Van Richten's Monster Hunter's.pdf - Askadesign.com

I
One physical characteristic
impossible to explain away is a
vampire's absence of an image in a
mirror. Obviously the creature's only
choice is to avoid mirrors and other
polished surfaces. Thus a vampire's
home will have no mirrors or highly
waxed floors, If the vampire should go
abroad in society, it will always be on
the lookout for reflective surfaces and
avoid them. This is a ticklish point,
and the vampire must be very careful
that mortals do not realize it is
avoiding mirrors, because this can be
almost as damning as the lack of a
reflection itself. Vampires are
exceptionally cunning, however, and
will frequently find some way of
worming out of this problem.
Other physical characteristics that
can give a vampire away are its
resistance to physical damage and the
inhuman speed with which it heals.
This is easily solved, of course. The
vampire simply has to avoid being
drawn into combat or into situations
where it might be harmed.
Or, if it is drawn into combat that it
cannot avoid, if challenged to a duel,
for example, it has merely to slay its
foe before that unlucky soul even has
a chance to strike the vampire.
Considering a vampire's physical
strength, quickness, and magical
abilities, this is usually very simple to
arrange
Behaviors
Vampires are cursed with certain
behavior patterns that can give away
their true nature to careful observers.
The most notable of these behaviors
are discussed below.
As was mentioned in Chapter Seven
of this treatise, some vampires are
able to ingest normal food and drink,
and to keep it down for at least some
period of time. But individuals unable
to do so must either disguise or
explain the fact that they do not eat or
The easiest solution is simply never
to enter a situation that involves public
eating-dinner parties and the like.
The vampire may simply claim a prior
engagement. Alternatively, it could
explain that its religion forbids it from
eating and drinking in public, or even
that it is allergic to many types of
foods and must adhere to a very
specialized diet. (This latter is
something of a risk because obliging
hosts might offer to meet whatever
dietary requirements the individual
has.) In social gatherings among the
upper class, wine often flows freely.
Fortunately for the vampire, it is easy
to claim an aversion to alcohol based
on any number of reasons (religious
prohibitions, personal taste, allergic
reaction, etc.).
More difficult to explain away is the
creature's aversion to holy
accoutrements. These are rarely in
evidence at social or business
gatherings, however, because religion
is a personal matter and few people
would risk offending guests of other
faiths. The vampire would have to
build a reputation as either a complete
atheist or as a devotee of a faith that
requires private worship, and in this
way avoid being invited to temples or
chapels. The greatest risk to a vampire
is casual or purposeful display of holy