Path to Volkihar--Vampires Can Skip Fort Dawnguard
⚪ Last updated 2019⚠️ Install Order · 5 steps
Install in this order, then this mod last — most mods fail to load without their framework and dependencies in place.
Preview
🔍 Analysis
- 👍 2.1% endorsement rate — high engagement, a strong quality signal
- 🏆 #3 of 11 Guilds/Factions mods in this game by downloads
📋 About This Mod
If you become a vampire early in the game, why would you ever want to join a newly forming group of vampire hunters? Yet, this is the only path Bethesda has given to progressing the Dawnguard quest line. For role playing purposes, it is quite frustrating. How could you know that meeting Isran would be the only way to become a vampire lord? This mod corrects this potential plot hole by allowing you to receive a letter from the Volkihar vampires shortly after the Dawnguard quest appears in your journal, so that you can go directly to Dimhollow, free Serana and become a vampire lord! You will only receive the letter if you are a vampire when Dawnguard begins (level 10+ upon hearing a rumour from a guard or meeting Durak). If you are not a vampire at this point, or choose to visit Fort Dawnguard anyway, no significant changes will appear in your game (unless you give yourself the letter via console). If you never met Isran, you will not be able to tell Serana that Isran sent you, or that the Dawnguard would want you to kill her. And if you are a vampire, you will no longer have to sound like a moron and tell Harkon that you will accept his gift and become a vampire, or that you don't want to become a vampire; rather, you can qualify it and accept or reject becoming a Volkihar vampire.
Likely incompatible with other mods which alter the quests DLC1VQ01MiscObjective ("Dawnguard"), DLC1VQ01 ("Awakening") and DLC1VQ01RNPC. UPDATE: After investigating further, it seems that mods that delay the start of Dawnguard (e.g., Timing Is Everything) ARE compatible, as they change a value and not the quest. Vampire attacks are controlled by a separate quest, and mods which alter such attacks should be compatible.
VER 1. 01 Corrects a typo and opens Ruunvald to Volkihar vampires.
Lux. Drice granted permission to port to PS.
This mod lets vampire players skip Fort Dawnguard and instead receive a letter from the Volkihar vampires shortly after starting the Dawnguard quest, improving immersion for vampire characters. It's a small, focused quest-altering mod with over 1,000 endorsements, last updated in 2019.
✨ Key Features
📊 Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Community-approved with 1,082 endorsements and over 50k downloads, so it's proven to work for many players.
- Fixes a real immersion issue for vampire playthroughs—no more forced alliance with your mortal enemies.
- Lightweight and focused; it does one thing and does it well without bloating your load order.
⚠️ Cons
- Last updated in 2019, so it may not be fully tested with the latest Skyrim versions or mods like USSEP.
- Only affects the very start of the Dawnguard questline; later quests still follow the same path, so the change is limited.
- Potential conflicts with other mods that alter the Dawnguard quest start or add letters to the player.
For vampire roleplayers who hate being forced to side with the Dawnguard at the start of the DLC. If you're playing a vampire and want a more logical entry into the Volkihar faction, this is a must-have. Skip it if you're playing a non-vampire or don't care about quest immersion.
💡 Beginner Tips
- Make sure you're actually a vampire when the Dawnguard quest starts, or the letter won't trigger.
- If you're using a mod manager, let it handle the file placement to avoid overwriting other quest mods.
- Check your in-game mail or journal after starting the quest to find the Volkihar letter.
📊 Mod Details
- Game
- Skyrim Mods
- Author
- oracus0
- Version
- 1.01
- Downloads
- 50,852
- Endorsements
- 1,082
- Category
- Guilds/Factions
- Created
- 5/14/2019
- Updated
- 5/16/2019
🔧 How to Install Skyrim Mods
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