I was just wondering if it is recommended to play this game the first time without any mods or if there is a recommended mod list for general playing that I should be aware of?

I recommend to play vanilla at lest one time,
or 2 -3 if you dont tend to check every detail / all npc script option etc

Try to stay away from walkthroughs and follow the paths offered by the game,
avoid reloads like hell unless you get a tpk/wipe.