Hi all, longtime gamer, first time (Skyrim) modder!

I love the open-world-ness of Skyrim and the removal of the class system, but felt like there should be some sort of advantage for people in staying true to a particular playstyle - whether that be the sneaking rogue, the archer who picks targets off from long distances, the mage who brings down the heavens on their foes, or the up-close-and-personal warrior.

In that spirit, I started playing around with the CK, finding things that I liked and things I didn't. A few years of on-and-off tinkering, and here we are.

WHAT THIS DOES:

Adds the ability to use Dragon Souls to give yourself all sorts of nifty abilities, spells, and weapon enchantments, dependent on the combat and magical skills that you use. Best of all, you can mix and match these traits to forge the perfect balance for your particular character!

You can use the Soulforge to create weapon enchantments, spells, and "class" abilities for your character, provided that you meet the skill requirements.

ENCHANTMENTS:

• Affliction - 1 point of Disease damage per second, compounding every second, for 10 seconds. Additional strikes refresh the duration.
• Emberglow - 5 points of Fire damage for 10 seconds. Striking a target affected by this Fire damage has a chance to Fan the Embers, causing a 15-foot explosion of 50 points of Fire damage.
• Frostkiss - You are surrounded by a freezing aura in combat that slows enemies and has a chance to freeze those you strike with the weapon. Strikes deal 15 points of Frost damage and have a chance to shatter frozen targets.
• Kinslayer - Fury all targets within 50 feet for 30 seconds.
• Rockjoint - Gradually slow the target over a few seconds until they're paralyzed. Striking them during the slowdown period resets the effect.
• Shieldbreaker - Absorb 15 points of Stamina on strike. Chance to make target drop their shield or blocking weapon. Weapon ignores 30% of armor.
• Stormscythe - 15 points of Shock damage. Being struck can create a Static Charge, surrounding you with a shock cloak that Electrocutes and can knock back attackers.
• Sunfire - 15 points of Sun damage, double damage to undead. Being struck by an undead enemy has a chance to Cremate that target.
• Welkynd - Damages 15 points of Magicka damage on strike and adds this amount to the enchantment's charge, interrupts spellcasting, chance to Banish summoned daedra. Creates a magical shield while blocking that absorbs incoming spells to recharge the enchantment.
  

SPELLS:

• Aegis - While concentrating, you are immune to damage and spells, but being hit damages your Magicka by 50 points per strike.
• Hijack Construct - Make a Dwemer automaton your ally for 60 seconds.
• Magekey - Create a magical key that can open any non-specific lock.
• Mind Blast - Blast enemies away with a telekinetic pulse.
• Oblivion Gate - While concentrating, summon an indestructible Dremora Valkynaz to attack your enemies.
• Phantom Merchant - Create an illusory merchant to buy your items.
• Spellshield - Create a persistent ward around you that absorbs incoming magical attacks for a period.
• Stoneskin - Create magical skins of stone that absorb incoming blows.
• Taunt - All targets in the area of effect are Frenzied and attack you.
  

CLASSES:
Arcane - Summoner and crowd control spellcaster. Your Illusion spells are stronger as you become more skilled in Illusion, your Conjuration spells last longer as you become more skilled in Conjuration, and you can summon additional daedra as you become a more skilled Conjurer.

• Oblivion Link - While you have a creature summoned, your Magicka regenerates faster. 
• Compulsion - When struck in combat, you have a chance to charm a random enemy, making them fight for you. Requires 25 Conjuration or Illusion.
• Planar Tether - When summoning a daedra, there is a chance to summon two. Requires 50 Conjuration or Illusion.
• Mindbreaker - Activate a mind-controlled (Calmed, Feared, Furied) enemy to inflict the Mindbreaker effect. For the duration of the effect, the target takes variable Health damage, which is restored at the end of the effect, and has a chance to die. Requires 75 Conjuration or Illusion. 
• Transformation - Conjure a Bound Battleaxe and mage armor and fight alongside your summons for 60 seconds. Requires all previous Arcane traits.
  

Battlemage - Offensive and defensive combat spellcaster. Your Destruction/Alteration spells are stronger as you become more skilled in Destruction/Alteration.

• Elemental Affinity - Casting a single type of elemental damage spell increases your affinity with that elemental type. Casting a different elemental type resets your affinity.
• Mirrorskin - When struck by a spell, there is a chance to reflect enemy spells back on their caster for a short time. Requires 25 Alteration or Destruction.
• Planelock - When casting a spell, there is a chance a random nearby target will be incapacitated for a few seconds. Requires 50 Alteration or Destruction.
• Contingency - Store three spells in a magical trigger. When low on Health, the trigger fires, casting the spells on you for free. Requires 75 Alteration or Destruction.
• Judgment - Your spells are stronger the more Magicka you have in reserve. Requires all previous Battlemage traits.
  

Darkwatch - Anti-undead and anti-daedra spellcaster/combatant. Vampires and Werewolves cannot use Darkwatch abilities, and all Darkwatch abilities reduce the duration of summoning/reanimation spells to 0. Your Restoration spells are stronger as you become more skilled in Restoration.

• Enhanced Constitution - Potions are 25% more effective on you, your Health and Stamina regenerate faster, you are immune to disease, and you are resistant to poison.
• Cremate - You can Turn Undead and deal Fire damage to any undead with less Health than your current Stamina. Requires 25 Restoration.
• Radiant - Your Health and Stamina regeneration are further enhanced, and any undead or daedra that strike you in melee combat are burned by your blood spattering on them. Requires 50 Restoration.
• Daedra Hunter - Power attacking an undead or daedra foe will drain more of your stamina, but deal massive damage to your enemy. Requires 75 Restoration.
• Aetherial - Once per day you can tap into the latent magical energies of Mundus to greatly empower your physical form. Requires all previous Darkwatch traits.
  

Entombed - Vampire necromancer. Your reanimation spells are stronger as you become more skilled in Conjuration, and you can reanimate additional corpses as you become more skilled.

• Deathtouch - You trap the souls of enemies that die within a moderate distance of you, filling soulgems and increasing your soul charge. You can attempt to create an empty soulgem from your accumulated soul charge.
• Necropulse - You can touch a hostile undead to manipulate necromantic energies and make them your ally for 30 seconds. Requires 25 Conjuration.
• Corpselight - Your reanimated undead have their combat prowess enhanced, and they curse their killer when struck down. Requires 50 Conjuration.
• Army of the Fallen - You can reanimate many corpses in a small radius around you for 60 seconds. Requires 75 Conjuration.
• Afterlife - You can feed directly on soul energy. As long as you keep your soul energy reserves charged, you can reanimate your own flesh when near death. Requires all previous Entombed traits.
  

Feral - Savage unarmed combatant. Holding anything but a spell in either hand will prevent any Feral abilities from working.

• Stalking Cat - While sneaking, you have a permanent Night Eye effect. In addition, your Health is fortified by 50 points and you automatically restore 1 Stamina per second.
• Bear's Paw - You gain additional unarmed damage when using Light Armor gauntlets. Requires Stalking Cat.
• Savage Claw - Your attacks energize you, enhancing your physical regeneration. Requires Bear's Paw.
• Wild Strength - You can channel primal energies to enhance your physical damage, ignoring 50% of armor and possibly staggering or knocking back your foes for a short time. Requires Tearing Claw.
• Free the Beast - Being struck in combat heightens your rage, which can boil over and make you transform into a werewolf. Requires Wild Strength.
  

Juggernaut - Melee warrior, the proverbial unstoppable force.

• Power Attacks - Your power attacks with any melee weapon cost 25% less Stamina.
• Spectral Blade - Toggle on/off the ability to throw a spectral weapon from your right hand at distant targets. Requires 25 One-handed or Two-handed.
• Momentum - Attacking while running adds 25% to your melee damage. Attacking while sprinting or mounted adds 50% to your melee damage instead. Requires 50 One-handed or Two-handed.
• Seething Fury - You do additional melee damage as your Health decreases. Requires 75 One-handed or Two-handed.
• Frenzy - Striking an enemy in combat charges you with adrenaline, fortifying your attack damage by a stacking 5%. Requires all previous Juggernaut traits.
  

Phalanx - Melee warrior, the immovable object.

• Aura of Strength - While blocking, you sap the Stamina of nearby enemies. If you also have Indomitable, saps some of their Health as well.
• Magical Defenses - Blocking a spell cast at you raises your magical defenses for 10 seconds, fortifying your Magic Resistance by 25%, your movement speed by 15%, your attack speed by 10%, and inflicting magical feedback on any further spells cast on you. Requires 25 Block.
• Exploit Opening - Bashing an enemy opens their defenses, causing them to take 25% more damage from you. Requires 50 Block.
• Indomitable - Blocking attacks greatly fortifies your Health regeneration for a short time. Requires 75 Block.
• Deflection - Blocking attacks reflects an increasing amount of melee damage. Requires all previous Phalanx traits.
  

Shadow - Stealthy assassin.

• Blink - When attacked in melee range, there is a chance you will teleport behind your attacker.
• Cripple - Your attacks strike vulnerable spots in your target's armor, slowing them for a short time. Requires 25 Sneak.
• Backstab - Your sneak attacks with melee weapons or bows deal double damage. Requires 50 Sneak.
• Assassin's Rush - You can turn invisible and teleport behind your target. Requires 75 Sneak.
• Shadowbound - While sneaking and not in combat, you become invisible. Requires all previous Shadow traits.
  

Skirmisher - Magically enhanced archer.

• Enchanted Quiver - You have a quiver of endless Enchanted Arrows.
• Knockout Arrow - There is a chance your Enchanted Arrows will hit your target in a vulnerable spot, briefly incapacitating them. Requires 25 Archery. 
• Magical Arrowheads - You can choose from a variety of magical arrowheads to attach to your Enchanted Arrows. Requires 50 Archery.
• Deadshot - You have a chance to critically hit for massive damage. Requires 75 Archery.
• Meditative Archery - Each shot from your bow fortifies your bow speed by a stacking 10%. Requires all previous Skirmisher traits.
  

MARKS:

• Mark of the Arcane Warrior - Your defensive spells with durations last 10x longer, but reduce your maximum Magicka by their casting cost. Unequip the Mark to dispel this effect.
• Mark of the Assassin - You do 300% more damage with bows, but only attack 50% as fast with them.
• Mark of the Blood Mage - Your spells cost Health rather than Magicka to cast.
• Mark of the Dervish - You attack 25% faster with melee weapons, but inflict 25% less damage.
  

TO GET STARTED:
Go to the Soulforge location that appears on your map. From there, you'll gain the power to forge your soul.

REQUIREMENTS:
The base Skyrim game and both the Dawnguard and Dragonborn DLCs
SKSE, without which some of the scripting would be impossible

COMPATIBILITY ISSUES:
The Soulforge alters one cell in the game - POIPineForest15. Any mods that make changes to that cell may cause conflicts with the Soulforge.

THANKS TO:
Enai Siaion, whose scripting skill inspired a couple of items in the mod
Bethesda, for not only making this awesome game but also making it so easy to tinker with
The NexusMods community for continuing to impress me with how far we can take this game
Gearbox Software, for the Borderlands games that inspired a couple of the Battlemage's abilities
The game Darkwatch for giving me the name of the class
Dungeons & Dragons, specifically the Forgotten Realms setting, for inspiration for some of the abilities

If you have any ideas for things I can add to the mod, or especially if you encounter anything that should work and doesn't, let me know! I've been testing this myself for some time now, but I'm sure someone out there will find something I overlooked! Constructive criticism is always welcome.