I did Ill Met By Moonlight (forever ago, but doing it again soon!) for the first time. Without regard to the fact that it was really cool how Sinding escaped prison (and without complaining that I can't climb as a werewolf), I was especially excited when he said something along the lines of "I can be a powerful ally to you if you spare me."

A powerful ally? Buddy, I was already going to spare you, but that more than repays whatever debt you felt to me!

...and then he just sits there. He's not a possible follower.

"I can be a powerful ally" is a great way to win us over and spare your life. But instead of a powerful ally, all I got was this stupid glorious ring.

And what about the Companions? There are half a dozen or so werewolves in the game, and three of them are followers--you can even marry them! Why don't they ever transform? Sure, I can understand why you shouldn't be able to command them to transform (even though that would be cool), since you shouldn't be able to talk to them while they're in their beast form. But would it not be reasonable for werewolf followers to transform with you? Whether they stay a werewolf for only the three minutes available to us, eat downed enemies to extend the time on their own, or are in beast form for as long as we are is of no consequence to me. I know they'd transform back "naked," but they're programmed to put on their most useful/powerful attire ASAP, anyway, so that's not a problem. I want my promised ally, and I want to hunt with Aela. I see no reason why this can't be done.

Also, I want to be able to sneak while in beast form. Seriously, wolves can sneak up on me (even dragons! [I've been surprised by them before when they roar out of nowhere before the battle music begins, and I know for a fact that sabre cats DO sneak up on players]), but werewolves can't? I'd like to be able to sneak up on my prey instead of being forced to jump into every battle head on.

We were promised a game where we could play our own way. Not every thief is an assassin, not every mage loves Alchemy or Enchanting, not every warrior shuns magic, and not every vampire will make use of both the bonus to Illusion and the bonus to Sneak. Why do werewolves have to be played one way, Bethesda?

Edited my OP

Yeah, being a werewolf is pretty much not worth it. I definitely agree that werewolf followers should be able to transform when I do, and sneaking is a must. What kind of werewolf doesn't bother stalking their prey (like a wolf) and just blindly charges into battle?

Can't wait for the Creation Kit to fix these problems.

The CK is inconsequential. This isn't a problem unique to PC gamers, this is a problem with the game and is in need of a fix.

And yes, I wholly agree with you. There are five points in the game that I can count when the player encounters named werewolves: Farkas in Dustman's Cairn, Aela in the Underforge, Arnbjorn in the DB sanctuary, and Sinding twice. In two of those encounters, the NPCs transform right in front of you, so it can be done.

You can only play a werewolf one way in a game that touts different experiences for every player, and an entire faction of warriors proud to be werewolves don't ever transform outside of two scripted events, not even in battle? Developer laziness at its best.

I cannot describe how insulted and angry I am at this.

But alas, I'll submit: are there any mods for this?

The kind of Werewolf that can roar at an Ice Troll and make it run away pissing it's pants.
The kind of Werewolf who has a very limited time before turning back into a human and deosn't have time to mince around knowing full well he is the fastest creature in the whole of Skyrim and has no need to surprise his prey as they are not getting away whatever they do.

I agree that the Werewolf companions should either change on promt from yourself changing or more realisticly when they deem fit to do it.

A fair argument, indeed!

However, I contest with these two points:

Firstly, a werewolf can easily find much time in beast form if he eats enough people. I have had no trouble running across Skyim and even taking breaks to kill dragons during just one transformation (but as fast as werewolves travel and given how quickly they kill things, I'll admit I've never been in beast form for 24 hours, able to transform right back afterward).

Secondly, while this method might be considered a little lame depending on the player, there's always the Ring of Hircine. Don't have enough time to stealthily obliterate your target? Transform again!

I can understand if you don't want to play as a stealthy werewolf, but I disagree with you; it should still be available to players.

I'd definitely like a werewolf follower that can actually turn into a werewolf in battle.

I remember I tried to mod a character into Morrowind who would follow me around and possibly change into a werewolf in combat, but alas I never got it working. =(

There are a lot of aspects to Skyrim's lycanthropy that bug me, for example werewolf followers never transforming into werewolves in combat, the inability to become a werewolf without joining The Companions (A major pet peeve for me as I want to create a werewolf character who doesn't follow any of the game's questlines and simply lives in and explores the world, of course I can't do this), the list goes on but I'd be here all day.

Seems like we lose more and more player choice each game, I love Skyrim, but the more I play it, the more stale the experience starts to feel.

I feel ya. It'd be nice for a mage character to be be something supernatural without having to join the damn Fighters Guild of the north.

I mean, I love the Companions, but come on.

I just find the stealth part wrong, never seen any of the canine family stalking prey yet. They tend to go in hell for leather and only employ tracking skills to find their prey as opposed to stealth. Their prey is usually much smaller as well, meaning no chance of evasion through speed.
Stealth is for the big cats where they have to conserve energy and reduce the chance of the prey escaping as most prey is faster than them and closer to their own size.

A beast the size of the Werewolf in game couldn't sneak up on you thanks to the fact it would be breathing very loudly to support the large size of animal, only in noisy caves would it succeed.

I am not opposed to it as such, as others would enjoy it. I just see it as an abilty the animal would never have naturaly.

Man... double-werewolf action in some of those silverhand forts would be a red hot mess. Assuming you could both maintain the form long enough. It looks like bodies can only be fed on once to increase the bloodrage.

The thing I don't get is why any of the Companions are affected by the fear effect when you roar as a werewolf.

Another good point.

While I agree and understand, I'd still like it to happen. I really don't like being forced to play one way. Besides, we have Arnbjorn; doesn't he ever hunt prey? And Aela seems awfully proud of it.


The bodies can only be fed on once, but that's by the PC; NPC werewolves are never seen feeding, and if they did, I don't see why it wouldn't be that each werewolf can feed on any dead body once.

As for the roaring, yes, it's stupid. They're not affected by Illusion spells outside of Courage (and its ilk), so you'd think they would know better :/

What gets me is that the only way to continue the beast form is to kill and eat a human, not just an animal. I've killed a deer, and tried to feed. I cannot feed on the deer. I should be able to do that. Venison tastes good, especially to a hungry wolf, and there is sufficient meat there to keep them going. This is what they need to fix. I like to use beast form for covering a lot of ground during the night.

I disagree.

Feeding on NPCs makes being a werewolf a little bit of a double-edged sword. You have to find someone who is either hostile to you or someone you're willing to murder outright, not just any creature. And for that matter, if any creature would do, then we could essentially stay in beast form forever, so there'd really be no point.

The point would be to deal with vendors or talk to NPC's who would normally run in terror, or rally the city guard against us.

I'm with sonja_stormcloak on this one. Feeding on anything you've killed should extend the transformation.

Not being able to provides a challenge, I say.

But at the end of the day, I'd suppose this would fall under the fast travel argument: don't like it, don't use it. Still, if I could feed on anything, I don't think I'd be able to resist not doing so just because I disagree.

But I think the above is a small issue compared to what really needs improving. I don't want to feel like the only werewolf in Skyrim, and I don't want to be forced to play that lone werewolf in one manner.

Lore-wise, it's perfect. Hircine is the Sacrifice of mortals, makes sense for him to want his Hounds/Children to kill people and replenish themselves on the flesh of mortals rather than mere animals. The scope of the hunt is for everyone. Remorse is promised to no man.

I also wish werewolf NPC's would transform. I went on a werewolf rampage on Falkreath and went inside the barracks, only to see Sinding running around doing absolutely nothing! He ran up the hill, stopped and came back and gawked at a dead guard saying "What a waste." and then ran back up the hill.

The hell?

That's terrible. I would kill him out of pity.

Also, uppercutting bears off of cliffs as a werewolf is awesome. I want to share the love, but even my beloved Aela won't hunt with me.

How can we possibly get Bethesda to hear us out on this?

I'm surprised that a werewolf follower cannot becomes a werewolf. I mean come on!

Feeding on deer would cool, if only for the fact that you're forced to chase them. It makes it fun, like a hunt. Feeding just on people doesn't do the same thing.

It's reasonable that Vilkas and Farkas won't transform: they (along with Kodlak) are the ones who want to get rid of their lycanthropy.

The fact that Aela never transforms is off though, given her enthusiasm for Hircine's Ways.

Exactly. Kodlak is quite upset about it, but I think even he would transform to do something like fight off the Silver Hand at his own headquarters. I know the twins don't like it, but Aela is just so proud; she was practically raised like a wolf. This is really saddening

They are savage engines of death, not skulking scavengers. It makes perfect sense that they don't sneak around. And I have a hard enough time getting my followers not to walk in the way of a sword swing. The last thing I need is to accidentally get power attacked by a werewolf companion with Skyrim's goofy AI.

A fair point. Even if werewolves don't sneak, though, werewolf companions are a must, I say.

How is it saddening? She's kickass and doesn't cry because she turns into a wolf. I found it sad when Skjor died, leaving me and Aela alone with three whiners crying that they can't drink mead and belch for eternity.

I remember seeing Kodlak in Sovngarde at the end of the main quest, if you free him from his Lycanthropy, he will comment:

"When I woke from a cold death, my doom was lifted- there was Shor's hall, my heart's desire. But now I wonder, weary and lost. Alduin hunts me, as we once hunted our prey. A bitter payment for bloody deeds."

Karma just took a huge [censored] on Kodlak. I hope we see Skjor in the Hunting Grounds if we ever get to go there in a DLC.