Siding with the Dawnguard in Skyrim: A Comprehensive Guide
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Choosing to side with the Dawnguard in the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’s Dawnguard DLC opens a world of unique opportunities, powerful equipment, and a righteous fight against the encroaching vampire threat. By joining Isran and his band of vampire hunters, you gain access to Fort Dawnguard, a fully functional home base, along with specialized weapons, armor, and companions designed to combat the Volkihar vampire clan. This path emphasizes traditional combat skills, offering a distinctly different experience from embracing the powers of a Vampire Lord.
The Benefits of Joining the Dawnguard
Siding with the Dawnguard has numerous benefits that appeal to players favoring warrior, ranger, or even mage builds who prefer a proactive approach to vampire hunting. Here’s a breakdown:
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Fort Dawnguard Access: This is your primary base of operations. It provides essential facilities like a forge, enchanting table, alchemy lab, and a bed to rest. You’ll also find various NPCs who can offer quests, training, and supplies.
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Unique Weapons and Armor: The Dawnguard provides access to specialized weaponry designed to be effective against vampires. This includes the crossbow, a powerful ranged weapon, and various types of Dawnguard armor, which offers protection against both physical and magical attacks. You’ll also learn to craft bolts for the crossbow, including enhanced versions that deal even more damage.
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Armored Trolls and Huskies: For a fee, you can hire Armored Trolls as powerful melee companions. You can also recruit Huskies, loyal canine companions that can aid you in battle and carry your burdens.
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Sun Spells: Dawnguard members have access to sun spells, which are highly effective against vampires. These spells deal fire damage and can cause vampires to flee in terror.
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Morally Aligned Gameplay: For players who prefer to play as a hero, siding with the Dawnguard aligns with a more morally upright storyline. You’ll be fighting to protect the people of Skyrim from the vampire menace.
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Still able to become a Vampire Lord (Temporarily): Even if you side with the Dawnguard, you have the option to become a Vampire Lord with Serana’s help to progress the main storyline, though you can cure it later. This option allows for a brief experience with the Vampire Lord mechanics without permanently committing to the Volkihar clan.
The Dawnguard Questline: What to Expect
The Dawnguard questline involves a series of missions focused on investigating and thwarting the Volkihar clan’s plans. Here are some key aspects:
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Investigating Vampire Activity: You will investigate several locations where vampires are causing trouble, gathering information about their motives and strategies.
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Recruiting New Members: You’ll assist Isran in recruiting new members to the Dawnguard, strengthening the group’s fighting force.
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Searching for Ancient Artifacts: You’ll embark on a quest to find ancient artifacts that can be used to defeat the vampires, including Auriel’s Bow.
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Infiltrating Castle Volkihar: At one point, you may need to temporarily infiltrate Castle Volkihar to gather information or sabotage the vampire’s plans.
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Confronting Lord Harkon: The final showdown involves confronting Lord Harkon himself in a climactic battle that will determine the fate of Skyrim.
Dawnguard: Suitable for Which Playstyles?
The Dawnguard is generally more appealing to players who enjoy the following playstyles:
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Warriors: The Dawnguard provides excellent armor and melee-focused companions like Armored Trolls.
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Archers: The crossbow is a significant advantage for archer builds, especially against vampires.
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Spellswords: The combination of weapons, armor, and sun spells makes the Dawnguard a good fit for spellsword characters.
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Good-aligned Characters: Players who prefer to role-play as a hero will find the Dawnguard’s goals and motivations more appealing.
The Drawbacks of Siding with the Dawnguard
While siding with the Dawnguard offers many advantages, there are a few drawbacks to consider:
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Limited Vampire Lord Experience: If you’re primarily interested in experiencing the full Vampire Lord gameplay, siding with the Dawnguard may not be the best choice. While you can become a Vampire Lord temporarily, you will likely cure yourself afterward.
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Restricted Access to Vampire-Specific Quests: You will miss out on the unique quests and storylines associated with the Volkihar clan.
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Potential Missed Dialogue: There may be some dialogue options and interactions that are only available to Vampire Lords.
Conclusion
Choosing to side with the Dawnguard in Skyrim is a decision that offers a rich and rewarding experience, especially for players who enjoy traditional combat, righteous role-playing, and the satisfaction of protecting the innocent from the vampire threat. With access to Fort Dawnguard, powerful equipment, and unique companions, you’ll be well-equipped to face the challenges ahead and ultimately defeat Lord Harkon and his Volkihar clan.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I still become a Vampire Lord if I side with the Dawnguard?
Yes, you can. During the quest “Bloodline“, Serana will offer to turn you into a Vampire Lord to enter the Soul Cairn. You can accept this offer and later cure yourself of vampirism if you wish, or you can refuse and have her partially soul trap you instead.
2. What are the best weapons to use when fighting vampires as a Dawnguard member?
The crossbow, especially the Enhanced Dwarven Crossbow, is highly effective. Silver weapons and weapons enchanted with fire damage are also very useful. Sun spells are also very powerful.
3. What kind of armor is available to Dawnguard members?
You can acquire various pieces of Dawnguard armor, which offers protection against both physical and magical attacks. The Heavy Dawnguard armor is more defensive, while the Light Dawnguard armor is better suited for stealthy characters.
4. Can I marry Serana if I side with the Dawnguard?
Officially, no. Skyrim does not allow you to marry Serana through regular in-game actions. However, you can use mods to enable the option to marry her.
5. Are there any consequences to becoming a werewolf while being a member of the Dawnguard?
No, the Dawnguard is generally accepting of werewolves. As long as you are not a vampire, they will welcome you as a member.
6. Can I cure Serana of her vampirism if I side with the Dawnguard?
Yes, you can convince Serana to seek a cure for her vampirism after completing the Dawnguard questline. You’ll need to take her to Falion in Morthal. However, convincing her depends on your conversations with her during the questline.
7. What happens to Fort Dawnguard after the main questline is completed?
Fort Dawnguard remains your base of operations, and you can continue to accept radiant quests from Isran and other members. The fort will be fully staffed and equipped.
8. How do I get Armored Trolls as companions?
You can hire Armored Trolls from Florentius Baenius at Fort Dawnguard for 500 gold each. They are powerful melee fighters who can be valuable allies in combat.
9. Can I craft my own crossbow bolts?
Yes, you can. You’ll learn how to craft crossbow bolts by speaking with Sorine Jurard at Fort Dawnguard. She will also teach you how to improve both the crossbow and bolts.
10. What level should I be before joining the Dawnguard?
While you can technically start the Dawnguard questline at any level, it’s generally recommended to be around level 10 or higher. This ensures that you are adequately equipped to handle the challenges ahead.
11. What are the benefits of using the crossbow over a regular bow?
The crossbow has higher base damage and a chance to stagger enemies. The Enhanced Dwarven Crossbow ignores 50% of armor. This makes it especially effective against heavily armored vampires.
12. What if I accidentally become a vampire after joining the Dawnguard?
Isran will be disappointed and ask you to cure yourself of vampirism immediately. You can seek a cure from Falion in Morthal. If you refuse, you will be expelled from the Dawnguard.
13. Are there any unique items or quests that I can only access by siding with the Dawnguard?
Yes, you’ll have access to unique weapons, armor, and companions like the Armored Trolls and Huskies. You’ll also receive radiant quests that are exclusive to Dawnguard members.
14. How does siding with the Dawnguard affect my relationship with other factions in Skyrim?
Siding with the Dawnguard has no significant impact on your relationships with other factions, such as the Companions, the College of Winterhold, or the Thieves Guild.
15. How can understanding in-game dynamics enhance educational outcomes?
Understanding in-game dynamics, such as those explored in Skyrim’s narrative choices and faction interactions, can provide valuable insights into decision-making processes, strategic thinking, and moral reasoning. The Games Learning Society explores these kinds of concepts. The work of the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org is important for discovering learning experiences in games.