Vampire, Nosferatu
| Climate/Terrain:
| |
Ravenloft/Any
|
|
Frequency:
|
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Very Rare
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|
Organization:
| |
Solitary
|
|
Activity Cycle:
|
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Night
|
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Diet:
|
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Blood
|
| Intelligence:
|
|
High to Genius (13-18)
|
| Treasure:
|
|
F
|
|
Alignment:
|
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Any evil
|
|
No. Appearing:
|
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1
|
|
Armor Class:
|
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1
|
|
Movement:
|
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12, F 18(C)
|
| Hit Dice:
|
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8+3
|
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THAC0:
| |
11
|
|
No. of Attacks:
| |
1
|
|
Damage/Attack:
|
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1d6+4
|
| Special Attacks:
|
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Constitution Drain, charm gaze
|
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Special Defenses:
|
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magical weapon required to hit
|
|
Magic Resistance:
|
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Nil
|
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Size:
|
|
M (6' tail)
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| Morale:
|
|
Champion (15-16)
|
| XP Value:
|
|
2000
|
During the nighttime hours, a nosferatu looks
like a normal member of its race, though its
skin is unusually pale. At sunrise, however, the
nosferatu falls into a death-like coma. If it has
fed within the previous two hours, its skin ap-
pears slightly flushed. If cut or stabbed at this
time, the creature bleeds as would a living
being. As the day wears on, the body loses its
fresh appearance. By the following nightfall, the
face is gaunt and the flesh a pale gray.
Nosferatu retain knowledge of all languages
and skills (including magic, if any) that they
possessed in life.
Combat: While the common vampire drains
life-energy levels to gain sustenance and survive,
the nosferatu drains Constitution points from it
victims instead, via the victim's blood. Except as
noted, nosferatu possess all the strengths and
weaknesses of common vampires.
Many nosferatu fight empty-handed; they
should be considered proficient in this mode of
combat (no attack penalties, in other words). Its
great strength (18/76) gains it a +2 attack
bonus and a +4 damage bonus. Those nosferatu
with access to magical weapons typically
keep them close at hand, ready to use.
Exceptional nosferatu also may retain PC-class
skills that they possessed while alive.
Nosferatu typically feed from only weakened or
charmed prey. To drain Constitution
points, it must bite the victim - on the neck
normally - and drink the victim's blood. If the
victim actively resists this, the nosferatu needs
a successful attack roll to drain Constitution
points. Armor protects a victim normally
(dexterity bonuses also apply), but shields offer no
defense (and no AC adjustment).
Once a nosferatu has bitten a victim,
Constitution draining happens automatically in
subsequent rounds. Usually, the nosferatu drains
1 point of Constitution per round (the better to
savor the victim's agony), though it can drain
up to 3 points per round if it wishes.
While draining a victim, a nosferatu's only
possible other action is its charm gaze. It can,
of course, elect to cease draining the victim at
any time. The victim, assuming he or she
survives, regains lost Consitution points at a rate
of 1 point for every two days. Those who perisk
from the bloody kiss of the nosferatu rise again
as a half-strength nosferatu under the control ol
the nosferatu that created it. As noted
elsewhere, this control is often transitory.
Using a unique form of telepathy, a
nosferatu can charm from afar any person it has
bitten. Once so charmed, the victim is subject
to the nosferatu's will for the rest of the victim's
life or until a remove curse spell is cast on the
victim by a cleric of at least 14th level. This
telepathic communication is one way; the
victim cannot read the thoughts or influence in
any way the nosferatu. The nosferatu can
telepathically instruct its charmed victim as long
as the two are within 360 feet of each other.
Habitat/Society: Most nosferatu live in
cemeteries, crypts, mausoleums, or other
abandoned-by-the-living locales. They hunt at
night and return to their coffins at dawn.
Nosferatu most often have coffins in several
locations throughout their "territory" to prevent
them from being easily caught (and destroyed)
by the morning sun.
Ecology: Unlike the common vampire,
nosferatu need the blood of (demi)humans to survive.
Unless the creature drains 3 Constitution
points each night, the nosferatu loses 1 HD.
This loss is cumulative until the nosferatu
drains sufficient Constitution points to make up
for all it's missed (if a nosferatu doesn't feed at
all for two nights, on the third night it must
drain 9 Constitution points to regain its full
strength) or until the nosferatu reaches 4 HD. 11
the creature is reduced to 4 HD, no further
degradation occurs, but the nosferatu enters
bloodlust (as defined in this tome) if a viable
victim is within 40 feet of the creature.
Nosferatu can survive on the blood (and
Constitution points) of animals if need be, but
such feedings, not matter how frequent, leaves
the creature 1 HD below normal.
Nosferatu also need sleep. They lose 1 HD
per night without proper rest (8 hours in a
coffin on soil from its original gravesite). A
"tired" nosferatu can regain 1 HD per day of
proper rest, provided it has drained at least 6
Constitution points during the previous night.
Nosferatu age as do common vampires
and grow more powerful over the centuries.
Consult the charts and rules in Chapter Two
for details.
