vampires feeding on cattle? [Archive] - Wizards Community

vampires feeding on cattle? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
grantadevine
06-02-07, 02:57 AM Could a vampire feed off of cattle or animals or would the blood have to be human?
Does a book say this?
Phalo
06-02-07, 03:07 AM i think in Libra mortis it says they can consume animal blood but it tastes foul. I may have my books/games mixed up though.
Thomar_of_Uointer
06-02-07, 04:07 PM According to the Monster Manual, vampires suffer nothing from not eating. The blood drain attack works on any living creature.

Anyways, cattle being drained is part of a few vampire myths (real ones, nothing D&D canon).

However, what I do is say that each vampire "familiy" has its own traits and quirks (i.e., full natural attack routine, oddball damage reduction, and superior strength, but they can't shapeshift, can't create vampire spawn, and they require a month-long ritual to make a new vampire out of a human). This allows me to set the flavor for vampires and flesh them out as villains, while preventing metagaming from the players. Check out the Sluggy Freelance webcomic, it has a very interesting take on vampires.

In my campaigns, vampires do suffer from not eating, though each family suffers in different ways. Some go berserk, others waste away, and maybe one of the rarer ones becomes progressively incorporeal and insane.
calronmoonflower
06-02-07, 04:21 PM According to the Monster Manual, vampires suffer nothing from not eating. The blood drain attack works on any living creature.

I'll admit under the Core rules they would suffer no consequences, but..

If you use the rules from Libris Morris they'll suffer Wisdom damage if they don't drink blood and bestow negative levels every so often.

They could use cattle for both. No restriction on the victim where set.
Salla
06-02-07, 06:39 PM Could a vampire feed off of cattle or animals or would the blood have to be human?
Does a book say this?

The book doesn't specify, so it's a DM call. I'd allow it (I'd also allow Mind Flayers to consume animal brains for sustenance). Blood is blood, a brain's a brain.
Ace_of_time
06-03-07, 12:08 AM LM says they have a inescapable hunger for life force and diet dependent on blood. That means you have to drain a level off once a day or loss wis and drain blood once every 3 days or loss wis. It doesn't say what that is but I think only humaniods can became spawns???
The_Shaman
06-03-07, 05:13 AM Most sources I've seen say that it is possible and could sustain them, but it is "like muddy water compared to the finest wine" compared to blood of humans or other intelligent humanoids. Maybe it's something to do with familiarity - the closer a victim is to your previous species, the better the blood tastes. Otherwise, I'd rule that they don't suffer any ill effects, at least not for any short-term period. Eventually, it might be a "you are what you eat" reaction, giving them slight penalties to int and cha, maybe with bonuses to physical abilities if the vampire feeds from stronger animals, like wolves, boars or bears.
ArcTan
06-03-07, 05:30 AM Most sources I've seen say that it is possible and could sustain them, but it is "like muddy water compared to the finest wine" compared to blood of humans or other intelligent humanoids. Maybe it's something to do with familiarity - the closer a victim is to your previous species, the better the blood tastes. Otherwise, I'd rule that they don't suffer any ill effects, at least not for any short-term period. Eventually, it might be a "you are what you eat" reaction, giving them slight penalties to int and cha, maybe with bonuses to physical abilities if the vampire feeds from stronger animals, like wolves, boars or bears.

While flavorful, I don't see much justification for the latter ruling in real folklore, in D&D or in logic. (*I* gain sustenance from cattle all the time, and I don't think it's decreased my mental ability scores or improved my physical ones.)

I would just say that Vampires can survive on animal blood but simply don't like it. The way your character might be perfectly capable of surviving on stale crackers and salt pork but wouldn't be happy doing so.
Knute
06-03-07, 05:46 AM Since we're talking about vampires there is not much point in stressing what _actually_ happens.

I think its universal that vampires tend toward feeding on their own species and presumably there is a reason for this. If you subscribe to the 'sexy' element of the vampire myth, I imagine that to them there is something gross about cattle.

I also think its quite reasonable to ascribe to the blood much more than the nutritional benefit on the surface. Ecstasy & magical replenishing come from the blood as well. As undead, this is the blood that is no longer pulsing naturally in their veins. It makes sense to me that a vampire gets the best 'high' or 'food' from its own species.

In our conceit humans think we are at the pinnacle of evolution. The most horrific undead seek to desecrate that position. It is necessary, for the sense of dread, that the first goal for vampires is human (player character) blood. If not vampires that fed on cattle would be quite acceptable and completely trustable.

A vampire that finds a way to not eat people has to be giving up something and must be weaker for their choice. It may not be in the RAW but it certainly is in the genre.

Sigurd
celestialkin
06-03-07, 06:16 AM Do you guys mind if I ask a side question relating to this?

Would a ring of substance cancel out the need to feed on blood if your DM choses to implement the LM rules?
El_Machinae
06-03-07, 08:53 AM The book doesn't specify, so it's a DM call. I'd allow it (I'd also allow Mind Flayers to consume animal brains for sustenance). Blood is blood, a brain's a brain.
I think the Illithids actually need humanoid brains.

Do you guys mind if I ask a side question relating to this?

Would a ring of substance cancel out the need to feed on blood if your DM choses to implement the LM rules?

I would think so: it certainly fits the theme of the magic item.
Knute
06-03-07, 07:41 PM Ring of Sustinance
I'd say it would sustain the vampire but not satisfy him. If D&D doesn't actually require a vampire to feed then I'm not sure what it would actually do.

K
Ace_of_time
06-03-07, 08:07 PM I say it would for the blood but not the life force part.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
grantadevine 06-02-07, 02:57 AM	Could a vampire feed off of cattle or animals or would the blood have to be human? Does a book say this?
Phalo 06-02-07, 03:07 AM	i think in Libra mortis it says they can consume animal blood but it tastes foul. I may have my books/games mixed up though.
Thomar_of_Uointer 06-02-07, 04:07 PM	According to the Monster Manual, vampires suffer nothing from not eating. The blood drain attack works on any living creature. Anyways, cattle being drained is part of a few vampire myths (real ones, nothing D&D canon). However, what I do is say that each vampire "familiy" has its own traits and quirks (i.e., full natural attack routine, oddball damage reduction, and superior strength, but they can't shapeshift, can't create vampire spawn, and they require a month-long ritual to make a new vampire out of a human). This allows me to set the flavor for vampires and flesh them out as villains, while preventing metagaming from the players. Check out the Sluggy Freelance webcomic, it has a very interesting take on vampires. In my campaigns, vampires do suffer from not eating, though each family suffers in different ways. Some go berserk, others waste away, and maybe one of the rarer ones becomes progressively incorporeal and insane.
calronmoonflower 06-02-07, 04:21 PM	According to the Monster Manual, vampires suffer nothing from not eating. The blood drain attack works on any living creature. I'll admit under the Core rules they would suffer no consequences, but.. If you use the rules from Libris Morris they'll suffer Wisdom damage if they don't drink blood and bestow negative levels every so often. They could use cattle for both. No restriction on the victim where set.
Salla 06-02-07, 06:39 PM	Could a vampire feed off of cattle or animals or would the blood have to be human? Does a book say this? The book doesn't specify, so it's a DM call. I'd allow it (I'd also allow Mind Flayers to consume animal brains for sustenance). Blood is blood, a brain's a brain.
Ace_of_time 06-03-07, 12:08 AM	LM says they have a inescapable hunger for life force and diet dependent on blood. That means you have to drain a level off once a day or loss wis and drain blood once every 3 days or loss wis. It doesn't say what that is but I think only humaniods can became spawns???
The_Shaman 06-03-07, 05:13 AM	Most sources I've seen say that it is possible and could sustain them, but it is "like muddy water compared to the finest wine" compared to blood of humans or other intelligent humanoids. Maybe it's something to do with familiarity - the closer a victim is to your previous species, the better the blood tastes. Otherwise, I'd rule that they don't suffer any ill effects, at least not for any short-term period. Eventually, it might be a "you are what you eat" reaction, giving them slight penalties to int and cha, maybe with bonuses to physical abilities if the vampire feeds from stronger animals, like wolves, boars or bears.
ArcTan 06-03-07, 05:30 AM	Most sources I've seen say that it is possible and could sustain them, but it is "like muddy water compared to the finest wine" compared to blood of humans or other intelligent humanoids. Maybe it's something to do with familiarity - the closer a victim is to your previous species, the better the blood tastes. Otherwise, I'd rule that they don't suffer any ill effects, at least not for any short-term period. Eventually, it might be a "you are what you eat" reaction, giving them slight penalties to int and cha, maybe with bonuses to physical abilities if the vampire feeds from stronger animals, like wolves, boars or bears. While flavorful, I don't see much justification for the latter ruling in real folklore, in D&D or in logic. (I gain sustenance from cattle all the time, and I don't think it's decreased my mental ability scores or improved my physical ones.) I would just say that Vampires can survive on animal blood but simply don't like it. The way your character might be perfectly capable of surviving on stale crackers and salt pork but wouldn't be happy doing so.
Knute 06-03-07, 05:46 AM	Since we're talking about vampires there is not much point in stressing what _actually_ happens. I think its universal that vampires tend toward feeding on their own species and presumably there is a reason for this. If you subscribe to the 'sexy' element of the vampire myth, I imagine that to them there is something gross about cattle. I also think its quite reasonable to ascribe to the blood much more than the nutritional benefit on the surface. Ecstasy & magical replenishing come from the blood as well. As undead, this is the blood that is no longer pulsing naturally in their veins. It makes sense to me that a vampire gets the best 'high' or 'food' from its own species. In our conceit humans think we are at the pinnacle of evolution. The most horrific undead seek to desecrate that position. It is necessary, for the sense of dread, that the first goal for vampires is human (player character) blood. If not vampires that fed on cattle would be quite acceptable and completely trustable. A vampire that finds a way to not eat people has to be giving up something and must be weaker for their choice. It may not be in the RAW but it certainly is in the genre. Sigurd
celestialkin 06-03-07, 06:16 AM	Do you guys mind if I ask a side question relating to this? Would a ring of substance cancel out the need to feed on blood if your DM choses to implement the LM rules?
El_Machinae 06-03-07, 08:53 AM	The book doesn't specify, so it's a DM call. I'd allow it (I'd also allow Mind Flayers to consume animal brains for sustenance). Blood is blood, a brain's a brain. I think the Illithids actually need humanoid brains. Do you guys mind if I ask a side question relating to this? Would a ring of substance cancel out the need to feed on blood if your DM choses to implement the LM rules? I would think so: it certainly fits the theme of the magic item.
Knute 06-03-07, 07:41 PM	Ring of Sustinance I'd say it would sustain the vampire but not satisfy him. If D&D doesn't actually require a vampire to feed then I'm not sure what it would actually do. K
Ace_of_time 06-03-07, 08:07 PM	I say it would for the blood but not the life force part.