ESO: Vampire vs. Werewolf
Vampire and Werewolf in the Elder Scrolls Online are two unique skill lines that provide you with lots of options and fun gameplay. They have their own active and passive abilities, pros, and cons. Which one is the best for your character? ArzyeL Gaming shows you how to choose.
They are both active skill lines with one huge difference. Vampire's skill, pros & cons are always available and affecting your character. While Werewolf's abilities, pros & cons only become available once you transform. There are a few ways you can follow to become a Vampire or Werewolf.
How to Become a Vampire/Werewolf
First, you can buy the lines directly from the Crown Store. You can only be a Vampire or a Werewolf, so choose wisely. You can also buy the Cure to each condition, in case you change your mind. You can always cure yourself with in-game currency of ESO, by talking to a Priest of Arkay NPC. After you are cured, you will lose access to Vampire/Werewolf skills, but your progress is saved if you want to become one again.
The other way you can "change" is by getting bitten. Either by another player already infected by Vampirism/Lycanthropy at a specific shrine or by special "feral" NPC at specific locations and specific time of the day in-game. These NPC are usually found around The Rift and Reaper's March zones. After getting bitten, you will have to complete a short, easy quest that will teach you how to play as a Vampire or Werewolf.
Vampire
The Vampire has four stages. The higher your Vampire stage is, the stronger you become, but also the more severe are its drawbacks. To increase your Vampire Stage and maintain it, you have to feed regularly on innocent NPC. 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.
Active Skills
Vampire offers one Ultimate and five normal abilities.
Blood Scion & Morphs allow you to transform into a strong Vampire Lord.
Eviscerate & Morphs work as the line's spammable and can deal significant damage.
Blood Frenzy & Morphs boost your weapon/spell damage at the cost of health every second they are active.
Vampiric Drain & Morphs allow you to drain enemies and restore Health, Stamina, or generate Ultimate.
Mesmerize & Morphs are unblockable stuns.
Mist Form & Morphs offer an escape method.
Passive Skills
Vampire Passive skills unlock based on your Vampire stage.
Feed is always active. It allows you to feed and increase your Vampire stage.
Dark Stalker is available at stage 1 and allows you to ignore the movement speed penalty of sneak.
Strike from the Shadow is available at stage 2 and boosts your weapon/spell damage when you leave Sneak, Mist Form, or invisibility.
Blood Ritual is available at stage 1 and allows you to infect other players.
Undeath is available at stage 3 and reduces your damage taken.
Unnatural Movement is available at stage 4 and allows you to become invisible if you sprint for 3 seconds.
Vampire skills can be used with skills from other lines, creating a strong combination. The line is best for Magicka-based DPS characters since most of the skills deal Magic damage and cost Magicka to cast. It is better to build your Vampire character around the skills and traits the line is offering. Like this, you can find the right balance for your playstyle.
Werewolf
On the other hand, Werewolf has only one stage, and you have to transform to gain access to it. Another drawback of Werewolf is that you have to sacrifice an Ultimate for the transformation. Having the Werewolf transformation slotted, however, will boost your Stamina recovery.
Active Skills
Werewolf, like Vampire, also offers one Ultimate and five normal abilities.
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 are the line's heals that can buff you as well with strong effects.
Roar is a fear ability with additional debuffs.
Piercing Howl & Morphs work as the line's spammable.
Infectious Claws & Morphs apply a strong disease DoT and can heal you or debuff the enemy.
Passive Skills
Werewolf passives are always active while you are transformed.
Devour allows you to devour corpses to prolong your transformation and heal yourself.
Pursuit increases your speed and the stamina you restore.
Blood Rage prolongs your transformation when you deal damage.
Bloodmoon allows you to infect another player.
Savage Strength boosts your weapon damage and physical/spell resistance.
Call of the Pack reduces the cost of remaining transformed when there are other Werewolves & Direwolves in your group.
Werewolf skills can't be used along with skills from other lines. You have to transform and remain a Werewolf to have access to them. While transformed, you have to keep attacking and devouring corpses to remain transformed. You can only use the six available Werewolf skills. But they are quite strong, so you are not missing much from not using other lines if you enjoy the playstyle. The line is best for Stamina-based DPS characters, since most of its skills require Stamina to cast and all deal physical damage.
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