I recently rewatched Nosferatu (2024), and hoo boy did Robert Eggers get Vampires right.
Now, don’t get me wrong; all Vampires are valid. No wrong answers. The issue with Dnd Vampires is that we keep coming up with the same answers. And to a degree, that’s systemic. By virtue of being bags of hit points with a few attacks and special abilities appended on, RPG Vampires tend to end up as fodder for your motley crew of would-be-Buffys.
I may be overselling it a bit, but even on the Strahd-side of the spectrum, Vampires rarely get an outing as impactful as Egger’s Orlock. Admittedly, a huge part of that is just how refreshingly horny the whole film is, but since I won’t be importing that aspect to my DnD table, here are three other take-aways from the film.
Vampires are Disease
Nosferatu gets a lot of mileage out of the body horror of disease. The arrival of the plague in Wisborg, the ship full of rats, the dying victims in the streets: these are all really powerful images, but nowhere in the film is disease used more effectively than when Nicolas Holt’s Hutter first encounters Orlok. The sequence is feverish and delirious. It underscores the predatory danger of the monster while allowing Orlok to continue the pretense of civilization — perfect conditions to introduce a Vampire!
So, how to RPG-ify this trait? Treat it as a short-range regional effect. To merely be in a room with Vampires means rising temperatures, sweatiness, and blurred vision. Describe how the room seems to lurch like a ship at sea. Require Saving Throws to avoid disadvantageous nausea. Make the most use of this trait during social interactions with the monster. The more polite and human it seems, the more innately sick you can get away with.
Vampires are in Control
The other horrifying aspect of Orlok’s introduction (and most of the film) is just how in control Orlok is. He seems to exercise near-total control over the perceptions of the humans. It’s the Lost Boys’ ‘You’re eating maggots’ scene dialled up to 11.
RPG Vampires tend to come with your typical suite of powers: turning into mists and bats, commanding wolves, regeneration. Illusion should be front of mind for DMs seeking scary Vampires. Not only does it provide the powerless feeling at the heart of Vampire horror, it also allows for more non-combat contact with the creature — perfect for building suspense and dread. Adding in crazed Renfeild/Herr Knock type cultists can further underline their mastery over the human mind, without messing with PC information/agency.
Vampires are Dead
I think it’s fair to say that we, as a society, have moved beyond sparkly vampires. Nosferatu gets a lot of juice out of contrasting Orlok’s disgusting corpse-like nature with his hypnotic allure and social dominance. The way people treat him as normal, or even sexy, despite his clear rot makes him an intensely memorable villain. Steal this! Don’t spare the horses when describing either the undead decay or the social dominance; let the dissonance freak your players out!
Anyways, go see the movie! Get Vamped up! And if you can’t find the 2024 version, good news! The original silent film is on YouTube in its entirety. Has it held up? No! Neither technically nor thematically. But it is a fascinating piece of Vampire and Movie history; take a look!
Do you like Vampires? My buddy Andrew wrote a module called Deadbutante; it’s about a Teen Girl Vampire who’s trying to reintegrate with human society the only way she knows how: a Debut Ball! Check it out, the whole thing is available in previews, and if you like it, it’s cheap to get the PDF. Or keep reading this blog. I’ve got a great article about high-intelligence monsters without spells.