Curing Lycanthropy in Skyrim: The Full Wolfsbane Effect
So, you’ve embraced the beast within in Skyrim, tasted the power of the werewolf, and now you’re having second thoughts? Maybe the silver weakness is getting you down, or perhaps you’re yearning for that sweet, sweet “Well Rested” bonus. Whatever the reason, you’re wondering: what actually happens if you cure your lycanthropy? The answer is multifaceted, impacting gameplay, quest availability, and even your future potential character builds. Prepare for a detailed breakdown of life after shedding the wolf’s fur.
The Immediate Effects of Curing Lycanthropy
Curing your lycanthropy in Skyrim is a significant decision with several immediate and long-term consequences:
- Loss of Beast Form: This is the most obvious consequence. You lose the ability to transform into a werewolf. Say goodbye to tearing through enemies with claws and teeth!
- Removal of Lycanthropy-Related Abilities and Perks: Your werewolf skill tree becomes inaccessible. All those hard-earned perks like Totem of Brotherhood or Savage Feeding will be useless.
- Loss of Disease Immunity: Werewolves are immune to all diseases. Once cured, you’re vulnerable again to things like Rockjoint and Sanguinare Vampiris (vampirism).
- No More Rested Bonus Issues: As a werewolf, you couldn’t gain any “Rested,” “Well Rested,” or “Lover’s Comfort” bonuses from sleeping. Curing the condition resolves this. You can finally enjoy a good night’s sleep.
- Totems of Hircine Quest Inaccessibility: If you cure your lycanthropy before completing the Totems of Hircine questline, you’ll be locked out of it entirely. This means missing out on unique Howls that offer varied effects in Werewolf form.
- Underforge Inaccessibility: The Underforge, a unique crafting location beneath the Companions’ headquarters, becomes inaccessible after being cured.
Repercussions and Considerations After the Cure
Beyond the immediate effects, curing lycanthropy also influences other areas of your gameplay. Deciding when and how to rid yourself of the beast is a tactical choice.
Questlines and Factions
Your decision to cure lycanthropy can affect your interactions with certain factions, most notably the Companions. While you’re not necessarily exiled from the Companions, the atmosphere might feel a bit different now that you’re no longer one of them.
Choosing a New Path: Vampirism
One of the most common reasons players choose to cure their lycanthropy is to embrace vampirism. Becoming a Vampire Lord via the Dawnguard DLC offers an entirely different playstyle, with its own unique abilities, perks, and questlines. Curing lycanthropy opens this door, offering a fresh experience and a completely different set of challenges and rewards.
Regaining Lycanthropy (With Conditions)
Interestingly, Skyrim provides a way to become a werewolf again if you have the Dawnguard DLC or the Special Edition. After curing yourself, you can speak to Aela the Huntress in The Circle to regain your Beast Form. However, there’s a catch: Aela will only grant you lycanthropy once after your initial transformation during the Companions questline. After being cured for the second time it is no longer possible to regain the gift of Lycanthropy through Aela.
The Hybrid Glitch (Advanced and Potentially Unstable)
There is an infamous “hybrid glitch” that can (or at least, could) allow your character to be both a Vampire Lord and a Werewolf, granting access to abilities from both forms. This glitch is notoriously difficult to pull off and can lead to instability in your game. It typically requires precise timing and exploiting game mechanics. While the allure of such a powerful combination might be tempting, proceed with caution and save your game beforehand! Remember that the “Hybrid Glitch” is not officially supported and may break the game.
Is Curing Lycanthropy the Right Choice for You?
Ultimately, the decision to cure lycanthropy is a personal one that depends on your playstyle and goals. If you’re finding the drawbacks of being a werewolf too restrictive, or if you’re eager to explore the world of vampirism, then curing the condition might be the right choice. However, if you enjoy the raw power and unique gameplay that comes with being a werewolf, then you might want to think twice before seeking a cure.
Think about:
- Your Playstyle: Do you prefer stealth, magic, or melee combat? Vampirism might be better for stealth and magic users, while werewolves excel at brute-force melee.
- Your Character’s Story: Does your character’s backstory align more with being a beast or a creature of the night?
- Your Tolerance for Drawbacks: Can you handle the weaknesses of either form?
- The Companions Story: Are you enjoying the questlines?
Consider all these factors before making your final decision.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Curing Lycanthropy in Skyrim
1. Can you become a werewolf again after curing it in Skyrim?
Yes, with the Dawnguard DLC or Special Edition, you can become a werewolf again by speaking to Aela the Huntress. However, she will only grant you lycanthropy once after you’ve been cured.
2. Can you undo becoming a werewolf in Skyrim?
Yes, you can cure your lycanthropy. The most common methods are completing the Companions questline and using a Glenmoril Witch Head at the Ysgramor’s Tomb fire, or becoming a Vampire Lord with Serana’s help.
3. Does becoming a werewolf cure vampirism Skyrim?
Yes, transforming into a werewolf will cure you of vampirism. However, be aware that becoming a vampire will also cure you of lycanthropy. They are mutually exclusive.
4. How many times can you cure lycanthropy in Skyrim?
You can theoretically cure lycanthropy an infinite number of times by becoming a Vampire Lord. However, Aela will only allow you to regain lycanthropy once after the initial Companions questline. So, after getting lycanthropy a second time, you cannot regain the gift of beast form again.
5. Can you turn back into a vampire after taking the werewolf cure in Skyrim?
Yes, you can become a Vampire Lord again by asking Serana to turn you, provided she hasn’t been cured herself.
6. How do you become a hybrid in Skyrim?
The hybrid glitch, allowing you to be both a Vampire Lord and a Werewolf, is notoriously difficult to execute and not officially supported. It usually involves exploiting game mechanics with very precise timing while transforming. The typical requirement involves becoming a Vampire Lord and then performing the blood ritual for werewolf at the same time. Be warned it can cause instability.
7. Is it bad to turn into a vampire in Skyrim?
Becoming a vampire has its pros and cons. You gain powerful abilities and resistances but also suffer weaknesses to fire and sunlight, which increase in severity as you progress through the stages of vampirism.
8. Why won’t Falion cure me?
Falion only cures vampirism. If you’re looking to cure lycanthropy, you’ll need to seek another method, such as the Companions questline or becoming a Vampire Lord. If Falion is failing to cure your vampirism, make sure you have a filled Black Soul Gem in your inventory, and try waiting for him to arrive at the summoning stones before attempting to engage in the ritual.
9. Can you remove werewolf curse Skyrim?
Yes, as mentioned, there are two main ways: completing the Companions questline with a Glenmoril Witch Head or embracing vampirism.
10. What are the cons of being a werewolf in Skyrim?
Cons of being a werewolf include the inability to gain rested bonuses from sleeping, a 1,000 septim bounty if caught transforming, inability to loot bodies in werewolf form, and followers becoming hostile during transformations. You also have a weakness to silver weapons.
11. Should I be a werewolf or vampire in Skyrim?
This depends on your preferred playstyle. Werewolves are powerful melee combatants, while Vampire Lords excel in magic and stealth. Werewolves are also easier to maintain (no need to feed), while Vampire Lords offer more varied and complex gameplay.
12. Can you stay a werewolf forever in Skyrim?
Yes, you can choose to remain a werewolf indefinitely. The choice to cure yourself is entirely up to you.
13. How many times will Falion cure you?
Falion can cure you of vampirism an unlimited number of times, provided you have a filled Black Soul Gem each time.
14. Can Serana still be a follower if you choose Dawnguard?
Yes, Serana remains a follower regardless of whether you side with the Dawnguard or the Volkihar vampires.
15. Can you still become a Vampire Lord if you side with the Dawnguard?
Yes, even if you choose to side with the Dawnguard, Serana can still turn you into a Vampire Lord before she attempts to cure herself.
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