D&D General Reading Ravenloft the setting

[Remathilis]

Vampyres are a long time defined thing in Ravenloft. They are humanoid retractable fang not undead blood drinker predators, and not half-vampires. Basically there to fake out undead hunters and have vampires without energy drain or normal weaknesses. See Denizens of Darkness.

They fill a similar thematic niche to dhampir or vryloka (4e) as "living vampire" motif, even if the origin isn't the same. I'd argue you could probably use the same stats for all of them and most people would be none the wiser.

 

[Faolyn]

Is that an eldritch corgi?

 

[Faolyn]

They fill a similar thematic niche to dhampir or vryloka (4e) as "living vampire" motif, even if the origin isn't the same. I'd argue you could probably use the same stats for all of them and most people would be none the wiser.

Probably, although vampyrs (I don't like the e at the end) reproduce the normal biological way and are actually quite a bit weaker. They're humanoids without any undead powers.

 

[Tonguez]

It isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I remember Castles Forlorn being one of the standout modules/boxed sets from the time. It was one of the most barren sounding entries in the black box and I was very surprised what the Lisa Smedman was able to do with it.

Castle Forlorn is an outstanding module but it does need an experienced DM to make it work well. Tristen Apblanc is a more interesting villain than Strahd but some of the module is filler and the wider Forlorn countryside is a bit lacking (unless you add the Unseelie fae back in)

 

[Voadam]

They fill a similar thematic niche to dhampir or vryloka (4e) as "living vampire" motif, even if the origin isn't the same. I'd argue you could probably use the same stats for all of them and most people would be none the wiser.

You could, but 3e and 3.5 Ravenloft also have specifically half-vampire Dhampirs in the same monster books as the vampyres. They used a template whereas the Vampyre were a base race.

And Vrykolakas are a strain of undead vampire in 3e Ravenloft (also found in the same monster books as the Dhampir and Vampyres).

 

[Remathilis]

Probably, although vampyrs (I don't like the e at the end) reproduce the normal biological way and are actually quite a bit weaker. They're humanoids without any undead powers.

So are the others. Basically humanoids with a bite attack. The difference is what side effect goes with the bite (vampyre: charm saliva, vryloka, stat boost, dhampir; healing or skill boost) and some minor details.

That said, Tristan Alblanc is closer in origin to a dhampir (mother attacked by vampire) than vampyre (who are aliens from an alternative Prime Material Plane, no joke). All things considered, the difference between them is so miniscule that if you have one, you don't really need the others.

 

[Remathilis]

You could, but 3e and 3.5 Ravenloft also have specifically half-vampire Dhampirs in the same monster books as the vampyres. They used a template whereas the Vampyre were a base race.

And Vrykolakas are a strain of undead vampire in 3e Ravenloft (also found in the same monster books as the Dhampir and Vampyres).

The vryloka I was referring to was the 4e one from Heroes of the Shadowfell.

Vryloka

“It was the shadow that concealed us during our flight from the bright lands. It was the shadow that enfolded us, sheltered us from the gods’ wrath. And it is to shadow I pledge my loyalty without question.”— Kreston, Vryloka paladin[HoS:132] Vryloka is a player character race in Dungeons &...

dnd4.fandom.com

Point stands though, you don't need three distinct "humanoid who drinks blood like a vampire" races and we're already getting dhampir.

 

[Faolyn]

That said, Tristan Alblanc is closer in origin to a dhampir (mother attacked by vampire) than vampyre (who are aliens from an alternative Prime Material Plane, no joke). All things considered, the difference between them is so miniscule that if you have one, you don't really need the others.

It wouldn't be D&D if they didn't include twenty different all-but-identical monsters.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

The vampyrs or living hemophagues/blood-drinkers and their "blood farms" with prisoners... today they may be very problematic because today in internet some "urban legends" tell horrible things, very horrible, worse than the trafic of human organs, about "adrenochrome", a drug to keep young by means of dreadful means. Today the "vampire camarilla" could be used as an allegory of the deep state by some DMs.

Forlon is perfect if you want a game about to clean a zone to bluild your stronghold, something like Conan Exiles or State of Decay 2. Goblyns should be faes, not undead, because without variety of monster types then the players become specialist of undead-slaying. A retcon of the goblyns would make these to become ashes when they die (or something like a sand castle destroyed by the water), to avoid gore, and then Forlon would be better for a family-friend horror story, or game. Maybe here we should add "digievolutions" or mutant version of the goblyns.

Forlon is too linked to the darklord. It would be interesting a war between goblyn defenders and an invasion of vrylokas, or the wererats, or werevermins. These "unwated guests" would be wellcome, and helped, by Rual, the ghost, only to cause suffering against Tristen.

Or somebody searchs the druids for a reincarnation spell. This works partially, but the "patient" become a twister version of the wilders, the humanoids with plant traits. It is a good ally, but they suffer when the goblyns destroy the forests. Later this "wilder" is killed, but reincarnated into other "pod", and the original corpse is used for reverse ingenering to create a new plant monster, this time working as a parasite.

 

[Voadam]

Point stands though, you don't need three distinct "humanoid who drinks blood like a vampire" races and we're already getting dhampir.

Unless you are using the different stories as distinct things the way Vampyres (race of blood drinking aliens with no undeath connections) and Dhampir (kids whose moms were attacked by vampires and have undead vampire connections) are in 3e Ravenloft.

Mechanically it is mostly the same niche with minor differences. For story purposes the differences are more significant.