FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 1
MOVE: 12”/18“ <(/18" as large bat only)>
HIT DICE: 8 + 3
% IN LAIR: 25% (1 Vampiress: forest, TPL42:7th, REF3.53)
TREASURE TYPE: [F]
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ~ 12 <(10 incl. +2 STR. bonus)>
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 5-10
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy drain (2 levels), charm
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hit only by magic weapons, regenerates, gaseous form, limited immunity to magical attacks/poiosn/paralyzation
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VIII | 3800 + 12

The most dreaded of the chaotic evil  undead is the night-prowling vampire.
These creatures must REST in a coffin || similar receptacle during hours of sunlight unless far beneath the surface of the ground,
and in the latter case they must occasionally return to such REST,
for their power is restored by contact with soil from their grave.
Like all undead, vampires exist in two planes at once --
in this case the material && negative material.
Vampires have 18/76  STR.

If a vampire scores a hit upon an opponent, its powerful blow causes 5-10 points of damage,
and its powerful negative force drains 2 life energy (alt) levels from the victim,
complete with corresponding losses in hit dice, ability level, attack level, etc.

Q: Can a vampire drain energy levels after a stake has been driven through its heart?
If it can, will simply touching its body cause the energy drain?

A: A stake through the heart totally incapacitates
a vampire. It cannot move,
attack, or use its special abilities; it is not
destroyed, however, until additional steps
are taken (see the MM, page
99). All touch-delivered attacks, including
an undead's energy drain, require a successful
melee hit from the creature delivering
the attack. Simply touching an active
vampire will not cause energy loss.
(138.12)

ADQ: Do PCs and NPCs who become vampires
retain their previous character classes? If
so, how do you calculate the vampire's HP?
Does the creature keep the HD and
HP it had in life, or must you use 8+3 HD
for all vampires as listed in the MM?
At what level would it cast spells?
ADA: The DM should decide whether a vampire
will retain the the character class and abilities it had
in life. If it does, it will keep its previous HD
and HP, though it will no longer be able to
gain experience as such. Spells are CAST at the
character's previous level.
(Polyhedron #19)

Color by Tim Galioto

Vampires are affected only by magickal weapons.
They regenerate damage at 3 HP per melee round.
If brought to 0 HP by combat, the vampire is not killed, but it is forced into gaseous form.
It must then return to its coffin within 12 turns, rest 8 hours, and reform a corporeal body.

Sleep, charm, and hold spells do not affect vampires.
Neither do poison || paralysis.
Vampires take only one-half damage from spells based on cold || electricity.

A vampire can assume gaseous form at will.
Likewise, a vampire can shape change into a large bat whenever desired -- thus the flying
movement shown for this monster.

If it gazes into a person’s eyes, the
vampire will have the effect of charming, with the victim subtracting 2
from the save vs. Magic. charmed persons behave as if they
had been successfully struck with a charm person spell.

Summoning: All vampires also have the ability to summon creatures to aid them; in subterranean
surroundings usually 10 to 100 rats or bats (the latter only confusing and
obscuring opponents’ vision, not physically attacking), and in wilderness
surroundings typically 3-18 wolves. These creatures come within 2-12
melee rounds.

Vampires recoil from strong garlic, the face of a rorrim, or a cross (or
several other holy symbols of lawful good) if any of these objects are
presented boldly. Note, however, that none of these devices harm or drive
the monster off. They do cause a vampire to hesitate 1 to 4 rounds before
attacking in the case of garlic; a rorrim II holy symbol will cause a <garlic(unofficial)>
vampire to position itself so that the object is not between the vampire and
its intended victim -- or the vampire will have one of its creatures remove
the device whose power is keeping it at bay. It must be stressed that lawful
good holy symbols such as the cross are sovereign against vampires of all
sorts, regardless of the religious background of the vampire in its human
existence.

Q: AD&D game module GDQ1-7
Queen of the Spiders (pages 70-71)
speaks of a vampire striking away a
holy symbol and suffering 2-12 hp
damage. The Monster Manual, on the
other hand, says that holy symbols
do not harm vampires. Please
resolve this contradiction.

A: No contradiction exists. The line in the
Monster Manual is meant to convey that
holy symbols have no effect when used
against vampires as weapons. Any lawfulgood
holy symbol, however, is an effective
barrier against a vampire. The rather
unusual vampire in the module chose to
force its way through the barrier instead
of bypassing it as most vampires do (see
the Monster Manual, page 99). The damage
is the consequence of the vampire's
unusual action, not a character's. Note also
that if a character tries to use a holy symbol
as a weapon, it ceases to function as a
barrier; the vampire can return the attack
without penalty. This is similar to what
happens when a paladin voluntarily
breaks his protection from evil in order to
melee an extraplanar creature.
(138.12)

A vampire can be slain by the following methods:
    * exposure to direct sunlight kills the creature in 1 TURN, and it becomes powerless immediately.
    * A vampire immersed in running water for 3 melee rounds is killed. The vampire loses one-third of its hit points per round of immersion.
    * If a wooden stake is driven through a vampire‘s heart it is killed, but only for so long as the stake remains; to finish this task the vampire‘s head must
        also be cut off and its mouth filled with holy wafers.

Holy water splashed upon a vampire causes 2-7 HP of damage per
vial-full which strikes the monster.

Any human || humanoid drained of all life energy by a vampire becomes
an appropriately strengthed vampire under control of its slayer. This
transformation takes place 1 day after the creature is buried, but if and
only if the creature is buried. Thus it is possible to have a vampiric thief,
cleric (CE in vampire form, of course), etc. If the vampire which
slew the creature is itself killed, the vampires created by it become free-
willed monsters.

Oriental vampires:

Vampires of the eastern world are invisible. This gives them all
appropriate consideration for invisibility, including a -2 on ”to hit” dice
rolls for opponents not able to see invisible objects. These vampires cannot
charm, however, nor do they have power to assume gaseous form at will. <smoky form>

FREQUENCY: Rare

FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Dungeon Level VIII])
FREQUENCY: Common ([Dungeon Level IX]) (Cleric, levels 7-10)
FREQUENCY: Common ([Dungeon Level X]) (Magick-user, levels 9-12))
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Cold Civilized Mountains], [Cold Civilized Forest], [Cold Civilized Swamp], [Cold Civilized Plains], [Cold Civilized Desert])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Cold Wilderness Mountains], [Cold Wilderness Hills], [Cold Wilderness Forest])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Cold Wilderness Swamp], [Cold Wilderness Plains], [Cold Wilderness Desert])

FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Temperate Civilized Mountains], [Temperate Civilized Hills], [Temperate Civilized Forest], [Temperate Civilized Swamp])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Temperate Civilized Plains], [Temperate Civilized Desert])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Temperate Wilderness Mountains], [Temperate Wilderness Hills], [Temperate Wilderness Forest], [Temperate Wilderness Swamp])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Temperate Wilderness Plains], [Temperate Wilderness Desert])

FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Tropical Civilized Mountains], [Tropical Civilized Hills], [Tropical Civilized Forest], [Tropical Civilized Swamp])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Tropical Civilized Plains], [Tropical Civilized Desert])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Tropical Wilderness Mountains], [Tropical Wilderness Hills], [Tropical Wilderness Forest])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Tropical Wilderness Swamp], [Tropical Wilderness Plains], [Tropical Wilderness Desert])

Lesser vampires have but half their former level of exerience with respect to their profession (cleric, fighter, etc.) at the time they initially encountered and were subsequently slain/drained by their now-master vampire,
i.e., an 8th level thief killed by a vampire, even though drained to below 0 level in the process, returns as a 4th level thief vampire, as appropriate.
However, upon the destruction of their slayer/drainer,
such lesser undead gain energy levels from characters they subsequently slay/drain until they reach the maximum number of hit dice
(and their former level of class experience as well, if applicable)
appropriate to their type of undead monster.
Upon reaching full HD status,
they are able to slay/drain and control lesser undead as they once were.

    - Energy Draining by Undead or Device (DMG)
 

SA: Light & the Undead
 

Question: Concerning combat with vampires: I am not certain how the use of wooden stakes is accomplished;
and, is it possible to kill a vampire permanently by the use of a magic weapon?

Answer: Much of the details in any encounter with a vampire must
necessarily depend on the nature of the particular encounter
-- it’s impossible to define the “best” way to combat a vampire,
but some general rules apply. The “use of wooden stakes” is
fairly straightforward: The vampire must be in its corporeal body
and it must be rendered helpless by some means other than
reduction of HP (because when a vampire reaches zero HP, it assumes gaseous form).
Exposure to direct sunlight
will kill a vampire after one turn, and during that turn the crea-
ture is helpless. That seems like a good time to hammer home a
stake, or it could be done at any other time when the vampire is
immobilized in its corporeal body.
    No, it is not possible to permanently kill a vampire with magic
weapons. As stated above, a vampire will become gaseous when
it is reduced to zero HP. Magic weapons are fine for
weakening the creature, but some other means must be used to
apply the killing blow.

Question: Can a cleric create water inside a non-living object?
If so, what would happen if water is created inside a vampire?

Answer.
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Appearance of Vampires

The Vampire's Lair

Attack Forms & Special Abilities

Dealing With Vampires

DMing Vampires

To use the word "lesser" in regard to
any vampire is a misnomer, but the typical
vampire begins as a luckless mortal
who falls prey to one of these creatures
of the opposite sex. It is through the
original vampire's feeding off the blood
of the host that this process takes place,
with the host creature losing one experience
level per feeding until death. <alt>
Within 24 hours after burial, the host <see Ceremony: Burial>
then arises as a vampire under the control
of its original slayer, remaining
under its dominion until the slayer is
itself somehow destroyed.
 

Q: What is a lesser vampire?

A: A lesser vampire is created when a
vampire drains a victim of life energy, and
the victim (now a normal vampire, though
possibly with extra abilities carried over
from life) remains under the vampire's
control; see the Monster Manual, page 99.
(138.12)
 

The Appearance of
Vampires

Unlike other sorts of undead, who exist
mostly on the Negative Material Plane,
vampires retain much of their original
appearance. What physical changes do
occur tend to be limited to a chalkiness
in complexion and a penetrating,
unnerving stare. Vampires in human form avoid armor,
and in most cases
will be attired in the shrouds or clothing
in which they were buried.

Of course, vampires are not always
met in human form. These monsters
may assume canine (usually wolfen)
form or that of a large bat. A polymorphed
vampire differs from a normal
animal whose form it has assumed
by being exceptionally large and having
burning eyes.

The Vampire's Lair

One consistent factor in all lairs of vampires
is that they are set within a locale
that is difficult and time-consuming to
search out. The creature is well aware
that its need to REST during the hours of
daylight is its Achilles' heel, and it
always takes steps to make the discovery
of any of its resting places as difficult
as possible for pursuers.

About the general vicinity of the lair
the vampire will have a number of
lesser guardians to protect it. This can
range from something as simple as a
pack of wolves or rats, to one or more
charmed helpers to mislead the unwary
into going the wrong direction in their
quest for the vampire's coffin(s). These
lesser animal guardians need not be
limited to the two creatures mentioned,
for certainly in locales where wolves
and rats are not commonplace the vampire
may employ other sorts of creatures.
In all cases, such guardians will
be non-benign-snakes, scorpions, hornets,
or other similar things.

Charmed creatures near the lair will
always act in the vampire's best interests,
willingly sacrificing themselves to
protect their master if necessary. If
deliberately employed as spies || assassins,
they may even join up with a party
of adventurers who "rescue" them <>
from a dungeon-turning upon their
comrades at a critical time.

Attack Forms and Special Abilities

The most deadly attack form of the
vampire is its energy-draining touch,
which the creature employs with the
benefits to hit && damage imparted by
its exceptional strength. This ghastly
touch operates in much the same manner
as a ghost's.

An opponent slain through physical
melee with a vampire does not become
undead through this process. Rather,
the creature's soul and vital life <spirit for elves, ea.>
essences are destroyed and no resurrection
is then possible, notwithstanding
wish or similar magics.

It is perhaps a psychological weakness
of vampires that fighter-class
undead of this type often resort to the
use of melee weapons, with applicable
strength and/or specialist bonuses, to <>
show their contempt for living counterparts.

As is well known, vampires may project
project
a powerful charm through their
eyes. The range for this is 20', and it is
most frequently employed against
members of the opposite sex.

The charm certainly may be used
against those of the same sex and lasts
indefinitely in either case. As an alternate
usage, when the monster desires
to remain inconspicuous, a creature
making eye-contact with the vampire is
subject to a suggestion spell.

Among the most useful of the creature's abilities is that of assuming gaseous form.
When in this form, the
vampire resembles a cloud grey smoke <>
and may travel at a 10" movement rate
under doorways and through cracks
and holes within masonry. In gaseous
form, the creature is immune to all
damage-causing spells save magic missile
or other spells similar in nature.

Due to its undead status, vampires <grammar>
cannot be harmed by poison, or charm,
sleep, and hold-type magics.
The ability of the creature to regenerate
3 hit points per melee round is effective
against all sorts of damage except
that caused by holy water fashioned by
a good-aligned cleric (the rate of regeneration
vs. this damage is 1 point/full
turn).

It is untrue that a vampire must
always rest within its coffin during daylight
hours. If deep underground and
well away from the Sun, a vampire may
function if necessary, although it loses
½ its hit points for each day it does not
rest. The vampire may not under any
circumstances go more than three days
without rest. And should it be fought
and reduced to 0 hit points while daylight
remains, it will not turn gaseous
and is subject to final destruction
through a stake in the heart.

Dealing With Vampires

The creature exists solely for its own
benefit. And while it lacks the hatred
some other undead feel toward the living,
it certainly views living characters
with contempt, not unjustifiably believing
itself to be superior. Yet vampires
are known to work occasionally in con-
cert with Evil forces for mutual gain.

When a party of adventurers is
forced into a confrontation with a vampire,
their ultimate goal must be finding
its resting place and driving a stake
through the vampire's heart.

Tools effective against the vampire
include:

Garlic. This causes the vampire to
make a save vs. Spell in order to attack
someone either wearing or presenting
it.

Mirrors. Vampires try to avoid
being between a mirror and a target.
The effect is to make the monster hesitate
1d4 rounds before attacking.
Neutral holy symbols. These
likewise result in the vampire's hesitating
1d4 rounds while it musters
strength to attack the possessors.

Good holy symbols. Such objects,
especially the cross, are an absolute
defense against the creature, forcing it
to turn away if boldly presented. Their
protection is lost should the vampire be
subsequently attacked by the bearer.

DMing Vampires
Vampires should be played as the powerful
and intelligent creatures that they
are. Their contempt for lesser living
beings provides opportunities for
active roleplaying between the monster
and the characters, for a vampire
would enjoy few things more than
{taunting} its pursuers verbally--and
leading them into a number of traps && tricks as well.

The fact that vampires 'cannot' cross
bodies of running water is true only to
the extent that they cannot MOVE
through such terrain. They certainly
may cross over by means of spell, boat, <l?>
or magic items such as a ring of water walking.

Ultimately, the vampire's motives will
be to survive, and so it should never by
'easy' for a group of adventurersto
locate and slay the creature in its lair. <font>
Certainly, though, the ego of the monster
is such that while it leads its pursuers
on a merry chase before its <eat, drink, >
intended escape, it might well place
itself in a position where it could be
defeated by a fast-thinking group of
opponents.

Greater Vampires (10 HD)
 

The Appearance of Greater Vampires

The Lair of Greater Vampires

Attack Forms and Special Abilities

Dealing With Greater Vampires

DMing Greater Vampires

It is from the life-draining kiss of the succubus that greater vampires are born.
A major difference between these and lesser vampires is that the creature may exist safely in daylight,
although it possesses no special abilities other than spell immunity common to all vampires, and its great strength (18/00).
During the hours of darkness, however,
the creature is every bit as deadly
as its lesser counterpart. And the fact it
is mobile during daylight hours makes
it that much more so.

The Appearance of
Greater Vampires

These creatures look no different from
lesser vampires. Their greater freedom
of activity and weakness during the
daylight, however, may result in their
being more prone to wearing various
outfits && armor.

The Lair of Greater
Vampires
Greater mobility makes this monster's
lair all the more difficult to locate.
Because the vampire may look no different
from any other citizen, the location
of its resting place can be hidden
almost anywhere, with guardians <font:Parkison> often
totally unaware of their master's true
nature.

Attack Forms and Special
Abilities
These creatures possess all the regular
attack forms and abilities of lesser vampires.
In addition, their gaze weapon also may be employed as a hold person spell.

Another talent they may employ is to
summon minor demons to serve them
for up to 24 hours. This only may be
attempted during the hours of darkness,
obviously, and the monster has a
40% chance of successfully summoning
a Type I demon, and a 20% chance of
summoning a Type II demon.
These monsters are turned by clerics as specials.

Dealing With Greater
Vampires
During the hours of darkness, the
greater vampire may be handled in
much the same fashion as any lesser vampire.

An important difference is that the monster is entirely immune to all lesser charms.
Even good {holy symbols} affect the creature only if it fails a save vs. Spell.

During the hours of daylight, the
monster is far more limited. If caught
and battled at that time, it may be slain
much more easily and will not turn gaseous upon reaching 0 HP.
A stake through the heart still is required to assure its end.

DMing Greater Vampires
Greater vampires are far more deadly than their lesser counterparts.
In almost every case,
the creature will adopt the persona of a normal citizen,
frequently wealthy,
and will do its utmost to keep its true nature a secret,
often moving on to a new locale after
garnering a few victims. It needs REST in
a coffin filled with earth from where it
died only if reduced to 0 HP and
gaseous form.
zb
Should this be impossible, the vampire will die with the coming of dawn.

AC 0; MV 12"/18"; HD 10; # AT 1;
Dmg 2d6; SA energy drain <alt>; SD +1 or
better weapon need to hit; AL CE;
XP 5000 + 10 per HP.
 

by Vince Garcia
 

Q: Can a PC become a free-willed vampire and be
played like any other PC?

A: No. A PC who becomes a vampire also becomes
an NPC under the DM's control;
otherwise, the character is too powerful and the game balance
starts to disappear as the PC vampire vampirizes the countryside.
All undead creatures should be NPCs, to emphasize the humanocentric
nature of the AD&D game system.
(76.62)

3RD21ST wrote:
Hi Gary,

As many people know about them, the vampire is one of the more infamous supernatural beings of folklore. I was wondering, though, what version of the creature you used for your background? The reason I ask is because the other night I was reading the vampire's entry in the Monster Manual, and I could have sworn after I was finished that I just got done watching Christopher Lee in one of the Hammer Dracula pics. Was this your inspiration, or did you use another source? Stoker's novel perhaps? I see both intepretations in there, but like I say it reminded me so much of Christopher Lee.

Rob

Heh, I have read Stoker's novel, Dracula, several times over the years.
However, my favorite screen rendition of that character is that done by Bela Lugosi.
I used Stoker and various folklore sources to develop the vampire as a monster in the A/D&D game 8)

Cheers,
Gary

garhkal wrote:
In your opinion, would a paladin be able to stake an unsuspecting and undefended vampire?
 

I'm not Gary (obviously), but...are you kidding? Of course a Paladin could stake an unsuspecting and undefended vampire! The vampire is evil, and the Paladin would be performing a service to both the vampire (freeing it from the bondage of undeath) and to society.
 

What Philotomy said!

Cheers,
Gary
 

Quote:
Caveat impalor. Make absolutely sure it's a vampire.
Staking an innocent victim in the heart and/or defiling a sanctified corpse is one embarrasing way to lose your paladinhood... 

Pretty unlikely, that error, if the suspected target is in a coffin with earth upon it's bottom and is not breathing yet looks hale and hearty... 

Gary
 

Deogolf wrote:
Wouldn't the aura of evil be a "dead" giveaway?! 
 

In a vein of gratitude, please accept my fangs for that.

Cheers,
Gary

Quote:
Originally posted by MerricB
Geoffrey, don't forget the Banshee, nor the drow vampire in one of Gary's modules. (I'd say which, but I don't want to spoil it for people... )

Cheers!
 

Ho Merrick!

The banshee isn't undead, but a member of the Unseelie Court.

The vampire drow is indeed as noted.
I am really not sure of exactly how the non-humans like that become vampires, as they don't have souls--maybe a process similar to that of becoming a lich...

Cheers,
Gary
 

When I am less busy I'll see about the humor on the website you note.

As for playing an evil-race character as non-evil, sure! Why not, as there is variation of such outlook in most fantasy races.
The general alignment category speaks to the racial propensity and the bent of the majority of it, but certainly a lot of individuals can be different.

That does not apply to it inherantly evil entities such as vampires, let alone demons and devils.
There the modification might be in orderliness (Law-Chaos) and the degree of Evil, the dilligence with which the wicked and malign is pursued.
Just as there are truly evil people with no redeeming qualities whatsoever, so too all such creatures of Evil, for they epitomize that trait.

Cheers,
Gary
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by John Q. Mayhem
Mr. Gygax, where did vampires level drain come from?
Also, I just wanted to say that it's amazing to me that you are talking with the rank&file.
Like someone else said somewhere, what other hobby is there where you can talk to the creator?
 

Ho John Q,

the vampire's level drain came from me.
I decided upon it as a way of simulating that monster's capacity to weaken and make helpless its victims.
Once established, the level-draining attack power made all undead so able into most fearsome opponents

Of course magical and clerical means of restoring lost levels were provided--excellent ways for DMs to be rid of wishes and to drain treasure from PCs hoards and into clerical coffers.

The last special group of gamers to visit me from a distant place, summer before last, so as to go on a wild adventure across the Flanaess of Oerth had a run-in with some super-wights that drained one of their PCs.
Luckily for them they were near Veluna, visited a temple there, and for only about 90% of the wealth they had acquired along the way, those lost levels were restored.
If they'd have had a cleric in their party they would have been much richer at adventure's end...

Cheers,
Gary
 

In AD&D play I'll never forget how Jim Ward's mid-level PC fought a vampire, and forced it to dust-mote without ever being hit.

VAMPIRE PCs

Note that I have written a set of rules for vampires as PCs (in the same vein as the Lycanthrope rules in the DMG).
When I can find them, I will post them.

Vampire PCs? Absolutely, Yes!

- Prespos

Color by Tim Galioto

PS.
Cf. THE MONSTER AS A PLAYER CHARACTER

PS2.
Here's the upshot, from memory:
A character drained to less than 0 level becomes a vampire.
The character will rise at the next sunset.

Gary notes that vampires are intrinsically evil, like demons or devils.
A vampire PC, as a result of his or her actions, is on the sure path to Chaotic Evil, eventually.
(Here, reference the Character Alignment Graph in the PH).
Yes, there is such a thing as a Lawful Good vampire, but... for how long?

The compulsion of bloodlust rules a vampire: he or she may turn against fellow adventurers, even loved ones.
The vampire needs to feed on blood once a night: if the vampire does not feed on a given night, the next night, at a random time (roll d12, etc.), the vampire loses self-control and attacks the nearest eligible target. Each time this happens, move the vampire 1 point towards chaos, 1 point towards evil. (also, cf. GHA.117)
Again, it must be stressed that this blood addiction is not bounded by morality or ethics: in bloodlust, a vampire will drink from a fellow companion, a loved one, even an innocent child.

For the sake of game balance, player character vampires slowly gain their abilities.
They begin with all the weaknesses of a vampire, however.

The vampire is a split-class, like the ninja.
XP is evenly divided by the main class, and the vampire class.

Here's a rough copy of the vampire XP chart:

0 - no special abilities
1 - limited immunity to magickal attacks/poison/paralyzation
2 - charm
3 - summoning
4 - gaseous form
5 - hit only by magic weapons
6 - regeneration
7 - energy drain (1)
8 - energy drain (2)

It is highly recommended that the alternate rules for energy drain given in REF5 are used.
If one uses the suggestions there as a d10 table, the vampire will roll for 1 energy drain effect at 7th level, and 1 energy drain effect at 8th level.
A successful hit inflicts both of the effects simultaneously on the victim.

Also, a vampire's strength increases by 1 (or 1 category for exceptional strength, with each level gained).

Advancing in level as a vampire moves the player character 1 step towards chaos, and, 1 step towards evil.
No training is required to advance.

After 8th level, the character may Advance to become a Greater vampire.

Anyway, that's a rough draft, one that has neither seen playtesting or peer review -- both are required.
 

Vampire

 

Good Evening	Varieties of Vampires	-	Hearts of Darkness	Vampire (Monster Manual / REF5)
Dragon	AD&&D	-	-	Monster Manual

Leomund's Tiny Hut:
Good Evening:
Are You Wild About Vampires?
Here's Something To Sink Your Teeth Into
Lenard Lakofka

 
 

Other Vampire Forms	Immunity to Spells	Regeneration	The "Lesser" Vampire	Summoning and Charming
-	-	Vampire (Monster Manual / REF5)	-	-
Dragon	Monster Manual	Best of Dragon, vol. II	Dragon #30	Vampire (Dragon magazine)
-	-	AD&&D	-	-

This is the first installment in what we plan to make into a monthly
feature. From the title, you may notice a connection to AD&D. If you
read the forwards and prefaces in a number of the D&D and AD&D
books, you will notice the author’s name mentioned in most, if not all, of
them. That he can speak with authority is authenticated there. —ED.
    PH: Foreword, Preface.
    DMG: Foreword, Preface.
 

There is much information on the Vampire, but just as much is left unsaid and unquantified when the details of the play of the monster are studied.
While many of the things stated about the Vampire herein may seem obvious, nevertheless arguments on each of these topics have arisen in this DM’s experience.

The Vampire has 8 + 3 HD, and once calculated the HP total will not vary; thus, when the monster regenerates in its coffin a new HP total is not generated.
A Vampire can have its minions buy a figure it has killed so that human can rise as a Vampire on the next night.
Note that humanoids and demihumans can NOT become vampires.

In theory, since the “draining” of a figure is due to the Negative Material Plane force, a humanoid or demihuman “drained” by a Vampire might become a lesser Undead that exists on the Negative Material Plane.
However, this makes the Vampire too strong and is not allowed.
It should be noted that a Vampire is unlikely to want too many other “lesser” Vampires under his/her control.
Thus the number of vampires under the control of a full 8 + 3 h.d. Vampire should be limited to no more than 4 at 1 time.
If this rule is not observed, entire small towns would be full of Vampires in the span of a few short weeks!
Furthermore, “lesser” Vampires will not create other “lesser” Vampires answerable to themselves; only the Full Vampire will create “lesser” Vampires as a matter of will and choice. Inadvertent creation of a Vampire is possible in either case if a body killed by a Vampire is buried and subsequently the body is dug up (assuming that the burying of the Vampire’s kill does not properly prevent the body from rising again as a Vampire).

This brings up the point of how a body can be properly “disposed of” after being killed by a Vampire or a “lesser” Vampire.
This process should be a simple one and accomplishable in a few ways:

1. The body and head can be separated;
2. The body can be burned;
3. The body can be disposed of just as a Vampire would be disposed of; or
4. The body is drained of blood and either a Bless, Prayer, Chant or Exorcism is said over the corpse.

Other reasonable means can be ruled on by the DM.

The Vampire’s existence on the Negative Material Plane is such that normal Invisibility can be foiled by his/her ability to see into another plane.
My personal ruling in this regard is a range of 40 feet with a 50% chance per direct viewing (that is, looking right at the invisible creature/object) of seeing the invisible object.
Naturally the size of the invisible object can vary this percentage.
The Vampire also has a 5% natural chance to observe Invisibility due to its level and intelligence (see the Dungeon Masters’ Guide).

Other Vampire Forms

The Vampire has the ability to become a Giant Bat and also a Gaseous Cloud at will.
This transformation is very rapid (taking only 1–4 segments with the 4 segments only being used if the Vampire is surprised) and the new form can operate after but a 1-segment delay; this applies to the alternate forms of Bat to Cloud, Cloud to Vampire, etc.
In the Bat and Cloud forms the abilities of the Vampire are, at best, poorly defined.
First of all, the Vampire can not Drain, Summon, Charm or use its physical strength in either form.
Changing to another form will cause all carried items to change also.

As a Bat, the monster has the following statistics:

Hit Dice (for attack purposes) 2 + 1;
Hit points are based upon its full hit die potential;
Move 18”;
Damage per attack 1–2 but not draining ability;
susceptibility to spells is just the same as in Vampire form (a full list of spell immunities follows);
a magic weapon IS needed to inflict damage.
The Bat can see with the Vampire’s eyes (i.e., it has Infravision) but it can not detect Invisibility.
The vampire does not regenerate in the Bat form.
The Bat has only minor existence on the Negative Material Plane, so there is no draining of levels or strength by the Bat’s attack (touch).
The Bat form never has any abilities of the Vampire’s former profession in life.
The Bat is not an animal in any way, so spells affecting animals only do not come into play.
However, if the Vampire summons Bats and then turns into a Bat himself/herself, he/she can lead the summoned bats in some direction, even away from a party.
It can not Command the bats in the classic sense; it can only obtain reaction by its own example, which the bats will mimic.

In Gaseous form, the Vampire has different abilities and characteristics.

Its sense of vision is reduced and it can not see with 20/20 vision nor with Infravision; a slight blurring effect comes into play.
The Gaseous Cloud can move at 6” (faster than the Potion-bestowed Gaseous Form).
It has no hit dice, attack abilities, regeneration abilities, summon abilities, harm abilities or drain abilities.
It is immune to all magic except Fireball, Lightning Bolt (½ damage), Cold (½ damage), Air Elementals (double damage; this includes Djinni Whilrwinds) and Gust of Wind (which can
overcome the 6” movement speed).

Even if the Vampire is “scattered to the four winds” it can re-form, given time (1-100 rounds; the decision must be based upon conditions).
If it is split up and cannot re-form (part is in a container like a bottle, or part is on one side of a wall and part on the other with the connecting hole blocked), the Vampire is not killed unless he/she is exposed to sunlight or unless he/she was on the way back to his/her coffin because of a forced assumption of the Gaseous Form.
If underground, the 2 parts could remain apart for years and still re-form; however, if the coffin has been disposed of while he/she was split up, then another matter arises.
In Cloud form the Vampire is absolutely free to move as he/she chooses if he/she has not been forced into Gaseous Form (i.e., lost all hit points due to combat).
If the Vampire is forced into Gaseous Form, he/she must make for his/her coffin by a reasonably direct route (no going out of the way to cross a river or bog).

The Cloud form can re-form quickly; it can also ooze through any space that is not airtight.
It can even seep through soil that is not too moist at the rate of 1” per hour.
In Gaseous Form, the Vampire has almost no Negative Plane existence, but the link is not completely broken.
Note that if hard-pressed, a Vampire may break off melee by assuming Gaseous Form.

It is a wise decision to set a hit point total at which the Vampire will automatically go Gaseous in the next melee round.
The Vampire, is, after all, a very intelligent monster and he/she will not waste himself/
herself on Forced Gaseous Form if he/she can avoid it. During forced
assumption of Gaseous Form, the Vampire is most vulnerable, since
he/she can not do anything at all for 8 hours after entering his/her coffin
in the Cloud form. Note also that if the Vampire is beyond the 2-hour
limit of travel to reach his coffin, he/she will most certainly assume
Gaseous Form before being forced into the situation!

Note that if the Vampire takes damage from one of the listed spells
while in “Free will Gaseous Form” it could lose all hit points (remember,
it does not regenerate in this form) and be forced to go to its coffin at
once.

Immunity to Spells

The next subject concerning the Vampire is its immunities to various
spells and spell forms. Clearly the Vampire is immune to Sleep, all
Charms, all Holds, Poison and Paralyzation. In like manner, it is ob-
viously immune to Death Magic. Under the realm of Charms and Holds,
it is a logical extension that Suggestion will not work either. However,
arguments from 2 different points of view can be offered in the case of
Fear, Confusion, Magic Jar; Cause Wounds, Disease, or Blindness;
Friends, Web, Stinking Cloud, Enfeeblement, Illusions, Polymorphs,
Feeblemind, Raise Dead, Reincarnation, Power Word Stun and a few
others I have yet to run into.

I rule that the following spells do not affect a Vampire, as extensions
of its normal immunities; FEAR, FRIENDS, Stinking Cloud, Illusions that
charm in some way, Raise Dead and Reincarnation.
Spells that fully effect a Vampire are Confusion, Magic Jar, Cause
Wounds, Cause Blindness (if the Vampire must be touched, the loss of 2
levels is automatic — figure who delivers a spell by touch must do so
with the bare hand, never with a gloved or covered hand!), Feeblemind
and Power Word Stun.

Spells that I rule as variable in effect are Cause Disease (the Vampire
can throw this one off by returning to his/her coffin for 8 hours of rest);
Web (the Vampire has two ways out; Gaseous Cloud, and because
he/she exists on another plane the Web can, at best, be half strength
against the monster — one-fourth, if a saving throw is made. It takes a
Vampire but 1–4 segments to become Gaseous, but he/she must remain
in that form for a full round before taking normal or Bat shape.);
Enfeeblement (since the monster is already dead and since the spell is
based upon Cold, I rule that this spell has only half effect, or no effect if <cold=x>
the normal saving throw is made.); Polymorphs (since the Vampire is an
inherent shapechanger — though limited — as to what forms it can take —
polymorphing the monster is only temporary in effect. The Vampire can
shapechange back to normal form, Bat or Cloud on the next melee
round. It is illogical to have an Undead become an elf, a red dragon or a
beetle, since by its non-living nature the resultant polymorph will also be
“non-living”. Thus, a polymorph of an Undead always results in an
Undead, but the polymorph would not have the powers and abilities of
the new or old form, save for locomotion and speech. This rule prevents
an evil MU from making a Shadow in a Wraith, e.g.). It is also noted that
Vampires take but half damage from Cold and Electricity, but of course
if a saving throw is made the damage is one-fourth. Note that a “Flame
Tongue” or a “Frost Brand” sword does not prevent normal regener-
ation of hit points to a Vampire.

Regeneration
Regeneration is the next topic for discussion. The Vampire does not
regenerate any points in Bat or Gaseous Form. It must be in “human”
shape to regenerate. Note that regeneration, as well as other Vampire
powers, are possible deep underground regardless of the time of day
outside.

I rule the following way when it comes to what constitutes “deep
underground.” If the Vampire is abroad, goes outside, or sees daylight
(he/she does not have to be exposed to daylight) he/she must return to
the coffin at the next daylight period and must remain there through the
day. However, if the coffin lid is opened in a non-daylight/sunlight
situation, the Vampire can defend him/herself! Thus, the old canard
about attacking a Vampire during the day is false!

Remember, this is not the Bram Stoker Vampire, this is the Advanced
Dungeons & Dragons Vampire. The AD&D Vampire drains levels due
to negative plane coexistence and does not necessarily bite the victim.
Even if “far beneath the surface of the ground,” the Vampire must
return to his/her coffin eventually — I rule once each week. If the
Vampire does not return to his/her coffin: 1. Within a week if under-
ground the full time; 2. Each night if exposed to the outside (including
seeing daylight), or 3. Within 3 hours of being reduced by melee
(damaged) to zero points, the monster crosses over to the Negative
Plane exclusively and can not return. On the Negative Plane the monster
is virtually powerless, as its powers come from the coexistence on two
planes. If he/she does go to the Negative Plane, all carried items remain
behind.

The next big area of argument comes over what type of monster
results when a Vampire kills a human, the human is buried, and then is
unearthed the next night (or later). How the figure is killed is one major
bone of contention: Does the figure die due to damage or due to being
drained to zero level? If the figure dies due to damage (not all necessarily
from the Vampire), then the figure can retain abilities from his/her
former profession. If a 12th-level Wizard, for example, is wounded by
some form of attack and is then touched by a Vampire such that he
becomes a Necromancer but is also killed due to damage of the
Vampire’s touch, the resultant monster will be a “lesser” Vampire who
is also a Necromancer!

This Vampire must read his spells just as before and rest periods are
the same but are only allowed in the coffin. Since the figure is not alive,
however, he may not again become a Wizard by experience, nor may
he learn new spells. Furthermore, items that require a touch of a human
hand (like a Wand, for example) will not function in his hand since he is
not alive. As DM, you can rule in numerous ways as to which items need
the touch of a living hand (body) in order to function. This rule limits the
power of the Vampire Spellcaster. If the figure dies by full draining, then
all former profession abilities and levels are lost — the figure is a vampire,
nothing more. It should be noted that a Vampire does not willingly want
a “lesser” vampire whose profession level is very high (7th level or
higher) since if the “lesser” ever gains full Vampire status he/she may
not be friendly to his/her former master.

The “Lesser” Vampire

Exactly what is a “lesser” Vampire (“. . . appropriately strengthed
vampire under control of its slayer.” AD&D Monster Manual, page 99)?
He or she is the monster created by a Full Vampire after killing/draining
the victim. This monster follows, to some degree, the rules set for
Negative Plane Undead.

If a Wight kills a figure, a “. . . half-strength wight under (its)
control . . .” will result. The same statement is made for the Wraith and
the Spectre. Yet, “If the vampire which slew the creature is itself killed,
the vampires created by it become free willed monsters.”

Somehow all of this must be quantified. 1st of all, the “lesser”
vampire is under the control of the Full Vampire even if killed by another
“lesser” vampire. As long as the Full Vampire maintains control, the
“lesser’s” will is subject to his/her command.

Now the questions arise; is the “lesser” vampire half-strength or not,
and if it is released to become “free willed” does it then grow to full
strength? I’d say that the Vampire is ¾ strength, and if control is lost the
vampire grows to Full Vampire status. To put this in rule form: A
“lesser” Vampire must be uncontrolled for 7 days before it will become
“free willed.” Thus, if the Full Vampire gives commands or is present
within 7 days the “lesser” vampire remains a “lesser” vampire. If the
“lesser” becomes “free willed” it will take 2 full days to grow to Full
Vampire status. Once it has “FREEWILL,” the Full Vampire can not regain
control, though it can have all of its statements take on the power of a
Suggestion which the new “free willed Vampire” can Save versus.
While this may seem like a contradiction of the “charm” rule, consider
the circumstances of the exchange and the existing relationship. Note
that the Full Vampire did not have to Charm the “lesser” vampire while
the “lesser” was still alive!

The statistics for the “lesser” Vampire are as follows; 6 + 2 HD,
A.C. 2, Move 12/18, Damage per attack 5-10; Special Attacks: Energy
Drain*; Special Defenses: +1 or better to hit but Silver does half
damage; Magic Resistance: As discussed in this article and as with a Full
Vampire.
1
The importance differences are due to the fact that the “lesser” does
not exist as strongly on the Negative Material Plane as the Full Vampire.
If uncontrolled, the “lesser” has the “FREE WILL” to gain full Negative
Plane access. Note the fewer hit dice. The Energy Drain of the “lesser”
vampire is 1 level, plus a 50% chance for a 2nd level to be drained.
Note that Silver weapons do half damage. Finally, the “lesser” Vampire
IS subject to a Raise Dead spell, if it fails its saving throw versus magic.
The “lesser’s” former profession abilities are retained with the obvious
exceptions of those abilities defined by alignment. (There is no such
thing as a Vampire-Paladin.) <anti-paladin?>

A “lesser” vampire’s physical strength is tied to its negative plane
existence, so a “lesser” vampire does have a physical strength of 18/76.
However, alignment and intelligence are open to some interpretation.

If the figure in life is stupid and foolish and his/her alignment is
neutral, lawful or good, the transition to becoming a Vampire should not
automatically change his/her intelligence or alignment. Obviously a
Vampire is evil, and that change is automatic. But a “lesser” vampire
can view evil from a lawful or neutral posture, at least initially. Eventually
he/she will become chaotic, but this could take a period of time. I allow
the monster a saving throw taken weekly to see if the alignment change
occurs.

Intelligence/Wisdom is another matter. If, in life, the figure is Smart
or Wise, then the resultant “lesser” vampire can have “exceptional”
intelligence of 15–16. If the figure is not too bright then the resultant
vampire should not be too bright either. The Vampire can acquire
“cunning,” but that should be worth no more than 2–8 points of
Intelligence or Wisdom.

I raise the subject of intelligence because if Vampires used all of their
intelligence and were lawful too, they likely would rule entire sections of
the planet, if not the entire planet! Played intelligently, a Vampire would
1) accumulate at least 2 coffins; 2) create a few “lessers” to “guard
the fort,” 3) use their charming powers to gain minions; 4) never fight
until melee does produce Forced Gaseous Form; and 5) use summoned
and charmed monsters to weaken opposition before the Full Vampire
him/herself enters the battle, etc.

A Vampire can go on for many hours picking away at a party before
a final outcome is assured, one way or the other. If a Vampire knows
his/her coffin is threatened and it is his/her last one, he/she will become
extremely clever. Yet before any Vampire makes a really clever defense,
the DM should have him/her make a saving throw to reflect his/her
chaotic nature. In this way, the party has a better chance.

Summoning and Charming

Finally, the Vampire can summon and charm.

The Vampire must be
limited in its summoning ability, or thousands of rats and hundreds of
wolves will appear. I allow a Vampire only 3 summons each night
and there must be at least a full hour between each. I contend that this
summons is of the magical Monster Summoning type and thus the
argument about how many wolves, bats and rats are in the area is not
germane. If the wolves, bats and rats are available and within 2–12
melee rounds, then they will come, of course.

What are the statistics of these summoned monsters?

BATS: 90% of the time they should be the mundane sort that
“hang around” in caves, bell towers, etc. They have 1–4 hit points, are
Armor Class 7 (due to size and speed), move 12” (but usually flurry
about figures when a Vampire summons them), do “inadvertent”
damage of 1 point 50% of the time — if and only if at least 5 are
swarming around a single figure and the Armor Class of the victim
indicates a hit. Swarms reduce the ability “to hit” by 3 points. 10% of
the time, however, 1 Vampire Bat per 10 bats (round down) may
appear. It is 1 hit die A.C. 8, moves slower, 9”, and does 1 point of
damage per hit. In addition, if it does it drains 1–4 points of blood just as
a Stirge does but then flies away after 8 points are drained.

RATS: 90% of the time they should be the mundane sort that
scurries about in dungeons, though they will always be especially large
rats. 1–4 hit points, A.C. 8, bite causes 1 point of damage (no change of
disease). But 10% of the time (and only in especially deep dungeons)
Giant Sumatran Rats will appear, as per the Monster Manual. The
quantity of these Giant Rats is 7–70 and not 10–100.

WOLVES: Their type should be a function of the climate. If in polar
regions, Winter Wolves should appear, but only 2–7 would come. In
other areas the chance of the normal wolf is 70% for the full 3–18 in
number (see the Monster Manual); however, 30% of the time 2-14
(1d6 + 1d8) Dire Wolves will appear.

Lastly, we come to the Charm ability of a Vampire. When is a
“glance met?” Can it be avoided? I use 1d20 for the figure Meleeing the <link to the article about Gaze Weapons, here>
Vampire and 1d12 for the Vampire (the case in which a Vampire meets
someone casually can easily be adjudicated). If the 12-sided die equals
or exceeds the roll on the 20-sided die the glance has been met. If the
Vampire is surprised use 1d6; if the victim is surprised use 1d8 for
him/her also. The victim, in melee, can purposefully avoid the glance by
not facing the monster directly. Thus the Vampire will use 1d8 versus
the player’s 1d20 but the player is then –2 to hit the vampire and
his/her own Armor Class is 2 levels lower. The player can’t hit his/her
opponent as easily, and since his/her own anticipation when attacked in
melee is inhibited by not facing the monster, his/her Armor Class suffers.

When the Vampire does Charm, the victim immediately ceases
hostility — no verbal command need be given. This Charm is far more
powerful than a Charm Person spell, but obvious self-destruction will
not be allowed. The charm is so powerful that the victim will fight his
friends (at –2 to hit due to his/her zombie-like condition) and even
allow him/herself to be drained of levels by the characteristic Vampire
bite.

Hopefully, I haven’t missed too much, but every DM knows how
“inventive” players can be. A little common sense, regardless of what
the textbooks omit or gloss over, is fully the prerogative of the
Dungeonmaster.
9

Varieties of Vampires
by R.P. Smith

 

-	-	-	-	Vampire (Monster Manual / REF5)
Dragon	Monsters	Best of Dragon, vol. II	Dragon #25	Vampires (Dragon magazine)
-	-	AD&&D	-	-

-
 

Asanbosam (Africa)	Burcolakas (Greece)	Catacano (Crete, Rhodes)	Lobishumen (Brazil)	Ekimmu (Assyria)
Blautsauger (Bosnia-Herzegovina)	Mulo (Serbia)	Alp (Saxony)	Anananngel (Philippines)	Krvopijac (Bulgaria)
Ch'ing-Shih (China)	Vlkodlak (Serbia)	Bruxsa (Portugal)	Nosferat (Rumania)	-

After considerable research I have found several different types of vampires from classical legends around the world, and arranged them in
D&D format. I have not included all known vampires, just the more
interesting ones.

Number appearing, AC, HD, and treasure are the same
for all vampires. Normal weapons will not hurt any vampire. All types of
vampires will avoid mirrors, garlic, or crosses. With one exception, all
vampires will go into gaseous form if they lose all their hit points by
magic.

One must also consider the question of origin. If people can only
become vampires through the bite of a vampire, where did the 1st one
come from? According to the lejends, the means can range from a
simple death-bed curse and excommunication, through ancestry (e.g.
one type was to be an Albanian of Turkish origin, another was to have
red hair), through witchcraft, to violent death. The latter one is the
easiest method for D&D. Hence, any body left unguarded without a
Bless spell from a cleric will become a vampire within seven days. <Ceremony: Burial>

Asanbosam (Africa) [Arfik]

FREQUENCY: Rare (jungle, plains)
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 1
MOVE: 12"/0
HIT DICE: 9 (men), 8 (women), 7 (children)
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: F
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 bite, 2 claws ~ 12
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6,1-8,1-10/bite plus 2 levels according to size, 1-4/claw
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy drain (2 levels), charm <alt>
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hit only by magic weapons, regenerates, gaseous form, limited immunity to magical attacks/poison/paralyzation
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VIII | 3800 + 12

Men (9 hit dice), women (8 hit dice), or children (7 hit dice) who look normal except for a pair of books instead of
feet. They can charm at minus 3, (except against clerics, whom they
avoid) and can throw a single sleep spell per night. They can call 3-18
leopards or 2-12 tigers. Only a Priest can kill the asanbosam.
 
 
 

Burcolakas (Greece) [Achaea]

FREQUENCY: Rare (mountains)
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 1
MOVE: 12"/18"
HIT DICE: 8+3
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: F
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ~ 12
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10 plus 2 levels
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy drain (2 levels), charm <alt>
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hit only by magic weapons, regenerates, gaseous form, limited immunity to magical attacks/poison/paralyzation
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VIII | 3800 + 12

It has a swollen,
tense,
hard skin.
It can scream once per night,
deafening all in hearing range for 24 hours,
no save.
It can also kill,
not only by draining life levels,
but by naming its victim by name and commanding the victim to perform in a fatal action.
It can imitate any voice it hears,
with as much of a chance of being detected as an assassin has of being discovered in disguise.
It controls 10-100 rats,
but no wolves.
To defeat it,
a foe must cut off and burn its head.
 

Krvopijac (Bulgaria) [Bulgaria]

FREQUENCY: Rare (mountains, forest)
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 1
MOVE:
HIT DICE: 8+3
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: F
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ~ 12
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 5-10
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy drain (2 levels), charm <alt>
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hit only by magic weapons, regenerates, gaseous form, limited immunity to magical attacks/poison/paralyzation
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VIII | 3800 + 12
Varieties of Vampires +

This creature only has one nostril;
otherwise it looks like a common vampire.
To find its grave,
send a woman on a black foal through the suspected area.
Where the foal refuses to go is where it is buried.
To defeat it,
chain it to its coffin with a rope of wildflowers (which may eventually break),
or have a MU,
holding a cross,
order the vampire's soul into a bottle of blood and then throw it into a fire.

Catacano (Crete, Rhodes)

FREQUENCY: Rare (mountains)
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 1
MOVE: 12"/18"
HIT DICE: 8+3
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: F
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 spit, 1 bite ~ 12
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-12/spit, 1-10 plus 2 levels/bite
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy drain (2 levels), charm <alt>
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hit only by magic weapons, regenerates, gaseous form, limited immunity to magical attacks/poison/paralyzation
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VIII | 3800 + 12
Varieties of Vampires +

Always grinning with very white teeth.
When not sucking blood, the catacano is busy doing toothpaste commercials. It spits blood (see giant slug for chance of hitting) which causes
horrible burns. It can charm at minus 2. To defeat: burn its nails, boil its
head in vinegar, or submerge its body in salted water.

Lobishumen (Brazil) [Hy Braseal]
FREQUENCY: Rare (jungle)
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 1
MOVE: 15"/0"
HIT DICE: 8+3
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: F
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ~ 12
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10 plus 2 levels
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy drain (2 levels), charm <alt>
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hit only by magic weapons, regenerates, gaseous form, limited immunity to magical attacks/poison/paralyzation
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VIII | 3800 + 12
Varieties of Vampires +

It looks like a small, stumpy, hunch-backed
monkey with a yellow face, bloodless lips, black teeth, bushy beard, and
plush-covered feet. It can charm at minus 4 and makes its victims (all
women) into nymphomaniacs, if they survive. Women killed by a
lobishumen while under its charm become succubi. There is a 60%
chance that any woman who doesn’t die while charmed by a lobishumen will be a nymphomaniac permanently. To defeat: Get it drunk,
crucify it to a tree, then stab it with a stake through the heart.
 

Ekimmu (Assyria)

FREQUENCY: Rare (desert)
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 1
MOVE: 12"/18"
HIT DICE: 8+3
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: F
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ~ 12
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10 plus 2 levels
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy drain (2 levels), charm <alt>
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hit only by magic weapons, regenerates, gaseous form, limited immunity to magical attacks/poison/paralyzation
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VIII | 3800 + 12
Varieties of Vampires +

Invisible even while it attacks, it can charm at
minus 1. It can also magic jar its victim. To exorcise the vampire in this <alt: exorcism>
state, a clerical dispel evil is needed, with a 50% chance of success
when The Priest is the same level as the ekimmu, plus or minus 5% per
level difference. To defeat: Subdue it with magick weapons long enough
for it to be killed with a wooden sword.
 

Blautsauger (Bosniz-Herzagovinia)
FREQUENCY: Rare (mountains, forest)
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 1
MOVE: 12"/18"
HIT DICE: 8+3
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: F
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ~ 12
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10 plus 2 levels
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy drain (2 levels), charm <alt>
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hit only by magic weapons, regenerates, gaseous form, limited immunity to magical attacks/poison/paralyzation
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VIII | 3800 + 12
Varieties of Vampires +

Hairy, with no skeleton, large
eyes, it can polymorph itself into a rat or a wolf. It can charm at minus 3.
It can only turn its victims into vampires by forcing them to eat earth

from its grave. Those who consume the earth will become vampires
when they die, even if not killed by the blautsauger. Only a wish will
prevent this. Those who die from the blautsauger without eating the
earth become spectres. To defeat: Burn its body or stab it through the
heart with a stake.
 

Mulo (Serbia) [Servia: DJ3.159]

FREQUENCY: Rare (mountains, forest)
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 1
MOVE: 12"/18"
HIT DICE: 8+3
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: F
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ~ 12
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6, 1-8, 1-10 plus 2 levels according to size
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy drain (2 levels), charm <alt>
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hit only by magic weapons, regenerates, gaseous form, limited immunity to magical attacks/poison/paralyzation
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VIII | 3800 + 12
Varieties of Vampires +

Men, women, and children wearing white clothes.
They Love wine. They are active day and night. They can polymorph
into either horses or sheep. A mulo kills its victims by charming them
(minus 2), then putting them into a large pot of boiling water. Blood
draining by mulos will put the victim in suspended animation, awaiting
the pot. To defeat: Get them drunk and leave quickly, or a Priest must
fight them to the death.

Alp (Saxony)

FREQUENCY: Rare (forest, plain)
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 1
MOVE: 0"/24"
HIT DICE: 8+3
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: F
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ~ 12
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2 life levels
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy drain (2 levels), charm <alt>
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hit only by magic weapons, regenerates, gaseous form, limited immunity to magical attacks/poison/paralyzation
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VIII | 3800 + 12
Varieties of Vampires +

A butterfly that attacks day and night. It settles on the
chest of a victim and suffocates him. Each alp can call 10-100 ordinary
butterflies and can throw one sleep spell per 24 hour period. To defeat:
Find the corpse acting as recipient for the butterfly and put a lemon in its
mouth. Without the lemon, destroying the body will force the alp to find
another body, but not kill it.
 

Anananngel (Philippines) [Panay Sulu]
FREQUENCY: Rare (jungle)
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 1
MOVE: 0"/24"
HIT DICE: 8+3
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: F
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ~ 12
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-12 plus 2 levels
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy drain (2 levels), charm <alt>
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hit only by magic weapons, regenerates, gaseous form, limited immunity to magical attacks/poison/paralyzation
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VIII | 3800 + 12
Varieties of Vampires +

A flying head with entrails filled with
blood after feeding. It charms at minus 2 and can throw a FEAR spell at
minus 3. There is a 50% chance that it is not undead, but a living witch.
As such, it will not be turned by a cleric. To defeat: Sever the entrails to
starve it or find the body where it sleeps during the day and hammer a
stake through its heart. If splattered with blood from this vampire, the
victim will have sores and diseases that only a cure disease applied daily
for 2 to 7 days will cure. The victim will be incapacitated until
THEN.
 

Ch'ing-Shih (China) [Chi'in, Shou Lung, T'u Lung]

FREQUENCY: Rare (anywhere)
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 1
MOVE: 12"
HIT DICE: 8+3
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: F
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 bite, 2 claws ~ 12
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10 plus 2 levels/bite, 1-8/claw
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy drain (2 levels), charm <alt>
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hit only by magic weapons, regenerates, gaseous form, limited immunity to magical attacks/poison/paralyzation
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VIII | 3800 + 12
Varieties of Vampires +

Red, staring eyes, pointed nails like claws,
long hair, greenish-white skin, a very beautiful woman or handsome
man in spite of everything. It can call 3-18 foxes. To defeat: encircle with
rice.

Vlkodlak (Serbia) [Servia]
FREQUENCY: Rare (mountains, forest)
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 1
MOVE: 12"/18"
HIT DICE: 8+3
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: F
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ~ 12
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10 plus 2 level
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy drain (2 levels), charm <alt>
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hit only by magic weapons, regenerates, gaseous form, limited immunity to magical attacks/poison/paralyzation
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VIII | 3800 + 12
Varieties of Vampires +

It has a congested face and blood-red skin. It
can cause eclipses. Otherwise, it is like a common vampire. It is active
day and night. To defeat: cut off its toes and thumbs, drive a spike into
its neck, pierce its navel with a stake (not its heart), then burn it, starting
the fire with holy candles.
 

Bruxsa (Portugal)

FREQUENCY: Rare (anywhere)
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 1
MOVE:
HIT DICE: 8+3
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: F
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ~ 12
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10 plus 2 levels
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy drain (2 levels), charm <alt>
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hit only by magic weapons, regenerates, gaseous form, limited immunity to magical attacks/poison/paralyzation
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VIII | 3800 + 12
Varieties of Vampires +

A woman by day, a bird at night, hence it is
active even in sunlight. Otherwise, it is like a common vampire. To defeat: same as with common vampire.
 

Nosferat (Rumania) [Roumania]

FREQUENCY: Rare (mountains, forest)
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 1
MOVE:
HIT DICE: 8+3
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: F
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ~ 12
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10 plus 2 levels
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy drain (2 levels), charm <alt>
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hit only by magic weapons, regenerates, gaseous form, limited immunity to magical attacks/poison/paralyzation
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VIII | 3800 + 12
Varieties of Vampires +

It appears as a man or a beautiful woman,
depending upon the sex of its victim. In can polymorph into a cat, a dog,
a beetle, a butterfly, or straw. It can charm, as a butterfly or straw by
touch, at minus 2. To defeat: walk around its grave smoking pipeweed.
 

Hearts of Darkness
Vampires,  from Dracula  to Ch'ing Shih
b y   T o m   M o l d v a y

 

Other vampire legends	Real vampires?	Dracula: Lord of vampires	Vampires in Greece	The dancing vampire
Oriental vampires	-	-	-	The mass-media vampire
Dragon 126	Vampires	-	Monsters	Dragon

T h e   w o r d   " v a m p i r e "   i s   d e r i v e d   f r o m   t h e
S l a v i c   w o r d   " v a m p i r ."   I n d e e d ,   v a m p i r e
l e g e n d s   a r e   s t r o n g   i n   t h e   t r a d i t i o n a l   f o l k l o r e   o f   a l l   S l a v i c   c o u n t r i e s   ( Y u g o s l a v i a ,
C z e c h o s l o v a k i a ,   B u l g a r i a ,   P o l a n d ,   a n d
R u s s i a ) .   T h e   c l a s s i c   v a m p i r e   l e g e n d s ,   h o w e v e r ,   c o m e   f r o m   t h e   a n c i e n t   K i n g d o m   o f
H u n g a r y   a n d   w e r e   p r o b a b l y   c r e a t e d   b y
t h e   S l a v i c   m i n o r i t y   o f   t h e   c o u n t r y .
A   v a m p i r e   i s   a   m a l i g n ,   a n i m a t e d   c o r p s e
t h a t   s e e k s   n o u r i s h m e n t   a n d   c a u s e s   h a r m
by sucking the blood of sleeping persons.

T h e   b e s t   k n o w n   v e r s i o n   o f   t h e   v a m p i r e
l e g e n d   a d d s   s e v e r a l   o t h e r   t r a i t s :

1 .   A   v a m p i r e   o p e r a t e s   o n l y   a t   n i g h t .   I t
m u s t   s l e e p   d u r i n g   t h e   d a y ,   r e s t i n g   i n   a
c o f f i n   w h i c h   c o n t a i n s   s o m e   o f   t h e   s o i l   i n
w h i c h   i t   w a s   o r i g i n a l l y   b u r i e d .   A t   b e s t ,   a
v a m p i r e   c a n   e x i s t   f o r   o n l y   a   f e w   m i n u t e s
i n   d i r e c t   s u n l i g h t   b e f o r e   b e i n g   d e s t r o y e d .

2 .   A   v a m p i r e   c a n n o t   c r o s s   t h e   t h r e s h o l d
o f   a   d w e l l i n g   u n l e s s   f i r s t   i n v i t e d   i n s i d e .
O n c e   i t   g a i n s   p e r m i s s i o n ,   i t   c a n   r e t u r n   a t
n i g h t   a t   w i l l .

3 .   A   v a m p i r e   c a n n o t ,   b y   i t s e l f ,   c r o s s
r u n n i n g   w a t e r   ( s u c h   a s   a   s t r e a m   o r   r i v e r ) .
I f   o n e   o f   t h e   l i v i n g   p r o v i d e s   a s s i s t a n c e ,   i t
c a n   c r o s s   s a f e l y .   A   v a m p i r e   a l s o   n e e d s
a s s i s t a n c e   t o   c r o s s   s a l t   w a t e r .

4 .   A   v a m p i r e   c a n   t u r n   i t s e l f   i n t o   a   v a m p i r e   b a t .   T h i s   t r a i t   i s   a   f a i r l y   r e c e n t   a d d i t i o n   t o   t h e   v a m p i r e   l e g e n d ,   s i n c e   v a m p i r e
b a t s   a r e   o n l y   f o u n d   i n   t h e   C a r i b b e a n   S e a
a n d   S o u t h   A m e r i c a .   M a n y   v a m p i r e s   h a v e
o t h e r   s h a p e - s h i f t i n g   p o w e r s   a n d   c a n   t r a n s f o r m   t h e m s e l v e s   i n t o   o t h e r   a n i m a l   s h a p e s ,
e s p e c i a l l y   t h o s e   o f   w o l v e s .

5 .   A   v a m p i r e   h o l d s   t h e   a l l e g i a n c e   o f
c e r t a i n   t y p e s   o f   a n i m a l s   ?  especially those
which are malicious or love the night. The
most typical animals here are bats, wolves,
and rats. Some vampires can even summon these creatures to their aid. The most
powerful vampires also have hereditary
human helpers; generations of families,
even entire clans, may serve the same
powerful vampire, acting as its living
allies. (AD&D® game monsters with an
affinity for vampires include lamias, rakshasas, stirges, and pseudo-vampires.)

6. A vampire has an aversion to certain
plants (such as garlic), holy symbols (such
as the cross), and fragrances (such as holy
incense). The more powerful vampires can
temporarily overcome their aversion (especially if the will of the victim weakens).

7. A vampire can change into a mistlike
form which can seep through the tiniest
crack. In fact, this mist is usually the way
in which the vampire leaves its coffin,
which is normally kept buried underground.

8. A vampire has supernatural strength
and agility. A normal human has no
chance against it in combat. The strength
and dexterity of a vampire allow it to
perform feats impossible to normal
humans, like climbing sheer surfaces or
leaping across great distances.

9 .   A t   n i g h t ,   o u t s i d e   i t s   c o f f i n ,   a   v a m p i r e
i s   i n v u l n e r a b l e   t o   m o s t   a t t a c k s .   N o r m a l
w e a p o n s ,   e v e n   b u l l e t s ,   h a v e   n o   e f f e c t   o n
i t .   S o m e   v a m p i r e s ,   h o w e v e r ,   c a n   b e
h a r m e d   b y   s i l v e r   w e a p o n s   o r   w e a p o n s
t h a t   h a v e   b e e n   e s p e c i a l l y   b l e s s e d .

1 0 .   A   v a m p i r e   c a n n o t   e a t   n o r m a l   f o o d .
I t s   o n l y   n o u r i s h m e n t   i s   f r e s h   b l o o d .   A t
m o s t ,   a   v a m p i r e   c a n   p r e t e n d   t o   e a t   a   f e w
c r u m b s   a n d   s i p   a   b i t   o f   w i n e .   E v e n   t h e n ,
t h e   f o o d   a n d   d r i n k   w i l l   c a u s e   i t   p a i n .

1 1 .   A   v a m p i r e   i s   a   s o u l l e s s   c r e a t u r e .   I t
t h u s   c a s t s   n o   r e f l e c t i o n   i n   m i r r o r s ,   n o r
d o e s   i t   c a s t   a   s h a d o w   l i k e   l i v i n g   c r e a t u r e s .

1 2 .   A   v a m p i r e   i s   g e n e r a l l y   d e s c r i b e d   a s
b e i n g   e x c e e d i n g l y   g a u n t   a n d   l e a n ,   w i t h
d e a t h l y   p a l e   s k i n .   M o s t   o f   t h e   t i m e ,   i t s   s k i n
i s   a s   c o l d   a s   i c e   a n d   r a d i a t e s   t h e   c h i l l   o f
t h e   g r a v e .   O c c a s i o n a l l y ,   i t s   s k i n   g r o w s
f e v e r e d   a n d   b u r n i n g ,   l i k e   a   h o t   c o a l .   I t s
e y e s   e i t h e r   g l o w   w i t h   a   h i d e o u s   r e d   l i g h t
o r   a r e   i c y   b l u e - g r a y .   T h e   l i p s   a r e   r i c h   a n d
f u l l ,   a n d   a r e   t h e   c o l o r   o f   f r e s h   b l o o d .   A
v a m p i r e ? s   t e e t h   a r e   w h i t e   a n d   g l e a m i n g ,
w i t h   l o n g ,   p o i n t e d   c a n i n e s .   I t s   n a i l s   a r e
u s u a l l y   l o n g   a n d   p o i n t e d   l i k e   t a l o n s .   T h e
v a m p i r e   i n i t i a l l y   s m e l l s   u n b e a r a b l y   f e t i d
a n d   r a n k ,   l i k e   t h e   s t e n c h   o f   a   d e c o m p o s i n g
b o d y .   A s   t i m e   g o e s   o n   ( a n d   t h e   v a m p i r e ? s
b o d y   w o u l d   n o r m a l l y   h a v e   d e c a y e d   t o
m e r e   b o n e s ) ,   t h e   v a m p i r e   m e r e l y   s m e l l s   a
b i t   s t a l e   a n d   m u s t y ,   l i k e   a   c l o s e d   r o o m   t h a t
n e e d s   a i r i n g .   T h e   s t e n c h   o f   a   v a m p i r e   c a n
b e   t e m p o r a r i l y   s u p p r e s s e d   a n d   i s   s t r o n g e s t   j u s t   b e f o r e   i t   a t t a c k s .

1 3 .   B e f o r e   f e a s t i n g   o n   a   v i c t i m ,   a   v a m p i r e   h a s   a n   a g e d ,   h o l l o w   l o o k .   A f t e r   d r a i n i n g   a   v i c t i m ,   t h e   v a m p i r e   l o o k s   y o u n g e r
a n d   s o m e w h a t   b l o a t e d .

1 4 .   A   v a m p i r e   h a s   s t r o n g   h y p n o t i c
p o w e r s   a n d   c a n   u s e   t h e s e   p o w e r s   t o   b r e a k
t h e   w i l l   o f   a   v i c t i m .   I t   i s   e s p e c i a l l y   d a n g e r o u s   t o   l o o k   i n t o   a   v a m p i r e ? s   e y e s .   T h e
m e s m e r i c   a t t r a c t i o n   o f t e n   h a s   a   s e x u a l
b a s i s ,   a n d   m a n y   v a m p i r e s   c a n   m o r e   e a s i l y
h y p n o t i z e   v i c t i m s   o f   t h e   o p p o s i t e   s e x
(though only the blood, not the sex, of a
v i c t i m   i s   i m p o r t a n t   t o   t h e   v a m p i r e ) .

1 5 .   I f   s o   d e s i r e d ,   a   v a m p i r e   c a n   t r a n s f o r m   i t s   v i c t i m s   i n t o   v a m p i r e s ,   t h u s
s p r e a d i n g   t h e   c u r s e   o f   t h e   u n d e a d .   O n l y   a
s e l e c t   f e w   o f   t h e   v i c t i m s   b e c o m e   v a m p i r e s ;
m o s t   v i c t i m s   m e r e l y   d i e   a s   a   r e s u l t   o f
b e i n g   d r a i n e d   b y   t h e   b i t e   o f   a   v a m p i r e .

1 6 .   A   v a m p i r e   c a n   o n l y   b e   k i l l e d   w h i l e
a s l e e p   i n   i t s   c o f f i n .   T h e r e   a r e   t h r e e   t r a d i t i o n a l   m e t h o d s   f o r   s l a y i n g   a   v a m p i r e :   d r i v e
a   s t a k e   t h r o u g h   i t s   h e a r t ,   c u t   o f f   i t s   h e a d ,
o r   c o m p l e t e l y   b u r n   i t s   b o d y .   S e v e r i n g   t h e
h e a d   a n d   p l a c i n g   t h e   r e m a i n s   i n   r u n n i n g
w a t e r   i s   s a i d   t o   b e   g o o d ,   a s   i s   e x p o s i n g   t h e
v a m p i r e   t o   d i r e c t   s u n l i g h t .

T h e   u s u a l   w o o d   f r o m   w h i c h   t h e   s t a k e
s h o u l d   b e   m a d e   i s   h a w t h o r n   o r   w h i t e t h o r n .   I n   R u s s i a n   f o l k l o r e ,   a s p e n   o r
m a p l e   i s   u s e d .   I t   i s   i m p o r t a n t   t o   d r i v e   t h e
s t a k e   r i g h t   t h r o u g h   t h e   h e a r t   o f   a   v a m p i r e
i n   o n e   s i n g l e   s t r o k e .   I f   i t   t a k e s   m o r e   t h a n
o n e   b l o w ,   t h e   v a m p i r e   c a n   l a t e r   r e t u r n   t o
i t s   u n d e a d   s t a t e .

S i m i l a r l y ,   t h e   v a m p i r e ? s   h e a d   s h o u l d   b e
s e v e r e d   i n   a   s i n g l e   b l o w .   T h e   i d e a l   w e a p o n
t o   s e v e r   t h e   h e a d   o f   a   v a m p i r e   i s   a   s h a r p e n e d   s p a d e   u s e d   t o   d i g   g r a v e s .   I f   a t   a l l
p o s s i b l e ,   t h e   s a m e   s h o v e l   u s e d   t o   o r i g i n a l l y
b u r y   t h e   v a m p i r e   s h o u l d   b e   u s e d   t o
d e s t r o y   i t .

C r e m a t i o n   i s   a   f a i r l y   u n i v e r s a l   m e t h o d   t o
d e s t r o y   v a m p i r e s .   I f   v a m p i r e s   h a v e   n o
b o d y ,   t h e y   c a n n o t   r o a m   a s   a n i m a t e d
c o r p s e s .   C o n s i d e r i n g   h o w   m a l i g n   a n d
p o w e r f u l   v a m p i r e s   c a n   b e ,   i t   i s   p r o b a b l y
b e s t   t o   u s e   s e v e r a l   m e t h o d s   o f   e x e c u t i o n
s i m u l t a n e o u s l y   j u s t   t o   b e   o n   t h e   s a f e   s i d e

Other vampire legends
T h e r e   a r e   a   n u m b e r   o f   o t h e r   l e g e n d s
w h i c h   a r e   n o t   n e c e s s a r i l y   p a r t   o f   t h e
c l a s s i c   v a m p i r e   m y t h .   I n   S l a v i c   f o l k l o r e ,
t h e   v a m p i r e   a n d   t h e   w e r e w o l f   a r e   c l o s e l y
r e l a t e d .   I n   f a c t ,   t h e   s u r e s t   w a y   t o   b e c o m e
a   v a m p i r e   a f t e r   d e a t h   i s   t o   h a v e   b e e n   a
w e r e w o l f   i n   l i f e .   A n o t h e r   w a y   t o   b e c o m e   a
v a m p i r e   i s   t o   e a t   t h e   f l e s h   o f   a n   a n i m a l
t h a t   h a s   b e e n   k i l l e d   b y   a   w o l f   ( e s p e c i a l l y   a
w e r e w o l f   i n   w o l f   f o r m ) .   T h e   i d e a   i s   t h a t
t h e   w o l f ' s   b i t e   h a s   s p r e a d   t h e   c o n t a g i o n .
N o t   s u r p r i s i n g l y ,   w e r e w o l v e s   a n d   v a m p i r e s   c o n t i n u e   t o   b e   c l o s e l y   a s s o c i a t e d .   I n
f a c t ,   t h e   w o l v e s   s u m m o n e d   b y   a   v a m p i r e
a r e   m o r e   l i k e l y   t o   b e   w e r e w o l v e s   t h a n
n o r m a l   w o l v e s .

T h e   c o n n e c t i o n   b e t w e e n   t h e   w e r e w o l f
a n d   v a m p i r e   c a n   b e   u s e d   a s   t h e   b a s i s   f o r   a
s u b p l o t   i n   f a n t a s y   g a m e s .   A   p a r t y   o f
a d v e n t u r e r s   m i g h t   m a n a g e   t o   k i l l   a   w e r e w o l f   -- only to be stalked, several days
later, by a vampire (who is actually the
werewolf returned from the grave for
revenge).

In some legends, it is not only the bite of
the vampire which is deadly  --  it is also
the breath of the vampire, which is particularly fetid and smells of rotting corpses.
The breath also has another quality of
rotting corpses  --  it carries all sorts of
diseases. Thus, in some countries, contagious diseases are thought to start with
the breath of a vampire.

In Chinese legend, the misty vampire
form is also connected to those gaseous
marsh lights which are the basis for the
will-o'-the-wisp legends. Again, there is a
chain of logic that connects vampires to
disease. Swamps are known both for their
heavy mists and the diseases they breed.
Vampires must, therefore, breed disease
because of their misty form. In addition,
vampires are bloodsuckers, as are mosquitoes, which are similarly notorious for
carrying and transmitting disease

Real  vampires?
Vampires are not merely a mythological
phenomenon. Throughout history, there
have been people who believed in the
physical existence of vampires. There are,
in fact, numerous historical accounts of
the alleged sighting and slaying of vampires. Most of the reports are second- or
third-hand, and should be viewed with
suspicion. Even so, the sheer number of
"authentic" accounts have led some individuals to speculate whether or not there

might be some real basis to the vampire
myths, Two of the more interesting explanations are those of ?catalepsy? and the
?psychic sponge.?

Catalepsy is a kind of trance-state which
is virtually identical with death. The bodily
functions are so reduced that there are no
noticeable vital signs. Before the advent of
modern medical techniques, an examination of a cataleptic, even by a skilled doctor, would have revealed no heartbeat or
breathing.

The condition of catalepsy in the past
could easily lead to premature burials,
since no form of embalming techniques
were formerly used. No one knows for
sure how common premature burials once
were, but there is plenty of evidence for
both catalepsy and premature burials. One
investigator, Dr. Franz Hartmann, collected
details of more than 700 cases of premature burial. Most unfortunate victims of
premature burial awoke in their coffins
and eventually suffocated, unable to break
out. But in some cases, panic gave the
victim superhuman strength. If the grave
was shallow or the ground especially
loose, the victim was able to escape from
the coffin.

In most cases, the victim had never
heard of catalepsy or premature burial.
The dead were dead, and only corpses
were buried. The victim had been buried;
he must therefore be dead. But the victim
could move and feel. Only vampires came
back from the dead with uncorrupted
bodies. The logic was inescapable: The
victim must be a vampire.

It?s easy to see how the victim, too, could
believe he was a vampire and would act
exactly as a vampire was expected to act.
The trauma of the premature burial could
easily induce a kind of insanity in which
the victim hallucinated changing shapes,
having hypnotic powers, and growing
younger with each drink of blood. If the
victim continued to live by murdering
people and drinking blood, the belief
would be more strongly reinforced with
each new drink (blood has enough nutritional value that it could sustain a minimum level of life).
If a sane victim tried to return to his
family, the villagers would be likely to
treat him as a vampire. In fact, in many of
the historical accounts, the ?vampire?
looks and acts perfectly normal  ?  except
for the fact that he had been buried some
time before. There are accounts of people
returning from the grave to take up life as
normal, even having children after they
had supposedly died.

The catalepsy theory can provide an
interesting subplot, especially for lowerlevel adventures. What if the vampire the
characters meet in a dungeon was actually
a victim of a premature burial who
believed he was a vampire? The subplot
allows for plenty of inventive role-playing
by both the DM and the players. If the
characters eventually discover the truth
without killing the ?vampire,? there could

be the additional mission of trying to
return the victim to his home and convince everyone that the poor fellow really
wasn?t a vampire.

A "psychic sponge" or ?psychic vampire?
is a more bizarre concept ? a person who
appears to physically drain the energy of
other people. Psychic vampirism, according to some sources, is largely an unconscious psychic power. The individual really
doesn?t know why everyone around him
grows pale and tired and seems to be
constantly ill while he keeps growing
s t r o n g e r .

If vital energy can actually be drained in
some psychic way, then it could explain
many of the symptoms of supposed vampire victims. People in a village where
such a being lived would become pale and
sickly for no apparent reason. After a
time, the villagers might notice something
was wrong. If they dug up enough graves,
by the laws of chance, one would be sure
to contain a body that had not decomposed at a normal rate. Here would be
?proof? that a vampire was ravaging the
 village.

Dracula: lord of vampires

The most famous vampire, Dracula,
t h o u g h   f a m i l i a r   t o   m o s t   o f   u s   a s   a   c h a r a c ter in a novel, is based on stories about an
actual historical individual. Dracula's real
name was Vlad Tepes. In  A.D. 1431, the
same year that Vlad was born, his father
(also named Vlad) was made a knight of
the Order of the Dragon, a paramilitary
organization dedicated to fighting the
Turks. In Rumanian, "dragon" is ?dracul.?
So, the father was given the nickname
Dracul, and his son was given the nickname Dracula, which means ?son of Dracul.? Unfortunately, ?dracul? also means
?devil.? Thus, Dracula could mean either
?son of the dragon? or ?son of the devil.?
Vlad Dracul was Prince of Wallachia
from 1436-1442 and again from 1443-1447.
The small country of Wallachia (which
today comprises one-third of Rumania) lies
between the lower Danube River and the
Carpathian Mountains. Wallachia was
nominally a Banates (frontier march) of
the Kingdom of Hungary, but it had been
essentially an independent country since
about 1360.

At the time that Vlad Dracul was prince,
Wallachia was in imminent danger of
being absorbed by the Turkish Empire
then overrunning most of the Balkans.
Any leader of Wallachia was stuck in the
middle of a power struggle between the
Turks and the Hungarians. Both tried to
put candidates favorable to their side on
the throne, and both sent armies or assassins when they became displeased with
the prince?s rule.

In 1444, Vlad Dracul and his two oldest
sons, Mircea and Vlad, joined the anti-Turk
crusade which led to the disastrous defeat
of the Western crusaders at Varna. After
the defeat, Vlad Dracul was forced to give
up his second son, Vlad, and his youngest

son, Radu, as hostages to the Turks. For
the next four years, the young Dracula
was a Turkish prisoner. While the imprisonment was not always physically harsh, it
was an extreme mental ordeal since Dracula was likely to be executed at any
moment if the Turks did not like his
father's policies. During those years, Dracula came to view life as fleeting and cheap.
In reaction to his imprisonment, he developed a reputation for trickery, cunning,
insubordination, and brutality.

By remaining on good terms with the
Turkish Sultan, Vlad Dracul angered the
protector of Hungary, John Hunyadi.
Henchmen of Hunyadi murdered Vlad
Dracul and his eldest son Mircea in
December of 1447. John Hunyadi then
placed his own candidate, Vladislav II, on
the throne of Wallachia. Backed by the
lurks, Dracula became Prince of Wallachia
for two months in 1448. But the Hungarian faction was too strong. Dracula fled to
Moldavia, the northernmost Rumanian
principality. There, he formed a close
friendship and alliance with his cousin
Steven.

Politics in Moldavia were as dangerous
as in Wallachia. In 1451, Steven?s father,
Bogdan, was murdered, and the two cousins fled. Dracula managed to make peace
with John Hunyadi and served under
Hunyadi in John?s constant fight against
the Turks. From 1451-1456, Dracula lived
in Transylvania, which is now the third
province of Rumania, but which was traditionally a part of the Kingdom of Hungary.
Transylvania contained many Hungarians
and Germans as well as Romanians.

Vladislav II was having the same kind of
problems Dracula's father once had. In
1456, John Hunyadi decided that Vladislav
was favoring the Turks too much. He
loaned Dracula the nucleus of an army
and sent him to regain the throne of Wallachia. Dracula defeated Vladislav and
became Prince of Wallachia again.

Now, Dracula could release all his pentup hatreds. He executed the members of
the faction that killed his father. Since he
couldn?t be sure exactly who was guilty, he
solved the problem by killing 500 suspects,
among whom were bound to be the 20 or
so men responsible for his father?s death.
Dracula raided the Turks, whom he hated
with pathological fervor, and also raided
the German merchant towns of Transylvania.

The Germans had come to Transylvania
hundreds of years before as immigrants
from Saxony, invited by the Hungarian king
to encourage commerce. To many of the
Rumanians, the Germans were foreign
upstarts, monopolizing trade throughout
Transylvania. On St. Bartholomew's Day,
August 24, 1460, nearly 30,000 men, women, and children of German descent were
slain on a hill outside the city of Brasov in
Transylvania.

But Dracula?s main enemies were the
Turks. In 1461-1462, he led a campaign
against them in which he made full use of
guerilla tactics and terrorism. By Dracula?s
own count, his forces slew 23,809 Turks.

In fact, Dracula cut off the heads, noses,
or ears of the Turks to keep an accurate
count, then sent them as presents to
neighboring Christian rulers to enlist their
aid against the infidel Turks (without success). Dracula?s favorite means of killing
his victims was by impaling them on a
stake. This practice gave him his second
nickname, ?Tepes? which means ?The
Impaler.?

By the end of 1462, Vlad Tepes was
driven from the throne by his younger
brother Radu, who had become a Turkish
puppet. When Vlad appealed to Mathias
Corvinus, son of John Hunyadi and now
King of Hungary, he was imprisoned.
Mathias was concentrating on political
maneuvers in Europe, and he needed a
quiet border with the Turks.

Vlad Tepes was still a valuable political
asset. Eventually, he converted from the
Orthodox to the Roman Catholic religion
and married one of Mathias? sisters. When
Stephen (the Great) of Moldavia, a remarkable cousin of Vlad who managed to hold
the throne for nearly 50 years, supported
Dracula?s claim to Wallachia, the time was
ripe for Vlad?s return. The official commander of the expedition was Stephen
Bathory, Prince of Transylvania (soon to be
elected King of Poland). The army was
made up of Hungarians, Wallachians,
Transylvanians, and Moldavians. In 1476,
they defeated the Turks and set Dracula
once more on the throne of Wallachia.

But Dracula had alienated too many
factions among his subjects. Before he
could consolidate his reign, his enemies
united against him, and Dracula was slain
on a hilltop outside Bucharest. His third
reign had lasted barely two months.
In his own day, Dracula was notorious.
Numerous writers, especially Germans
sympathetic to their Transylvanian cousins, wrote about him as the ?Blood Monster? Bram Stoker knew some of the
stories about Dracula and made them the
basis for his main character in the novel of
the same name.

Dracula was certainly bloodthirsty with
a pathological cruelty. He firmly believed
in the effects of terror to intimidate his
subjects and defeat his enemies. Even his
favored means of torture, the stake, made
him a natural candidate for the vampire
legend that grew around him.

At the same time, Dracula managed to
maintain some shreds of personal honor. It
was his boast that a person could walk
across Wallachia with a bag of gold and be
completely safe from bandits (who feared
his wrath too much to operate in the
country). There were many cases in which
Dracula personally rewarded faithful
service. No one questioned Dracula?s personal courage or his prowess as a warrior.
He was even something of a patriot,
So, the main character of the novel
Dracula  is no mere one-sided personality.
He is evil, certainly, and terrifying, cruel,
and merciless -- yet he retains a hint of
honor, his courage is undaunted, and he is
still human enough to fall in love, in his
own twisted way.

Since Dracula is the best-known vampire, he can serve as a kind of vampire
prince in AD&D games. One could always
assume that Dracula was summoned to
the AD&D game universe by an evil magicuser who probably got more than he
bargained for.

DRACULA (Vlad Tepes)

FREQUENCY:  Unique
NO. APPEARING:  2
ARMOR CLASS:  -1 (-4 with dexterity)
MOVE:  12"/18"
HIT DICE:  12 (96 hp)
% IN LAIR: 10%
TREASURE TYPE:  G
N O .   O F   A T T A C K S :   2 (by touch or weapon)
DAMAGE/ATTACK:  1-8 (+7)
SPECIAL ATTACKS:  Energy drain, hypnosis, +4 to hit in combat
S P E C I A L   D E F E N S E S :  +1 or better weapon to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE:  25%
INTELLIGENCE:  Exceptional
ALIGNMENT!  Chaotic  evil
S I Z E :   M
PSIONIC ABILITY:  204
Attack/Defense Modes: B,C/J
S : 19  I:  17 W: 17
D : 17 C: 19 CH: 17

Dracula is similar to the usual AD&D
game vampire in the  Monster Manual,
except as noted in this article. His strength
is 19 (as per  Legends & Lore),  and he can
wield a long sword if he so desires, doing
8-15 hp damage per attack (the weapon
may be magical as well). Dracula can
regenerate 5 hp per melee round. Garlic,
mirrors, and holy symbols only cause him
to hesitate 1-2 rounds because of his
strength of will, and he can survive up to
10 rounds in sunlight or running water.
Dracula is assumed to have been reborn as
a true vampire after his death, perhaps
being summoned to a magical universe by
an unlucky wizard. It is highly likely that
he would make use of magical weapons
and items in an AD&D game world, selecting those items appropriate to warriors
since he had no skill at magic or the priesthood in life. Magical rings, amulets, scrolls
of protection, swords and daggers, and
similar items would be preferred.

Unlike most vampires, who have been
completely overwhelmed by their transition into the undead, Dracula can sometimes overcome his undead state of mind
by sheer willpower. It is possible that he
could be impressed enough by an exceptional display of courage or faithful service
on the part of a character or retainer to
call off any attacks he is making. It is
probable that Dracula will become
involved in the politics of whatever world
he enters. His relationship with Orcus,
demon prince of the undead, is best left to
the DM?s imagination.

When trying to turn Dracula away, a
cleric should consider this monster to be
classed in the ?special? category. Conversely, though Dracula has no other
clerical abilities-as such, he may exert his
incredible willpower to force other
undead beings into servitude for short
periods of time. Treat him as an evil 12thlevel cleric, making the usual attempts to
call undead into service as per the rules
for turning undead.

Vampires in Greece

V R Y K O L A K A S
FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-10
ARMOR CLASS: <-2> ?
MOVE: 12"
HIT DICE: 7
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: [E]
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy drain (see text)
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Average
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
    Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: <>

GREAT V R Y K O L A K A S
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -2
MOVE: 12"
HIT DICE: 13
% IN LAIR: 10%
TREASURE TYPE: [G]
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-20
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy drain (see text)
SPECIAL DEFENSES: +1 or better weapon to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 30%
INTELLIGENCE: Average
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
    Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: <>

The vampire in Greek folklore is called
the  vrykolakas.  Both the vrykolakas and
the vampire are animated corpses that
prey upon the living, but the vrykolakas
differs from the vampire in a number of
details.

A vrykolakas has a weird, distinctive
look. The 17th-century writer Leo Allatius
gives an eyewitness account of the exumation of a man believed to be a vrykolakas:

"On top of the bones of other men there
was found lying a corpse perfectly whole;
it was unusually tall of stature; clothes it
had none, time or moisture having caused
them to perish. The skin was distended,
hard, and livid, and so swollen everywhere that the body had no flat surfaces
but was round like a full sack. The face
was covered with hair dark and curly; on
the head there was little hair, as also on
the rest of the body, which appeared
smooth all over. The arms, by reason of
the swelling of the corpse, were stretched
out on each side like the arms of a cross.
The hands were open, the eyelids closed,
the mouth gaping, and the teeth white.

"Such bodies do not, like those of other
dead men, suffer decomposition after
burial, nor turn to dust, but having, as it
appears, a skin of extreme toughness
become swollen and distended all over, so
that the joints can scarcely be bent; the
skin becomes stretched like the parchment
of a drum, and when struck gives out the
same sound."

The vrykolakas is not self-animated.
Instead, an evil spirit enters the body,
causing it to move about. The vrykolakas
would thus be the result of a bizarre kind
of demonic possession, all the more terrible because the dead person has no mind
to actively resist the takeover.

The vrykolakas is most active at night,
but only because devils and demons prefer
darkness, not because the monster itself is
in any way allergic to sunlight. If it so
wishes, the vrykolakas can terrorize its
victims in the daytime. In fact, a Greek
proverb advises people to ?beware of the
noontime vampire.?

This monster delights in inflicting random violence and spreading panic. The
vrykolakas does not so much feed off the
blood of the living as it does their terror
and fright. One common practice of the
vrykolakas is to seat itself upon a sleeping
victim and, by its enormous weight and
horrific presence, cause an agonizing
sense of oppression. A victim who dies
from this oppression will himself become a
vrykolakas.

In a short time, the original vrykolakas
can gather a large and dangerous train of
followers. Furthermore, as time goes on,
the vrykolakas becomes more and more
audacious and bloodthirsty, so that it is
able to completely devastate whole villages. According to legend, if the vrykolakas
in not annihilated within 80 days of its
first appearance, it will become a merciless and invincible dealer of death. The
mere sight of the vrykolakas in this state
could cause death.

Among the many legends of the vrykolakas are some curious ones. One says that
when the vrykolakas first returns from
the dead, it goes to its native village at
night, knocking at doors and calling for
one person of the household. If that person answers, he will die the next day. But
a vrykolakas never calls twice, and so the
inhabitants of the island of Chios (from
which this legend springs) always wait for
a second call at night before answering.

E v e n   a s   l a t e   a s   1910,  according to John
Lawson (author of  Modern Greek Folklore
and Ancient Greek Religion),  the island of
Santorini was notorious for its vampires
(i.e., vrykolakas). ?To send vampires to
Santorini? was an expression synonymous
with sending ?owls to Athens? or ?coals to
Newcastle.? (American equivalents might
be sending ?cars to Detroit? or ?movies to
Hollywood.?) The present day island of
Santorini was known in ancient times as

Thera. About 1,600 years ago, the island
of Thera blew apart in a volcanic explosion believed to have been more devastating than even Krakatoa or Mount St.
Helens. The resultant tidal waves and
heavy fall of ash helped destroy the Minoan civilization and might possibly be the
historical basis of the Atlantis myths.
Making Santorini the "Isle of the Undead"
may reflect some folk memory of that
ancient disaster. Areas in a fantasy universe in which huge numbers of people
were slain or died all at once might also
form breeding grounds for immense numbers of undead.
There are two ways to destroy a vrykolakas. One method is to exorcise the evil
spirit which animates the monster. If the
exorcism is successful, the corpse immediately begins to decay, rapidly decomposing
in a single round until only bones are left.
The second method is to dig up the monster?s grave and burn the corpse. Presumably, the evil spirit is only in the corpse
while it is animated. By finding the grave
and exhuming the body, it is possible to
catch the evil spirit unaware, before it has
a chance to repossess the body.

In the statistics given here for the vrykolakas are two separate columns. The first,
termed ?Vrykolakas,? is for the monster
from its initial appearance and for the first
80 days of its existence. The second
column, termed ?Great Vrykolakas,? is for
the monster after 80 days have passed.
Sleep, charm,  and  hold  spells do not
affect these creatures, nor do poison or
paralysis. A vrykolakas also has a special
kind of attack. Each turn, anyone whom
the vrykolakas touches must make a saving throw vs. spells (specifically against
fear,  with wisdom bonuses applicable). If
the save fails, the victim loses an energy
level as the vrykolakas feeds off his fear.
The vrykolakas can also attack physically
for  1-10  hp damage per strike.

A cleric has the same chance to turn a
vrykolakas as he does a mummy. In addition, the  exorcise  spell can force the evil
spirit to leave the vrykolakas, rendering
the creature harmless and inert.
After 80 days, the vrykolakas gains
enough power to become a great vrykolakas. The great vrokolakas has a better
armor class and more hit points than an
ordinary vrykolakas. It has two attacks
per round, each of which does 2-20 hp
damage. It also attacks by  fear,  but the
power works on anyone who gazes at the
great vrykolakas (in addition to anyone it
touches). The  fear  power drains two levels
if the save is unsuccessful. A great vrykolakas has a 30% resistance to all magic
(except the  exorcise  spell).

The great vrykolakas is usually accompanied by 1-6 ordinary vrykolakas under its
control. For purposes of turning it away,
consider the great vrykolakas to be in the
"special" category. If the great vrykolakas
can be turned away, or the  exorcism  spell
succeeds against it, the ordinary vrykolakas are also rendered harmless and ?dead?
again.

The dancing vampires
A kind of vampire spirit from Highland
folklore is the  baobhan sith  (pronounced
baavan shee). Since Gaelic can be difficult
to pronounce, an alternative spelling of
the monster's name could be "bavanshee."
The word itself is a dialectic variation of
banshee, but the creature is completely
different from the usual banshee. The
following tale about a baobhan sith is
retold from C.M. Robertson's Folklore from the West of Ross-shire.

Four young men were on a hunting trip
and spent the night in an empty shieling, a
hut built to give shelter for the sheep in
the grazing season. They began to dance,
one supplying mouth-music. One of the
dancers wished that they had partners.
Almost at once, four women came in.
Three danced, the fourth stood by the
music-maker. But as he hummed, he saw
drops of blood falling from the dancers.
He fled out of the shieling, pursued by his
demon partner, and took refuge among
the horses. The woman could not get to
him, probably because of the iron with
which the horses were shod. Nonetheless,
she circled round him all night, and only
disappeared when the sun rose. He went
back into the shieling and found the bloodless bodies of the dancers lying there.
Their partners had drained them white.

B A O B H A N   S I T H
( B a v a n s h e e )
 
 

FREQUENCY:  Very rare
NO. APPEARING:  1-8
ARMOR CLASS:  5
MOVE:  12?
HIT DICE:  5
% IN LAIR:  10%
TREASURE TYPE:  A
NO. OF ATTACKS:  1
D A M A G E / A T T A C K :   1-6
SPECIAL ATTACKS:  Spells and blood drain
S P E C I A L   D E F E N S E S :   Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE:  Standard
I N T E L L I G E N C E :   High
ALIGNMENT:  Chaotic evil
SIZE:  M
PSIONIC ABILITY:  Nil

Baobhan sith are evil spirits that roam at
night seeking victims. As minor demons,
they are in the ?special? category for clerics who seek to turn them. The baobhan
sith look like beautiful young women.
Using spells, they try to trick their victims
into letting them drain all the blood from
the victims? bodies. Baobhan sith have the
m a g i c - u s e r   s p e l l s   charm person, clairaudience,  suggestion, phantasmal force, and
teleport.

If a baobhan sith grasps a victim (who
usually allows the touch because of  charm
person  or  suggestion)  and makes a successful ?to hit? roll for vampiric contact,
the creature automatically drains blood
for 3-18 hp damage in one round. The
charm  or  suggestion  is then broken, and
the victim can fight back normally ? but
the baobhan sith will not release the victim unless the victim makes a strength roll
as if to open doors (e.g., a victim with a
strength of 15 can throw off an attacker
on a 1-2 on 1d6). The baobhan sith drains
3-18 hp with each further round if not
removed. Any victim drained below zero
hit points is dead. The baobhan sith has a
physical attack (a strike with a clawed
hand) which does 1-6 hp damage, but the
attack is rarely used since they prefer
spells and blood draining.

An iron weapon automatically does
double damage to a baobhan sith (and gets
a +3 bonus to hit). Since they are especially vulnerable to iron, the baobhan sith will
always try to avoid contact with it (they
can sense it within a 60? radius). Oddly
enough, silvered weapons have only normal effects against them. Holy water does
1-6 hp damage per vial to them.

Oriental vampires

-
The  ch'ing shih  is a kind of Chinese
vampire. Like the vrykolakas, the corpse is
actually animated by a sort of demon who
preserves the corpse from decay so that it
can prey on the living. Unlike the vrykolakas, however, the demon animating the
corpse is not entirely alien.

The Chinese believed that a person has
two souls: the Hun, or superior soul which
is aligned with the spirits of goodness; and
the P'o, or inferior soul, which is aligned
with the spirits of evil. If a body is not given
the proper funeral rites, the P'o can seize
control and animate the corpse. A particularly evil person may become a ch?ing shih by
purposely separating the two souls. The
superior soul can be stored someplace outside the body (much like in the  magic jar
spell) while the inferior soul is given free
reign. When the person dies, he will return
from the grave to work evil. This type of
ch'ing shih cannot be destroyed until the
superior soul is first liberated from whatever physical object it occupies (usually a
clay vase). The physical object must be broken to free the superior soul.
G. Willoughby-Meade, in  Chinese Ghosts
and Goblins,  relates a story about four
travelers who meet a ch'ing shih. The
same story is also told by Pu Sung Ling in
the book  Liao Chai.

Four travelers arrived late one night to
the village of Tsaitien in Shantung province.
They were extremely weary, wanting
only to sleep for the night. But the village
inn was completely filled. After some
lengthy discussion and a bit of bribery, the
travelers persuaded the innkeeper to find
them some indoor sleeping place, out of
the foul weather.

The innkeeper reluctantly led the four
travelers to the only place available: a
small, lonely house a little distance away
where, he told the travelers, his daughterin-law had recently died. In the one-room
cottage, behind a heavy curtain, lay the
uncoffined body of the woman. While the
circumstances were somewhat gruesome,
at least the house was warm and dry. The
innkeeper gave the travelers straw pallets
and blankets which were comfortable
enough. Within minutes, three of the four
travelers were fast asleep.

A strange sense of evil seemed to
oppress the fourth traveler. In spite of his
fatigue, fear prevented him from shutting
his eyes for some little while. Yet he was
so tired that he could not resist long and
had just about fallen asleep when he heard
an ominous rustling behind the curtain,
which sounded as though somebody was
stirring very softly.

Cold, with horror, he peered out from
half-closed eyes and he distinctly saw a
horrible, stealthy hand thrust itself from
behind the curtain, which was noiselessly
drawn aside. There stood the livid corpse
gazing into the room with a baleful glare.
It approached softly and, stooping over
the three sleepers, seemed to breathe
upon their faces.

The man who was awake buried his
head under the quilt, horror-stricken. He
felt that the corpse was bending over him,
but after a few minutes, as he lay in an
agony of terror, he heard the same gentle
rustling as before. This time the sound,
made by the movement of the stiff graveclothes, moved away from him. When he
cautiously peeped out he noticed that the
corpse had returned to its bier and was
stretched out stark and still.

He crept from his place and, not daring
to even whisper, shook each of his comrades. But he could not make them move.
He then reached for his clothes, but hearing the gentle rustling sound once more,
he realized that he had been seen.
In a moment, he flung himself back on
the bed and drew the coverlet tightly over
his face. A few minutes later he felt the
awful creature was standing by his side.
However, after looking him over, it seemed
to retire again. At length, half mad with
fright, the man grabbed some clothes
which he threw on and rushed barefoot
from the house.

He again heard the corpse stirring, but
now it sprang from its bier with a rush of
speed. The man was able to bolt and bar
the door just as the corpse leaped at it
with demoniacal fury, As the man ran at
full speed under the light of a waning
moon, desperate to put as great a distance
between himself and the haunted house as
possible, he chanced to glance back and
shrieked aloud to see that the corpse was
not only following him ? it was hard at
his heels and gaining rapidly. In desperation, he fled behind a large willow which
grew by the side of the road. As the
corpse rushed at him in one direction, he
darted rapidly in the other.

Fires burned in the corpse's red eyes as
it strove to catch its terrorized prey.
Finally, as it suddenly swooped upon him
with hideous violence, the traveler
swooned and fell senseless to the ground.
The corpse missed its aim so that it struck
the tree, not the man, with all of its might.
At daybreak, both corpse and man were
found. When the corpse was pulled away,
it was found that it had embedded its
taloned fingers so deeply into the tree that
it could not free itself. The traveler, after
many months of rest, recovered his health
-- but his companions were found lying
dead, poisoned by the fetid breath of the
ch'ing shih.

The story shows several aspects of the
ch'ing shih. It is not especially intelligent
but is extremely persistent. It is not a true
vampire, as it kills with its poisonous
breath, not by draining blood. It attacks
with a terrible, berserk fury which temporarily gives it increased strength.
A ch'ing shih can normally be destroyed
by physical attacks. If the superior soul is,
however, hidden in some magic container,
then the creature will continue coming
back to life to stalk its attackers. Normal
means of destruction only temporarily
destroy the body. Even if it is cremated
and the ashes are scattered, the ch?ing
shih will regenerate a new body after a
day or so and return to the attack. If all
else fails, it will take possession of some
other corpse. If the magic container holding the superior soul is broken, then the
ch'ing shih will return no longer. Whether
or not a particular ch'ing shih is the type
that has a hidden superior soul is, of
course, left to the DM.

CH'ING SHIH

FREQUENCY:  Very rare
NO. APPEARING:  1-8
ARMOR CLASS:  3
M O V E :   12? (15? when berserk)
HIT DICE:  7
% IN LAIR:  10%
TREASURE TYPE:  Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS:  1 (2 with breath)
D A M A G E / A T T A C K :   2-12
SPECIAL ATTACKS:  Poisonous breath,
berserk attack
S P E C I A L   D E F E N S E S :   Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE:  Standard
INTELLIGENCE:  Low
ALIGNMENT!  Chaotic evil
SIZE:  M
PSIONIC ABILITY:  Nil

The main attack of the ch'ing shih is its
poisonous breath, which can affect any
one person within 10' of the creature. At
the same time, the ch'ing shih can physically attack, doing 2-12 hp damage with a
clawed hand.

During its berserk attack, which may be
used once per night for 3-12 melee
rounds, the ch?ing shih?s strength is conside r e d   t o   b e   1 8 / 0 0   ( a d d i n g   + 3   t o   h i t   a n d   + 6
to damage with its claws), although the
creature's normal strength is 15.
A cleric has the same chance to turn a

ch'ing shih as he would a spectre. An
exorcism  spell can also drive out the evil
P'o animating the corpse, returning the
corpse to its formerly inactive state.

The mass-media vampire

While the vampire owes its origin to
folklore, it owes its popularity to movies
and fiction. In this century, more than 100
movies have been made about vampires.
The most popular and enduring have been
based on Bram Stoker's novel  Dracula.
In 1921, F.W. Murnau made a classic,
silent film version of the story of Dracula.
Though he gave full credit to Bram Stoker's novel, he didn't get permission to use
it. So, he altered the plot and location
slightly. The result was the movie  Nosferatu.  The film release was delayed (in fact,
nearly all copies of the movie were
destroyed) by a lawsuit with the Stoker
estate. It was eventually released in London in 1928 and the U.S. in 1929. Since
then, it has continued to be shown in the
art cinema theaters of the world.
In 1931, the film  Dracula  was released.
It starred Bela Lugosi and was directed by
Tod Browning. The film was so successful
that, for more than a generation, the
names "Dracula" and "Bela Lugosi" were
virtually synonymous.

In 1958, Hammer Films released its
version of the story, entitled  The Horror of

Dracula.  Terence Fisher was the director;
Dracula was played by Christopher Lee
(with Peter Cushing as Dr. Van Helsing).
Once again, the performance was so electrifying that the lead actor became identified with the vampire. Christopher Lee
also went on to make a number of other
movies in which he starred as a vampire.
One of the latest remakes of Dracula
starred Frank Langella. Like Bela Lugosi,
Langella first starred in a hit Broadway
play version of  Dracula  before being chosen to star in the movie.
Besides the novel  Dracula  by Bram Stoker, there are several other classic vampire
stories. The first well-known vampire
story was written by Dr. John William
Polidori and was entitled  The Vampyre.
For a long time, the story was actually
attributed to Polidori's better-known
friend, Lord Byron. The tale came about
as the result of one evening when the
physician Polidori, Lord Byron, Percy
Bysshe Shelley, and the daughters of Polidori and his friend Mr. Godwin sat reading
ghost stories to each other. Because of that
evening, everyone present decided to try
to write a horror story. Two of them
became classics (Mr. Godwin?s daughter
married Shelley; later, as Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, she wrote  Frankenstein: or,
The Modern Prometheus  -- the first
science-fiction novel).

Polidori's tale can be ?seen as the start of
the vampire craze. While little-known
today, the vampire of Polidori's tale (Lord
Ruthven), was as well known in the 19th
century as Dracula is today. Just as movies
have been based on Dracula, a number of
plays were based on Lord Ruthven.
One of the best vampire stories is the
novelette  Carmilla  by Sheridan Le Fanu.
Carmilla  first appeared in a collection in
1872 entitled  Through a Glass Darkly
Carmilla is the archetype of a female vampire, and the story has formed a base for
at least three movies. It is probable that
the story inspired Bram Stoker to write his
own vampire tale.

Vampire fiction is as popular today as
ever. Fairly recent novels dealing with
vampires include:
Salem's Lot,  by Stephen King;
The Hunger,  by Whitley Striber,
Fevre Dream,  by George R.R. Martin; and
Interview with a Vampire  and  The Vampire Lestat,  by Anne Rice.

Series of novels about vampires are also currently popular.
Vampire series include:  The Dracula Tapes,
The Holmes-Dracula File,
An Old Friend of the Family,  and
Thorn  by Fred Saberhagen;
Bloodright: The Memoirs of Mircea,
Son of Dracula,
The Revenge of Dracula,
and  Dracula, My Love,  by Peter Tremayne;
Hotel Transylvania,
The Palace,
Blood Games,
Tempting Fate,  and
Path of the Eclipse  by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro; and
The Black Castle,
The Silver Skull,  and
Citizen Vampire  by Les Daniels -- and
there are always "Dark Shadows" reruns on television for die-hard fans.

And with that, good evening. . . .

I?ve already consulted the Monster Manual
and the AD&D® 1st Edition Dungeon Masters
Guide, but still have no clue as to how to handle
free-willed undead in my campaign. If this topic
has been covered, could you please tell me
where? (If not, would you please cover it soon
in ?The Ecology of . . .? or similar column?)

James Massaro
Elizaville NY
(Dragon #162)

A vampire PC in an AD&D game is a serious
problem. The vampire is probably creating a
horde of charmed slaves and half-strength
vampire servants, has coffins in hundreds of
places, can kill anyone he wishes with a touch
or two, can escape pursuit with impunity by
assuming gaseous or animal form, and so on.
Even vampire NPCs operate under serious
restrictions given their fantastic powers; I
would rather have a lich PC in a game campaign
any day

My best advice for handling the situation—
assuming that you wish the campaign to continue
as it is — is to have every NPC in the area
take at least minimal precautions against the
vampire, and have large numbers of NPCs set
up antivampire patrols (not to mention creating
assault teams of adventurers bent on destroying
the menace). Spread garlic, holy symbols, holy
water, and the like all over; also make sure no
one ever allows anyone but trusted friends to
enter a home. If the situation is truly desperate
(roaming teams of vampires are slaying everyone
outdoors at night, whole villages are being
depopulated, etc.), then have a group of NPC
clerics summon one or more powerful entities
to deal with the situation: a squad of movanic
devas, backed up by a few paladins and a bunch
of clerics and mages, for instance. Attacks on
the vampire and his allies and minions should
grow more frequent and powerful as word of
his threat spreads among adventurers.

If the vampire’s player complains that you are
trying to “kill” his character, you should cheerfully
nod and say, “You bet!” If he thinks about it
and gives up his character, all the better; it
shows that he is mature and intelligent enough
to know that the campaign is flying out of
balance, and he is willing to work to bring the
fun in the game back again.

You could just ban that character from play,
too, without bothering to go through all of the
stress of trying to kill the character off. A neutral
deity might “cure” his vampiric powers to
preserve the “balance,” leaving the character
alive but less powerful. Or you could start a
new campaign from scratch and ban all undead
and lycanthropic PCs, making such characters
into NPCs once they “cross the line.” It is conceivable
that you can find a way to balance your
campaign again with a vampire PC in it, but it
would be challenging only if most of the NPC
opponents were at least as tough as the
vampire—not a likely situation!
 
 

THE FORUM

Tom Moldvay's grand review of vampire lore
(issue #126) sent delicious chills up my spine.
Vampire fiction has long been a major vehicle
for writers dealing with the theme of sacred vs.
profane love. And Mr. Moldvay is absolutely
right ? people in our nonmagical world have
probably been ?vampires." In addition to the
suggestions in the article, our ?vampires? and
?werewolves? may both have suffered from
congenital erythropoietic porphyria. Victims of
this autosomal recessive enzyme defect suffer a
painful illness with extreme sensitivity to light.
Even small amounts of sun exposure cause
sloughing of the skin, leading to hideous deformity.
Victims? teeth acquire a bright red
fluorescence, and regardless of sex, they have
very hairy skins. One way to feel better is to
load the body with molecules of heme ? and
the simple way to do this is to drink fresh blood.