So I posted a thread awhile back asking for advice about starting out in Skyrim since I had just picked up the Legendary Edition and had some issues my first time around right after the game had came out. Anyway, I’ve been following all the tips I got and having a great time as I start of this playthrough, but as I look to progress further I have this problem I am worried about:

Vampires from the Dawnguard expansion killing NPCs.

I have the legendary edition so I have have thus far avoided the problem by just not downloading Dawnguard, just Hearthfire and Dragonborn. I know that they won't start attacking until I hit level 10, but I wasn't sure A) How bad/frequent vampire attacks would be, B ) Would I have to complete the main Dawnguard quest just straight off to avoid NPC casualties and C) Would I even be able to handle the main quest and random vampire attacks at Level 10, and/or would I even want to.

So here are my questions:

How frequent are vampire attacks, where do they happen/ where can they happen, and how dangerous are these attacks? Or what actions on the player's part trigger these attacks?

What NPCs can be killed, and how likely is it they would be killed? Can trainers, quest givers, merchants, etc. be killed?

If important NPCs like the ones I mentioned above can be killed, what strategies do you have that I can use to avoid their deaths?

I also remember from my first playthrough the random dragon attacks that start happening after you start the main quest and having NPCs killed from those, so I have thus far avoided starting it. Any advice for dragon attacks on towns in the same vein as the stuff I mentioned above for vampire attacks?

As always, I'd appreciate it if people can keep it spoiler free.

ALSO :

Before I get the inevitable; "Why don't you search old threads/ just check UESP before you take your questions to the forums?

I have looked around the internet for information on how serious this problem is, or how to prevent it, avoid it, etc., but most threads either have unhelpful information, or, in the case of Dawnguard, most of the posts I have found are from right after the DLC came out and nobody knows what they are talking about. I suppose I may be able to find the answers to these questions on the Elder Scrolls wiki or UESP, but I want to avoid spoilers, which are pretty easy to stumble upon when looking up info about quests and events you haven’t done yet.

AND

Note that I am on PS3, and when NPCs die they can't be replaced. If a blacksmith dies then that town won't get a new blacksmith. If a merchant or trainer dies, their services are gone to me forever. If a bunch of people in a town get slaughtered then that's a ghost town for the rest of the game. If all the occupants of a house die then that house is empty forever. The reason why these questions are so important to me are because my inability to just use console commands to fix things, and as a result my experience of the game will be stunted, not to mention immersion gets screwed since the rest of the town will probably act as though these people still exist.

I find the vampire attacks to be very rare.

Any NPC that is not essential (Not invincible) CAN be killed, however, the only NPCs that have died for me during a vampire attack were ones that managed to run into my spells.

I'd suggest not using a spell with a blast radius.

If any do end up dying just load an autosave.

If your game auto saves at every fast travel, wait and everytime you go through a door you should be fine!

In short:

It's much less of a problem than you think

Don't fast travel into a town at night or before 8 AM. Attacks become very rare.

It's okay to fast travel to a city, but do so to the stables or closest location. Wait until 7 or 8 in the morning. Talk the guards outside the gates. They will give you a clue if a vampire is attacking.

Even if the guard doesn't give a clue, save before you enter the city.

They happened pretty frequently to me on 360.

NPC's can die, and it's possible to lose merchants, trainers and quest givers who are not essential who are wandering about at night.

They can take place in the widerness or in cities/towns, walled or unwalled.

Vampires are scaled to your level and normally with a party of three except for the rare single vampire, at higher levels they can overwhelm the city's defenses.

Do not fast travel into a city or town when the FT can bring you into that place at night. FT (If you are using it) to a location nearby and enter during the daylight hours. Do not walk about the city at night as it can trigger an attack. If you hear a guard remark about vampire attacks begin searching for them immediately. In a walled city they USUALLY appear at the city gates but in Solitude for example can appear near Proudspire or another place in another walled city. Unwalled towns they can come from anywhere.

Dragon attacks in a town/city are normally caused by Fast Travel, FT (Again if you are using it) to the stable so that it occurs outside of town which protects your merchants.

Also it is recommended when doing Dawnguard to do the MQ without entering a city/town/village as rare attacks can occur during daytime. If you chose Saadia's side during her quest the extra men at the front gate in Whiterun help protect the city, I never had a vamp break through both them and the Whiterun city guard. If on the DG side you can use the vendors at Fort Dawnguard and have no need of going inside of the settlements but if you use caution even doing that shouldn't be a big problem.

Also exiting a home early inside a city can initiate an attack if it's ealy enough so be on the lookout for that as well.

I've lost one old lady in dragons bridge. Otherwise, I'm good. I feel like as long as you do the quests when they come, you should be safe.

As stated above, I only used the carriage or fast traveled to stables, and then if I arrived at dark I waited until daylight to walk into the city. I did not lose one NPC to vampires.

Don't worry about the attacks. People really like to exaggerate and like to be overly dramatic about this.

Until you only have essential NPC's walking around.

OP when I looked at the topic and saw your username my irony senses started tingling

Anyways I notice they tend to attack more often on higher levels. I only experienced two vampire attacks from level 1-30 in my new game while they seem to be increasing heavily after that.

Try to avoid Solitude at night because the chance of several groups of Vampires attacking there are higher than anywhere else as well as the fact they seem to enter through more than one direction in that city.

Now you're exaggerating. I only lost one vender because I took PRECAUTIONS. I didn't use the Dawnguard vendors much but freely traveled between the cities, I just exercised CAUTION and took preventive measures. I HAVE seen numerous attacks inside cities and unwalled towns which I either took care of or allowed the men at the Whiterun city gate to take care of since in the dark I could hardly tell friend from foe. I HAVE walked outside Breezehome during the early morning daylight and triggered a vamp attack at the city gate.

Just running around willy nilly CAN cause problems if you don't take preventive measures. I'm glad you saw few of them, good for you, not everyone is so lucky.

Suggestions are to save players from having problems by taking logical steps to alleviate future issues. We are not fear mongering, we are merely making suggestions.

All relevant information, taken from the game files, can be found http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1426043-a-few-notes-on-vampire-attacks-for-those-interested/.

With a little care you can finish the Dawnguard questline, after which no more attacks on towns spawn, with exactly zero attacks.

I know I have not lost a single NPC since I learned the facts.

For instance, travelling to a stable and waiting there for dawn does not work. Stables are within the outer marker of a city and thus vampires can spawn if you do that.

Wait before you fast travel, only arrive during daytime.

I've FT to the stables then waited. Talked to the guard, got no hints, saved, then entered the city. No vampire attack.

This is because the hint is neccessary for vampires to spawn at all. That you didn't get one means there was no spawn, but not that it wasn't possible.

Theoretically all vampire attacks can be prevented by removing all guards from the game, but that is only possible on pc and they have easier methods to disable attacks.

Attacks mainly happen at night, I'm usually able to fight them off with my Pa's Axe before he whole town gets involved. If a lot of NPCs get involved its a good idea to use the Dawnguard spells. Vampire Bane is similar to fireball but it only harms undead, you can hit a person with it and do no damage but the explosion will hurt a nearby vampire or death hound.

It's uncommon for NPC's to be killed, it's mostly Guards, since most people are indoors at night. Sometimes Vampires will be there during the day if they spawn far away, and you go inside, I've seen them still be there in the 'morning'. If this happens it can get messy, but it is a 'glitch'.

I did have a strange incident involving Death Hounds who just ninja'ed the guys at Whiterun stables. I found them all dead, no way for me to reload and save them. Death Hounds are the real nuisance.

I play on PC so the last resort is console command resurrect. But for the most part I just reload and make sure I protect them if I can or just don't go to that location to avoid spawning. It's a bit easier for my mage character who has grand healing.

Im on the PS3. Ive reached lvl 32 and so far Ive only experienced one attack in Morthal. I had just left the Jarl's longhouse and as I stepped outside I was greeted by utter chaos. Benor was running around yelling... Peasants armed with iron daggers scuttled about... the guards were all in a frenzy. I was totally confused. I had no idea who they were fighting. By the time I had finally figured it out and gotten involved 2/3 attacking vamps were lying dead on the ground. I finished off the straggler and that was that. Free vampire loot. woot woot!! Not a single casualty among the populace of Morthal. I wouldnt worry too much about them.

Be careful about FT to Stables. Whiterun, Riften, Windhelm have merchants there. Merchants that are not considered invulnerable.

Do you mean the Khajiit Caravans?

Vampires attack city from 9pm-5am. You'll encounter them in wilderness 10pm-5am. If they haven't gotten you and you fast travel away, they will chase you into the day.