Embracing the Darkness: What Happens When Harkon Turns You into a Vampire Lord in Skyrim?
So, you’re standing before the ancient Vampire Lord Harkon, and he’s offering you power beyond measure: the gift (or curse, depending on your perspective) of vampirism. What exactly are you signing up for if you accept? Here’s the lowdown: Accepting Harkon’s offer transforms you into a Vampire Lord, unlocking a new skill tree, unique abilities, and a significant shift in how you experience Skyrim. You gain access to a powerful Vampire Lord form that allows you to dominate the battlefield with blood magic and supernatural strength, but also inherit the classic vampire weaknesses to sunlight and fire. This decision profoundly impacts your gameplay, your relationships with certain factions, and your overall roleplaying experience.
The Transformation and Its Immediate Effects
The transformation itself is quite the spectacle. Harkon performs a ritual, and you’re thrust into the Vampire Lord form, a grotesque but powerful winged creature. Immediately, you’ll be stronger, faster, and capable of using powerful blood magic. You’ll get a taste of this power during a mandatory training session in the castle’s cathedral, where Harkon guides you through the basics of being a Vampire Lord.
Key Changes You’ll Experience:
- New Skill Tree: The Vampire Lord form has its own dedicated skill tree, unlocked by consuming enemies with your Drain Life spell or by biting sleeping victims.
- Vampire Lord Form: You gain the ability to transform into a Vampire Lord at will (once per day, initially, unless you acquire perks to reduce the cooldown). This form grants you access to unique abilities like summoning gargoyles, using blood magic, and teleporting short distances.
- Regular Vampire Abilities: Even in your humanoid form, you gain inherent vampire abilities like Nightstalker’s Footsteps, making you harder to detect while sneaking, and increased unarmed damage.
- Weaknesses: As a vampire, you become vulnerable to sunlight. Sunlight will halt your health, magicka, and stamina regeneration. Additionally, you become more susceptible to fire damage. These weaknesses increase with each stage of vampirism (before feeding).
- Visual Changes: Your eyes will change, reflecting your vampiric nature. You’ll also develop fangs.
- Faction Implications: Joining the Volkihar Clan places you at odds with the Dawnguard, a faction of vampire hunters. Choosing Harkon locks you out of joining the Dawnguard for that playthrough (unless you cure your vampirism and then join them).
Gameplay and Questline Implications
Choosing to become a Vampire Lord fundamentally alters the Dawnguard DLC’s questline. You’ll be siding with Harkon and his Volkihar Clan, undertaking missions to secure their dominance and fulfill a dark prophecy. This path involves exploring hidden vampire lairs, confronting ancient threats, and ultimately, facing off against the Dawnguard. You will also miss out on all the benefits the Dawnguard can offer and the unique equipment they possess.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Becoming a Vampire Lord
1. Is it better to side with Harkon or the Dawnguard?
The “better” choice is subjective and depends on your playstyle and preferences. The Dawnguard offers a more traditional hero’s path, focusing on eradicating vampires. Siding with Harkon is a more morally ambiguous route, embracing the darkness and wielding immense power. Many players consider the Dawnguard benefits to outweigh those of the Vampire Lord, but the Vampire Lord gameplay is unique.
2. Can I still become a Vampire Lord if I refuse Harkon initially?
Yes! Even if you refuse Harkon’s initial offer, Serana, a powerful pureblood vampire, will offer to turn you into a Vampire Lord later in the questline, allowing you to access the Vampire Lord form.
3. What happens if I become a vampire while already in the Dawnguard?
If you become a vampire while allied with the Dawnguard (e.g., when Serana offers to turn you to enter the Soul Cairn), you will be kicked out until you cure yourself of vampirism.
4. Should I let Serana make me a vampire?
Allowing Serana to turn you is necessary to progress through certain parts of the Dawnguard questline (specifically, entering the Soul Cairn). There are minimal long-term drawbacks, and you can always cure yourself later if you wish.
5. What are the benefits of being a Vampire Lord?
The Vampire Lord form grants access to powerful blood magic spells, such as Drain Life, Summon Gargoyle, and Mist Form. You also gain increased strength, speed, and unique perks within the Vampire Lord skill tree. In your normal form, you gain access to a percentage boost that makes you harder to detect when sneaking.
6. What are the weaknesses of being a Vampire Lord?
Vampire Lords are vulnerable to sunlight, which prevents health, magicka, and stamina regeneration. They are also more susceptible to fire damage.
7. Can I marry Serana if I am a Vampire Lord?
No, you cannot marry Serana if you are a Vampire Lord. The game does not allow marriage to existing vampires without the use of mods.
8. Can I marry Serana after curing my vampirism?
Even if you cure your own vampirism, you still cannot marry Serana in the unmodded game. Skyrim’s base game does not allow for marrying any vampire NPCs.
9. Is it worth being a vampire in Skyrim?
Whether it’s “worth it” depends on your playstyle. Vampires offer unique abilities and a distinct roleplaying experience, particularly for stealth-oriented characters. However, the weaknesses and social implications can be challenging.
10. Will the Dawnguard attack me if I become a vampire?
If you are a vampire and approach Fort Dawnguard, they will become hostile and refuse to interact with you. Guards in cities may also become hostile depending on your stage of vampirism.
11. Is the Vampire Lord form or Werewolf form better?
This is a matter of preference. Vampire Lords are generally considered more powerful, with a wider range of abilities and greater versatility. Werewolves offer raw melee power and increased speed, but lack the magical options of the Vampire Lord.
12. What race is best for a Vampire Lord in Skyrim?
Any race can be effective as a Vampire Lord, but Dark Elves (Dunmer) are a popular choice due to their natural resistance to fire, which helps offset the vampire’s weakness.
13. What happens if I stay a vampire in Skyrim indefinitely?
If you remain a vampire, you will continue to experience the benefits and weaknesses associated with vampirism. You’ll need to manage your feeding habits to avoid becoming hostile to NPCs, and you’ll need to avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight.
14. Does Serana want to be cured of her vampirism?
Serana does not want to be cured of her vampirism. She views it as a part of who she is and a gift she can never get rid of.
15. Can I change back to normal after being a Vampire Lord?
Yes, you can cure your vampirism by completing the “Rising at Dawn” quest, which starts by speaking to Falion in Morthal. This will remove all vampire abilities and weaknesses, reverting you to a normal mortal.
Conclusion: Embrace the Night, or Fight the Darkness
Accepting Harkon’s gift is a pivotal decision in the Dawnguard DLC, one that shapes your character’s journey and opens up new possibilities for gameplay. Whether you choose to embrace the darkness and reign as a Vampire Lord or stand against the Volkihar Clan with the Dawnguard, the choice is yours. Skyrim offers both paths, each with its own unique rewards and challenges.
This decision has implications that extend beyond simple gameplay mechanics. It touches on themes of power, morality, and the choices we make in the face of overwhelming circumstances. The Dawnguard DLC, and the choice to become a Vampire Lord, exemplifies the kinds of experiences that make games such an engaging form of storytelling and a valuable tool in learning. For more on this, check out the work of the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org, where the intersection of games and education is explored in depth.