View source for Vampire (monster class)

{{otheruses||the monster|Vampire}}
{{for|the starting race in multiple variants|Vampire (starting race)}}
The '''vampire''' is a [[monster class]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]'', and is represented by the uppercase [[V]] glyph ({{white|V}}). Vampires are designated internally by the macro '''S_VAMPIRE'''.{{refsrc|include/monsym.h|62|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}

The monster class contains the following monsters:{{refsrc|src/monst.c|1843|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}

* {{monsymlink|vampire}}
* {{monsymlink|vampire lord}}
* {{monsymlink|Vlad the Impaler}}
* {{monsymlink|vampire mage}} ([[deferred]] monster)

==Common traits==
Vampires are [[chaotic]] [[Human (monster attribute)|human]] [[undead]] - they are [[strong]], [[breathless]], capable of [[flying]] and [[regeneration]], and possess [[sleep resistance]] and [[poison resistance]]. All vampires are vulnerable to [[silver]] weapons, possess a characteristic [[drain life (monster attack)|life-draining]] bite, and will [[follow]] you to other levels if on an adjacent square. 

Vampires are [[shapeshifter]]s and can [[polymorph]] at will into [[vampire bat]]s or [[fog cloud]]s{{refsrc|src/mon.c|3385|nethack=3.6.7}} - vampire lords and Vlad the Impaler can additionally shapeshift into [[wolves]].{{refsrc|src/mon.c|3379|nethack=3.6.7}} Vampires often turn into their animal forms when outside of the [[hero]]'s sight, and shift into fog cloud form to flow under locked or inaccessible [[door]]s{{refsrc|src/mon.c|3340|nethack=3.6.7}} - vampires will also shift to their other forms while healthy, and shift back to their base form if their HP is low enough.{{refsrc|src/mon.c|3327|nethack=3.6.7}} Polymorphing a vampire will cause them to take on one of their other forms rather than become a new monster, unless they became a vampire via [[polymorphitis]].{{refsrc|src/mon.c|3849|nethack=3.6.7}} If a vampire is killed in any of their shifted forms, including by [[stoning]], they will resurrect in vampire form.{{refsrc|src/mon.c|2190|nethack=3.6.7|comment=<code>if (!vamp_stone(mdef))</code> is used to exclude shifted vampires from instant death by stoning}} Vlad the Impaler will not shapeshift if he is carrying the [[Candelabrum of Invocation]].{{refsrc|src/mon.c|3375|nethack=3.6.7|comment=If he does not have the Candelabrum, Vlad falls through to the vampire lord case}}

The hero standing on any [[altar]] will [[scare]] vampires, similar to standing on [[Elbereth]] or a [[scroll of scare monster]].{{refsrc|src/monmove.c|154|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} 

===Generation===
Non-unique vampires are among the various undead that can generate in [[graveyard]]s.

In addition to hosting graveyards, the following levels also generate random {{white|V}} on level creation:

* Three random types of vampire are generated in the [[Valley of the Dead]].
* Three random vampires appear within the left inner chambers of [[Asmodeus' Lair]].
* Six random vampires rest behind hidden doors within [[Vlad's Tower]].
* Three random vampires are also generated in [[Moloch's Sanctum]].
* Three random vampires appear on the [[Astral Plane]].

Vampires are considered [[corpseless]], with a special case that causes any non-unique vampire to leave a tainted [[Human (monster)|human]] [[corpse]] upon death, and reviving that corpse will resurrect the vampire.{{refsrc|src/mon.c|147|nethack=3.6.7|name="undead_to_corpse"|comment=Converting monster index of undead to corpses of their living counterparts}}{{refsrc|src/mon.c|171|nethack=3.6.7|comment=<code>undead_to_corpse</code> case for vampire monsters}}{{refsrc|src/mon.c|351|nethack=3.6.7|name="make_corpse"|comment=Undead corpses and their ages are handled with other "special" death drops}} [[Human (starting race)|Human]] characters killed by a member of the vampire class will arise as a vampire instead of a ghost in any bones file that is created.{{refsrc|src/end.c|517|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}

{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|The mausoleum [[themed room]] may have a randomly generated vampire monster sealed and [[meditating]] within its central subroom.

As of {{commit|3c421da746cdd3844c7f8d2312c7be5e5a25cfb9}}, if a hero that is killed and leaves bones arises as a vampire, that vampire will have the former hero's intrinsics.}}

===As a polymorph form===
Heroes polymorphed into the form of any vampire monster are [[Warned of monster type|warned of any]] [[human or elf]] monsters on the level.{{refsrc|src/end.c|517|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} When engraving, they will "scrawl in blood" rather than "write in the dust" when [[engraving]]. A hero in vampire form that polymorphs or uses the [[Monster (command)|#monster]] [[extended command]] will turn into a [[vampire bat]] (with the option to decline if they have [[polymorph control]]).

==Strategy==
Vampires often make for annoying fights, since their bites can rob you of [[experience level]]s unless you have [[drain resistance]], e.g. from an artifact weapon like [[Excalibur]]; [[MC3]] is the next best option in the event you lack this resistance. Vlad the Impaler is the worst offender by far, due to his high speed and [[covetous]] behavior.

Vampires represent a tempting target for a blessed [[scroll of genocide]] - though not as vicious as [[mind flayer]]s or [[arch-lich]]es, vampire lords in particular can still be troublesome; if you are early enough in the game, you may consider doing so in order to increase the amount of [[wraith]]s generated in [[graveyard]]s.

{{upcoming|3.7.0|[[Black dragon scales]] and [[black dragon scale mail]] provide an additional source of drain resistance.}}

===As pets===
Vampires are decently strong as pets, with vampire lords being significantly popular choices - vampires need only two levels to [[grow up]] into vampire lords. However, pet vampires will shapeshift as normal unless you are wearing a [[ring of protection from shape changers]] - in their other forms, they are weak fighters that cannot wear armor, and will break body armor if they shift into wolves. A tame vampire will not shapeshift back to humanoid form unless killed or forced back to normal by the ring of protection from shapechangers - players planning to keep vampire pets should identify this ring as soon as possible.

Vampires' huamnoid forms are their strongest by far, with good base AC and access to all armor giving them the potential for high survivability. However, their silver weakness and lack of elemental resistances can easily work against them.

{{upcoming|3.7.0|Vampires can be fed [[corpse]]s in animal form to provide them with resistances before using the ring to keep them into their base form.}}

===As a polyform===
Both available vampire forms are good for players with [[polymorph control]] - they can wear armor and wield non-silver weapons, and their regeneration, flight, breathlessness, and lack of hunger are all unambiguous boons. The vampire lord is a strictly better choice in all respects, with slightly more AC and speed. The vampires' silver weakness is just as much a danger to you as it is to other vampires, however, and you will need to avoid engaging certain monsters such as [[cockatrices]] in melee.

==History==
The base vampire first appears in Hack 1.21, which is based on [[Jay Fenlason's Hack]] - in Hack 1.21, PDP-11 Hack and [[Hack 1.0]], the vampire uses the {{white|V}} glyph.

The vampire lord and Vlad the Impaler first appear in [[NetHack 3.0.0]], while the vampire mage's deferred data can be found in the source code as early as [[NetHack 3.3.0]].

In NetHack 3.4.3 and previous versions, including some variants based on those versions, vampires are often used in [[drain for gain]] strategies and were thus a prevalent choice for abusing the [[polyself bug]], to the point that they are specifically mentioned in the bug's official description. The "drain for gain" strategy was adjusted in [[NetHack 3.6.0]], and the polyself bug was fixed.

Vampires' shapeshifting abilities are introduced in NetHack 3.6.0; this makes them somewhat better pets in previous versions and some variants, as they will not shapeshift out of any armor you give them. There are two related bugs to this, both fixed in [[NetHack 3.6.1]]:

* Genociding vampires and/or vampire lords causes currently shapeshifted ones to become unkillable, as they cannot return to vampire form properly. This is fixed via {{commit|757e6f9c4da1417b3b127dae8834697fea5e284c}}.
* Shapeshifters such as [[chameleon]]s and other monsters that polymorph into vampires will remain stuck in that form - e.g., shapeshifters would not take on new forms, a polymorph-produced vampire would not shift to bat or fog forms, and so on. This is fixed via {{commit|885de116e1e93faa8ad5dc2685d16a9f553c50ed}} and {{commit|45ba0addf25a6a0f29b6de793524e5250a6c039a}}.

==Messages==
For the purpose of these messages, a vampire regards the hero as '''"kindred"''' if they are in the form of a vampire, and considers them a '''"night child"''' if they are in the form of a [[wolf]], [[winter wolf]] or [[winter wolf cub]].

The following five messages occur if you chat to a tame vampire in its humanoid form:

{{message|Good evening to you Master!|You are kindred, and it is [[night]].}}
{{message|Good day to you Master. Why do we not rest?|You are kindred, and it is day.}}
{{message|<Child of the night,> I can stand this craving no longer!|It is [[midnight]], with the prefixed message occurring if you are in wolf form.}}
{{message|<Child of the night,> I beg you, help me satisfy this growing craving!|As above during the night, but it is not midnight.}}
{{message|<Child of the night,> I find myself growing a little weary.|As above, but it is day.}}

These messages occur if you chat to a peaceful vampire:

{{message|Good feeding <brother/sister>!|You are kindred, and it is night.}}
{{message|How nice to hear you, child of the night!|You are a night child, and it is night.}}
{{message|I only drink... potions.|You are neither kindred nor a night child, or it is day time.}}

These messages occur when chatting to a hostile vampire:

{{message|This is my hunting ground that you dare to prowl!|You are kindred.}}
{{message|<Young> Fool! Your silver sheen does not frighten me!|You are polymorphed into a [[silver dragon]]; "Young" is appended if you are polymorphed into a [[baby silver dragon]].}}

For chatting to hostile vampires in other forms, one of the two following sets of messages is randomly chosen, with the first set depending on your [[body parts]]:

{{message|I vant to suck your life force!|You are polymorphed into a [[sphere]] or [[vortex]].}}
{{message|I vant to suck your juices!|You are polymorphed into a [[jelly]] or [[fungus]].}}
{{message|I vant to suck your blood!|You are in a form that is not any of the above.<ref>This quote comes from [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109707/quotes#qt0363244 the 1994 film ''Ed Wood''], but is [http://www.filmsite.org/moments0.html commonly mis-attributed] to Bela Lugosi's titular character in the 1931 ''Dracula''.</ref>}}

Otherwise, their response is one of the following:

{{message|I vill come after a <man/woman> without regret!|You are a human. <ref>This "famous vampire quote" appears to be an oblique allusion to [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110148/quotes?item=qt0337704 the 1994 film ''Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles''], as determined by [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.roguelike.nethack/browse_thread/thread/1f5b9653bb1db508 this RGRN discussion] regarding Vlad.</ref>}}
{{message|I vill come after a <race> without regret!|You are polymorphed or naturally non-human.}}

==Variants==
Many variants add the [[Vampire (starting race)|vampire]] as a playable race and enable the deferred vampire mage, often alongside other vampires.

===SLASH'EM===
{{main|Vampire (starting race in SLASH'EM)}}
[[SLASH'EM]] adds four new vampires added to the monster class:

* {{monsymlink|Vampire mage}}
* {{monsymlink|Fire vampire}}
* {{monsymlink|Star vampire}}
* {{monsymlink|Count Dracula}}

The vampire mage is implemented from the deferred monster in ''NetHack'', while the fire and star vampires are [[H.P. Lovecraft|Lovecraftian]] aliens rather than undead, though they share many vampiric traits. Count Dracula, meanwhile, is the [[Undead Slayer]] [[quest nemesis]] and another monster based on the 1897 Bram Stoker novel ''Dracula''.

Most vampires [[Monsters with hits creatures as a +x weapon (SLASH'EM)|hits monsters as enchanted weapons]]: base vampires hit as +2, Count Dracula hits as +4, and all other {{white|V}} hit as +3. Base vampires also [[Need +x weapon to hit|require a +2 weapon to be hit]], while every other vampire except Count Dracula requires a +3 weapon. Tamed vampires are now [[traitor]]ous and have a change to turn on you, making them possibly perilous choices for pets while at lower levels.

Vampires are also a starting [[race]] - this means that [[Doppelganger (starting race)|Doppelgangers]] cannot polymorph into vampires, though they can still polymorph into any other valid monster within the vampire monster class. 

The [[wooden stake]] is a [[dagger]]-type weapon that does 1d6 extra damage to any vampire, on top of an additional +2 damage and a 10% chance of instakilling them if the wielder is an [[Undead Slayer]], has Expert skill in dagger, or is using [[The Stake of Van Helsing]], an [[artifact]] wooden stake.

The vampire is the second [[quest]] monster class for [[Undead Slayer]]s, and makes up {{frac|6|175}} of the monsters that are randomly generated on the [[Undead Slayer quest]]. Three random vampires are also generated on the goal level of the quest branch at level creation.

Eight random vampires will be generated on the [[Chaotic Quest]] at level creation.

Undead vampires are always generated with [[opera cloak]]s and either a [[potion of blood]] or a [[potion of vampire blood]].{{refsrc|makemon.c|1148|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2|comment=A comment just below reads "Star and fire vampires don't get this stuff"}} This can provide a valuable method of farming them, especially if they are randomized into the [[cloak of magic resistance]] - the tradeoff is the vampires in question being harder to dispatch depending on the cloak, particularly vampire mages. Elemental spells are good substitutes for the usual {{spell of|magic missile}} in such scenarios, especially the {{spell of|acid stream}} spell.

====Vampire diets====
{{main|Potion of blood}}
Player vampires and players [[polymorph]]ed into undead vampires can fly and do not need to breathe, but they cannot eat solid food and have to rely on fresh blood as a food source. SLASH'EM adds the [[potion of blood]] and potion of vampire blood as nutritional replacements for vampires: Player vampires receive potions of vampire blood in place of the food other monsters would start with, and can use the [[draw blood]] [[technique]] to create one by draining one of their levels; undead vampires in the dungeon may generate with either potion. Non-player vampires of any kind will drink non-cursed vampire blood to restore 2-10 HP, and gain nothing from drinking cursed potions. Player vampires gain 20 nutrition from an uncursed potion of blood and 30 from a blessed one; an uncursed potion of vampire blood grants 800 nutrition points (400 if diluted), and a blessed potion additionally increases your HP and max HP by the same amount as a level gain.

A non-vampire player that attempts to drink a potion of blood will be given 10d8 (more) turns of nausea - a non-vampire drinking vampire blood will instead polymorph into a vampire and suffer a −3 alignment penalty if neutral, while lawfuls and [[Monk]]s take a −15 alignment penalty and anger their [[god]]. The polymorph is "semi-permanent" and will last until your HP is reduced to 0.

All vampires may derive nutrition from combat using their bite attack, and can drain blood from corpses. A corpse that is left alone too long will have its blood ''coagulate'', rendering it 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 versus sacrificing. As vampires are human undead, the usual penalties apply for draining other humans, as well as [[dog]]s and [[cat]]s.

===UnNetHack===
{{main|Vampire (starting race in 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. The same conditions for player and polyself vampires apply as in SLASH'EM, as do the conditions for vampires generating with potions of blood.

A non-vampire drinking vampire blood will polymorph into a vampiric monster depending on the potion's beatitude - blessed potions will polymorph them into a vampire lord; an uncursed potion will turn them into a vampire, as in SLASH'EM; and a cursed potion will morph them into a vampire bat. The same penalties for non-chaotic characters apply.

===dNetHack===
{{main|Vampire (starting race in 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).

Vampires appear among the undead that make up {{frac|7}} of randomly-generated monsters on the [[Anachrononaut quest]] - {{frac|3|4}} of the undead monsters generated randomly will be from the vampire monster class.

===SlashTHEM===
In addition to SLASH'EM details, [[SlashTHEM]] adds the following vampires:

* {{green|V}} [[vogon]]
* {{brightgreen|V}} [[vogon lord]]
* {{gray|V}} [[nosferatu]]
* {{magenta|V}} [[Prostetnik Vogon Jeltz]]

None of the new vampires that can be tamed are capable of treachery.

==References==
<references/>
{{nethack-367}}
[[Category:Monster classes]]