Difference between revisions of "Vampire"

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{{todo|More accurate/numerical information on vampire shapeshifting from 3.6.0?}}
 
  
'''Vampires''' are a class of [[monster]] represented by the overall symbol {{white|V}}, all of whom possess a characteristic [[drain life (monster attack)|life-draining]] bite. They will always be generated hostile, possess [[flying|flight]] and [[magical breathing]], and are vulnerable to [[silver]] weapons. The vampire, {{monsym|vampire}}, is also the weakest monster of the class.
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A '''vampire''', {{monsym|vampire}}, is a type of [[monster]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. Vampires are human [[undead]] that are [[breathless]] and capable of [[flight]] and [[regeneration]], and possess [[sleep resistance]] and [[poison resistance]].
  
The members of the vampire class are:
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Vampires can [[polymorph]] at will into [[vampire bat]]s or [[fog cloud]]s - they often disguise themselves as the former when outside of the player's sight and shift into the latter to flow under locked or inaccessible [[door]]s, and revert to vampire form if killed in either of these forms. Standing on any [[altar]] [[scare]]s vampires, similar to standing on [[Elbereth]] or a [[scroll of scare monster]].{{refsrc|src/monmove.c|154|version=NetHack 3.6.6}}
*{{monsym|vampire}} vampire
 
*{{monsymlink|vampire lord}}
 
*{{monsymlink|Vlad the Impaler}}
 
  
[[talking to vampires|#chatting with vampires]] can give humorous messages. Standing on any [[altar]] [[scare]]s vampires as if you were standing on [[Elbereth]] or a [[scroll of scare monster]].{{refsrc|monmove.c|129}}
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[[Player]]s in the form of a vampire will turn into [[vampire bat]]s if they polymorph without [[polymorph control]].
  
As of [[NetHack 3.6.0]], vampires and vampire lords are capable of [[polymorph|self-polymorph]] into [[vampire bat]]s or [[fog cloud]]s, and vampire lords may additionally transform into [[wolf|wolves]]. Vampires may polymorph into fog clouds at will to flow underneath [[door]]s that are locked or otherwise inaccessible to their other forms, and will usually shapeshift into their bat or wolf forms when out of the player's sight. Killing/destroying these alternate forms will cause the monster to resurrect in its vampire form.
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==Generation==
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In addition to random generation, vampires are a somewhat uncommon find in [[graveyard]]s. All vampires are hostile.
 +
 
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[[Human (starting race)|Human]] characters killed by a member of the vampire class arise as a vampire instead of a ghost in any bones file that is created.{{refsrc|src/end.c|517|version=NetHack 3.6.6}}
  
 
==Strategy==
 
==Strategy==
 +
Vampires often make for annoying fights, due to their ability to rob you of [[experience level]]s unless you have [[drain resistance]], e.g. from an artifact weapon like [[Excalibur]]; [[MC]] 3 is the next best option in the event you lack this resistance. They can wear armor to bolster their base AC of 1, though this is usually only a concern with bones files - most vampires will approach you as a vampire bat or be found in fog cloud form, and will revive in vampire form once you dispatch their weaker guises.
 +
 +
Vampires that shapeshift retain their current HP between forms, making it possible to bring them to low health and wait for them to assume their humanoid forms before finishing them off. A silver weapon with decent enchantment and/or skill level can bring them low in a few hits, and the bonus damage applies regardless of their current form.
 +
 
===As pets===
 
===As pets===
While not as strong, vampire pets will [[grow up]] quickly into vampire lords, and thus [[vampire lord#As pets|similar strategies apply]]; this includes the need to wear a [[ring of protection from shape changers]] in order to keep your pet in vampire form. The other forms are generally much weaker fighters and unable to wield weapons or wear armor; if killed in these forms, the vampire will resurrect into its normal form.
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Vampires are decently strong as pets, and only require two [[experience level]]s to [[grow up]] into vampire lords. However, pet vampires will shapeshift as normal - in their other forms they are weak fighters that cannot wear armor, and will not shapeshift back unless killed or forced back to normal by your wearing a [[ring of protection from shape changers]]. Players planning to keep vampire pets should identify this ring as soon as possible.
  
==Polymorphing==
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While you wear the aforementioned ring, vampires' good base AC and access all armor gives them the potential for high survivability - though their hitdie in humanoid form are somewhat mediocre, it remains their strongest form by far. However, their silver weakness and lack of elemental resistances can easily work against them.
[[Player]]s polymorphed into any {{white|V}} polymorph into [[vampire bat]]s when the player polymorphs without [[polymorph control]].
 
  
In SLASH'EM and UnNetHack, players [[polymorph]]ed into a vampire can fly and do not need to breathe, but they cannot eat solid food and have to rely on fresh blood from corpses as their only food source; they may also get nutrition from combat using their ''bite'' attack in combat. If they wait too long, the blood will ''coagulate'', becoming useless as a nutrition source. While blood consumed in this manner provides a very small nutritional value, the drained corpses are still eligible for sacrifice, reducing the need to weigh staying full against sacrificing. The usual penalties apply for draining other humans, as well as dogs and cats.
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===As a polyform===
 +
Vampires are a decent polyself form for players - they have the same base speed, can wear the same armor as the player and allow wielding of any non-silver weapon, and you can easily compensate for the lack of elemental resistances. You can also take advantage of their innate regeneration, flight, and effective magical breathing for various purposes. The silver weakness is just as much a danger to you in this form as it is to other vampires, however, and you will need to avoid engaging certain monsters such as [[cockatrices]] in melee, lest your bite attack lead to [[YASD]]. Additionally, most players capable of [[polymorph control|controlled]] polymorph will usually opt for the similar-but-stronger vampire lord.
  
 
==Variants==
 
==Variants==
 +
Many variants add the [[Vampire (starting race)|vampire]] as a playable race and make some changes to the vampire monster.
  
 
===SLASH'EM===
 
===SLASH'EM===
 
{{main|Vampire (starting race in SLASH'EM)}}
 
{{main|Vampire (starting race in SLASH'EM)}}
 +
Vampires are a starting [[race]] in [[SLASH'EM]]. In addition, player vampires and other races polymorphed into vampires cannot eat solid food and have to rely on fresh blood from corpses as their source of nutrition; they can also drain blood for nutrition using their bite attack. A corpse's blood is only fresh for a few turns before it coagulates and becomes useless as a nutrition source. While blood consumed in this manner provides a very small nutritional value, the drained corpses are still eligible for sacrifice, reducing the need to weigh staying full against sacrificing. The usual penalties apply for draining other humans, as well as [[dog]]s and [[cat]]s.
  
Vampires are a starting [[race]] in [[SLASH'EM]]. In addition, there are three new types of Vampires:
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Randomly generated vampires and their stronger forms are often generated with [[opera cloak]]s, and can provide a valuable method of farming said cloaks, especially if it is the [[randomized appearance]] of a [[cloak of magic resistance]] - the tradeoff lies in these vampires being made harder to dispatch, depending on the cloak. The {{spell of|acid stream}} spell is a good substitute for the {{spell of|magic missile}} spell in such scenarios.
 
 
*[[Vampire mage]]s
 
*[[Fire vampire]]s
 
*[[Star vampire]]s
 
 
 
Vampire mages can notably cast the [[summon nasties]] spell, while fire and star vampires are not undead, but extraterestials of [[H.P. Lovecraft|Lovecraftian]] origin. Fire vampires are extremely fast and can cast unreflectable fire balls, while star vampires have six attacks per turn.
 
 
 
Undead vampires (not [[star vampire]]s and [[fire vampire]]s) are often generated with [[opera cloak]]s, and can provide a valuable method of farming said cloaks, especially if it turns out to be a [[cloak of magic resistance]]; the tradeoff is making the vampires in question harder to dispatch, particularly vampire mages. Some spells that don't destroy potential loot, such as [[Spellbook of acid stream|acid stream]], are good substitutes for the usual magic missile assault in such scenarios.
 
  
 
===UnNetHack===
 
===UnNetHack===
 
{{main|Vampire (starting race in UnNetHack)}}
 
{{main|Vampire (starting race in UnNetHack)}}
 
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As with SLASH'EM, [[UnNetHack]] also adds the vampire as a starting race, and randomly generated vampires are also often generated with opera cloaks.
Vampires are a starting [[race]] in [[UnNetHack]]. Enemy vampires are also often generated with opera cloaks, as in SLASH'EM.
 
  
 
===dNetHack===
 
===dNetHack===
 
{{main|Vampire (starting race in dNetHack)}}
 
{{main|Vampire (starting race in dNetHack)}}
 
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In [[dNetHack]], vampires are also a starting race. Pet vampires will drain corpses for nutrition the same way a player vampire does, with similar conditions (i.e. corpses must be less than 3 turns of age and have blood).
In [[dNetHack]], pet vampires will drain corpses for nutrition the same way a player vampire does, with similar conditions (i.e. less than 3 turns of age, has blood).
 
  
 
== Encyclopedia entry ==
 
== Encyclopedia entry ==
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[[Category:Monsters]]
 
[[Category:Monsters]]
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Revision as of 10:20, 22 August 2022

For the monster class, see Wraith (monster class).

A vampire, V, is a type of monster that appears in NetHack. Vampires are human undead that are breathless and capable of flight and regeneration, and possess sleep resistance and poison resistance.

Vampires can polymorph at will into vampire bats or fog clouds - they often disguise themselves as the former when outside of the player's sight and shift into the latter to flow under locked or inaccessible doors, and revert to vampire form if killed in either of these forms. Standing on any altar scares vampires, similar to standing on Elbereth or a scroll of scare monster.[1]

Players in the form of a vampire will turn into vampire bats if they polymorph without polymorph control.

Generation

In addition to random generation, vampires are a somewhat uncommon find in graveyards. All vampires are hostile.

Human characters killed by a member of the vampire class arise as a vampire instead of a ghost in any bones file that is created.[2]

Strategy

Vampires often make for annoying fights, due to their ability to rob you of experience levels unless you have drain resistance, e.g. from an artifact weapon like Excalibur; MC 3 is the next best option in the event you lack this resistance. They can wear armor to bolster their base AC of 1, though this is usually only a concern with bones files - most vampires will approach you as a vampire bat or be found in fog cloud form, and will revive in vampire form once you dispatch their weaker guises.

Vampires that shapeshift retain their current HP between forms, making it possible to bring them to low health and wait for them to assume their humanoid forms before finishing them off. A silver weapon with decent enchantment and/or skill level can bring them low in a few hits, and the bonus damage applies regardless of their current form.

As pets

Vampires are decently strong as pets, and only require two experience levels to grow up into vampire lords. However, pet vampires will shapeshift as normal - in their other forms they are weak fighters that cannot wear armor, and will not shapeshift back unless killed or forced back to normal by your wearing a ring of protection from shape changers. Players planning to keep vampire pets should identify this ring as soon as possible.

While you wear the aforementioned ring, vampires' good base AC and access all armor gives them the potential for high survivability - though their hitdie in humanoid form are somewhat mediocre, it remains their strongest form by far. However, their silver weakness and lack of elemental resistances can easily work against them.

As a polyform

Vampires are a decent polyself form for players - they have the same base speed, can wear the same armor as the player and allow wielding of any non-silver weapon, and you can easily compensate for the lack of elemental resistances. You can also take advantage of their innate regeneration, flight, and effective magical breathing for various purposes. The silver weakness is just as much a danger to you in this form as it is to other vampires, however, and you will need to avoid engaging certain monsters such as cockatrices in melee, lest your bite attack lead to YASD. Additionally, most players capable of controlled polymorph will usually opt for the similar-but-stronger vampire lord.

Variants

Many variants add the vampire as a playable race and make some changes to the vampire monster.

SLASH'EM

Vampires are a starting race in SLASH'EM. In addition, player vampires and other races polymorphed into vampires cannot eat solid food and have to rely on fresh blood from corpses as their source of nutrition; they can also drain blood for nutrition using their bite attack. A corpse's blood is only fresh for a few turns before it coagulates and becomes useless as a nutrition source. While blood consumed in this manner provides a very small nutritional value, the drained corpses are still eligible for sacrifice, reducing the need to weigh staying full against sacrificing. The usual penalties apply for draining other humans, as well as dogs and cats.

Randomly generated vampires and their stronger forms are often generated with opera cloaks, and can provide a valuable method of farming said cloaks, especially if it is the randomized appearance of a cloak of magic resistance - the tradeoff lies in these vampires being made harder to dispatch, depending on the cloak. The acid stream spell is a good substitute for the magic missile spell in such scenarios.

UnNetHack

As with SLASH'EM, UnNetHack also adds the vampire as a starting race, and randomly generated vampires are also often generated with opera cloaks.

dNetHack

In dNetHack, vampires are also a starting race. Pet vampires will drain corpses for nutrition the same way a player vampire does, with similar conditions (i.e. corpses must be less than 3 turns of age and have blood).

Encyclopedia entry

He can transform himself to wolf, as we gather from the ship
arrival in Whitby, when he tear open the dog; he can be as
bat, as Madam Mina saw him on the window at Whitby, and as
friend John saw him fly from this so near house, and as my
friend Quincey saw him at the window of Miss Lucy. He can come
in mist which he create--that noble ship's captain proved him
of this; but, from what we know, the distance he can make this
mist is limited, and it can only be round himself. He come on
moonlight rays as elemental dust--as again Jonathan saw those
sisters in the castle of Dracula. He become so small--we
ourselves saw Miss Lucy, ere she was at peace, slip through a
hairbreadth space at the tomb door.
[ Dracula, by Bram Stoker ]

The Oxford English Dictionary is quite unequivocal:
_vampire_ - "a preternatural being of a malignant nature (in
the original and usual form of the belief, a reanimated
corpse), supposed to seek nourishment, or do harm, by sucking
the blood of sleeping persons. ..."

References