Dragon Mounts

Dragon Taming

In order to tame and ride a dragon, you must learn all three words of the Bend Will Shout by completing Dragonborn Main Quest: The Gardener of Men; then unlock them with Dragon Souls in the usual manner. After that, you need to find a dragon:

• If you have completed the Main Quest, you can call upon Odahviing, using the Call Dragon Shout.
• You can also tame almost any dragon you find in the wild. Dragon lairs or dragon mounds are often the best places to look for them.

The following dragons cannot be tamed or ridden:

• Alduin
• Paarthurnax
• Durnehviir

Use the complete Bend Will Shout on the dragon to tame it. You must use the full Shout (all three words), or it will have no effect.

Dragon Riding

After you successfully tame a dragon, it will land nearby. Press your Activate button or key to mount up and begin riding. While riding a dragon, you can:

• Orbit: By default, the dragon will simply begin flying around the immediate area. Enjoy the view—it’s often spectacular.
• Lock Targets: You can press the Jump button or key to enter or exit target-lock mode. While you are in target lock mode:
• The name of your current target will be displayed below the compass. Your camera will remain focused on this target as the dragon flies around.
• You can cycle between targets with the left and right arrows on your D-pad.
• You can order your dragon to attack by pressing the Sneak button or key.
• You can equip and use most spells and Shouts (those that can’t be used will be grayed out). Given the dragon’s high rate of speed, only projectile spells and Shouts tend to be effective, though.
• Fly to a Destination: While your dragon is flying, you can call up the map to Fast-Travel to almost any location you have discovered. You will arrive still mounted and ready to engage in combat.
• While riding a dragon, you can Fast-Travel even while in combat. This makes it easy to escape if the battle is going badly for you. However, you cannot Fast-Travel to some destinations, such as Dragonsreach, in this way and that location will be hidden on your map.
• Dismount: When you’re ready to move on, press the Activate button or key button to order the dragon to land. If you change your mind, you can press the Activate button or key again to cancel the landing.

Death from Above: Advice for Proficient Dragon Combat

If you use Bend Will on a dragon but decide not to ride it or are at a location where the dragon can’t find room to land (such as Deepwood Vale), the dragon will just orbit your position and engage your foes in combat. This is often as (or more) useful than actually riding it—you can’t ask for a better ally than a dragon.

If you decide not to ride your dragon, then change your mind, just aim Bend Will at it to get it to land again and allow you to climb on. However, this does not extend the duration of the Bend Will effect.

If you choose not to enter Target Lock mode, your dragon can still fight on its own. It will initiate combat if attacked, pick its own targets, and continue fighting until they are defeated. Leaving Target Lock mode does not cause your dragon to break off combat.

When you first enter Target Lock mode, your initial target is either your dragon’s current combat target or the nearest available target (if your dragon isn’t in combat). The list of available targets does not update, so if more foes join the fray, exit and reenter Target Lock mode to acquire them.

When you use projectile spells or Shouts while in Target Lock mode, you automatically lead your target (aim your shot based on their current movement). Your shots are most accurate when both your target and your dragon are flying in a straight line (or your target is standing still). If you have trouble connecting, choose a spell with an explosive impact, like Fireball.

If your dragon loses too much health, it will land and remain on the ground until it dies or its health recovers enough for it to fly again. If you have the Restoration spell Grand Healing, you can use it to heal both the dragon and yourself.

If you are not riding your dragon, it will fight for you until the Bend Will Shout expires; then it will fly away. If you are riding it, the dragon will never become “untamed,” even if the Bend Will effect expires—it will wait until the next time you land, at which point it will immediately fly away.

Once your dragon departs, if you wait around long enough, it may return to its original location (e.g., to its lair), although it will no longer be friendly with you.