Vampire Vampires were one of the most feared and powerful undead creatures in Toril . Description . A vampire is an undead creature . A humanoid or monstrous humanoid can become a vampire , and looks as it did in life , but with paler skin , haunting red eyes , and a feral cast to its features . A new vampire is created when another vampire drains the life out of a living creature , or when a living creature is killed by its Energy Drain . Vampires are drawn to feed on the blood of the living , and can only survive on blood ( normal food and drink do nothing for it and cause it to forcefully vomit it up within moments ) , obtaining it in any way they possibly can . They do not cast shadows , nor do they possess a reflection . A vampire can be of any evil alignment , and if its alignment was not evil in life , it becomes so in undeath . A vampire retains all the abilities it had in life , and also becomes super - humanly strong , fast , and durable plus it gains the ability to drain blood and life energy , and to dominate other creatures with its gaze . Vampires gain the ability to shapeshift into a Dire Wolf , Wolf , Bat , Dire Bat , and a Gaseous Form . A vampire can also command rat swarms , bat swarms , and wolves . Despite their many strengths , vampires have a multitude of weaknesses and limitations that cannot be overcome , no matter how old the vampire is . While this may cause problems for the vampire , it provides some comfort for the living who face these creatures . All vampires are bound to their coffins , returning to them when they are brought down to zero hit points ( rather than being destroyed like other undead ) . This time period is critical however , the vampire though forced into its gaseous form and immune to any form of damage ( Note , this only occurs when they are brought to zero hit points , not when it can change at will ) has a limited amount of time to arrive at its coffin or be destroyed permanently . Even while it is at rest in its coffin , it is helpless for one hour while it reforms again , and then can heal normally . Because of this , many vampires have special defenses to protect them and their coffins . Common examples of this are having weaker undead as guardians , traps ( both magical and mundane ) , or by simply placing their coffin in a room where only someone in gaseous form could enter . Garlic will keep a vampire at bay , as well as prevent it from entering a room or building laced with garlic . Staking a vampire does not destroy it , however it paralyzes the vampire , rendering it helpless until the stake is removed . Primarily this tactic is used in conjunction with more efficient disposal methods , such as exposing it to sunlight or beheading . Additionally , Vampires are repelled by mirrors ( as they lack a reflection ) and cannot attack someone wielding a mirror . Those of strong faith can repel a vampire with a holy symbol , the effects are the same as when one wields a mirror . Vampires cannot enter a private home unless they are invited in by the owner , or by someone with the authority to do so . Once invited in , they may come and go as they please . Public places ( such as inns and taverns ) , require no invitation for a vampire to enter , because by definition , they are open to all . Silver weapons and magical weapons can hurt a vampire if one possesses such a weapon and is brave enough to fight these monsters . There are two known efficient ways to destroy a vampire permanently . One , is to immerse a vampire in naturally running water ( such as a river ) . Doing this causes it to lose one third of its hit points each round until it is finally destroyed ( in other words , it can only survive for three rounds ) . The last , is exposing the vampire to direct sunlight . Upon first exposure , the vampire is disoriented and can only make a single move action , or attack action before it is destroyed utterly . In some rare circumstances , a vampire consumes enough blood to be mistaken for a human . Then in even rarer cases , they breed with a humanoid or monstrous humanoid , creating a Half - Vampire . This unholy creation also occurs when a pregnant mother survives a vampires blood drain attack and the child is tainted in the result . Master Vampires are vampires that have perfected the art of taking spawn , and as a result , can lead gangs against their enemies . They usually have one spawn that is much better than the others , due to their Master ' s Chosen ability . However , all of a master vampire ' s spawn are better than the norm ; stronger , faster , and more numerous . Personality . Out of all the undead , vampires are the most " human " to a point . A fledgling vampire may retain enough memory of its former life to still form a parody of emotion within itself . In some cases , this may cause the vampire to seek out its friends or loved ones and turn them into one of the unliving , thinking they are preserving this attachment , not realizing that when they are turned , that they are forced into an artificial attachment to their creator . In general , many vampires are sociopaths and possess a superiority complex . Sadistic predators in a human form , Vampires see no problem in using anyone they view as weak or inferior ( which is just about anything they can overpower ) for their own personal gains . They do not trust others easily , and only the most careless vampire would let anyone know where they rest . Vampires are extremely paranoid as well , some more than others , and are cowards at heart . Always putting their own existence first , they will happily throw someone else in the way if it meant they could survive , even other vampires or their own spawn . Generally , when a vampire is beaten , it will flee the area , not wishing to put its own " life " at risk . As well , they tend to avoid anyone that could potentially overpower them . Vampires that do not shed their former humanity completely , may still maintain a mockery of their old life . Many take up stations of great influence and power ( such as a noble ) within a mortal society . The benefits they gain are numerous . They can maintain discretion , use their natural powers of influence ( which may make destroying them difficult ) , and have access to living beings to feed upon . However , as the years drag on , less and less of the person they used to be ebbs away until they are nothing but a soulless hunter . Some sadistic vampires enjoy eroticizing their need for blood . Sometimes taunting and teasing their prey in a cruel mockery of mortal flirtation . All vampires enjoy the thrill of hunting . Feeding and hunting down the living is their only true source of pleasure and amusement . Some vampires enjoy using their immortality and ability to create others of their kind as an advantage . Common ploys are to tempt a mortal with the promise of unlife and immortality , in exchange for wealth and services . Occasionally , these sate the vampire enough so that it indulges the mortal ' s request and turns them into one of the unliving . Though some , simply trick the mortal , killing them effortlessly and taking the payment anyway . Another is to turn a potential foe or rival into a loyal spawn , thus benefiting them in two ways . They get rid of a rival , and gain a loyal minion in the process . Hunting and Combat . Solitary : A solitary vampire is akin to a lone wolf stalking a herd of sheep . It stakes out a target , and tracks it , for days , perhaps weeks . Learning its schedule , its habits , and when is the best time to strike . Almost always the victim is someone weaker than the vampire . Effortlessly , the vampire uses whatever forms necessary to aid in its hunt . Occasionally , the vampire may give its prey small signs that they are being hunted . When the time presents itself , the vampire strikes , dragging its prey away and ensuring that it cannot be aided quickly , or that no witnesses are present . When the prey is rendered helpless ( usually in a non - lethal way ) , the vampire taunts its victim relentlessly . Teasing it , torturing it , constantly reminding the prey and often describing in graphic terms what and how the victim will die . This technique is like that of a cat playing with a mouse it has caught . After it has had enough " fun " with its victim , the vampire feeds , killing its victim and sating its hunger until the hunger returns and repeats the process over again . Smart hunters that are dealing with a solitary vampire can use its habits against it . Focused on its prey , generally a vampire will ignore anything else that doesn ' t hinder its ability to capture it . This technique can be used to bait out a vampire if needed . If it is ever compromised however , the vampire will use any and all means available to it to escape . Spells ( if it uses any ) , dominate , calling animals to aid it , and shapeshifting , it does not care for honor or fighting fair . The only thing a vampire cares for is its own existence . If cornered , usually a vampire will act relatively calm , subtly attempting to influence the strongest foe and trying to talk its way out of the situation while its rapid healing closes any major wounds . If its " diplomatic " approach fails , it tends to act more animalistic , using its strength and slam attack to hinder and weaken its foes before escaping . Pair : A pair of vampires tend to follow the solitary approach , but with more coordination and planning . However , both compete against each other to try and snatch the victim first for the first taste of blood . When a pair is compromised , both use a stunning display of their powers and abilities to fend off their foes in near - perfect coordination . Typically a pair of vampires are two different classes that work well together to help the other where one is weaker ( Example : Fighter and Mage ) . However , if both are pursued , they split up and betray the other , no matter how strong their bond ( assuming one isn ' t a spawn that can simply be ordered to be used as fodder ) they will both try and direct their pursuer ' s attention to the other . If one should fall , the surviving vampire cares little ; it was simply weak . Group : A group of vampires are the most dangerous encounters . Typically this is comprised of a strong leader ( usually one who is older and stronger ) with a group of lower level vampires or spawn it has created . Their hunting techniques leave destruction in their wake , and fear in those who encounter them . Some use baiting techniques . A common technique is for a more visually appealing or persuasive member of the group to lure a hapless victim to a spot where it can ' t be helped , either by persuasion or by Dominate . When the victim is in the designated spot , the rest of the group springs from the shadows , tearing the victim to pieces in a frenzied orgy of blood and hunger . A more direct approach is for a group to terrorize a small village , feeding on any and all that should cross their path until the group is sated , or until they are driven off . A group of fleeing vampires is just as dangerous . Each one will try and make another of the group fall behind or have their pursuers catch the unfortunate vampire , hoping to stave off their pursuers long enough so that they can run . Each will use dominate and their children of the night ability to drive off their attackers , and continue to flee if the odds are against them . Society . Vampires as a whole , do not have an organized society or rules they must live by , nor do they have clans that dictate their abilities or attitudes . Many are solitary , preferring to hunt in solitude and " live " out their existence as they see fit . They do not have a rule about exposing themselves to mortals , but many generally keep their condition a secret if they are living amongst mortals or do not wish to compromise a position . It isn ' t uncommon for a vampire and a group of spawn to travel around together , or create their own " society " and laws they live by . Generally however , vampires care little for their own spawn , using them as a mortal uses a tool . Despite their belief that they are superior to all other forms of life , they can work with , or even for other evil beings if it benefits them in some way . These can range from other intelligent undead , evil dragons , demons , devils , and evil humanoids . Appendix . Notes . The Lords of Darkness ( 1989 ) accessory described a " greater vampire " which was created from the life - draining kiss of a succubus . A greater vampire had all the abilities of a lesser vampire and could also move about freely in daylight , allowing it to take on the persona of a normal person , usually a wealthy individual . During the hours of daylight , the greater vampire retained its superior strength and spell immunities but could not use any of its special abilities such as life - drain , shapeshifting , or gaseous form .