After more than a decade since its initial release, the routine of playing as a normal Sim in The Sims 4 can eventually become mundane. Thankfully, the game offers a rich array of supernatural forms—from the classic vampires to the recently added fairies—providing exciting new dimensions that profoundly transform the gameplay experience.
In its early years, The Sims 4 had a limited supernatural presence, with only aliens and vampires introduced via DLC within the first five years. However, Maxis has dramatically expanded this aspect since 2019, bringing in spellcasters, mermaids, werewolves, ghosts, and, with the new “Enchanted by Nature” DLC, fairies. This impressive collection of otherworldly beings offers a fresh dynamic to your game, assuming you own the corresponding expansion packs.
To help you seamlessly dive into this fascinating supernatural world, we`ve compiled a comprehensive rundown for each occult type.
Table of Contents
- How to create an occult Sim by birth
- 1. Vampire (Vampires DLC)
- 2. Werewolf (Werewolves DLC)
- 3. Fairy (Enchanted by Nature DLC)
- 4. Spellcaster (Realm of Magic DLC)
- 5. Alien (Get to Work DLC)
- 6. Mermaid (Island Living DLC)
- 7. Ghost (Life & Death DLC)
How to Create an Occult Sim by Birth
Sims have the unique ability to be born as any of the occult types, with the natural exception of ghosts. The rules governing hereditary occult traits are consistent across all varieties: if both parents share the same occult type, their offspring is guaranteed to inherit that trait (for example, two vampire parents will always result in a vampire baby). If one parent is an occult Sim and the other is a normal human Sim, there`s a 50% chance the baby will also possess the occult parent`s life state.
When two parents of different occult types have a child—for instance, a vampire and a werewolf—the child will have an equal probability of inheriting either parent`s occult type. However, The Sims 4 does not natively support occult hybrids, meaning a Sim cannot be both types simultaneously. For example, if your Sim is a vampire or spellcaster, the options to become a fairy will not be visible until they revert to a regular Sim. While community-created mods can bypass this limitation, the base game maintains distinct occult states.
Now, let`s delve into the specific details for each individual occult type.
1. Vampire (Vampires DLC)
How to become a vampire
You can create a new vampire Sim directly in Create-a-Sim, or an existing Sim can befriend a vampire and politely ask them for the gift of eternal life (to be turned).
What changes once your Sim is a vampire
When your Sim transforms into a vampire, their standard energy and hunger needs are replaced by unique vampire energy and thirst meters. They will also no longer need to use the toilet and, perhaps most notably, will become immortal, ceasing to age. However, not everything is positive; vampires are vulnerable to fatal sun exposure, become sick if they consume regular food, and must constantly satisfy their thirst for plasma, or they risk going feral and indiscriminately attacking other Sims.
Vampires also feature a distinct skill tree, which they progress through by performing vampire-specific actions. Advancing through this skill chart grants them powerful abilities and allows them to mitigate some of the inherent downsides of vampirism, such as reducing their vulnerability to sunlight. As they improve, they gain special powers, but leveling up their vampire skills will always require choosing some negative perks as well, ensuring a balanced challenge.
Pros
Embracing the path of a vampire offers an alternative method to achieve certain lifetime aspiration rewards that would otherwise take significantly longer, such as removing the need for sleep or bathing. Vampirism also holds a distinct advantage over all other forms of immortality in The Sims 4: a specific perk that numbs your Sim`s emotions. This prevents them from becoming deeply depressed every time a distant relative passes away—an occurrence that could be quite frequent for a Sim living for centuries. While the constant thirst can be an inconvenience, plasma packs and plasma fruit are readily available, allowing you to sustain your Sim without resorting to feeding on others if you prefer not to.
Cons
The well-known drawbacks of being a vampire are significant: direct sunlight is deadly, garlic acts as a poison, they cannot sleep in conventional beds, and they possess a perpetual need to drink blood. Fortunately, most of these major negatives can be mitigated through skill progression. However, the inherent requirement to accept several detrimental perks alongside beneficial ones as you advance your vampire abilities ensures that playing as a vampire is never entirely without its challenges.
How to cure vampirism
Sims who have successfully maxed out their Vampire Lore skill gain the ability to mix the Ultimate Vampire Cure. This concoction can be prepared using the mixology skill at any bar. Once brewed, the Sim simply needs to drink it to revert to their normal state.
2. Werewolf (Werewolves DLC)
How to become a werewolf
You can create a new werewolf Sim directly in Create-a-Sim, or an existing Sim can be bitten and transformed by another werewolf.
What changes once your Sim is a werewolf
Your Sim will become a werewolf, transforming into their wolf form during every full moon. A new “Fury” gauge will appear on their needs panel, which regularly increases due to mood swings or engaging in werewolf activities. The higher your werewolf Sim`s fury, the more primal and animalistic their behavior becomes. As part of this system, all werewolves in The Sims 4 possess a unique temperament that dictates which specific stimuli will agitate them and increase their fury.
Werewolves also have their own exclusive skill tree, allowing them to level up their inherent abilities and diminish some of the downsides of their lycanthropic state. In addition to the standard skill tree, werewolves can unlock six dormant abilities by performing specific actions. Unsurprisingly, they can form wolf packs, which are vital social groups for werewolf happiness, as they are not reclusive by nature like vampires.
Pros
Playing as a werewolf provides some truly eccentric and engaging new gameplay options for The Sims 4. For instance, one werewolf perk allows your Sim to literally eat furniture, while another grants the ability to quickly travel across the world by burrowing through the ground. And, similar to most occult types, once you`ve fully maxed out their skill tree, your Sim can achieve a form of immortality; they will continue to age but will no longer die from old age.
Cons
The Fury meter can be quite bothersome to keep under control, especially in the early stages, as entering a rampage is highly detrimental to your Sim`s social standing within the community. However, werewolves do not possess any mortal vulnerabilities like vampires do. Even so, this is perhaps the most esoteric of the occult states, representing the most significant departure from conventional Sims 4 gameplay.
How to cure the werewolf condition
A Sim can revert to a regular person by using the “Lunar Epiphany” dormant ability, which is unlocked through reading specific werewolf tomes.
3. Fairy (Enchanted by Nature DLC)
How to become a fairy
A new Sim can be designated as a fairy during the Create-a-Sim process. For an existing Sim, the transformation begins by visiting Innisgreen and obtaining a Fairy Seedling from a fairy. This seedling is then planted to summon Mother Nature, from whom your Sim must ask for Mother Nature`s Charm to initiate the process. The final step involves a visit to Moondrop Springs in the Everdew neighborhood to complete the transformation.
What changes when your Sim is a fairy
Fairies are unique in that they do not require food and consequently have no bladder need. They possess the innate ability to fly everywhere and wield extraordinary powers that allow them to control the emotions of other Sims, inflict strange ailments or heal them, and rapidly accelerate plant growth. Fairies also have a new energy bar called “Emotional Force,” which requires special attention; if it depletes completely, the fairy will die.
Pros
Fairy Sims are exceptionally powerful gardeners, capable of quickly and effortlessly tending to a large number of plants. Their potential for creating delightful chaos among other Sims by manipulating their emotions and interfering with relationships opens up a wealth of fun and unique social opportunities. Overall, it`s a very enjoyable occult type to play.
Cons
A fairy can accidentally cause their own demise surprisingly easily by allowing their “Emotional Force” to run out. While more powerful fairies can mitigate this risk by advancing through the fairy skill tree, playing as a fairy can be unusually perilous if you fail to pay close attention to this vital resource.
How to remove a Sim`s fairy status
The process for removing a Sim`s fairy status is precisely the same as becoming one: summon Mother Nature with a Fairy Seedling, ask her to remove the charm, and visit Moondrop Spring again.
4. Spellcaster (Realm of Magic DLC)
How to become a spellcaster
You can create a new spellcaster Sim directly in Create-a-Sim. Alternatively, an existing Sim can request the “Rite of Ascension” from one of the sages in the Magic Realm, or simply ask another sufficiently powerful spellcaster Sim to turn them.
What changes when your Sim is a spellcaster
Spellcasters unlock a unique skill tree that progresses as they utilize any magical ability. Beyond this, they must also learn individual magic powers and alchemical recipes. Your Sim can achieve this by practicing each of the three magic types to learn spells, or by experimenting with a cauldron to discover potion recipes. They will also gain the ability to use magic wands, which significantly enhance their powers.
However, every use of magic will also increase a new “spellcaster charge” meter. The higher this meter becomes, the greater the likelihood of a spell malfunctioning, which could potentially result in your Sim`s death.
Pros
Learning spells and potions unlocks an array of mundane yet incredibly useful abilities that significantly simplify your Sim`s daily life, such as the power to instantly repair any broken object or duplicate items. For example, you could brew a “Potion of Plentiful Needs,” which instantly fills all your Sim`s need meters, and then use the “Copypasto” spell to duplicate it until you have a lifetime supply for your entire extended family. Your Sim can also brew a “Potion of Immortality,” which will prevent them from ever dying of old age, or even use a spell to turn a ghost back into a living Sim.
Cons
There are no inherent downsides to becoming a spellcaster. Every aspect and ability granted by this life state is a substantial improvement to gameplay.
How to get rid of your spellcaster status
You can undergo the “Rite of Dissolution” from any of the sages in the Magic Realm to remove your spellcaster status. If your Sim later decides to become a spellcaster again, their accumulated power level will be retained, but you will need to reassign the skill tree perks.
5. Alien (Get to Work DLC)
How to become an alien
Sims cannot be “turned” into aliens; they must either be created in Create-a-Sim or born into the life state. However, a Sim can use a satellite to intentionally provoke alien abduction, which sometimes results in an alien pregnancy regardless of your Sim`s gender. Children born from such pregnancies will always be aliens.
What`s different when playing as an alien
Compared to other occult types, the alien life state introduces fewer dramatic changes to core gameplay. Aliens typically feature blue or purple skin and possess the unique ability to disguise themselves as humans, allowing them to avoid any awkward social situations. While there isn`t a traditional skill tree, aliens have unique inherent abilities, such as being able to transmute one type of metal or crystal into another random kind. They also possess empathy skills that enable them to understand the feelings of any Sim they speak to, and they can even copy another Sim`s emotional state.
Pros
Essentially, playing as an alien Sim is largely similar to playing a normal Sim, but with a couple of distinct extra perks. It offers a subtle differentiation without drastically altering the fundamental gameplay mechanics.
Cons
None. The alien life state offers benefits without any significant drawbacks.
6. Mermaid (Island Living DLC)
How to become a mermaid
You can create a new mermaid Sim directly in Create-a-Sim, be born as one, or by consuming “Mermadic Kelp,” which can be found hidden in the world or purchased from the aspiration rewards store for 500 points.
What changes when your Sim is a mermaid
When a Sim transforms into a mermaid, they grow a beautiful tail. However, they can still revert to their normal human form with legs when on land. The standard hunger need is replaced by a unique “Hydration” need; mermaids must remain moist, or they will, unfortunately, die.
Mermaids receive a range of inherent abilities, each of which depletes their hydration meter upon use. You`ll need to use these powers carefully to avoid drying your Sim out. They can sing various enchanting lullabies that inspire specific moods in Sims who hear them, communicate directly with fish and dolphins, and even engage in mischievous acts, such as luring unsuspecting swimmers into the water and pulling them under, potentially causing them to drown. They also possess a minor degree of weather control.
Pros
If your Sim resides in Sulani or any other water-rich world, the mermaid`s ability to swim significantly faster than a normal Sim provides a huge advantage for traversal. Furthermore, the fun of being able to communicate with and befriend fish is a delightful and unique aspect of this life state.
Cons
The hydration meter can be more challenging to manage if your Sim does not live directly next to the ocean. While baths and showers do provide some relief, ironically, swimming in pools or using hot tubs (or any other chlorinated water) will actually dehydrate your Sim further, requiring constant vigilance.
7. Ghost (Life & Death DLC)
How to become a ghost
Die.
What changes when your Sim becomes a ghost
Your Sim will transition from a corporeal being to a translucent, glowing spirit. This transformation unlocks the “Ghost Mastery” skill tree, which allows a ghost Sim not only to acquire new spectral abilities but also to choose whether they manifest as a benevolent or a malevolent spirit. Examples of mischievous ghost abilities include haunting household objects, inflicting nightmares upon other Sims, or cursing them with bad luck. On the friendly side, a ghost Sim can replenish a living Sim`s needs, save the life of a Sim who has just died, or simply bless them with good fortune.
Importantly, occult Sims who died as a direct result of their inherent weakness (for example, a vampire dying from sunlight exposure) will retain their specific occult abilities even in their ghostly form.
Pros
Since they lack a physical presence, ghosts can perform numerous actions that normal Sims cannot, such as walking through walls or even other Sims—which gives them a strange yet enjoyable feeling of otherworldly freedom. Ghosts can also perform playful jump scares for entertainment.
Cons
While a ghost can perform most actions a regular Sim can, there are certain limitations. For instance, a ghost cannot have children.
How to stop being a ghost
The ghost state is unique in that it is the only occult state that can be reverted through multiple different methods. A ghost can be turned back into a living Sim using a “Book of Life” written by an author Sim, by cooking and consuming the rare “Ambrosia,” or by utilizing the magical spell “Dedeathify.” Additionally, a ghost can choose to “pass on” and be reincarnated as a new Sim by swimming in the mystical waters of Revenwood.