THE LORDS OF THE NIGHT: VAMPIRES - FAQ. V1.3

ERRATA

Q. Body of Flame seems unreasonably powerful. What's up with that?
A. The duration is missing. This power costs 1 Blood and lasts for the vampire's age in minutes. Only a Fire Vampire can use this power indefinitely.

ROLE PLAYING

Q. Do I have to be evil when I become a Vampire?
A. Not at all. Depending on your Katharein you retain your mortal mind with perhaps a small shift towards evil. While you can remain good, the Void constantly pulls and the threat of darkness looms ever closer.

Q. Can I be a Paladin and a Vampire?
A. While the answer isn't unequivocally no, the chances of a Paladin of any holy god not falling from grace is extremely unlikely. It would have to be a very understanding god indeed to allow vampire followers.

Q. Can I be a Good Cleric and a Vampire
A. Possibly. There are certain gods that would allow Vampires as followers, but these are rare in good gods. Mostly the spiritual connection is severed when the mortal is slain and it is not picked up when the Vampire is created. This depends on a god by god basis.

Q. Does a vampire/character know they've been charmed with the domination power?
A. If they fail their save then no, but if they make their save, then it's up to the DM to decide whether or not the character feels the vampire's presence upon their mind.

Q. Why does killing mortals incur so much Void?
A. The Void feeds on darkness and destruction. Killing is one of the primary ways it gains a hold over a vampire - the more you kill, the more you accept darkness. This is the one absolute truth.

Q. Is there any better way to cast off the Void?
A. Yes, but we're not saying what it is. Maybe you'll find some magical solution in our second release…

RULES

Q. What are the main differences between a vampire and the Children of Vangual?
A. The main differences are that the Children of Vangual are not monsters - at least not right away. When they are created they do not automatically become evil. They may, in time, but when they begin their journey, they are still given the will to struggle against the Void - or to accept it.

Q. How do I become a Blood Mage? Do I have to have any levels of the Black Cabal prestige Class?
A. The Blood Mage is an extension of the Black Cabal Prestige Class. As long as a potential vampire meets the prerequisites and is a member of the Black Cabal organisation, they are eligible to join the Blood Mage order

Q. Prestige Classes like the Blood Knight are really powerful. Are they really supposed to be available to player characters?
A. Not really. While a player could become a Blood Knight, these creations are almost always evil of the darkest variety. A player could become one, but there would be nothing heroic about them.

Q. How easily can I carry blood about?
A. Not easily. Blood clots when not carried in a proper container very quickly. Unless you have the proper tools, you cannot carry blood for more than a few minutes before it clots and becomes undrinkable. Either way, blood cannot be drunk after a very short space of time outside the mortal body/corpse (10 minutes).

Q. Can I drink blood from the dead?
A. No. You must drink blood only from the living. There is no penalty from drinking from the dead, but you derive no sustenance from so doing and the blood tastes disgusting.

Q. Can I use another vampire's Blood?
A. Yes you can but you must first attune it to your own energies through the attunement process. This Blood is always at the age and strength of the owning vampire, so age 5 Blood is far more potent than your Blood if you are only age 2.

Q. Does a vampire automatically attune all their blood?
A. Yes. Even a sleeping vampire attunes all their stores of blood. This is an involuntary action and cannot be prevented by the vampire.

Q. Why is there no called shot function for slaying vampires?
A. Because called shots are an effective critical strike and vampires are immune to criticals (besides who really wants what is an effective 'insta-kill' on our delicious vampires?). You can stake a vampire when it is prone, but otherwise, you must reduce a vampire to 0 hit points before you can deal out the 'killing' blow.

Q. When is a Vampire Prone?
A. When it is regenerating in its coffin or under the effects of a spell or power that render it incapacitated.

Q. Do Vampires always have use of their Fast Healing ability?
A. No. They lose their Fast Healing ability when reduced to 0 hit points or lower. They must retreat to their 'place of rest' to recover. Upon reaching 1 hit point they regain the use of their Fast Healing ability. Additionally they lose their Fast Healing ability when standing on holy ground.

Q. Can a vampire with the weakness Cannot Cross Running Water still cross water with abilities such as gaseous form or fly?
A. No, but a vampire could feasibly dimension door or teleport.

Q. What really is Holy and holy?
A. Holy (or Blessed) is a new term that will be described in Powers of Light. The term holy merely refers to all lawful good or (sometimes Neutral good) places, items or powers. For now, the term Holy incorporates all the abilities of holy. Vampires suffer greatly when near to or standing upon holy ground. Note: Holy water is different from holy water. This clarification will be made in Powers of Light.

Q. Can I use a Decanter of Endless Holy Water to kill a vampire
A. Yes you can, if the vampire is vulnerable to holy water, but this kind of death is extremely tacky. There are far better ways to destroy a vampire, this is allowing your players to defeat a great enemy with a monty haul-style campaign. The Children of Vangual deserve much better!

Q. Why doesn't Resurrection or similar work on the Children of Vangual?
A. Because their souls are bound to the Void and the Void does not relinquish them easily.

Q. Do Shadow Vampires keep their racial bonuses when they become vampires. Do they keep their racial bonuses?
A. We decided to leave this in the hands of the DM. A drow vampire could lose all their innate racial powers when becoming a vampire or the transformation could allow them to retain their bonuses. What IS certain is that Shadow Vampires lose their Spell Resistance power and their ECL drops to just +1.

Q. Do drow keep their Spell resistance upon becoming undead.
A. No. The curse of undeath corrupts their magical abilities. Drow vampires lose their spell resistance although they retain all other powers and suffer all their existing restriction. A Drow's ECL falls to just +1.

Q. Why do Shadow Vampires lose their Spell Resistance power?
A. The Void shatters the delicate magical protections of the vampire. The two forms of magic are incompatible.

Q. How does vampirism affect the other demihuman races?
A. Dwarves lose their racial bonuses to resisting spells and spell-like effects, Elves lose their racial bonus against Enchantment and spell effects.

Q. Why don't Vangaard or the Mocked have a special feat like Shadow or Ravenous Vampires?
A. The Vangaard and the Mocked will have their own special powers detailed in the respective sourcebook: The Lords of the Night: The Children of Vangual - Book 3. Coming fall 2003.

Q. Can a feral vampire ever become one of the Children of Vangual?
A. Almost anything is possible with magic, but it is unheard of for a mundane or feral vampire to become a true member of the Children of Vangual.

Q. Can a Black Blood vampire (through a ritual or the powers of his god) become any other kind of vampire race?
A. Nope. Although you control your campaign. If you want there to be a ritual to do this, then there is one. Officially however, there is no power that can change the race of a vampire. This is fundamentally tied in to who they are; even Vangual cannot change it.

Q. Can Ash Vampires wear armor and wield weapons and not disintegrate them? Can they control their disintegrate powers?
A. This is a tough one and it will be detailed in the first Vampire race book (to be detailed soon - scheduled for release in October/November). Most Ash Vampires find themselves disintegrating just about everything around them, including their own possessions. Over time they learn to control their disintegration powers and to focus them specifically on various tasks. Some can even live quite harmoniously with society (more on that later)...

Q. Does one of the Children of Vangual have to believe in Vangual as their sole deity.
A. Any vampire can worship any deity that will have them. But remember - many gods do not allow Vampires as followers. This is entirely dependant on your campaign.

Q. Is it possible for other evil gods (not Vangual) to transform their believers into one of Children of Vangual ?
A. Absolutely not. The Children of Vangual are tied into the Void and only Vangual has the power to create His children. Again, it's your world, your game, your call. If you want another god to be able to make the Children of Vangual, then so be it. No one can tell you how to run your game.

It IS feasible that another deity has advanced himself in favour with the Void and has found a way to create vampires similar or even identical to the Children of Vangual, though...

Q. How is a vampire penalised for being out in daylight. If they are, for example, wearing heavy hooded robes, are they still affected?
A. A vampire suffers penalties to all of their actions and a reduction in their physical abilities when it is daylight. They suffer these penalties even when they are underground, although after a certain depth the penalty is reduced to a dull ache.

A vampire suffers far greater penalties when subjected to true sunlight. This information is given on p. 33 of the Vampire sourcebook.

Q. Say you stab a vampire with a non-magical sword. Would he bleed? Would he feel pain? Would he feel anything at all?
A. A vampire would feel pain. Although they are dead, they still feel pain, HOWEVER, a Vampire can turn off the pain at will, so while he could still feel it, he could instantly decide to ignore it.

Q. You stab a vampire with a magical weapon? That will hurt, if not kill him, but will he bleed?
A. Vampires, do bleed, although only slightly. You can pepper them with magical arrows and until they have healed, their wounds will ooze viscous black blood that reeks of the grave.

CLARIFICATIONS

Q. Black Sorcerers - Recover the Arcane
This restores actual spells for the Black Wizard. A Black Wizard wishing to use Restore the Arcane 3 to recover a fireball spell costs 4 Blood.

Q. Umbral Mist
While a Shadow Vampire is using their Umbral Mist power they are considered to be gaseous.

Q. Clarification on Vampires and Sunlight - Penalties to abilities
A vampire suffers a -2 penalty to abilities when there is less than 10 feet of solid rock between them and the sun. A character underground suffers only -4 to their actions

GAME WORLD

Q. Who are the Powers of Light and Darkness?
A. The Powers of Light will be fully detailed in Powers of Light. Vangual is a member of the Powers of Darkness, but the Powers of Darkness are fully under the control of the Void. Much more will be revealed about the Powers of Darkness in Darkness Rises - the epic conclusion to the Darkness Rising series - scheduled for release - sometime ...

Q. Where is the Black?
A. The Black lies beyond the Shadow Plane in a realm of utter darkness. It is impossible to find unless you know where it is. Few mortals are even aware of its existence.

Q. How far underground is Avystervan?
A. Several miles of long and treacherous tunnels guarded by more than just vampires… More on this - soon.

Q. Who are the Cruentus and when will we find out more about them?
A. The Cruentus are the new Vangaard. More on the storyline will be revealed in future releases, for now, the Cruentus are vampires in training. One thing is certain, they are nasty pieces of work.

Q. What's happening to the Vangaard?
A. This is directly storyline related. Look for the answer very soon. There's some treachery running deep through the First…

Q. How powerful are Liches?
A. Liches are very powerful. They can do almost anything - but even they have their limits. The Lords of Night: Liches fully details the defenders of Creation.

MISCELLANEOUS

Q. Who are the Kethax and why is Vale no longer called the City?
A. Interestingly enough, I changed a few of the words for the novels. The Brax were originally the Kethax, but I felt Kethak and Kethak were too similar.

Of course, since then I remembered that the Brax and Lord Abraxia are similar...

You can't win them all!