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Documentation Area

Document Path: /doc/monsters/vampire

Name:
	Vampire  (Undead Creature)

Stats:
	No. Appearing  : 1
	Climate/Terrain: Any land
	Frequency      : Rare
	Organization   : Solitary
	Activity Cycle : Night
	Diet           : Special

Description:
	Of all the evil undead creatures that stalk the world, none is more
	dreadful than the vampire. Moving silently through the night, vampires
	prey upon the living without mercy or compassion. Unless deep under-
	ground, they must return to the coffins in which they pass the daylight
	hours, and even in the former case they must occasionally return to
	such to rest, for their power is renewed by contact with soil from
	their graves.

	One aspect that makes the vampire far more fearful than many of its un-
	dead kindred is its appearance. Unlike other undead creatures, the vam-
	pire can easily pass among normal men without drawing attention to it-
	self for. Although its facial features are sharp and feral, they do not
	seem inhuman. In many cases, a vampire's true nature is revealed only
	when it attacks. There are ways in which a vampire may be detected by
	the careful observer, however. Vampires cast no reflection in a glass,
	cast no shadows, and move in complete silence.

Combat:
	When engaging in combat, vampires are savage and fearsome opponents as
	they are physically very powerful. The gaze of a vampire is one of its
	most powerful and dangerous weapons. Any person who allows the vampire
	to look into his eyes will be affected as if by a charm person spell.
	In this manner, vampires are often able to pass posted sentries and
	surprise their chosen victimes.

	Non-magical weapons pass through vampires without harming them in any
	way. Even if attacked with and harmed by magical weapons, vampires re-
	generate 3 hit points per round. If reduced to 0 hit points, a vampire
	is not destroyed, but is forced to assume gaseous form. Once in this
	state, it will attempt to flee and return to its coffin, where, after
	eight hours of rest, it regains corporeal form. If the defeated vampire
	is unable to reach its coffin within one hour, however, its essence
	breaks up and the creature is truly destroyed.

	At will, vampires are able to disperse their bodies into clouds of ele-
	mental vapor and assume gaseous form. In this state, they are all but
	immune to attack and can escape from almost any confinement. In addi-
	tion, vampires can shape change to take on the form of a large bat.

	Vampires can summon lesser creatures for aid. In a subterranean envi-
	ronment, they will typically call forth a swarm of 10-100 rats or bats.
	In the case of the latter, these do not physically attack but serve to
	confuse the vision of the vampire's foes. In the wilderness, a vampire
	will normally call upon 3-18 wolves for assistance. In all cases, the
	summoned animals arrive after 2-3 minutes.

	At will, a vampire can use a spider climb ability and scale sheer sur-
	faces. Often, they will employ this power to gain access to rooms on
	upper floors without alerting those on watch downstairs. This power
	also permits the vampire to seek refuge in places which are all but
	beyond the reach of mortal men.

	Despite the great powers which vampires obviously possess, they are not
	without weaknesses of their own. The odor of strong garlic repels them
	and they will not approach it. Further, they will recoil from the face
	of a mirror or holy symbol if either of these is presented to them with
	courage and conviction. It is important to understand, however, that
	this will not actually harm the vampire in any way of drive it off.
	Garlic will prevent the creature from attacking or entering the area,
	while mirrors and holy symbols force the vampire to find some means of
	removing the offending object before it can be bypassed. In most cases,
	the vampire will seek to overcome these hazards with the aid of its mi-
	nions. For example, a charmed persons might be called upon to attack
	someone who is holding the vampire at bay with a holy symbol. Another
	important point to keep in mind is that a holy symbol will affect the
	vampire regardless of the vampire's original religious background. Vam-
	pires which are splashed with a vial of holy water or struck with holy
	symbols are burned by them.

	Just as vampires can be kept at bay, so too can they be slain by those
	who have the knowledge to do so. Any vampire which is exposed to direct
	sunlight is instantly rendered powerless and, after one round, utterly
	annihilated. If the vampire can be immersed in running water it dies
	after three rounds. Last, a vampire can be killed by having a wooden
	stake driven through its heart. In this case, however, the creature can
	be restored simply by removing the stake if further measures are not
	taken to ensure the fate of the vampire. In order for it to be comple-
	tely destroyed, the vampire's head must be cut off and its mouth stuf-
	fed with holy wafers (or their equivalent).

	In addition to its aversion to items like garlic and holy symbols, the
	vampire acts under various limitations. One of the most powerful of
	these is the creature's inability to enter a home without being first
	invited to do so by a resident of the dwelling. This does not apply to
	public buildings and places of business which, by their nature, extend
	an 'invitation' to all. Once a vampire has been invited to enter a re-
	sidence, it may come and go freely afterward. A common manner for ob-
	taining permission to enter a home is the use of the vampire's gaze to
	charm a servant or other inhabitant.

	Any human or humanoid creature slain by the life energy drain of a vam-
	pire is doomed to become a vampire himself. Thus, those who would hunt
	these lords of the undead must be very careful else they find themsel-
	ves condemned to a fate far worse than death. The transformation takes
	place one day after the burial of the creature. Those who are not actu-
	ally buried, however, do not become undead and it is thus traditional
	that the bodies of a vampire's victims be burned or similarly destro-
	yed. Once they become undead, the new vampire is under the complete
	control of the killer. If that vampire is destroyed, the controlled un-
	dead are freed from its power and become self-willed creatures.

	In most cases, vampires do not lose the abilities and knowledge which
	they had in life when they become undead. Thus, it is possible for a
	vampire to have the powers of, for example, a wizard, thief, or even
	priest.

Habitat/Society:
	Vampires live in areas of death and desolation where they will not be
	reminded of the lives they have left behind. Ruined castles or chapels
	and large cemeteries are popular lairs for them, as are sites of great
	tragedies or battles. Vampires often feel a strong attachment to speci-
	fic areas with some morbid significance, like the grave of a suicide or
	the site of a murder.

	When deciding on a course of action or planning a campaign, vampires
	move very slowly and meticulously. It is not uncommon for a vampire to
	undertake some scheme which may take decades or even centuries to reach
	its conclusion. Because of the curse of immortality that has fallen
	upon them, they feel that time is always on their side and will often
	defeat foes who might otherwise overcome them; the vampire can simply
	go into hiding for a few decades until the passing of the years brings
	down its enemies.

	Vampires are normally solitary creatures. When they are found in the
	company of others of their kind, the group will certainly consist of a
	single vampire lord and a small group of vampires which it has created
	to do its bidding. In this way, the vampire can exert its power over a
	greater range without running the risk of exposing itself to attack by
	would-be-heroes.

	In general, vampires feel only contempt for the world and its inhabi-
	tants. Denied the pleasures of a true life, they have become dark and
	twisted creatures bent on revenge and terror. When a vampire creates
	another of its kind, it considers the new creature a mere tool. The mi-
	nion will be sent on missions which the vampire feels may be too dan-
	gerous or unimportant for its personal attention. If the need arises,
	these pawns will gladly be sacrificed to protect or further the ends
	of their master.

Ecology:
	The vampire has no place in the world of living creatures. It is a
	thing of darkness that exists only to bring about evil and chaos. Al-
	most without exception, the vampire is feared and hated by those who
	dwell in the regions in which it chooses to make its home. The vam-
	pire's unnatural presence is all-pervasive and will cause dogs and si-
	milar animals to raise a cry of alarm at the presence of the creature.

	Vampires sustain themselves by draining the life force from living
	creatures. Unless they have a specific need to create additional mini-
	ons, however, they are careful to avoid killing those they attack. In
	cases where the death of a victim is desired, the vampire will take
	care to see that the body is destroyed and this will not rise as an
	undead.