Wampyr 101

[Swift-13]

Alright, I've got a joker in my Nightbane campaign that wants to play a Blade-wannabe (not saying all Wampyr's are that, but he wants it that way). Anyway, I've got a few questions about 'em:

1. Are they undead? I know they're supernatural creatures, but are they the walking post-deceased?

2. Should it ever happen, would they be MDC creatures in a high-magic environment? (ie: RIFTS, Splicers, ect.)

3. Would Physical Skills such as Weight Lifting boost their Supernatural Strength in the same way it does normal strength?

4. Concerning their psionic ability, are they Minor or Major Psychics?

Need a little help is all. My usual players go straight for Nightbane or Guardians instead of Vampires, so I'm unsure how to deal with it.

[Sanctu]

1. Undead? Yes. They are those who have died, been turned, but somehow aren't quite right. They are undead, even if the Supernatural Intelligence behind them places them in the "black sheep" category of the family.

2. MDC in Rifts? Yes. They are magical creatures, much like Pixies and Brownies and Toadstools, who take a tactical nuke to take out... or at least annoy.

3. Physical Skills such as Weight Lifting? Oh... good one... kind of your call on that one. My gut reaction is "no," since I think that the vampires in Rifts, Nightbane, and Beyond the Supernatural are the sort that don't change physically over time, ever, and Wampyrs are still undead like them. They just aren't going to get all bulked up, or gain muscle mass at all, cause they are dead, animated, and having their body magically preserved in it's current state.

Mind you, if the character already had those skills before they were turned, that would be fine. A body builder vampire will retain the big muscles. This is especially import if the turning happens during game play (like some people play out Nightbanes' Becomings). Sooner or later afterwards they'll find that they are wasting money on that Gold's Gym Membership, espcially during the summer; unless they are using it as hunting ground, of course.

You could rule differently, but I personally don't think you'd have the vampires from this game and genre in mind.

4. Minor or Major Psychics?

In Nightbane there are two classes of Psychics for purposes of saving (which I'm assumnig is why you've asked): non-psychics and the other psychics. Quoth page 66, "For simplicity's sake all supernatural creatures must roll a 15 or higher to save, but most have a bonus to save against psi-attacks." So Vampires and Wampyrs would fit into the same non- category for puroses of saving, just as Nightbane do, but they get bonuses, like +5 vs mind control and total immunity from vampiric mind control. Note that this +5 to non-vampiric forms of mind control means that they save as well as a Psychic PCC (the one on page 68) for that sort of thing, so they aren't getting short changed there.

[Judas]

This is a nasty one, we had a similar problem, it all arose when the Wampyre in our party turned to the GM and asked quite innocently "do I show up on there Thermo-imaging considering am undead" (damn spook squad )

Oh boy , we had to really look at the R.C.C and for most questions we had to "improvise" (house rules) we did categorise them a little better. I tell you what our group came up with and you can use what you like

1. Are they undead? I know they're supernatural creatures, but are they the walking post-deceased?

Yes they are, aleast in a fashion, a wampyre like a vampire is still the victim of a slow kill, meaning that on the third night they die, except in this case a wampyre arises instead of a vampire. Now the story in Nightbane suggests that a wampyre is created as soon as the death takes place (where a vampire arises on the third night), but we generally say one day after "there" death. However the vampire intelligence's essense does not take root hence why they are not completely undead, but not completely alive, a sort of "half-life".

However it also says that a wampyre can be put into a coma and die like any normal human, which most undead do not.

But they also heal like a vamp, so here are some useful house rules we came up with.

1. Wampyres generate little heat, so they can be spotted on thermo however the heat trace will be faint and centred mainly around the heart.

2. Wampyres have the vampires incredible regeneration but because they have some life about them (can die from blood loss) limbs and such like regenerate in TWICE the time it takes a vampire, so arm instead of 45 minutes takes 1 & 1/2 hours (still really fast, but they are like vampires, but still cut off a leg the may need that bandaging b4 they die off blood loss).

3. A see aura does pick up stange abberations in the aura but since it is normally the essecse of the intelligence that give vampires their distinct supernatural aura most psychics and mages will most likely think them ill because they still have a link to humanity. At the beginning of the bane book it talks about supernatural creatures and radiating there alignments, but says at the bottom, nightbane, guradians and wampyres are exceptions to the norm. (just after the alignments in the main book) Therefore much like bane & guradians they are still linked to humanity in some way.

2. Should it ever happen, would they be MDC creatures in a high-magic environment? (ie: RIFTS, Splicers, ect.)

This one is your choice because in Between the shadows it says convert them to MDC, but in a Rifter (can't remember which on) it says they remain SDC but keep there supernatural strength, GM your choice. Oh on a side note in the same rifter it states that wamypres can "survive off animal blood, BUT will crave human.

3. Would Physical Skills such as Weight Lifting boost their Supernatural Strength in the same way it does normal strength?

Yes I would say so, they are kinda living, they may have to find some weightlifter with high protean blood though to pump iron

4. Concerning their psionic ability, are they Minor or Major Psychics?

Major, no minor psychic start with so many powers and gain one per level, look at the secondary vampire, he's a major, only master vampires are master psionics.

Whew! it been a while since we had a "daywalker" or half-life" (as we started calling them). There loads more we filled out but am not at home (at work) so I can't remember all we wrote, but I hope this helps, if you are intrested in more leave me a post and I can post it when I get home.

[Swift-13]

Wow!

Thanks Sanctu and Judas! Both of you are a great help, believe me

[acreRake]

2. Wampyres have the vampires incredible regeneration but because they have some life about them (can die from blood loss) limbs and such like regenerate in TWICE the time it takes a vampire, so arm instead of 45 minutes takes 1 & 1/2 hours (still really fast, but they are like vampires, but still cut off a leg the may need that bandaging b4 they die off blood loss).

Personally, i don't think blood loss is a huge danger for a quick healer like a Wamp. I think the first thing the "Bio-regerneration" is going to do is scab that wound over.

2. Should it ever happen, would they be MDC creatures in a high-magic environment? (ie: RIFTS, Splicers, ect.)

This one is your choice because in Between the shadows it says convert them to MDC, but in a Rifter (can't remember which on) it says they remain SDC but keep there supernatural strength, GM your choice. Oh on a side note in the same rifter it states that wamypres can "survive off animal blood, BUT will crave human.

So, Officially they would be MDC.

[Judas]

The blood loss you have a point, but if you lop of a limb, thats alot of blood, especally if your on hit points for example.

For conversion I would normally agree with as its from a Rifter but it was in a questions and anwsers section which is pretty official, which is why its confusing.

[Borast]

Would they be undead?

Yes.

Are they alive?

No.

Would (s)he show-up on thermographic sensors?

As long as (s)he holds perfectly still. They will be warmer than the surroundings, but not by much...

[acreRake]

The blood loss you have a point, but if you lop of a limb, thats alot of blood, especally if your on hit points for example.

For conversion I would normally agree with as its from a Rifter but it was in a questions and anwsers section which is pretty official, which is why its confusing.

K. You are right on both counts. That's why i said "not a HUGE danger", it could still getcha.

[Tinker Dragoon]

Alright, I've got a joker in my Nightbane campaign that wants to play a Blade-wannabe (not saying all Wampyr's are that, but he wants it that way). Anyway, I've got a few questions about 'em:

1. Are they undead? I know they're supernatural creatures, but are they the walking post-deceased?

No. They have some characteristics of vampires, but the book mentions that they can be killed by conventional means, and specifically contrasts them with the "true undead."

As far as I can tell wampyrs are alive, or at most pseudo-undead.

2. Should it ever happen, would they be MDC creatures in a high-magic environment? (ie: RIFTS, Splicers, ect.)

On Rifts Earth Wampyrs have M.D.C. equal to the sum of their H.P. and S.D.C. as stated on page 142 of Between the Shadows.

Splicers is a NO MAGIC world, not a high magic one, so a Wampyr should remain S.D.C. in that setting.

3. Would Physical Skills such as Weight Lifting boost their Supernatural Strength in the same way it does normal strength?

I cannot find an answer to this anywhere in the Nightbane game, but Heroes Unlimited says no, because supernatural strength doesn't come from muscle power.

4. Concerning their psionic ability, are they Minor or Major Psychics?

Considering how many powers they get and how much I.S.P. they have, I'd say Major, not that it really matters, since they would have the same saving throw vs. psionics either way.

[Tinker Dragoon]

Alright, I've got a joker in my Nightbane campaign that wants to play a Blade-wannabe (not saying all Wampyr's are that, but he wants it that way). Anyway, I've got a few questions about 'em:

1. Are they undead? I know they're supernatural creatures, but are they the walking post-deceased?

No. They have some characteristics of vampires, but the book mentions that they can be killed by conventional means, and specifically contrasts them with the "true undead."

As far as I can tell wampyrs are alive, or at most pseudo-undead.

2. Should it ever happen, would they be MDC creatures in a high-magic environment? (ie: RIFTS, Splicers, ect.)

On Rifts Earth Wampyrs have M.D.C. equal to the sum of their H.P. and S.D.C. as stated on page 142 of Between the Shadows.

Splicers is a NO MAGIC world, not a high magic one, so a Wampyr should remain S.D.C. in that setting.

3. Would Physical Skills such as Weight Lifting boost their Supernatural Strength in the same way it does normal strength?

I cannot find an answer to this anywhere in the Nightbane game, but Heroes Unlimited says no, because supernatural strength doesn't come from muscle power.

4. Concerning their psionic ability, are they Minor or Major Psychics?

Considering how many powers they get and how much I.S.P. they have, I'd say Major, not that it really matters, since they would have the same saving throw vs. psionics either way.

[Judas]

Fun inquiry: do Wampyres have blood? I know vampires don't... but maybe Wampyres do.

If so, what's to stop two Wampyres from just feeding off each other for sustenance?

Nice idea. But I don't think it would work, I can imagine once the blood has been drunk the wampyres supernatural state changes the blood to maintain it "half life" existence, hence the need to feed like a vampire is part of there curse, the constant hunger.

[Borast]

Hey TD... I thought that a wampire was someone who went through the entire process, but a certain "something" caused them to reject the VI essence fragment, which means they are both stronger and more fragile than an actual vamp...

[Specter]

I usually disagree with the book on whether or not the Wampire is undead. I agree with most of the other posters that the heat signature would be faint, but would exist.


Yes, they become MDC creatures in high magic settings.

Yes, I allow physical skills to increase stats... mainly to keep a balance between bane and Wamps.

Another player already addressed the psychic vs. non-psychic that you'll find in the nightbane setting. Anywhere else I would call a wamp a major psychic.