Alright, let's talk vampires. You're out exploring Skyrim, maybe you stumbled upon some creepy lair, or maybe you just think glowing red eyes and cool powers would suit your Dragonborn. Whatever the reason, you want to know exactly how to become a vampire in Skyrim. Good news? It's totally possible. Bad news? It’s not always as straightforward as getting nibbled, and there are some serious... downsides. I learned that the hard way when my first character got stuck as a stage 4 vampire in the middle of Solitude. Let's just say the guards weren't fans. This guide cuts through the fog – no fluff, just the gritty details you actually need to make it happen and survive (or un-live?) the experience.
Getting Bitten: The First Step to Undeath
Forget fancy rituals at the start. Becoming a vampire lord in Skyrim starts with catching a disease. Specifically, Sanguinare Vampiris. You get this lovely ailment by letting a regular vampire hit you with its claws or bite attack. Simple, right? Mostly. Finding them isn't too tough. They hang out in places like:
- Dimhollow Crypt (The starter dungeon for the Dawnguard questline)
- Shriekwind Bastion (Southwest of Falkreath)
- Pinemoon Cave (Southeast of Shor's Stone)
- Haemar's Shame (South of Ivarstead)
- Random encounters on the roads at night (Look for hooded figures near glowing red eyes!)
Important: Getting hit doesn't guarantee the disease! There's a chance you'll contract it. I swear, sometimes it feels like you need to stand there asking nicely, "Please sir, can I have some vampirism?" If they hit you, check your magic menu under "Active Effects". If you see "Sanguinare Vampiris" ticking down with a 3-day timer, you're on the path.
Watch the Clock: If you cure the disease with a Cure Disease potion (made with Hawk Feathers, Vampire Dust, or Mudcrab Chitin) or by praying at any shrine within those 3 days, you're cured. Poof. Back to boring mortality. Fail to cure it? After three days sleeping in a bed (or just waiting), you wake up a full-blown, stage 1 vampire. Congrats? Your transformation into the night is complete.
What Does Being a Vampire Actually *Do*? The Good, The Bad, The Downright Annoying
So you took the plunge (or got clawed into it). Being a vampire in Skyrim isn't just a cosmetic change. It fundamentally alters how you interact with the world and gives you some unique powers and weaknesses. Some are awesome, some make you want to scream into your sweetroll.
The Sweet Perks (Seriously, Some Are Great)
Embrace the Shadows:
- Champion of the Night: Illusion spells are 25% stronger. Perfect for those sneaky Vampire Assassins.
- Night Cloak: Literally walking around in a damaging aura. Feels pretty epic near weaker foes.
- Vampire Seduction: Calms humanoids for 30 seconds. Great for avoiding fights or... finding a snack.
- Vampiric Drain: Your iconic life-stealing spell. Starts basic but upgrades.
- Mist Form: Become invulnerable and move faster for a short time. Ultimate panic button!
- Supernatural Reflexes: Time slows down when blocking. Makes you feel like a true predator.
- Poison & Disease Immunity: Handy in those Falmer caves.
- Frost Resistance: +50% resistance. Skyrim's cold? What cold?
- Enhanced Sneak: +25% sneak bonus in the dark. Become the whisper in the night.
The Painful Weaknesses (Sunlight Sucks)
Sunlight is the Worst: Seriously, this is the big one. When outside during daylight hours (roughly 5am to 7pm):
- Health/Stamina/Magicka Don't Regen: At all. Zip. Zero. Nada. You start with full pools, but they just drain and won't come back until darkness or shelter.
- Maximum Health/Stamina/Magicka Reduced: By a whopping -15/-15/-15 at stage 1, getting worse (-60/-60/-60!) by stage 4. Ouch.
- Fire Weakness: +25% weakness at stage 1, skyrocketing to +100% at stage 4. Fire mages and dragons become your nightmare.
This sunlight thing isn't just inconvenient; it forces a different playstyle. Long treks become hazardous. Forget casually wandering the tundra at noon. You become a creature of the night, literally planning your fast travels and dungeon dives around the sun's position. It forces you to engage with the core mechanic: feeding.
Vampire Stages: Hunger is Everything
You don't just *be* a vampire. You exist in stages of hunger, ranging from freshly fed (Stage 1) to absolutely ravenous (Stage 4). Your stage changes based on how long it's been since your last feed. Every 24 hours in-game without feeding advances you one stage. Here's the breakdown:
| Vampire Stage | Days Since Last Feed | Key Effects | NPC Aggression |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | 0-1 Days | Minor stat penalties (-15), Minor Fire Weakness (+25%) | None |
| Stage 2 | 1-2 Days | Increased penalties (-30), Increased Fire Weakness (+50%) | None |
| Stage 3 | 2-3 Days | Severe penalties (-45), Severe Fire Weakness (+75%) | Aggressive Comments |
| Stage 4 | 3+ Days | Crippling penalties (-60), Max Fire Weakness (+100%), No Health Regen ANYWHERE | Everyone Attacks On Sight! |
Yep, hit stage 4 (how to become a vampire in Skyrim problem solved, but now everyone hates you!) and suddenly every guard, merchant, and farmer wants you dead. Walking into a city becomes a death sentence unless you feed immediately or use powers like Vampire Seduction or high-level Illusion magic (Calm spells). It’s intense. Staying fed is crucial unless you want to live like a pariah. That NPC aggression at stage 4? Brutal. Learned that lesson trying to sell loot in Whiterun. Bad move.
Feeding 101: Sneak up behind a sleeping humanoid NPC (Bandit, Citizen, Guard). Get close and you'll get a prompt to "Feed". It doesn't kill them (usually), just knocks them out temporarily and resets you to Stage 1. Finding secluded sleepers (like in bandit camps or inns after midnight) is key. Feeding in cities is risky but possible if you’re very sneaky.
Leveling Up: Becoming a Vampire Lord (Requires Dawnguard DLC)
So you're a regular vampire. Cool. But maybe you saw Serana transform into that hulking winged beast and thought, "Yeah, I want THAT." That's the Vampire Lord form, and it's exclusive to the Dawnguard DLC. Here's the catch: how to become a vampire in Skyrim the basic way won't get you there. You need to join the Volkihar Clan.
- 1. Start the Dawnguard Questline: Get approached by a Dawnguard recruiter (usually around level 10) outside a major city, or head straight to Fort Dawnguard (South of Riften, near Stendarr's Beacon).
- 2. Find Serana & Dimhollow Crypt: Isran, the Dawnguard leader, sends you to investigate Dimhollow Crypt. Deep inside, you'll find Serana trapped in a coffin.
- 3. The Choice: After escorting Serana home to Castle Volkihar (a seriously cool, creepy island fortress in the far northwest), Lord Harkon offers you a choice:
- Accept Harkon's Gift: He bites you right then and there, turning you into a full Vampire Lord instantly. You join the Volkihar.
- Refuse Harkon's Gift: You side with the Dawnguard instead. (You can still become a vampire later through Serana, but it's messier).
Choosing Accept is the cleanest path to becoming a Vampire Lord. Harkon's bite overwrites any existing vampirism or lycanthropy you have. Suddenly, you gain the power to transform into the Vampire Lord form at will (found in your Powers menu). It changes the game.
Vampire Lord Perks: A Whole New Beast
Transforming into the Vampire Lord replaces your regular body and abilities. You float, have unique powers mapped to different hands, and look intimidating. The real depth comes from the Vampire Lord perk tree. You gain perk points by earning XP *while in Vampire Lord form*. Drain life, summon gargoyles, raise dead, use blood magic – it’s a powerful, distinct playstyle. Table time!
| Perk Category | Key Perks | What They Do |
|---|---|---|
| Perception | Detect All Creatures, Night Cloak Vampire Lord | See enemies through walls, constant aura damage. |
| Illusion | Vampire's Seduction, Summon Gargoyle | Calm humanoids, summon powerful flying allies. |
| Necromancy | Raise Dead (Corpse Curse), Poison Talons | Reanimate corpses temporarily, poison melee attacks. |
| Blood Magic | Blood Healing, Vampiric Grip | Heal by draining life, telekinetically grab enemies. |
| Defense | Mist Form, Unearthly Will | Become invulnerable/mobile, reduce power cost. |
Building this perk tree makes the Vampire Lord form truly formidable. It feels overpowered at times, especially against groups. But remember, you're still vulnerable to fire and sunlight weakens you even in this form outside.
Personally, I find the flying/climbing aspect fun for exploration, though the controls can feel a bit clunky compared to regular movement. The gargoyle summons are awesome tanks.
Managing Your Vampiric Existence: Tips from the (Un)Dead
Okay, you've figured out how to become a vampire in Skyrim. Now how do you *live* with it? Here’s the practical stuff they don’t always tell you:
- Surviving Sunlight:
- Potions & Enchantments: Stock up on Fortify Health/Magicka/Stamina potions. They *add* to your max pool temporarily, countering the sun penalty. Enchant gear with Fortify [Attribute]!
- The Lady Stone: Increases Health and Stamina regeneration by 25%. Helps counteract the sun's regen block slightly.
- Travel Smart: Fast travel only at night. Use carriages/boats at night. Plan dungeon entrances near dusk so you emerge after dark.
- Seek Shelter: Duck into caves, ruins, or buildings during the day. Wait/Sleep indoors to pass time.
- Feeding Efficiently:
- Bandit Camps: Your best friends. Plenty of isolated sleepers at night.
- Inns After Midnight: Risky, but possible with high Sneak. Save first! Target patrons sleeping in their rooms.
- Vampire Cattle: In Castle Volkihar, specific NPCs exist solely for feeding. Convenient if you're allied with them.
- Vampire Seduction: Use this power (or Illusion Calm spells) on a target *before* feeding. Makes it much easier, though still requires stealth near others.
- Combating Fire Weakness:
- Resist Fire Enchantments/Potions: Absolutely essential gear. Stack this enchantment on rings, necklaces, armor. Drink Resist Fire potions before fighting dragons or fire mages.
- Alteration Spells: "Dragonhide" or "Ebonyflesh" provide physical defense, indirectly helping against fire damage.
- Keep Your Distance: Use bows, spells, or Vampire Lord powers to avoid getting roasted up close.
Companions: Most followers will tolerate your vampirism without comment. However, some, like members of the Dawnguard faction (if you sided with them) or extremely "good" characters (Serana if cured, maybe Mjoll?), might turn hostile if you feed in front of them or hit stage 4. Stick to mercenaries or morally flexible types like Jenassa or Cicero. My Lydia surprisingly never batted an eye, even when I snacked on a bandit next to her.
Curing Vampirism: When You've Had Enough of the Night
Maybe the sunlight penalties are driving you nuts. Maybe you miss shopping during the day without everyone screaming. Maybe you just want to try being a werewolf. Whatever the reason, curing vampirism is possible, but it's a quest. A fetch quest, naturally.
Talk to an Innkeeper: Ask for rumors. They'll eventually mention "a wizard in Morthal studying vampires." Find Falion: Head to Morthal. Falion is the resident wizard, usually in his house or near the swamp. The Ritual: Falion agrees to cure you but needs one item: A Black Soul Gem filled with a Grand Soul.
- Get a Black Soul Gem: Buy one from Falion himself (convenient!), find one in necromancer lairs, or loot them.
- Fill it with a Grand Soul (Human Soul): This requires the Soul Trap spell/enchantment and killing a humanoid NPC (Bandit, Forsworn, etc.). Cast Soul Trap on them just before they die.
- Meet Falion at the Summoning Stones: At dawn (between 5am-7am), meet him at the stone circle outside Morthal.
- Perform the Ritual: Stand in the circle. Falion does his thing. You get cured instantly. You lose all vampire powers and weaknesses.
It’s a bit morbid needing a human soul, but hey, Skyrim. Once cured, you can contract Sanguinare Vampiris again if you want back in, or seek out the Companions for lycanthropy. Falion's ritual is reliable, unlike some buggy radiant quests. Still, gathering that filled gem takes effort right when you're weakest.
Vampire vs. Werewolf: Which Curse Suits You?
Skyrim's two major curses offer very different experiences. Choosing depends entirely on your playstyle:
| Feature | Vampire | Werewolf (Lycanthropy) |
|---|---|---|
| Acquisition | Contract Sanguinare Vampiris from vampires / Join Volkihar (Dawnguard). | Join the Companions faction in Whiterun. |
| Key Powers | Illusion boost, Drain Life, Stealth boost (night), Vampire Lord form (Dawnguard), Resist Frost, Disease/Poison Immunity. | Massive Health/Stamina boost in beast form, Disease Immunity, Super speed/attack power. |
| Key Weaknesses | Sunlight penalties (No Regen, Stat Reduction), Fire Weakness, Stage 4 Aggression, Feeding Required. | Silver Weapons hurt slightly more, No resting bonus (Well Rested/Lover's Comfort), Berserk in Beast form (can kill allies). |
| Transformation | Vampire Lord is powerful magic/ranged focused. Longer duration. Can feed to sustain. | Beast form is pure melee powerhouse. Shorter duration. Must feed on corpses to extend. |
| Daily Impact | High (Sunlight dictates activities, Feeding needed). | Low (Only during transformation or if you care about resting bonus). |
| Best For Playstyles | Stealth Archers/Mages (Illusion, Necromancy), Night-focused RP, Magic Power seekers. | Melee warriors (especially Two-Handed), Players wanting minimal daily impact, Berserker fans. |
Vampires offer more complex powers and gameplay but demand active management. Werewolves are simpler, more "turn on, smash, turn off." I prefer the vampire's depth, even with the hassles. That constant sun penalty though? Yeah, it grates after 50 hours. Werewolf simplicity has its appeal.
Your Skyrim Vampire Questions, Bled Dry (FAQ)
Let's tackle those burning questions people have when figuring out how to become a vampire in Skyrim:
Can I be both a vampire and a werewolf?
Nope. They are mutually exclusive curses. Becoming one cures the other instantly. Harkon's gift or Aela's blood will overwrite your current state. You have to choose.
Does race matter for becoming a vampire?
Not really! Any race can become a vampire or a werewolf. Racial passive powers still function (like Bretons' Magic Resistance or Orcs' Berserker Rage).
I joined the Dawnguard but still want to be a Vampire Lord. Can I?
Yes, but it's messy. During the Dawnguard questline, Serana can turn you into a regular vampire if you ask her *after* she's cured her own vampirism temporarily (a specific quest point). However, this makes you only a regular vampire, *not* a Vampire Lord. To become a Vampire Lord after siding with the Dawnguard, you MUST get Harkon to turn you before killing him. Once he's dead, that door is closed forever for that playthrough. Choose wisely! Serana won't grant you Lord status.
How do I increase my Vampire Lord perks?
You ONLY gain perk points for the Vampire Lord tree by gaining experience while actively in Vampire Lord form. Killing enemies, completing quest objectives while transformed – that's how you level it up. Drain Life is your best friend here.
Can followers become vampires?
Generally, no. The game doesn't have a mechanic for turning your followers using your own vampirism. Some followers are already vampires (like Serana).
Is there a way to reduce the sun damage/penalties?
No direct way to remove them entirely while remaining a vampire. Your strategies are mitigation: Fortify Attribute gear/potions, Resist Fire enchants, staying indoors/waiting till night, using the Lady Stone. The Necromage perk (Restoration 70) makes you stronger against spells if you're undead (which vampires are), but doesn't touch the sun penalties directly.
I'm stuck at stage 4 and everyone attacks me! How do I feed?
This is rough. Your options:
- Find an isolated sleeper: Bandit camps at night are your safest bet. Sneak is crucial.
- Use Vampire Seduction/Illusion Magic: Calm a target FIRST, then feed. High-level Calm spells affect higher level NPCs.
- Go to jail: Serving time cures diseases... including vampirism! Not ideal if you wanna stay a vamp, but it resets your stage.
- Fast Travel to a remote location known for sleepers (like a bandit fort) and try immediately.
Are there any unique vampire armors or weapons?
Yes! Primarily found within Castle Volkihar if you side with Harkon, or looted from high-level vampires elsewhere:
- Vampire Armor Sets: Light and Heavy variants (Royal Vampire armor looks pretty slick).
- Ring of the Erudite/Beast: Powerful unique rings boosting Magicka/Health regen or Stamina/Health (Volkihar side quest rewards).
- Auriel's Bow (Special): While not exclusively vampire, its interaction with the sun (blocking it with special arrows) is game-changing for vampires.
Final Thoughts: Embrace the Night (Or Don't)
Figuring out how to become a vampire in Skyrim is just the beginning. It's a commitment. You gain incredible power, especially as a Vampire Lord, weaving dark magic and dominating the shadows. The flavor is fantastic for certain roleplaying builds. But you pay for it. The sun becomes your nemesis, fire your bane, and the constant need to feed adds a layer of management some love and others find tedious. Weigh the cool factor against the daily grind.
My honest take? Try it! Save your game first (seriously, always save), contract the disease or join Harkon, and live the nocturnal life for a few levels. Experience the rush of Vampiric Drain or the power of the Vampire Lord transformation. See if the strengths outweigh the weaknesses *for your character*. If you hate it, Falion in Morthal is waiting with his soul gem. If you love it? Welcome to the Volkihar. Just maybe avoid Solitude at high noon.
Learning how to become a vampire in Skyrim opens up a unique path. Whether it's your main journey or just a dark detour, tread carefully in the sunlight, Dragonborn.
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