Patreon Poll! Serana Feeding (Romance-Only, Consent-Forward)

I'm a little late to the party but I have a suggestion. It could act as a way for you to become a vampire lord as a dawnguard member that doesn't require extra quest altering mods. After Harkon is dead and Serana feeds from you at least once you can ask her to turn you. Like feeding has deepened your bond (and felt amazing) and you both feel a small urge to.... deepen it more, spend eternity together. And as vampires you can feed of each other still, not for food but simply out of love.

I think it definitely can be done and still be true to Serana’s character. A similar comparison to this would be Bill and Sookie from Trueblood, if you’ve ever seen it. Sookie allows Bill to feed on her when they are intimate with each other. He can’t do it whenever he wants and it is only during intimate scenes with her. So going that route where it only happens through romance is absolutely doable and would be an awesome bonus to the romance progression.

After poll's been up for a while (15h), looks like the community’s open to it if it’s opt-in and gated. If I do it, it’ll be romance-only, private, consent-forward, and a configurable choice via dialogue Serana asks you about (only available through friendship+romance, Serana being a vampire, and at a private location - a player home most likely, too hard to gate stuff in terms of privacy in inns).

I'm always in favor of things that give more role play options. Done right, as you've described, I don't think it would conflict with her character. But, yes, as you've said, it needs to be part of a specific intimate moment or moments, not part of the gameplay loop. In my opinion it should be an optional file. It shouldn't be something people are forced to include unless they want to. So, I've voted C. Thank you for all your hard work and putting together this well thought-out poll!

If you included it I think it would have to not only be true to Serana's character, but true to how her relationship with THIS Dragonborn has developed and been shaped. I would also- and this presumes that the dragonborn has never been a vampire and did the whole story as a member of the Dawnguard and tackled the Cairn via soul trap- I'd think Serana might be honestly very wary of feeding off the player. Not only because if intimacy, trust, vulnerability, - but the very real awareness that the Dragonborn is a lesser Aedra. And Serana as a vampire is Daedric. I think she might have some concerns about dragon blood being powerful, potent, possibly even toxic to her. Too much. I think it would work best as a thing she and the player attempt once, very carefully, and that they have a choice to continue it or never try again. And present a dialogue choice to settle whether this should be special occasion or gated. Edit because I hit ENTER early: I know I'd prefer it as something that, even in a romance, is an activity with CONSEQUENCES. Possibly dragon blood given freely leaving her something close to drunk, vulnerable in a way she is willing to be with someone very dear to her, but not an experience she cares to repeat. It'd have to be tender, as well. Only playful in a way that reads as covering up nerves. Personally, I'll probably never use it. I have yet to play a romance with Serana, and doubt I ever will. Both my regular Dragonborn characters are asexual, and one is too much of an eternal dragon with a human form to be attracted to anyone. Ever.

I do think it might be funny to have after-effects of consensual feeding. Example: Serana can accidentally use Dragonborn shouts for a short time.

I think it's actually very in keeping with her character as you developed her. She shows a lot of restraint (refusing Vampire Lord form, not feeding on people as a rule, etc.) while also enjoying and using the gifts of vampirism in her chosen ways. She opens up a lot to the Dragonborn on a trust and intimacy basis, and she appreciates the non-judgmental acceptance of her vampirism (something she comments on). I think the Dragonborn is uniquely positioned to allow her to "be herself" in a trusting and safe way, especially given the nature of their relationship. What would make this feel in-character vs. out-of-character? Intimacy, consent, and exclusiveness with the Dragonborn. A lot like the other sides of their relationship. Should it be rare (special occasions), or repeatable but gated (only at specific moments)? I would say repeatable but gated, again like other sides of their relationship. Do you prefer tender tone, playful tone, or a mix? I actually think a mix of both would be in keeping with her character, but probably a weight toward tender/serious since (as she says when she offered to give the DB vampirism in the Soulcairn), "vampire stuff" is intimate and serious.

C - Make it as an optional "unrealistic" patch for people who want it while keeping the main personality intact

Make it a dialogue option for late-stage romance progression. First time it appears, it leads to a conversation about why the player is ok with it, afterwards it becomes an animation trigger using devour or some other animation of your choice. Personally, I'll probably never use it. I like the eyes of cured Serana, and I almost always convince her to cure herself. I also think the idea of a love so compelling that she'll give up immortality for it is a much better story.

She makes enough nibble jokes that I can’t imagine why this shouldn’t be a thing, done rarely, or an optional offer to her if the player wants. Plus it’s the DB, can’t imagine anyone will taste better then dragon blood/soul, so maybe to her it seems more special or something It’s very possible to keep it light, romantic and not break her character. Plus it’s the ultimate trust with a vampire, so for me it’s A or C without question. (It’s also very possible for animations - Devour + Vampire feeding proxy - both work well if you need an optional patch or compatibility)

Honestly, yes. It’s kind of missing. I’m ok that Serana doesn’t feed on victims as a personal choice, but it’s rather 2 dimensional that she doesn’t ever want to give in a little to that driving force. I like the idea and wouldn’t mind if she had a little nibble! I voted for it being in the main file, but obviously am also fine with an optional file. I’m an xbox player, so feel free to ESL that add-on if you’re feeling generous. It sounds like you’ve thought it out, Marty. I’m sure it will be great when you sit down with it.

I think making it optional is the way to go, I know personally not all my dragonborn characters would want that, but a lot of them also would, so keeping it as something that you can opt in or out of in game would be best I think

Marty, I think what you're considering is a great way to implement this into your mod and in a way that gives the relationship with Serana more depth. Unless the player chooses to cure her, it is a part of her existence that gets hard to ignore as time passes.

If i'm getting your vision right this isn’t about vampire convenience or mechanics it would be abnout trust. A rare, private, romance-only moment reads less like “feeding” and more like mutual vulnerability and intimacy, chosen by both parties. Handled that way, it actually feels like character growth for Serana, defining closeness on her own terms, ethically and consensually, and showing how much she trusts the player. Making it optional keeps that meaning intact while respecting players who wouldn’t want that dynamic.

Optional. I'd also suggest an MCM slider to adjust days. Given her character, playful and tender. Have a look at the companion Koemia who's dialogue is interesting for this kind of thing. Oh - and the appalling vanilla vampire standing feeding animations - please don't use those! Could do with something more...sensual...from Serana. Thank you!

I say go with it as an optional file because not everyone is into that content and there's already mods for things like ostim that make it intimate.