Well i converted to the Dark Side

RinaldoGandolphi · December 2014

Today, I finally broke down and got a vamp bite. I had been avoiding it all this time, but after leveling it to 7 so far, I can see why so many Sorcs in pvp are vamps.

Since the Bolt Escape Nerf bat, I have been missing that niche skill that will allow me to reposition without crippling my mana regen, Elusive Mist fills this role by reducing all damage by 75%, making me immune to all CC, and a nice movement speed boost. This is what I was missing when i just needed to get back behind friendlies a little ways and not a full blown retreat. It also useful in some retreat scenarios where you can pop one BE then pop this, its cheaper, don't cripple me, overall i like it.

Bat Swarm seems pretty decent as well.

Even with fire resist jewelry ill have to be mindful of fire pots, fire ballistas, etc...but I can see some of these skills really saving my bacon. I know evil hunter and silver bolts will be a bane, but I think its a fair trade off.

It seems vamps sybergize with sorcs pretty well. The added mama and stamina regen is always a bonus and power stone makes bat swarm cheaper.

Any other words out there running vamps? Any tips I should know before I begin morphing skills?

Thanks guys and gals

dharbert · December 2014

Welcome to the Dark Side. We have cookies

I'll let you in on a little bit of information. I'm a DK vamp and I use this setup for PvE, but this can apply to any class and also to PvP. Usually Devouring Swarm costs 200 ultimate. You can get that cost down to 68, and here's how.

Stage 4 Vampirism reduces the cost by 21%. The Akaviri Dragonguard set reduces it by another 15%. The Blessings of the Potentates set reduces it by another 10%. Your Power Stone passive reduces it by another 15%. That's a 61% ultimate cost reduction, which puts Devouring Swarm at 78 ultimate. If you are a current or former Emperor, that gives you another 5% reduction, bringing the cost of Devouring Swarm down to 68 ultimate.

I use this in PvE and you can easily earn your next Devouring Swarm before the first one is even through.

Here's how to set it up, for any class:

Akaviri Dragonguard 5-piece (heavy, has impen trait)
Undaunted Head/Shoulders (Engine Guardian or whichever set you want)
Blessing Of The Potentates 3-piece (necklace and sword/shield or sword/sword)
2 Rings of your choice with fire resist or whatever else you want

Draxys · December 2014

too bad you didn't do it soon enough to partake in the vamp sorc ninja oils, those were fun

Draxys · December 2014

dharbert wrote: »

Welcome to the Dark Side. We have cookies

I'll let you in on a little bit of information. I'm a DK vamp and I use this setup for PvE, but this can apply to any class and also to PvP. Usually Devouring Swarm costs 200 ultimate. You can get that cost down to 68, and here's how.

Stage 4 Vampirism reduces the cost by 21%. The Akaviri Dragonguard set reduces it by another 15%. The Blessings of the Potentates set reduces it by another 10%. Your Power Stone passive reduces it by another 15%. That's a 61% ultimate cost reduction, which puts Devouring Swarm at 78 ultimate. If you are a current or former Emperor, that gives you another 5% reduction, bringing the cost of Devouring Swarm down to 68 ultimate.

I use this in PvE and you can easily earn your next Devouring Swarm before the first one is even through.

Here's how to set it up, for any class:

Akaviri Dragonguard 5-piece (heavy, has impen trait)
Undaunted Head/Shoulders (Engine Guardian or whichever set you want)
Blessing Of The Potentates 3-piece (necklace and sword/shield or sword/sword)
2 Rings of your choice with fire resist or whatever else you want

68 ult cost is great but totally unnecessary, only ult reduction set I'd run on sorc would be potentates and even then I prob wouldn't bother

dharbert · December 2014

Draxys wrote: »

dharbert wrote: »

Welcome to the Dark Side. We have cookies

I'll let you in on a little bit of information. I'm a DK vamp and I use this setup for PvE, but this can apply to any class and also to PvP. Usually Devouring Swarm costs 200 ultimate. You can get that cost down to 68, and here's how.

Stage 4 Vampirism reduces the cost by 21%. The Akaviri Dragonguard set reduces it by another 15%. The Blessings of the Potentates set reduces it by another 10%. Your Power Stone passive reduces it by another 15%. That's a 61% ultimate cost reduction, which puts Devouring Swarm at 78 ultimate. If you are a current or former Emperor, that gives you another 5% reduction, bringing the cost of Devouring Swarm down to 68 ultimate.

I use this in PvE and you can easily earn your next Devouring Swarm before the first one is even through.

Here's how to set it up, for any class:

Akaviri Dragonguard 5-piece (heavy, has impen trait)
Undaunted Head/Shoulders (Engine Guardian or whichever set you want)
Blessing Of The Potentates 3-piece (necklace and sword/shield or sword/sword)
2 Rings of your choice with fire resist or whatever else you want

68 ult cost is great but totally unnecessary, only ult reduction set I'd run on sorc would be potentates and even then I prob wouldn't bother

Yeah, it's not for everyone, but like I said, I'm a DK and it works good for me. It benefits me greatly to earn my ultimate every 5 seconds because DK's get their health, etc... regenerated every time we hit that ultimate button

I bet those WW players wouldn't mind having a huge reduction in ultimate cost either.

Breg_Magol · December 2014

How'd you get your bite?

dharbert · December 2014

Having two characters that are vamps, I feel I can say this (at least in my case). After a while, being a Vampire is a crutch. You'll wonder how you ever played without it and don't really want to go back. In PvE, unless you are trying to solo some insane HP Craglorn world boss, you are pretty much not going to die......ever.

Before I was a vamp, there's no way I'd attempt public dungeons and Craglorn delves solo. Now I can wade into pretty much anything without a care. If I start to get low on health, drain an enemy (which also builds ultimate). 5 seconds later....Devouring Swarm. Rinse, repeat. Being a DK helps, and probably has as much to do with it as being a vamp.

bertenburnyb16_ESO · December 2014

my DK caved to the pressure of the dark side too a month ago or so, she was so against the undead, now she is one herself, but well, all the bananas and smurfs I devoured with my swarm makes up for it

Knootewoot · December 2014

I never wanted to be vampire and killed them all in previous TES games. Of course when nights silence stacked with Vampire speed in PvP i joined the Dark side just te keep up with the vamps to kill them.

And now i cannot go back anymore. It doesn't stack anymore, but i do not want to give up my hundings set for nights silence just for sneak speed.

I only use vampire passives though and not any skill. But since i go bad guy anyway with justice system i will certainly keep vampire. Hopefully they will add a PvP server one day so i can suck on friendly players (and hopefully infect them unwillingly)

KitLightning · December 2014

@Breg_Magol http://teso.mmorpg-life.com/become-vampire-eso/

Hanging around the Vampire altar may eventually reward in a free bite

seanvwolf · December 2014

dharbert wrote: »

Before I was a vamp, there's no way I'd attempt public dungeons and Craglorn delves solo.

My dw sorc does this. Honestly one of the few things the dw sorc does well... and not as a vamp.

ItsMeToo · December 2014

Welcome to the Dark Side.

Niebla · December 2014

dharbert wrote: »

Welcome to the Dark Side. We have cookies

I'll let you in on a little bit of information. I'm a DK vamp and I use this setup for PvE, but this can apply to any class and also to PvP. Usually Devouring Swarm costs 200 ultimate. You can get that cost down to 68, and here's how.

Stage 4 Vampirism reduces the cost by 21%. The Akaviri Dragonguard set reduces it by another 15%. The Blessings of the Potentates set reduces it by another 10%. Your Power Stone passive reduces it by another 15%. That's a 61% ultimate cost reduction, which puts Devouring Swarm at 78 ultimate. If you are a current or former Emperor, that gives you another 5% reduction, bringing the cost of Devouring Swarm down to 68 ultimate.

I use this in PvE and you can easily earn your next Devouring Swarm before the first one is even through.

Here's how to set it up, for any class:

Akaviri Dragonguard 5-piece (heavy, has impen trait)
Undaunted Head/Shoulders (Engine Guardian or whichever set you want)
Blessing Of The Potentates 3-piece (necklace and sword/shield or sword/sword)
2 Rings of your choice with fire resist or whatever else you want

How do you mix up Akaviri and Potentates? From what I know, they share slots. Or at least I cant find Akaviri pieces apart from Gloves, Head and Chest (and of course pendant, shield and sword, but these are the potentates slots)

RinaldoGandolphi · December 2014

dharbert wrote: »

Having two characters that are vamps, I feel I can say this (at least in my case). After a while, being a Vampire is a crutch. You'll wonder how you ever played without it and don't really want to go back. In PvE, unless you are trying to solo some insane HP Craglorn world boss, you are pretty much not going to die......ever.

Before I was a vamp, there's no way I'd attempt public dungeons and Craglorn delves solo. Now I can wade into pretty much anything without a care. If I start to get low on health, drain an enemy (which also builds ultimate). 5 seconds later....Devouring Swarm. Rinse, repeat. Being a DK helps, and probably has as much to do with it as being a vamp.

Are you telling me ill eventually become strong enough as a vamp to solo crag delves and pub dungeons?

Wow I just morphed invigorating drain, ulty return seemed no brainer, but if bat swarm becomes that much more powerful after morph, sheesh its powerful now...just wow...I don't know what else to say, that's insane.

s7732425ub17_ESO · December 2014

woodsro wrote: »

Are you telling me ill eventually become strong enough as a vamp to solo crag delves and pub dungeons?

Wow I just morphed invigorating drain, ulty return seemed no brainer, but if bat swarm becomes that much more powerful after morph, sheesh its powerful now...just wow...I don't know what else to say, that's insane.

You don't need vamp to solo Craglorn delves and public dungeons. I've done it as a non-vamp sorc. The batswarm healing ultimate really, really helps, but crit surge will get you through everything just as well.

dharbert · December 2014

Niebla wrote: »

How do you mix up Akaviri and Potentates? From what I know, they share slots. Or at least I cant find Akaviri pieces apart from Gloves, Head and Chest (and of course pendant, shield and sword, but these are the potentates slots)

The Akaviri Dragonguard set has 10 pieces. Helm, Cuirass, Pauldrons, Gauntlets, Girdle, Greaves, Sabatons, Necklace, Sword, Shield.

The Blessing Of The Potentates set has 3 pieces. Necklace, Sword, Shield.

Here's how to combine Akaviri Dragonguard and Blessing Of The Potentates.

Head - Crest Of The Dragon
Chest - Scales Of The Dragon
Shoulder - Your Choice
Hand - Gauntlets Of The Dragon
Waist - Girdle Of The Dragon
Legs - Greaves Of The Dragon
Boots - Your Choice

Necklace - Dominion's Choker
Ring 1 - Your Choice
Ring 2 - Your Choice

Weapon 1 - Dominion's Sword
Weapon 2 - Dominion's Shield

Weapon 1 - Dominion's Sword
Weapon 2 - Dominion's Sword

This is just an example, you can mix and match the slots. As you can see, you can easily combine the Akaviri Dragonguard and Blessing Of The Potentates sets, and still have 4 slots left over for another set. You can just almost squeeze another 5-piece set bonus in there.

dharbert · December 2014

woodsro wrote: »

Are you telling me ill eventually become strong enough as a vamp to solo crag delves and pub dungeons?

Wow I just morphed invigorating drain, ulty return seemed no brainer, but if bat swarm becomes that much more powerful after morph, sheesh its powerful now...just wow...I don't know what else to say, that's insane.

You'll be surprised at just how many mobs/players you can take on at once. I really haven't found the increased damage from fire to be a problem, even at stage 4 vampirism, because I am constantly being healed by various effects. Even so, just as a precaution, I do wear a 1550 flame resist enchant on my necklace.

You will also want something with health recovery on it. Vampires have abysmal health recovery, especially at stage 4.

Darkrogue671 · December 2014

Oh yes! Everybody LOVES the vamp toons when the sun isn't frying you like a nice, salty slice of Canadian bacon!

dharbert · December 2014

Here is my normal PvE setup for my DK vamp. It might work decent for PvP because of all the impenetrable traits on it, but I don't know, I don't PvP that much. Note the irony of a Vamp wearing 2 Werewolf Hide rings.....

5-piece Akaviri Dragonguard
[Impenetrable|Health|Magicka Recovery|Healing|Ultimate Reduction]

2-piece Blood Spawn
[Stamina Recovery|Health]

3-piece Blessing Of The Potentates
[Fire Resist|Crusher Enchant|Stamina Recovery|Health|Ultimate Reduction]

2-piece Hide Of The Werewolf
[Health Recovery|Armor]

So basically, tons of health, tons of armor, plenty of spell resist and health recovery, 25% ultimate cost reduction (46% for Devouring Swarm), and some fire resist to boot. I don't have any magicka or stamina glyphs because I don't need them.

Using DK skills such as Cinder Storm and Flames Of Oblivion, all you have to do is stand there and hold block while those two skills build your ultimate. 5 seconds later...Devouring Swarm, wait 5 seconds.....Devouring Swarm, 5 seconds later..... You get the picture.

Alternatively, if you wanted to be a bit more tanky, you can remove the Blood Spawn and Hide Of The Werewolf and replace it with a 4-piece Footman's Fortune, which would be complete overkill as far as armor and spell resist goes.

patrick_g_asselinb16_ESO · December 2014

keep in mind the elusive mist CC "immunity" is practically useless. I pop both "retreating maneuver" and spam "elusive mist" when i escape and still get stopped cold whenever someone charges me, or uses talons, or any other CC in the game. it's a speed boost and damage reduction only, it seems.

Leeric · December 2014

I was a sorcerer vamp for awhile but honestly the fire damage isn't worth it. You come across a DK in PVP you might as well bolt escape away. Bosses that do fire damage in PVE puts way to much stress on the healers if you catch some fireball to the face.

Since I've cured myself my character feels much more powerful, in my opinion. Bat swarm is pretty nice though with the ultimate reduction from the sorcerer passives.

Roon72 · December 2014

I have been trying to find Bloodfiend/Werewolf spawn locations but with no luck of finding them in Bangkorai. Either they're just not spawning or trolls are killing them so they can sell bites. I have to cry foul on that practice as Bethesda made this a free perk for everyone. I'm in the 40 range level and plenty earned the right to legitimately encounter the beasties without unfair interruption.

RinaldoGandolphi · December 2014

So I got to try my vamp in pvp tonight since I got vamp level 10, a few observations from a new vamp:

1. The sneak speed is niiiiice..i escaped so many times I normally would have been killed, it allows you to move position quickly and quitely.

2. Elusive Mist is money. I laughed at a few dudes trying to snipe me and it pretty much didn't make a dent on my hp bar, it allowed me to reposition, come from another angle and kill archer. First night I never had a death with lethal arrow in...i can't remember when.

3 devouring swarm is dirt cheap and a nice panic button. Now I know why its truly and rightly feared, as if you don't get out quick it can eat people.

4 I noticed the death passive makes you slightly harder to kill once you get Below 50% health, I noticed a difference, its small, but every hp matters.

Overall I'm pleased, yes it has drawbacks, and counters but its a fun playstyle in its own right.

BloodStorm · December 2014

Roon72 wrote: »

I have been trying to find Bloodfiend/Werewolf spawn locations but with no luck of finding them in Bangkorai. Either they're just not spawning or trolls are killing them so they can sell bites. I have to cry foul on that practice as Bethesda made this a free perk for everyone. I'm in the 40 range level and plenty earned the right to legitimately encounter the beasties without unfair interruption.

They spawn in the last zones of all factions only and at night usually. You can prob buy one though from another player or something. Lots of players give them out for free when bored or something though.