In this guide, we’ll walk you through the essential steps to raise your standing within the infamous Dark Brotherhood guild in The Elder Scrolls Online. Learn how to start the Dark Brotherhood questline and delve into the dark arts of assassination as well as find out the fastest way to level up the guild and uncover the maximum rank achievable.
How to Level Up the Dark Brotherhood Guild in ESO
Similar to most other guilds in ESO, the Dark Brotherhood uses Reputation for leveling purposes. In the Dark Brotherhood, Reputation is earned by completing various quests and Assassination Contracts for the guild.
Reputation rewards for the Dark Brotherhood are as follows:
- Dark Brotherhood Story Quest – 10 Reputation
- Dark Brotherhood Milestone Story – 20 Reputation
- Marked for Death contracts – 5 Reputation
- Killing Spree contracts – 10 Reputation
- Black Sacrament contracts – 10 baseline Reputation or 20 Total Reputation if additional objectives completed
After completing some of the first story quests for the Dark Brotherhood you can speak to Nevusa, who will introduce you to the Litany of Blood quests that will allow you to use the Blade of Woe to kill specific targets across Tamriel for great rewards and a unique (highly desire) polymorph. Doing all the above will progress you through the ranks of the Dark Brotherhood, edging you closer to the maximum Reputation level.
How to start the Dark Brotherhood Quest Line
In order to start your journey as a deadly assassin, you’ll need to have purchased the Dark Brotherhood DLC either through the Crown Store or unlocked via an ESO Plus subscription. Once obtained, go to your Collections tab and then choose “Stories” and then “Zone DLC.”
Select the Dark Brotherhood and accept the quest, and you’ll be teleporting to the Gold Coast to the city of Anvil.
Follow your quest marker to meet with Amelie Crowe. She will task you with killing a target to draw the attention of the Dark Brotherhood. Afterward, a courier will run up to you and hand you a letter with the infamous Black Hand. Next, follow the quest marker to the Lighthouse in Anvil and talk to Speaker Terenus. This will grant you the Blade of Woe and give you the first quest to enter the lair of the Dark Brotherhood. Congratz, you have started the Dark Brotherhood Skill line and officially joined the ranks of the Brotherhood.
Leveling Up With Dark Brotherhood Daily Quests
In a similar fashion to the Thieves Guild, the Dark Brotherhood has two different types of daily quests for members to complete. The first type is the Marked for Death or Killing Spree contracts. To participate in these contracts you must have completed the first three quests in the Dark Brotherhood questline. Once completed, you can obtain these contracts by speaking to Elam Drals within the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary in the Gold Coast (see below).
It is important to note that these contracts are key to leveling up your Dark Brotherhood Skill line as it is a primary method of earning Reputation. Additionally, you will receive Dark Brotherhood Reward Satchels that contain potions, an item from the Sithis’ Touch armor set, or associated crafting material for the Dark Brotherhood style.
Once you’ve done enough contracts and quests to advance to the second rank in the Dark Brotherhood Skill line you will be able to unlock the second type of daily quests, the Black Sacraments.
The Sacrament contract will task you with assassinating a target using the Blade of Woe somewhere in Tamriel. Completing the task and completing the optional objectives yields the most amount of Reputation. You’ll definitely want to go through the extra effort as it will allow you to progress through the Skill line much faster but also yield you better satchels containing Dark Brotherhood Style Motifs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest way to level up the Dark Brotherhood guild in ESO?
As briefly touched upon earlier, the fastest way to level up the Dark Brotherhood Skill Line is by going through the questline, as well as the Litany of Blood quests, whilst simultaneously doing as many of the daily contracts as possible. The Blade of Woe is your best friend, it will allow you to complete many of the optional challenges in the Black Sacrament contracts that will end up netting you more Rep as well as cutting down a lot of time per quest/contract, when in doubt pull that blade out! Easy kills with no witnesses that’s the name of the Dark Brotherhood’s game. Do this repeatedly and you’ll be max rank in no time.
Is the Dark Brotherhood skill line any good?
The guild’s signature ability, Blade of Woe, allows you to instantly kill NPCs, making it an interesting choice for stealthy players looking to complete certain quests quickly. However, the guild doesn’t offer many useful skills or passives beyond this ability, making it much more of a niche choice and ultimately one I feel most make because it was a fan favorite from the single-player games.
The storyline, thematic characters/outfits, and lore thankfully do scratch that itch for most fans of the Elder Scrolls series better than the Thieves Guild DLC.
What is the max rank for the Dark Brotherhood guild in ESO
The maximum rank for the Dark Brotherhood Guild is Reputation rank level 12.
How long does it take to level up the Dark Brotherhood guild skill line?
To reach the maximum 515 Reputation required to max out the Dark Brotherhood Skill Line, completing the 10 story quests, plus the litany of blood quests, along with roughly 5 Marked for Death or Killing Spree contracts, plus 10 Black Sacrament contracts will have you reach max level in roughly 9-11 hours worth of gameplay.
The table below shows the total amount of Reputation required to hit the maximum level:
24025
| Rank | Reputation Required for Next Rank | Total Reputation for Rank |
| 1 | 25 | 0 |
| 3 | 50 | 65 |
| 4 | 50 | 115 |
| 5 | 50 | 165 |
| 6 | 50 | 215 |
| 7 | 50 | 265 |
| 8 | 50 | 315 |
| 9 | 50 | 365 |
| 10 | 50 | 415 |
| 11 | 50 | 465 |
| 12 | – | 515 |
What DLC is needed for the Dark Brotherhood guild in ESO
ESO Players can purchase the Dark Brotherhood DLC via the Crown Store or have it unlocked via an ESO Plus Membership.
Where to go next in ESO
Ready to continue your journey learning everything there is to know about Guilds in The Elder Scrolls Online? Then check these additional helpful guides and resources!
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