Each point of blood that a vampire drains is called a Blood Point. Bloodstealer (nosferatu) vampires must drain 1 point of Constitution from a victim for every 10 hit points that the vampire possesses total, rounding up. This is done by drinking the victim's blood, one Con pt=1 hit point of damage to the victim. The vampire can drain 1-3 pt/round from a victim, depending on how quickly it wishes to drink. Victims regain lost Con points at the rate of 1 pt per 2 days of bed rest. A vampire can also choose to drink extra Blood Points from its (sentient, human/oid) victim, to the limit of the vampire's hit points. Thus, a vampire with 30 hit points can drain 30 Blood Points from its victim, doing the victim 30 hit points. If the victim has fewer hit points than this, then the vampire drains and kills the victim, and must seek out another victim in order to drain more Blood Points. The vampire will also gain 1 Vampire Point from killing the victim in this way; vampires can gain 1 VP per lunar cycle by draining and killing a victim. If the victim has more hit points than this, then s/he still lives, and the vampire can either leave him or her alive, or kill the victim ÷ such a killing will not count towards gaining Vampire Points. Victims who die from Con loss rise again as 1st level blood-bound vampires under their creator's power if the Creator vampire chooses to engage in the Dark Embrace, a vampiric ritual (note ÷ knowledge of how to enact this ritual is not innate to the vampire; the vampire must learn how to perform a Dark Embrace). Extra Blood Points can be used to affect or resist certain vampiric Disciplines (cf. Vampire Skills & Powers, esp. Regenerate and Dominate), and to resist Frenzy. In addition, at times the DM may rule that Blood Points can be expended to aid a vampire in some attempt or skill.Unless a nosferatu vampire can drain its minimum requirement of Con points from a victim each night, it loses 1 HD. This loss is cumulative and continues every night until enough blood is consumed to bring the vampire back to full (including the "skipped" nights' worth) or the nosferatu is reduced to 1 HD. In addition, for each day that the nosferatu does not drink blood, it is subject to going into Frenzy and attacking the nearest mortal creature for its blood. To avoid going into Frenzy, the vampire must save versus its Willpower/Wis, at -1 for each day after the first that the vampire goes without blood. If the vampire reaches 1 HD, the creature falls into Torpor. This is a very deep sleep that completely immobilizes and renders unconscious the vampire until it tastes blood again, at which point it will automatically Frenzy. Imprisoning a vampire without access to blood will not destroy it, but over time it will drive the vampire into Torpor.If attacking a sentient victim is impractical or otherwise undesirable, a vampire can drink the blood of animals, or magically created blood (through Metamorphose Liquids or a similar spell, including Create Food and Drink, assuming any deity was willing to cater to a vampire's needs). However, this lesser blood will prevent the vampire from utilizing any Disciplinary power over 1st level. To use 2nd-level or higher Disciplinary powers, the vampire must have drunk sentient blood within the past 3 days.
A vampire must rest in a coffin or similar receptacle during sunlight hours, unless the vampire is at least 30' beneath the earth, where the sun has no access. This resting area is generally termed the vampire's Haven. The vampire must "sleep" for a minimum of 8 hours a day (and a maximum of sunup to sundown). Contrary to legend, vampires do not need to rest upon soil from their own graves.
Vampires lose 1 HD for every day they go without proper rest (a vampire can try to stay awake during the day by making a successful Willpower/Wis check once per hour). A tired vampire can regain 1 HD after a day of proper rest, provided it has drained at least 6 Con points (or its minimum, whichever is higher) during the previous night. To regain all lost HD, it may need to gorge itself several nights in a row. If the vampire reaches 1 HD from lack of rest, it will slip into Torpor. Vampires can spend 1 Vampire Point to eliminate 5 minutes of its resting requirement, allowing them to either rise earlier or stay up later. This does not imply that the vampire can walk in the sunlight!÷ if a vampire eventually spends enough Vampire Points to allow it to stay awake during sunlit hours, it still must stay out of the sun during the day unless it has also spent the points necessary to resist sunlight.
Vampires exist on two planes at once; the prime material and the negative material. Thus, spells and so on that affect one or the other may also affect the vampire. The negative planar energies that infuse the vampire must be completely eliminated before the vampire can be Raised, Resurrected, or otherwise brought back from its undead existence ÷ one cannot simply kill a vampire and cast one of these spells on it to release it from its curse of undeath. It is up to the DM to decide how negative planar energies, integral to undead existence, might be eliminated from undead creatures.
Vampires are always turned as 8+3 HD creatures, regardless of their actual number of hit dice. A Vampire can spend 2 Vampire Points to buy itself up 1 more HD for purposes of charming. Thus, a vampire can spend +2 VP to be turned as a 9 HD creature, +2 more VP to be turned as a 10 HD creature, and so on, to the maximum possible for clerics to turn.
Vampires lose their ability to use Disciplines if entering a private residence without being invited. That is, the vampire's other abilities operate normally (strength, regeneration), but Vampiric Disciplines do not work and, if currently up, will be dispelled. The definition of what constitutes a residence is up to the DM, but typically implies any given area with some sort of walls and/or roof that some sentient being lives in and considers "home" ÷ including a tent or lean-to.
Vampires are subject to going into Frenzy, a beserk rage triggered by hunger, fear, pain or humiliation. Frenzying vampires fight until they reach -10 hit points. Vampires must save versus Willpower/Wis to avoid a Frenzy, and ÷ once in Frenzy ÷ must either ride it out or be "talked down" by others (who must make successful Leadership rolls to allow the frenzying vampire a chance to make another Willpower roll). The Frenzying vampire can choose to spend Blood Points to resist the Frenzy. One Blood Point modifies the save vs. Willpower/Wis by +1 (a natural 20 always fails), and the number to be spent must be declared before the roll is made.
There are 3 types of Frenzy ÷ Madness, Rage, and Terror. Attempts to talk down a vampire in frenzy can only be made once per Frenzy. Frenzying typically occurs when the vampire is very hungry (at a HD loss) and tastes, sees or smells blood or death; when the vampire is being bullied or humiliated; when the vampire is extremely angry, endangered, or sees a friend in danger; or when the vampire has been badly injured. The DM declares when the vampire must check against Frenzy; the context of the game may modify the circumstances of Frenzy. The Frenzy reflects the vampire's increasingly inhuman nature.
Madness: Caused by blood and death. If a vampire has lost HD from lack of drinking blood, a Frenzy check is called for when the vampire sees or otherwise senses blood or death. A check may also be made if the vampire is suddenly faced with immense amounts of carnage (unexpectedly walks into a room filled with fresh, bloody bodies, etc). If blood is available, the vampire will take all that it can, unable to stop itself. The vampire is mad for it and will seek out the closest source. It is likely that the vampire will kill the Vessel, consumed by the desire for blood. If no blood is nearby, the vampire will rush off in search for it, a raving lunatic.
Rage: Caused by extreme anger or humiliation. If the player of a vampire begins to get annoyed or angry at the demeaning way his or her character (or a friend of that character) is being treated by another PC or NPC, or declares that the character is becoming annoyed or angry, the DM may decide that a Frenzy check is needed. The vampire becomes beserk, attacks and attempts to destroy everything and anything in sight. While the vampire will head for enemies first, if friends get in the way, the vampire will attack them as well. Note that if the vampire itself is in physical danger and goes into Frenzy, it will experience Terror, not Rage, although if a friend is in danger the vampire will experience Rage, not Terror.
Terror: Caused when a vampire is in extreme danger (for example, reaches 5 hit points or less, is faced with the possibility of being pushed out into sunlight or into open flame, and so on). The vampire is incapable of taking any action other than to flee for cover. Even if the vampire has no place to flee, it is unable to take any sort of sensible action. This reaction lasts until the vampire makes it to a safe place and 1d6 rounds thereafter, or until the vampire has run away for 2d6 rounds, at which time it can attempt another Willpower/Wis check, spending Blood Points if desired (a natural 20 always fails), until the check is made.
Vampires are forced to recoil from garlic, their reflection, or a lawful good holy symbol presented with conviction ÷ these items irritate them, and at the DM's option the vampire may need to make a Frenzy/Rage check when so confronted (most likely if the vampire is being thwarted or endangered at some critical point in the adventure by being confronted by these items). Otherwise, the vampire must simply make a Willpower/Wis check to approach the object. None of these objects, in itself, will cause the vampire to flee, but it will cause the vampire to attempt to avoid or destroy the offensive item.
A vampire can always be injured by magical weapons of +1 or more, by creatures of higher than 4 HD, by falling damage, by fire, sunlight, extreme heat, acid, running water, by holy water (1d6+4 hp/vial), and by being staked through the heart.
A vampire cannot heal normally or with the help of nonmagical healing herbs and poultices ÷ the undead body no longer has the normal mortal ability to fix itself. Vampires must either Regenerate (if they bought that skill) or be healed magically (potions, items or spells). Vampires may also be healed by drinking another vampire's blood, healing 10 hit points for every 1 hit point of vampiric blood that is imbibed (however, drinking from another vampire can lead to the establishment of a Blood Bond, and killing another vampire in this way is Diablerie, a crime against other vampires). Thus, a vampire who reaches 0 hit points falls into Torpor (unless Frenzying, in which case the vampire reaches -10 hit points before falling into Torpor), and must either Regenerate back to what in a mortal would be "consciousness," or be magically healed back. Since a vampire is already dead, there is no particular harm in a vampire being brought down beneath -10 hit points ÷ the vampire cannot "die" in this way again. A vampire who is brought down to -20 hit points, for example, will just take longer to Regenerate back, or need to be fed more potions or have more spells cast on it to return to "consciousness." A vampire who is dismembered but not killed in the ways described below will Regenerate like a troll ÷ limbs squirm back to each other or, if too far away, simply regrow ÷ or, if it does not have Regenerate, must be pieced back together by somebody else and then magically healed (note that this may mean the vampire is missing some parts!). A vampire who is eaten cannot Regenerate, due to the body's immersion in stomach acids that dissolve it.
Vampires can be killed by sunlight after 1 turn/10 minutes (depending on whether it is in or out of combat) of exposure ÷ the vampire takes 1/10 of its total hit points per round/minute. Sunlight damage cannot be Regenerated ÷ it must be magically healed or healed through drinking vampire blood. Vampires can spend 1 Blood Point to resist the effects of sunlight for one more round/minute, to a maximum of the number of Blood Points the vampire has (never over the vampire's hit point maximum). Vampires can also spend 1 Vampire Point to resist the effects of sunlight for one round/minute permanently. A vampire who spends enough Vampire Points can, in fact, walk during the day. Nevertheless, the vampire will always tend to avoid the sun ÷ it hurts its eyes and tends to give it sunburns. A vampire who is completely consumed by the sun will be burnt to ashes, and suffers the Final Death.
Vampires can also be killed if they are burned to ashes by fire ÷ like sunlight, damage caused by fire cannot be Regenerated and must be healed magically or by drinking vampiric blood. Vampires can spend Blood Points to resist fire damage, at one Blood Point per hit point inflicted by the fire, as long as the vampire is in the fire (thus, a vampire could walk through a campfire that causes it 6 hit points by spending 6 Blood Points to resist the damage ÷ somewhat pointless in most cases, although it does impress the locals and might bluff them into believing the vampire is immune to fire altogether). Vampires cannot, however, spend Vampire Points to permanently resist fire's effects.
Vampires can be killed by immersion in running water for 3 melee rounds (the vampire takes 1/3 her or his total hit points per round). Running water does not include spit, bathtubs, swimming pools, wells, ponds, lakes or the ocean (it is possible that extended immersion in the ocean may kill a vampire), although it does include rain, streams, rivers and pumped water. Contrary to legend, vampires are capable of passing over running water, as long as they don't need to touch the water itself. Vampires can spend 1 Blood Point to resist the effects of running water for one more round/minute, to a maximum of the number of Blood Points the vampire has (never over the vampire's hit point maximum). Vampires can also spend 1 Vampire Point to resist the effects of running water for one round/minute permanently. A vampire who spends enough Vampire Points can, in fact, swim (but unlike sunlight, immersion in water may last more than a day, so the vampire may eventually start taking damage no matter how many Vampire Points it has spent on resistance to running water, especially if it's been chained to the bottom of a river). A vampire killed by immersion in water dissolves and cannot Regenerate, thus suffering the Final Death. A vampire can also be killed by immersion in acid (it suffers normal acid damage per round) ÷ when the vampire falls to 0 hit points, it dissolves and suffers the Final Death. Damage caused by running water or acid cannot be Regenerated and must be healed magically or by drinking vampiric blood.
The traditional way of defeating a vampire is to drive a stake through its heart. Few realize that this really only forces the vampire into Torpor, rendering it incapable of regenerating the damage (if it has regeneration) to its heart until the stake is removed. To finish the vampire off entirely, its head must be cut off and its mouth filled with holy wafers (or some other lawful good holy substance, or avertiis stone and other artifacts capable of capturing the vampire's energy). The last step, filling the mouth, is the most important, as the required substance apparently nullifies the vampire's link to the negative material plane (running water and the sun do this too, usually ÷ there is some suggestion that any complete immersion in an elemental or para-elemental substance will cut off the link to the negative material plane, but opportunities for researchers to test these theories are few and far between, since most adventurers prefer to kill a vampire rather than keep it around for experimentation. The fact that some vampires can resist these elements also indicates that the theory may not be completely correct). In general, it is the heart that is a vampire's vital organ, not the brain or spine (heads can regenerate ÷ however, the headless body will go into Frenzy as the head regenerates!). Ripping a vampire's heart out of its chest and burning it or exposing it to sunlight or running water might also permanently kill a vampire, but ÷ again ÷ most adventurers prefer the tried and true over the theoretical and risky, so nobody knows for certain.
The stake that kills a vampire must be at least 1' long and 2" in diameter, made completely of natural wood without any metal reinforcement. Usually the stake is driven into the vampire's heart by hand. If the vampire is immobile, this is relatively simple to achieve; if the vampire is mobile, a called shot must be made. Any form of armor, other than leather or padded, that is worn over the heart will negate the ability to kill the vampire with such a called shot (such armor always protects an area from a piercing or slashing called shot). The stake may be driven through the heart from the front or the back.
Stakes can be shot from specially made crossbows without penalties; however, they are too large for most normal crossbows, and will be fired with a -4 penalty (for a total of -8 to the "to hit" roll, for a called shot), and can only be fired from point-blank to medium range (range penalties are cumulative with the other penalties). Special vampire-killing crossbows can be manufactured by a skilled crossbow maker, but shops don't have them immediately available for purchase.
Finally, a vampire can be plunged into Torpor if it falls on a stake that pierces its heart. If a vampire falls into a stake-lined pit, there is a 5% chance that its heart will be pierced. Otherwise, it would normally take no damage from falling onto stakes, since the stakes are artificially placed in the pit (i.e., not part of nature) and not magical weapons. Some vampire-hunters have devised ways to make these stakes operatively magical ÷ blessing them in the name of a certain god, using druidic rituals to sanctify the pit and stakes, and so on. It is useful to remember that the world, including living nature, is a magical weapon ÷ thus, a vampire caught under an avalanche takes damage, a vampire driven onto the sharp branch of a living tree takes damage, and so forth. (This goes back to the theory that there's something about elements that affects a vampire's unnatural link to the negative material plane ÷ but once again, the theory hasn't been tested thoroughly).
