Who First....Vampires or Alduin?

[StayFrosty05]

You can 'find' Septimuus and his Outpost to start the quest without setting foot in Winterhold College.Quests play out just fine - I have done it this way several times without incident.

 

I always do that now, have been since I realized I could.

[UrgeNexus]

It's much easier to kill a vampire than a dragon.

 

I'm planning a new character so I've got one ready for Dragonborn and I think I will do the MQ first, then Dawnguard this time. I've got a mod that turns those annoying vampire attacks off, so that's not a factor.

 

Having done both the MQ and Dawnguard side by side, I can also say this. Dawnguard feels like something an experienced character should be dealing with, someone who has seen and learned a lot and can deal with the crazy s*** that goes on in Dawnguard, the Soul Cairn would probably wreak havoc on the psyche of all but the most hardened hero. Being absurdly powerfull obviously makes everything less impressive and less threatening, but in the end I think Dawnguard makes the most sense post MQ.

 

Think of it this way. You're the Dovahkiin, you've stopped Alduin and mostly ended the Dragon threat. There are still dragons around causing trouble, but for the most part, the issue has been resolved. Now what? Vampires you say? Sure, that sounds like something worth taking care of.

[Relativelybest]

I would recommend saving Alduin for last, actually, simply because I think he's a more epic boss fight than Count Dracula and the aftermath actually made me feel like I accomplished something.

 

(Clearing Dawnguard basically just gets you a "good job" from Isran and that's it.)

 

You can 'find' Septimuus and his Outpost to start the quest without setting foot in Winterhold College.Quests play out just fine - I have done it this way several times without incident.

 

Going to Blackreach to mine soul gems for enchanting tends to be one of my earliest priorities.