How to play a Vampire - lets talk about it : V

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 10:08 am

Hey everyone,

I've been reading about a lot of complaints about vampirism in Skyrim and to be honest I'm not quite sure I understand why. I love being a Vampire because of the RP element but it isnt just that. I do care about stats and bonuses and etc. I just feel people are not playing Vampires properly.

Pros:
You get 100% resistance to poison and disease. - AWESOME
Frost Resistance up to 100% - you are in Skyrim (RP) BUT even for none RP'ers frost magic is the most commonly used magic by enemy mages.
+25% to sneak - AWESOME
+25% to illusion - useless for my current character, but my illusionist mage will love it.

Cons:
This is were people seem to have the problem! And ya I can totally see why.

Stat debuffs:
first thing that admittedly does irritate me is the stat debuffs you get during the day. I would not actually mind them if they worked in reverse at night, and you get the buffs with the same magnitude. BUT, vampires were really designed for sneaky characters anyways. I find myself waiting for night time ALL the time even when I am not a vampire because light does effect your likelihood to be detected! So it doesnt seem like too much of a problem for a sneak character.

Weakness to fire:
I'm going heavy into Alchemy in order to make fire resistance poisons. It also helps A TON that I am a Dunmer with 50% resistance to fire racial. But again, Alchemy can really fix this entirely even if your are NOT a Dunmer. And Alchemy is a stealth skill, emphasis again that vampires were designed for stealth characters.

People being hostile towards you:
I find this a thrilling experience, having to sneak into town to feed and etc. If it really bothers you, however, and I can completely see how it can, I would suggest having a follower with you at all times. There are plenty of stealth followers if your worried they will screw up your ability to remain hidden. Have them lay down on a bed and quickly feed on them before they get up. I have not actually done this but I have read about it and don't see why it wouldn't work. So you have a supply of blood with you 100% of the time (your set!!).

NOTE: the only issue I have with the hostility you inherit is the lack of fear. IMO only guards and other NPCs that are good or experienced in combat should become hostile. I mean WTF?! farmers and even a little child started to try to beat me to death with their fists, the appropriate response should be to RUN LIKE HELL FROM THE VAMPIRE MOMMY HELP!!!!!

all in all, the vampires are not the best but I find their flaws to be something that can be circumvented with the appropriate planning, and their strengths to be pretty damn useful.

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 3:10 pm

I think most people are forgetting that vampires in Elder Scroll lore, are absolutely not the same vampires in more traditional lore. Vampirisim is a disease created by Molag Bal. It's a curse, not something you would want. This disease gives you very minimal power and maximum weaknesses. Hircine at least gives his curse powerful abilities. Any werewolf can absolutely destroy any vampire 10 out of 10 times. Why anyone would want Molag Bal's curse is way beyond my understanding. Hircine's curse however is absolutely awesome. Even when the werewolf form is no longer useful, the resistance to disease is. Hircine wins hands down.

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 1:42 pm

Vampires are strong and can be played while Werewolves are not and are under powered at high levels. Majority of complaints of the vampire in Skyrim is the lore and how they do not stick to it they are not day walkers this isn't blade. Feeding should provide better powerups and grow weaker entirely when starving giving ONLY debuffs no "OMG I STARVING I AM POWERFUL!!!"

Also issues are the amount of times you need to feed 3 days is quite short even without fast traveling extend it to a week while adding more stages to the point guards become hostile would be ideal

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 5:39 pm

I think most people are forgetting that vampires in Elder Scroll lore, are absolutely not the same vampires in more traditional lore.

They are actually, very similar.

Vampirisim is a disease created by Molag Bal. It's a curse, not something you would want.

Unless you desire power, and have little in the way of morals, and no love for the daytime.

This disease gives you very minimal power and maximum weaknesses.

It makes you stronger, faster, and more agile. Depending on your bloodline, it can either enhance you base stats, or it can grant you increased magical abilities and powers.

Hircine at least gives his curse powerful abilities. Any werewolf can absolutely destroy any vampire 10 out of 10 times.

Molag Bal's curse actually meant something in past games.

Why anyone would want Molag Bal's curse is way beyond my understanding.

In Skyrim, where Bethesda in their laziness broke their own lore and gutted vampirism, i can't help but agree with you

Even when the werewolf form is no longer useful, the resistance to disease is.

Vampires are however, still resistant to disease.

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 4:36 am

Fair enough, if you enjoy playing as a vampire then cool!
I personally hated it, but that's because I'm really really bad at this sort of game and find it difficult enough without absolutely everything in the world wanting me dead.
In the time I spent as a Vampire it was bleak and uncomfortable. I was living in some mank nasty lair living on mouldy cabbages and killing bears for extra nourishment. It was also a pretty ugly time, living in dark dirty places and only really being able to venture out at night. One thing I love most about skyrim is the beauty of the world.
It was just a very lonely hostile game to play as a vampire and an uncomfortable one, no less! my charecter loves her clean sheets and nice dishes and ornaments and a excessively muscular and relatively brainless housecarl to snuggle up to on cold winter nights/

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 4:56 pm

Playing as a vampire has been the most fun experience for me so far.

The illusion and sneak bonus are very strong. You just have build/play around the weaknesses. I've made a post earlier explaining my playthrough: http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1312052-master-playthrough-40-hp-vampire-assassin/

In my opinion, the only way to play a proper vampire is to stay in the final form all/most of the time. This means everyone hates you and you have to charm/calm people in order to talk to them. It makes sneaking into a city, getting quests very exciting. Definitely recommended if you already played the game the "normal way" and are looking for something entirely different.

In most playthroughs I agree the con's are a bit too much but the way I play it the bonuses that the vampire give me are much greater and the disadvantages negligible.

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 10:23 am

It doesn't hurt to give it a sparkling try though.

It's a tidbit pointless.

:starwars:

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 9:12 am

I posted this in another thread yesterday, but it works equally well here.

I think that the people cracking on Vampirism are the same people who are severely lacking in creativity. If you simply stop and think through a situation, take into consideration all that your character can do, then you'll find that Vampirism gives you more Pro's than Con's.

I've had a solid Vampire character since the release, and I've never once thought about curing it. I have a second character that I repeatedly cure and get reinfected, just to see how quests run differently when I don't have the Vampy beef-ups affecting my stats.

Getting around the drawbacks that come with each subsequent Stage of Undeath are easy if you just take the time to stop and think about the current situation that you're in.

I mean, if I'm a Vampire, and I've been out in the field for a while, I'm almost guaranteed to be Stage 4. I'm not going to be stupid and just charge into a major settlement. I look for the outlying Farms and such, and find a nice comfy cave or other unoccupied place to wait in until around 1am. Then I go sneaky-sneaky into said Farm and feed to my unbeating hearts content.

Then, since I most likely have some business in a major city, I can now waltz right in with a cheery wave to the local constables, and no one is the wiser.

If someone does discover you at Stage 4, then you have some neat Vampy powers that will help you get out of it.

Seriously, you guys act like Vampirism is a death sentence (sorry about that. Had to. :wink:

) for your character, when in fact, if you take the time to develop even the most basic, rudimentary strategy, then you would realize that your character can be a naughty Vampire God if you should so choose.

it just requires a little bit of brain power, not just running in screaming "GROG SMASH!!!!" and hitting everything like a caveman.

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 2:36 am

I posted this in another thread yesterday, but it works equally well here.

I support this message. My Argonian Vampire, who I made as close to a nightblade as possible, can slit the throats and run through an entire group of people without alerting the town one bit..

Makes you feel pretty badd-as*ed actually... the funniest moment was when 3 thugs showed up and said "we are here to teach you a lessen". In broad daylight I when into sneak while the first guy drew his blade (got the shadow warrior perk too), cut his throat, ran through from the back, and then slit the last thugs throat before the town even knew a fight happend..