The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is one of the most well-received and iconic titles that come under the longstanding fantastical RPG franchise. Originally released in 2011, the game has redefined what can be expected from a video game life cycle, still being a dominant and persistent force and point of discussion within the gaming community.
Undoubtedly, one of the biggest influencing factors to Skyrim's impressive longevity is the passionate and creative modding community that the title possesses. Of these many unique community-made mods, the Imperious - Races of Skyrim mod is one of the most popular and comprehensive, and it is clear to see why.
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The Basics of the Imperious - Races of Skyrim Mod
As can be expected from its name, the Imperious - Races of Skyrim mod completely overhauls the many races of Tamriel that the player character can embody. While the different races in Skyrim do have unique attributes and characteristics, the Imperious mod completely revamps this by adding unique abilities and base stats while keeping with the general lore of the franchise.
In all, the mod adds three unique passive abilities to each race in Skyrim, with each race also receiving a new power that is directly tied to the completion of a unique quest. With the NPC embodiments of these races also possessing the relevant passive abilities, Imperious adds a comprehensive overhaul to some of the most important mechanics that the game possesses.
Changes To the Altmer
The Altmer are one of the oldest and most powerful races within Skyrim. Due to their ancestral link to the High Elves, the Altmer are one of the most proficient races magically speaking, and thus their skill set reflects this.
With the Imperious mod, Altmer players will gain three very commendable passive abilities. "Elven Supremacy" sees a skill's effectiveness be boosted by 10% once it reaches level 100, "Gold and Glass" sees Magicka and Stamina regenerate up to 100% faster when below half, and "Shimmering Threads" makes enchantments 15% stronger at the cost of all weapons and armor being 15% weaker. The quest for the Altmer involves plucking 40 wings from butterflies and allows players to store spells in a magical matrix that can be called upon and enacted for no cost once completed.
Changes to the Argonians
Argonians are a reptilian race within The Elder Scrolls, native to the Tamrielic province of Black Marsh. Intelligent and natural warriors, the Argonians are as useful on land as they are in water, thanks to their reptilian lineage.
The Imperious mod grants Argonians "Amphibious," allowing them to sneak and move faster for a limited time after swimming, "Histborn," allowing them to recover health, magicka, or stamina if they drop below 20%, and "Marsh Dweller," granting them twice the normal swimming speed. Should an Argonian character then loot four underwater chests, the "Caustic Spit" ability will be unlocked, inflicting 600 reduced armor and 75% magic resistance reduction on targeted enemies.
Changes to the Bosmer
Another Elven species, the Bosmer are Wood Elves native to the province of Valenwood. The more tribalistic and nature-oriented culture of the Bosmer are reflected in Imperious' added abilities, with "Harrier" granting a bird companion that highlights nearby animals to hunt.
Other passive abilities include "Green Pact," allowing Bosmer to eat humanoid corpses to regain health, and "Wild Senses" which grants the Bosmer the ability to detect nearby targets within a certain range. If a Bosmer hunts ten animals highlighted by the Harrier bird, they will be able to ally with a powerful carnivorous companion.
Changes to the Bretons
A humanoid race native to High Rock, new Breton abilities include "Grail of Betony" which regenerates magicka and stamina 50% faster, "Spell Mantle" which increases magic resistance by 15%, and "Stones of Galen," which gives additional effects to each Standing Stone.
The Imperious quest for the Bretons tasks them with discovering ten Standing Stones. Upon completion, Bretons unlock the ability to temporarily gain the unique racial powers of any given race once a day.
Changes to the Dunmer
Native to Morrowind, the Dunmer are also commonly known as the Dark Elves. Imperious abilities for the Dunmer include "Ancestral Guardian," which grants 75 additional armor points whenever entering combat, and "Ashborn" which gives 25% increased fire resistance. "Whispers" is another ability, painting certain humanoid targets as bounties that offer stat-boosting rewards.
The race-specific quest for the Dunmer involves killing ten enemies identified by the "Whispers" trait. When this condition is met, Dunmer players are able to summon two powerful ancestor companions per day.
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Changes to the Imperials
Humanoids native to Cyrodiil, the Imperials receive "Discipline," which improves the combat effectiveness of nearby allies, and "Imperial Virtues," which regenerates a random attribute 100% faster during combat. "Human Spirit" is the third Imperial ability, allowing Imperials to make permanent changes to their attributes at certain levels.
The Imperious quest for Imperials requires the player to complete 20 side quests. Once this is done, Imperials can fully regain and fortify health and magicka once a day.
Changes to the Khajiit
A cat-like species hailing from Elsweyr, the Khajiit gain "Feline Agility" allowing them to move faster, as well as "Prowl" affording them a quieter sneak. "Rawlith Khaj" is quite a unique ability, making Khajiit paws a commendable melee weapon.
The quest for the Khajiit involves acquiring 50,000 lifetime gold for a player character. Once done, Khajiit players will be granted night vision for 300 seconds once per day.
Changes to the Nords
The humanoid native race to the Skyrim province, Nords gain "Son of Skyrim" which provides 25% frost resistance, and "History of War" which allows the player to choose specific races to have combat advantages over. "Warrior's Heart" is the final ability, increasing attack damage by up to 40% based on missing health.
The Imperious Nord quest sees players have to clear eight dungeons. After this, Nord characters can regenerate 10% of their magicka and stamina per second for 30 seconds once a day.
Changes to the Orcs
Native to the Dragontail Mountains, the mysterious Orcs gain the "Bloodlust" ability increasing combat movement and regeneration speed, and "Shockwave" which produces a devastating tremor once per combat interaction. "Strength of Steel" is another ability, making weapons and armor 20% stronger at the cost of enchantments being 20% weaker.
Orcs must stagger 150 enemies with the shockwave ability to complete their Imperious quest. When achieved, Orc characters are able to double their attack and critical strike damage once a day for 15 seconds.
Changes to the Redguard
A warrior race of humanoids belonging to Hammerfell, the Redguard receive "Dust Storm" which increases attack damage after a kill for five seconds, "Nomadic Heritage" granting 50% disease resistance, and "Tenacity" which makes magicka and stamina recover 100% faster. The quest for Redguard characters involves winning 30 battles by slaying three or more people, making it one of the more difficult challenges.
Once done, Redguards are granted the once-a-day ability to slow time by 90% when sprinting for 90 seconds. The Imperious - Races of Skyrim mod is truly comprehensive and perfect for giving the game a more in-depth and layered feel upon a subsequent playthrough.
Skyrim Anniversary Edition is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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