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Should You Take Lord Harkon’s Blood in Skyrim? A Comprehensive Guide

The decision of whether to accept Lord Harkon’s blood in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’s Dawnguard DLC is a pivotal moment, shaping not only your character’s abilities but also the entire trajectory of your playthrough. The short answer is: it depends entirely on your preferred playstyle and roleplaying aspirations.

If you crave the power and unique abilities of a Vampire Lord, and you’re willing to manage the drawbacks, then yes, accept Harkon’s blood. This path unlocks a new skill tree, transformative powers, and access to Castle Volkihar and its vampiric denizens.

However, if you dislike the idea of being a vampire – the weakness to sunlight, the altered appearance, and potential hostility from NPCs – then emphatically refuse Harkon’s offer. Siding with the Dawnguard provides access to powerful anti-vampire weaponry, a dedicated faction of vampire hunters, and a heroic narrative arc.

Ultimately, the choice is yours. Let’s delve deeper into the ramifications of each path.

Siding with Harkon: The Path of the Vampire Lord

Embracing the Darkness

Accepting Harkon’s blood immediately transforms you into a Vampire Lord. This grants you:

Vampire Lord Transformation: A powerful alternate form with unique abilities, including summoning gargoyles, draining life, and using blood magic.
Vampire Abilities: Nightstalker’s Footsteps (increased sneak), increased resistance to diseases and poison, and access to vampiric powers like Vampiric Drain.
Castle Volkihar: Your new home, filled with other vampires, quests, and resources.
Vampire Lord Skill Tree: A dedicated skill tree to enhance your Vampire Lord powers, unlocked by feeding on victims.
Unique Quests: The Dawnguard questline will be altered, focusing on vampiric goals and strategies.

The Price of Power

However, being a Vampire Lord comes with significant drawbacks:

Sunlight Weakness: Severely reduced health, stamina, and magicka regeneration while in sunlight. This can make daytime exploration challenging.
Fire Weakness: Increased vulnerability to fire damage.
Vampire Appearance: Your character’s eyes will change (often described as “ugly”), and your skin may become pale.
Potential Hostility: NPCs may become hostile if you are a Stage 4 vampire (i.e. Haven’t fed recently) in populated areas.

Is the Vampire Lord Right for You?

The Vampire Lord is a strong choice for players who enjoy:

Playing a villainous or morally ambiguous character.
Focusing on stealth, magic, and melee combat.
Utilizing unique powers and abilities.
Exploring a darker, more gothic storyline.

Siding with the Dawnguard: The Path of the Vampire Hunter

Standing Against the Darkness

Rejecting Harkon’s blood aligns you with the Dawnguard, a faction dedicated to eradicating vampires. This provides:

Powerful Weapons: Access to enhanced dwarven crossbows (considered the best ranged weapon by many players) and other anti-vampire weaponry, like the powerful sunburst ammunition for Crossbows.
Unique Armor: The Dawnguard armor set, providing protection and a distinct aesthetic.
Fort Dawnguard: Your base of operations, a fortified location with crafting stations, merchants, and fellow hunters.
Companions: Strong allies to fight alongside you, including heavily armored huskies.
Heroic Storyline: A questline focused on protecting Skyrim from the vampire threat.
A “Good Guy” Feeling: It feels nice to be on the side of the “good guys”.

The Hunter’s Burden

The Dawnguard path also presents some considerations:

Less Unique Powers: You won’t gain the transformative Vampire Lord powers.
Less “Unique” Feel: You will fight Vampires but generally in a similar way you fight enemies in other games.
Limited Access to Vampire Content: You’ll have limited interaction with Castle Volkihar and its inhabitants.
Less Stealth-Oriented: The Dawnguard is primarily focused on direct combat, although stealth is still viable.

Is the Dawnguard Right for You?

The Dawnguard is ideal for players who enjoy:

Playing a heroic character.
Focusing on ranged combat and weapon mastery.
Fighting alongside allies and protecting the innocent.
A more traditional fantasy storyline.

Weighing the Options: A Summary

Ultimately, the “better” choice depends on your personal preferences. Consider these questions:

What is your preferred playstyle? (Stealth, melee, magic, ranged)
What kind of character do you want to play? (Heroic, villainous, neutral)
How much are you willing to deal with the drawbacks of vampirism?
Which storyline appeals to you more? (Vampire Lord power fantasy or vampire hunter heroism)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I become a Vampire Lord later if I side with the Dawnguard?

Yes! Serana can turn you into a Vampire Lord even if you choose to side with the Dawnguard. This can be done after the main Dawnguard questline is complete, as a reward.

2. Can I cure vampirism after becoming a Vampire Lord?

Yes. You can cure your vampirism by speaking with Falion in Morthal. He will perform a ritual to remove the vampirism.

3. What happens to Serana if I join the Volkihar Clan?

Serana remains by your side regardless of your choice. She is integral to the Dawnguard DLC’s questline and will remain your follower.

4. Can I cure Serana of her vampirism?

Yes, you can convince Serana to seek a cure for her vampirism after completing the main Dawnguard questline. You will have to convince her as she likes being a vampire, or considers it a gift.

5. What are the stages of vampirism?

There are four stages of vampirism. As you go longer without feeding, you advance to the next stage. At Stage 4, NPCs will likely become hostile towards you on sight.

6. Is there a way to feed as a vampire without killing people?

Yes. You can feed on sleeping NPCs without killing them. Also, if you side with Harkon and become a vampire, your co-horts will allow you to feed off them.

7. What is Auriel’s Bow and should I give it to Harkon?

Auriel’s Bow is a powerful weapon you can obtain during the Dawnguard questline. It is not recommended to give it to Harkon, as he will betray you regardless, and the bow is far more useful in your hands during the final battle.

8. Can I marry Harkon?

No, you cannot marry Harkon. He is already married to Valerica, even though they are estranged.

9. Is it better to be a vampire or not in Skyrim?

It depends on your playstyle. Vampirism offers unique powers but comes with drawbacks. If you enjoy stealth, magic, and playing a darker character, being a vampire can be very rewarding.

10. Does being a vampire affect my stats?

Yes. As a vampire, you gain resistance to diseases and poison, but also gain weakness to fire and sunlight. Sunlight inhibits health, stamina, and magicka regeneration.

11. What is the best race for a vampire in Skyrim?

Dark Elves are often considered the best race for vampires, as they have a natural resistance to fire, which helps offset the vampire’s weakness to fire. Additionally, their natural affinity for stealth is beneficial for a vampire’s playstyle.

12. Can I turn my spouse into a vampire?

Yes, you can turn your spouse into a vampire if you have the Dawnguard DLC.

13. What happens if I refuse to give Harkon the bow?

Whether you refuse to give him the bow or decide to give it to him, Harkon will attack you regardless.

14. Can you join the Dawnguard after killing Harkon?

Yes, you can still join the Dawnguard after killing Harkon. Isran will approach you and offer you membership if you are not a vampire.

15. Can you marry Serana after curing her?

Officially, no. The base game does not allow you to marry Serana, even after curing her. However, fan-made mods exist that enable you to marry her.

Making the decision to accept or reject Harkon’s blood is a crucial moment in the Dawnguard DLC. By considering your playstyle, preferred character alignment, and the pros and cons of each faction, you can make the best choice for your Dragonborn’s destiny. The Games Learning Society supports learning new perspectives through games, which the Dawnguard storyline definitely delivers. You can learn more about the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.

Should I take Lord Harkon’s blood?