Since the Infected aren't technically undead, this means they are in more of a grey category than most other types of vampires in fiction.

Do SR vampires actually enjoy sex? I don't know if this has ever been touched on (be it intentional or not) but I am suprised this hasn't come up previously.

No relevance to my campaign but I am curious, fluff wise, which way the wind blows.

Cheers

- J.

I don't see why not.

Given that they are just (meta)humans infected with a virus I'd say yes. I think that the default assumption on anything not specified should be "as human". Not to mention the various strains that can sexually reproduce.

In that spirit though, and given that PC Vampire/Nosferatu etc. are templates, does a human with a vampire template still have a starting Edge of 2? It seems implicit in the rules as the other metatypes get to keep their racial advantages. Any thoughts?

Running Wild pg. 58


Whilst this could be dismissed as purely fluff this did used to be the case under previous editions. In 4th Edition the infected power structure (attribute wise anyway) has been radically altered with Vampires/Nosferatu weaker physically than Orks, what gives?

Finally, induced dormancy? Why do only vampires have this power? What happens to other infected when there's no air? Do they take damage like everyone else? Presumably yes. Can they regenerate this damage? Possibly yes (technically it's a "yes" under RAW) Is that an indirect way of saying they don't need to breathe? Do they need to breathe (given they are still living I'd say yes, but who knows!) All in all induced dormancy is a strange weakness and I'm not really sure what it is all about. Anyone care to shed any light on it?

Heh. I just had a horrible thought regarding vampires, Regeneration, and virginity. Reminds me of that old Thieves World tale about the virgin goddess.

Came up on True Blood this season.

Darn, you beat me to it. *grin*

I had no idea.

Shiny new change of topic: ShaunClinton! Yes, infection modifies the character's attributes; they keep their racial attributes if any. An ork is an ork, of course of course, even if it's an ogre wendigo.

I think that it's all a matter about how much the infection fucks up the infected's brain, vampires are definitely human enough to enjoy it, some ghouls are some aren't, wendigos probably enjoy it (and the snack afterward), other types of infected? Maybe, all in all it's all about what the story calls for, you could have a feral ghouls that when is not out for feeding is out for mating (and probably the mate's willingness does not matter), for example.

Only if you're good enough.

Don't let your Ally Spirit hear you asking that. She might get jealous.

They might not enjoy Bubba the Love Troll as much as others... But physiologically speaking, they would get off.

Seeing as most of the fiction about vampires seems to involve kinky sex in some form or another, I'm going to say they enjoy it. WoD I think delved a bit too deeply into it, what with being able to spend a blood point to "get it to work", of course for female vampires, that is just a whole new level of graphic detail.

You say "involve kinky sex in some form or another" like it's a BAD thing...

its only kinky the first time..

on subject, I can't see why vampires wouldn't. at least nothing I have seen i the books. and its so much more fun to play a randy bloodsucker that a mopey,angsty,emo vampire anyways.

One of the Shadowrun novels, the one that introduced Martin De Vries in fact had vmapires being forced into a harmless topor state by asphixiating them. They were kept in stasis in this matter by an Ordo Maximus affiliated lab if memeory hasn't fallen too badly in the ten or more years since I last read the book in question. The other thing that sticks in my mind was the novel had Wolf of Wolf & Raven in it but it was mostly a cameo to give Devries some street cred.

Don't worry, I imply it like it's good.

I think a lot of this is SR's early writers trying to cannibalize other sources of vampire lore. I think the induced dormancy is how SR pseudo-science made sense of the whole "vampires can't cross over water" business you read about in vampire legends. Presumably if they have wonky buoyancy and induced dormancy then falling into water = a long long nap...

On vampire sex: the first asexual vampire paradigm I know of was Anne Rice's writing, and I think that the idea there was that if you are immortal and don't procreate sex holds little interest. Plus draining the life force out of someone was supposed to be so orgasmic the physical act paled in comparison.

Dracula also had its issues with sex, so did Vampyr. But then again they were smut of their time.

I think if a vampire takes enough viagra he can get it on. Ejaculation does not necessarily mean orgasm. Nor does orgasm preclude ejaculation. Some people even get more off on having their partner orgasm then they do.

As an aside, are vampires then into auto-asphyxia?

My view is that vampires do get off on it, given they aren't technically dead and blood still works in their system. Unless there is an official writer who would argue otherwise...

- J.

I don't think that viagra is a good idea, I think that ingesting it can have negative effect if you are a creature that can ingest only blood.

Bram Stoker's vampires were overtly sexual. He just couldn't state that plainly to a Victorian audience.

I see no reason why a vampire should have any issues with sex (other than any psychological hang-ups they may have anyway. I'm picturing Woody Allen infected with HMHVV I, now).

It's an infection that causes you to hunger for blood and the life force of others. I hunger for some pizza at the moment, it doesn't mean that I am suddenly aesexual. I don't even see any reason why a vampire can't have children (though if conception occured whilst uninfected, the fetus could be put at risk by the transformation). Whether or not the child itself was infected, would depend if the disease could breach the (Method - you'll know what it's called) thingamagic barrier.

That's my opinion on it anyway. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to make a pizza and stat up Woody Allen as a vampire. ("I, well, I was going to bite her but then I realised, I hadn't brushed my teeth, and well, you know, it seemed kind of rude, so I was looking for at least some floss or something you know, but the Stuffer Shack was closed, and...").

K.

I would theorize that SR vampires cannot procreate. If the virus causes immunity to age then presumably it somehow retards cellular metabolism or division, which would preclude life in a fetus.

Did you really just say "emo vampire"?

OK, I think I'm going to calmly walk away and kill myself now, just to make sure I never see one.

There's no reason for them not to enjoy it, just mostl iterature and SR rules say the essance drain is a great rush but why not do both at once? bite someone during the act and the rush of endorphines from the bite makes the vic think you're the best ever.

Stoker was a sexual as he could be in his age. It was implied by the book that women are inherantly sinful creatures, tamed by virtuous men, and unleashed form Victorian standards by Vlad, which is why Lucy and Mina were drawn to him, a release from the stuffy victorian world. If Stoker had been any more blatant he'd have been banned for pornography.

AH-regeneration? ok that is a completely new one for the vampire lore and considering myl ibrary on the topic that is saying something. I'm going to guess 'no' since most vamps keep the scars and stuff they had before they were turned. That would definately fall into that catagory because we don't suffer after effects from the 'wound,' it's not like we can accidentally reopen it with rough treatment years down the road. And that is as graphic as I'm getting on that one. If you don't understand me, guys move out of your parents' basement NOW.

I suggest you to not approach any Twilight DVD by 10 feet or less. My girlfriend made me watch the damn thing and it was HORRIBLE. I still have nightmares about it when I remember vampires sparkling in the Sun instead of burning to death.

The high point of Twilight was the way they had to kill a vampire (tearing him into little chunks and burning them), and...precisely nothing else, really. I just liked how tedious and brutal a job it was for them to kill-kill a fellow vampire. No simple stake, no garlic, not even sunlight (since that just makes them sparkle)...no, you had to rend them limb from limb, tear them into smaller pieces than that, and toss those pieces in a bonfire until they were gone.

It makes me all giggly picturing their pretty-pretty-teen supermodel vampires doing that sort of thing, because I immediately imagine them squealing and running off to a bathroom to wash their hands and touch up their makeup immediately afterwards.

Let me give you a suggestion.

I understood AH to be talking about where the vampire lost her virginity after she became a vampire. We know that a vampire's body rejects cyberware, etc. And in Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, Claudia's hair always returns to the length it was at the time of her death, so a hymen as your PC's reoccuring enemy isn't so much of a stretch.

It's really a GM call.

As regards Twilight, I haven't seen it and I'll thank you not to get any in my Shadowrun forums. If you want a very good, very creepy childhood vampire story, try Let the Right One In. You only see it for a second, but there's worse than a hymen in that one. (Spoilers if you know what I mean).

K.

EDIT: Thanks for the corrections about reproduction, people. There are still a few bits of Running Wild I haven't read, yet.

Oh that's great. If I ever (god forbid) find myself playing Vampire with people into this angsty/emo vampire thing, I'm definitely playing such a character. So when they all cry about their lost humanity, I'd complain about how complicated it is to be a Jew vampire in Manhattan.

But Edward is so dreamy!

Well, there was an emo rockstar (angst actualy, and definitely depressed) who ended up being turned into a vampire, does it count?

Great - now I know one of the characters' names. I thought you'd be the last person to chip away at my ignorance!

K.

Woody Allen. I have him down as the original Emo.

K.

Heheh. If I've gotta suffer through it, everyone does!

To be honest, it wasn't the worst movie I've ever seen. It might have been the worst vampire movie, but as far as just basic stuff like lighting and effects and such goes, it could have been much worse. It was one of those rare instances where quite a few people -- critics, reviewers, and fans -- all said "the movie is way better than the book!" I have absolutely no interest in touching the books to find out, but since some of my wife's girl friends have dragged her into the series (hesitantly, she still doesn't like the books, either) I'm relieved to know that the inevitable sequels won't be absolutely miserable wastes of my time.

I still find the whole thing more amusing than entertaining, don't get me wrong, but as chick flicks go at least there's some supernatural combat and such to keep me awake.

Fargo called...

Also, Blade, Jew Vampire? That's on the easy side, try a Jehovah's Witness Vampire.

Nah you want to use a bigger one. Like the one on CSI.



"You've got the wrong vampire lady."

"This is wrong... wrong me, wrong me, wrong my brains out!"

From a small movie from the 70s called Vampirehunters

I have NO, repeat NO interest in any of the twighlight books thank you very mnuch, and that's from a woman with a serious hobby in vamps. I don't care how wonderful 'Bella is anything that have vamps 'sparkling' in the sunlight is...let's just say admin would be sending me nasty e-mails for a week if i expressed my opinion openly. lets just say it involves many htings found in barn yards.

Great. Now I know two characters' names, now. If I keep reading Dumpshock at this rate then I'll soon be able to hold a conversation about these films, rather than just trying to look the other way at every air-brushed tweenager book-cover and poster.

Thanks, people.

K.

The chapter in Running Wild on the Infected addresses this topic.



So, yes, SR vampires are capable of doing the deed, and some use it as a feeding strategy to create the emotional bond necessary to use the Essence Drain power.

Yeah, I was almost sure that you can't have True Blood on Shadowrun (unless of course someone had discovered how to 'bottle' Essence.

Knasser: do not read this.

The one redeaming feature of that movie: they did a really good job filming the Northwest landscape. It really shows off how pretty it is up here. (I was forced to watch the movie originally -but didn't pay for it-, but I did go see it -for free- here in Hawaii, because of the landscapes. -And they had 10c popcorn, and 25c sandwiches & sodas, and on a Pepsi campus you'll do almost anything for a Coke.)

Plus the crazy vampire sister was amusing.

And, (hate to admit it), the vampires in old style baseball uniforms was cute.

Warned you Krasser; you had your chance.

I'll trade campuses with you. Mine's ugly as sin, but it has coke!

I'll confess... the wife made me....

But I will say this: they managed to take just about everything cool about vampires and make it not cool. Shimming in the sun? For fuck's sake! I want my rock stars dead and my vampires bursting into flames on contact with sunlight, thank you very much.

Right, creatures of the freaking night!

though to be honest if you go back to Stoker vamps don't fear the light so much as just, being nocturnal, are not comfortable- but freaking glitting? heck no! Just put the characters in bordice's and move the books next to the harliquin Romances in Barnes and Noble!

In Bram Stoker's Dracula (the book, not Coppola's film which was significantly not Bram Stoker's original), Jonathon Harker finds Dracula asleep in his casket and questions if he 'slept during the day so that he could go about at night whilst others slept,' or words very close to that. He also explicitly sees Dracula in the market place in London at mid day. I seem to recall when Helsing and Harker and Lucy's suitors all encounter him while they're destroying his coffins of earth, that it's in the day. He plainly has no problem with daylight. I think this is a modern invention, perhaps stemming from F. W. Murnau's film "Nosferatu". And incidentally, if anyone wants to see a very, very odd film, "Shadow of the Vampire" is about the making of that film, the conceit being that Murnau, in his obsessive quest for authenticity, actually found a real vampire to play the role. (And given that the vampire is played by Willem Defoe, you almost wonder if the whole film is a joke within a joke).

Anyway, I have to ask what this focus on the humans is all about. Why isn't anybody asking whether Banshee and Goblins like a cuddle now and then? What? No love for the Wendigo?

K.

Twilight.

In Stoker's Dracula, it seems that the Count is perfectly capable of going out in the daytime, he just avoids it because he loses his supernatural powers in the daylight, but still retains his weaknesses. There's a scene where Van Helsing and the others are breaking into one of Dracula's houses in London to destroy the coffins of earth he has hidden there, and Van Helsing states that if the Count comes to stop them, he'll have to enter through the door like a normal man. The trope that vampires are destroyed by sunlight was added by the film industry because it provided a suitably dramatic way to destroy the vampire without running afoul of censors with a gruesome death as in the books--piercing the vampire's heart and then cutting off the head.