I'm doing a mod that's supposed to add a new faction with retextured armor, new world-space with the fortress of the faction and a questline, an all-around learning mod.
But I realised that I can't distribute my meshes with the new texture on them, as they are part of an official plug-in.
So I'm wondering if there is a way to make new textures for the KotN armor, without having to send the meshes original meshes along with it, thus allowing people
that haven't bought it get the meshes.(That's not to hard to do)

If you use resources from a plug-in in your mod, then the mod must be constructed such that users must have the plug-in to play it.

So, for example, you can't include the KotN meshes or textures in your mod.

You could simply modify the KoTN armor in the CS to use your new textures, no? Then just place your textures into a BSA file that is named like your ESP file. Example: RenGuardOverhaul.esp and RenGuardOveraul.bsa.

Of course, you would need to de-isolate your mod and KoTN in order for your mod to have KoTN as a "ESP master."

The problem is that you cannot simply modify the KoTN armor in the CS to use the new textures. You'd have to define the new texture in the .nif file, which also contains the model.

Indeed.

If you make your mod dependent on KotN, I think it's OK? I mean... we do it with Oblivion meshes all the time, with mods that are dependent on Oblivion.esm...

If the new texture can use the same normal map, you can still force some dependency by using a same-name texture for the retexture. For instance, Cuirass_blue.dds will use the same normal map as Cuirass.dds. Although it can be subverted, it's one way to have atleast a partial requirement of a DLC or expansion being present.

The reality is that if people REALLY want to have the item, there isn't any real way to prevent it as long as the mesh and texture can be gotten from somewhere. You can claim requirements, you can stick the item in a chest that uses a model from that DLC or expansion, you can put that chest in a cell which exists only in that expansion, but a determined person will still be able to make changes so that they can use it without that DLC or expansion. But, really, when you come down to it, a set of armor, a few statics, even an activator or two is not a substitute for a DLC or expansion. The value of the DLC or expansion lies in the quests, scripting, and all-around setup of that product, and that can't really be duplicated.

This is true, but Bethesda's position has always been that the dependency must exist - even if circumventable - in order to be accepted. Which is rather generous of them, because they are well within their rights to say no, not ever.

Thanks for all the replies.
Vagrant0: Only problem with your idea, is that I have to change the normal map, as it looks strange with the original emblem visible abowe the new one.
DragoonWraith: Your solution really would be the best.
Dogsbody: That's what I'm trying to do, I just don't know how to retexture something, then distributing it without people that don't have the Plug-In gets the meshes for free, as I think that would be against copyright.