Halfling vampire

Halfling vampirism was a strain of vampirism originating from the Domains of Dread that only halflings were susceptible to contracting. By the 14 century DR, this strain of vampirism had some presence on the Prime Material world of Toril.As the concept of demihuman strains of vampirism were created for and kept unique to the Ravenloft setting, it stands to reason that halfling vampirism did not originate on Toril.
==Description==
Vampires of this strain exhibited pallid, sometimes wrinkled, complexions and long sharp teeth that gave off a feral appearance. They often were missing either an ear, finger, or toe – taken from them by their sire. In contrast to usually joyous and colorful garb that was typical of halflings, these vampires garbed themselves dark garments.
==Personality==
Vampires of this type shunned the physical comforts common of halfling lives. Their loss of this contentment and simple joys in life made them despise all who were able to partake in such comforts. To this end, they often sought to ruin the complacent lives of the living members of their race whenever possible.
==Abilities==
A halfling vampire retained all of the natural abilities and affinities that a halfling had in life, such as an expertise in stealth.
===Vampiric Powers===
Unlike other strains of vampirism, halfling vampires exhibited no enhanced strength. Much like other vampires they could take the form of an animal, but were restricted to small woodland creature. Common forms taken by them included badgers, beavers, boars, dogs, owls, and skunks. Also like the standard strain of vampirism, they could summon groups of woodlands creatures to their aid, most commonly packs of cats or dogs. According to some these summoned creatures would only do a halfling vampire's bidding for one hour, whilst others told of them only leaving to their homes with the rise of dawn.
In addition to these animal guises, halfling vampires exhibited the common vampiric power to transform their body into a gaseous form at will. However, unlike the cold mist of other vampires, this gaseous form carried the appearance and aromatic odor of the smoke that came from pipes of tobacco or pipeweed, or even that of a campfire. This could be smelled from as far as away. While in this form they were impervious to most attacks and could move through the smallest of openings.
Unless a weapon carried either a +2 or +3 enchantment – the required number depending on how old a halfling vampire was – it would do no harm and simply pass through a halfling vampire's body as if it was incorporeal. Up to 299 years of age, a halfling vampire was vulnerable to +2 enchantments.
In addition to the traditional vampiric immunities to diseases, poisons, and toxins, as well as charm, hold, and sleep spells, halfling vampires were less harmed by spells relying upon lightning or fire.
===Distinct Powers===
In addition to the spell resistances that came with vampirism, some noted this strain as exhibiting an extraordinary magic resistance towards spells and magical rods, staves, and wands. As they grew older by centuries, this resistance became more strong. They also exhibited infravision (regardless of the subrace of halfling they were in life), heightened senses of direction whilst underground, and an uncanny ability to detect if a passage had any natural slope to it.
While they were capable of draining blood like any other vampire, halfling vampires instead sustained themselves by feeding upon the life energy of other creatures by injuring opponents with their body alone by any means, which drained away at a victim's strength and vitality. This was owing to their strong connection with the Negative Material plane. If a victim was drained of too much of their life energy they were liable to die. Feeble halflings that died from this would arise as a subservient vampire spawn.
These vampires could exude at will a fatiguing aura, inducing feelings of lethargy and listlessness in those within a area. This made it harder for enemies to attack or even summon the mental energy for spellcasting. As they grew older by centuries, the duration of these effects grew longer. They also had a powerful regenerative factor, which became stronger during a full moon.
All halfling vampires possessed an ability similar to the spell create food and water, which they could use three times per day, as well as an ability similar to the spell purify food and drink and its reverse form, putrefy food and drink. These were often used to draw potential prey into a false sense of security.
===Weaknesses===
Ironically, though their gaseous form held such an aroma, halfling vampires were repulsed by the smell of pipeweed and tobacco, for they reminded the undead of physical pleasures they were deprived of in undeath. While the aroma posed no harm to them and creating it would not drive them from a room, they were incapable of entering any area be laden by the smell and could not come within of the offending smoker. For similar reasons, halfling vampires could not enter any room with a burning hearth. If neither was available, they could also be kept from entering a doorway or window by nailing above it an upright horseshoe. A halfling vampire could take no direct actions to counter these repellents, but could easily send minions to remove the offending items.
Like most vampires, those of this strain could be harmed by running water, holy water, natural sunlight, and holy symbols. Not only could clerics and paladins presenting a holy symbol with conviction turn them away, but anyone with a strong enough conviction could make them recoil. Holy symbols associated with lawful good were particularly potent.
Among the various elemental spells, halfling vampires exhibited no resistance to those based around cold. Spells that created an imitation of sunlight, like continual light, posed no threat to them, though items like a sun blade would cause harm. The pain of sunlight could be so excruciating to a halfling vampire, it would be render one incapable of attacking or defending itself. They also were incapable of shapechanging whilst under sunlight.
Though they were resistant to fire-based spells, the surest way to destroy a vampire of this type was to impale them with wooden stake taken from a blazing hearth. The fire on the wood had to come directly from a hearth, not an intermediate object, though only the part piercing the vampire needed to be ablaze. While this impalement would destroy the vampire, they could still be revived if the stake was removed. In order to ensure a complete destruction of the undead, their hands and feet had to be chopped off and cast into the fire of the hearth fire. The hearth then had to be maintained for the next 3 hours, keeping its blaze going, only then would the rest of the body smolder away into smoke and dissipate.
Lastly, exposure to rain cause degradation to vampires of this type, burning them like acid, though snow did not. Depending upon the severity of the weather and the duration of their exposure, rain could fully destroy a halfling vampire.
Much like many standard vampires, these undead would transform into their gaseous form upon the death of their physical bodies, allowing the vampire to slink away into their coffin and recover. If while in this form a halfling vampire failed to make it back to their coffin within two hours, this smoking would dissipate and be truly destroyed.
==Combat==
Whenever halfling vampires fought with weaponry, they typically resorted to melee options like daggers and short swords, as well as thrown weaponry.
==Notable Vampires==
* Irving, a Ravenian rogue who was killed in the late 14 century DR by vampiric malenti, under the command of the sea elf conjurer Locaath Blackmanta, and later arose as a vampire of this strain.
==Ecology==
===Creation===
Halflings of any racial substock that died as a result of an halfling vampire draining their life energy, would arise as one themselves after a period of seven days. However, this would only occur if their body wasn't mutilated or destroyed in the intervening time.
Alternatively, halfling vampires could occur on the world of Toril from the Blessing of Malphagor, a unique curse that the demipower Malphagor would place upon any living creature who killed his high priests. Alternatively, high priests of Malphagor were capable of bestowing this "blessing" upon corpses. Powerful halfling clerics that bore this curse, regardless of their gender and sex, would arise as a halfling vampire one to four minutes after dying.
==Society==
Halfling vampires were usually solitary beings, though they sometimes traveled with another of their strain or another and a group of vampire spawn minions.
===Homelands===
In the Domains of Dread, halfling vampires were usually found in temperate woodlands, close to where they were first buried; vampires of this type were cursed to never rest more than from where their burial site. Most of the time this was near a populated area, though occasionally an unlucky could find themselves entombed in a remote location, forcing them to go mad from hunger. They sought out dark and dreary places for their lairs, wishing to not be reminded of the joys and comforts they were deprived of in unlife.
They particularly loathed cold climates and thus were seldom ever found in them. And due to their weakness to rain, vampires of this type would never willingly leave their homes during a storm.
===Languages===
Halfling vampires retained understanding of all the languages they spoke in life, which often numbered half a dozen or so. Their repertoire of languages frequently included Common, Dwarvish, Elvish, Gnomish, and the Halfling language.
==Appendix==
===Notes===
===Appearances===
===References===
===Connections===
Category:Creatures of chaotic evil alignment
Category:Creatures of lawful evil alignment
Category:Creatures of neutral evil alignment
Category:Creature templates
Category:Creatures found in the Domains of Dread
Category:Creatures that consume positive energy
Category:Vampires