Dragons who go "Blaaaaaah!"

[Rotipher of the FoS]

AFAIK, it's more of a random superstition about garlic than about vampires specifically. Bram Stoker just happened to set "Dracula" in a part of Europe where garlic was widely considered a protection against all kinds of diseases and supernatural threats -- demons, werewolves, evil spirits, whatever -- and practically everybody who wrote vampire stories after him jumped on the bandwagon.

[Isabella]

I always thought vampires didn't like garlic because they had a keener sense of smell than normal humans, and garlic's pungent odor was overpowering to them. It doesn't make much sense, but what does? Guess I'm the only one who's heard that.

Either that or it's werewolf propaganda spread so that garlic will be readily avalible for garnishing human victims.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

Vampires of IRL myth certainly didn't mind foul odors, as most were more like ghouls in their habits and living quarters than aristocrats.

Heh. Maybe what really happened was that medieval garlic-farmers started the whole protection-against-evil-spirits rumor to increase their sales....

[Spiteful Crow]

So, my cinnamon stick idea isn't too silly, then. And it scales well with a vampiric dragon, since instead of just going to your local grocer, you have to have the cinnamon imported.

[Archedius]

Dunno about the garlic thing but Rotipher has a wonderful idea here; greed in life- punished in undeath. With such a powerful creature- this weakness seems to make the most sense as well as being the most appropriate. The Dark Powers giveth, the Dark powers taketh.
The cinnamon idea is nice but I would reserve it for Red dragons IMC. Given its rarity the PC's would have to work for it- definately suitable for defeating such a creature.
I can see myself putting a vampiric dragon in only a few of the domains; I think Strahd/Azalin would attempt to ally with it or destroy it thus making it an unsuitable foe for the PC's. Richemulot and Tepest leap to mind immediately as they have room but Nidala might work too.
Has anyone tried forcing the different vampire strain templates on other creatures? If so- how'd that work out?

[Spiteful Crow]

Just gotta wait for WotC to release Van Richten's Guide to Dragons.

So far:

Permanent Death: Remove hoard.

Allergens: Holy symbol presented with courage, sound of coins, cinnamon stick?

[VAN]

Heh. Maybe what really happened was that medieval garlic-farmers started the whole protection-against-evil-spirits rumor to increase their sales....

That's great.

Only the idea having to deal with a vampiric dragon makes me shiver.

Even in rather big domains as Darkon or Nova Vaasa such foe would have caused very big problems /troubles, it's always a dragon! I believe's a bit difficult put one in Ravenloft. But if so, it can be a mistborn with a certain task.

[The Giamarga]

Some dragons can shapechange into humanoids, either by spell like ability or by spells. That could explain nicely how such a vampire got created and it would also help it to fit in. That said i don't think there's much place for vampiric dragons in Ravenloft. Normal dragons are almost unheard of in the Domain of Dread. The only official one(s), Ebb and her mate, are only a dread possibility. It's hard enough to fit in the "normal" dragons first.

The only other mention of a dragon in RL that i know of is from the TSR trading card for Hoelgar Arnuttson. Hoelgar got canonized in Gaz 2, so the Golden Eyed Youth is at least semi-canon.


PS: The FR Year of Rogue Dragons trilogy novels do feature a vampiric black dragon NPC. But then again in those 3 books dragons appear by the dozen, so he has no problem sating his appetites on fellow dragons. He goes by on other monsters/humanoids sometimes. As for his creation he was an early experiment by the Cult of the Dragon before they discovered the process to create dracoliches.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

FWIW, I have to say that a vampire dragon is kind of missing the point of vampires in Ravenloft adventures: namely, that they're seductive evil. A dragon is primarily a brute-force threat, with a side order of "evil genius"; you could play it as seductive and enticing, but that doesn't usually work unless it assumes a humanoid form ... in which case, you might as well be using a humanoid villain, not a dragon. The themes of the seductive, there-but-for-the-gods-grace-go-I vampire and the awesome, burn-your-city-down-and-devour-your-family dragon just don't meld well.

Besides, any vampire that's too enormous to bother drinking the blood of teeny little humans isn't going to feel like a vampire, no matter how many lines from 'Dracula' you crib for its dialogue. If all you want is to slap some kick-ass abilities onto a dragon (energy drain, etc), why bother to make it a vampire? Give it the same special powers you'd liked from the vampire dragon template and a few appropriate weaknesses of your choice, call it an unique Restless Dead, and you've got yourself a kick-ass monster ... but without a need for it to drain anything from anyone. Ecological catastrophe problem solved.

[Spiteful Crow]

Some dragons can shapechange into humanoids, either by spell like ability or by spells. That could explain nicely how such a vampire got created and it would also help it to fit in. That said i don't think there's much place for vampiric dragons in Ravenloft. Normal dragons are almost unheard of in the Domain of Dread. The only official one(s), Ebb and her mate, are only a dread possibility. It's hard enough to fit in the "normal" dragons first.

Don't forget Banemaw!