Obscure's Faces of Winterhold
⚪ Last updated 2020⚠️ Install Order · 5 steps
Install in this order, then this mod last — most mods fail to load without their framework and dependencies in place.
Preview
🔍 Analysis
- 👍 0.4% endorsement rate
- 🏆 #71 of 81 NPC mods in this game by downloads
📋 About This Mod
My initial goal was to tweak certain pairs of College NPCs, such as Phinis and Arniel, Faralda and Nirya, and Colette and Mirabelle, so that they were easier to tell apart at a distance, saving the player time when searching the College for the correct trainer or merchant. Like many other modders before me, I started to get into the fun of tweaking the faces, and so I tweaked and tweaked until I was happy.
This mod contains edits to Phinis, Arniel, Faralda, Nirya, Colette, Mirabelle, Onmund, J'zargo, and Brelyna. (For Sergius, I recommend Consistent Older People.) It features only vanilla hair and has no external dependencies. The three apprentices have been switched to the hoodless variations of their outfits. Mirabelle has been given master robes, and Nirya adept robes. As of version 1. 2 the Immersive College NPCs are now featured (requires ICNs version 1. 1), with subtle tweaks to facial features and new detailed tint masks for all characters.
The archive includes an installer which allows you to select your version based on other mods you have installed. All plugins are in the ESP-FE format. The files contained in the archive are loose, as this reduces the chance of face bugs, so manual installation or using NMM is not recommended.
I've included several variations which merge my face changes with the skills, stats, or schedule changes of other mods. Though the versions offered only support one of these at a time, advanced users should be able to use xEdit to create customized versions so you can, for example, use the stats from one mod, with the schedules from another, and the outfit from a third, and the faces from mine.
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[]WARP
[
]BUVARP[]Special Edition Followers
[]Opulent Outfits
[]Immersive College of Winterhold
- []This mod is designed to work with Obscure's College of Winterhold version 1. 4. 06 and later. If you're still using an earlier version, please consider updating.
- Armor and Clothing Extension for WACCF features its down outfit changes which will overwrite mine, no matter where in your load order you put them.
Q: Why remove these face edits from Obscure's College of Winterhold and make it standalone?
A: After making dozens of patches for NPC face compatibility, I learned how to use quests to set NPC schedules, eliminating the need to edit the NPC records for that purpose. By removing my edits of the vanilla NPCs, I was able to discontinue 29 patches and free myself from making more. However, this also required putting my face edits in a separate mod which can be installed and sorted in your mod manager independently from OCW.
Q: Help! I have a black face bug!
A: It may help to follow these steps.
1) Compare the order
Obscure's Faces of Winterhold is a Vanilla+ NPC overhaul for Skyrim's College of Winterhold, offering subtle tweaks to re-imaginings of many characters. With 566 endorsements and 161,182 downloads, it's a well-received cosmetic mod for players who want refreshed looks without straying from the game's aesthetic.
✨ Key Features
📊 Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Community favorite with 566 endorsements and over 161k downloads
- Vanilla+ approach keeps the original feel while refreshing NPC appearances
- Covers many NPCs, not just one or two
⚠️ Cons
- Last updated in January 2020, so may not be compatible with the latest Skyrim updates or mods
- Pure cosmetic – no gameplay changes, so if you want more than looks, this isn't it
- Potential conflicts with other NPC overhauls or mods that edit the same characters
For Skyrim players who want the College of Winterhold NPCs to look better without straying from the game's original art style. If you're a lore-friendly mod enthusiast or just want a fresh take on familiar faces, this is for you. Skip if you're looking for gameplay overhauls or if you already use a comprehensive NPC replacer.
💡 Beginner Tips
- Use a mod manager like Vortex or Mod Organizer 2 to install and manage this mod easily.
- Place this mod early in your load order to let other mods overwrite if needed, but check for conflicts with other NPC overhauls.
- If you're on Skyrim Special Edition, make sure you download the correct version for your game.
📊 Mod Details
- Game
- Skyrim Mods
- Author
- SomethingObscure
- Version
- 1.2.4
- Downloads
- 161,182
- Endorsements
- 566
- Category
- NPC
- Created
- 6/8/2019
- Updated
- 1/9/2020
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