One of the coolest features in ESO is the ability to turn into a vampire. This has several benefits and drawbacks, but none can deny that becoming a vampire isn’t peak role-playing. However, trying to become a vampire can be quite confusing, so we’ve made this comprehensive guide to help you out.
There are three primary methods to become a vampire in Elder Scrolls Online. The first is to get bitten by a Bloodfiend at night. The second is to get bitten by another player harboring the vampiric curse. And the last is to buy the curse of vampirism from the Crown Store.
All of these steps seem relatively simple, but there are numerous caveats and facets that one should be mindful of. There are drawbacks and benefits besides the obvious role-playing regarding the role of a vampire in this game. Understanding these powers will help you decide if you wish to go down this path.
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How to Become A Vampire?
Any fantasy game worth its salt will introduce vampires in some shape or form. The Elder Scrolls Online is no different in this regard. Where this game sets itself apart from the others is that not only can you fight vampires, but you can also become them.
In Elder Scrolls Online, Vampirism is also known as Sanguinare Vampires and is a form of affliction that your character can catch just like any other NPC in the game. Similar to a form of illness, there is a bacterium of sorts that your character must be infected with for you to become a vampire in full.
The infection your character will need to seek out is the Noxiphilic Sanguivoria/Vampirism. After you have obtained this debuff on your character, you will then be able to embark upon the quest chain associated with becoming a vampire in the Elder Scrolls Online.
Within ESO, as we discussed earlier, there are a total of three different methods that can be used to get Vampirism. These methods range from the easiest and most costly to the hardest and cheapest. Which you choose will ultimately depend on what you seek from experience.
1. Purchase Vampirism From The Crown Store
If you’re someone that simply cannot wait to obtain your blood-soaked powers, and have some extra cash lying around, then purchasing Vampirism off the Crown Store method might be for you. This is perhaps the easiest method to obtain Vampirism within ESO, and it will cost you a total of 1500 Crowns.
Although this is the cheapest option, it is nowhere near the recommended one and is not worth the price of Crowns that the store has set.
Another reason you should be wary of this option is that the other two methods we will discuss are quite easily achievable, and if you have 20 or 30 minutes, you can complete them.
| Benefits of this Method | Drawbacks of this Method |
|---|---|
| You do not need to locate Bloodfiends or other NPCs to obtain Sanguinare Vampiris. | It completely removes the element of role-playing from the process of obtaining Vampirism in ESO. |
| The process will be 100% successful. Additionally, you will not be risking any in-game gold for the method to be a success. | It costs real-world money to obtain the Crowns to pay for this method. |
If you’re confused as to where exactly the option to buy Vampirism is in the Crown Store, then let us break it down for you further:
- Go to the Crown Store
- Navigate to the Upgrades section
- Click on the Skill Line Tab
- Two Skill Lines will be available for purchase
- Select the Curse of Vampirism Skill Line
- Make sure you have 1500 Crowns within your account.
- Confirm the purchase, and voila!
If you’re so inclined, this is the same method you might use to obtain the Curse of Lycanthropy. But yes, this is the easiest method we know regarding obtaining the Vampirism Skill Line in Elder Scrolls Online.
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2. Infection from the Bloodfiend NPCs
If you don’t like spending money on in-game stores, or if you wish to retain some semblance of role-play consistency for your character, then you might consider getting infected by an NPC or another player.
This section will discuss how an NPC can get infected with Vampirism. The only one in the game that can give you this debuff. This method is perhaps the most difficult one to carry out and should be attempted if you have extra time within your play session that you’re willing to give to this endeavor.
The NPC you will need to get infected by Vampirism will be the Bloodfiends. These can be found in the Reaper’s March, Bangkorai, and The Rift. If you head out in an attempt to search for them, then make sure that it is around midnight. This is because their spawn timer begins around midnight, and they disappear in the morning.
However, be warned that Bloodfiends are prone to not spawning every night, so you might end up waiting for one to show up when it has no intention to do so within that particular day/night cycle. This, however, isn’t the only thing that makes this method tricky. You see, regardless of Bloodfiends hitting you, whether you get infected is still only a percentage chance.
This means that even if you find Bloodfiends on the right night, you might not get the hit needed to get infected and thus would need to find them again on a different night to attempt infection again. This makes this method perhaps the most inconsistent of the three, but it also requires the least investment.
| Benefits of this Method | Drawbacks of this Method |
|---|---|
| Does not require you to pay in gold or real money to receive Vampirism. | Excessively time-consuming. This is because you must wait for certain mobs to spawn before you obtain Vampirism. |
| Infection through Bloodfiend attacks is inconsistent and has a chance to fail regardless of time invested. |
How To Increase The Likelihood of Infection
If you’re looking to increase your chances of contracting Vampirism, then this section of the guide will help you do just that. We’ll be discussing a host of important tips and techniques that you can follow to ensure that your Vampiric infection is as successful as possible at the hands of the Bloodfiends.
- Remove any amulets, rings, or protections against disease.
- Ensure you’re not wearing any protective gear against disease during midnight.
- Bloodfiends have spawn cooldowns if killed and will not spawn on the following night.
- Ensure that you allow each Bloodfiend to attack you a minimum of three times before moving on.
- Three or more consecutive hits from Bloodfiends have a high likelihood of transferring Vampirism.
A few more things that we will advise are the following: ensure that it is truly night when you aim to begin looking for Bloodfiends. This is because ESO does not have a distinguished night and overcast day, which can confuse many people. Wait until midnight in-game, and you should have a higher chance of encountering a Bloodfiend.
Only a few players are rumored to have seen Vampires while not under a new moon, but this is not validated as Blood Fiend Vampires. During the optimum time to be attacked by Blood-fiend Vampires, the Moon may be hard to see or may just be a sliver of light.
3. Getting Infected By Another Player Character
If spending real money and waiting hours for the right spawn are not something you’re interested in, then we have a third option for you. In the Elder Scrolls Online, you don’t just get infected by Bloodfiends. Rather, other player characters can infect you with vampirism through their Blood Ritual skill.
If you have a friend already inflicted with Vampirism, they can also turn you into a vampire. All you will need to do is follow this list of instructions, and you should both be drowning in a sea of blood in no time.
- You and the other Vampire Player character must be close to a Vampire Shrine.
- Ensure that your friend on ESO has Vampirism.
- Your friend must Bite you at a Ritual Shrine.
- They must have the Vampire skill Blood Ritual unlocked.
- Use the Blood Ritual skill carefully, as it has a week-long cooldown.
And that’s all there is to it. If you and your friend have followed the abovementioned steps, you should also be infected with Vampirism. However, there are a few more steps that you will have to embark on to make your Vampiric change more permanent. Additionally, these actions will open new quest options for your character.
| Benefits of this Method | Drawbacks of this Method |
|---|---|
| It does not require the player to spend real money on obtaining the Vampire Skill Line | Finding a friend with Vampirism might be difficult |
| You do not have to wait for the Bloodfiends to spawn and attack you. | Other Player Characters might be willing to infect you, but only for a gold fee. |
How To Obtain The Vampire Skill Line?
Whether you chose to obtain Vampirism through infection from a Bloodfiend or if you had another Player Character infect you, ultimately, you have to embark on a quest line to obtain the full skill line. If a character with Vampirism successfully bit you, then your HUD will read a message saying Vampirism at the top.
Upon closer inspection, you can notice that right underneath the Vampirism message, and there is another that reads A Vampire has bitten you. This is important because it means you can now take up the quest chain to unlock your Vampire Skill Line.
When you get infected, a column called Vampirism appears in your Character’s Attributes, and you will notice Vampirism in your Active Effects. Once you have ensured this is the case, make your way to the nearest wayshrine where you will meet an NPC Vampire.
This NPC Vampire will give you a Level 38 Quest called Scion of the Blood Matron. Go through the entire quest and check off all the objectives and demands that the quest will have you complete. This is because once you complete this quest, it will unlock the Vampire Skill Line for your character.
Be warned that Vampirism will not affect your gameplay until you have accepted the Vampire Quests themself. This information might help you plan better around your Vampirism, or you might want to rush to get the quests as soon as you get your debuff.
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Scion of the Blood Matron Quest
Once the Scion of the Blood Matron quest begins, you will encounter a special NPC. This NPC will have red eyes and will be waiting for you to talk to them. Upon speaking to him, you will find his name is Vorundil, and he will send you to another location on the map.
Most often, Vorundil will send you to the Vampire’s Capital, also known as the Blood Matron’s Crypt. Travel to this location and talk to the quite intriguing female NPC named Rahaja. She reveals the inquisitive vampiric history and other lore bits regarding the race to you.
After speaking with her, you will be sent to another quest. When you return, you will be deemed worthy and baptized in a Vampire Pool. The rest is massive spoiler territory, so that we will halt the explanation here. But we hope you know that following this quest chain to completion is incredibly important.
What are Vampire Stages in ESO?
Perhaps one of the most innovative aspects of ESO’s Vampirism mechanic is their designation of Vampire Stages and Levels associated with the Vampirism Skill Line. We suggest you understand these two important mechanics, as they will aid you in constructing your build properly with the Vampirism debuff.
The Vampire stages are based on when your Vampiric character feeds. If you fail to feed in certain time-sensitive points, which go from 30, 60 to 90, you will progressively develop into the next stage of Vampirism. This will significantly increase the detrimental effect of the Vampirism disease’s weakening aura.
There are four harmful stages, but each comes with a unique twist. The twist is that they strengthen some aspects of the user Vampiric form and thus reduce the cast time and cost of other Vampiric skills that you might pick up,
Note: If you’re someone who cares for your character’s facial aesthetics, then we have to warn you here and now that as your character develops in the stages of Vampirism, black rings will fall around your eyes. So be careful with your quest for Vampirism. Now let us move on to the stages themselves.
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Vampirism Stage One
Your character will start within this Vampiric stage when you get the debuff but do not Feed for a set amount of time. In this first stage, your character will take 5% more fire damage if any fire abilities attack them.
This means that Dragon Knights, Sorcerers with Fire Staves, Fighters Guild Members, and others with fire-based attacks can be especially dangerous to you. Stay clear of them as much as possible.
Additionally, your health recovery will be slowed down by 10%, and you will have to manage your HP values better than you did before. Finally, your Vampiric Abilities will cost 6% less than they did before, thus giving you a unique advantage when using them compared to other characters with Vampirism.
- -10% Health Recovery
- +5% Extra Fire Damage
- +3% Regular Ability Cost
- -6% Vampire Ability Cost
- Feed & Dark Stalker are active in all Vampire Stages
Vampirism Stage Two
If your character continues to not feed on other characters or NPCs, you will progress into the second stage of Vampirism. This will bring various other effects that will impact how your character uses their abilities and their defense level against elemental attacks.
In the second stage of Vampirism, your Vampire character will take 8% more damage from fire attacks. This might not seem like a lot, but against a particularly fire-based attacker can be devastating. Moreover, the speed of health recovery will be significantly reduced to -30%, which can be particularly troublesome.
Although the cost of your vampire abilities will be reduced by a whole 10%, at the same time, your other abilities will cost more to execute, seeing a 5% increase in that regard. Finally, the ability Strike From The Shadows will become active in the second stage.
Strike From The Shadows is a brilliant ability for any character oriented towards stealth gameplay. The active ability allows you to increase your weapon or spell damage by 300 after you come out of the sneak. Further enhancing the one-shot kill power of most stealth builds.
- -30% Health Recovery
- +8% Extra Fire Damage
- +5% Regular Ability Cost
- -10% Vampire Ability Cost
- Strike from the Shadows is active
Vampirism Stage Three
If your character persists in not feeding for over 90 minutes, you will enter the third stage of Vampirism. This stage will increase all the negative and positive factors that affect your character due to the Vampirism debuff. Additionally, certain new abilities will become available. This includes the following:
From a visual standpoint, your character’s eyes will turn very red, to the point where it will be clear that they are hungry for consuming blood. This is a neat little visual aspect of this Skill Line, but it will cause other NPCs to comment on your appearance and become warier of you in interactions.
Your HP recovery will now be reduced by over -60%, which is considerable, making even regular encounters incredibly dangerous. This will reduce your overall survivability, so we recommend that you play cautiously from this point onwards.
Moreover, you will not take 13% extra Fire Damage, which by this point, coupled with the HP recovery reduction, can mean fatal if you’re matched against a fire-based attacker. However, in the same way, your abilities will cost you 16% less to execute. You can do far more of them in your limited mana and stamina pool.
Finally, you will have the active ability Undeath, which reduces damage taken by your character by 30% and is quite useful when you are in a pinch because it scales off the missing HP rather than some other arbitrary metric.
- -60% Health Recovery
- +13% Extra Fire Damage
- +8% Regular Ability Cost
- -16% Vampire Ability Cost
- Strike from the Shadows & Undeath is active
Vampirism Stage Four
At his point, we must say that there is no point in your character dieting, and they should sneak around and find someone to Feed as soon as possible. With that said, Vampirism’s fourth and final stage has the following effects on your character.
Your character will now have a whopping -100% HP recovery, which means that you will not be regaining HP back after being hit or attacked. This can be extremely dangerous as your character is more likely to be murdered without some form of recovery. It’s time you hunt or become hunted, my friend.
Moreover, your character will be taking +20% damage from Fire-based attacks, which means you will be an even worse pairing for an enemy of that variety now than before. However, at this point, you will gain a powerful ability in the form of Unnatural Movement.
- -100% Health Recovery
- +20% Extra Fire Damage
- +12% Regular Ability Cost
- -24% Vampire Ability Cost
- Strike from the Shadows & Undeath & Unnatural Movement is active
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What are Vampire Levels in ESO?
Once you embark on the Vampirism Skill Line, your character will begin to access various Active and Passive Skills. There are a total of 10 Vampire Levels that will allow you to unlock these abilities, and in this section, we’ll go over each of the skills you obtain.
The vampire will naturally level up while you are getting normal experience. If you get more experience per hour, you will also reach level 10 quicker. The abilities you receive from leveling are the following:
Blood Scion Ultimate
This is the Ultimate Ability that Vampirism Skill Line provides you through leveling up. It lets you transform into a Vampire Lord for a short duration and vastly boosts your stats.
Eviscerate Skill
This is a spam-able Active ability available through the Vampire Skill Line. Depending on your choice, this skill costs Health or Magicka.
Blood Frenzy Skill
The Blood Frenzy Active Skill is a toggle you can activate or deactivate whenever you choose. Its primary function is to boost your Weapon and Spell damage. However, it drains health.
Vampiric Drain Skill
The Vampiric Drain Skill is an active ability that many would assume would be attainable once you become a Vampire. It lets you channel an Attack that will deal Magic Damage to the enemy. It will also heal you from some of the damage done.
Depending on what you morph into, choose whether you get your Stamina back from this ability or your Ultimate back.
Mesmerize Skill
This is an Active Ability that acts as an AoE stun which can be used against most enemies within the game. Other magical effects or defenses cannot block this stun.
Mist Form Skill
The Mist Form Active Skill allows your character to mitigate 75% of the damage they would receive. Mist Form is also toggleable.
Feed Passive
The Feed Passive ability lets you feed on enemies. Pretty straightforward. If you feed on enemies, your vampire Stage will increase to the next level.
Dark Stalker Passive
The Dark Stalker Passive ability is a brilliant addition for all our sneaky characters. It lets you ignore the movement speed penalty while sneaking. It also decreases the time it takes to enter sneak by 50%.
Strike From The Shadows Passive
Strike From the Shadows is a Passive skill we’ve discussed before. It is obtained for usage when the Player Character reaches the Vampire Stage 2 or higher. Using this passive increases Spell and Weapon Damage done when you leave sneak, invisibility, or Mist Form by 300.
Blood Ritual Passive
The Blood Ritual Passive allows the Player Character to Infect another player with the Vampire Infection.
Undeath Passive
The undeath passive requires Vampire Stage 3 or higher. It reduces your damage taken by 30% based on your missing HP.
Unnatural Movement Passive
The Unnatural Movement Passive requires Vampire Stage 4 or higher. It reduces the cost of Sprint by 50%. If you sprint for over 3 seconds, your character can automatically turn invisible.