We’re here to help you reverse the curse, with this Skyrim cure vampirism guide. Put your bloodsucking ways behind you and get beach-body ready in an undead heartbeat by following these simple steps. We’ve also included a section on how to become a Skyrim vampire, in case you’re looking to pump some iron – into your virtual mouth, that is.
If you’re having trouble navigating Bethesda’s huge open world, check out our guide to the best Skyrim maps. We’ve also got a list of the best games like Skyrim on Switch and mobile for more exciting adventures on the go.
What is Skyrim vampirism?
Vampirism is a syndrome that affects you after you contract the Sanguinare Vampiris disease and allow it to fester for more than three in-game days. Skyrim vampires gain unique spells and abilities as their level of infection increases, but are also vulnerable to fire and sunlight.
Skyrim vampirism has four different stages of severity, which increase the longer you go without drinking blood. Taking a sip from a napping human’s neck can keep your curse at bay, but if anyone catches you chowing down, a bounty is placed on your head. These bounties can’t be paid off with cash or jail time, so you’re stuck with it for good. At stage four of vampirism, mortals can also detect you with ease, and often run away or attack you on sight.
How do I cure vampirism in Skyrim?
If you’ve had enough of being a vampire and want to get back to good old mortal life, don’t fear. You can cure vampirism at any stage by following these steps.
Skyrim cure Sanguinare Vampiris
If you’ve contracted Sanguinare Vampiris while fighting a vampire but it hasn’t been three full days yet, you can cure it by doing one of the following:
- Use a ‘cure disease’ potion
- Receive a blessing by praying at (activating) a shrine
- Consume hawk feathers
Skyrim cure vampirism
If your vampirism is in full effect, either by you having left it more than three in-game days after contracting Sanguinare Vampiris, or if you were infected by Lord Harkon or Skyrim Serana, then curing yourself becomes a bit more tricky. However, by following these steps, you’ll be free of your blood-sucking urges in no time.
- Approach any innkeeper or a member of the Dawnguard
- Ask them if they’ve heard any rumours to start the ‘Rising at Dawn’ quest
- Go to Morthal to find Falion the mage (on the east side of the river, adjacent to the water)
- As he instructs, fill one black soul gem with a grand soul
- Bring the full black soul gem back to Falion to start the ritual
- Follow Falion to the nearby summoning stones and stand in the middle
- You’re cured! Hooray!
To fill a black soul gem, you need to capture the soul of a large, sentient creature, such as another character from one of the player races. If this is too tricky or time-consuming, Falion actually sells a ritual-ready black soul gem.
Also, if you don’t have Dawnguard installed and are struggling to get close to an innkeeper without them attacking you, that means your vampirism is too advanced. Feed a couple of times to lower your infection level, then try again.
You can use any of the above methods as many times as you want, so feel free to switch back and forth between human and vampire at your leisure.
How do I become a Skyrim vampire?
Fancy dipping your toes into the bloody pool of vampirism? Then, as mentioned above, you need to contract Sanguinare Vampiris and carry the pathogen for up to three days without curing it.
You contract Sanguinare Vampiris by being on the receiving end of the vampiric drain spell cast by other vampires. If you’re looking to get infected, the best places to go are Movarth’s Lair, the Shrine of Clavicus Vile, or the Solitude Catacombs leading to Potema’s chamber. These areas have pretty low-level vampires that are unlikely to kill you while you run around hoping to pick up the disease, but we generally recommend applying a heal-over-time spell or potion to avoid dying while you wait.
That’s everything you need to know about the topic of Skyrim cure vampirism. If you’re looking for more fang-tastic, freaky titles, check out our lists of the best Switch horror games and the best mobile horror games. We’ve also got some cures for real-world diseases, including our guide on how to delete Facebook accounts.