Vampire R.C.C.

The Vampires on Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel are quite different from the Vampires depicted in the Nightspawn book. In order to allow accurate portrayals of these monsters, I decided to write a completely new Vampire class, based on the show's vision of the Vampire. You need a copy of the Nightspawn or Nightbane book and Heroes Unlimited.

Vampires are a breed of minor demons, who exist by inhabiting the dead bodies of human victims. They are said to have been created by a powerful demon who was banished from Earth, who mixed his blood with a human's. This human was infected, and became possessed with a fragment of the true demon's power. It then mixed it's blood with others and spread the influence of the demon. All Vampires start out as humans, and become Vampires after they drink the blood of a Vampire and die. They then rise as a Vampire, who has all the memories, and some personality of the dead person, but is actually a soulless demon. In order to create a Vampire you need to generate a human character first, and then modify it. All Vampires start out as first level characters, no matter what level the human was.

Alignment: Any evil alignment.
I.Q.: Unchanged
M.E.: Modified by Immortality super ability, see below.
M.A.: Unchanged
P.S.: Modified by Extraordinary Physical Strength super ability, see below.
P.E.: Modified by Immortality super ability, see below.
P.P.: Modified by Immortality super ability, see below.
P.B.: Unchanged
Spd.: Unchanged
P.P.E.: Based on human P.P.E, gains one additional P.P.E. per level of experience.
I.S.P.: Unchanged, but never grows.
Hit Points: Modified by Immortality super ability, see below. Add an additional 1D4 hit points per level of experience as a Vampire.
S.D.C.: Modified by Immortality super ability, see below.
M.D.C.: When on Rifts Earth, the Three Galaxies, Wormwood, or similar dimensions, the Vampire is a mega-damage creature, with an M.D.C. equal to its combined hit points and S.D.C.
Psionics: Same as when human, but gains no more.
Size: Same as human, never grows.
Horror Factor: None in human form.
Weight: Unchanged
Age: Immortal
Abilities:

Does Not Need Oxygen: A Vampire has no need for oxygen, and can hold it's breath indefinitely. They can inhale and exhale if required, and sometime will breathe out of habit more then need.
Hard To Kill: A Vampire is very difficult to kill through any method other then through one of it's vulnerabilities (see below). If damaged through any other method then these, it can only be killed if it takes enough damage to bring it to zero hit points and S.D.C., and then is taken to double negative full hit points and S.D.C. Unless it takes this incredible amount of conventional damage it will recover.
Heightened Sense Of Smell: A Vampire has the minor super ability of Heightened Sense Of Smell. They are particularly sensitive to the smell of blood. Vampires gain +1 to dodge and initiative from this and the following skills:
Recognize/Identify Specific Odors: 70% +4% per level
Recognize Poisons, Toxins And Chemicals By Scent: 50% +4% per level
Recognize A Person By Scent Alone: 50% +3% per level
Track By Scent: 40% +3% per level
Night Vision: Same as the minor super ability Supervision: Nightvision.
Immortality: Same as the major super ability Immortality. Resistant to toxins and gases, does not age. Bonus of +2D6 to hit points, +2D4x10 to S.D.C., +1D6 to P.B, +1D4 to M.E., +1D4 to P.E.
Sense Dawn And Dusk: The Vampire can sense the coming of sunrise and sunset. They can feel them coming 1D4 minutes before each happen.
Extraordinary Physical Strength: Same as the minor super ability Extraordinary Physical Strength. Increase P.S. attribute to 20+2D6, or add 2D6+6 if already above 20.
True Face: The Vampire can instantly shift from a human face to their true demonic visage at will. Their true face has monstrous teeth, yellow eyes, and a rigid brow, without eyebrows. It has a Horror Factor of 12 on those not used to seeing it. If they take damage or smell blood they are required to save vs. insanity in order to maintain their human form. If they fail the must change to their true face for 1D4 melee rounds.

Limitations:

Demonic Personality: Vampires are soulless demons and by nature are evil. When changing a human character into a Vampire you should roll on the Evil Multiple Personality table in many Palladium books. Reroll any result above 70, as they are not appropriate. This is the new personality of the Vampire.
Dust: When a Vampire dies they turn to dust, taking any mundane clothing and possessions on them with them. For every 200 years a Vampire has in age, they are allowed to attempt to save vs. coma/death. If they make at least one save, they are allowed to make a single melee action before they turn to dust.
Need For Blood: A Vampire needs to ingest blood to survive. Generally they need 1 pint of blood per day, but more is preferable. By drinking more it can go without for some time, but they must drink twice the amount for each additional day. Two pints lasts an additional day, four pints for another, etc. For as many as five days. Fresh human blood is the best tasting, but they sometimes have to do with older blood or blood from animals. Any warm blooded animal will do in a pinch. Without the minimum amount of blood, a Vampire will take one hit point of damage per day. After depleting half their hit points a Vampire suffers from temporary blood lust, as described in the Nightspawn book.
Need For Invitation: Vampires cannot enter a living human's home without a spoken invitation from a resident. From then on they can enter at will, unless magic is used to revoke this standing invitation. If all the people living in a home die, then the invitation no longer is needed. Only living beings homes are affected.
No Reflection: Vampires cast no reflection in any reflective surface, neither do the clothes they wear and small items they are carrying, they can be photographed and video taped if no mirror is utilized.
Vulnerable To Fire: Fire damage goes directly to the hit points of a Vampire, and will cause them to dust if it takes them to or below zero hit points.
Vulnerable To The Cross: A Vampire takes physical damage from touching the cross. 1 point directly to hit points and it is extremely painful, causing them to lose initiative and half their melee attacks for one melee round. If they are taken to zero points this way they dust. Vampires also fear the cross, to first level Vampires it has a horror factor of 18. The level of horror factor is reduced by one for every three full levels or 50 years of age.
Vulnerable To Holy Water And Ground: When touched by holy water or ground, a Vampire takes one hit point in one melee round. If taken internally, holy water will eat a Vampire from the inside, doing 2D6 hit points in one melee round per ounce taken. If they reach zero hit points this way they dust.
Vulnerable To Sunlight: The presence of sunlight does 2D6 points of damage directly to hit points of a Vampire each melee round they are exposed. If they reach zero hit points this way they dust. Note: Indirect sunlight or light through well tinted glass has no effect!
Vulnerable To Wood: A Vampire can be killed if wood pierces its' heart. At first level a Vampire is extremely vulnerable to this attack, and can be killed by any small amount of wood piercing anywhere near the heart. Any attack by a wooden instrument that does more then their current level in hit points and hits with a 15 or better will instantly slay a Vampire. The hit required raises by one for every three levels or 50 years of age as a Vampire they have. This means high level or ancient Vampires can be much more difficult to kill this way.

Bonuses: Besides from the above listed abilities, none.
Damage: Bites when wearing their true face do 1D6 damage.
R.C.C. Skills: In addition to all their skills they had as a human, Vampires gain Martial Arts: Basic (unless they had martial arts skills already) and Lore: Vampires. Both start at first level. The Vampire retains all it's skills it had as a human, but most of them cease to grow once they become a Vampire. Upon reaching second level they may choose two skills per level of experience that is allowed to increase, or they may choose a single new secondary skill. Use the Vampire experience table provided in the Nightspawn book.
Allies/Enemies: It is traditional for a Vampire to be taken in by it's creator and trained in the ways of surviving as a Vampire. Vampires traditionally travel in small groups, usually under the leadership of one powerful or older Vampire, or other demon.
Appearance: Vampires appear human, except when they show their true face. They never seem to age from the moment they died. The vampire itself is actually an animated dead body, which explains it's high level of invulnerability. To damage it is to just beat on dead flesh. Although the demonic power inside it does mimic certain life functions, it doesn't mimic them all. Vampires generate no body heat, do not respirate and have no heartbeat. Any of these things could tip off someone that something is not normal with them.
Equipment: Varies, but usually starts with only the clothes on their back and what they can steal from their victims.

Created by Mathew R. Ignash - November, 2001 (mathewignash@comcast.net)

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