How to Become a Vampire in Skyrim

Last Updated: August 27, 2024

Want to add a bit of challenge to your next Skyrim playthrough? Why not try playing as a vampire? This wikiHow will show you how to become a vampire , upgrade to a Vampire Lord , and how to live as a vampire in the game.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Becoming a Normal Vampire

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1
Contract the disease "Sanguinare Vampiris". This is the disease that will eventually lead to vampirism. You can contract the disease by getting attacked by vampire enemies. Physical vampiric weapons and the spell "Vampiric Drain" both have a 10% chance of transmitting the disease each time you are attacked.
- Morvarth’s Lair is one of the easiest place to contract Sanguinare Vampiris, as the opening area of the cave has several low-level vampires. You will be able to take several hits before dying, giving you a greater chance to get infected. Other locations include Bloodlet Throne, Haemar's Shame, Fellglow Keep, Red water Den (Dawnguard) and Broken Fang Cave.
If you are infected with Lycanthropy (werewolf), you will be immune to Sanguinare Vampiris. Hircine's Ring will also make you immune. Argonians and Wood Elves are less likely to contract it as well thanks to their natural disease resistance.

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3
Do not cure Sanguinare Vampiris. The disease will take 72 hours in game to transform into vampirism. After this period, the player will become a vampire.
- You will see messages accompanied by red flashes as you come nearer to the 72 hour deadline.
- You will need to touch sunlight at least once before the game will allow you to transform into a vampire.
- Sanguinare Vampires can be cured by drinking a Cure Disease potion or by praying at a shrine. Avoid doing either of these for three days.
4
Use the console (PC only). You can quickly become a vampire without having to contract Sanguine Vampiris by using the console to cheat. Open the console by pressing ~ .
- Type player.setrace playerrace racevampire and press ↵ Enter . For example, if you are a Khajit, type player.setrace khajitracevampire .

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Becoming a Vampire Lord

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1
Obtain Dawnguard. This is an expansion for Skyrim, and is required to access the Vampire Lord perks. Dawnguard is available for all systems that Skyrim is available for. Vampire Lords have significantly different weaknesses to frost and fire compared to standard Skyrim vampirism.
- Vampire Lords can transform into fearsome winged beasts. You will be able to cast Blood Magic and can unlock a variety of powerful vampiric abilities.
After you install the Dawnguard expansion, guards and innkeepers will begin telling the players about the group of vampire hunters. This will begin the quest. You will need to travel to Fort Dawnguard, located in the southeastern corner of the map, to the east of Riften.
After speaking to the Dawnguard, you will receive this quest, sending you to Dimhollow Crypt. Once there, you will find the vampire Serana, who asks the player to escort her to her father at Castle Volkihar.
4
Escort Serana home. Take Serena to Castle Volkihar, located to the west of Solitude. Return Serana to Lord Harkon and he will offer to make the player into a Vampire Lord. This is your first chance to become a Vampire Lord, but you will have two more chances later on if you decline here.
- In the quest Chasing Echoes, Serana offers to turn the player into a Vampire Lord. This is because living things cannot normally enter the Soul Cairn.
- After defeating Harkon completing Kindred Judgment, the final quest in the Dawnguard questline, the player can ask Serana to make her/him into a Vampire Lord.
5
Use the console (PC only). If you'd rather not go through the quests to become a Vampire Lord, you can enable it by cheating through the console. Open the console by pressing ~ .
- If you are not a regular vampire, turn into one by using the commands at the end of the previous section first.
- Enter the following command to give yourself the ability to turn into a Vampire Lord: player.addspell 300283b . Then, type player.addspell 301462a to gain access to the Vampire Lord spells.

Part 3

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Living as a Vampire

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1
Balance your positive and negative effects. Every 24 hours after becoming a vampire, you will progress to the next "Stage" of vampirism. There are four possible stages, with increasing bonuses and negative effects. Feeding will always return you to Stage One.
- Each stage will increase your resistance to Frost, but will increase your susceptibility to Fire.
- The damage you take from sunlight increases each stage.
- Each stage grants you access to more vampiric spells and increases your vampiric strength.
- NPCs will become more hostile towards you as the stages increases, attacking you on sight at Stage Four.
Sunlight will hurt you, especially if you are in the later stages of vampirism. Night-time travel will also help keep you out of sight of most NPCs. Make good use of your vampiric abilities to hide yourself from sight.
3
Feed to quell your bloodthirst. If you want to avoid most of the negative effects of vampirism, you will need to feed regularly. If you are playing standard Skyrim, you can feed on sleeping people by approaching them and pressing the interaction button as if you were Pickpocketing. Another option will appear, allowing you to Feed.
- If you're playing Dawnguard, you can feed on a conscious person if you cast the Vampire's Seduction spell first.
- Feeding will cause witnesses to become hostile, and will incur a 40 gold bounty if you're caught.
- Feeding on your spouse is one of the easier ways to manage your bloodthirst.
4
Cure your vampirism. If you've had enough of being a vampire, you can undertake a special quest to reverse the effects. First, ask any bartender for rumors and you will be told about Falion, who studies vampires. You can find Falion in Morthal.
- Falion will inform you that vampirism can be reversed with a filled Black Soul Gem. You can fill a Black Soul Gem by casting Soul Trap on a humanoid opponent before defeating it. Falion will sell you an empty Black Soul Gem if you need one.
- Turn filled Soul Gem over to Falion and he will remove your vampirism. This can be repeated as often as you'd like, as long as you have a filled Black Soul Gem.
5
Cure your vampirism with the console (PC only). If you can't get to the quest and you're desperate to revert your vampirism, you can use the console to cheat and remove it instantly. Open the console by pressing ~ .
- Type player.addspell 301462a and press ↵ Enter . Then type showracemenu and change your race. Vampirism will be cured immediately. ^{[1]
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Can I turn someone else into a vampire?

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Yes, but only your spouse on in the vampire quest line. Some spouses, such as Aela the Huntress, are immune to vampirism, so watch out.

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How can I easily cure lycanthropy to become a vampire?

Zinon Reyes

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Use the witches heads, gathered towards the end of the companion quest line, and throw them into the fire used to cure koddlak.

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How do I get out of Vampire Lord form?

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The quick skill menu of a Vampire Lord that let's you use abilities has an option to revert.

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Warnings

You cannot be a werewolf and a vampire at the same time. Any character that is a werewolf will be cured of lycanthropy by becoming a vampire.

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Curing vampirism can be difficult and time-consuming. Save your game before becoming a vampire.

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How to Become a Vampire in Skyrim

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Becoming a Normal Vampire

Becoming a Vampire Lord

Living as a Vampire

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