Foundation - Faces

Replace any female (and soon male) NPC in Skyrim Special Edition with a custom face from the Foundation library. Vanilla, DLC, or mod-added NPCs all supported. No NIF editing, no FaceGen rebuilding, no plugin patching. Pick a target, pick a face, click Export.

Update 1.5.0

No longer requires SkyPatcher. Now uses a new utility I built specifically to replace my NPCs called Recast.

What It Does

NPC Replacer is a standalone Windows app that generates SkyPatcher patches. You pick a target NPC and a Foundation face, and the app produces a ready-to-install mod. SkyPatcher does the actual face copying at runtime, so the patches work alongside other mods without conflicts and without touching ESP records.

Features

1. 301 unique female faces from the Foundation library
2. Four body type presets: Muscular, Natural, Soft, Strong
3. Imports NPCs from any mod in your install (custom followers, populated worlds, NPC overhauls)
4. Smart filter hides templates, dead duplicates, leveled actors, and generic name spam
5. Blacklist any mod you don't want cluttering the NPC list
6. One-click clipboard copy for editor IDs
7. Clean export with zero plugin records, just SkyPatcher INIs

Requirements

Recast

Foundation Face Library

Windows 10 or 11

Installation

1. Download and install the Foundation mod using your mod manager
2. Download this mod
3. Unzip this file and run the setup file to install it to your computer
4. Run the application from the setup after it completes or from your start menu

How to Use

Step 1: Configure

1. Pick your mod manager (MO2 or Vortex) and point at your Skyrim folder. For MO2 users, also point at your Mods folder so the app can see managed plugins.
2. Click Scan to import vanilla and DLC female NPCs.
3. Click Find Foundation to locate CS_Foundation.esp and load the face library.
4. Optional: use Add Mods to import female NPCs from custom followers and overhaul mods.
5. Optional: use Blacklist to hide mods you don't want appearing.

Step 2: Assign

1. Browse the NPC list on the left, faces on the right.
2. Click an NPC, then click a face. Confirm the body type.
3. Repeat for every NPC you want to replace.

Step 3: Export

1. Give your patch mod a name (for example, "MyFaceOverhaul").
2. Choose an output folder.
3. Click Export. The result is a complete mod folder. Drop it into your mod manager, enable it, and launch the game.

Tips

1. You can run NPC Replacer multiple times to generate separate patch mods, useful for grouping faces by playthrough or theme.
2. If a mod isn't appearing in the Add Mods list, it likely has only male NPCs (this tool is currently female-only) or may already be blacklisted.
3. Hover any NPC row and click the copy icon to grab the editor ID, handy for sharing or filing filter requests.

Compatibility

NPC Replacer outputs zero ESP records. It writes only SkyPatcher INI files, so it cannot conflict with body mods, ENBs, lighting mods, or other visual overhauls. Compatible with any setup SkyPatcher itself supports.

Known Limitations

1. Female NPCs only. Male support is planned for a future release.
2. Requires NPCs with defined editor IDs (almost all named NPCs qualify). Will not work with NPCs that have been cloned in-game.