Wikipedia

Vampire (Dungeons & Dragons)

In theDungeons & Dragonsfantasy role-playing game, avampireis anundeadcreature. A humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature can become a vampire, and looks as it did in life, with pale skin, haunting red eyes, and a feral cast to its features. A new vampire is created when another vampire drains the life out of a living creature. Its depiction is related to those in the 1930s and 1940s HollywoodDraculaand monster movies.[1]In writing vampires into the game, as with other creatures arising in folklore, the authors had to consider what elements arising in more recent popular culture should be incorporated into their description and characteristics.[2]

Vampire
First appearancetheDungeons & Dragons"white box" set(1974)
In-universe information
TypeUndead
AlignmentAny Evil

Publication history

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The vampire was one of the earliest creatures introduced in theDungeons & Dragonsgame. The vampire as a player character concept was present inDave Arneson's playtest group for the original version of the rules. It led to the creation of a vampire-hunter, which became the basis of thecleric class.[3]

Inspired byGothic fiction,the vampire is a typical denizen of the Ravenloft setting.[4]

Dungeons & Dragons(1974–1976)

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The vampire was one of the first monsters introduced in the earliest edition of the game, in theDungeons & Dragons"white box" set(1974),[5]where they were described simply as powerful undead. Vampires were further detailed in Supplement I:Greyhawk(1975).[6]

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons1st edition (1977–1988)

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The vampire appears in the first editionMonster Manual(1977),[7]where it is described as a chaotic evil, night-prowling creature whose powerful negative force drains life energy from victims.

Dragon#25 (May 1979) details several vampire variants, including thealp,theanananngel,theasanbosam,thebruxsa,theburcolakas,thecatacano,thech'ing-shih,theekimmu,thekrvopijac,thelobishumen,themulo,thenosferat,and thevlkodlak.This article was later reprinted inBest of Dragon, Vol. II(1981).

Thevampiriclizard manappeared in the moduleTomb of the Lizard King(1982).

TheLankhmarvampireappeared in the moduleSwords of Deceit(1986).

Dracula himself was given AD&D statistics inDragon#126 (October 1987), along with thevrykolakaandgreat vrykolaka.

Dungeons & Dragons(1977–1999)

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This edition of theD&Dgame included its own version of the vampire, in theDungeons & Dragons Basic Set(1977),[8]andExpert Set(1981 & 1983),[9][10]and was also later featured in theDungeons & Dragons Gameset (1991), theDungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia(1991),[11]theClassic Dungeons & Dragons Gameset (1994), and theDungeons & Dragons Adventure Gameset (1999). This last set also featured thelesser vampire.[12]

Thevelya,a relative of the vampire, was introduced in the moduleWar Rafts of Kron(1984), and subsequently appeared in theCreature Catalogue(1986),[13]and the laterCreature Catalog(1993).[14]Theswamp velyawas introduced in the moduleLegacy of Blood(1987).

Thenosferatuappeared in the gazetteers ofThe Grand Duchy of Karameikos(1987) andThe Principalities of Glantri(1987), and in theCreature Catalog(1993).

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons2nd edition (1989–1999)

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The vampire appears first in theMonstrous Compendium Volume One(1989), which also introduced theEastern vampire.[15]The standard vampire and the Eastern vampire are reprinted in theMonstrous Manual(1993).[16]

Variants for the standard vampire and the Eastern vampire in theSpelljammercampaign settingwere detailed in the supplementCrystal Spheres(1990).

Thelidevicappeared inDragon#158 (June 1990).

Thenosferatu vampirefor theRavenloftsetting appeared in theRavenloft: Realm of Terrorboxed set (1990), and later appeared inRavenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendix III: Creatures of Darkness(1994), andVan Richten's Monster Hunter's Compendium(1999). Several vampire variants appeared inMonstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix(1991), including thedwarf vampire,theelf vampire,thegnome vampire,thehalfling vampire,and thekender vampire;these creatures were reprinted inRavenloft Monstrous Compendium I & II(1996). TheEastern vampireandMayonakaappear inMonstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix II(1993). TheillithidvampireandAthaekeethaappear inMonstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix II,and later inRavenloft Monstrous Compendium I & II(1996).Thoughts of Darkness(1992), andThe Illithiad(1998). Theoriental vampireand thedrow vampireappeared inRavenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendix III: Creatures of Darkness.Thecerebral vampirewas introduced inBleak House: The Death of Rudolph van Richten(1996), and then appeared inMonstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four(1998).[17]

The vampire of theMystaracampaign setting was detailed inNight of the Vampire(1994). The velya and swamp velya returned in theMystara Monstrous Compendium Appendix(1994).[18]The nosferatu for theSavage Coastsetting appeared in theSavage Coast Monstrous Compendium Appendix(1996).

DragonAnnual #1 (1996) details several undead variants, including theaswang(ghast), thebaobhan sith(doppelgänger), thecivatateo(mummy), thedubbelsauger(ghoul), theeretica(hag), thefravashi(succubus), thegayal(wraith), thehannya(wight), theimpudulu(zombie lord), thejigarkhor(wight), thekuei(skeleton), thelemure(spectre), themoroli(wight), thenelapsi(vampire), theohyn(goblin), thepelesit(monkey), theqarlak(wight), theramanga(zombie), thestregoni(vampire), thetlacique(spectre), theustrel(goblin), thevetala(wraith), thewurdalak(lycanthrope), thexloptuny(wight), theyara-ma-yha-sho(lizard man), and thezmeu(ghost).

Three unique vampires for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting appeared inDragon#236 (November 1996):Morg;Saed, Beast Chieftain of Veld;andSaestra Karanok.

Dungeons & Dragons3.0 edition (2000–2002)

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The vampire appears in theMonster Manualfor this edition (2000) as a template.[19]

Thehopping vampireappeared inOriental Adventures(2001).[20]

Thedrider vampireappeared inCity of the Spider Queen(2002) for the Forgotten Realms.[21]

Dungeons & Dragons3.5 edition (2003–2007)

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The vampire appears in the revisedMonster Manualfor this edition (2003), along with theelite vampire.

Themoonbane vampire,thepersuasive vampire,thepsychic vampire,thesavage vampire,and theswarmform vampireappeared inLibris Mortis: The Book of Undead(2004).[22]

Thevampire mind flayerappears inLords of Madness(2005).[23]

TheKasian vampire,thesavage vampire,theshadow vampireand theterror vampireappeared inDragon#348 (October 2006).

Two unique vampires,Black DukeandRed Widowappeared inMonster Manual V(2007).

Dungeons & Dragons4th edition (2008–2014)

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The vampire appears in theMonster Manualfor this edition (2008).[24]

In the supplementHeroes of Shadow(2011), the vampire is presented as acharacter class.[25]TheVryloka,a race of humanoids with vampiric traits, are also presented.[26]

Dragon Annual 2009andDragon Magazine 371also had the Vampire Bloodline, a series of feats.

Dungeons & Dragons 5thedition (2014–present)

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The vampire appears in theMonster Manualfor this edition (2014) along with the spellcaster and warrior vampire variants.[27]

Thejiangshiappears inVan Richten's Guide to Ravenloft(2021), along with the dhampir, which is considered a lineage that can replace a character's race.[28]

Description

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A vampire can be of any evilalignment,and if its alignment was not evil in life, it becomes so in undeath. A vampire retains all the abilities it had in life, and gains the ability to drain blood and life energy, and to dominate other creatures with its gaze. A vampire can also command rats, bats, and wolves, or take the form of those creatures. They also become superhumanly strong, can heal quickly or even regenerate, and can turn into a gaseous form.

Some vampires worship the godKanchelsis.

Vampire spawn

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Vampire Spawn
In-universe information
TypeUndead
AlignmentAny Evil

In theDungeons & Dragonsgame, thevampire spawnare undead creatures created when a vampire slays a mortal with its bite. Vampire spawn look much the way they did in life (they are usually humanoids), except with hardened features and a predatory look. They also have greyer skin. A vampire spawn is controlled by the vampire who created them. A vampire spawn can become a normal vampire by drinking the blood of the vampire who originally turned them into a vampire spawn.

Vampire spawn are similar in their habits to vampires, being evil creatures drawn to their graves and coffins. They are less intelligent and, while still strong, are physically weaker than vampires. They cannot turn into a bat, dire bat, wolf, or dire wolf and they cannot summon rats, bats or wolves. Vampire spawn are unable to create spawn of their own. They attack by hammering opponents against walls, punching them, and tearing out their limbs. They can both energy drain, and suck the blood with a bite. Their mere gaze drains the victim of confidence, courage, energy, hope and joy. Vampire spawn have the ability to assume a gaseous form. They can also climb upon walls in the manner of a spider. Vampire spawn are, however, also vulnerable to all normal attacks and spells which repel vampires.

Vampire spawn speak Common. They can be of any evil alignment.

In theDungeons & DragonssupplementLibris Mortis,vampire spawn, along with several other undead creatures becamecharacter classesfor player characters.

Variant vampires

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  • Moonbane Vampire– a vampire vulnerable to the light of the full moon.
  • Monstrous Vampire– a non-humanoid vampire.
  • Persuasive Vampire– uses the power of its speech to sway opinions of listeners.
  • Psychic Vampire– drains a victim's mental strength rather than physical health.
  • Savage Vampire– rely on brute force and hunt in packs.
  • Swarmform Vampire– can assume the form of a swarm of creatures.
  • Vampiric Dragon– vampiric dragon forever anchored to its hoard, much like a normal vampire craves its coffin. It can overcome this weakness through the use of magical trinkets, such as chokers, wrist bands and other pieces of jewelry that contains their entire horde. Most notable of these was Brimstone the Smoke drake's great diamond choker which allowed him to travel any length from his lair whenever he wanted so long as it was at night.

InOriental Adventures

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  • Hopping Vampire– Arises when a body is buried improperly or in an inauspicious location.
  • Penanggalan– A floating head, with entrails and intestines hanging down from the neck, which it can wrap around throats and limbs to squeeze the life out of its victims before feeding on their blood.

Notable vampires

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Reception

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Rob Bricken ofio9identified the vampire as one of "The 12 Most Obnoxious Dungeons & Dragons Monsters".[29]Detlef Wienecke-Janz and James Lovitt considered the vampire a typical monster of theBram Stoker-inspired horror-setting of Ravenloft,[30][31]whileBackstabreviewer Philippe Tessier considered it a "classic ofD&D".[32]

Other publishers

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The vampire is fully detailed inPaizo Publishing's bookClassic Horrors Revisited(2009), on pages 46–51.[33]

References

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  1. ^Weinstock, Jeffrey, ed. (2014).The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters.Ashgate Publishing.pp.192–193.
  2. ^Grebey, James (June 3, 2019)."How Dungeons and Dragons reimagines and customizes iconic folklore monsters".SyfyWire.
  3. ^Ewalt, David M.(2013).Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It.Scribner. p. 69.ISBN978-1-4516-4052-6.
  4. ^Rangel Jiménez, Mauricio (2021).Lanzando los dados: aproximaciones académicas a los juegos de rol(in Spanish).Universidad Iberoamericana.ISBN978-607-417-763-3.
  5. ^Gygax, Gary,andDave Arneson.Dungeons & Dragons(3-Volume Set) (TSR, 1974)
  6. ^Gygax, GaryandRobert Kuntz.Supplement I: Greyhawk(TSR, 1975)
  7. ^Gygax, Gary.Monster Manual(TSR,1977)
  8. ^Gygax, Gary,andDave Arneson[1974], edited byJ. Eric Holmes.Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set(TSR, 1977)
  9. ^Gygax, Gary,andDave Arneson[1974], edited byDave Cook.Dungeons & Dragons Expert Set(TSR, 1981)
  10. ^Gygax, Gary,andDave Arneson[1974], edited byFrank Mentzer.Dungeons & Dragons Set 2: Expert Rules(TSR, 1983)
  11. ^Allston, Aaron,Steven E. Schend,Jon Pickens,andDori Watry.Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia(TSR, 1991)
  12. ^Slavicsek, Bill.Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game(TSR, 1999)
  13. ^Morris, Graeme,Phil GallagherandJim Bambra.Creature Catalogue(TSR,1986)
  14. ^Nephew, John.Creature Catalog(TSR,1993)
  15. ^Cook, David,et al.Monstrous Compendium Volume One(TSR,1989)
  16. ^Stewart, Doug,ed.Monstrous Manual(TSR, 1993)
  17. ^Pickens, Jon,ed.Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four.(TSR,1998)
  18. ^Nephew, John,Teeuwynn Woodruff,John Terra,andSkip Williams.Mystara Monstrous Compendium Appendix(TSR,1994)
  19. ^Cook, Monte,Jonathan Tweet,andSkip Williams.Monster Manual(Wizards of the Coast,2000)
  20. ^Wyatt, James.Oriental Adventures(Wizards of the Coast,2001)
  21. ^Wyatt, James.City of the Spider Queen(TSR,2002)
  22. ^Collins, Andy,andBruce R. Cordell.Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead(Wizards of the Coast, 2004)
  23. ^Baker, Rich,James Jacobs,andSteve Winter.(Wizards of the Coast, 2005)
  24. ^Mearls, Mike,Stephen Schubert,andJames Wyatt.Monster Manual(Wizards of the Coast,2008)
  25. ^"Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Shadow Classes)".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-03-14.
  26. ^"Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Shadow Races)".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-12-30.
  27. ^Mike Mearls;Jeremy Crawford;Christopher Perkins; Chris Sims; Rodney Thompson; Peter Lee, eds. (2014).Monster Manual(5th ed.). Renton, WA:Wizards of the Coast.ISBN978-0-7869-6561-8.OCLC884396605.
  28. ^Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft.Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast. 2021.ISBN978-0-7869-6725-4.OCLC1238191930.
  29. ^Rob Bricken (2014-08-29)."The 12 Most Obnoxious Dungeons & Dragons Monsters".io9.Retrieved27 August2018.
  30. ^Wienecke-Janz, Detlef, ed. (2002).Lexikon der Zauberwelten – Gandalf & Co.Wissen Media Verlag. p. 12.ISBN3-577-13505-0.
  31. ^Lovitt, James (2014). "Role-Playing Games". In Joshi, S. T. (ed.).Encyclopedia of the Vampire.Greenwood.pp.256–257.ISBN978-0-313-37833-1.
  32. ^Tessier, Philippe (November 2000). "Baldur's Gate II". Review.Backstab(in French). No. 24. pp.90–91.
  33. ^Jacobs, James,Rob McCreary, andF. Wesley Schneider.Classic Horrors Revisited(Paizo, 2009)

Further reading

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