It's no secret that Skyrim is loaded with a host of problematic bugs that cause everything from crashing to graphical glitches and more. Some of Skyrim's bugs are unintentionally hilarious and have been left in by Bethesda, just for laughs. Others continue to plague gamers to this day, especially if they start adding mods to the game.

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Thankfully, the modding community has stepped in to do the job that Bethesda seems unwilling to do. The result is a host of patches and bug fixes that help bring a level of stability to the game. Though "Oldrim" versions of many mods are available, the Special Edition of the game is recommended for modders who want to seriously juice up their load order.

USSEP (Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch)

The title shot of the Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch.

The Special Edition of Skyrim is a much more stable platform for modders, with a host of inherent bug fixes and better memory optimization. However, it isn't perfect, which is why popular mod author Arthmoor created the much-lauded USSEP. The number of bugs fixed by this mod is too many to mention, which is a good thing.

Not only is USSEP considered one of the best patches available for Skyrim, but it's also a major prerequisite for many other mods. Technically, it should be one of, if not the first mod gamers install, as it helps lay the groundwork for a much more secure modding foundation moving forward.

SSE Engine Fixes (SKSE64 Plugin)

A shot of a faceless character in Skyrim.

This bug fix mod helps pin down and crush specific bugs related to Skyrim's game engine. Once more, it affects a ton of bugs related to everything from sleep/wait times, water animation and flow speed, to archery projectile issues and lighting shaders. The mod was last updated in January of 2021, which means work is ongoing.

SKSE is required for this mod to work. This plugin acts as a framework for many scripted mods and is also considered a prerequisite. Download the current SE build and unzip the contents in Skyrim's main directory, then install SSE Engine Fixes as per the mod instructions.

SSE Fixes

The Dragonborn riding a horse in a heavily modded copy of Skyrim.

Many bug and patch mods sport similar names, but they tackle different problems. SSE Fixes is no different. After following the instructions and installing the DLL Plugin Loader into Skyrim's Data directory, this mod can then be added. Its main function is to deal with modders who install an unusually high number of mods to their game.

If done right, it's possible to have well over 800 to 1,100 mods active at any given time in Skyrim. However, many mods contain an ESP or ESM file, and too many of these can bog down the in-game framerate. This mod is reported to have a positive effect that fixes this issue.

Bug Fixes SSE

The Dragonborn and two followers running down a pathway in Skyrim.

Bug Fixes SSE fixes three different issues that afflict the base Skyrim game, sometimes at random. First, it tidies up a bug related to ability conditions over the course of a few hours. The second fixes a bug with the speechcraft skill going up by only one point after selling a large stack of items to a vendor.

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The third changes a bug afflicted to a character's move speed, which is affected by the "speedmult" tag. This can cause issues when players are buffed with speed enhancements, or debilitated by things like poisons. NPCs are also affected, which is why it's good to tack this bug onto the mod list.

Dragon Stalking Fix

A dead dragon in the middle of Whiterun in Skyrim

Skyrim is loaded with hilarious bugs and inconsistencies that make for some funny events that simply don't belong in the game. Few are worse than venturing outside of the home after a long night of sleep, only to be confronted by the skeleton or corpse of the dragon that was slayed the night before. This is one of the most common and hilarious of Skyrim's (many) bugs, and it can absolutely kill the immersion.

Dragon Stalking Fix is designed to prevent dragon skeletons from magically following the player around. This way, they won't end up in the middle of cities, or wherever else the player ventures. It's one of the most ridiculous bugs and should have been fixed officially a long time ago.

PowerOfThree's Tweaks

A title shot of PO3's Tweaks with a backdrop of Skyrim's landscape.

This mod author decided to create an accompanying bug fix patch designed to get rid of a new host of in-game annoyances. PowerOfThree's Tweaks handles everything from faction-related bugs and issues with spellcasting to item and inventory issues and faction problems.

It also affects immersion bugs related to snow material and footprints, item theft, voice modulation for characters wearing helmets, and projectile range. It may not be focused on a specific subset of bugs, but it can't hurt to install it alongside other bugfix mods in order to patch up as many holes as possible.

Face Discoloration Fix

Split image of a character with a face discoloration bug, and a fix from a patch in Skyrim

There are many tips for first-time Skyrim players, but nothing can quite prepare them for the infamous face discoloration bug. It usually manifests itself when players have incorrectly added body and race-related mods in the wrong load order, which can trigger the bug. Sometimes, it activates randomly when entering/exiting things like taverns and houses.

It may not be a perfect workaround, but Face Discoloration Fix might help alleviate the issue. The bug is related to missing FaceGen data when using skins and head/body meshes that produce an incompatibility. Any workaround that can help quell this problem is a welcome one.

Mannequins Don't Move

A wide shot of a museum with mannequins wearing armor in Skyrim.

Decorating mannequins is one of the more enjoyable aspects of owning a home in Skyrim, but the mannequin models themselves are bound to a few rules that make them problematic. First is the infamous pose bug, where the mannequin models will randomly adopt certain static poses based on animation mods in the load order.

The second issue is that mannequins have a tendency to move on their own, at random. Players who come home can expect to find them off their stands, in the middle of rooms, etc. Mannequins Don't Move does exactly as the name suggests: it superglues the mannequin models into a fixed position, preventing them from straying.

Scrambled Bugs

A shot of the Scrambled Bugs mod interface in Skyrim.

This multi-bugfix mod requires the installation of .Net Script Framework in order to function, so it's wise to download and install it beforehand. Scrambled Bugs fixes a number of interface, spellcasting, texture and weapons issues, while offering up some quality of life improvements, such as auto-selecting the best arrows to use once a particular kind has run dry.

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The best bug fix mods are the ones that aren't seen or felt, while still cleaning up a host of problems. There's even an .ini configuration file that allows players to choose which patches and bug fixes remain active, should they wish to further customize the experience.

Flickering Meshes Fix

A split image of a lighting fix mod in Skyrim.

Light sources in Skyrim are handled very poorly, as the game engine can only render four lights for each mesh, and four shadowcasting lights per cell. This is a big problem for modders who like to light up the surrounding environment with a number of light-related mods, to create more immersion and graphical depth.

Flickering Meshes Fix helps solve one of these problems by adjusting the BSTriShape value using a rather inventive method. It's not a perfect solution, but it does allow for more lights to strike a particular surface, and actually register. It also works with a number of lighting mods, including Enhanced Lights and FX, Lanterns of Skyrim II, and Tamriel Master Lights.

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