the only one needed, but there are more optional tweaks, and here are some I recommend:
[b]Crime: Alarm Distance [1000][/b] - Set it to 1000 for less omniscient guards (the default is 4000).
[b]Msg: Auto Saving [[None]][/b] - Hides the Auto saving message that pops up when auto saving.
[b]Msg: Not Enough Charge [[None]][/b] - Hides the Not Enough Charge for weapon enchantments message
[b]Msg: Quick Load [[None]][/b] - Hides the Quick Load message
[b]Msg: Quick Save [[None]][/b] - Hides the Quick Save message
[b]Warning: Exterior Distance to Hostiles [1000][/b] - Lets you sleep, travel etc when outside while enemies can be nearer to you than previously (the default is 3000). More like Skyrim where it's quite lenient. No more random far away mudcrabs preventing you from fast travelling.
[b]Warning: Interior Distance to Hostiles [1000][/b] - The same thing as before but indoors (the default is 2000).
There is another tweak to fix the terrible bow mechanics and arrow speed, but I don't use it (MOO has a similar feature to address them):
[b]Arrow: Speed [x 2.4][/b] - This will boost arrow speed to the same magnitude as in the mod Archery Rebalance (default 1.2).
Once you're finished with tweaks, click on 'Build Patch'. Your patch may take a few minutes, be patient. Once you get the completion message, you're all done![/spoiler]
[center][b][u][size=6]Oblivion Reloaded and ENB (Graphics Enhancing)[/size][/u][/b][/center]
[spoiler]I am not too comfortable giving advice on these topics, so see [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49560/]Bevilex' Oblivion Reloaded Preset for ENBs[/url].
I do however recommend using Monkey ENB, but you should set [b]EnableFPSLimit=false[/b] in enbseries.ini (your game may slow down otherwise. We already have an FPS limiter in OSR).
If using Cinematic ENB, set [b]SpeedHack=false[/b] in enbseries.ini or your game may appear glitched on the main menu.
Oblivion Reloaded users should take a look at the [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49706]OR7-7.1 fixes for AMD GPU[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48763]Whiteflame fix[/url]. They should also move the Improved Moons and DOWNPOUR installers below Oblivion Reloaded's installer, then use the Anneal All function by right-clicking the top white bar in BAIN.[/spoiler]
[center][b][u][size=6]Mods I No Longer Use[/size][/u][/b][/center]
[spoiler]These are mods that I no longer use or mods regarded as not worth using, due to them potentially causing issues, being too big or not being very good (in my opinion).
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49349]Main file patcher ENG ITA[/url]
I think that modifying Oblivion.esm is a bad idea. It will affect how mods are cleaned and they may report different ITMs removed compared to an untouched Oblivion.esm. Also removes the Hawkhaven testing area which some mods may touch, resulting in errors when using mods with this patcher. I'd stay on the safe side and not use it.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/9562]Midas Magic Spells of Aurum[/url]
This mod is quite imbalanced, has quite a few bugs and crash issues and is un-lorefriendly, adding tons of 'fancy' spells. The graphical quality of the spells can sometimes be distinctively off. Use this mod at your own risk.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48244]Greed Vision (AoG)[/url]
This mod will increase your Restoration skill randomly when around NPCs and creatures. This is because the spell used for detection is under the Restoration school. It may not be an issue for those using Oblivion XP Update or Ultimate Leveling, as the experience based leveling systems probably wouldn't be affected by it (cannot raise skills through normal usage). Another issue that is potentially related to this mod is NPCs rotating while sitting to face you, which can look broken.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47703]Lore Friendly Generic Name Overhaul[/url]
It has Worldspace and other dirty edits. NPC stats and faces modified for no reason, so it will conflict with OOO and the like.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/16513]Better Cities[/url]/City enhancing mods and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/19370]Unique Landscapes Compilation
[/url]Big city mods or mods like Unique Landscapes are going to lower the stability and FPS of your game. Oblivion's engine is simply incapable of handling these types of mods well. Better Cities in particular can also be imbalanced concerning gameplay. These mods tend to have compatibility problems as well.
Some modules of Unique Landscapes are generally fine to use individually, such as the [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/23573]Unique Landscapes - Brena River Ravine[/url] module required by the quest mod [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45880]Rathunas[/url]. Avoid using every Unique Landscapes module, just stick to a few if you really want to have it (I am unsure which ones are the most stable and least FPS-harming however).
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/15412]Kvatch Rebuilt[/url]
It's still a work-in-progress even today. Voice acting is regarded to be quite lacking in quality, and a lot of the mod content is unrelated to rebuilding a city. Though I never completed it, I recently watched a YouTuber play this mod and they encountered a very painful looking underwater maze that resulted in them getting quite aggravated, and they had to use the console to get through it. That's personally not my kind of thing.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47002]Instant Kill Advanced[/url]/[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47000]Instant Kill Expanded[/url]
It does not reward the player experience (in experience based leveling mods) if a critical hit kills a NPC or creature. This is supposedly because the critical hits in this mod aren't flagged as damage done by the player. Theoretically this means you could murder an NPC with a critical hit and not receive a bounty, because it's not damage done by the palyer.
I really wish it worked because it's a great idea but for now I'm giving this a skip. It is a fun mod.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47854/]Lubrons patch - No More Wild Goose Chases[/url]
It just doesn't work for me, specifically the Shadowbanish Wine map markers after reading the manifest. Same thing with the original mod. Doesn't carry forward Unofficial Patch fixes. Would love to know if the Shadowbanish Wine markers work for you if you use it.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/22135]Better Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary[/url]
This mod kills FPS in the Dark Brotherhood sanctuary even on good, modern machines, and it makes the sanctuary too dark, even with the brightest ESP version. If it weren't for those caveats, I would have enjoyed this mod.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49347]Water FPS Boost[/url]
This simply doesn't seem necessary or needed.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/43879]Immersive Weapons[/url]
Has a few unaddressed bugs, like missing meshes and textures on weapons. Some added weapons don't fit into the game well, design wise. Weapon icons missing, etc. One report of a crash when using the staff Apotheosis.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/33266]More Effective Enchantments[/url]
This mod is simply overpowered and will let you not have to recharge weapons most of the time.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/30568]Vampire Hunting - Order of the Virtuous Blood[/url]
This mod is not that bad content wise, but it has an incredibly annoying feature once you start the mod's questline where you repeatedly get re-infected with Porphyric Hemophilia with no apparent warning or reason. Just a terrible feature.
There are reports of other fairly significant bugs with this mod as well.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/39255]Trade and Commerce[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/41948]Trade and Commerce Update[/url]
There are a few bugs with these ones, and you may find NPCs walking incessantly into the new building.[/spoiler]
That's it, you've made it to the end of this guide. I am interested in your feedback as well as suggestions and criticisms, so let me know what you think.