Post TS Vampires - Make 'em good (if there at all)

[Nerdlord57]

Right so, Vampires were name dropped in the recent thread about the TS. Some people were grumpy over it, others not so much. Me, personally? I've always been a sucker, heh , for vampires and the cool tropes that could come from them when done right. If they are a possibility in coming back to Eternia, I'd personally like to see them done in a way differently on Esshar similar to how demons are different than agarthian Demons.

Not all of these ideas may be original but I still think they are cool! But in the end, none of this may not be used, who knows!

Now, onto the rest of the thread!

Part I: The Clans of Cain

So on Agartha, the Vampires were able to specialize into four different magic trees that represented the different aspects of Cain. They were as follows:

Ice: Death
Illusion: Nightmares
Poison: Plague
Blood: Ambition  (it wasn't ambition but I feel it fits)

I'd like to see, if Vampires are something the team goes forward with, four vampires be spawned in with each embodying one of those aspects and leading a clan of the vampires. My ideas for the clans are kinda as follows:

Ice - The Warriors and Hunters of their kind, focusing on the aspect of Death and bringing it upon those who they deem fit for it. The Vampires of this blood are more bestial than elegant, becoming efficient wielders of Death in the name of the Prophet Cain due to the taint of Death in their blood. They also wish to see any product of Azrael's necromancy crushed beneath their talons. (Think Strigoi from Total War Warhammer)

Illusion - The masters of Glamors and Deception of their kind, known for their beauty and ability to manipulate the minds of lesser beings to acquire whatever information they seek. These vampires are more diplomatic and are the Scholars of their kind, collecting any knowledge they wish to further their own power. Perhaps they also dabble into the dark magics and alliances that may come from such.

Poison - The Alchemists of their Kind, often known for their spats of insane and sporadic inventions to bring forth plagues and suffering to those unworthy of the Blood of Cain. They are more likely to dabble in maddening experiments of beings they deem as lesser to further the power and influence of their whole kind, or simply themselves.

Blood - The Artificers and Tacticians of their kind, aristocratic as they hold themselves with an air of superiority to all who come across them. Even their own kind. They tend to butt heads most with the Vampires of the Ice Clan (to be named if adopted) , but they are also masters of Aproproyian Blood Runes, runework that takes the vitality of the vampire away to empower others or their own creations. (Think -10 to -20 nerfs to buff people or items they craft as Vampires can heal nerfs and perms by sucking blood)

With the separation of the Vampires into clans based on the magic their blood provides this could allow for the clans to separate into different parts of the map to make rp on a larger scale, and to perhaps have some interesting and occasional clan v clan conflict if such arises.

Part II: Ascension

So with Vampires a few things come to mind in relation to Spires, the one I wish to tackle right away is the path to becoming a Vampire.

For one to become a Vampire they first have to be approved to become a 'Fang' of the Vampire in question by the leader of their clan. A fang is simply a Ghoul as I think it'd be cool for Vampires to only have two Ghouls at one time. After five years of being a Ghoul the 'Fang' can receive the 'Blood of the First Sin' from their Sire. Each Vampire can only sire one other Vampire in their entire life time, however if their spawn die the Vampire is able to sire another after two years as the 'Blood of the First Sin' returns to them.

One must have the 'Blood of the First Sin' to undergo the Blood Rite, which should be a ritual in a vale-esc location that is dominated by the influence of Cain to become a Vampire with approval from admin-team, the head of the Vampire Clans, and the success of whatever trails the different aspect of Cain may force them to undergo.

I also think to ascend to Vampirism one cannot be a Holy or Occult magi as their souls are already tainted/claimed by other forces that are NOT Cain.

Part III: Magic

I think it would be cool for Vampires to not have to buy into the attunement they may need for Ice, Blood, and Poison and they can just go into the trees straight away. This also prevents them from getting extra stats as Illusion Vampires will be lacking that extra umph. Perhaps a -5 RPP discount to each opener?

Also I don't think Vampires should be allowed to use Holy, Occult , or Fire Magic.

Also I feel like Vampires should get a blade-style, an unarmed style, and a mage style for base-line as a replacement for taking a possible Aura, as only Ice and Illusion will need an aura. Though this is very eh.


That's about all I got for right now so. . just give me your thoughts. I hope these are cool ideas to at least spur some thought.

[Datura]

I think it’d be cool to see some form of lesser vampires that have that same fluff of “I need blood” but, are mortals. Like some sort of vampLite that perhaps would need to still go through the ritual but is the bastard child of a vamp and a human.

[Arrow]

If I don't see a proper tzimisce this time I'll be upset.

[Theori]

I'd personally suggest Vampirism be handled like Witchcraft, with a 'Blood' resource that inflicts nerfs if you don't have any stored/buffs if you do, a compulsion-esque thing like hex, batform (because why not), etc. It'd probably make it a bit less of hassle for admins having to change race, too, and let vampires keep aesthetics like ookami ears if they were originally beastkin.

[CurledSpiral]

I think it’d be cool to see some form of lesser vampires that have that same fluff of “I need blood” but, are mortals. Like some sort of vampLite that perhaps would need to still go through the ritual but is the bastard child of a vamp and a human.

Those sort of existed. They're Ghouls which feed on VAMPIRE blood and are mortal with some Vamp powers.

[Datura]

I think that’d be perfect actually! Maybe have it so the condition stays even if not feeding? But just doesn’t grow?

[ry0un0suke]

I personally am a fan of Vampires being like Witchcraft. How it was teased in the thread is for it to be something small; A few of them. This makes it sounds like there will be a lot of them which I'm sure isn't how any player wants it handled... A Vampire faction was done already with its own mixed feelings towards it? A more subtle approach to Vampirism and subtle for anything has always been much, much cooler. Because a lot will be happening with the encouragement of smaller group/guild RP and this feels very, mh. I'm not a huge fan of it. 
 
Lowkey witches are cool if you just look away from metagame and lowkey vampires would be cool, too. They kinda of would have to be since it isn't described as a faction. There are two factions and smaller groups scattered around. While I wasn't present for vampires in the past, a different handling of something old is nice. Then again, there is currently no lore as to why vampires are even on Esshar in the first place and in purposeful fewer numbers. Having multiple clans scattered about can be nice if those players handle it well. I just see them joining up for vampire faction #45 which sounds like a snooze fest in all honesty.

[CurledSpiral]

I think that’d be perfect actually! Maybe have it so the condition stays even if not feeding? But just doesn’t grow?

It was a permanent condition that made you a 'slave' to the vampire who fed you. Though I think with dev you as a ghoul could have broken free and just captured vamps to feed off them. 

I personally am a fan of Vampires being like Witchcraft. How it was teased in the thread is for it to be something small; A few of them. This makes it sounds like there will be a lot of them which I'm sure isn't how any player wants it handled... A Vampire faction was done already with its own mixed feelings towards it? A more subtle approach to Vampirism and subtle for anything has always been much, much cooler. Because a lot will be happening with the encouragement of smaller group/guild RP and this feels very, mh. I'm not a huge fan of it. 
 
Lowkey witches are cool if you just look away from metagame and lowkey vampires would be cool, too. They kinda of would have to be since it isn't described as a faction. There are two factions and smaller groups scattered around. While I wasn't present for vampires in the past, a different handling of something old is nice. Then again, there is currently no lore as to why vampires are even on Esshar in the first place and in purposeful fewer numbers. Having multiple clans scattered about can be nice if those players handle it well. I just see them joining up for vampire faction #45 which sounds like a snooze fest in all honesty.

In Spires the vampire faction was... Cool, at-least the remnants of said faction were. I joined after they'd lost their major city and just became a small sub-faction. It was neat, I think giving them mechanics like the essence pool as suggested by you and Theori would definitely make them feel special. 

For instance they used to be immune to injuries, well making them have to have blood points to heal injuries instead of being flat out immune would be cool. Having their feeding if done voluntarily cause either a perm or unhealable temp depending on chance would also be neat. Vampires had a few other things that could work a bit like hexes due to their thralling powers. 

Well, low-key vampires, necromancers, witches, and demons just populating the wilds and seedy areas of the city locale's would be interesting. Eventually I'm sure all the evil will coalesce in a faction of some sorts though. They always do and its not a bad thing. After all being in a faction with a set location make's getting rp so much easier.

[Jess]

I like the base idea of this, but I do have a few thoughts/opinions to express.

First, I think the only trees Vampires should be locked from are Fire/Holy/Cosmic (which means Light by association). Perhaps there is an emphasis to lean towards certain trees just like any other race, but some freedom when it comes to building is always better. Or alternatively, make sure they take one of the four trees mentioned, but after that they're allowed freedom. 

The second thing I would like to address is the blood drinking. Most of us remember Spires where Vampires could shrug off perms like they were paper chains, and while this makes sense for a Vampire I would like to see this returned but perhaps a bit harder to get..? Maybe make it take two 'feedings' to remove a perm? The first one cuts the perm's nerf in half, and the second feeding removes it entirely?

The third I would like to bring up, is Dhampir. It may be neat to sprinkle one or two of them amongst the Vampires, and rearrange their lore a bit instead of being 'purified' Vampires. My suggestion being they're instead either half-Vampire children, or when the roll comes up for a ghoul to potentially turn into a Vamp, there is also a low chance of the ritual not working properly and making a Dhampir instead.

Though the last thing I would like to address for them if they're to indeed return, is the lore/reason for them to exist in Esshar in the first place. If they are indeed the path to be taken and readded, I would love to speak with anyone interested and make an actual lore post for review after discussion with those people.

[CurledSpiral]

Purified Vampires...
Purified Necromancers.
Purified Witches.
Purified Demons, yes the return to the spires lore we all knew and loved.