Skyrim: Here’s How & What Do You Feed on as Werewolf

Lycanthropy is one interesting addition to Skyrim’s mechanics. The Beast Form allows you to become a werewolf and reap certain benefits by playing as the mindless beast. You can likewise get more powerful the longer you play in werewolf form, but this, like it’s the case with vampires, requires feeding. Considering that the controls and mechanics of playing as a werewolf are not the same as when you’re in your default form, many players wonder, how and what do you feed on as a werewolf in Skyrim?

Most of your normal abilities are off-limits while you’re in your werewolf form

You can try your new form out as soon as you acquire lycanthropy during the Companions questline. You will transform into a werewolf in the middle of Whiterun and soon discover that your items, spells, and normal abilities are off-limits. The only thing you can do is swipe forward, as you can only attack with your claws. If you have the Dawnguard add-on installed, pressing the inventory button will transport you to an extensive werewolf perk tree, and you will see that you can only activate those perks after you’ve fed enough times.

Feeding is a crucial aspect of being a werewolf, just like it’s with vampires. The more you feed, the more extra abilities you can unlock, so how do you feed?

To feed in werewolf form, you need to “activate” the body

You can feed as a werewolf by pressing the “E” key on your keyboard or pressing the “A” button on your Xbox controller or the “X” button on the Play Station controller. The same button is used for activating objects and NPCs while you are in your humanoid form. The prompt will appear as soon as you approach a dead body eligible for feeding. All you need to do is to be really close to the body so that you can activate it.

After you’ve initiated the feeding, a short cutscene will play out with you feeding on the body, and a message will appear in the upper corner of your screen informing you that you’ve fed.

What can you feed on as a werewolf in Skyrim?

As a newly created werewolf, you can only feed on dead NPCs’ bodies. It doesn’t matter whether you have slain those NPCs yourself or not. The only important thing is that the body in question is humanoid in nature.

When you’ve fed enough times and advanced through the werewolf perk tree, you can unlock the “Savage Feeding” perk. This opens a whole new world of possibilities regarding werewolf feeding, as it also allows you to feed on the bodies of other creatures. For example, you can feed on the dead carcasses of deer, sabercats, and similar wild animals you encounter during your adventures.

Feeding is among the most important aspects of werewolf gameplay as it allows you to unlock additional perks to make yourself powerful, but it likewise heals you. You are not immune to damage in werewolf form, and you are not able to heal yourself with spells and potions since those are unreachable. However, you can add 50 pts of health with each feeding.

Feeding also prolongs the time spent in Beast Mode by 30 seconds, and in theory, if you manage to secure a steady source of bodies in werewolf form, you can keep yourself in Beast Mode infinitely. However, you should note that feeding off of creatures that are not humanoid in nature gives you only 15 additional seconds in beast mode.

Feeding regularly as a werewolf unlocks powerful bonuses

With the release of the Dawnguard add-on, a specialized werewolf perk tree has been added to the game. This perk tree is available only in beast mode, and you can access it by pressing the inventory button. There are eight different perks that you can unlock, ranging from perks that enhance your werewolf howl to perks that significantly increase your damage.

You need to feed five times to unlock the first perk in the werewolf perk tree. Each new perk requires feeding two additional times to unlock the next available perk. In short, to complete the tree and unlock all perks, you must feed roughly 165 times. This may seem like a lot of feedings, but if you play as a werewolf consistently and use every opportunity to feed when it arises, you can fill up the perk tree relatively quickly.

In short, playing as a werewolf is not easy by any means, but feeding at least is uncomplicated and straightforward. With the “Savage Feeding” perk, you can feed on any dead creature that you kill yourself or come across, and you should do it often as it allows you to stay werewolf longer, restores your health, and advances your progress through the werewolf perk tree.

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