Unlocking the full potential of vampirism in The Blood of Dawnwalker requires more than simply feeding. Players can acquire new abilities and upgrade existing ones through a variety of methods, including increasing their corruption levels, defeating powerful bosses, collecting rare blood phials, and completing specific questlines.
Vampiric abilities stand apart from the game's Witchcraft and Swordmastery skill trees, which are primarily upgraded via skill manuals. Instead, vampirism relies on a more visceral progression system.
Progression Through Corruption
The most common way to unlock vampirism abilities is by increasing your corruption level. This is achieved by consuming blood from various sources, such as humans, animals, and kobolds, as well as through the use of certain health-restoring consumables. As your corruption grows, abilities like Voracious Bite for vampiric healing and Shapeshift for faster exploration become available. Other perks such as Dancing Claws, Endless Ferocity, and Blood Theft are also tied to corruption levels. However, a select few abilities—Piercing Shriek, Shadowstorm, Mesmerize, Blood Surge, and Scarlet Shield—are gated behind different acquisition methods and are noted as requiring "vrakhiri blood."
Power from Fallen Bosses
Certain formidable vrakhiri bosses, also known as boyars, bestow unique vampirism abilities upon their defeat. After felling a boss, players are presented with a dialogue choice to drink their blood. This action transports the player to the hellish realm of Anachora, where they can choose to absorb the boss's soul into their own being. Abilities gained this way include Scarlet Shield from Ambrus, which offers a chance to regenerate health on a perfect block; Shadowstorm from Bakir, which slows time; and Blood Surge from Xanthe, which causes targets to explode or deals significant damage to bosses.
The Power of Legendary Blood Phials
If players opt not to drink a boss's blood directly, or if they strike a deal for the boss's survival, these powers can still be acquired through legendary blood phials. These phials are obtainable through exploration and specific vampire court activities. The Phial of Brencis' Blood can be found in the Beast of Balaur's cave, the Phial of Xanthe's Blood is in the Svartrau City treasury, and the Phial of Bakir's Blood can be looted from an elite Bloodletter during an Ambrus court activity. Additionally, various court activities with Xanthe offer further opportunities to collect blood phials from Brencis, Xanthe, and Ambrus. Drinking Brencis' Blood Phial grants the Piercing Shriek ability, which stuns enemies and weakens their defenses. Collecting duplicate blood phials allows for the upgrading of corresponding abilities, such as increasing Shadowstorm's level by consuming multiple Phials of Bakir's Blood.
Story-Driven Vampirism
Specific quests also grant access to vampirism abilities. A significant quest arc involves a character named Lacra. After meeting Lacra during the quest "A Friend Like This" and completing "Our Rotten Roots," players receive the Piercing Shriek ability. Further progression through the quest "Night of Horrors," which includes the option to romance Lacra, allows players to consume a Mandrake and then drink Lacra's blood. This arc rewards players with the Mesmerize ability, enabling mind control of an enemy, and Mandrake Ward, a perk that grants a chance to regain three health segments upon taking lethal damage instead of dying.