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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Storminator" data-source="post: 260424" data-attributes="member: 305">The following is long.The vampire is a very interesting collection of myths. I did a folklore project in college on vampires, and while my take on the situation is not universally agreed with, I did get both an A+ and a special mention, so it's not totally off the wall. Here goes:Look at aspects of mythic vampires: 1) power over death2) mental domination3) lives in darkness4) controls wild animals5) bloodThese are some of mankind's most basic and primal fears. These are all things that, in general, you can't do anything about. Death is beyond you. If you're controlled, you're helpless, the night comes whether you wish it or no, and darkness has always been scary and dangerous. Wild animals are, by definition, beyond your control, and blood has always held magic powers in primative societies.So the vampire is everything we collectively fear and can never overcome. The vampire is the physical embodiment our fears. And what do we do about it? You don't just kill a vampire, you savage it, you mutilate it, you burn it, behead it, stake it, destroy it, and still fear what it may have created. You take out all your fears and frustrations of life on this avatar of evil.The D&D vampire is most decidedly not this creature. To maintain the spirit of the vampire in D&D form, it must be everything your players fear and hate, and it must be nearly impossible to destroy. In short, it must have damage resistance, and spell resistance, it must destroy levels, stats, and magic items. It should burn unspent spell slots. It should turn PCs against PCs (Dominate power works) and it should turn familiars against masters. Its damage should resist magic healing, and when slain, it must return again and again. This beast isn't the classic vampire either, but PCs aren't afraid of the things normal people are afraid of. The vampire should be the scariest thing you ever face, something that you never forget, and that your characters never want to see again.Then you will be true to the myths of the vampire, even if the powers aren't found in stories.PS</blockquote>

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