The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dragonborn Game Guide

Fus Ro Dah!!! This guide to contains a thorough and checked compendium containing All the information you need on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dragonborn.

Last update: Wednesday, April 27, 2022

This guide to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dragonborn is a complete compendium containing all the basic information about this expansion and its contents. The most important part of the guide is the detailed walkthrough for all the main quests added with the Dragonborn DLC. Each quest has information on how to unlock it, what we must do to complete it (visit places, defeat enemies, etc.), information on possible choices and different endings, and the possible rewards. The walkthrough for each of the quests is enriched with high-quality images and maps.

The guide to TES V: Skyrim - Dragonborn also includes walkthroughs for side quests and miscellaneous tasks. You don't need to complete them to finish the main story of this DLC. However, they can offer interesting content and provide the opportunity to get valuable loot. We have also included the locations of the Black Books and several unmarked quests that don't appear in the player's log.

Our guide to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dragonborn also has two separate pages with information on the system requirements, as well as several new marriage candidates (possible "romances").

Dragonborn is the third big expansion to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The action of this expansion takes place on the frosty island of Solstheim and focuses on Miraak - the first Dragonborn who has succumbed into madness and disappeared a long time ago. The hero's task is to stop the madman from regaining his power over the island. One of the biggest novelties in Dragonborn is the ability to mount dragons and explore the world on their back. In addition, the expansion offers a new large location to explore, new enemies and gear.

• All main quests in Dragonborn DLC
• All the Black Books in the Dragonborn DLC
• The most important side quests in Dragonborn.
• Is the Dragonborn DLC free?
• How to start the Dragonborn storyline?
• How long does it take to complete TES V: Dragonborn?
• How to unlock the options of taming dragons and traveling on their backs?
• Does Dragonborn have separate trophies/achievements?
• Can I use cheats in Dragonborn?
• Does Dragonborn have higher system requirements than the original game?
• Color markings used in the guide

All main quests in Dragonborn DLC

The following list contains all the main quests in TES V: Skyrim - Dragonborn, that is, all the missions needed to complete the new story and stop Miraak (the final boss of this DLC).

1. Dragonborn - In this quest, we e.g. receive the cultists' orders, we reach Solstheim and gain information about Miraak.
2. The Temple of Miraak - During this quest, you must find the source of Miraak's power and get the first Black Book.
3. The Fate of the Skaal - In this quest, you must visit the Skaal village, learn a new word and fight Lurker.
4. Cleansing the Stones - You need to cleanse four stones - Sun, Beast, Earth and Water.
5. The Path of Knowledge - In this quest, you have to visit the fortress of Nchardak and restore power to the reading room in order to obtain an important book.
6. The Gardener of Men - During this quest, you must read the Black Book, learn the hidden knowledge and meet with Storn.
7. At the Summit of Apocrypha - The final main quest in which we gain a new shout that allows us to ride dragons. We have to reach the temple and defeat the final boss - Miraak.

All the Black Books in the Dragonborn DLC

Black Books are one of the most interesting unique treasures/collectibles in Dragonborn. Each new Black Book offers a choice of one of three Powers. Thanks to these Powers, you can make your spells not spending the mana for a brief moment or you can raise the effectiveness of selected skills for limited time.

Here is a breakdown of the pages in our guide with locations of all the Black Books:

1. Black Book - Filament and Filigree
2. Black Book - The Sallow Regent
3. Black Book - The Hidden Twilight
4. Black Book - The Winds of Change
5. Black Book - Untold Legends

The most important side quests in Dragonborn.

The following list includes the most important locations in TES V: Skyrim - Dragonborn. Each of these locations has several side quests. They aren't required to learn the full extent of the main storyline, but they are rather extensive and allow you to get many valuable items.

1. All side quests in Raven Rock
2. All side quests in Skaal Village
3. All side quests in Tel Mithryn
4. All other big side quests

Is the Dragonborn DLC free?

Yes or no - it depends on which version of Skyrim you have. If you have the regular version (released on PC, PS3 and X360), then you will have to purchase Dragonborn DLC separately. After purchasing and installing the expansion, you will be able to play this content.

If you have the Special Edition of Skyrim (released on PC, PS4 and XONE) or Skyrim VR (available on PlayStation VR), then you will get Dragonborn DLC for free. In addition, its content is available right away. You don't need to install it separately as it was automatically integrated into the main game.

How to start the Dragonborn storyline?

Dragonborn's campaign isn't available from the beginning of your adventure. You need to make enough progress in Skyrim's main storyline - you need to complete The Way of the Voice quest. During it, you visit High Hrothgar, meet the Greybeards and unlock the basic Shouts.

You can start the new campaign by visiting any of the major cities in the game (e.g. Whiterun or Solitude). You have to keep walking around the town until you are stopped by two cultists. They must be defeated. Loot their bodies to find the letter. Read it to learn about your death sentence issued by Miraak.

The next step is to visit the docks in Windhelm. Board Northern Maiden to travel to Solstheim - this is where the campaign of this DLC takes place. This isn't that easy to do - you must first convince the captain of the ship to go on the journey.

How long does it take to complete TES V: Dragonborn?

1. Dragonborn is the longest and the richest content-wise expansion to Skyrim. This makes it an attractive proposition if you only have the original version of the game and are considering buying any of the DLCs.
2. The main storyline should take you about 6-7 hours. The main campaign of Dragonborn doesn't offer a lot of quests, but all quests are long and feature challenging (and time-consuming) battles.
3. The side quests can extend the total play time to 15-20 hours. They are more numerous, but the vast majority of them aren't that complex.
4. Other additional activities should take you about 3-4 hours. The main side activity focuses on collecting the Black Books, which are the most valuable secrets in Dragonborn.
5. Getting all the trophies/achievements in Dragonborn isn't difficult and shouldn't take long. The majority of the trophies/achievements are unlocked during the "normal" playthrough. The remaining ones will require you to, e.g. tame five dragons or craft items out of Stalhrim.

How to unlock the options of taming dragons and traveling on their backs?

You can learn how to tame and how to ride a dragon during the main storyline of Dragonborn. You must advance to the quest called At the Summit of Apocrypha - a full description of this quest is in the walkthrough section.

After starting this quest, you will learn a new Bend Will shout.

You can "test" this shout to tame Sahrotaar and travel on its back.

Other dragons can be tamed in the same way. Remember, however, to shout all the words of Power - this is the only way for the shout to work and tame a dragon.

Does Dragonborn have separate trophies/achievements?

Yes, Dragonborn has new trophies/achievements. You can unlock 10 new trophies - 3 silver and 7 bronze. You get achievements/trophies for making progress in the main storyline, reading all Black Books, taming dragons, or discovering 30 locations on Solstheim.

The important information is that the trophies from Dragonborn aren't required to unlock the platinum trophy of the basic game. Trophies/achievements in Dragonborn are treated as an additional set, they don't affect the platinum trophy.

Can I use cheats in Dragonborn?

Yes, cheats are available in Dragonborn. Their use is possible only in the PC version. Below you can learn how to unlock cheats and the list of the most important ones:

Press ~ key to open the console window. You can now enter the cheats.

1. advancepclevel - you gain a level
2. advancepcskill x y - develop a skill by x o y levels (instead of x, enter the name of the skill, for example, Destruction; instead of y, enter a value, for example, 10)
3. advskill x y - develop a skill by x o y points (instead of x, enter the name of the skill, for example, Destruction; instead of y, enter a value, for example, 10)
4. kill - kills the currently targeted opponent (after entering the cheat you need to hover the cursor over the enemy, press the left mouse button, enter the enemy's ID and press " ENTER")
5. killall - kill all surrounding enemies
6. movetoqt - teleport to the destination of the current quest
7. player.additem 0000000f x - get x units of gold (instead of x you need to enter a value, for example, 1,000)
8. player.modav carryweight x - set the maximum load capacity limit to x (instead of x you need to enter a value, for example, 500)
9. player.modav dragonsouls x - get x dragon souls (instead of x you need to enter a value, for example, 10)
10. player.setav health x - set the number of the hero's health points to x (instead of x, enter a value, for example, 1,000)
11. player.setav magicka - set the amount of the hero's mana to x (instead of x, you need to enter a value, for example, 1,000)
12. player.setav fatigue x - set the number of the hero's stamina points to x (instead of x, you need to enter a value, for example, 1,000)
13. player.setlevel x - the hero reaches x level of experience (instead of x, enter a value, for example, 30)
14. psb - unlock all spells
15. resurrect - resurrect the character you are looking at
16. setpcfame - make your hero more famous
17. tdetect - NPCs are easier to rob
18. tgm - immortality
19. tmm 1 - discover all locations on the map (tmm 0 hides all locations)
20. unlock - open the closed object you are looking at (after entering the cheat, you need to hover the mouse cursor over the lock, press the left mouse button, wait for the item ID to appear and then press ENTER)

Does Dragonborn have higher system requirements than the original game?

No, the requirements are the same as for the basic version of Skyrim. Here are the game's minimum system requirements:

1. Operating system: Windows 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
2. Processor: Dual Core 2.0 GHz
3. RAM: 2 GB
4. Disk space: 6GB
5. Video card: DirectX 9.0c compatible with 512MB of RAM
6. DirectX: 9.0c or newer
7. Sound card: DirectX compatible

For more information, see System requirements page in the Basics section of our guide.

Color markings used in the guide

In our guide to Dragonborn, we have used the following color markings:

1. Red marks primarily to encountered NPCs. We have also used this color to mark opponents, wild animals, and monsters.
2. Blue marks names of locations, both the main ones that appear on the world map as well as those less significant like individual houses or subsequent dungeon levels.
3. Green marks all items found in the game that can be added to your character's inventory.
4. Orange marks mainly the names of all Shouts and Words of Power. We have also used it to mark all the skills used during quests (e.g. Speech) as well as related actions (e.g. getting a skill book that increases the value of a particular skill).

Hot Topics of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dragonborn Game Guide

Defeat Miraak | Main story mode - At the Summit of Apocrypha TES V: Skyrim - Dragonborn Guide.
Reach Miraak's Temple | Main story mode - At the Summit of Apocrypha TES V: Skyrim - Dragonborn Guide.
Restore the steam supply to the Dwemer reading room | Main story mode - Path of Knowledge TES V: Skyrim - Dragonborn Guide.
Unearthed | Side missions - Kolbjorn Barrow TES V: Skyrim - Dragonborn Guide.
Find the source of Miraak's power | Main story mode - The Temple of Miraak TES V: Skyrim - Dragonborn Guide.

More About The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dragonborn