I once interrogated a vampire as to how it felt to hibernate. The creature described a condition of "sleep but not sleep", where thoughts are sluggish as thick honey and take months or years to flow. Where dream images interfere with true memories. Where sounds and sometimes smells from the surface find their way into the sanctuary, but disturb the mind no more than a rose petal falling on a still pool of water. Time has no meaning, hunger has no meaning. There is no future, there is no past. There is just the endless now. - From the personal journal of Dr.Van Richten Hibernation Vampires are by nature immortal. Why then are there so few vampires of advanced years in existence? In any given year, there are probably dozens if not scores of new vampires created within the lands. Logically, then, there should be a considerable number of Very Old and Ancient vampires. In fact, there appears to be surprisingly few of these creatures. Why? What is it that limits the practical longevity of these creatures? It seems that after a century, or maybe several centuries, insanity sometimes takes them (see Chapter Eleven, "The Mind of the Vampire"). Also, vampire hunters may destroy them. Or perhaps the creature, in a despair that mortals can never know, ends its own wretched existence. With so much going against them, the longevity question turns upon itself and we ask, "How do any vampires reach Patriarch age?" I conclude that this is the main purpose of "going into the ground", or hibernation. When the weight of the years grows too much for a vampire, when fatalism and bleakness set in and the creature starts to fear for its sanity, the creature is advised to go into the ground. As do mortals after a good sleep, I suspect that vampires usually arise from hibernation with their minds clear of worries. Vampires have the unique ability to hibernate for periods which may exceed a century. In addition to combating despair, the creatures may do this if circumstances are such that they are currently unable to feed sufficiently, or if they believe that they are in imminent danger from vampire hunters. Entering Hibernation A vampire must consciously decide to go into the ground; hibernation cannot be forced upon an unwilling vampire. The vampire does not have to "fatten itself up" for hibernation as other creatures do, but the monster must feed twelve or fewer hours before it actually goes into the ground. The location in which a vampire chooses to hibernate is very important. First, it must be exceptionally secure because a hibernating vampire is exceedingly vulnerable. Obviously, it must be where sunlight can never reach. Second, the site must be surrounded on all sides by rock or earth to at least several feet of thickness. A catacomb beneath a deserted temple would serve, or a cave, as would a common grave (hence the phrase, "going into the ground"). Some vampires will excavate a resting and hiding place for themselves several feet below the occupant of a grave. Hibernation differs from normal vampiric sleep. Once the vampire has made the decision to hibernate and has sequestered itself away in its sanctuary, it slips into a slate in which it is nominally and intermittently aware of its circumstances and of the passing of the years around it. It is difficult for the creature to rouse itself from this condition at will. Only in the fullness of time, when the cycle of hibernation draws to its close, can the vampire rise from this state of "sleep but not sleep". A hibernating vampire exercises little control over how long it stays in this dormant condition, cannot "preset" a time or date to revive, cannot predict beforehand how long the hibernation will last. Left unmolested, a vampire generally will not awaken until forty years or more have passed, and there are tales describing vampires that have hibernated for more than one and a half centuries. Hibernating vampires are not absolutely oblivious to their surroundings while dormant. They can sense danger, should anyone break open or enter their sanctuary, and will struggle to rouse themselves. This enforced arousal is quite damaging; in fact, there is a chance that the trauma of the awakening will instantly destroy the vampire. Effects of Hibernation The time that passes during hibernation is not physically kind to a vampire. Its condition deteriorates steadily; the monster loses strength and stamina while in the dormant state. Vampires that were weakened through starvation before going into the ground sometimes never emerge from dormancy, instead just fading away into oblivion. The physical appearance of a vampire is horribly changed as well. The creature's flesh and muscle mass atrophies, its skin dries and tightens, and sometimes its skeleton even shrinks marginally. A vampire that has been in hibernation for more than fifty years looks very much like a mummified corpse: wizened, dry, and very brittle. The creature's fragility is very much an illusion, of course. The overconfident vampire hunter may find himself at a distinct disadvantage against a newly awakened hibernator. If a vampire has "atrophied" to the point where it has 6 HD or fewer remaining, the creature cannot hibernate. If it attempts to do so, it will continue to lose 1 HD per day and will eventually be destroyed. A vampire that wishes to "go into the ground" must drink at least 4 hit points worth of blood no more than 12 hours before it begins to hibernate. This blood can be from any source. The length of time that a vampire will remain in hibernation is determined randomly Hibernation lasts 40 + 6d20 years. For every 20 years (or portion thereof) that a vampire remains in hibernation, it loses 1 HD, and temporarily regresses one age category in terms of Str, magic resistance, and period of sunlight tolerance. A vampire cannot regress below Fledgling, although it will continue to lose 1 HD every 20 years. If the creature is reduced to 0 HD, it is irrevocably destroyed and its body crumbles to dust. It takes 2d8 days to shift from hibernation to full wakefulness. The creature regains 1 HD and one age category (with respect to powers) for each day that it is able to feed sufficiently (12 hp worth of blood). Also, for a period of 2d4 days after awakening, it can't shapechange or voluntarily assume gaseous form (although it can be forced into gaseous form if reduced to zero or fewer hit points), and it suffers a -3 penalty to any and all saving throws. Rising from Hibernation When the cycle of hibernation comes to a close, waking from dormancy is not instantaneous. It takes the vampire days, sometimes many days, to rise from the depths of semiconsciousness. The condition of the creature is dependent both upon its condition before it went into the ground and upon the amount of time it has hibernated. A vampire that was weakened by starvation and then has spent a century in the ground is a vulnerable creature, indeed, and is unable to shapechange or voluntarily assume gaseous form for several days after wakening. It is also much more susceptible to magical attacks. The creature quickly regains most of its normal powers as soon as it feeds sufficiently during the days after its arousal. Thus, the highest and often only priority for a newly-awakened vampire is to hunt and to feed. Needless to say, the monster will be ravenous to the point of recklessness. If a vampire is awakened prematurely - by someone opening its crypt, for example - there are several issues to consider. First is the length of time the creature has been in the ground. In addition to lost HD from hibernation, it loses 1 HD for the trauma of being awakened prematurely. If this reduces the monster to 0 HD, it is instantly destroyed and crumbles to dust. If the monster survives the shock of being awakened, it is still stunned and unable to take any action for 1d4 rounds. In addition, the monster is unable to cast any spells for 2d6 hours after awakening Finally, it suffers the inability to voluntarily shapechange and a -3 penalty to saving throws for 2d4 days.

Previous   Next

Up