Typical Vampires

Powers:

Animal Control (w): vampires have the ability to control creatures commonly considered vermin, such as bats, rats, roaches, and wolves, at a level equal to their Willpower score +4 (in a standard vampire's case, at intensity 9). These creatures act as if they were an extension of the vampire's existence, and will gladly do whatever it commands, even if they die in the process.

* Animal Summoning (w): in addition to being able to control vermin-like creatures with ease, vampires can summon them forth to do their bidding, should none be readily available. Such creatures will be those commonly available to the surrounding area, however; wolves rarely, if ever, appear in an urban setting, for instance. This ability also works at a vampire's Willpower +4.

Animal Form (a): vampires have the ability to shape change their body into at least one form of animal; a rare few can choose more than one animal form, and this should be considered a separate power stunt for each additional form. This intensity 5 power allows a change into at least one of the below forms, each of which lists the standard 'powers' that come with it:

* Bat Form (a): most often, a vampire assumes the form of a bat. This versatile form, if small, reduces the vampire's physical ability scores to intensity 1, but grants it intensity 1 flight, +1 claw and fang attacks, and intensity 5 Sonar, per that power. This, of course, makes up for a bat's downright lousy sense of vision...

* Wolf Form (a): instead of changing into a bat, some vampires can transform into a wolf, instead. This more powerful form reduces a vampire's physical ability scores to 4, but offers the risen fiend a +3 bite attack (usable in conjunction with the life drain power), and intensity 5 Enhanced Senses / Smell, per that power, allowing the vampire to track a target by scent.

Body Transformation / Gaseous Form (a): vampires have the power to transform their body into a mist-like form, one that reduces them to a strength level of zero, yet makes them invulnerable to Kinetic and Energy attacks launched against them. Also, this form grants vampires intensity 1 flight while in a misty state, allowing them to slowly creep away from (or up to) opponents. This is an intensity 8 power.

* Bodily Occupation (a): a strange ability some vampires possess is the power to force their misty form into the lungs of an opponent for an aura duration. This is an average difficulty body transformation action, opposed by the target's Strength score. If the vampire succeeds, he can utilize intensity 8 Mind Control against its victim, per that power, for the duration of it's occupation of a body.

Claws (s): many, though not all vampires have the ability to shapechange their fingernails into dangerous edged instruments, instruments that can be utilized as +3 weapons against their opponents. Further, these items are retractable, in that they can simply be formed back into 'normal' nails once the vampire has finished cutting a body up with them.

Flight (a): an appreciable amount of vampires have shown the capability of flight, without the benefit of any sort of wings or other mechanism. Sure, a rare few actually wield batlike wings at all times (a discussion for another time, perhaps), but those with this power can utilize it at intensity 2, allowing them to fly at approximately sixty miles per hour.

Immortality (s): all vampires are essentially immortal beings, in that they no longer age whatsoever, and will eventually recover from most means of injury that would otherwise cancel the existence of mere mortal folks. However, vampires are not vulnerable to the standard means of eradicating immortal folks, really, instead having their own batch of supernatural weaknesses (see hindrances for more on this).

Life Drain (i): the dreaded blood-sucking attack of a vampire, this allows them to, in addition to causing damage with their fangs, to inflict additional harm due to blood loss. Possessing this power at intensity 10, a vampire can drain blood from its target if it passes an easy life drain action, opposed by its target's Willpower score, which acts as a defense against this evil power.

Now, this level of damage might just drain normal humans dry in but one or two exchanges. Luckily for humans in general, however, this power is bound by the multiple drains limitation, and as such, a vampire must drain a body several times before they'll be transformed into an undead creature like itself. However, vampires can utilize this life drain power stunt, making such an act easier:

* Telepathic Control (w): a vampire can utilize intensity 13 mind control against persons it has bitten in the past, unless they've recovered all the health (or cards) lost due to its vampiric attacks. Furthermore, vampires can wield this power at all times against any vampire they have themselves created, making such beings generally beholden to them until their 'creator' is slain.

Life Support (s): vampires all wield this power at intensity 15, allowing them to go without food, water, and even air for the rest of their horrid existences. However, this power cannot cover the one thing a vampire needs to continue its life: the blood of others. The effect of a vampire's blood lust is covered below, in the hindrances section.

Mind Control (w): this dreadful intensity 10 power, which can be achieved by eye contact, allows a vampire to control the actions of another person if the vampire passes an easy mind control action, opposed by the target's Willpower score. If the vampire commands a body to commit an action diametrically opposed to their morals, the vampire must make another action to reinforce his control, lest his prey break free.

Mirrored Powers (various trumps): some vampires, if their creator wields special non-vampiric capabilities, may also have them to some extent. This is especially the case if a 'father' vampire wielded mutant abilities or some sort of altered physique before his transformation. Powers like this must be determined on a case-per-case basis, which makes such vampires extremely unpredictable...

Regeneration (s): highly resistant to conventional injury to begin with, vampires also have the benefit of healing from attacks that do hurt them incredibly fast. Wielding this ability at intensity 10, this allows a vampire to recover one card (or an amount of health equal to the card number) upon a positive aura reading on each exchange, or a neutral aura reading as long as the card number is less than 10.

However, it is important to state that a vampire will not regenerate during an exchange if it has been damaged during the previous one at all. As such, if severely beaten, a vampire will typically retreat until its damage has been recovered, and then launch a secondary attack (and so on) until its foes have been finally vanquished (or it has, mind you).

Teeth (s): in addition to their dreadful claws, vampires have the ability to harm their opponents with deadly fangs, which are often a prelude to a life draining attack. These +1 instruments are quite potent, but usually aren't used to lethal effect (again, they're mostly just an opening for a life drain attack, which a vampire can use concurrently with a teeth attack).

Wall-crawling (a): some, but not all of the blood-drinking undead have demonstrated the supernatural power to walk on walls and ceilings like an insect. This power normally functions at intensity 8, which allows a vampire to cling to most standard surfaces, as long as such things aren't lubricated with oil, water, or ice. These are more difficult to cling to...

Weather Control (i): even fewer vampires have demonstrated the power to manipulate the weather, but enough have it to discuss it here. Vampires possessing this power will typically wield it at intensity 8, allowing them to create and modify weather patterns to destructive effect. Vampires begin with no power stunts, however, and must develop them normally.

Hindrances:

Vampires are subject to a wide variety of hindrances. All of them will have the addiction - blood, fatally vulnerable - direct sunlight, triggered-powerless (wooden stake through the heart), and one other hindrance, chosen from the large list below. As one can guess, not every trick in the movies will work against all vampires - but they'll usually work against some. The specific hindrances include:

* Addicted - Blood: vampires must feed upon blood to survive. If a vampire goes without drinking blood for over a day, it will be reduced to zero Willpower until it does so. If in such a state, and presented with an opportunity to feed, a vampire must pass a desperate Willpower action (at the lowered intensity) to resist the urge to sate its hunger, should it want to...

* Addicted - Home Soil: vampires who hold this hindrance must sleep nightly with several pounds of their home soil within mere inches of their person. If this requirement isn't met, they will be reduced to zero Willpower until they recover some. Most vampires will go out of their way to do so, as this state makes them easily vanquished by vampire hunters and various undead foemen.

* Fatally Vulnerable - Direct Sunlight: if stricken with beams of light straight from the sun, a vampire will take five points of damage (or lose one card) each exchange, against which it has no defense whatsoever. This damage will continue until the vampire either gets under shelter or is utterly destroyed, leaving a pile of ash where it once stood (or was tied down).

* Fatally Vulnerable - Running Water: if submerged under a flowing body of water, a vampire will take five points of damage (or lose one card) each exchange, against which it has no defense whatsoever. This damage will continue until the vampire escapes its underwater dunking or is utterly destroyed, leaving a pile of ash where it once swam (or was chained down).

* Phobic - Entering A Home Unbidden: contrary to popular belief, a vampire can enter a home if uninvited. However, by doing so, it renders itself vulnerable to assault. When in a residence unbidden, a vampire's ability scores are reduced to zero intensity, which can allow most humans to deal with them quickly (unless the vampire is quick with the powered assaults, that is).

* Phobic - Holy Symbols: if a faithful person brandishes a symbol or object holy to him at a vampire, he can ward the beast off to firing distance. If the vampire attempts to enter this space, he will suffer an amount of damage equal to the faithful man or woman's Willpower score for as long as he remains too close to said person (which means he has to strike quickly).

* Susceptible - Silver Weapons: vampires vulnerable to silver weaponry possess no defense against weapons constructed of such metal, and cannot regenerate quickly from wounds caused by them. In fact, such vampires cannot even abide the touch of silver, and can be repulsed to firing distance by any opponent that has laid a silver item upon them.

* Triggered-Powerless - Wooden Stake Through the Heart: if a foe strikes a vampire with a wooden stake in the heart (at least an average difficulty attack), the vampire so attacked will fall to the ground powerless, its ability and power scores reduced to zero. If the stake isn't removed within one exchange, the vampire will die, and be unable to return until the stake is removed.

Skills:

There are no specific 'typical' skills that vampires possess. Most of their skills come from whatever they've managed to learn in their previous life. However, some of these darker folks manage to overcome the horror of their existence and learn some new skills after their transformation. These are the truly deadly ones, so one should watch out for them...

Calling:

Vampires are usually confined to one of three common callings. Many are simply Uncontrolled Powers, being just nigh-mindless beasts at the beck and call of another vampire, that which created them. Such beings are often Demolishers, who destroy only to satisfy their own dark urges. Finally, some cling to their Vestiges of Humanity, trying to redeem themselves against their dark existence.

New Vampires

When an ordinary character is transformed into a vampire, the game mechanics involved are quite simple, really. All one needs to do is 'add' in the above supernatural powers and hindrances, and adjust the characters statistics some to reflect the alteration in physical capability that vampirism confers. This change is reflected here:

Of course, the simple addition of a bunch of new powers and limitations isn't all that happens. The vast majority of newly risen vampires experience a drastic personality shift upon realizing what they must now do to survive, unless they're already insane to begin with, and simply enjoy that sort of thing. Very few transformed humans can retain their pre-risen personalities.

As such, it is likely that most player characters transformed into vampires should quickly be retired, as playing a murderous undead creature isn't all that heroic, when one gets down to it. However, sometimes playing a vampire attempting to redeem itself can be interesting, since this would involve a tremendous and constant struggle for the beast's very humanity.

Which, admittedly, can make for one heck of a story. However, this should only be attempted by the most trustworthy of players, as some would simply use the excuse to maim and kill indiscriminately, or simply descend into the power-gaming realm. And this is never fun, especially for everybody else (unless all of one's players are into that...).

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