I thought this would be a good weapon to use against all the undead and vampires you face as you play through the Dawnguard storyline as a vampire lord. Yeh kind of a big mistake as it nearly killed me a few times. Didn't realize that the explosion it gives off when it procs will also cause damage to your character as well. In most games the damage to you would be ignored by the game mechanics.

Had one tough fight with some Draugur Death Lords and it proced a few times during the fight each time it took some of my health and I was finding it hard to stay on my feet. Swtiched weapons and the fight was a wholel lot easier. Its things like this that make Skyrim a great game its a small thing but its the attention to detail.

Ah, yes, the explosions I actually like them, but i'm setting Dawnbreaker aside for now since it hurts whatever follower is with you. Generally, using the Dawnbreaker is a good idea if:
- you are not a vampire
- you don't have any followers with you
- you're a Dunmer or use fire protection potions or enchantments.

huh! That's interesting
It never once injured me and I was also a vampire. It messed up Serana though! She and I got into a few brawls over it.

Just be good at enchanting, and make a fire enchantment

Procs?

Proc is a MMO term where a weapon has a special effect that has a chance of the effect firing. So when you use the Dawnbreaker Sword, when it explodes that is the proc or effect firing on the weapon.

It's a lovely sword that does horrible things to all undead. Combine it with Aura of Stendar and Vampire's Bane and suddenly you're the undead apocalypse!

I never use Dawnbreaker since the proc knocks everything away (loots) i just find it annoying hehe..

Thanks. What's the chance percentage?

I believe it is when you one-hit-kill an undead that the explosion goes off.
Best part was if the explosion kills another undead they explode and a chain reaction could erupt if multiple undead die.

yeh and being a vampire when that happens isn't good for your health.

I am now using a unenchanted sword and elemental furry shout.

Yeah. That and it could kill your thralls/followers if they were undead. Too bad really its a nice sword but it has a negative side effect on you if you aren't up to Meridia's standards.

Lol you mean 'fury'. I see elemental furry shout and I think of some elemental wolf or something popping up and acting like an atronach.

I used it about the whole time when playing as a non-vampire. Serana got knocked around a few times, but she got over it.

I gave up using any enchanted weapons, I like the kill animations too much. But dawnbreaker was pretty when it worked.

Dawnbreaker is good, but I have found that slapping a decent fire enchant on a silver sword to be quite effective. It's not as dramatic, but it more than gets the job done.

Enchanted weapons have no effect on kill animations, well maybe they'll be on fire when you decapitate them but other then that...

I have had some nice kill animations with fire weapons you and the npc seems to be wreathed in flame during it. I got a screenshot some place of one.