Creatures
of the night, the vampires cannot walk under sun light, they need to drink
blood to support their unlife and they can just be terminated either by
cutting their heads off or by having a wooden stake through their hearts.
To enter a house, they need to be invited by its owners and they usually
sleep in coffins.
However, each
creator can create his/her own rules...
Buffyverse
In Whedon's
universe, vampires can walk in the day light, as long as they remain in
the shadows.
They are creatures
of the night, but they don't need to sleep during the day (they do, if
they want vampires get tired, too). And they don't need to sleep in coffins,
either.
To attack their
victims, they put their "games faces" pointy teeth and lumpies on the
forehead.
They do need
to drink blood to survive (human's or animal's). If they don't drink, they
don't die, but they have very bad withdrawals and/or start hallucinating,
until they are to weak for any reaction.
Their images
don't have reflection in the mirror, but they can be photographed.
They have super
strength and they can eat and drink, although they don't need it. Those
who give up killing people, like to drink blood mixed with roots, milk
or alcohol sometimes.
They can trim
their hair (it grows back), they don't have blood circulation, their hearts
don't beat, but they bleed and the men can have sex. They don't have souls
excepting Angel (who was cursed with one) and Spike (who choose to have
one).
To become a
vampire, one must be bitten and sucked almost dry, almost to death; then,
the victim must drink the vampire's blood. The vampire-to-be doesn't need
to be buried; however, some "traditionalist" vampires like [Drusilla]
like the complete rituals. Usually, a bond is created between the Sire
(the one who bite) and the Childe (the one who is bitten) Darla/Angel,
Angel/Drusilla, Drusilla/Spike, Angel/Ben but it isn't a rule. [Harmony]
didn't have any bond with her (unknown) Sire, for instance.
Literature
Movies
TV
*Also
Dracula on episode
Buffy vs Dracula
TV Shows
Animated Series
