Skyrim talk:Dragon Riding

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Page Improvements[edit]

Alright then, let's get to work on making this page look good. Just for reference on this article and others, is using information released by Bethesda regarding various notes and bugs still considered plagiarizing? They have posted a rather lengthy list of helpful information regarding Dragonborn on their support page but I don't want to use it if the wiki won't allow it.

Just to make a list of things that this page could benefit from:

  • An image of a player riding a dragon. (Preferably one that isn't taken from another site.)
  • Any bugs that might occur while dragon riding.
  • A tutorial for the dragon riding controls (especially useful for players who might have missed the in-game tutorial).
  • Division of the page into various sections; e.g. obtaining the dragon, traveling, combat, etc.

That's all for now, I hope to see this page turn out quite nicely.

--BlackhawkXIII (talk) 13:56, 12 December 2012 (GMT)

Hostile dragons will turn hostile again after the bend will shout has worn off and the player has dismounted — Unsigned comment by 170.224.50.12 (talk) at 06:07 on 14 December 2012‎
Have you personally tested this? --BlackhawkXIII (talk) 07:04, 14 December 2012 (GMT)
Yeah, I've tested this, the shout wore off just after I dismounted and the dragon started to attack me. Happened every time I tamed a hostile dragon. AyaHawkeye (talk) 14:54, 19 December 2012 (GMT)
I can confirm this tested with a dozen different dragons, some became hostile immediately while some flew off and became hostile later, no known reason why as of nowJCsquared (talk) 19:03, 19 December 2012 (GMT)
Happens to me more often than the dragon being peaceful. There should be a mention in a 'notes' section. Romandoug (talk) 04:43, 22 December 2012 (GMT)
The page has already been updated to reflect this, stating: "The dragon will then either aid you in combat, attack you or simply leave."ABCface 04:44, 22 December 2012 (GMT)

() If you miss the tutorial, you can figure out the proper controls afterwards by looking in the help section of the pause menu. --68.35.158.74 22:04, 9 February 2013 (GMT)

Getting back to Skuldafn[edit]

I would have thought that if you can ride a dragon then surely you should be able to fly back to Skuldafn?— Unsigned comment by ‎195.194.238.110 (talk) at 12:06 on 13 December 2012

I'll test it now, but I very much doubt it. AyaHawkeye (talk) 01:57, 15 December 2012 (GMT)
EDIT: Nope you can't, the map marker doesn't show up so it's a no go I'm afraid! AyaHawkeye (talk) 02:10, 15 December 2012 (GMT)

Riding Odahviing?[edit]

The article says that "There are only four known dragons that you cannot ride at this time: Paarthurnax, Durnehviir, Alduin, and the skeletal dragon"

Does that mean that Odahviing can be ridden? I mean, asides from the quick scene where he takes you to Skuldafn. That doesn't really count as "dragon riding" from a gameplay standpoint.

What I mean is, can Odahviing be hit with Bend Will, and if so, will it work? If not, that should probably be mentioned on the article. -TheGrayThunder (talk) 15:52, 13 December 2012 (GMT)

Yes, you can ride Odahviing. You have to go to the Troat of the world to do so.--Nornad (talk) 17:47, 13 December 2012 (GMT)
This article is specifically about riding dragons by using the new gameplay mechanic introduced by Dragonborn. There are definitely more dragons that cannot be ridden, particularly named ones but they will need to be tested (Bethesda talked about this in an article I just didn't want to plagiarize the information from their site, so I'm holding off on adding info until I can test it myself.) While riding Odahviing as part of the last quest may be mentioned on this page, it's not as important. --BlackhawkXIII (talk) 06:57, 14 December 2012 (GMT)
After doing some testing, Bend Will does, in fact, work on Odahviing (allowing for him to be ridden). The dragon riding dialogue is even spoken in his unique voice. However, he may leave before you are able to recharge your shout to use it on him. --BlackhawkXIII (talk) 01:08, 6 January 2013 (GMT)

New additions to the no fly list[edit]

Naaslaarum and Voslaarum — Unsigned comment by 71.235.183.88 (talk) at 01:37 on 15 December 2012‎

You can't ride Mirmulnir either
Since you encounter him before learning that you are the Dragonborn, which is well before learning the Dragon Riding skill. — Unsigned comment by 76.186.160.229 (talk) at 08:50 on 21 December 2012‎
Attempted to use Bend Will on Vulthuryol in Blackreach, and it failed. 64.12.116.210 03:04, 24 December 2012 (GMT)
Yup, I tested it as well, Vulthuryol is unaffected...Which is a real shame, because riding a dragon in Blackreach would have been freaking awesome. — Unsigned comment by BlackhawkXIII (talkcontribs) at 23:36 on 5 January 2013
Durnehviir IS the skeletal dragon. You also can NOT ride Odahviing(except in the video scene in which you ride to Skuldafn). — Unsigned comment by 74.69.133.244 (talk) at 05:43 on 9 August 2013
74.69.133.244: Two separate dragons, Skeletal, Durnehviir. — ABCface 05:56, 9 August 2013 (GMT)

Spells[edit]

There is a list called DLC2DRAllowedSpells in the game data: Banish Daedra, Candlelight, Chain Lightning, Close Wounds, Ebonyflesh, Equilibrium, Expel Daedra, Fast Healing, Fireball, Firebolt, Flames, Frostbite, Grand Healing, Greater Ward, Healing, Ice Spike, Ironflesh, Lesser Ward, Lightning Bolt, Magelight, Oakflesh, Soul Trap, Steadfast Ward, Stoneflesh.

and another called DLC2DRRestrictedSpells: Ash Guardian, Ash Rune, Conjure Ash Guardian, Dead Thrall, Dread Zombie, Fire Rune, Fire Storm, Frenzy Rune, Frost Rune, Healing Hands, Heal Other, Lightning Rune, Lightning Storm, Poison Rune, Raise Zombie, Reanimate Corpse, Revenant, Wall of Flames, Wall of Frost, Wall of Storms.

--Alfwyn (talk) 19:40, 19 December 2012 (GMT)

So do you think we can sum it up by saying that Summoning, Runes, Reanimation, Elemental Wall, and Master Destruction spells cannot be used while dragon riding? Might make it easier should we add this info to the page proper. Derejin (talk)
We could just list the spells on the page as those don't seem to entirely block certain areas (like touch spells or summoning). --AKB Talk Cont Mail 00:05, 20 December 2012 (GMT)

Dragon riding is great for destruction[edit]

I just hitch a ride, fly to somewhere with a ton of outside critters like brucas readout, and fling fireballs at them without receiving much damage. Add in the mage stone it can be an entertaining way to spam magic. — Unsigned comment by Romandoug (talkcontribs) at 06:48 on 21 December 2012‎

dragons flying pattern?[edit]

is it just me missing something or is there a way to make dragons stop flying in a pattern around the area you get on them at or fast travel to? everytime i get on one, it flies around the area without ever going towards the quest marker or anything, same after fast traveling, am i missing something?--76.22.177.202 06:36, 22 December 2012 (GMT)

Dragon phrases[edit]

I have added a section detailing the dialogue dragons say when riden. I think I have most of them, though some could be missing. I was unable to hear the dragon speech for the last two lines of the dragon dismissed area, the dragon is usually flying away and no subtitles appear so it would help if someone else could try to add it.30johner (talk) 01:35, 5 January 2013 (GMT)

I caught one, I have served you long enongh. Tiidi do ahmik ahlann. The first 3 mean, Time of/about service, but I'm not sure about ahlann. Ahraan is close but I'm sure he said Ahlann. The phrase seems like it could be, My time of service is over/done. Any ideas?30johner (talk) 01:52, 5 January 2013 (GMT)
This is good information though I have a few comments. For one, it would be good if someone put the lines of dialogue in the same format as other quoted dialogue on other pages. Also, if you want to translate the lines, try using the formatting that is used in the draugr section of this page. Lastly, I would make a suggestion to move this section to the Dragon page since other generic NPCs have their lines of dialogue listed on their individual pages (e.g. the Bandit page). --BlackhawkXIII (talk) 00:38, 6 January 2013 (GMT)

No Soul Absorbed[edit]

Not sure if this is to be expected but it may be worth noting that if you kill a dragon while riding a dragon, the dead dragon won't dissolve and you may not be able to absorb its soul. --BlackhawkXIII (talk) 01:19, 6 January 2013 (GMT)

Probably because you're not close enough to the dead dragon to trigger the event. VycDarkshadow (talk) 04:36, 15 January 2013 (GMT)
That may be the case but I believe one time the dragon was killed after I dismounted (my own dragon continued to help fight) and I still didn't absorb the soul. I wish I had gotten a chance to test this more thoroughly but I won't be able to at this point. --BlackhawkXIII (talk) 19:05, 16 January 2013 (GMT)
In my experience, you won't absorb the soul of a dragon while you are riding. If you land and walk up to the dead dragon however, you should absorb it. My guess is that you just had the basic "won't absorb dragon soul" glitch. For me, I killed two dragons at once with their bodies dying near each other, and I was able to absorb both souls after I landed....... ---Gamer3427 (talk) 03:31, 31 January 2013 (GMT)
I have definitely experienced absorbing a soul from a dragon whilst riding another dragon 84.92.209.122 14:19, 13 June 2013 (GMT)LordDaedra

Using Weapons[edit]

In the description on the page, it says, "The use of weapons (such as bows and melee weapons) are mostly limited as well."

My question is in regards to the word "mostly", which implies that some weapons can in fact be used, but doesn't clarify. I'm just wondering if we should include a list of such weapon types, possibly just by rewording the sentence. From what I can tell, the only weapons you can use on Dragon-back are staves and scrolls, (or at least the Spider Scrolls), but are there any others that I'm unaware of? ---Gamer3427 (talk) 04:00, 31 January 2013 (GMT)

Dragon unable to attack?[edit]

After taming a dragon, then selecting a target to attack, the dragon says something along the lines of "That is impossible" and refuses to attack it. It just keeps flying around in circles, and telling it to land causes it to just fly in a straight line. Any fixes for this? --Shadeseven (talk) 13:38, 6 February 2013 (GMT)

Have you been able to replicate this bug? Does it happen for every dragon you ride? --BlackhawkXIII (talk) 18:40, 6 February 2013 (GMT)
Every single dragon I've tamed so far has been unable to attack, so yeah. I've replicated it. And before you ask, no I do not have any mods affecting dragons, like deadly dragons and such. Just a replacement model for Odahviing. --Shadeseven (talk) 23:47, 6 February 2013 (GMT)
I had this problem a couple of times. I don't have ANY mods installed, whatsoever, only the official DLC's (hearth,dragon,dawn.) What kept happening was the dragon would be flying around, I could cycle targets, but it'd say 'that is impossible' and whatever when I tried to attack. The way I was able to get it to start attacking again was I hit E to land, then I hit it again and it said (cancelling attempt to land, attempting to land) then i hit the cycle target, attack, and it started working again 50.88.78.102 19:10, 9 January 2014 (GMT)

More possible bugs[edit]

Got on dragon fought 2 other dragons and when one of their health got low the dragon I was riding didn't go down and finish him off. He just kept flying in circles while the 3rd dragon beat him up. Then when I dismounted I could knock arrows but the arrows weren't visible. Then the dragon I was riding came back and killed me. lol 173.51.248.19 21:48, 9 February 2013 (GMT)

When i ride a dragon i just stand on the neck of the dragon. I don't sit there, i stand. this looks very weird. --188.110.166.165 13:08, 26 February 2013 (GMT)

Bad Locations[edit]

In the main section there should be a list of all the restricted areas. A bunch of locations that one wouldn't think of are actually restricted. Such as goldenglow estate, college of winterhold, high hrothgar, skyheaven temple. Its not just simple throat of the world. — Unsigned comment by Hisazul (talkcontribs) at 03:45 on 8 March 2013‎

That brings up another question. Is the Throat of the World really a "bad location" (we need a better name for these)? If you can use Bend Will on Odahviing there, it seems to me that the location may not be the issue. Paarthurnax may be the issue. I don't have DB, so can someone clarify this? --Xyzzy Talk 04:34, 23 March 2013 (GMT)

Is that really a bug?[edit]

In the bugs section it says: While in flight, your dragon and everything around you may slow down to a near walking speed.

Isn't that more of a system issue? — KunvuloninKünvülänin 04:57, 23 March 2013 (GMT)

Could be. That's why it needs verification. There no way for us to tell all of the conditions that the editor who posted the bug was experiencing, so it may be a legitimate bug. --Xyzzy Talk 06:31, 23 March 2013 (GMT)
Hmm. Nevermind, I actually experienced this in my game a few times. While I was mounted on a dragon he was flying a slow motion speed. Even after I dismounted him, he continued to fly slow while everyone else (enemies on the ground) moved at normal pace. — KunvuloninKünvülänin 04:19, 3 April 2013 (GMT)

Key set info[edit]

Shall we add key set info into this page? Many readers would wonder which key to use to control a dragon. I think they are very important and practical. Of course, not only PC, but also Xbox and PS3.Dreamshadow (talk) 00:53, 6 April 2013 (GMT)

I definitely agree. I had wanted to do it myself but just didn't know how. I suppose the only reason it didn't happen sooner was because you're forced to do the in-game tutorial and can access it later if need be. Still, I think it's quite relevant, since dragon riding is it's own game mechanic with unique controls. --BlackhawkXIII (talk) 20:23, 6 April 2013 (GMT)
I've found another supporter here. Hopefully, someone would notice our posts and get it done. Dreamshadow (talk) 07:58, 15 April 2013 (GMT)
It should not be listed here, but on this page. Feel free to add it or list the keys here; I can format it, though I don't know what keys are used for what. A link from this page to the controls page can then be added, like what happens on the sneak page. Vely►t►e 12:09, 15 April 2013 (GMT)
Sorry. Because I'm not quite familiar with the detailed key set info for riding a dragon, I turned to this page for some help. However, I was unlucky. I think many others readers would share my feeling. I've found the same request on the talk page of Controls. What's more, we need set info not only about PC, but also Xbox and PS3. I think we need more help to get them done as soon as possible. In my opinion, a single section would be better. After all, the controls are really unique. Dreamshadow (talk) 12:23, 15 April 2013 (GMT)
Done. Vely►t►e 21:41, 15 April 2013 (GMT)
Well done~ I've updated the page, link added. Dreamshadow (talk) 23:32, 15 April 2013 (GMT)
Um, actually the "Attack: Press down on the L button" I meant to say to press down on the L stick. Not button, so LT is wrong on the controls page. — KunvuloninKünvülänin 01:19, 16 April 2013 (GMT)

Dragon Controls[edit]

Here are the control commands for each game. I don't know what layout should be used on the page for this, so I'm just posting it here on the talk page.

  • PC
    • Lock target: Space
    • Switch target: 1 and 2
    • Attack: Press CTRL
    • Landing: Press E
  • Xbox
    • Lock target: Press Y
    • Switch target: Left or Right on the D-Pad
    • Attack: Press down on the L button
    • Landing: Press A
  • PS3
    • Lock target: Press Triangle
    • Attack: Press L3
    • Landing: Press X

KunvuloninKünvülänin 20:55, 15 April 2013 (GMT)

...actually, it would be better to define the action keys used, not the specific keys, as these change if you customized your key layout, as most do.

for the pc: lock target = jump key switch target = ? think it's the keys for quick select? attack = crouch key landing = activate key

Use of bend will?[edit]

Anyone care to share experiences using bend will? How many "attacks" with bend will are required to subdue and ride any given dragon/ hostile dragon etc.? — Unsigned comment by 172.3.70.19 (talk) at 10:50 on 12 April 2013 (GMT)

You only need to shout once, with all three words. — Kimi the Elf (talk | contribs) 11:01, 12 April 2013 (GMT)
Interestingly enough, I had an Ancient dragon resist all three words. I wonder if it has anything to do with Legendary difficulty... --BlackhawkXIII (talk) 19:05, 14 April 2013 (GMT)

Riding a Dragon Skeleton[edit]

This was an awesome bug that I encountered. I haven't had a chance to try and make it happen again but I figured I'd post it here and see if anyone else has had a similar experience. Essentially, I fought a dragon in one location but experienced the bug that prevented me from absorbing its soul. Then I fast traveled to another location where a dragon was and hit it with the Bend Will shout before it detected me. As it flew towards me to land, it began to disintegrate and I absorbed its soul. However, the remaining skeleton was still alive and speaking to me, so I hopped on and flew it around. It looked totally awesome and still had all the physical movements and attacks that any dragon would. It also stayed a skeleton when I fast traveled while riding it. I'll update this when I have the chance to test it more. --BlackhawkXIII (talk) 19:15, 14 April 2013 (GMT)

For skeptics like me, a screenshot would be awesome. --Xyzzy Talk 20:43, 14 April 2013 (GMT)

The Death of Your Dragon[edit]

It seems that the dragon you are riding can never be killed. Am I right? Dreamshadow (talk) 13:14, 24 April 2013 (GMT)

I have heard it can. You fall to the ground and die apparently. --Jimeee (talk) 14:16, 24 April 2013 (GMT)
Sounds odd, where is the dragon then? Disappear? How about its soul? Maybe we can have a try. You can always find a low-level dragon near the west coast of Solstheim, then we can ride it to attack those undead in Saering's Watch. Shall we check it and add some necessary notes into the page? Dreamshadow (talk) 15:38, 24 April 2013 (GMT)
The dragon you are riding can be killed, but you don't necessarily have to die. It depends on the height you fall from. — Unsigned comment by 74.69.133.244 (talk) at 05:48 on 9 August 2013

Odahviing[edit]

Can someone please tell me if you can use Bend Will on Odahviing before he leaves Skuldafn so I can use him to defeat the dragon priest there. — Unsigned comment by 2.220.111.13 (talk) at 15:47 on 6 May 2013

I'm not sure if it does work on him there, but the effects will have worn off by the time you make it through the Temple section, so it wouldn't work anyway. Silence is GoldenBreak the Silence 15:53, 6 May 2013 (GMT)
According to the page, Bend Will is only allowed in Skyrim, Solstheim, and Apocrypha. Skuldafn technically exists in a separate worldspace (hence it can't be accessed after the related quest) and so you can't use Bend Will on Odahviing there. --Quill-Tail (talk) 15:57, 6 May 2013 (GMT)

Unrelenting Force and dragon riding[edit]

The note seems a little confusing now. As I know, some enemies may use Unrelenting Force to attack you while you are riding a dragon. If your dragon is hit, you will be forced to leave your dragon and fall to the ground. In my case, the Ebony Warrior killed me in this way. I think some high-level draugrs may do this too. Dreamshadow (talk) 05:43, 10 September 2013 (GMT)

Ah! I misinterpreted your edit. I thought you were saying that if the player used the shout they might fall off. I will alter it to match what I think you met. --Xyzzy Talk 13:53, 10 September 2013 (GMT)

Water-Walking Glitch[edit]

I've used bend will on a dragon while water walking pretty far off of the coast of solstheim. The dragon landed in the water, and started to sink. I mounted it anyway, and it didn't fly away. I started to drown. I put it here because I figured someone would want to confirm it before posting it.--69.144.126.122 07:04, 24 March 2014 (GMT)

No Spell Casting[edit]

I've had Skyrim on the PS3 for years, and in all that time, I have never been able to cast a single spell whilst riding a dragon. In fact, the only form of magic I have been able to use on dragonback is shouts. Does anybody have any Idea what could be causing this? — Unsigned comment by Vanondorf (talkcontribs) at 16:32 on 26 April 2017

Spell List Update[edit]

I'm asking here instead of just trying to make changes myself since I'm not that experienced with it and don't want to mess anything up (especially with CC stuff), but can we add some of the Creation Club spells to the list of what can be cast while riding? I'm able to use the Elemental spells just fine, as well as the Absorb, however given the short range on those they really weren't effective. The CC stuff seems to have been added to all kinds of articles here already, so when I saw that wasn't done here yet I thought I'd ask...83.136.182.77 03:04, 24 September 2021 (UTC)

Achievement[edit]

For the Dragonrider achievement I need to ride five dragons. It's the last achievement I still need.

1) I assume that Odahviing doesn't count. But does Sahrotaar count in that?

2) Is it enough to let the dragon take off and immediately tell him to land again?

109.43.114.3 00:42, 25 December 2022 (UTC)

Yet another page which looks bad because of images on mobile[edit]

The image isn't that useful to place it so high. Nordrym (talk) 23:57, 16 October 2023 (UTC)