

5 Cool Things in Skyrim: Dawnguard


5 Cool Things About Skyrim: Dawnguard



1. 1. Choose to suck (or not).

1. Choose to suck (or not).
As its title hints, a significant portion of Dawnguard deals with vampires. As you follow the primary quest line through a dozen or so tasks that will have you traversing Skyrim, you'll have the option to either become a vampire lord and gain a bevy of terrifying and intimidating new powers or assume the responsibility of trying to end the undead threat once and for all. Whichever you choose, Dawnguard injects some intriguing new possibilities into the world (and game play) of Skyrim.

2. 2. Bolt for fortune and fame.

2. Bolt for fortune and fame.
Tired of the traditional projectile weapons you can access in the main Skyrim game? Dawnguard gives you plenty of new possibilities by placing a strong focus on crossbows. You'll be able to fire faster, do more damage, and use some daring new ammunition, but crossbows are also louder and take more time to reload, so think carefully before drawing yours. But if you've gotten bored with traditional bows, crossbows are a terrific way to jazz up your sniping.

3. 3. Go beyond Tamriel.

3. Go beyond Tamriel.
Skyrim is beautiful, and Dawnguard introduces about two dozen new locations for you to visit. But if you long to see more than the country's regular borders allow, you have that opportunity as well. One quest sends you to the Soul Cairn, a special section of Oblivion where trapped souls and undead monsters reign. Another introduces you to Forgotten Vale, a glacial valley with flora, fauna, and a population of Falmer you won't find anywhere else in the land.

4. 4. Membership has its perks

4. Membership has its perks
Whoever said humans have all the fun? If you've fallen victim to lycanthropy or you've been transformed into a vampire lord, new perk trees let you round out your specialized skillsets: Inflict more damage as a werewolf, slow down time as a vampire, and do a lot more as your experience in your nocturnal form accumulates. These are even represented like constellations, just like the regular perk trees, so you don't have to relearn the interface—you just have to decide which new abilities will benefit you most.

5. 5. Get in the saddle.

5. Get in the saddle.

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