# Who is Better to Join – Dawnguard or Vampires?

- Canonical: https://33rdsquare.com/who-is-better-to-join-dawnguard-or-vampires/
- Published: 2023-10-22
- Author: Nelson Ayers
- Categories: [Business & Worth](https://33rdsquare.com/category/games/worth/)

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If you‘re playing through the Dawnguard DLC in Skyrim, one of the biggest decisions you‘ll make is whether to side with the vampire hunting Dawnguard faction or the powerful Volkihar vampire clan. There are compelling reasons to join either side, so let‘s take an in-depth look at the key differences to help you decide. **Overall, siding with the Volkihar Clan as a vampire lord is recommended for players who want to embrace a villainous path and utilize vampiric powers. The Dawnguard is a better choice for typical hero characters focused on conventional combat with the goal of destroying the vampiric threat.**

## Dawnguard Faction

The Dawnguard are a group of vampire hunters based in an ancient fort who are dedicated to eradicating vampires throughout Skyrim. They specifically oppose the Volkihar vampire clan and their mission to block out the sun.

Joining the Dawnguard provides you with Fort Dawnguard as a home base, allowing you to utilize their armory, enchanter, alchemy lab and other amenities. You can also recruit armored trolls and huskies as followers to aid you in battle.

The key unique rewards for siding with the Dawnguard are:

- **Dawnguard Rune Axe** – Absorbs 25 points of health from undead per hit
- **Dawnguard Rune Hammer** – Absorbs 25 points of magicka from undead per hit
- **Enhanced Dwarven Crossbow** – Exceptionally powerful crossbow, especially with perks
- **Ancient Falmer Tome** – Teaches the Summon Ancient Falmer spell
- **Auriel‘s Bow** – Useful for slaying vampires with Sunhallowed Elven Arrows
- **Shield Discipline** – Blocking with a shield drains 50% less stamina

| Reward | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Dawnguard Rune Axe | Absorbs 25 health from undead |
| Dawnguard Rune Hammer | Absorbs 25 magicka from undead |
| Enhanced Dwarven Crossbow | Powerful crossbow with exploding bolts |
| Ancient Falmer Tome | Teaches Summon Ancient Falmer spell |
| Auriel‘s Bow | Effective against undead with Sunhallowed Arrows |
| Shield Discipline | Blocking drains 50% less stamina |

The members of the Dawnguard are typical Skyrim fighters including sorcerers and warriors. The leader is a Redguard named Isran who is stern and uncompromising in his dedication to wiping out vampires.

Choosing to side with the Dawnguard allows you to remain a werewolf if you wish, since they are mainly focused on fighting vampires. But you miss out on the opportunity to become a powerful Vampire Lord.

**The Dawnguard storyline is considered the more conventional heroic path in the DLC, with the goal of stopping the Volkihar Clan‘s prophecy to blot out the sun. The Dawnguard‘s rewards and abilities cater towards standard warrior and rogue archetypes.**

## Volkihar Vampire Clan

The Volkihar Clan are a powerful vampire faction based in Castle Volkihar on a secluded island. They are led by Lord Harkon, an ancient pure-blooded vampire, who seeks to fulfill the Tyranny of the Sun prophecy to block out the sun and allow vampires to roam freely at all hours.

Siding with the vampires allows you to accept Lord Harkon‘s gift and become a Vampire Lord yourself. This grants you access to the powerful Vampire Lord transformation with unique abilities including:

- **Drain Life** – Drain enemy health to restore your own
- **Summon Gargoyle** – Summon gargoyle allies in battle
- **Vampiric Grip** – Telekinetically grip and choke enemies
- **Corpse Curse** – Reanimate defeated enemies to fight for you
- **Night Cloak** – Surround yourself with a cloud of bats to feed on enemies within range

In addition, there are several powerful vampire-only items you can obtain:

- **Ring of the Erudite** – Massive 150 point magicka boost for vampires
- **Ring of The Beast** – 100 point health and stamina bonus for vampires
- **Vampiric Drain** – Absorb health, magicka and stamina with spells
- **Necromage** – All spells are more effective against undead

| Reward | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Vampire Lord | Transformation with drain life, raise dead etc |
| Ring of the Erudite | +150 magicka for vampires |
| Ring of The Beast | +100 health & stamina for vampires |
| Vampiric Drain | Absorb health, magicka & stamina |
| Necromage | Spells more effective against undead |

The vampires have a Gothic, macabre aesthetic with opulent castles and dungeons. By joining the Volkihar Clan and becoming a Vampire Lord, you become part of Harkon‘s undead family. However, the Dawnguard and general Skyrim citizens will turn against you if you ally with their mortal enemies.

**Siding with the vampire clan lets you fully embrace the sinister side of vampirism with unique dark powers. Their questline revolves around helping Lord Harkon complete the Tyranny of the Sun to blot out the sun and take over Skyrim.**

## Gameplay Comparison

Now that we‘ve covered the key factions, rewards and storylines, let‘s analyze some of the notable gameplay differences:

**Playing as a Vampire Lord vs Werewolf**

- The Vampire Lord transformation replaces lycanthropy if you become a werewolf previously
- Werewolves benefit from 100% disease immunity which vampires do not receive
- Vampire Lords can drain life to restore health, werewolves must feed on corpses
- Vampire Lords can turn ethereal to evade attacks which werewolves cannot
- Werewolves move faster and have stronger base melee attacks in beast form

**Vampire Sun Damage**

- As a vampire, you take steady sun damage from 5am to 7pm
- This can be mitigated by wearing enchanted gear, using Auriel‘s Shield or vampiric drain spells
- Vampire Lords take no sun damage in transformed state
- Sun damage encourages playing as a vampire at night and sleeping during the day

**Perks & Abilities**

- The Dawnguard DLC adds new perk trees for vampires and werewolves with new abilities to unlock
- Vampires gain Night Powers like invisibility and seduction while werewolves get savagery perks
- Vampires must feed regularly to maintain bonuses while werewolf benefits are always active

**Curing Vampirism**

- You can cure yourself of vampirism if you grow tired of it via a ritual with Falion
- Lycanthropy can be cured via a ritual with the Companions
- Once cured, you can ask Serana or Harkon to convert you back anytime

## Conclusion

While both the Dawnguard and Volkihar Clan offer compelling new questlines and rewards, in my opinion siding with the vampires provides a more unique gameplay experience. Embracing vampirism opens up an entirely new playstyle with the Vampire Lord form, vampire-only gear and incentives to play at night. The sinister story of helping Lord Harkon blot out the sun is also a nice change of pace if you want to roleplay an evil character. But the Dawnguard still appeals to players who enjoy a heroic crusade against the forces of darkness as a mighty vampire hunter. Ultimately, pick the faction that best fits your character!

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Source: [Who is Better to Join – Dawnguard or Vampires?](https://33rdsquare.com/who-is-better-to-join-dawnguard-or-vampires/)