The precise nature of vampires varies
greatly from setting to setting. For example, vampires behave differently
and have different strengths and weaknesses in Anne Rice's novels than
in the movie Bram Stoker's Dracula. Every Gamemaster will
need to specify such information for his or her own campaign, depending
on which sources are used as influences. Detailed below are several
different possibilities from which Gamemasters should feel free to choose.
Vampires first appeared in the distant past, and most share a single common source. In Anne Rice's novels, all vampires originate from Akasha, the Queen of the Damned, who merged her blood with a powerful energy spirit over 5,000 years ago. In the other vampire RPG, all vampires originate from a curse placed upon biblical Caine by God. Generally, the closer a vampire is to the first one, the more powerful. The other vampire RPG refers to this as "Generation" (so that Caine is the "First Generation" and his immediate creations were the "Second Generation" and their creations were the "Third Generation" and so on). Although other sources do not use this language, "Generation" is a very useful concept in any vampire game. In some sources, there are ways to "cheat" and gain more powerful blood. In Anne Rice's novels, Magnus (the vampire who created Lestat) used witchcraft to forcibly steal the "Dark Gift" from a captured vampire, thus effectively making him a brand-new "First Generation" vampire and his creation Lestat an incredibly powerful "Second Generation" vampire (and Lestat later made himself even more powerful by drinking some of the blood of Akasha). In the other vampire RPG, a weaker vampire effectively improves his "Generation" when he completely drains the life-essence from a stronger-blooded vampire.
Vampires are considered "undead" beings. Whether or not this is technically true varies from source to source. In the other vampire RPG, they are recently dead humans drained of living blood and re-animated by an infusion of vampiric blood. This also appears to be true in Anne Rice's novels. In the TV series Forever Knight, a new vampire is created when a human is "brought across" from the verge of death and preserved by an infusion of vampiric blood. The effects of being "undead" are generally the same in most sources--vampires no longer need to consume and digest food or fluids (in fact, vampires generally are unable to and, if they try to, are required to vomit anything swallowed later); they no longer need to breathe or have a heartbeat (or they have a greatly slowed heartbeat); they have pale complexion and cold flesh; they no longer age (and are thus effectively immortal); they are no longer susceptible to poison or disease (although they can transmit disease); they can no longer engage in normal human sexual functioning, although this varies from source to source (in the other vampire RPG they cannot even engage in intercourse, but in the anime Vampire Hunter D they can conceive half-vampire/half-human children).
Vampires are nocturnal creatures, and thus tend to be vulnerable during the day. In some sources (good examples are the TV series Forever Knight and Ultraviolet), vampires burn or explode when exposed to sunlight; in others (for example, the TV series Kindred: the Embraced), they only burn when low on blood. In Bram Stoker's Dracula, vampires are not vulnerable to sunlight but are weak and sleepy during the daytime. In Anne Rice's novels, most vampires turn to ash when exposed to direct sunlight (although older vampires are more resistant). The degree of vulnerability must be decided on by the Gamemaster. In settings in which vampires are merely nocturnal, they suffer a +2 step penalty to all action checks and skill checks during daytime. In settings in which vampires are vulnerable to the sun, they suffer 1d4 points of En/O Wound or Mortal damage (depending on the time of day and cloud cover) every phase they are exposed to sunlight.
Vampires may or may not be vulnerable to religious symbols and other superstitions (like garlic), depending on the source. In Anne Rice's novels, these are false beliefs that vampires take advantage of or ignore; in the TV series Forever Knight, all vampires can be warded off by the cross, seared by holy water, and choked by garlic; in the other vampire RPG, it is the power of true faith (as opposed to the symbols of any specific religion) possessed by rare human beings that repels vampires. If playing a setting in which vampires are affected by certain superstitions, a vampire must succeed on a Resolve skill check (use physical in the case of garlic and running water and the like, and use mental in the case of religious faith) every time he wishes to take any action that would bring him closer to, or in direct contact with, the superstition affecting him.
How can vampires be destroyed? This especially varies from source to source. Vampires tend to be vulnerable to fire and intense UV radiation (laser weapons). In settings in which vampires are vulnerable to fire and UV radiation, vampires suffer +2 on all damage rolls from fire (including plasma and laser weapons) and a +2 step penalty on all skill checks to resist intense radiation. In the other vampire RPG, vampires can only be permanently destroyed by fire, intense UV radiation (including sunlight), decapitation, and injuries inflicted by the natural attacks of other supernatural beings. Obviously, anything that completely obliterates the body would also cause permanent destruction. In some sources (the best examples are the TV series Angel and Forever Knight), a vampire can also be permanently destroyed if "staked" (having a large weapon thrust through the heart); in other sources (notably the other vampire RPG), being "staked" only paralyzes the vampire. Regardless of the specific setting, staking a vampire is tricky business--it requires a "called shot" (+4 step penalty) to the heart, and the attack must inflict primary damage in order to succeed. (In many sources, only a true wooden shaft can be used to stake a vampire--any such weapon uses the Melee-bludgeon skill, has +1 Accuracy, inflicts d4w/d4+1w/d4m LI/O damage, can be used up to 3 times in a single round, has a Hide score of +3, and has a Mass of 1.)
What happens to a vampire when it is permanently destroyed? The most common result is a rapid disintegration into dust (the best example of this the film Bram Stoker's Dracula). In other sources, however, the body remains and must be buried or burned as would any other corpse (such an outcome comprises the poignant end to several episodes of Forever Knight). In the British TV series Ultraviolet, destroyed vampires actually explode (with the fiery power of a grenade) and leave only burned ash (which will regenerate virtually instantly into the fully formed vampire if exposed to blood from another vampire). In the other vampire RPG, the corpses of younger vampires (those who have not yet exceeded a mortal lifespan) remain after destruction, and only the bodies of older vampires rapidly turn to dust.
If a vampire is not permanently destroyed, he will eventually regenerate virtually any injury. A vampire may be badly dazed and may even be knocked unconscious from damage, but he will not be destroyed even if he takes excessive Wound or Mortal damage (unless the lethal damage is of a type to which the vampire is vulnerable). The rate of regeneration varies from source to source--in Anne Rice's novels, complete healing can happen overnight (in the case of cut hair or minor wounds) or it can take years (in the case of severe burns); in most vampire TV series and movies, healing is tremendously accelerated and normal wounds close up in minutes or hours. Severed limbs (sometimes even the head itself) will regrow if given enough time (in Anne Rice's novels, powerful vampires can fully regenerate even when reduced to ash if the ashes are not scattered). In the other vampire RPG, regeneration requires the expenditure of blood and only the most severe wounds (fire, sunlight, or attacks by supernatural creatures) require multiple nights to heal.
Vampires in all sources require blood to continue existing. The
specific amount varies from source to source--the most specific example
is the other vampire RPG, in which a vampire loses one "blood point" at
the beginning of each night. Whether or not feeding on a human necessitates
killing him also varies. The TV series Forever Knight implies
that feeding almost always kills a human, but vampires in the other vampire
RPG and in Anne Rice's novels can feed a little bit off a human and inflict
only mild injury. In Anne Rice's novels the vampire can even rub
a drop of his own blood over the wound and make it disappear, and in the
other vampire RPG a vampire can lick the wound with his tongue and make
it disappear. Vampires may or may not have fangs and claws to assist
in their feeding--in most sources vampires possess retractable fangs, but
in the TV series Kindred: the Embraced only certain vampire breeds
could grow claws so most had to use blades to draw blood. In most
sources (like the other vampire RPG), human victims cannot resist once
a vampire has them in his power and begins feeding.
Using the Alternity game system, blood is tied to Wound and
Mortal points. Once a victim is rendered helpless (or willing), the
vampire can safely feed off him--each point of Wound damage inflicted gives
the vampire one "blood point" and each point of Mortal damage yields three
"blood points" (see Vampire Powers).
If the vampire wishes to feed forcibly off a resisting victim, he must
first grapple the victim (using the Overbearing unarmed combat rules) and
then succeed on a bite attack (or any other attack capable of opening up
a bleeding wound). Once a vampire begins feeding, a victim who wishes
to continue resistance must succeed on a Resolve-mental skill check
at the beginning of every turn in which he wishes to take any actions.
If a vampire ever runs out of "blood points" he cannot activate most of
his powers. Furthermore, he automatically suffers 1 point of Mortal
damage the next time he must spend a "blood point" to continue his existence.
A vampire who suffers lethal damage in this way falls into a permanent
coma until he is fed blood by another vampire, at which point he regains
consciousness and must slowly begin regeneration.
What happens when a vampire shares his blood? This also depends on the source. In Anne Rice's novels, sharing blood is an erotic experience for vampires (and a way to share their powers with each other). In the other vampire RPG, feeding vampire blood to a human transforms him into a "ghoul": he loses a "blood point" at the beginning of every other night, but as long as he still has at least one "blood point" inside him he ceases to age, regenerates injuries like a vampire, and possesses the Greater Physical Prowess vampire power. On the downside, "ghouls" are addicted to the vampire's blood and must succeed on a Resolve-mental skill check (at a +1 penalty for every "blood point" still inside them) whenever they wish to disobey any command given to them by their master (the penalty may be reduced if the command is excessively costly or dangerous). In the other vampire RPG, even vampires can suffer such dependence--if a vampire drinks the blood of another vampire on three or more occasions, he becomes enthralled to the master vampire just as if he were a ghoul.
Are vampires evil? Again, this varies from source to source. In the TV series Forever Knight, some vampires consider "evil" an empty human concept while others believe the vampiric state is an evil condition that can only be healed by a return to humanity. In Anne Rice's novels, vampires are not innately evil but most, corrupted by power, choose to be. In the other vampire RPG, the vampiric state is a beastial (not necessarily evil) condition that slowly erodes the vampire's sense of humanity; the struggle to preserve (or, for some violent vampires, overcome and replace) this sense of humanity is a major theme.