Serana’s Savage Side: Understanding Her Hostility in Skyrim’s Dawnguard DLC

Yes, Serana can absolutely become hostile in Skyrim’s Dawnguard DLC. This usually stems from specific quest triggers or glitches, particularly during certain moments in the storyline. Understanding the causes and solutions for Serana’s hostility is crucial for a smooth and immersive playthrough. Let’s dive deep into the circumstances that can turn your favorite vampire companion against you and how to resolve them.

Unraveling Serana’s Hostility: Causes and Solutions

Serana’s personality is complex, but her alignment is generally with the Dragonborn. So, when she turns hostile, it’s almost always a bug or a quest-related event. Several factors can contribute to this frustrating situation:

• Quest Triggers: As the original article pointed out, the “Moon Dial” area is a common culprit. Certain quest updates or zone entries can inadvertently flag Serana as hostile. This is likely due to scripting errors or conditional checks failing.

• Friendly Fire: Accidental strikes on Serana, especially with area-of-effect spells or abilities, can trigger her hostility. Skyrim’s follower AI isn’t always the sharpest, and sometimes a stray arrow is enough to set them off.

• Mod Conflicts: Mods, while enhancing the game, can also introduce conflicts that affect follower behavior. Mods altering follower AI, combat mechanics, or quest scripts are prime suspects.

• Glitches: Sometimes, it’s simply a glitch. Skyrim is notorious for its bugs, and follower AI is a frequent victim.

So, how do you fix this? Here are some tried-and-true methods:

• The Bleedout Trick: The original article’s suggestion is a classic. Attacking Serana until she enters bleedout (kneeling down due to low health) often resets her AI. Once she recovers, she should be back to normal.

• Sheathing Your Weapon: Sometimes, simply sheathing your weapon and waiting will calm her down. Skyrim’s AI has a built-in aggression cooldown.

• Console Commands (PC Only): If you’re on PC, console commands are your best friend. The stopcombat command (targeted at Serana) can force her out of combat. You can also try setrelationshiprank player 4 to ensure she’s set as an ally. The command resetai is another option.

• Loading an Earlier Save: As a last resort, reloading an earlier save might be necessary. This is especially true if the hostility is deeply ingrained due to a persistent bug.

• Check Your Mods: If you are using any follower mods, this can be the reason.

By understanding the potential causes and having these solutions at your fingertips, you can minimize the frustration of dealing with a hostile Serana and get back to enjoying the Dawnguard DLC.

Serana FAQs: Delving Deeper into the Vampire’s World

Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further explore the intricacies of Serana and her role in Skyrim:

1. Can Serana bite you and give you vampirism?

Yes, Serana can bite you, but not in the traditional sense of a vampire attack that immediately infects you. Vampirism is contracted as a disease during a fight with a vampire, and also by being bitten by Serana or Harkon in a scripted event when joining the Volkihar vampire clan. Harkon will directly turn you.

2. What happens if you attack and kill Serana?

While you can attack and kill Serana, doing so has significant consequences. You’ll lose her as a follower, and it will impact some quest-related dialogues, mainly the dialogue about your feelings for her. However, it does not invalidate the entire DLC. You’ll just miss out on her unique companionship and abilities. Kill her if you dare, but do so knowing the price!

3. Should I tell Serana to cure herself of vampirism?

Whether you tell Serana to cure herself is a matter of personal preference. Curing her means she’ll be affected by Restoration spells differently (healing instead of harming), and she’ll appear on Detect Life instead of Detect Dead. It changes her gameplay mechanics and her place within the game world.

4. Is it possible to marry Serana if you cure her?

Officially, you cannot marry Serana through standard in-game mechanics, even if she’s cured. Skyrim doesn’t support marrying vampires. However, the modding community has created several mods, like the “Marriable Serana” mod, that enable this option.

5. Will Serana leave if I choose not to become a vampire?

No, Serana will not leave you if you refuse Harkon’s offer to become a vampire. She’s programmed to be your guide and follower throughout the Dawnguard questline, regardless of your chosen path.

6. Why does Serana seemingly make my Vampiric Drain spell weaker?

This is due to a specific game mechanic. When Serana is following you, the Vampiric Drain spell’s damage is dramatically reduced, often to zero. This is a condition placed on the spell’s Damage Health effect to prevent Serana from being excessively harmed by the player’s vampire abilities.

7. Can I cure Serana of vampirism after starting the Dawnguard DLC?

Yes, if you side with the Dawnguard, you can convince Serana to cure her vampirism after completing the main questline and leaving Volkihar Cathedral. This depends on the conversations you have with her during the questline.

8. Should I let Serana turn me into a Vampire Lord?

The decision to let Serana turn you into a Vampire Lord is a personal one. There’s no major consequence to the Dawnguard faction if you choose to become one. It is important to note if you are no longer a Vampire Lord you will not be able to re-enter the Soul Cairn.

9. Should I allow Serana to partially soul trap me in the Soul Cairn?

Yes, allow Serana to partially soul trap you. It makes little difference to your character and it is not permanent. If you no longer want to be soul-trapped, you can always re-enter the Soul Cairn and regain your soul from a chest.

10. Is it possible to romance Serana in Skyrim?

Without mods, romancing Serana is not possible in the vanilla game. While the relationship between the Dragonborn and Serana is close, the game doesn’t offer a romantic option. Mods are required to marry and romance her.

11. Why does Serana sometimes get stuck sneaking?

Serana getting stuck in sneak mode is a common glitch. It is usually triggered by an event like you are Killing your own reanimated zombies while sneaking may cause Serana to be stuck in sneak mode. Try fast traveling or temporarily dismissing her.

12. Where does Serana go when dismissed from my service?

When you dismiss Serana, she typically returns to Fort Dawnguard or Volkihar Castle, depending on which faction you sided with. If you can’t find her there, it might be a glitch, and she might be stuck wherever you dismissed her.

13. Does Serana have any affection or regard for the Dragonborn?

Yes, Serana does show signs of affection and gratitude towards the Dragonborn. She appreciates being freed from her father’s control and seems to enjoy spending time together. She shows a deeper connection in some of her dialogue.

14. What is the optimal type of armor for Serana to wear?

Serana prefers light armor. Light armor enchanted with Muffle and Fortify Sneak makes her very stealthy. Her default Vampire Lord armor is also a good option.

15. Is Serana immune to the Dawnbreaker’s area-of-effect explosion?

By default, Serana is not immune to Dawnbreaker’s explosion, which can make her a liability when fighting undead. However, mods exist that grant her immunity to this effect, preventing her from being harmed by the weapon.

Final Thoughts: Serana, A Complex Companion

Serana is undoubtedly one of the most compelling and complex characters in Skyrim. Her potential for hostility, while frustrating, is usually easily resolved. Understanding the causes and solutions allows you to fully enjoy her unique companionship throughout the Dawnguard DLC. Just remember to save often, and don’t be afraid to experiment with console commands if you’re on PC. The deeper lore of the Dawnguard DLC and video game concepts can even be applied to learning! Research shows how video games promote cognitive development, which is why organizations such as the Games Learning Society promote research. Check out GamesLearningSociety.org to learn more!

By keeping this information in mind, you’ll ensure a smoother and more enjoyable journey alongside Serana in the world of Skyrim.