Custom Races 1.60
Requires the RaceCompatibility for Skyrim and Dawnguard
This mod allows you to have a separate body (meshes, skeleton, textures) from every other character in Skyrim. You can edit your player and no one else will look the same. It is meant to be player races, setting NPC races leads to a darker face than the body. I have done all vanilla races and both genders. In addition, I opened up some of the slider options so you can make your character unique. For example, males can use redguard hairs and orc beards. Elves can use human eye shapes and vice versa.
This adds: 20 races (console name in parenthesis)
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Custom Argonian (CustomArgonianRace or CustomArgonian)
Custom Argonian Vampire (CustomArgonianRaceVampire)
Custom Breton(CustomBretonRace or CustomBreton)
Custom Breton Vampire (CustomBretonRaceVampire)
Custom Dark Elf (CustomDarkElfRace or CustomDarkElf)
Custom Dark Elf Vampire (CustomDarkElfRaceVampire)
Custom High Elf (CustomHighElfRace or CustomHighElf)
Custom High Elf Vampire (CustomHighElfRaceVampire)
Custom Imperial (CustomImperialRace or CustomImperial)
Custom Imperial Vampire (CustomImperialRaceVampire)
Custom Khajiit (CustomKhajiitRace or CustomKhajiit)
Custom Khajiit Vampire(CustomKhajiitRaceVampire)
Custom Nord (CustomNordRace or CustomNord)
Custom Nord Vampire(CustomNordRaceVampire)
Custom Orc(CustomOrcRace or CustomOrc)
Custom Orc Vampire (CustomOrcRaceVampire)
Custom Redguard (CustomRedguardRace or CustomRedguard)
Custom Redguard Vampire (CustomRedguardRace)
Custom Wood Elf (CustomWoodElfRace or CustomWoodElf)
Custom Wood Elf Vampire (CustomWoodElfRaceVampire)
Compatibility:
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This mod only adds new records, it does not change anything in the vanilla game so there should not be conflicts. It should be compatible with other custom races. I have not tested. It is definitely compatible with "Unique Bodies". Thanks to Expired, hair and eye mods work on all races. For example, a mod that adds hairs to the human races will also work on custom human races. However, a mod that adds hairs to humans will not work on a CustomKhajiit.
Install:
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Basic installation method. Either install with Nexus mod manager or copy the textures folder, meshes folder, scripts folder, CustomRaces.esp, and RaceComptibility.esm into your Skyrim data folder. Make sure CustomRaces.esp and RaceCompatibility.esm are checked in nmm or in the Steam launcher.
How to use:
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First decide what race you are going to play. I did not change anything with the races except what resources the races use. The included folders contain vanilla meshes and textures so you will have to pick and install what bodies you want to use to see a difference. Pick a fancy body from the assorted mods available, including meshes and textures. Copy said meshes and textures into the corresponding custom race folders.
Example: if you are going to be an imperial (female in parenthesis)
copy
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(fe)malehands_0.nif
(fe)malehands_1.nif
(fe)malefeet_0.nif
(fe)malefeet_1.nif
(fe)malebody_0.nif
(fe)malebody_1.nif
(fe)malehead_0.nif
(fe)malehead_1.nif
skeleton.nif
(skeleton_female.nif)
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into data/meshes/CustomRaces/CustomImperial
(Don't delete any files, only replace. You probably don't need a different head mesh or skeleton from the vanilla meshes, but you can certainly use them if you want. You don't need different hand, feet, and 1st person models but if the mod has them available, use them.)
copy
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(fe)malebody_1.dds
(fe)malebody_1_msn.dds
(fe)malebody_1_s.dds
(fe)malebody_1_sk.dds
(fe)malehands_1.dds
(fe)malehands_1_msn.dds
(fe)malehands_1_s.dds
(fe)malehands_1_sk.dds
(fe)malehead.dds
(fe)malehead_msn.dds
(fe)malehead_s.dds
(fe)malehead_sk.dds
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into data/textures/CustomRaces/CustomImperial
(Don't delete any files, only replace. Don't worry too much if the body you want to use doesn't have msn, s, or sk files. The head texture will be probably coming from a different mod than the body and hand textures. Read the body mod description to see if the author recommends one so they match better.)
head_msn note: Most races use different *head_msn.dds files already. This mod makes the custom race use the head_msn that is in the CustomRaces folder. If you are using head textures from a mod, look for a different folder in the mod that pertains to your race. For example, if you are a breton male, there is a folder at data/textures/actors/character/bretonmale. Copy malehead_msn.dds from that folder into CustomBreton. However, to make your race look more like a nord use the file at data/textures/actor/character/male.
beast races note: The above example only pertains to human and elve races. The beast race resources are named a little different. But, I kept the vanilla naming scheme so that using body mods is easier.
How to change your race:
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You can start a new game or continue from a previous save and change your race. I will explain the best way to do this.
Changing race and you want a new face:
(Use only at the beginning of the game beacause your skills will scramble and health/magicka/stamina reset)
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type showracemenu into the console and pick the race you want.
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Changing race and you want to keep your face:
Not werewolf/gone through blood ritual
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Both steps required:
(Normally changing races this way leads to a missing head, but I fixed it for my races)
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1. Open console. Type "player.setrace [RaceName]" (Replace [RaceName] with console name above)
2. In console, type "showracemenu". Fix your hair, eye color, beard. Do not change your race or sex.
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Already Werewolf/gone through blood ritual
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It has been pointed out that if the pc is already a werewolf changing races via setrace only causes head parts to not function correctly. I have found the best solution is to use the normal way of changing races (via showracemenu). Unfortunately, changing races with showracemenu causes your skills to scramble and health/stamina/magicka reset. Here is best way to minimize problems:
Write down all skill levels and h/s/m
Follow steps carefully:
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1. open console and type "player.setrace [CustomRace]" (see above for console names for each race). Close console.
2. open console and type "showracemenu".
3. Go up one race and back down. Do not do touch the sliders.
4. Finish and pick a name
5. open console and type "showracemenu". Fix your face with the sliders if
need be. Pick hair, eye color or whatever. Finish and pick name.
6.(Recommended) Save game and quit to windows. Restart game to make sure pc has a head and head parts, if not reload prior save and try again.
(Credit for changing race method goes to lunar_silence, see link for detailed instructions)
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Add your skills back after changing race
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Open the console and use "player.setav [name] [##]". Replace [name] with health, stamina, magicka, and all of your skills. Replace [##] with what you wrote down before changing your race. See wiki for full list of skill names. Names are straightforward except speech = speechcraft in console. See UESP for console help.
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Advanced editing:
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You can add new tint masks to each non-beast race, females only right now. You can find them in the textures folder for each race in a folder aptly named "tintmasks". The files you can change are (applicable races in parenthesis):
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femalelowereyesocket.dds (all non-beast)
femaleuppereyesocket.dds (all non-beast)
femalenordeyelinerstyle01.dds (all non-beast)
femaleheadbreton_lips.dds (Custom Breton)
femaleheadhighelf_lips.dds (Custom Dark, High, Wood Elf)
femaleheadimperial_lips.dds (Custom Imperial)
femaleheadnord_lips.dds (Custom Nord, Orc)
femaleheadredguard_lips.dds (Custom Redguard)
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In addition to normal head textures, you can replace the complexion textures for each race. Use showracemenu to select a new complexion. Males do not have a vanilla freckle option, but you can replace another male texture and pick it the same way (rename texture file so it matches an existing one). Here are the additional textures:
female (Human/Mer)
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femaleheaddetail_frekles.dds (notice wrong spelling)
femaleheaddetail_rough.dds
femaleheaddetail_age40.dds
femaleheaddetail_age50.dds
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male (Human/Mer)
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maleheaddetail_rough01.dds
maleheaddetail_rough02.dds
maleheaddetail_age40.dds
maleheaddetail_age40rough.dds
maleheaddetail_age50.dds
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Argonian
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argonianfemaleheadold.dds (female)
argonianmaleheadold.dds (male)
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Khajiit (male and female share)
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khajiitold.dds
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Uninstall:
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Either load up a game prior to changing your race or change your race back to a vanilla race.
To change your race back to a vanilla race, see these instructions.
Delete
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data/textures/CustomRaces
data/meshes/CustomRaces
data/CustomRaces.esp
data/scripts/CustomRacesController.pex
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If you only have one custom race mod installed and no other mod needs these
Delete
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data/RaceComptibility.esm
data/scripts/companionshousekeepingscript.pex
data/scripts/GenericRaceController.pex
data/scripts/PlayerVampireQuestScript.pex
data/scripts/PlayerWerewolfChangeScript.pex
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To do:
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Add body packs if I can get permission
Maybe separate animations
Add optional plugins, leave comment requests
Bugs:
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Face specular maps only work right on edited nif files
Using showracemenu will reset your headparts (hair, brows, beards, eye color) to whatever you had the last time you restarted the game
As a vampire, changing skin tone does not change head color (vanilla game bug)
Which you switch to a vampire, you do not get the palest skin tone (will fix soon)
Sometimes when changing the eye shape, the eye color is in the wrong position. Fix by adjusting color after changing shape.
Something similar happens to brows. Adjust eyebrow type after moving brow.
feel free to leave new bugs in comment section