Features

Sacrilege is a clean and balanced vampire and Vampire Lord overhaul.
Blood magic and racial bonuses.
Reverse progression: vampires are stronger, not weaker, when recently fed.
Long term progression in the form of vampire ranks, blood magic and Vampiric Drain upgrades.
Vampire lords get a stronger identity and incentives to switch between melee and caster stance.
Lightweight scripts, no save bloat.
Can be installed during your playthrough (as long as you are not currently a vampire).

Life as a vampire

Vampire abilities

Vampirism is a gift in some ways, a curse in others. You gain the following generic Vampire abilities:

Champion of the Night: Your Vampiric charm improves your Illusion spells to work on targets up to 15-40* levels higher.
Fierce Hunger: Able to Feed on sleeping or seduced people to sate your Vampiric hunger, or lethally Drain them.
Haunted Lakes: Your Vampiric blood allows you to breathe underwater. While submersed, you are protected from Sunlight.
Nightstalker's Footsteps: Your Vampiric blood makes you 15-40*% harder to detect by creatures and people while sneaking.
Resist Disease: Your Vampiric blood gives you immunity to disease.
Resist Frost: Your Vampiric blood gives you 50/40/30/20% resistance to Frost.
Resist Poison: Your Vampiric blood gives you 100% resistance to Poison.
Unnatural Strength: Your Vampiric blood increases movement speed by 10% and attack damage by 5-30*%.
Forsaken: Your Vampiric curse weakens Divine blessings by 75-25*%.
Mockery of Life: Your Vampiric blood makes you 50-25*% less susceptible to healing spells and effects.
Weakness to Fire: Your Vampiric blood gives you 20/30/40/50% weakness to Fire.
Weakness to Sunlight: Health, Magicka, and Stamina do not recover while in Sunlight and are reduced by 25/50/75/100 points.

As your Vampiric hunger increases, your Resist Frost grows weaker and Weakness to Fire and Weakness to Sunlight grow stronger. For the meaning of the asterisk next to a value, see "Vampire ranks".

Additionally, you gain a racial Vampire ability:

(Argonian) Aquatic Predator: Your Argonian blood allows you to sate your Vampiric hunger by catching docile fish.
(Breton) Dolmen Haunt: Your Breton heritage allows you to sate your Vampiric hunger by activating a Standing Stone, once a day.
(Dark Elf) Promiscuous: Your Dark Elven blood copies the racial Vampire ability of the race you prey on. You can have only one at a time.
(High Elf) Pale Gold: Your High Elven blood slows Vampiric hunger by 50% and you gain Vampiric ranks 15% faster, if you are Sated.
(Imperial) Connoisseur: Your Imperial sophistication enables you to bottle a Potion of Blood or Thaumaturgy when you Drain a victim.
(Khajiit) Prey Drive: Your Khajiit fangs enable you to sate your Vampiric hunger by using or consuming Human Flesh or Human Hearts.
(Nord) Preserved Blood: Your Nord heritage grants 10% to bottle a Potion of Blood or Thaumaturgy when looting people you killed.
(Orc) Battle Hunger: Your Orc strength enables you to Feed or Drain in combat by activating an enemy person who is bleeding out.
(Redguard) Mummified Body: Your Redguard blood slows Vampiric hunger by 50% and you gain Vampiric ranks 15% faster.
(Wood Elf) Blood Hunt: Your Wood Elven heritage grants 10% to bottle a Potion of Blood or Thaumaturgy when looting animals you killed.

Khajiit also have a hidden racial bonus that grants 5% chance to loot a Human Flesh or Human Heart from people you killed.

Vampire spells

In vanilla Skyrim, your only option for Vampiric blood magic is the underwhelming Vampiric Drain. Sacrilege not only allows it to scale in various ways, but adds three other Hemomancy spells that are unlocked through Vampire Lord perks.

(Novice) Vampiric Drain: Absorb 5-30* points of Health per second from a living target.
(Perk unlock - Apprentice) Vampiric Seed: Bone shards pierce a living target, absorbing 1-6* Health and dealing 1-6* magic damage for 5 seconds.
(Perk unlock - Adept) Vampiric Orb: Impales living targets in the area, absorbing 2-12* Health and dealing 2-12* magic damage for 5 seconds.
(Perk unlock - Expert) Vampiric Cloak: Bats attack living targets for 60 seconds. Absorbs 1-6* Health and deals 1-6* magic damage per second.

Vampiric Drain scales strongly into the late game. In addition to scaling with Vampire rank, it is improved by the Hemomancer perk, adding up to 42 absorb per second at 100 Destruction skill. Drain also stuns if dual cast. For the meaning of the asterisk next to a value, see "Vampire ranks".

Vampire powers

Your Vampiric powers in vanilla Skyrim are 1/day greater powers that merely replicate effects you can already cast at will. Sacrilege improves them by making their effects more unique and changing them to at-will powers, at the cost of increasing your Vampiric hunger by one stage each time they are used.

(Lost: Hungry) Vampire's Shroud: Expend some of your blood to protect yourself against Sunlight for 30-180* seconds. Increases Vampiric hunger.
(Lost: Famished) Vampire's Scream: Living targets within range flee for 10-60* seconds and can be seen through walls. Increases Vampiric hunger.
(Lost: Blood Starved) Vampire's Shadow: Turn into mist, becoming invisible and sneaking 25% better for 30-180* seconds. Increases Vampiric hunger.
Vampire's Seduction: Bewitches a person up to level 10 for 10-60* seconds, calming them and allowing you to feed.
Vampire's Sight: Improved night vision. Cast again to disable.

Vampire's Seduction trivialises feeding in vanilla Skyrim. It is much less effective in Sacrilege, with a low level cap that matches the level of most townsfolk, making it primarily a tool for sating your Vampiric hunger in cities, with racial Vampire abilities and other methods of feeding taking its place in the field. For the meaning of the asterisk next to a value, see "Vampire ranks".

Vampiric hunger

Progression:

As in vanilla Skyrim, you start as a Sated vampire, and Vampiric hunger increases by one stage per in-game day. The Vampire ability tracks your current hunger stage.

Sated
Hungry
Famished
Blood Starved

The following effects modify the progression of Vampiric hunger:

Vampire rank: Slows the progression of Vampiric hunger by 0-100*%.
Pale Gold (High Elf): Slows the progression of Vampiric hunger by 100% when you are Sated.
Mummified Body (Redguard): Slows the progression of Vampiric hunger by 50%.

To compensate for the Vampire's Seduction nerf making it harder to stay fed than in vanilla Skyrim, hunger progression is slowed down as your Vampire rank increases. For the meaning of the asterisk next to a value, see "Vampire ranks".

Effects:

As Vampiric hunger increases, your Resist Frost grows weaker and Weakness to Fire and Weakness to Sunlight grow stronger. Moreover, powers are gradually lost. See "Vampire abilities" and "Vampire powers".

When you become Blood Starved, neutral citizens will attack you on sight (a classic Skyrim feature removed by Dawnguard). Additionally, you will take 2 sun damage per second in Sunlight. Taking sun damage also prevents waiting and fast travelling, so the only ways to prevent the damage are hiding indoors or underwater or an active Vampire's Shroud power.

Feeding:

To sate your Vampiric hunger, activate a sleeping person or a person affected by the Vampire's Seduction power and choose the Feed or Drain option. Both options restore your hunger status to Sated and heal you (50 + 5*target level) points (up to level 50). The Drain option additionally kills the target, grants Destruction experience and advances your Vampire rank progression by 24 hours.

The vanilla feed animation is brittle and breaks easily, especially when feeding on awake targets that are not on the same elevation as you. This is not a bug with Sacrilege.

Vampire ranks

Vampires become more powerful as they grow older, attaining higher Vampire ranks. The Vampire ability tracks your progression towards the next rank in in-game hours. You progress towards your next Vampire rank as follows:

As a mortal:

Time: Each in-game hour increases Vampire rank progression by 1 hour.
Drain people: Each victim increases Vampire rank progression by 24 hours.
Consume Potions of Thaumaturgy: Each potion increases Vampire rank progression by 24 hours.

The following effects modify the progression of Vampire ranks:

Aquatic Predator (Argonian): Feeding on docile fish increases Vampire rank progression by 2 hours.
Dolmen Haunt (Breton): Feeding on a standing stone increases Vampire rank progression by 6 hours.
Pale Gold (High Elf): Each in-game hour increases Vampire rank progression by an additional 0.3 hours if Sated.
Prey Drive (Khajiit): Using or consuming Human Flesh or Human Hearts increases Vampire rank progression by 6 hours.
Mummified Body (Redguard): Each in-game hour increases Vampire rank progression by an additional 0.15 hours.

As a Vampire Lord:

Time: Each in-game hour increases Vampire rank progression by an additional 1 hour.
Perform power attack bites: Each victim increases Vampire rank progression by 24 hours.
Gain Blood Points: Each Blood Point increases Vampire rank progression by 2 hours.

The available ranks are as follows:

Fledgeling: Starting rank
Blooded: 10 days
Mistwalker: 15 days (total 25 days)
Nightstalker: 25 days (total 50 days)
Nightlord: 45 days (total 95 days)
Nightmaster: 85 days (total 180 days)

Raising your Vampire rank improves many Vampire abilities, spells and powers. This is indicated on the mod page by an asterisk next to a number range. It also slows the progression of Vampiric hunger.

Fast travelling and waiting only count as 1 hour, no matter how long the process takes. This prevents certain AFK exploits to rapidly gain Vampire ranks. The higher Vampire ranks are a long term form of progression and are not intended to be able to be rushed. Note that since version 2.0.0, every race has a racial ability that contributes towards Vampire ranks in some form, either directly or by granting Potions of Thaumaturgy or allowing you to Drain more often.

Alchemy

The following potion recipes are now available:

(1x Flawless Ruby + 1x Vampire Dust) Potion of Embracing: Grants Vampirism unless you are immune to diseases. Vampires heal 100 points of Health.
(1x Void Salts + 1x Vampire Dust) Potion of Hunger: Increases Vampiric hunger. Vampires heal 100 points of Health.

The Court's Chef perk enables you to create the following potions:

(2x Human Flesh or 2x Human Heart) Potion of Blood: Alleviates Vampiric hunger. Vampires heal 100 points of Health.
(1x Human Flesh or 1x Human Heart) Potion of Viscera: Advances Vampire Lord perk progression. Vampires heal 100 points of Health.
(3x Human Flesh or 3x Human Heart) Potion of Thaumaturgy: Increases Vampiric rank progression by 24 hours. Vampires heal 100 points of Health.
(10x Human Flesh or 10x Human Heart + 2x Moon Sugar + 2x Fire Salts + 1x Vampire Dust) Potion of Purging: Cures Vampirism. Vampires heal 100 points of Health.

Life as a Vampire Lord

In vanilla Skyrim, vampire lord spells are universally useful, denying vampire lords a unique identity with strengths and weaknesses. Sacrilege makes them especially powerful at area effect damage, balanced by high Magicka costs and the need to switch into melee stance to replenish Magicka, making them weaker against single targets.

Basic stats

You gain the following effects in vampire lord form:

Able to loot corpses and containers
Carry weight increased by 500 points
Take no damage from falls
Vampire lord attacks deal 10 (+1 per character level) base damage (up to level 50)
Undead skin grants 50 (+5 per character level) base armor (up to level 50)
Undead skin grants 10% (+1% per character level) magic resistance (up to level 50)
Waterwalking
Able to feed by performing a melee kill move (power attack bite)
Power attacks always stagger targets
Regenerate 10% of maximum Magicka per second (only in melee stance)
Regenerate 5% of maximum Stamina per second (only in caster stance)
Bloodthirst: Vampire lord claws do 5-30* points of bleed damage, healing you for the same amount.
Feast: Killing a person with a melee kill move (power attack bite) restores 200 points of Health.

Note that Magicka only regenerates in melee stance and Stamina only regenerates in caster stance, creating an incentive to "stance dance".

Scaling and experience gain

A major drawback of vampire lords in vanilla Skyrim is their lack of skill scaling and inability to gain experience. In Sacrilege, vampire lords scale with your Destruction skill:

In vampire lord form, gain +0.25 damage per level of Destruction, and +1.5 armor per level of Destruction (up to level 100).
In vampire lord form, use the Raze, Vampiric Grip or Gutwrench spell in caster stance, attack in melee stance or perform a melee kill move (power attack bite) to gain experience in Destruction.
In vampire lord form, use the Conjure Gargoyle spell in caster stance to gain experience in Conjuration.
In vampire lord form, use the Vampiric Grip or Maelstrom spell in caster stance to gain experience in Alteration.
In mortal form, Drain a victim to gain experience in Destruction.
In both forms, damaging Vampiric blood spells are considered Destruction spells for the purpose of Destruction perks.

Vampire Lord spells (Blood Magic)

Similar to vanilla Skyrim, but with a stronger focus on damage instead of disabling effects.

Raze: Cuts through living targets in a line, absorbing 10-60* Health and dealing 10-60* magic damage. (Magicka: 50)
Conjure Gargoyle: Vampiric power summons a Gargoyle for 60-360* seconds. (Magicka: 100)
(Perk unlock) Gutwrench: Absorb 5-30* Health per second from nearby living targets. After 1 second per 25 Health, they explode. (Magicka: 25/sec)
(Perk unlock) Vampiric Grip: Pulls a living target to you, absorbing 10-60* Health and Stamina per second at close range. (Magicka: 50/sec)
(Perk unlock) Maelstrom: Vortex pulls targets within range to the center, inflicting 50% weakness to magic for 3 seconds. (Magicka: 200)

Gutwrench affects a 20 foot area around yourself as you concentrate. The secondary effect causes it to build up 25 points of tension per second as you keep it on enemies for a prolonged period of time, ultimately tearing them apart when this tension exceeds their remaining Health. Built up tension is reset when they leave the radius.

Maximum Raze damage is 168 (120 * 1.4 from Hemomancer).

Vampire Lord powers (Night Powers)

Similar to vanilla Skyrim, but with a stronger focus on crowd control.

Bats: Transform into a swarm of bats and dash a short distance. (2 uses, 20 second cooldown, Magicka: 25)
Echo Scream: Sends out a quick pulse that detects all creatures. (Magicka: 15)
(Perk unlock) Mist Form: Turn into invisible and invulnerable mist for 10 seconds, regenerating 10 Health, Magicka and Stamina per second. (1 use, 60 second cooldown, Magicka: 100)
(Perk unlock) Supernatural Reflexes: Slow time for 10 seconds as you move and attack faster and your power attacks knock targets down. (1 use, 40 second cooldown, Magicka: 200)
(Perk unlock) Tremor: Shake the earth, staggering nearby targets and throwing them into the air. (2 uses, 30 second cooldown, Magicka: 100)

Vampire Lord perks

Sacrilege expands the Vampire Lord perk tree from 11 to 24 perks.

As in vanilla Skyrim, absorb lifeblood to progress towards the next Vampire Lord perk point. It takes 2 lifeblood absorptions to gain your first perk point, increased by 1 for each further perk point (down from 2 in vanilla Skyrim to compensate for the increased number of perks). In version 2.2.0 and later, you also gain lifeblood by using Vampiric Drain and Hemomancy spells in humanoid form once you have unlocked Vampire Lord.

Killing victims with Raze or Gutwrench: Each victim grants lifeblood.
Performing power attack bites: Each victim grants lifeblood.
Consume Potions of Viscera: Each potion grants lifeblood.

Spend the points on the following Vampire Lord perks:

Scion: As a Vampire Lord, gain a 50 point bonus to all attributes (Health, Magicka, Stamina).
Unearthly Will: As a Vampire Lord, all spells and powers cost 25% less to cast.
Night Cloak: As a Vampire Lord, a cloud of bats absorbs 5 Health per second from each nearby living enemy in combat.
Energy Vampire: As a Vampire Lord, your attacks also absorb Magicka and your damaging spells also absorb Stamina.
Shapechanger: As a Vampire Lord, your attacks weaken targets to your damaging spells and your damaging spells weaken targets to your attacks, increasing damage by 25% for 10 seconds.

Fountain of Blood: Draining a person or killing a person with a power attack bite restores three times as much Health and also restores Magicka and Stamina.
Slasher: As a Vampire Lord, your power attacks are 25% stronger and hit all targets in front of you.

Hemomancer: Vampiric blood spells deal 0.4% more damage per level of Destruction.
Blood Storm: As a Vampire Lord, upgrades your Raze spell to Blood Storm, which deals 15% more damage and can be held down for rapid fire.

Auspex: Your Vampiric senses warn you when enemies approach within 150 feet, briefly revealing them.
Court's Chef: Able to create a variety of beneficial Potions from Human Flesh or Human Hearts at a cooking pot.
Wings of the Strix: As a Vampire Lord, sprinting in caster stance allows you to glide, greatly reducing fall speed.

Gutwrench: Blood Magic: Absorb Health from nearby living targets, tearing them apart when maintained for long enough.
Vampiric Grip: Blood Magic: Pulls a living target to you from a distance, absorbing Health and Stamina at close range.
Maelstrom: Blood Magic: Vortex pulls targets within range to the center, briefly weakening them to magic.

Mist Form: Night Power: Turn into invisible and invulnerable mist, regenerating Health, Magicka and Stamina.
Supernatural Reflexes: Night Power: Slow time as you move and attack faster and your power attacks knock targets down.
Tremor: Night Power: Shake the earth, staggering nearby targets and throwing them into the air.

Vampiric Seed: Mortal Hemomancy: Bone shards pierce a living target, absorbing Health and dealing magic damage.
Vampiric Orb: Mortal Hemomancy: Impales living targets in the area, absorbing Health and dealing magic damage.
Vampiric Cloak: Mortal Hemomancy: Bats attack living targets. Absorbs Health and deals magic damage.

Blood From a Stone: Vampiric blood spells can now damage nonliving targets.
Starving Artist: Vampiric blood spells absorb Stamina equal to 50% of damage dealt.
Make Them Beautiful: Vampiric blood spells tear apart targets below 25% Health, killing them instantly.

Recommended mods

Sacrilege is part of a cycle of vanilla-plus gameplay overhauls that combine to form "V++ Enairim", designed to improve existing game systems without drastically changing the game:

My "V++" overhauls can be used interchangeably with my "full size" overhauls, which have more gameplay features but deviate more strongly from the vanilla game. See my profile page for a full list.

Compatibility

See here for a list of (in)compatible mods.

Installation

Installation procedure: Add the mod to your load order and activate it. Make sure you are not currently a vampire. An error message will be shown if another mod is overwriting key Sacrilege scripts.

Uninstallation procedure: Remove the mod. Any perk points in vampire lord perks that have no vanilla equivalent will be lost.

FAQ

What is the difference between this and Sacrosanct: Sacrilege has fewer features than Sacrosanct, but is more compact and as a result, more balanced. Moreover, Sacrilege focusses more on the drawbacks of Vampiric existence, while Sacrosanct allows you to grow out of them more easily.
When reverting from Vampire Lord form, I lose Vampire status: This is a vanilla Skyrim bug. The fix is included in version 2.2.2 and later, or you can get a standalone fix here.
Does this mod add vampire hunters: No, this is out of scope for a V++ vampire mod. The mod already features enough drawbacks for vampirism.

Original Author:

EnaiSiaion

Sacrilege - Minimalistic Vampires of Skyrim

Gallery

Main file

Sacrilege 2.2.2

Optional files

Sacrilege - Blood and Snow Compatibility Patch

Sacrilege - Fishing Compatibility Patch