Fossil Mining - with Legacy support

⭐ ⭐⭐ (1,850 endorsements) 📥 39,441 downloads 📌 v2.0 📅 5/31/2017
⚪ Last updated 2017

By icecreamassassin and aviform · Collectables, Treasure Hunts, and Puzzles

⬇ Download Mod Source: Nexus Mods ↗ 📅 Updated: 8/13/2017 📅 Created: 5/31/2017
⚠️ Install Order · 4 steps
1🛠️ SKSE — Skyrim Script Extender Download ↗
2🔧 USLEEP — Unofficial Skyrim Legendary Edition Patch Download ↗
3🖥️ SkyUI — SkyUI (MCM framework) Download ↗
4📦 Legacy of the Dragonborn Find it →

Install in this order, then this mod last — most mods fail to load without their framework and dependencies in place.

🔍 Analysis

  • 👍 4.7% endorsement rate — high engagement, a strong quality signal
  • 🏆 #4 of 7 Collectables, Treasure Hunts, and Puzzles mods in this game by downloads

📋 About This Mod

This mod was co-created by icecreamassassin, creator of Legacy of the Dragonborn, and aviform, who you will probably subconsciously connect with cheese at some point.

It adds 146 fossils that you can find randomly while mining, in tiers of rarity, to make mining more interesting and more profitable. You can even add the fossils you collect to your Legacy of the Dragonborn museum if using it!

Adds the most commonly found fossils irl. This is the most common tier of fossils you'll find, ones that any beginner can find easily. This tier includes smaller, more indistinct fossils, such as bone and eggshell fragments and pieces of fossilized coral.

Adds fossils a beginner would have trouble finding on their own, but could easily find sold at a fair price. This tier includes fossilized shells, amber, trilobites and more.

Adds fossils a beginner almost certainly wouldn't find, and would have difficulty finding for sale at an affordable price (unless they're faked!) This tier includes fossilized eggs, skulls, claws, teeth, and more.

This tier is the rarest, comprised of fossils that would be (and are, since they're based on real fossils) considered national treasures if found, and includes large, distinct, unique fossils, such as an entire nest, the well-known Fighting Dinosaurs fossil (here named Fighting Saurians, along with many other renamed fossils, so as to not conflict with lore) and more. You will likely need to mine every ore in vanilla Skyrim for a shot at finding all of these rare fossils.

In the geodes found in Blackreach, you may find extra rare crystallized fossils among the normal possibilities. These fossils were crystallized over time and can only be found in geodes (in Blackreach or in the special geodes found in Dragonborn).

OVER 104 NEW FOSSILS, bringing the total to 145 - 3. 5x as many as in version 1! The expansion was made possible by the resources here by Berkian. For Legacy of the Dragonborn users, the newest edition of the Museum now has separate area for all the fossils!

When mining heartstone deposits on Solsthiem or any mining deposit around the hot springs tundra area of Skyrim, you have a chance of finding a few extra special rare fossils among the normal possibilities.

These special dig sites can be found around the tundra hot springs and will yield 2 guaranteed fossil drops each time they are found; one on Tier 1 or above and one on Tier 2 or above. These very rare spots will also refresh after 30 in-game days to allow further digging.

Also included is the ability to find and assemble a fossilized dragon skeleton. Once you find all the bones, you ca

🤖 AI-enhanced — based on mod data

Fossil Mining adds discoverable fossils to mining nodes, making the activity more profitable and engaging. Created with Legacy of the Dragonborn's creator, it includes built-in support for that mod. Ideal for Skyrim players who want to enhance mining with collectible rewards.

✨ Key Features

Adds fossils that can be found while mining
Makes mining more profitable and interesting
Includes built-in support for Legacy of the Dragonborn

📊 Pros & Cons

✅ Pros

  • Solid community backing with 1,850 endorsements
  • High download count (39,441) shows real demand
  • Built-in Legacy support means seamless integration for LoTD players

⚠️ Cons

  • Last updated in 2017 — may have compatibility issues with current Skyrim versions
  • Requires Legacy of the Dragonborn for full functionality, which is a heavy dependency
🎯 Is This For You?
For Skyrim players who enjoy mining and want to add a collectible layer to it, especially those already using Legacy of the Dragonborn. If you're not into collecting or don't use LoTD, this might not add much for you.
📦 Install:Medium· 5-10 minutes

💡 Beginner Tips

  • If you use a mod manager like Vortex or MO2, let it handle the install to avoid file conflicts.
  • Check the mod's compatibility with your Skyrim version (Special Edition vs Legendary) before installing.
  • For Legacy of the Dragonborn players, ensure LoTD is updated to the latest version to avoid issues.

📊 Mod Details

Game
Skyrim LE Mods
Author
icecreamassassin and aviform
Version
2.0
Downloads
39,441
Endorsements
1,850
Category
Collectables, Treasure Hunts, and Puzzles
Created
5/31/2017
Updated
8/13/2017

🔧 How to Install Skyrim LE Mods

Download from Nexus.

📖 Full step-by-step install guide for Skyrim LE →

Visit the official mod page for specific installation instructions for this mod.

🎮 Need cheat codes or console commands? Check ur gaming wiki for Skyrim LE commands, item IDs, and more.

Keep browsing — more Skyrim LE mods await

📋 All Skyrim LE Mods 🏆 Top 25 📂 More Collectables, Treasure Hunts, and Puzzles 👤 More by icecreamassassin and aviform 🔎 Similar Mods 🌐 Best Collectables, Treasure Hunts, and Puzzles (All Games) ⚠️ Fix Crashes & Errors 💾 Save Files 🔀 Check Compatibility ⚖️ Compare Mods 🆕 New Mods