The expansion difficulty scales well, and even a brand-new character should be equipped to handle it. It makes playing as a vampire a viable character choice for the entirety of the main game, should you choose to start from scratch.Īlthough Bethesda recommends playing Dawnguard after you've reached level 10, it is possible to start the expansion quests immediately simply by seeking out the fort in the southeast corner of the map. This differs from the traditional vampire disease, which causes NPCs to attack on sight once the disease has progressed far enough. Perhaps the most important of the vampire lord abilities is that NPCs will never fear you while you are in human form. Other blood magic spells give you the ability to raise the dead, summon a gargoyle to fight by your side, paralyze an enemy or grab one with an invisible grip and then toss him into the air. In blood magic form, you float over the world (a useful advantage when it comes to pressure-sensitive traps) and drain life from your opponents at a distance. When in melee form, the vampire lord can use claws to savagely rip apart an opponent. Physically, the vampire lord has a nicely balanced mix of ranged and melee attacks, and the perks add useful magical powers. With that said, the vampire lord is easily the more enjoyable of the two. If you've already experienced life as a lycanthrope in Skyrim, the new powers will be appreciated as they enhance key abilities.īoth forms are enjoyable to play, and speaking to the right characters in Dawnguard allows you to switch between the two, so picking one or the other is not an absolute decision. As an alternative, the expansion upgrades the werewolf form and adds a werewolf-specific skill tree. Kill enough, and you unlock a new perk specific to the vampire lord form.Īligning with the Dawnguard makes it impractical to play as a vampire, though the option is available. The skill tree isn't tied to your character's level instead, it tracks how many people you finish off by draining their life while you're a vampire lord. The vampire lord is a pure form of a vampire and comes complete with a separate skill tree and set of powers.

The majority of these quests are functionally identical regardless of your aligned faction, which means the real consequence of your decision to side with one or the other lies in the side-quests and your character's alternate form.Ĭhoosing to align with the vampires grants you the vampire lord alternate form, which is new to Skyrim. No matter which side you choose, the main story line consists of 12 quests. Whether you choose to side with the vampire clan or fight alongside the Dawnguard forces, obtaining the bow is your ultimate objective. It is a weapon of immense power that holds the potential to blot out the sun forever, allowing vampires to roam Skyrim freely and without fear. A prophecy from the Elder Scrolls foretold the discovery of Auriel's Bow. Dawnguard's main story line delves into the conflict between a vampire faction and the Dawnguard, a newly reformed fighting force dedicated to eliminating vampires from the world.

Dawnguard dlc quest