Finding Your Fangs: Early Vampire Encounters in Skyrim
So, you’re looking to embrace the shadows early in your Skyrim adventure, eh? You crave the power of the Vampire Lord, the subtle benefits of vampiric blood, or perhaps you’re just curious to experience a different kind of playthrough. Whatever your reasons, finding a vampire early on can be a bit tricky without knowing where to look. But don’t fret, intrepid adventurer, I’m here to guide you.
The easiest and quickest spot to find a vampire early in Skyrim is Broken Fang Cave. This small cave is located directly west of Whiterun. Due to its proximity to the starting city of Whiterun, this makes it a great choice to find a vampire early in your journey.
Early Game Vampire Hunting Grounds
Broken Fang Cave: Your Best Bet
As mentioned, Broken Fang Cave is your primary early-game target. It’s located conveniently west of Whiterun, a starting city in the game, making it easily accessible even at level 1. The cave itself isn’t overly large or complex, meaning you won’t get hopelessly lost.
Inside, you’ll find a handful of vampires and a few skeletons. The vampires in Broken Fang Cave are generally low-level, making them manageable even for a fresh character. Be cautious and bring along a companion if you’re still struggling. You may need someone to shoulder some of the damage you take while you’re trying to get infected.
Morvarth’s Lair: A Secondary Option
Morvarth’s Lair is another option to consider, although it’s a bit further away. It’s located in the Reach, to the northwest of Markarth. This can be trickier to reach early in the game, as it’s a longer trek through potentially dangerous territory. However, Morvarth’s Lair has a higher concentration of low-level vampires, particularly in the initial areas of the cave. This increases your chances of contracting Sanguinare Vampiris, the disease that leads to vampirism.
Mara’s Eye Den: Low Level But Beware
It has been reported that there is a small vampire cave just west of Whiterun. It is called Mara’s Eye Den, and is the best spot for a brand new, low-level character to become a vampire. Only mudcrabs and 2 low-level vampires will be found in there.
Contracting Sanguinare Vampiris
To become a vampire in Skyrim, you need to contract the disease Sanguinare Vampiris. This is done by being attacked by a vampire. When a vampire uses their Vampiric Drain spell on you or simply claws at you, there’s a chance you’ll become infected. You’ll receive a notification on screen indicating that you’ve contracted the disease.
Once you’ve contracted Sanguinare Vampiris, you have three in-game days to decide whether to cure it or let it run its course. If you do nothing, you’ll transform into a vampire. Curing it is simple: just use a potion of Cure Disease or visit a shrine.
Choosing Your Vampiric Path
Once you’ve become a vampire, your journey has only just begun. You’ll start as a regular vampire, but later in the game, you’ll have the opportunity to become a Vampire Lord through the Dawnguard DLC questline. This gives you access to a powerful new form and abilities, but also locks you into certain choices within the story. Choosing between the Dawnguard and the Volkihar vampires is a crucial decision that will shape your vampire experience.
FAQs: Embracing the Night
1. Can any race become a vampire in Skyrim?
Yes, any race can become a vampire in Skyrim. The only exception is if you’re already a werewolf. Lycanthropy and vampirism are mutually exclusive.
2. What are the benefits of becoming a vampire?
As a vampire, you gain several benefits, including increased resistance to frost, improved sneak abilities (Nightstalker’s Footsteps), and the Vampiric Drain spell, which allows you to siphon health from your enemies. As you progress through the stages of vampirism, you’ll also gain increased strength and stamina.
3. What are the downsides of being a vampire?
The biggest drawback of vampirism is the weakness to sunlight. In direct sunlight, you won’t regenerate health, stamina, or magicka, making daytime adventuring difficult. Additionally, as you progress through the stages of vampirism without feeding, NPCs will become increasingly hostile towards you.
4. How do I feed as a vampire?
You can feed on sleeping NPCs by sneaking up to them and interacting with them. You’ll get a prompt to “Feed.” You can also feed as a Vampire Lord by using a power attack on enemies that are near death.
5. Can I cure vampirism?
Yes, you can cure vampirism at any stage. The easiest way is to use a potion of Cure Disease before the three-day incubation period is up. After becoming a full vampire, you’ll need to complete a quest to cure yourself, typically by speaking to Falion in Morthal.
6. Can I still join the Dawnguard as a vampire?
You can join the Dawnguard initially as a vampire, but they will eventually ask you to cure yourself. You can progress quite far into the questline before they force the issue. Alternatively, you can side with the Volkihar vampires if you prefer to embrace your vampiric nature.
7. How do I become a Vampire Lord?
You become a Vampire Lord during the Dawnguard DLC questline. After returning Serana to her father, Lord Harkon, he’ll offer to turn you into a Vampire Lord. If you choose to side with the Dawnguard, Serana can later turn you into a Vampire Lord as well.
8. Is it better to be a vampire or a werewolf?
That depends entirely on your playstyle. Vampires excel in stealth and magic, while werewolves are powerful melee combatants. Werewolves get more control over their powers, but vampires offer more fun to be had with their lust for carnage. Choose whichever best suits your preferences.
9. What race is best for a vampire in Skyrim?
Dark Elves (Dunmer) are often considered excellent vampires due to their natural resistance to fire and their aptitude for stealth and magic. However, any race can be effective as a vampire.
10. Can I be both a vampire and a werewolf?
No, you cannot be both a vampire and a werewolf simultaneously. Becoming a werewolf will cure your vampirism, and vice versa.
11. Does sunlight affect Vampire Lords?
In the base game and with some mods, Vampire Lords are not affected by sunlight. However, with other mods, they may suffer penalties similar to regular vampires.
12. Where can I find black soul gems?
Black Soul Gems can be found in various locations, including vampire lairs and necromancer hideouts. You can also purchase them from certain merchants or craft them yourself at the Atronach Forge in the College of Winterhold.
13. What happens if I go to Fort Dawnguard as a vampire?
If you approach Fort Dawnguard as a vampire, they will tell you to cure yourself before they will offer you any quests. You can still explore the fort, but you won’t be able to progress the questline until you’re cured.
14. Are there any vampire-themed mods for Skyrim?
Yes, there are numerous vampire-themed mods available for Skyrim that can enhance your vampire experience. These mods can add new vampire powers, overhaul the vampire skill tree, or introduce new vampire factions. Some popular vampire mods include “Better Vampires” and “Sacrosanct.”
15. Does difficulty affect vampirism?
The difficulty setting in Skyrim doesn’t directly change the mechanics of vampirism. The difficulty levels mainly affect damage dealt and taken in combat. This could indirectly affect how easily you can contract Sanguinare Vampiris, as you’ll need to take damage from vampires to become infected.
There you have it, fledgling vampire. Now go forth, embrace the night, and carve your own dark legend into the annals of Skyrim. If you’re interested in learning more about gaming and education, be sure to check out the Games Learning Society website.