For this disease in other games, see Vampire.

Vampirism is a syndrome, in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, acquired after the disease, Sanguinare Vampiris, has infected the body longer than three days. Harmed by sunlight, stigmatized by mortals, and infamous for their blood-thirst, vampires go to extreme lengths to hide their presence from mortals. In Skyrim, Vampires acquire special magic spells, as their level of infection increases. To offset this advantage, vulnerabilities to fire and sunlight are also acquired. Vampirism can be contracted and cured an unlimited number of times. Falion, the thaumaturge of Morthal, requires a filled Black Soul Gem to cure vampirism.

Vampirism comes in four stages of severity. The severity of the infection increases the longer the vampire goes without drinking blood. Sleeping humans can be fed on to keep the curse at bay. Spectators of a feeding become hostile and report the crime to guards. Feeding accrues a bounty of 40 in the corresponding hold. The crime cannot be paid off with or jail time. Upon reaching stage four of Vampirism, mortals can detect the vampire more easily, attacking them almost on sight. Those who discover someone is a vampire attack until the vampire flees or is dead.

The Dawnguard plug-in adds a Vampire Lord ability with eleven perks to unlock through leveling up. The Dragonborn opens up the skill tree by siding with Lord Harkon and Clan Volkihar to help actuate the Tyranny of the Sun prophecy foretold in the Elder Scrolls. Unlocking all eleven perks garners Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 players an achievement.

Contents 1 Sanguinare Vampiris 1.1 Using console commands 2 Immunity to Vampirism 2.1 Lycanthropy 3 Appearance 4 Stages of vampirism and their effects 4.1 Effects across all stages 4.2 Weakness to sunlight 4.3 Hostility 4.4 Effects at each stage 5 Vampire Lord 6 Curing vampirism 6.1 Conventional method 6.2 Lyncanthropy 6.3 Console commands 7 Feeding 7.1 Types for feeding 7.1.1 Sleeping 7.1.2 Conscious 7.2 Methods for feeding easily 7.3 Skull of Corruption 8 Comparisons with other games 8.1 Vampire factions 8.2 Bonuses and unique spells 8.3 Disadvantages 8.4 Curing vampirism 9 Trivia 10 Bugs 11 See also

Sanguinare Vampiris

Sanguinare Vampiris is the disease that eventually culminates in vamprisim. It's typically contracted when attacked by a vampire, either with physical attacks or being subject to their Vampiric Drain spell. If attacked with Vampiric Drain, there is 10% chance of infection.

If a cure has not be acquired within three days, the infection spreads to full vampirism, causing a series of maladaptive and beneficial traits to emerge in the subject. Drinking blood can stay the infection and lessen the deficits of the disease.

In Dawnguard, drinking from the bloodspring in Redwater Den also allows the disease to be contracted.

Using console commands

In PC versions of Skyrim, the console can be used to add vampirism without being bitten or waiting for the stages of the infection to progress. Open the console using the tilde button, and type player.setrace <desiredrace>vampire and enter. Replace the <desiredrace> with one of the ten possible races. Meri races must use the longhanded version of the race name. For example, to change into a Bosmer vampire, type: player.setrace woodelfracevampire. If a race other than the one selected at character creation is chosen, the rendered hero becomes completely bald.

Immunity to Vampirism

When infected with Lycanthropy, or engaged in Beast Form as a result of Hircine's Ring, persons become fully immune to vampirism. Argonians, naturally resistant to disease, are less likely than men or mer to contract Vampirism.

Lycanthropy

Werewolves are immune to the effects of vampirism. However, console commands can be used to become a lycanthrope and a vampire simultaneously; type player.removespell F5BA0 to remove the Resist Disease effect caused by lycanthropy then become infected with Sanguinare Vampiris.

Appearance

Vampires are easily distinguishable from uninfected persons. As a result of the hemophiliac virus, the infected slowly grow paler. Fangs protrude from their gums, allowing for easier feeding. Eye color changes from the spectrum of average hues to red.

When infected, the fur of the Khajiit alters as the skin of a human or elf would. Long-toothed by nature, the incisors of the Khajiit grow exceptionally long, so that they protrude below the lip. However, their pupils become thinner and more blade-like. The scales of Argonians grows greyer as the infection worsens.

Stages of vampirism and their effects

After approximately 24 hours without feeding, a vampire progresses a stage. Feeding always brings the vampire back to stage one. In order to feed, stand (or crouch) next to a sleeping person and attempt to talk to them. An option box appears, giving the options to either "feed" or "talk". In the base game, as the vampiric infection worsens, persons become hostile toward the vampire, attacking them on sight. The Elder Scrolls V: Dawnguard add-on removes this penalty and people will treat a blood-starved vampire like any other person.

Effects across all stages

These effects exist across all stages of infection and are perpetually active:

• Weakness to Sunlight - Health, Magicka, and Stamina do not recover while in sunlight, and the skin appears to slowly burn as time is spent in sunlight.
• Resist Disease - Your vampiric blood gives you 100% resistance to disease.
• Resist Poison - Your vampiric blood gives you 100% resistance to poison.
• Night Stalker's Footsteps - Vampires are 25% harder to detect while sneaking.
• Champion of the Night - Illusion spells cast by a vampire are 25% more powerful.

Weakness to sunlight

Sunlight is extremely harmful to vampires. Because of this, vampires move more easily at night. Equipping apparel that grants a faster regeneration percentage on any of the three main stats, using the Lady Standing Stone, or taking a perk that grants faster regeneration allows stat recovery regardless of Weakness to Sunlight.

Hostility

To avoid hostile persons, travel by night and avoid places where a vampiric infection would be noticed. Fast traveling while sneaking or rendered magically invisible can increase the odds of avoiding those hostile towards vampires.

In other words drink blood regularly, if some one is sleeping use pacify so they do not wake up and drink from them.

Because Vampirism bolsters Illusion spells, casting Pacify on persons can prevent them from attacking a vampire. Perks such as "Kindred Mage" may need to be unlocked first, before certain expert-level persons are affected by the spell.

Effects at each stage

Unlike the perpetually effects, which exist across all stages of infection, these effects alter as the infection worsens or is rescinded, due to feeding or lack of feeding.

Stage	Without Dawnguard	With Dawnguard	Spells	Abilities
1	Resist Frost: 25% Weakness to Fire: 25%	Resist Frost: 20% Weakness to Fire: 20%	Vampiric Drain Vampire's Servant Vampire's Sight	Champion of the Night Nightstalker's Footsteps Vampiric Strength: 5 pts Weakness to Sunlight: -15 pts
2	Resist Frost: 50% Weakness to Fire: 50%	Resist Frost: 30% Weakness to Fire: 30%	Vampiric Drain Vampire's Servant Vampire's Sight Vampire's Seduction	Champion of the Night Nightstalker's Footsteps Vampiric Strength: 10 pts Weakness to Sunlight: -30 pts
3	Resist Frost: 75% Weakness to Fire: 75%	Resist Frost: 40% Weakness to Fire: 40%	Vampiric Drain Vampire's Servant Vampire's Sight Vampire's Seduction Dread Cloak	Champion of the Night Nightstalker's Footsteps Vampiric Strength: 15 pts Weakness to Sunlight: -45 pts
4	Resist Frost: 100% Weakness to Fire: 100%	Resist Frost: 50% Weakness to Fire: 50%	Vampiric Drain Vampire's Servant Vampire's Sight Vampire's Seduction Dread Cloak Embrace of Shadows	Champion of the Night Nightstalker's Footsteps Vampiric Strength: 20 pts Weakness to Sunlight: -60 pts

• Champion of the Night - Illusion spells are 25% more potent.
• Nightstalker's Footsteps - Sneak is boosted 25 points.
• Weakness to Sunlight - Health, magicka, and stamina never recover in broad daylight. Each stat is stunned, as well, which increases with the severity of infection.
• Vampire's Servant - Reanimate a dead body to fight for the vampire for 60 seconds. Spell limited to one cast per day. Improves with severity of infection.
• Vampire's Sight - Improve night vision for limited duration. It can be used multiple times a day and can be toggled on and off.
• Vampiric Drain - Absorb x points of health per second from target. Functions as a novice-level Destruction spell whose magnitude and duration increase with severity of infection. With Dawnguard, it also drains magicka and stamina.
• Vampire's Seduction - Creatures and people are calmed for a limited duration. With the addition of The Elder Scrolls V: Dawnguard, targets can be used for vampiric feeding.
• Embrace of Shadows - The vampire becomes invisible, with night-vision for 180 seconds. Can only be used once per day, interacting with anything will remove invisibility as per usual.

Vampire Lord

Main article: Vampire Lord

The Elder Scrolls V: Dawnguard, the first official plug-in for Skyrim redesigned the vampire game mechanic, adding a perk skill tree and renovating the physical appearance. During the quest called "Bloodline", the Dragonborn must decide whether to continue assisting the Dawnguard or join Harkon and the Volkihar Clan. Choosing the path of Harkon grants the ability to become a Vampire Lord, unlocking the potential to utilize 11 unique perk abilities.

Of the newly added spells is the ability to use consumed blood to vitalize the Vampire Lord and the ability to summon Gargoyles the way atronachs are summoned via the use of Conjuration magic. The power bite attack adds a unique cinematics where the Vampire Lord wraps its wings around the victim and bites them on the neck.

Curing vampirism

Conventional method

See also: Rising at Dawn

1. Ask any bartender about any rumors going around, and they direct the infected person to Falion in Morthal, who studies vampires. Traveling to Morthal while at Stage Four vampirism can be difficult, since hostile persons will attack the vampire on sight.
2. Once there, he informs the vampire that a ritual can be performed to reverse the curse. A filled black soul gem is required first. The Black Star cannot be substituted for this gem. Falion offers to sell the vampire a Black Soul Gem, if they cannot acquire one through other means.
3. Fill the Black Soul Gem by casting Soul Trap on a humanoid target.
4. Meet Falion at the stone circle to cure the infection.
5. Falion endlessly agrees to cure vampirism, so the quest can be completed multiple times if infected multiple times.

Lyncanthropy

Becoming a Werewolf cures Vampirism. Aela the Huntress turns the Dragonborn into a werewolf during the Companions questline.

Console commands

Another way of curing vampirism is via console commands; open the console and type, setstage 000EAFD5 10. By using the console command code showracemenu to change the Dragonborn's race, vampirism is immediately removed. This is also true of the changesex command.

Feeding

Drinking the blood of the uninfected stays the vampiric infection. Levels of vampirism can be reversed simply by drinking blood.

Feeding accrues a bounty of 40 in the corresponding hold, if caught. Sneak, muffle, and invisibility magic do nothing to decrease the chances or detection. There are two methods for feeding available to vampires:

Types for feeding

Sleeping

To feed, approach a sleeping humanoid and press the interaction button. If successful, a black message box pops up with the options of "Feed" or "Talk to <person's name>". Select feed to execute the feeding command. During the session, the vampire bends over the slumbering victim and the screen flashes a light magenta color. A message reading "Your vampiric powers recede as you feed." The same person can be fed from multiple times in one night, or across nights, but are never killed as a result of the feeding. As with pickpocketing, incessant interaction with a target increases the chances that they will awaken.

Conscious

With the addition of The Elder Scrolls V: Dawnguard, conscious humanoids can be fed upon. It works similarly to the sleeping method, but requires the Dragonborn to cast the Vampire's Seduction spell on a person first. This spell is only available at stage two of Vampirism.

Methods for feeding easily

• Find a spouse and drink their blood nightly. Housecarls also function well for this.
• In the action command menu, ask followers to sleep in a bed.
• Guilds harbor no prejudice against their vampiric members. Many guild members sleep in one location (i.e. the Dark Brotherhood and the College of Winterhold).
• Taverns and inns host several sleeping patrons. Close the door to the sleeping persons room to avoid alerting the other patrons.
• The Temple of Kynareth is a useful place to feed when sneaking. The wounded soldier and sick women are always there.
• A Potion of Blood from Dawnguard is the equivalent to consuming blood.

Skull of Corruption

Because the Skull of Corruption requires the harvest of dreams to function, vampires may benefit from using this staff, as feeding on victims and harvesting their dreams both requires them to be asleep.

Comparisons with other games

Vampire factions

Sociologically, vampires in previous games have a stronger presence, both in regards to how they are interacted with and the niche their demographic plays in the microcosms of the setting.

Unique to The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind are vampire factions that can joined. In Morrowind, joining a Vampire Clan allocates additional attribute bonuses and fortifications for skills. Skyrim excluded this feature, as does Oblivion. A re-invented version of this game mechanic returned with Dawnguard, but it was more closely integrated with the main storyline and the bonuses granted are based on perks given upon leveling up.

Vampires grouped together in clans, in Daggerfall and Morrowind, members consisting solely of vampires from the same bloodline. This translates to Skyrim in form of Laelette and Alva's interactions with Movarth and his coven. Otherwise, most vampires encountered in Skyrim are uncivilized, wild, and virtually solitary, minus their thralls and slaves.

Bonuses and unique spells

In both Morrowind and Oblivion, vampire gained bonuses to attributes and skills, simply upon becoming vampires. The eradication of the attribute system in Skyrim made garnering such bonuses obsolete. Vampire-specific spells and abilities such as Vampiric Drain and Embrace of Shadows replaced these attribute bonuses. In Oblivion, a Nighteye-based spell similar to Vampire's Sight did appear; however, the unique Charm spell, Enthralling Presence was given at stage three vampirism. Again, Skyrim's omission of Charm, as a cast-able spell, lends explanation to its exclusion.

Disadvantages

In regards to the disadvantages of vampirism, Oblivion has more differences from those in the vampires of Skyrim. Instead of increasing Weakness to Fire by 25% at each stage of infection, Oblivion added 10%, with a minimum weakness of 20% and a maximum of 50%. Both Oblivion and Morrowind did not have automatic Health, Magicka, and Stamina regeneration, so being in sunlight did not stunt it. Instead, vampires in those titles sustained constant damage per second at an accelerated scale, as infection augumented. Fast-traveling, as a vampire, could not take place during the day in Oblivion for this reason.

While those caught feeding are still violently reproached, townsfolk and city guards are less inclined to notice a vampire by physical appearance alone, even during broad daylight while sustaining Sun Damage in other games.

Curing vampirism

In Oblivion, the cure for vampirism is also given by a mage, in the form of a sequestered hedgewitch, and involves Grand Soul Gems and various alchemical ingredients. Morrowind requires the fetching of a book and direct interaction with Molag Bal, the princely patron of vampirism. In both games, vampirism can be cured via console commands.

Trivia

• If vampirism is contracted before dealing with Laelette the Vampire, Alva calls players "Brother" if male or "Sister" if female, expressing kinship with them and unintentionally unveiling her vampiric nature.
• If Vampiric Drain is equipped before Falion performs the curing ritual, it remains equipped and usable even after the vampirism is gone.

Bugs

This section contains bugs related to Vampirism (Skyrim). Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following: Confirm all bugs with other editors on the talk page before adding them below. Always try reloading an old save first, before asking for assistance. Don't discuss possible bug fixes or origins. Leave those and all other first-person-anecdotes on the talk page, not the article. Always add  360  ,  PS3  , and  PC   to clarify which system the bug appears on.

Click to see the list of bugs encountered.

While a vampire, NPCs no longer make comments about race. Argonians call other Argonians "Landstrider" even if they are an Argonian i.e.  PS3   360   Sometimes after feeding, switching back to first person view before moving away from the bed causes characters to be stuck, unable to move in any way. Reloading from the last save, or using the Whirlwind Sprint shout fixes this. Another fix is to feed a second time and switch back to first person view.  PC   360   PS3  When playing as a vampire, Ebony shields or Blades shields will not appear on vampire characters even when equipped. After curing vampirism, the Ebony Shield and Blade Shields will be visible again. Other shields not affected. When citizens attack vampires, this may cause the A.I. of guards to register this as a crime and help defend the vampire. Guards will still yell, "Vampire! Burn it!", but never attack the vampire.  360   After completing all quests in the Companions quest line leading up to the Underforge event where characters become Werewolves, if they are also vampires then they can wait exactly two minutes (in-game) before progressing to the next stage of Vampirism and drink Aela's blood from the altar. If timed correctly, all the new/progressed effects from that stage of Vampirism (excluding existing, unchanged effects) can be kept, while gaining Lycanthropy benefits on top of it. This also works 2 minutes before Senguine Vampiris progresses into full Vampirism, granting the 25% Sneak and Illusion Bonuses. Afterwards, Vampirism locks in its current stage, and characters will be unable to feed to lower their degree of Vampirism, nor will it increase with time. Vampirism cannot be cured through the related quest, once this occurs. Both negative and positive effects will be kept.  360   Sometimes when wearing masks or masked hoods, progressing into a stage 4 vampire will cause fangs to stick out of the mask. This seems to happen with Argonians and Khajiit.  PC   360   PS3  Vampirism may cause the Thieves Guild Hood to glitch and become invisible with a large hole in the top of the wearer's hair. This can be somewhat circumvented by reverting to the original race by using a command player.setrace <desired race>, e.g. player.setrace highelf, revert back by player.setrace highelfracevampire. This however causes the character to be unable to feed while still progressing through the stages of vampirism. Equipping a cowl causes it and the Thieves Guild Hood to be equipped simultaneously, along with its bonuses still intact.  PC   Poison resistance does not prevent you from being poisoned and taking damage, despite being listed in active effects.  PC   Disease resistance may fail to prevent vampirism. It is possible to contract at least one disease (Break Bone Fever) as a vampire.  PC   In some cases, becoming a vampire does not grant the Vampire's Sight ability. Other features of the template remain unaffected. This can be corrected manually using the console command player.addspell 000C4DE1. Due to vampires being undead, the Necromage perk from the Restoration school will act as a permanent Fortify Restoration 25%. This results in that almost all beneficial magic effects, including permanent item enchantments, blessings, and heals, are 25% more powerful.

See also

• Lycanthropy

Start a Discussion Discussions about Vampirism (Skyrim)

• 

  vampirism after I got DawnGaurd on PS3, not being attacked?

  12 messages
  • 
    Laslo451
    I have not gotten Dawnguard yet pretty much have caught up with the Dragonborn DLC and was looking into Dawnguard. So I understand there ... 2013-05-16T18:35:25Z
  • 
    AzuraKnight
    Laslo451 wrote:So I understand there are benefits to being a vampire, are there none for being in the Dawnguard, it does sound like from read... 2013-05-16T19:16:06Z
• 

  Do people still attack a stage 4 vampire if they are wearing a mask?

  2 messages
  • 
    Nomnomnommm
    I was wondering because they technically wouldn't be able to see you eyes or teeth 2013-05-15T18:12:48Z
  • 
    SleepingIII
    Game is game. Many things in game differ from real life. In game, people still know you're a stage 4 vampire though you're wearing a mask. ... 2013-05-15T18:42:04Z

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