This living hand, now warm and capable
Of earnest grasping, would, if it were cold
And in the icy silence of the tomb,
So haunt thy days and chill thy dreaming nights
That thou would wish thine own heart dry of blood
So in my veins red life might stream again,
And thou be conscience-calm d see here it is
I hold it towards you.
 John Keats
This Living Hand
SECTION, THE FIRST:
But first on Earth as vampyr sent, Thy corpse shall from its tomb be rent, Then
ghastly haunt thy native place, And suck the blood of all thy race.
 Lord Byron
The details of my journey are immate-
INTRODUCTION
I
N
T
R
O
D
U
C
T
I
O
N
rial here. The trail was cold and difficult to
y name is Dr. Rudolph van find. Suffice it to say that I finally tracked
Richten. By my background, the Vistani caravan to the domain of
I am a scholar and a doctor. Barovia. Erasmus was not with them, but I
As I was growing up in the extracted his whereabouts from the gypsy
land of Darkon, I believed it leader. They sold my son, I learned, sold
was my destiny to heal people, to treat him into servitude, to a local landowner
sicknesses of the body with the herbal who styled himself  Baron Metus. I hur-
cures I learned from my grandmother. ried to the home of the Baron and de-
Yet Fate flaunted my beliefs. I suffered manded that he return my son
a personal loss of such gravity, was forced immediately.
into an act of such trauma, that my entire To this day, I still recall my first glimpse
direction in life was forever changed. Even of Metus. He was a tall man, slender and
though it still pains me to recall, it is im- graceful in his movements. His pale face
portant for the sake of what will follow to was fine of feature, and his eyes were as
recount those unhappy events here. black as pools of ink. As he heard my
My life in Darkon was placid, enjoyable. demand, his thin, expressive lips curled in a
I was married to my childhood sweetheart, smile that could only be described as ex-
a golden-tressed girl named Ingrid, and I ceedingly cruel. He laughed coldly and
thought my joy was complete when I turned his back on me. His minions escorted
learned that my young wife would soon me from his property.
bear a child. I still remember the birth of I camped that night just outside the
my son, whom I named Erasmus, meaning walls surrounding Metus land, and dark-
 beloved in a little-known tongue, as one ness and despair enfolded me. But then,
of the happiest days of my life. He pos- around midnight, Erasmus came to me!
sessed the radiant fair looks of his mother, He had evaded the Baron s soldiers and
and from me he inherited a quickness of climbed the wall. He had something horri-
mind and a sense of honor that set him ble to tell me.
apart from other children. I think that I knew the truth even before
For fourteen summers Erasmus was he spoke the words, as soon as I saw the
my pride and joy. And then, tragically, he ivory pallor of his face under the moonlight,
was taken from me not by the arms of as soon as I glimpsed the dark pits that were
death, but by purely unnatural agents. My his eyes. The words he uttered only con-
son was set upon by Vistani the gypsies firmed what I already knew.
who wander the lands and travel the My son was dead.
strange Mists and swept away. When I Yet still he walked! Life in death, death
returned home and found him gone, my in life such was his destiny. The Baron
panic-stricken wife bewailed the circum- was a vampire, and he had passed on that
stances of the dangerous people who had dark gift to my only son! I wept there in
stolen our child. the night, cried the inconsolable tears of a
I swore an oath to myself that I would terrified child.
never rest until Erasmus was freed from But the worst was yet to come. My son
whatever unholy fate possessed him. Leaving had something to ask of me. The dark gift
my affairs in the capable hands of my under- had only recently been given and his
standing Ingrid and committing my future to thoughts still ran in the patterns of a
the search, I set off in pursuit. mortal mind. He felt more kinship with
8
VAMPIRES
me, with the living, than he did with the home, I found my beloved Ingrid dead! There
Baron and others of his kind. But, he told was a note from Metus, stating that matters
me, he could feel those old patterns of were now in balance. I had taken something
thought slipping away. Soon, he believed, from him that he valued I can only pre-
the horror he felt for his condition would sume he meant Erasmus and so he had
fade, and he would forget what it was like taken from me something that I valued.
to be a mortal. He would become a mon- It was at that moment, as I knelt weep-
ster like the Baron! ing beside the cold, white body of my
And so Erasmus begged me to save beloved Ingrid, that my destiny was
him from this fate. He begged me to de- turned. I had always prided myself on my
stroy him, right then, that very night. He ability to rid the body of disease or
had even brought with him a sharpened poison. Now I knew that this was as noth-
wooden stake and a mallet with which to ing compared to the importance of rid-
pound it through his chest! ding society of a most evil  disease and
I doubt that anyone can ever truly un- poison. On that terrible day, I swore
derstand the torment I suffered. My son myself to a new career: the pursuit and
was dead; in my mind I knew that to be destruction of those creatures such as the
true. But here he was still, standing before one that had taken my son and wife from
me, speaking to me. How could I find the me, that feed on the body of society as a
capacity in my heart to kill him? And how cancer feeds on the body of man. And I
could I not? How could I damn him to an swore that my first quarry would be
eternity of torment? Baron Metus!
For several hours, as the moon sank It has been almost three decades since
toward the distant horizon, we talked. We re- that fateful day. Over the intervening years,
lived together the joyous times we had I have learned much about my quarry,
shared, the poignant memories. We cried to- about the enemies that threaten us all.
gether. And then, as the harbinger of dawn Today, I feel my advancing age and I
tinted pink the sky, Erasmus van Richten lay can sense the chill wind of mortality blow-
himself down upon the bosom of the ing through my soul. It is time to pass on
meadow and wordlessly handed me the what I have learned, so future generations
stake and the mallet. Our gazes met for one may pick up the stake and mallet when I
last time, then he closed his eyes and com- am forced to lay them down. Thus, I am
posed himself as if for sleep. setting pen to paper in the hope that this
I positioned the point of the stake over tome will preserve what I have learned at
my son s heart . . . and brought down the such great cost.
mallet. With each blow, the agony in my Remember: The fight against creatures
heart could have been no greater if the of darkness is a difficult and often painful
stake had been sinking into my own one! But it is a good fight, and one that
breast. When it was done, I lay beside the must be fought. If this work inspires but
body of my son and wept again. I wept one person to follow in my footsteps, then
until the first rays of the sun touched his I have succeeded and my life s work has
young body and reduced it to ash. not been for naught.
It took all the effort of my will to not lie
down beside the dust that had been my Editor s Note: Game applications of
precious son and slip into the darkness of Dr. Van Richten s guide appear at the end
death. Only the thought of Ingrid, waiting of each chapter, in gray-screened text. For
anxiously at home, prevented me from example, Van Richten discusses the inhu-
taking my own life. I turned my back on man speed of vampires in Chapter Two,
the horror and bent my steps to the weeks-  Vampiric Powers, so vampire movement
long journey home. rates appear at the end of that chapter
But I found that horror followed me in within a gray-screened block of text.
fact, preceded me. When I reached my
9
SECTION, THE FIRST:
to rise after death to drink the blood of
CHAPTER ONE:
C
O
:
H
A
P
T
E
R
N
E
the family unless the body is burned at
burial.
THE BACKGROUND
T
B
H
E
A
C
K
G
R
O
U
N
D
These three worlds, so far from the
V
OF VAMPIRISM Land of Mists, that I know them only
O
F
A
M
P
I
R
I
S
M
by story and rumor, share many tales
n almost every world, tales
of once-living men walking the land
of vampirism exist to
and slaying the living. Can this be
strike fear in both small
coincidence? Rather, it would indicate
children and grown adults.
that these tales can only be the truth,
Sensible people generally
speaking as they do of undead lords
consider these tales folklore, and
who tread upon the domain of the
indeed it seems that the existence of
living.
the living dead is both implausible and
impossible. Why then, do cultures so
The Question of Origins
T
h
e
Q
u
e
s
t
i
o
n
o
f
O
r
i
g
i
n
s
separated by distance and time that
they have not even the smallest
How did vampirism begin? If new
commonality, share nearly identical
vampires are spawned by other
tales of supernatural creatures that
vampires, as virtually all tales would
drink the blood of the living?
have us believe, how then was the first
I have recorded tales of a place
vampire created? These questions
called Krynn, and a race of sea elves
have plagued sages as long as the
who claim that if one of their race is
undead monsters themselves have
buried on land, it will rise from the
plagued mankind. Perhaps the answer
dead to seek vengeance on its brothers
lies in Barovia.
by drinking their blood. A native of
The gift or curse of immortality
another world, called Toril, tells a tale
was not thrust upon Strahd von
of a great undead beast that used to be
Zarovich, Lord of Barovia, by another
a man. This beast roams the plains
vampire; rather, he stole it from the
and searches for lone people to attack;
lips of death. I quote the following text
the tale relates that it eats the internal
from the diary of the bard Gregorri
organs of its prey. From still another
Kolyan, who supposedly was captured
place, called Oerth, a man has told me
by Strahd only to be released
of a family curse that causes the first-
sometime later with the complete story
born male in every twelfth generation
of the creature. I do not know why
Strahd allowed Gregorri to leave with
this vital information. Perhaps the
vampire felt a need to have his story
told after years of exile and secrecy.
September 8, 453: Barovia is a
stranger place now, although I cannot
exactly put my finger on any changes.
There is a physical nature to this
change: colors are not as vibrant,
sounds not as immediate; but the
major change is in the people, in the
life-blood of the land. As near as I can
tell, the change began about two years
ago. I can remember a day when I
used to play my songs in the local
taverns and people would dance and
10
VAMPIRES
sing. Now they seem satisfied just to sit April 8, 454: Fear cold and
and drink and to talk in hushed dripping, like blood from a hanging
whispers. There is a dampness over corpse has been my constant
their souls, like a dreary autumn day. companion for several weeks. The
November 2, 453: I am on to closer I get to that accursed Castle
something. It seems that my feelings Ravenloft, the stronger I feel the grip of
about the people of Barovia have not terror s icy hand. There can be no
simply been my imagination. There is doubt now as to the source of
a source, a spiritual suppression if you Barovia s plight.
will, behind the changes. I have no April 10, 454: I need search no
means of verifying this, no magical longer. The object of my quest has not
detection devices that will lead me to only appeared to me, but sequestered
it; I have only my heart and my love me away within his foul domicile! Late
for the land and its people. last night, he appeared in my room
March 29, 454: For nearly five like some silent apparition from the
months I have searched for the answer grave. Ordering me to take up my
to the puzzle. Barovia is in danger and quills, inks, and parchment, he seized
no one else seems aware of it; I would me and leaped out my window to his
swear to it. But it is not a danger to waiting coach. This confirmed my
which people respond, not a physical suspicions that Strahd von Zarovich is
enemy at the gates of a city or the other than a natural man, you see, for
border of a land. The enemy is within, my window is four stories from the
within the hearts and minds of the ground!
Barovian people. Just last week I April 15, 454: For five days and
purchased some supplies from the nights I have literally been Strahd s
market. The merchant packaged the prisoner in Castle Ravenloft. Strange
items, handed them to me, and then how the castle seems so warm and
turned away before I could pay him. It cozy inside, not the lurking horror its
was as if he cared not about being external visage portrays. I have
paid. Very odd, almost self-destructive discovered many things about Strahd
behavior pervades Barovia. and may scribe them later in a tome
I have many suspicions. Many dedicated to such an endeavor. I feel,
would call them paranoid, would say however, that this task will never be
that my mind has become unbalanced. accomplished, for how can this man
On certain days, when the sun warms allow me to live when I know such
the land and the birds sing in the trees, dark secrets about him. He has
I myself doubt my certitude. But then I shared himself, all his intimate
find my eyes drawn up, up to the secrets, with me as if I were his
castle on the hill, dearest friend.
Castle Ravenloft. What mysteries do Not a man, Strahd walks the land
its walls hold within them walls that as a vampire a once-living creature
are tall and unyielding like the secrets that now feeds on the blood of the
of an old man s heart? Strahd von living! Although there are endless
Zarovich has ruled Barovia for over a details about his actions, mannerisms,
century and has not been seen in half and appearance that I wish to portray,
that amount of time. Each day, the in this journal I will pen only one
knowledge comes upon me with more aspect of him: his transformation from
certainty: I must learn more about this living to undead. And I will do so
dark enigma of a man. And I fear I immediately, lest I forget the smallest
must do the unthinkable: go to the detail.
castle itself and investigate its enigma It is a great testament to the sleepy,
first-hand. lethargic nature of Barovia that no one
11
SECTION, THE FIRST:
has questioned the rule of Strahd von desire to harm Strahd, his master, the
Zarovich. He rarely, if ever, shows officer was now forced to defend
himself publicly. Hence, it has been himself.
puzzling that he has ruled Barovia By Strahd s account, the battle was
unchallenged for more than a century. fierce and will make for a great song,
I now know the answer to this riddle, should I live to compose it. Both men
but I am no more comforted. were excellent swordsmen Strahd
In life, Strahd was tossed upon a sea from his years as a general and the
of emotion and jealousy. His greatest officer from his constant training. Yet
jealousy was toward his brother, Strahd s madness gave him the edge,
Sergei, who was young and and he finally struck down the officer
handsome. To add to this, Sergei had . . . but not before he himself had taken
the love of a beautiful girl named a wound that would have slain a
Tatyana. Envy swept over Strahd like lesser man instantly.
a breaking sea, for he, too, loved Strahd von Zarovich was as good
Tatyana. As time passed, these natural as dead. In his mind he knew that, but
emotions twisted into grotesque forms. his hatred and rage would not allow
His love became an overwhelming his failing body peace. As the lifeblood
need to possess the object of that love, poured from his body, Strahd made a
and envy grew into spite, and pact with Death. He reached over,
eventually into hatred. grabbed the dead guardsman, and
At first, Strahd merely intended to drank the blood of the corpse.
frustrate Sergei s plans to marry Strahd would now live free from
Tatyana. But then Strahd s mind, Death forever, cheating that dark and
apparently already twisted, broke, and shadowy figure! But the pact required
he decided that only the death of his another act to be complete. He would
younger brother would give him what have to kill his brother Sergei on his
he wanted: sole possession of Tatyana. wedding day to finally seal the wicked
He planned this assassination, this contract.
fratricide, in private and so he Strahd hid the guard s body,
thought in silence. But in his awaiting Sergei s wedding day. As the
overwrought state, Strahd was given time passed, Strahd found his charade
to speaking aloud as he strode his more and more difficult to maintain.
chambers alone. An officer of the The daylight hours were becoming
guard, who was a personal friend to increasingly uncomfortable and the
Sergei, walked the battlements just naked rays of the sun physically
beyond Strahd s window and painful to his eyes and skin. He also
overheard the elder von Zarovich s found it difficult to eat food, which
plans. Stricken with horror, he knew hardly satisfied his hunger. The
he had to warn Sergei at once. He transformation to whatever creature
turned to leave his post at the Death had in mind for him was
battlements, but as he did, the beginning.
scabbard of his sword struck the On the day of the wedding Strahd
stonework. sought out Sergei and instigated a
Strahd heard the faint sound! fight, intending in this way to give
Immediately, he snatched up his own himself some justification for killing the
weapon and hurled himself out the young man. Strahd expected his
window, onto the battlement. With a young and fit brother to be a challenge
curse, he aimed a whistling cut at the to defeat, but quickly found that his
guard s head. That officer was a physical strength had increased far
veteran swordsman, however, and beyond its previous limit. With but a
parried the blow. Although he had no single, cruel blow Strahd felled his
12
VAMPIRES
brother and his pact with Death was whatsoever. Although all of the
complete. Strahd von Zarovich had biological systems present in a living
become a vampire! mortal are also present in a vampire,
most of these systems are changed in
No doubt perceptive readers will
function. For example, most vampires
have noticed the same gaps in this
do not need to breathe, and can
narrative that I spotted when it first
function equally well in an airless crypt
came to my attention. For instance,
or in the vacuum of a void. Provided
how exactly did Strahd von Zarovich
that immersion in water is not deadly
strike a  pact with Death? As  Death
to them, they can function unimpaired
is merely a cessation of life, what
on the ocean floor. Vampires do retain
possible manifestation of this natural
the use of their lungs, but only for
condition could propose or accept
speech.
such a pact?
Because vampires have no
It is questions such as these that
metabolism in the normal sense,
force me to doubt the complete
metabolic toxins and poisons
veracity of Gregorri s tale. Perhaps this
ingested, inhaled, or insinuative
famous bard could not resist the urge
have absolutely no effect on the
to embellish upon the tale told to him
creatures. This is not to say there are
by von Zarovich (although the diary
not certain substances which, when
entry shows little of the internal
insinuated into the body of a vampire,
consistency and stylistic brilliance
cause it serious or even lethal
characteristic of tales known to have
damage. These substances, although
been created by Gregorri Kolyan).
they may seem to function like
More likely is the possibility that von
poisons, are more like allergens and
Zarovich lied to the bard for his own
are usually specific to individual
reasons. This might explain Kolyan s
creatures. For example, I myself have
eventual escape or release: the
dispatched a vampire that was
vampire wished to use him to spread
sensitive to holly, and I have heard
misinformation. Or, in the perhaps
that the ash of burned alder wood is
most likely interpretation, von Zarovich
lethal to another certain vampire.
lied, but not only to Kolyan. Aging
Some examples of other vampiric
humans often color or alter their
allergens are yew leaves, rose petals,
memories of events that were less than
salt, rice, silver, mistletoe, and lilies.
flattering to them. In humans this
The digestive tract of a vampire is
tendency appears in just a few years.
greatly modified from that of a living
How great may the tendency to
mortal. The stomach is frequently
embellish be in a creature that has
reduced in size, often to the size of a
lived for centuries and can expect to
man s clenched fist, simply because no
live forever? This interpretation raises
vampire needs to ingest large volumes
a major question: how much trust can
of solid food.
we put in anything spoken by Strahd
There is wide variation among
Von Zarovich . . . or by any of his
vampires with regard to the ability to
unholy kind?
eat solid food. Some vampires are
unable to eat normal food at all, and
any attempt to do so results in
The  Necrology
T
h
e

N
e
c
r
o
l
o
g
y

immediate regurgitation. Others can
of Vampires
o
f
V
a
m
p
i
r
e
s
eat solid food with no ill effects,
It should come as no surprise that a
although they extract no nourishment
vampire s metabolism is not like that
from the food, and pass the material
of a mortal; in fact, strictly speaking, a
through their bodies over a course of
vampire has no metabolism
hours, as mortals do. In the middle
13
SECTION, THE FIRST:
ground, there are some vampires that those of their living analogues. If they
can eat solid food, but must regurgitate did not already possess the power in
it within a period ranging from minutes life, vampires gain the ability to see
to hours. This issue may seem in total darkness (infravision),
incidental, but it obviously has typically with a range of some 90
significant effects on a vampire s feet. Their hearing also becomes
behavior, should the creature try to much more acute, as does their
masquerade as a living creature. sense of touch and smell; a vampire
The circulatory system of a vampire is exceedingly difficult, if not
is little changed. The heart still pumps impossible, to surprise.
blood throughout the vessels of the Because a vampire does not
monster s body. There are some require oxygen and, as is usually the
differences, however. Because case, must feed only once per day,
vampires have no need to extract where does it draw the energy
oxygen from the air, their blood required for the prodigious feats of
absorbs nothing from the lungs. This which the creature is capable? Many
renders them completely immune to sages disagree, but my own belief is
noxious gases that must be breathed that the creature has an innate link
to be effective. A vampire might inhale with what sages refer to as the
the gas that is, draw it into its lungs Negative Material Plane.
but the toxic chemicals in the gas Whatever the reason, vampires
would not cross from the lungs to the are much more resilient and robust
blood. than living creatures. They seem
The blood of a vampire is also generally immune to exhaustion and
somewhat different from the blood of a to the debilitating effects of pain and
mortal. When viewed normally, it has exposure, and seem able to shrug
the same rich, red color as a mortal s off the negative consequences of
blood. When it is viewed by transmit- many magical effects. They are
ted light, such as when a vial of vam- totally immune to the effects of
pire blood is held up to a light source, sleep, charm, and hold spells, and to
it has a distinctive golden color. Blood other magical or psionic effects
drawn from an undestroyed vampire which mimic these spells. They are
can manifest a wide variety of powers. also totally immune to any magical
In some cases, the blood is highly effect that specifically causes
caustic, causing severe acid-like paralysis. It is important to stress
damage to anyone who touches it. In the word  specifically. While a
other cases, the blood bursts explo- vampire would be immune to the
sively into flame when exposed to sun- paralyzing touch of a ghoul or the
light. In still other cases, anyone who dweomer of a wand of paralyzation,
touches so much as one drop of the it could be affected by a potent
blood with bare skin instantly falls enchantment, such as alter reality or
under the mental sway of the vampire. wish that emulated the effect. (Any
It is impossible to predict beforehand mage capable of casting such
what effects the blood of a particular powerful magic would almost
vampire might have, if any. There is certainly choose an effect more
one common factor: at the instant a significant than paralyzation, of
vampire is destroyed, any samples of course.) Like many other types of
his blood immediately become com- undead creatures, vampires sustain
pletely inert, and frequently become little damage from any effect based
rancid within seconds. on cold or electricity, whether
The sensory organs of vampires caused by spell, item, breath
become much more sensitive than weapon, or even the elements.
14
VAMPIRES
Vampires are totally resistant to
Vampire Blood
V
a
m
p
i
r
e
B
l
o
o
d
several beneficial spells as well. The
creatures are completely immune to
Caustic vampire blood causes ld6
the effects of priestly curative or
hit points of damage if it contacts
healing magic, such as cure light
bare skin.
wounds, heal, etc. Because the failure
Explosive vampire blood (in a
of such spells might well give away the
vial), when exposed to sunlight,
monster s true nature, a vampire
inflicts 1d3 hit points of damage on
masquerading as a mortal will often go
anyone within 3 feet.
to great lengths to avoid exposure to
Vampire blood possessing a
such magic.
charm person effect has a saving
A vampire s hair will never turn
throw penalty ranging from  1 to
gray, nor will the creature show any
 5, depending on the age category
other physical signs of aging unless it
of the vampire, beginning with Old.
already had before death. In general,
as long as the creature is well fed and Surprising a Vampire
S
u
r
p
r
i
s
i
n
g
a
V
a
m
p
i
r
e
functions according to whatever other
In most situations, the chance of
restrictions are relevant to its
surprising a vampire is one-half the
existence, it will never appear any
chance for a normal creature of the
different from the way it did on the day
race and character class of the
of its mortal death. This does not
vampire while it was alive.
mean that vampires will flaunt their
unchanging appearance, because
doing so will certainly attract too much observe that a certain symbolism plays
unwanted attention. A vampire that an integral role with most of these
chooses to live within or on the vampires. Their weaknesses and
outskirts of the society of men will, in strengths are generally highly symbolic
most cases, go to great lengths to of the creatures natures while alive.
masquerade as a normal human or For example, some dwarven vampires
demihuman, pretending to age and may be highly reactive to weapons
even to  die to remove suspicion. This made of mithral, especially if they
deception is discussed at length in coveted the metal in life. This kind of
Chapter Twelve,  The Facade. symbolic significance is a common
feature with vampires of all races and
natures.
Vampires of Different
V
a
m
p
i
r
e
s
o
f
D
i
f
f
e
r
e
n
t
Racial Stock
R
a
c
i
a
l
S
t
o
c
k
Compilers Note: We have
determined that, since Dr. van Richten
Most of this guide s discussions about
penned the passage above, that each
 typical vampires generally refer to
demihuman race does indeed exhibit
vampires that were (demi)humans
 uncommon abilities for vampires.
when alive. There are some differences
Further, many of these abilities seem
between these once-human vampires
consistent within a racial stock; in
and those that arise from different
other words, many dwarven vampires,
racial stock.
for example, possess similar powers.
Again, as with discussions of human
LWF
vampires, these paragraphs refer to
 typical cases. A dwarven vampire
(for instance) may exhibit specifically
dwarven characteristics, may more
closely resemble the human vampires,
or may show attributes totally different
from both. Perceptive readers will
15