Alternative Undead 1: Vampires

So undead, I love them, you love them, the whole world is going crazy for them, whether as soap opera zombie dramas or vampire/werewolf/dull girl love triangles. But how do you keep them fresh in your games? There's nothing wrong with a classic garlic hating vampire, but sometimes you want a different feel.

Creepy and sexy, pure win

So I've been thinking about the undead and trying to come up with a twist, this is the first in a short series.

Vampires

Vampires are pale and hairless, with loose folds of skin and horrific lamprey-like mouths.

Excuse me while I go throw up

After feeding, where they leave gaping, raw wounds in their victims, vampires become bloated and sluggish and quickly return to their lair. They prefer damp, dark conditions and can often be found submerged under the thick wet soil around riverbanks, sheltering from the drying effects of the sun.

Vampires keep some memory of their lives before undeath, usually remaining in or returning to the area they thought of as home, but old attachments quickly lose any meaning. They prefer humanoid blood but can subsist on any if they can get it in large enough quantities, many a farmer has left his herd of cattle by a river only to find them drained of blood with gaping holes in their necks.


Gross enough? Traditional vampires are a little to camp and cliche for my tastes, especially when both of my players are big Twilight fans, so I really wanted something that would shock and disgust them. Plus I'm pretty sure I won't get any requests to play a vampire PC, and that alone is reason enough for the change.

As for rules, I plan to give them paralysing bites which continue to bleed for days due to anticoagulants. As enemies they will be much less evil mastermind and more akin to the traditional ghoul.

Let me know what you think, any other creepy ideas for vampires?

The next post will be zombies.