Vampires, Pop Culture, and Your Game

[CleverNickName]

National Public Radio recently did a spot titled "The Modern Vampie: Bloodthirsty, but Chivalrous." In this article, they talked about the new generation of vampire heroes appearing in our culture. It seems that the modern-day vampire gentleman is just as mysterious and sexy in the old-vampire ways, but now has the self-control and moral convictions of a stereotypical knight in shining armor.

The depiction of vampires in pop culture has changed over the years, at least within the realms of books and films. Which one of these vampires do you prefer in your game?

The Real-Life Dracula (1450): The original Dracula was not an undead monster...he was a mass-murderer who killed his own countrymen for amusement. If you prefer not to have vampires in your games at all, this would be the option for you.

The Aristocrat Vampire (1900): The mysterious, debonair vampire drawn from the Victorian ideals of repressed sexuality and subservient womens' roles. This vampire is typically portrayed as an intruder who lurks in the shadows and preys upon the innocent, but lives a double-life as a high-profile member of upper society. This style of vampire was probably drawn from public fears of syphillus and serial killers like Jack the Ripper, and general distrust of those in authority.

Cold War Vampire (1958): The monstrous, serial-killing vampire made of little more than teeth, hunger, and pure evil. This vampire has no motive or remorse, and exists only to bring destruction upon the innocent...which is exactly how the United States viewed their Cold War enemies during that time.

Disco Dracula (1979): Vampires got a makeover in the disco era, with chiseled good looks, enhanced fashion sense, and modern haircuts. Instead of graveyards and crypts, they hang out in nightclubs, shopping malls, and corporate offices. These bloodsuckers have little or nothing to do with politics, world views, or ancient history...they are sexual creatures, free of moral conviction and obligation, who do whatever they want because nobody can stop them.

Goth Vampire (1994): The vampire built around the rediscovery of Anne Rice's novels, the expansion of goth subculture, and the public's paranoia regarding homosexuality. These vampires are more about being misunderstood, tortured souls who lash back at those who trouble them in life, and seek to spread their vampire-ness into all reaches of society.

Today's Vampire (2008): The vampires of today are wolves in sheeps clothing, who disguise their true nature with sex appeal and vulnerability. Today's vampires illustrate the fact that people are sometimes more than what they appear to be. They tend to be more heroic than monstrous, and often work alongside "the good guys" to defeat a greater evil.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I guess the closest would be the The Aristocrat Vampire or Today's Vampire though at the same time not quite. I like my vampires to be have lots of variants some can mix and mingle with every facet of society, others hide themselves from human sight.

One common theme though is that all of them no matter how much they try to uphold themselves and keep some level of humanity are still monsters. They still got to hunt down people to feed, are likely to go berserk, have terrifying abilities, etc. Vampire: The Requiem vampires are my favourite (they are less superhero-esque then Masquerade ones and are generally more monstrous).

I put Aristocrat Vampire or Today's Vampire in that it is the one that shows that a vampire can have different sides to him.

 

[Minigiant]

Today's Vampire or Cold War Vampire.

Mostly because because vampirism is more of a handful of linked curses. You're an undead being who need blood to survives and has voices in your head that may or make you insane. A stong willed vampire with enough age can easily resist the urge to become a human-shaped beast. Many cannot do this and become the pets/minions of the vampires who still have enough sanity to survive in the open. So some vamps are just undead humans while others are just a step over a "fast zombie".

 

[Agamon]

Today's Vampire or Cold War Vampire.

Depends on the game, but yeah, one of these.

 

[Oni]

I with the poll was multiple choice because I like vampires in more than one flavor and see no reason they can't necessarily exist alongside one another in some fashion or another.

 

[jdrakeh]

None of the above. I prefer a more alien depiction of vampires ala Brian Lumley, Doctor Who, or Lifeforce (none of those specifically, mind you, but traits borrowed from all of them).

 

[Angel Tarragon]

In the Tale, vampires are an amlagamation of the Aritocrat and Goth vampire. However, they do not perpetuate their existence through creating more vampires in the traditional literary sense; they are instead a unique race that are able to produce children in the normal racial regard (mating). Inter-racial matings produce offspring known as the Katane.

 

[Psion]

Depends on the campaign.

Charming, a metaphor for sexual predation, rooted in easern european myth. Mostly Bram Stoker. If the campaign presumes a larger presence than is typical for D&D were they have larger societies, I'd have to peel away many D&D conventions.

 

[Shroomy]

Hmmm, based on those definitions, I guess if I had to pick, I would go with the Aristocratic and Disco Vampire (and other than the era, I don't see a lot of disco elements there).

 

[Silvercat Moonpaw]

I didn't vote because I see no problem with any of these vampires. Having read or heard about blood-sucking monsters from myths in different parts of the world I'd have to say the Undead Monster vampire (the one that goes between Real-Life and Aristocrat; you need a category for the original myths) and Deceiver (i.e. all the "sexy" ones) are both very necessary choices to have for a setting since they evoke different human fears.

As for the "misunderstood monster" I only find that works for me if the vampire(s) in question aren't any more dangerous than a comparable human would be (meaning you eliminate any powers that would give the vampire an unequal advantage and simply go by desire to kill or not kill).