Race Change without Complications Guide!

Ever wanted to change your characters' race, but don't feel like worrying about all the issues that go with? (Randomly changed skills, make-up/warpaint miss-match, etc.)
Well you can! It's flawless and easy! And I'm not actually sure if this is common knowledge or not since I can't find it posted anywhere else on the interwebs. (Since I sorta figured it out all on my own through toying with the system enough...)
A perfect Race Change! An all-issues* workaround!

*Known issues, anyway, which is probably most if not all.

2021 Edit/Notice: This guide was made for Vanilla Skyrim, back in 2013 with several bugs found in the comments added into a "bugz" section over time that's rarely read. I have not tested it in the other editions. Also mentioned in bugs is that it doesn't work well with controllers. I'm not able to do any more testing, so I apologize that I won't be able to respond to any more questions or directly assist.

The Easy 6-ish Steps

Use these steps to successfully avoid both the skill reset and other stuff-n-such problems with Skyrim race changing. (Am I the first to post this, or has nobody found it before? I was toying with it for a while, but still.)
But before that, it's usually recommended to get into a building, since the Race Menu occasionally slows down a ton outdoors. Or so I've heard. Then follow these steps.
This will work around stat resets, make-up mis-matches, yada yada. Basically, it's flawless. No mods, no excessive stat editing, no nada. ;D

So here we go!
1) Open command console (`), and enter: ShowRaceMenu
2) Close command console (`) and go to the races page (DO NOT select the race yet. Also, this step isn't utterly neccessary, but gives you a better idea what's happening. But, don't select the race yet, this is vital.)
3) Open the command console and enter: Player.SetRace [Desired Race]
4) Close the command console. Your character should have changed heights just slightly and their face will look like putty. Also, the race won't be shown as selected. (This is good.)
5) Now select the [Desired Race] through the normal menu, and edit as much as ya want, just don't change the race without doing it through the Command Console first.
6) Press finish/enter name/whatever, since you're done! Tada! Uber complex, I know. :3
(Oh, and as a 7th-ish step, your hands will be tied, ignore that, it means nothing with this workaround if you did it right. You can untie your hands by unsheathing/sheathing.)

This works around the stat reset, as the RaceMenu still thinks you're the selected race, but the game thinks you're the Desired race, so when you select the Desired race (after having entered it) it will just refresh their looks without affecting their stats. Or so I figure. Have fun, and happy Skyrim-ing. ;)
(Also, as a neat little aside, those images attached were taken from doing these steps quick for a guide pic. Yes, even beast races and elves, custom races and downloaded races, they all work. Everything works. If it doesn't, then it won't even work with a clean restart. So a quicker way to test mod races, yes?)

Also, leave comments/messages if you have any questions. I may add a FAQ if needed, but this is fairly simple and straight forward... Oh, and credit me for posting it (and lemme know) if you decide to translate it! Or something... Like a YouTube vid, even though 6 steps are easier to read, imo...

Bugz

Bugs were found!

Автор сообщения: venerablevintage

I've done some fairly conclusive testing which seems to say that if you want to change your race, it has to be before you've become a vampire lord/werewolf. When you first transform, Skyrim makes note of your race so it knows what to turn you back to. Even if you change your race at any point after this, you'll return to your original race when exiting Vamp lord/Werewolf.

So yeah, doesn't work so flawlessly with Vamp or Werewolf (maybe someone could make a functional mod knowing this?), but if you're not one then you should be good to go, just be sure to keep venerablevintage's discovery in mind. (Edit: Fix Below)
Vamp/Werewolf bug fix!

Автор сообщения: HaVoC

by doing "player.setrace (desired race)" after you transform from werewolf or vampire lord back to normal, it will put your face back to normal.

Thanks for the tip HaVoC!

[PyrosLU] Pyros Leage United helped me realize I forgot to mention that you have to click on the desired race with the mouse, if you scroll through with a controller (like when it loads each race in between) you'd have to change each one individually until you reach the desired one. So it's a LOT easier to use the mouse, like just definitely select it using the mouse unless you can't, then enter each race in the setrace then change to it until you reach the desired one.

[Sadust]

working in the last verison. thanks!

[strain.jeremy]

does not work

[Creete]

You are a hero!! This is still working June 3, 2023.

Really wanted an Argonian character at the beginning but the romance options leave you with broom Hilda the chain smoker for all of the Argonian women. Plus adopting little human children as an Argonian is kinda peculiar so this was amazing!

[Mëowed]

Works on SE You saved my character You truly deserved an award.

[Ezect]

Still works! Thanks so much.

[YetAnotherRandomUsername]

Gonna edit in a notice that this guide was made for Vanilla Skyrim. I've not poked around with it in the other editions. Will also add another reminder this doesn't work with controller since I've seen more comments about that, since rarely do people read the bugs section before doing things.

[[FR]Unknowiii]

To NOT reset skills:

Use Player.SetRace BEFORE ShowRaceMenu

When you then use ShowRaceMenu , the race you want should be chosen directly without having to swap around.

To make the head match the body, simply change the gender.

You can now edit the rest.

[SQU1NCHY]

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[GUN DOCTOR]

nice

[bean]

followed exact steps and it changed my skills