The Undead, painted for this archive

Vampire

Creature, The Undead

The mightiest corporeal undead, a human-seeming, often charismatic blood-drinker that stays young only by feeding and can become bat, wolf or mist at night. It rests in a coffin of native soil, is harmed only by silver or magic, repelled by garlic and holy symbols, and destroyed by a stake left in the heart.

From the book

Kvasir of Midgarth names vampires the Princes of the Night and Lords of Darkness, the most feared of the corporeal undead, whose thirst is boundless and who feed on the living to add to their ranks; only a higher power or nature's few defenses keep people safe. The vampire survives by drinking blood. Deprived of it, it ages rapidly to its true age, which can be centuries, while a steady supply keeps it young and strong.

It looks the most human of the undead, with no trace of rot. Pale (flushed after feeding), fanged and without a reflection, it can otherwise pass as an ordinary, often striking man, though anger or hunger make it bestial. At will, but only at night, it can become a bat, a wolf or a mist, and cannot attack as mist. By day it cannot change shape and is much weaker; a weak vampire crumbles to dust in direct sunlight and even strong ones endure it only briefly. Each must spend the day in a coffin holding a thin layer of earth from its homeland, or slowly weaken until it ceases to exist.

Ordinary weapons do nothing to it, though silver and magic weapons work, and the only sure end is a wooden stake through the heart, left there so it cannot regenerate. Garlic and certain holy symbols drive it back. It cannot enter a home without being invited, but its gaze works like a charm spell and can win that invitation. Its bite drains both blood and life energy, and those it kills this way often rise as vampires. The strongest can command bats, rats or wolves.

Each bite also drains 2 points of energy per level of the vampire and has a 75% chance of passing on vampirism, and a save vs WILL resists its charming gaze. A vampire regenerates 1 hit point a minute. Holy water forces it to save vs WILL or turn to mist, and garlic or a holy symbol also forces it to save vs WILL: if it fails, it will not approach the bearer and usually backs away.

At a glance

Aka: Princes of the Night; Lords of Darkness (in Kvasir's epigraph)
Feeding: Drinks blood of the living; without it ages rapidly to its true age; bite drains blood and life energy; victims slain this way often become vampires
Appearance: Most human of undead; pale (ruddy after feeding), sharp fangs, no reflection in mirrors; can look bestial when angry or hungry
Shape change: Bat, wolf or gaseous mist at will, only at night; cannot attack in mist form
Daylight: No shape-changing and greatly reduced strength by day; weak vampires crumble to dust in direct sunlight; powerful ones endure it briefly
Rest: Must spend the day in a coffin holding an inch or two of soil from its native land, or weaken and eventually cease to exist
Defenses: Normal weapons have no effect; silver and magic weapons effective
Destruction: Wooden stake through the heart, left in place to prevent regeneration
Repelled by: Garlic; certain religious symbols
Limitations: Cannot enter a human home without direct invitation, though its charm-like gaze can overcome this
Powers: Gaze acts as a charm spell; most powerful can control bats, rats or wolves
Related: Spell casters slain by vampires become Upir; vampire lords ride nightmares
Source cited: Kvasir of Midgarth, The Dark Undead
Height/Length: 6 ft.
Weight: 200 lbs.
STR: 19
SPD: 16
DEX: 16
CON: 20
INT: 10-18
WILL: 18
CHA: 19
PER: 18
Level: 6-10
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Damage: Hands: 1-6 (+ STR) each, Bite: 1-4 blood drain (+ 2 points energy drain per level of the Vampire)
Special Attributes: Turns into a bat, a wolf or a gaseous mist at will; its bite has a 75% chance to pass on vampirism; its gaze works as a Charm spell (a save vs WILL resists); only silver or magical weapons harm it; heals 1 h.p. per minute
Armor: Unarmored
Hit Points: 20-44 +
Found in: Gondwana, Jambu, Lemuria/Mu/Elysium Sea, Mediterranea, North Sea Region, Tamoanchan
Comments: Like all undead, it cannot bear Holy water, which forces a save vs WILL or it turns to gaseous form; garlic and Holy symbols often repel it too: on a failed save vs WILL it will not come near the bearer and usually backs away