The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Vampirism & Lycanthropy

Choose your path in Skyrim: become a Vampire Lord or a Werewolf. Learn to gain, manage, and potentially cure these supernatural afflictions.

Vampirism & Lycanthropy

In the frigid lands of Skyrim, ancient curses offer both immense power and daunting challenges. You can choose to embrace the bloodlust of a Vampire Lord or the primal fury of a Werewolf. Each path offers unique abilities, drawbacks, and playstyles. This section will guide you through acquiring, managing, and, if you choose, curing these supernatural afflictions.

Becoming a Vampire

There are two primary ways to become a Vampire in Skyrim:

Method 1: Contracting Sanguinare Vampiris

  1. Encounter Vampires: Seek out Vampire enemies, commonly found in ancient Nordic ruins, caves, or specific vampire lairs. Good early game locations include Movarth's Lair (north of Morthal) or Haemar's Shame (south of Helgen, accessible after starting the "A Daedra's Best Friend" quest).
  2. Get Infected: Allow a Vampire to hit you with a drain life spell or melee attack. There's a 10% chance with each hit to contract Sanguinare Vampiris. You'll see a message on screen indicating you've contracted the disease.
  3. Wait Three Days: After contracting Sanguinare Vampiris, you have three in-game days to cure it before it fully transforms you. If you do nothing, on the fourth day, you will awaken as a full Vampire.

Method 2: Lord Harkon's Gift (Dawnguard DLC)

  1. Start the Dawnguard Questline: Travel to Fort Dawnguard (southeast of Riften) and speak with Isran to begin the quest "Dawnguard."
  2. Reach "Bloodline": Progress through the Dawnguard questline until you reach the quest "Bloodline."
  3. Accept Harkon's Gift: During "Bloodline," you will be taken to Castle Volkihar. Lord Harkon will offer to turn you into a Vampire Lord. Accept his gift to instantly become a powerful Vampire Lord, bypassing the disease stage. This is generally the preferred method for dedicated vampire builds due to the immediate access to Vampire Lord form.

Vampire Stages and Feeding

Vampirism progresses through four stages, increasing in power and drawbacks. Feeding on the blood of sleeping NPCs resets you to Stage 1. If you go too long without feeding, you advance stages:

  • Stage 1: Minor stat bonuses, minor fire weakness.
  • Stage 2: Increased bonuses, moderate fire weakness.
  • Stage 3: Further increased bonuses, significant fire weakness.
  • Stage 4: Maximum bonuses, extreme fire weakness, NPCs become hostile on sight (unless you have the Dawnguard DLC and have completed the "Kindred Judgment" quest on the Vampire side, or have the Ring of the Beast/Ring of the Erudite).

Feeding Strategy: To feed, sneak up to a sleeping NPC and interact with them. You can feed on most humanoids, including your spouse or followers (if they are sleeping). Regular feeding is crucial to manage the fire weakness and prevent hostile NPCs.

Curing Vampirism

  1. Speak to an Innkeeper: Ask any innkeeper about rumors. They will eventually tell you about Falion in Morthal, who studies Vampirism.
  2. Find Falion: Travel to Morthal and locate Falion.
  3. Acquire a Filled Black Soul Gem: Falion will instruct you to bring him a filled Black Soul Gem.
    • Obtaining a Black Soul Gem: These can sometimes be purchased from court wizards (e.g., Farengar Secret-Fire in Whiterun, Sybille Stentor in Solitude) or found as loot in high-level dungeons.
    • Filling a Black Soul Gem: You need to cast a Soul Trap spell on a humanoid enemy (Bandits, Forsworn, Necromancers, etc.) and then defeat them while the spell is active. The spell tome for Soul Trap can often be purchased from court wizards.
  4. Meet Falion at the Summoning Stone: Return to Falion with the filled Black Soul Gem. He will meet you at the Summoning Stone, a landmark just east of Morthal.
  5. Perform the Ritual: Speak to Falion at the Summoning Stone, and he will perform a ritual to cure your Vampirism. This can be repeated if you become a Vampire again.

Becoming a Werewolf

The path to Lycanthropy is tied directly to the Companions faction in Whiterun.

How to Become a Werewolf

  1. Join The Companions: Travel to Whiterun and enter Jorrvaskr, the Companions' hall. Speak with Kodlak Whitemane to begin the questline.
  2. Progress the Questline: Complete several quests for the Companions, such as "Take Up Arms," "Proving Honor," and "The Silver Hand."
  3. Accept the Blood Ritual: During the quest "The Silver Hand," you will be offered the chance to undergo a blood ritual and become a Werewolf. Accept this offer from Skjor and Aela the Huntress. You will instantly gain the Beast Form ability.

Werewolf Form and Abilities

When you transform into a Werewolf, you gain:

  • Increased health and stamina.
  • Powerful claw attacks.
  • A roar ability that can fear enemies.
  • The ability to feed on corpses to regain health and extend your transformation time.
  • Immunity to all diseases, including Sanguinare Vampiris.

Drawbacks: You cannot use spells, equipment, or access your inventory in Beast Form. NPCs may become hostile if they witness your transformation or see you in Werewolf form. You also cannot regenerate health naturally in Werewolf form; you must feed on corpses.

Curing Lycanthropy

  1. Complete The Companions Questline: You must finish the main Companions questline, culminating in "Glory of the Dead."
  2. Acquire a Glenmoril Witch Head: During "Glory of the Dead," you will retrieve several Glenmoril Witch Heads from Glenmoril Coven. You will use one to cure Kodlak Whitemane. keep at least one extra head in your inventory.
  3. Return to Ysgramor's Tomb: After completing "Glory of the Dead," return to Ysgramor's Tomb.
  4. Activate the Flame of the Harbinger: Approach the Flame of the Harbinger within the tomb.
  5. Offer a Glenmoril Witch Head: Activate the flame and offer a Glenmoril Witch Head. Your beast spirit will appear. Defeat it in combat.
  6. Cured: Once your beast spirit is defeated, you will be cured of Lycanthropy. Note that unlike Vampirism, you can only cure Lycanthropy once through this method. If you become a Werewolf again (e.g., by asking Aela the Huntress), you cannot use the Flame of the Harbinger again.

Choosing Your Path

Both Vampirism and Lycanthropy offer distinct advantages and disadvantages. Consider your playstyle:

  • Vampirism: Favors stealth, magic, and ranged combat. The Vampire Lord form (Dawnguard DLC) is incredibly versatile with both melee and magical attacks. However, the fire weakness and feeding requirements can be challenging.
  • Lycanthropy: Favors aggressive melee combat. The Beast Form is a powerful, temporary transformation ideal for clearing groups of enemies. It offers disease immunity but restricts your normal abilities during transformation.

You cannot be both a Vampire and a Werewolf simultaneously. Becoming one will cure you of the other.