I would like to pass the time until the Dragonborn DLC comes out by playing a new hunter character i've been working on. I've decided i'd like to try hunting with a crossbow rather then the classic bow and arrows for a change. Trouble is, I have to go to Fort Dawnguard and speak to Durak (or go further) to obtain a crossbow. While this is all well and good, from an RP point of view, it just doesn't fit into my play style for this character.

Furthermore, the bolts required to fire said crossbow... Other then collecting them from the fort and from Dwemer automatons I believe you cannot craft them until you go further into the quest?

So my questions are as follows:

1. Is there any way I can obtain a crossbow without delving into any of the Dawnguard questline?

2. Is there any way I can obtain bolts without completing DG quests/collecting them from Dwemer automatons.

You get a Crossbow by talking to the Orc firing outside of Fort Dawnguard. You do not actually have to enter Fort Dawnguard and thus start the quest.

He also fires all day, giving you unlimited Bolts.

Yeah, that's Durak. I had feared that might be the only way to obtain them. Maybe I can be 'exploring' the cave and come upon the Fort that way. Then, in conversation with Durak, he gives me a crossbow. (As for the bolts, I assume he lets me take some).

You can loot Dwarven Bolts from most dwemer constructs (spiders, spheres). However, without playing DG, you won't get the dwarven crossbow schematics and just have to make due with the one you get from Durak. You will also not be able to craft the fire/frost/storm bolts.

Edit: However, I'm not sure if the Dwarven Bolts show up AFTER you learn how to smith them. I guess it's worth a try though. Head to a Dwemer ruin and find out.

I think that if you have good pickpocket, you can swap the solitude guard's bows for crossbows (you'll need more than one though) and their arrows for bolts. Not sure though, never tried.

No

Thanks for your answers everyone, but I still know as much as I did before. I've decided I will 'explore' the cave leading to Fort Dawnguard, receive the crossbow from Durak as a gift and in exchange I agree to be vigilant towards the vampires. I will collect as many bolts as I can whilst Durak fires them into the tree. I know I can also collect them from various Dwemer automatons. Pain in the ass that I have to do it that way but it seems that is all there is without going further into the questline.

So, yeah thanks.

you can craft the bolts inside the dawnguard fortress its like 1 bar + 1 log = 24 bolts.

I thought I remembered being handed a crossbow from a female NPC outside of Fort Dawnguard without having even began the questline. I thought it was strange just getting one out of no where but I'm pretty sure it happened. Lol

Yeah at the smith's forge (can't remember his name). I believe you have to do some of the quest first though.


It's possible. I only ever get it from Durak outside though.

I don't know if you're on PC, but I just saw this mod giving all vendors bolts: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/21661

Since I have a similar problem I think I might try this out.

I think he is on Xbox, and aren't there random encounters of Dawnguards fighting vampires?

Yeah, i'm a 360 user, but thanks for trying. That would have been perfect. +1 to you.

I have heard of the random encounters of the DG fighting the Vampires, but only ever find the Vigilants and/or Companions fighting them, and guards and random NPCs in towns. Maybe you have to be a certain way in the DG questline?

I think the encounters occur as soon as you are level 10, you can even get more crossbows and pickpocket them into the solitude guards, or give them to your follower for bolts.

IIRC you can "join" the DG just to be able to pick up anything lying around the fort. You get another chance to change sides anyway mi-way through the quest.

Anyhow, with that said, off the top of my head:

There's a crossbow and a bolt quiver right accross from you upon entering.
There's a bolt quiver on their sleeping quarters.
There's 2 bolt quivers in the back of the area going west. You'll know you're there if you see a gated off area, just head left from there..
There should be another quiver in the second tower along with another crossbow.
And a crossbow and a quiver in the bedroom upstairs. You know you're there if you see a mannequin.

These all respawn too.