You Miss the Power of the Beast
You stood under the pale light of a Skyrim moon, feeling the raw, untamed power of Hircine’s gift coursing through you. The strength to crush giants, the speed to outrun wolves, the fear you instilled in every bandit camp—it was exhilarating. But then, perhaps seeking a different path or curing what you thought was a curse, you let it go.
Now, roaming the tundra or delving into a draugr crypt, you feel its absence. That unique edge is gone. The question burns: can you reclaim the Beast Blood? The answer is a definitive yes, but the path back is not as simple as the first time. This guide will walk you through every method, prerequisite, and potential pitfall to help you become a werewolf again in Skyrim.
Understanding Lycanthropy in Skyrim
Before you seek the gift anew, it’s crucial to understand how the condition works. Lycanthropy, specifically the strain granted by the Daedric Prince Hircine, is more than a simple buff. It’s a transformative state that replaces your Vampirism or regular mortal form.
Once cured, typically by completing the “Ill Met By Moonlight” quest for the Glenmoril Witches or through a specific dialogue with Aela the Huntress after certain story events, the game considers you clean. The curse is lifted. This means the Companions’ inner circle will not offer you the blood again through the standard storyline. The game assumes your choice is final, pushing you to seek alternative, often more deliberate, avenues to re-embrace the beast.
The Core Prerequisite: Dawnguard
Here is the most critical piece of information. The ability to become a werewolf a second time, after a voluntary cure, is exclusively available with the Dawnguard DLC installed. This expansion adds new characters, quests, and mechanics that provide a backdoor to reacquiring lycanthropy.
If you are playing the base game without Dawnguard, your options are severely limited. You would need to reload a save from before you took the cure, which is often not practical. Therefore, ensuring Dawnguard is active is your first and most important step.
Method One: Through Aela the Huntress (The Standard Path)
This is the most straightforward method if you cured yourself prematurely during the Companions questline. It has specific requirements that must be met in exact order.
First, you must have completed the entire Companions main questline, “Glory of the Dead.” This is non-negotiable. Second, you must have cured Kodlak Whitemane’s spirit in Sovngarde during that quest, which involves retrieving his fragment of the Glenmoril Witch head.
Most importantly, you must NOT have asked Aela to cure you of your own lycanthropy yet. If you have already had that conversation and are cured, this path is closed. This method is for those who cured Kodlak but remain a werewolf, and then wish to regain the gift later if they lose it.
If you meet these conditions and later become cured (e.g., by taking a different cure), you can simply return to Aela in Jorrvaskr. A new dialogue option will appear: “Can you make me a werewolf again?” She will agree, and the transformation will be triggered immediately.
What If You Already Asked Aela for a Cure?
If you completed “Glory of the Dead” and then subsequently asked Aela to cure you, her dialogue tree resets. She will no longer have the option to re-gift the Beast Blood. This locks you out of her as a source and forces you to the next, more universal method.
Method Two: Through the Glenmoril Coven (The Relic Path)
This method, introduced by the Dawnguard DLC, is the guaranteed way for any cured player to become a werewolf again. It revolves around a powerful, reusable artifact.
Your goal is to obtain a specific item: a Glenmoril Witch Head. Not just any head—you must acquire one after completing the main Companions storyline. The heads used during “Glory of the Dead” are consumed in the ritual and cannot be used for this purpose.
Step-by-Step: Retrieving a Fresh Witch Head
Travel to the Glenmoril Coven, located in the wilderness southeast of Falkreath. The cave is marked on your map after the relevant quests. Inside, you will find respawned Glenmoril Witches. They are powerful hagravens, so come prepared.
Defeat one of the witches and loot her body. You will receive a new “Glenmoril Witch Head” for your inventory. This head is the key. Unlike the quest items, this head is a standard alchemy ingredient, but it holds dormant magical properties.
Step-by-Step: The Ritual of Re-Transformation
With the witch head in your possession, you must now activate it like a power. Go into your inventory, navigate to the “Miscellaneous” section, and select the Glenmoril Witch Head.
Choose the “Use” option. Your character will go through a brief animation, and a message will appear on screen: “You feel the beast blood stirring once more.” You have successfully re-infected yourself with lycanthropy. The head is consumed in the process.
This method works regardless of your previous choices with Aela or the Companions. It is the ultimate fallback, making lycanthropy a renewable condition as long as you can defeat a hagraven.
Important Considerations and Limitations
Becoming a werewolf again has a few hard-coded game mechanics that you should be aware of before you proceed.
First, you cannot be a vampire. Lycanthropy and vampirism are mutually exclusive states. If you are currently a vampire, even a stage one vampire, the transformation ritual will fail. You must cure your vampirism first before attempting to regain the Beast Blood.
Second, while you can switch between being a werewolf and a mortal indefinitely using the Glenmoril Witch Head method, you cannot be “double-cursed.” The game only recognizes one active supernatural state at a time.
What About the Ring of Hircine?
The Ring of Hircine, obtained from the “Ill Met By Moonlight” quest, is a fantastic asset for a werewolf. It allows for unlimited transformations per day, removing the once-daily restriction.
If you cured your lycanthropy but still have the ring in your inventory, it will have no effect. The ring’s power only activates if you are already a werewolf. Once you become a werewolf again through either method described above, the ring’s benefits will immediately resume functioning. You do not need to reacquire the ring.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
Even with the right steps, you might encounter issues. Here are solutions to frequent obstacles.
If Aela does not offer the dialogue to make you a werewolf again, double-check your quest completion. You must see the “Glory of the Dead” quest marked as completed in your journal. If it is, and you didn’t ask her for a cure previously, try waiting 24-48 in-game hours in a different cell (like an inn) and then speaking to her again. Sometimes faction dialogue needs a reset.
If using the Glenmoril Witch Head does nothing, ensure you are not a vampire. Check your active effects for “Vampirism.” If present, seek a cure from Falion in Morthal or become a werewolf via a different, immediate method (like Aela’s if available) which will automatically purge the vampire curse.
Also, verify that you have the Dawnguard DLC correctly installed. You can check this by seeing if you have been approached by guards about the Dawnguard recruiting, or if the Fort Dawnguard location appears on your map.
Can You Become a Werewolf After Being a Vampire Lord?
Yes, absolutely. This is a common progression. Many players explore Lord Harkon’s gift during the Dawnguard questline and later wish to return to the werewolf form. The process is the same: you must first cure your vampirism. Complete the relevant quest for Falion in Morthal to become mortal again. Once you are completely free of vampirism, you can then follow either the Aela or Glenmoril Witch Head method to become a werewolf again.
Strategic Reasons to Reclaim the Curse
Beyond the sheer fun of the transformation, there are gameplay advantages to being a werewolf that might compel you to seek it out again.
The 100% resistance to all diseases is a monumental perk, making you immune to everything from rockjoint to the dreaded vampirism infection. This is a permanent effect in your mortal form.
In beast form, you are a powerhouse for melee combat, especially at lower character levels. The howl powers, like Fear and Terrifying Roar, can control the battlefield effortlessly. For players focused on warrior or thief builds, the werewolf complements a non-magical playstyle perfectly.
Finally, role-playing is a key component of Skyrim. Perhaps your character rejected the beast in a moment of doubt but now, facing the growing threats of Miraak or Alduin, realizes they need every weapon at their disposal. Re-embracing the gift can be a powerful character development moment.
Your Path Forward Under the Moon
Reclaiming your birthright as one of Hircine’s hunters is entirely within your grasp. The path is clear: verify your Dawnguard installation, check your quest history with the Companions, and then make your choice.
If Aela remains an option, her method is instant and story-integrated. For everyone else, the journey to the Glenmoril Coven is your pilgrimage. Slay a witch, take her head, and consume its power. The beast within never truly dies; it only sleeps, waiting for you to call it forth once more.
Now, the next full moon is yours to command. Go forth, and let the hunt begin again.
