Real Forge Water gives Skyrim's blacksmiths something better than painted water in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
Image credit: imnotfamous / Real Forge Water
In a world full of dragons, ancient magic, and blacksmiths who can apparently turn a mountain of iron into a legendary weapon, somebody finally noticed that the water in the forge troughs wasn't doing much of anything. Imnotfamous' Real Forge Water replaces that flat, painted appearance with the game's actual water system, bringing depth, transparency, ripples, wind movement, and reflections into the humble wooden trough beside the anvil. It's an incredibly specific improvement, but once you've noticed the difference, it's easy to understand why someone decided it was worth making.
The mod is focused on forge quenching troughs rather than replacing every water surface in Skyrim. It can also account for overlapping trough water introduced by Realistic Water Two, although broader compatibility with other water mods and custom forges hasn't been fully established. The Special Edition's live editing interface has a minor reflection limitation that clears after loading a save. None of this is going to change how you forge a sword. But it does make one of Skyrim's most familiar little interactions look considerably more like it belongs in the world around it.
