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Welcome!
This mod collection is for beginners and experts alike- anyone looking for an enhanced and streamlined base game experience!

I have curated mods that improve upon the base game cosmetically and in terms of ease of use/how easy it is to understand, while also seeking to optimise it for weaker machines. None of the mods change the way you play the game at all!
The idea is someone could use this modpack for their first ever game of Darkest Dungeon and have a completely stock experience, only better, and then do a second, unmodded run without getting confused by anything.

See the 'Optional' section below for some more mods I would recommend for an improved experience. I did not include them in the collection itself because I wanted to be conservative and err on the side of caution about what could be considered a deviation from the base game, BUT I also wanted to show people some mods which I believe enhance things somewhat without being huge departures from the base game.

DLC:
You can run it with no DLC, some DLC, or all DLC!
Please see the 'Optional' section below for further optimisation you can do for each DLC. This includes simple things like giving DLC Hero Classes the same skin choices as base game ones, all the way up to slightly larger changes that MAY be considered deviations from the base game.

Actual Changes:
The UI has been improved, there is more cosmetic variation, some very small things have been fixed (see the actual modlist below for specifics), animations are quicker so the game can be played at YOUR pace rather than being restricted to the slow base speed, and some things have been optimised to hopefully make the game run better!

Compatibility and Using More/Other Mods:
You should be able to combine this modpack with most other mods and have no trouble! Overhauls may cause compatibility issues, but as long as you respect the load order of the modlist, other stuff should work fine.
If you ARE looking to dive deeper into mods, allow me to shill my main modpack. It's focused on not deviating TOO far from the base game experience, but simply adding to it. Therefore it contains a LOT of new classes, picked for quality and how well they match the game, along with tweaks to mechanics introduced in DLC (not as much the base game,) and a load of other cosmetic and mechanical patches.

Back to this collection!

Another thing I tried to do while building this collection is allow people to mix and match mods, as well as add them. So, if you don't like any mods here, or one is causing bugs or something, just get rid of it! Skins are a good example- you can remove included Skins you don't like, and/or add ones you do like, with no issue!

Please inform me of any issues and I will do my best to fix them! However, usually it's an issue with the mod itself, and in that case it is up to the mod author to fix it.

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Here is the optional section!
As mentioned above, some mods I recommend here are DLC-specific and thus omitted from the main list, so that people without the DLC can use the collection, and people with DLC can use it AND ALSO add these mods if they want.
Some mods are focused on further optimisation if you are REALLY worried about the power of your computer.
Others are mods I would recommend for an enhanced game experience, but as some may consider them deviations from the base game, however small, I have made them optional.
If you are worried about adding any more mods, don't be- with a collection like this, load order isn't TOO important, though there is a guide linked above (the "respect the load order" link.)

More Optimisation:
If you are STILL worried about your computer being weak, unsubscribe to the UPEP in the collection and subscribe to this version instead. This change should make the game a slightly less heavy load on your machine, so with the other optimisation already in this collection, you should have a good chance at running it!
Unofficial Palette Expansion Pack - Lite Version.

DLC:
If you like the Musketeer, but want to differentiate her from the Arbalest (even her Trinkets are the same, but they can't use each other's Trinkets, which means it's harder to get optimal Trinkets for everyone!) then I would recommend this great all-in-one mod that changes not just her combat Skills but also her Trinkets and Camping Skills! Also compatible with Buff Skill Type Indicator, as well as the UPEP Musketeer Patch I mention further down too.
Musketeer Rework.

If you are running Crimson Court, try this mod out! The CC DLC has a feature called 'Infestation' where enemies from the DLC area can appear in other dungeons. This mod simply adds some cosmetic stuff to those dungeons to mimic this Infestation! It's great both cosmetically and for lore/immersion!
More Dungeon Background Variations - Crimson Court Add-On.

If you have Color of Madness AND other DLCs, check these out. They could be considered a deviation from the base game, as they add enemies to the Endless mode in CoM that aren't usually there, BUT they are just the enemies from the other DLCs. The game devs just decided not to add this compatibility for whatever reason.
If you are running Color of Madness and the Crimson Court, use The Color of Blood.
If you are running CoM and Shieldbreaker, use The Color of Venom.
If you are running CoM, CC, and SB, use The Color of Blood and Venom.

If you are using the Flagellant (he comes with the Crimson Court DLC, but you can use him on a save without running the main CC content,) then check out this patch for UPEP that gives him the same skins treatment as non-DLC Hero Classes!
UPEP - Flagellant.
Likewise, if you are using the Shieldbreaker, you can get her the additional skins with UPEP - Shieldbreaker.
And finally, if you are using the Musketeer, she can get the additional skins with UPEP - Musketeer.
These are all compatible with each other, so you can mix and match!

Finally, for Color of Madness users, check this one out. The Crimson Court added a miniboss that has a special loading screen so you know he's coming- the CoM miniboss does NOT have this, it just tells you he COULD be in that dungeon area. So, while it takes away SOME of the element of surprise from the base game, if you want to know he's DEFINITELY appearing, use this!
Loading Screen From The Stars.

More Stuff:
This one wasn't added for lore reasons- although it is technically lore friendly! As you play through the game, you rebuild the statue of your Ancestor. However, as he caused all the horror you face, maybe you don't think he deserves a statue. Instead, build a statue of the avatar you play as, the one cleaning up all the Ancestor's mess- the Heir!
The Heir's Statue.