So elemental resistance is still out - does that mean elemental and magical weakess is malfunctioning as well, or is it only resistance? I ask because it would svck to have all of the elemental penalties of vampirism with none of the advatages.

What exactly does it means that all vampire Illusion spells are "25% stronger"? Do they take less to cast? Do they effect higher levels?

When dual-wielding, does it matter what dagger I wield in my "off-hand"? Is there a difference between attacking with both weapons, or does simply attacking with the right-hand weapon have the same DPS as attacking with both?

Any tips on killing fire-breathing dragons as a vamp while elemental resistance is down?

Thanks in advance.

Bumpity bump.

elemental resistance is back..

DPS should be a little slower in off-hand, getting the increased speed perk should make off-hand normal speed, main hand should be faster then normal.

not too sure on the elmental weaknesses/resistance. It would be possible for both not to work.

Tips on the dragon? Get a good ward lol... because things could get ugly.

So I could hold whatever weapon I want in my off-hand, so long as its not a spell or staff, and still get the dual-wielding DPS increase?

And what do you mean, elemental resistance is back? I'm on PS3. Has it been patched already?

Patch 1.3 fixes the elemental resistance bug. not sure if it's been released on PS3 yet though. if it hasn't i would be surprised if it didn't appear this week

I'd start looking for a cure.

Vampireism in Skyrim is just a handicap.

Being a dunmer helps with the fire weakness, also using equipment/potions to protect you. The illusion 25% increase refers to the power of manipulation spells, so a spell that affects level 8 people will affect level 10 with the 25% buff. Although you can affect pretty much anything without the buff if you have the right perks and dual cast the spells. I can calm/fury/fear (the novice basic spells) anything I come across at level 60+ dual casting. I do have all the illusion perks (apart from cost reducing ones).

The lord stone adds 25% magic resistance aswell as +50 armor rating, also the temple of mara quest in riften gives you +15 magic resist. Alteration perk that can give you +30%, these all help against dragons/mages.

Tip for dual wielding daggers, enchant both of the with paralyse 1 second, you get a lot of charges and it's so effective. If you are level 100 enchanting with the 100 perk, you can put fiery soul trap/soul trap as well as paralyse, giving 300+ charges. With the speed of the daggers, you will floor most enemies. So you can just fury a bunch of enemies, then roll in with your dual paralyse daggers.

Gotcha - hasn't been released yet for PS3, but I'm glad it's incoming.

Eh, depends on the character and what you hope to do with them. Vamps would probably be bad for the main quest, with the dragons and all, but if your goal is to be the greatest assassin who ever lived, vampirism is the only option. I will always be at least 25% sneakier than the sneakiest mortals. If you're getting blasted by fire or crippled by sunlight, it means you've put yourself into those situations by either being spotted in the first place or adventuring during the day. That's how I view it, anyway. It's more of a roleplaying conceit than anything else.

I recently made a Vampire as well with a couple of twists to add to a new gameplay experience.

Here's the link if you're interested: http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1312052-master-playthrough-40-hp-vampire-assassin/

I decided to stay in the final "blood staved" phase as much as possible. It gives you extra abilities and makes going in and out of towns really interesting.

I've been wondering this myself. I'm not gonna play a vampire, but this is my first illusion playthrough.

Frost resistance is definitely working on the PC. My vampire just defeated a frost wielding Dragon Priest and was barely tickled by the priest's ice attacks. Trying to face him without vampirism resulted in a quick death.

I read your thread. =) It's what inspired me, actually. Though not so much the 40HP part - sounds scary. I enjoy the blood starved phase, as well. IMO, it's the only way to fully appreciate a vampire playthrough, though I mostly just enter that phase for long periods of dungeon crawling and wilderness exploring.

Ah great, glad you enjoy the idea as well! Would like to hear the stories of your adventure in my thread as well if you want to share.

I agree that a blood starved vampire is the only way to really roleplay like a vampire. A vampire without all the benefits just doesn't feel that much different. Kinda ironic though that feeding makes your spells weaker...
I can understand your choice to occasionally feed for town trips, though I strongly recommend at least trying it a few times without.

The feeding vs. starving paradigm is something I wish was expanded on a little, you know? There should be benefits for both, in my opinion, with feeding making you a social dynamo while starving makes you a more agile killing machine.

The first time this character really "clicked" was when I was exploring a mine full of bandits. Torches were ensconced along the walls, and I plucked them off one by one to shroud the mine in darkness as I picked off the unsuspecting bandits. It really makes you feel "one" with the shadows, so to speak.