Can I become a Vampire without another player's help?

Yes. As of Update 49 the NPC quest giver at the new shrines in Auridon, Glenumbra and Stonefalls lets you start the Vampire quest without a player bite or Crown Store purchase. It's the recommended method.

Do I need any DLC to become a Vampire?

No. The new shrines are in base game zones and the quest is free to all players.

Can I be a Vampire and a Werewolf at the same time?

No. You can only have one affliction active. You'll need to cure your current one before you can pick up the other.

How much does it cost to become a Vampire?

Nothing. The NPC method and player bite are both free. The Crown Store Quest Starter is also available for new players at no cost.

How much does it cost to cure Vampirism?

The Crown Store cure is now 0 Crowns. The in-game gold cure through Prelate Sabinus costs 69 gold.

Does Vampirism affect my character permanently

No. You can cure it at any time by speaking to Prelate Sabinus at a Mages Guild or Rededication Shrine, or by using a Crown Store cure.

Do Bloodfiend NPCs still spawn if I want a natural infection?

Yes. Bloodfiends still spawn near the old shrines in Bangkorai, The Rift and Reaper's March. The nighttime requirement was removed in Update 49 so they're no longer limited to midnight.

I was bitten but nothing happened. What went wrong?

Make sure you received the Noxiphilic Sanguivoria debuff in your character sheet. Infection from Bloodfiend NPCs isn't guaranteed on the first hit, so you may need to be damaged multiple times. Once infected, pick up the Vampire quest from a nearby Wayshrine to begin the process.

Where do I find the Vampire skill line after completing the quest?

he Vampire skill line appears automatically in your Skills menu once you complete the Scion of the Blood Matron quest. You'll need to spend skill points to unlock the individual abilities.

How to become a Vampire in ESO Guide

Q: I was a Vampire before and cured myself. Do I have to redo the quest?

No. Speak to the NPC quest giver at any of the new shrines and you can regain the Vampire skill line immediately, no quest required.

Becoming a Vampire in ESO means contracting Vampirism, also known as Sanguinare Vampiris, an affliction that unlocks the Vampire skill line and its abilities.

Once infected, a short quest called Scion of the Blood Matron progresses the disease to full Vampirism. Update 49 overhauled the entire process, adding dedicated NPC quest givers, new shrine locations and free Crown Store cures, so you no longer need to beg for a bite in zone chat.

If you're weighing up Vampirism against Lycanthropy, see the Becoming a Werewolf Guide before you commit since you can only have one affliction active at a time.

For Vampire skills and abilities, visit the Vampire Skill Line page.

What Changed in Update 49

Change	Details
New Shrines	Added in Auridon, Glenumbra and Stonefalls
NPC Quest Givers	Azisa The Keeper NPC starts the Vampire quest at each new shrine
Returning players	Instant skill line re-acquisition, no quest repeat needed
Nighttime requirement	Removed the requirement for Bloodfiend NPC spawns
Crown Store bites	Removed entirely
Crown Store cures	Now 0 Crowns
In-game cure cost	Reduced (gold)
Cure NPCs	Added to more Mages Guilds

New Vampire Shrine Locations

Three new Vampire shrines were added in Update 49, one in each alliance's starting zone. These shrines have dedicated map icons once discovered. The original shrines in Bangkorai, The Rift and Reaper's March are still active but have no map icons.

Alliance	Zone	Vampire Shrine
Aldmeri Dominion	Auridon	View on map
Daggerfall Covenant	Glenumbra	View on map
Ebonheart Pact	Stonefalls	View on map

Auridon Vampire Shrine

The Vampire Shrine is located in the middle-ish of Auridon, north of Tanzelwil Wayshrine. Azisa The Keeper is here to start Scion of the Blood Matron quest and players can bite each other. View on map

Glenumbra Vampire Shrine

The Vampire shrine is located on the Northern part of Glenumbra west of Crosswych Wayshrine. Azisa The Keeper can grant you the vampirism curse and players can bite you here. View on map

Stonefalls Vampire Shrine

The Vampire Shrine is located on the North-Western part of the map, just east of Fort Virak Wayshrine. Same setup as the others: Azisa The Keeper at the shrine, player bites supported, map icon visible once discovered. View on map

Old Vampire Shrine Locations

The old Shrines where you complete your quest can be found in the following zones:

Bangkorai (View on Map)
The Rift (View on Map)
Reaper's March (View on Map)

How to Become a Vampire in ESO

There are three ways to get infected with Lycanthropy. All three work in Update 49.

NPC Quest Giver (Recommended)

The easiest method as of Update 49. Travel to any new shrine in Auridon, Glenumbra or Stonefalls and speak to the new Azisa The Keeper to pick up the Vampire quest directly. No player bite needed, no Crown Store purchase required.

Travel to a new shrine in Auridon, Glenumbra or Stonefalls
Speak to Azisa The Keeper to pick up Scion of the Blood Matron
Follow the quest to the original shrine location and complete it
You're now a Vampire!

A free Quest Starter is also available in the Crown Store for first-time players if you'd rather begin from there.

Player Bite

Player bites still work and are available at both old and new shrines. The biting player needs the Blood Ritual passive unlocked in their Vampire skill line and must perform the bite at a shrine location.

Once bitten, you'll receive the Noxiphilic Sanguivoria debuff. Pick up the Vampire quest from a nearby Wayshrine to start it.

Asking in zone chat near the shrine zones still works and many players will do it for free.

Bloodfiend NPC Bite

Special Bloodfiend NPCs spawn near the old shrines in Bangkorai, The Rift and Reaper's March. As of Update 49 the nighttime requirement has been removed, so they're no longer limited to midnight spawns. Regular vampires in the world cannot infect you, only Bloodfiends can.

Infection from a Bloodfiend is not guaranteed on the first hit, you may need to take multiple hits before contracting Noxiphilic Sanguivoria
Once bitten, pick up the Vampire quest Scion of the Blood Matron from the Vampire Shrine to begin the process

Vampire Stages

Once you complete the Vampire quest you start at Stage 1. There are four stages in total, each one deepening both the benefits and drawbacks of your affliction. Understanding how stages work matters before you commit to a build direction, since the penalties at higher stages are significant.

You can use collectible skins to hide the look of vampirism on your character.

Advancing and reducing your stage:

Feeding on an enemy advances your stage by one
Stages reduce passively over time when you don't feed, dropping by one stage every 4 hours
Drinking a Corrupting Bloody Mara instantly jumps you to Stage 4
Drinking a Purifying Bloody Mara reduces your stage by one
Switching to an Armory build without Vampirism and switching back resets you to Stage 1

To feed:

Sneak up behind a humanoid enemy and use the Feed command by pressing the synergy button
Feeding instantly kills the target
Note: you cannot feed on all humanoid creature types, ogres for example cannot be fed on
If you have Blade of Woe unlocked from the Dark Brotherhood DLC, keep extra distance from your target or you'll get the assassination prompt instead of the Feed prompt
Feeding on a non-hostile NPC in a town earns a bounty and may trigger NPC attacks'

Each stage applies the same pattern of tradeoffs:

Vampire abilities become cheaper to cast
Non-Vampire abilities become more expensive
Health Recovery decreases
Weakness to fire damage increases

Stage	Health Recovery	Fire Damage Taken	Vampire Ability Cost	Regular Ability Cost	Passive Unlocked
1	-10%	+5%	-6%	+3%
2	-30%	+8%	-10%	+5%	Strike from the Shadows
3	-60%	+13%	-16%	+8%	Undeath
4	-100%	+20%	-24%	+12%	Unnatural Movement

Things worth knowing before committing to higher stages:

Undeath (unlocked at Stage 3) reduces damage taken by up to 15% based on missing Health at max rank, which offsets some of the survivability loss at higher stages
Most build-focused players land at Stage 3 or 4 specifically to access Undeath and Unnatural Movement
At Stage 4 your Health Recovery hits zero, meaning you need skills, sets or abilities that restore Health through damage dealt rather than passive regeneration
Unnatural Movement (unlocked at Stage 4) reduces Sprint cost by 50% and turns you invisible after 3 seconds of continuous sprinting at max rank
Stage 4 also causes some vendors to refuse to deal with you, with the message "This citizen refuses to interact with monstrous vampires" so you need to use Mesmerize to bypass this, standing directly in front of the NPC for it to work

Which stage should you aim for?

Stage 3 or 4 is where build-focused players operate, trading survivability for access to key passives
Stage 1 or 2 keeps penalties light and works fine if you want the skill line without committing to a Vampire-centric build

Returning Players: Instant Re-Acquisition

If you've completed the Scion of the Blood Matron Vampire quest before and cured yourself since, you don't need to repeat it. Speak to the NPC quest giver at any of the new shrines and you can regain the Vampire skill line immediately.

How to Cure Vampirism

Speak to Prelate Sabinus to cure Vampirism (and Lycanthropy). He's found in Mages Guildhalls and religious sites across Tamriel.

"Buy" a free instant Cure from the Crown Store
Talk to Prelate Sabinus in any Mages Guild Hall and pay 69 gold to cure Vampirism

Where to Cure Vampirism

Grahtwood Elden Root: Rededication Shrine
Reaper's March Rawl'kha: Mages Guild (below the building)
Stormhaven Wayrest: Rededication Shrine
Bangkorai Evermore: Mages Guild (inside, close to the mirror)
Deshaan Mournhold: Rededication Shrine
The Rift Riften: Mages Guild (inside 1st floor)
Vvardenfell Vivec City: Temple Canton
Summerset Alinor: Temple of the Divines
Northern Elsweyr Rimmen: Shrine of the Cat's Divine
Western Skyrim Solitude: Hall of the Dead
Blackwood Leyawiin: Great Chapel of Zenithar
High Isle and Amenos Gonfalon Bay: Temple of the Winds
Telvanni Peninsula Necrom: Outlaws Refuge
Base Game zone Mages Guilds. (Added in Update 49)

You can't be both a Vampire and a Werewolf at the same time. Cure your current affliction before pursuing the other.

Vampire Cannibal	Feed on another Vampire.
Vampire Corrupter	Infect another player with Vampirism.
Vampire Feeding Frenzy	Feed on 1 citizen in each of the capital cities of the three alliances.
Vampire's Feast	Feed 100 times as a Vampire.
Vampire's First Blood	Feed 1 time as a Vampire.
Vampire's Hunger	Feed 10 times as a Vampire.
Vampirism	Become a Vampire.
Vampirism Master	Reach the max level of the Vampire skill line.