vampire vs werewolf
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ByArzyeL

Vampire vs Werewolf Introduction

This Vampire vs Werewolf Guide will show you how to become a Vampire or Werewolf in ESO, as well as their pros and cons! The Vampire and Werewolf states are two unique transformations in the Elder Scrolls Online that offer their own skill lines and gameplay. Both lines have their own pros and cons and playing as either a Vampire or a Werewolf can be a lot of fun.

Their biggest difference lies to gameplay. They both offer an active skill line but Vampire’s Skills and effects are always active, affecting your character. Werewolf’s Skills and effects on the other hand become active once you transform.

This ESO Vampire vs Werewolf Guide will try to showcase their respective skills, pros & cons in order to help you decide which one is the best for your characters.

Table of Contents

How to Become a Vampire or Werewolf

The process of turning your character into a Vampire or a Werewolf is almost identical. There are three different methods you can follow.

First of all you can buy the skill line on the crown store and immediately apply it to your character.

The second method is to find special Vampire or Werewolf NPC and let them attack you in order to “turn” you. These can be found around The Rift and Reaper’s March zones at night when both Moons are full in-game. Honestly this is not a very reliable method of “turning” your characters but is more fun trying to achieve your transformation this way.

The third and easiest method to “turn” is by simply asking other Vampire or Werewolf players to “bite” and infect you.

Players that are already Vampires or Werewolves and have the appropriate Passive skill, Blood Ritual for Vampires/Bloodmoon for Werewolves, can “turn” other players at specific Vampire Altars/Werewolf shrines.

There are several players willing to help for free others to “turn” and even dedicated guilds for that purpose in-game. Asking in the zone chat for a bite should be enough.

Can you be a Vampire and a Werewolf in ESO

The two lines are opposite to each other which means that a character can be a Vampire or a Werewolf but not both.

Transformation Quest

Once you have been “bitten” a quest will appear at the shrine next to you.

Scion of the Blood Matron for Vampires and Hircine’s Gift for Werewolves. Both of these quests will lead you to a new instanced area and introduce you to the Transformation’s lore, skills and in general gameplay. You can finish them fast and easily just by following the NPC instructions.

Cure

If you wish, you can cure your Vampire vs Werewolf status any time. In order to switch between them or simply return to your previous non-transformed state. You do not lose the skills already learned nor their progression but you cannot use them until you are infected and transformed again.

You can buy the cure from the crown store or visit the Mages Guild and ask a Priest of Arkay NPC to cure you for a small fee. The Priests are at the Capital of each Alliance, Mournhold, Elden Root, Wayrest.

Priest of Arkay

What are the Benefits of being a Vampire in ESO – Vampire vs Werewolf

Vampirism in ESO has four stages. The higher your stage, the stronger your Vampire abilities will be but also the drawbacks of your transformation. To increase and maintain your Vampire Stage you have to feed on NPC regularly.

When you are a Vampire you lose Health Recovery, take more Flame Damage, your regular abilities cost more but your Vampire abilities cost less. The higher your Stage, the stronger the effect.

Stage 1/2/3/4

Health Recovery: -10%/-30%/-60%/-100%
Flame Damage Taken: +5%/+8%/+13%/+20%
Regular Ability Costs: +3%/+5%/+8%/+12%
Vampire Ability Costs: -6%/-10%/-16%/-24%

Active Skills

Vampires have access to one Ultimate and Five normal abilities.

vampire vs werewolf
  • Blood Scion & Morphs: Allows you to transform into a strong Vampire Lord
  • Eviscerate & Morphs: The line’s spammable that deals significant damage
  • Blood Frenzy & Morphs: Boosts your Weapon/Spell Damage at the cost of Health every second it is active.
  • Vampiric Drain & Morphs: Drain enemies to restore Health, Stamina or generate Ultimate.
  • Mesmerize & Morphs: An unblockable stun.
  • Mist Form & Morphs: An escape method.

Passive Skills

The Passive skills of the Vampire skill line unlock based on your Vampire Stage.

vampire vs werewolf
  • Feed: Allows you to feed and increase your Vampire Stage. Is always available.
  • Dark Stalker: Allows you to ignore the Movement Speed penalty of sneak. Available at Stage 1.
  • Strike from the Shadows: Boosts your Weapon/Spell Damage when you leave sneak, Mist Form or invisibility. Available at Stage 2.
  • Blood Ritual : Allows you to infect another player with Noxiphilic Sanguivoria once every 7 days by returning to the Vampire ritual site. Players already infected with Lycanthropy cannot be infected with Noxiphilic Sanguivoria. Available at Stage 1.
  • Undeath: Reduces your Damage Taken based on your missing health. Available at Stage 3.
  • Unnatural Movement: Reduces the cost of sprint. Allows you to become invisible when you sprint for 3 seconds. Available at Stage 4.

Vampire Best Fit – Vampire vs Werewolf

The Vampire line is better for Magicka based DPS characters, since most of the skills deal Magic damage and require Magicka to cast.

Its skills can be used with skills from other lines, creating strong combinations. It is better to build your Vampire character around the skills and traits of the line, in order to find the best balance for your preferred play-style. You can find DPS Builds for every Class in my ESO Vampire Builds!

What are the Benefits of Being a Werewolf in ESO – Vampire vs Werewolf

Werewolf like Vampire has a full line of active skills that you however can use only when you transform. There is only one stage here and when you are transformed you take more damage from poison attacks.

The Ultimate skill of the line has to be on your bar always in order to transform which excludes the use of other, maybe more useful, Ultimates. Having this Ultimate on your bar increases your Stamina Recovery.

Active Skills

eso werewolf
  • Werewolf Transformation & Morphs: Allow you to transform into a Werewolf.
  • Pounce & Morphs: Offer a gap closer that can also apply a strong Bleed.
  • Hircine’s Bounty & Morphs: The line’s heals that can buff you as well with strong effects.
  • Roar & Morphs: A fear ability with additional debuffs.
  • Piercing Howl & Morphs: These work as the line’s spammable.
  • Infectious Claws & Morphs: Apply a strong Disease DOT and can heal you or debuff the enemy.

Passive Skills

The passive skills of Werewolf help to prolong your transformation and boost your damage.

eso werewolf
  • Devour: Allows you to devour corpses to prolong your transformation and heal yourself.
  • Pursuit: Increases your Movement Speed and Stamina you restore.
  • Blood Rage: Prolongs your transformation when you deal damage.
  • Bloodmoon: Allows you to infect another player with Lycanthropy once every 7 days by returning to the Werewolf ritual site. Players infected with Sanguinare Vampiris cannot be infected with Lycanthropy.
  • Savage Strength: Boosts your Damage and Resistance.
  • Call of the Pack: Reduces the cost of remaining Transformed when there are other Werewolves and Direwolves in your group.

Werewolf Best Fit – Vampire vs Werewolf

The Werewolf line is better for Stamina based DPS characters, since most of its skills require Stamina to cast. Werewolf Skills cannot be used along with skills from other lines. You have to transform in order to use them and remain transformed to keep having access to them.

While transformed you will have to keep attacking enemies and devouring corpses to remain a Werewolf.

You can find several Werewolf based builds, appropriate for every Class, in my ESO Werewolf Builds!

Is Vampire or Werewolf Better in ESO

Both lines can be very fun in PVE and PVP gameplay. They offer unique Active and Passive skills that can be helpful in different activities, adding flavor to your adventures.

Whether you decide to transform your character into a Vampire or a Werewolf, depends on your goals for that character and your preferred play-style.

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