Morrowind Hardcore/Survival mod guide
As a long time fan of hardcore/survival mods, and someone who's been collecting such mods for a long time. I felt a compendium would be helpful for any like-minded hardcore fans. The aim being to  turn Morrowind into the best survival simulator it can be. It's by no means a complete list, and I'd love to hear suggestions in the nexus comments for any similar mods I may have missed.

All links are recent and up to date.

The goal is simply to make Vvardenfell a harsher and more unforgiving place.  Skyrim has frostfall, hunterborn and iNeeds, well what does Morrowind have? Read on.

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Morrowind Hardcore Overhaul -

http://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/44719/?

For an all round Hardcore package featuring the best of the guides mods, check out the hardcore overhaul, which is a merged collection of several of the listed mods making for an easy install. Generally speaking the mod adds hunger needs, weather penalties and various world dangers. All mods used in the hardcore overhaul will be marked in the guide with asterisks (**)

For more modular setup, check out The Bare Necessities** -

http://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/44399/?

Bare Necessities adds the need to eat, drink and sleep, or suffer attribute penalties, and eventually death.

or Necessities of Morrowind -

http://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/44465/?

No hardcore game is complete without a hunger, thirst and sleep system. Both mods do a great job, but I would say Bare Necessities is more integrated, more well balanced, works better and is less bloated than NOM.

It's possible to use both mods together. Using both makes the game much harder at low levels, especially when you're having to hunt rats around the streets of Balmora just to stay alive.

To use both together make sure to disable NOM's sleep script in the initial config. Each of the mods sleep penalties seem to clash if used together, unlike their hunger/thirst counterparts. For more hardcore tweaks, enable fire damage, fatigue and alcohol penalties in NOM's startup configuration.

Weather Effects** -

http://mw.modhistory.com/download-90-9577

Causes attribute penalties during ash, blight and snowstorms.

Icy Water** -

http://mw.modhistory.com/download-13-6337

Causes hypothermia if swimming in Solstheims waters for too long. Also causes serious fatigue drain during blizzards.

Worse Blightstorms** ­-

http://mw.modhistory.com/download-68-6349

By the same modder who did Icy water. Causes serious penalties to health and fatigue during blight storms.

More Deadly Lava** -

http://mw.modhistory.com/download-90-9323

Vanilla lava allows you to run over lava streams and be none the worse for it. With this mod, falling into lava all but guarentees death.

*Note, Abots Lava and Steam** is a good alternative, but the lava is not as deadly. I have personally copied Abot's steam script into the above lava mod, which makes the various steam vents around Molag Amur cause fire damage if crossed. Download it here -

http://abitoftaste.altervista.org/morrowind/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=26&catid=43&Itemid=10&-Lava-steam

Fire Does Damage** -

http://mw.modhistory.com/download-4-2775

Makes the various campfires around the world cause damage if crossed. (Not needed if using NOM's fire damage setting.)

Gold Has Weight** -

http://webpages.charter.net/manauser/morrowind/#goldw

Gives gold a 0.01 weight value, so no more 500'000 gold in your purse for stockpiling 20 exclusive health potions or 500 silver arrows. With this mod, I rarely have more than 2000 gold and must carefully decide what to purchase. Adds a great sense of lack and scarcity.

Owned crates of Balmora** -

http://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/44765/?
This simple mod adds ownership to all the containers around the streets of Balmora, so no more taking all that free stuff. Helps to increase challenge during the early part of the game.
Darker Nights -

http://mw.modhistory.com/download-37-12873

This mod makes nights almost pitch black. Adds a great sense of urgency when the sun starts to set. (I prefer the non brighter torches version.) There's a few dark night mods, but I find they all make night way too dark as to be unplayable, this one gives you just enough visibility to keep going. Very creepy in the ashlands after sunset.

Expanded Diseases** -

https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/44842

Makes diseases more serious and removes all disease/blighted tags from creatures. (IE "Blighted Scrib," simply becomes "Scrib.")

Infectious Blightstorms -

http://mw.modhistory.com/download-15-9229

Adds a small chance of catching blight disease during blight storm.

Wild Durzogs** -

http://mw.modhistory.com/download-26-7898

When was the last time you feared doing battle with a Nix-hound? This mod adds Durzogs to creature lists across Vvardenfell. One of the absolute best for making the world more dangerous.

Unlevelled Creatures -

http://mw.modhistory.com/download-26-8834

All creatures are unlocked from level 1. Once you step off the boat, Ogrims and Winged Twilights will be waiting.

Outlaws -

http://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/44147/?

Adds high level NPC opponents throughout the world. Exterior only.

The Hostiles -

http://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/42830/?

Adds many new hostile opponents throughout the world both externally and in dungeons. Similar to Outlaws, weaker opponents but in greater numbers.

Enemy Health Remover** -

http://mw.modhistory.com/download-8-13284

Removes enemy health meter. Adds unpredictability to battles instead of watching a yellow meter go down.

Piratelords Trade Enchancements -

http://mw.modhistory.com/download-13-15053

Tweaks the economy so whatever you buy from a trader is gone from their stock for a few days.  Prevents alchemy abuse and stockpiling curatives. Also adds a small number of random hostiles to the world and increases silt strider travel fees.

Night Door Locks** -

http://mw.modhistory.com/download-63-8744

Locks all but guilds and inns during night, so no more selling your loot at 3am.

Locked Tombs** -

http://mw.modhistory.com/download-26-11439

Caves and tombs are now locked to a level depending on their location. So no more free treasure troves waiting to be swiped. Makes sense, why should family tombs be open to any passing stranger?

Realistic Fall Damage** -

http://mw.modhistory.com/download-26-2732

Falling from heights is more severe. Severe meaning expect a reload if you stumble off a silt strider platform.


Honourable mentions -

Disturb the Dead -

http://mw.modhistory.com/download-44-219

Adds a chance of spawning an undead creature when you loot any urn or chest in ancestral tombs.

Morrowind Crafting -

http://mw.modhistory.com/download-1-10477

Not so much hardcore, but allows one to forgo heroics in favour of a simple, honest trade or simply living off the land.

Morrowind Comes Alive -

http://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/6006/?

For increased encounteres in the world. Small ashlander camps can become entire clans. More roaming bandit crews, but friendlies also. Can be heavy on framerate.

Morrowind Advanced -

http://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/30205/?

Adds additional creatures for higher levels, as well as some tough hand placed boss encounters.

More Combat on Red Mountain -

http://mw.modhistory.com/download-68-13058

Adds a LOT more enemy spawn points on the mountain. If you venture up the mountain, expect WAR!

Seamless Red Mountain -

http://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/43328/?

Completely removes the ghostgence and supporting pillars. (Ghostgate remains) Opens up Red Mountain from anywhere on the map. Works well with More Combat on Red Mountain.

Winds of Morrowind -

http://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/44184/?

Adds looping wind sounds for each weather type. Added for immersion.

Sneak Rest -

http://mw.modhistory.com/download-37-7345

Not hardcore per se and is somewhat of a boon to the player. Doubles fatigue recovery if player is in sneak whilst stationary and with weapon sheathed. Added for realism.

FPS Optimiser -

http://mw.modhistory.com/download-74-14566

Not a mod, but its ability to disable battle music removes the precognitive ability that a hostile is nearby.

Disarmed -

http://mw.modhistory.com/download-53-10584

Chance for player or enemy NPC to be disarmed during combat. (Buggy, caused CTD on my game but may be due to conflict with my personal modlist)

Pursuit Enhanced -

http://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/22938/?

Allows NPC's and creatures to pursue you through doors, meaning angry bandits won't stop the chase if you exit their hideout. (Buggy, caused CTD on my game but may be due to conflict with my personal modlist)

Realistic Corprus -

http://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/10015/?

Supposedly allows player to catch corprus from creatures/ingredients infected by it. Tested but doesn't seem to work for me, perhaps others will have more luck.

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And that about does it, I've done my best to track down all mods which make Morrowind a harsher and more unforgiving place. If I've missed any, please share your recommendations in the nexus comments!