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The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: arsieiuni on September 02, 2010, 05:12:47 AM

Title: Vampire Starvation
Post by: arsieiuni on September 02, 2010, 05:12:47 AM

Anyone know where to find solid information on how often the various types of vampires must feed?
Looking through the books all I can find is a reference to blood feeding being best if the blood is fresh which says that freshly-spilled blood is like a 3-course meal whereas medical blood would be like a snack. But does that suggest a BCV would have to eat like 3 people per day? O_o That'd be crazy. Now if that's just talking quality and not how filling or lasting it is... then where do I find that info?
Not just for my BCV PC or my WCV DMPC but for NPC vampires, I need to know this. o_o

And I didn't see it ANYWHERE in the book. I have looked.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

Title: Re: Vampire Starvation
Post by: luminos on September 02, 2010, 05:19:27 AM

my potentially useless answer:  They need to feed as often as the plot demands

Title: Re: Vampire Starvation
Post by: JosephKell on September 02, 2010, 05:20:55 AM

Did you look at Feeding Dependency (YS 190)?

That is all there is.

I would say they need to eat often enough to make them monsters.

If a Red Court Vampire has to addict 10 humans in order to keep well fed (without killing her herd), that seems pretty monstrous.

Title: Re: Vampire Starvation
Post by: MijRai on September 02, 2010, 06:00:22 AM

A Black Court Vampire needs to feed about once a week (not to death), in order to survive. However, feeding to death is easy, feeds more, and creates a new Black Court Vampire all in one.

For Whites, they need to feed only to regenerate their Hunger. No use of Hunger, no need to feed.

As far as Reds, I'd say they need a little every night. Like vampire bats.

Title: Re: Vampire Starvation
Post by: arsieiuni on September 02, 2010, 06:25:40 AM

Hmmm... I have a discrepancy now with my BCV PC....

Do BCV turn a new vampire when they feed on someone until they die, or when they feed on someone without killing them all the way? Which way creates a new BCV?
My PC was opperating off the idea that a new vampire is turned when they are fed upon without draining all the way, and that draining them all the way would actually kill the person and nothing else. (Bite = infected. Drained to death = fully dead, no vampire.) Which way is right?

That said... I appreciate the thought luminos presented, but I'd like to have a vague rule of thumb.

WCV only need to feed when they have used their powers, I understand that...

The BCV is the real issue here. I appreciate the info given so far. Yes we'd been over the Feeding Dependency. Unfortunately it doesn't give any specifics. I'm trying to remember some examples from the books but I'm only up to Turn Coat personally.  (Been a busy year... I'm working on it!)

Title: Re: Vampire Starvation
Post by: Belial666 on September 02, 2010, 07:18:03 AM

A vampire that doesn't use its supernatural powers much could control its hunger and won't need to feed. She'll still want to feed a great deal though.


Black court vampires are walking corpses, not living creatures. They "turn" people by killing them while feeding - just like Holywood zombies do.

Title: Re: Vampire Starvation
Post by: Morgan on September 02, 2010, 07:32:23 AM

Most of the time vampire feeding should are done off screen, in fact it's a great compel for the character's High Concept to make them have to deal with the need to feed. Also any vampire with a feeding dependency has to worry about Hunger Stress if they use their powers not just WCVs.

Title: Re: Vampire Starvation
Post by: MijRai on September 02, 2010, 08:15:50 AM

A Black Court Vampire is made by a human being fed upon to death, a la Dracula. After that, they rise and start feeding. Now, I am not 100% sure, but I think that to make a Master Vampire, the Black who created the new vampire has to give its own blood to the offspring, thus giving it something to grow into full Masterdom. A person who has been fed upon has a link with the vampire, making it very easy for a Black to enthrall them. That is how Bianca controlled Susan so easily in the end of Grave Peril. It happened to Mina as well, I believe, in the source-book.

As far as their feeding, they need blood around once a week, no need to kill. They'll be happy to drain a person a day if they could get away with it. They're like spiders, they don't need to eat that often, but they will when they can.

Title: Re: Vampire Starvation
Post by: Lanir on September 02, 2010, 10:08:19 AM

The feeding in Dresden Files is always cinematically motivated. The horror of dealing with BCV's in the books so far actually has nothing to do with their feeding. So far it's been more about the things they're willing to do to feel safe or to accomplish their goal. Of course as a PC you would likely want to focus more on the feeding to mark them as different. If they were capable of casually slaughtering or mind raping dozens of people a night they would be the villains of your story, not it's heroes. Not even the darkest of heroes tend to do that. If you need an estimate I'd say once or twice a week if they haven't been using powers. If they have, let their feeding dependency determine what they need.

I see a problem with the way your player thinks BCV's are created. He's basically painting himself into a corner where he could easily cause a LOT of them to pop up. The only safe way for him to feed would be from bags. Historical feedings would have required the vampire to bleed someone into a mug or cup to feed without turning whole villages into vampires. This would make it difficult to get behind the idea since they're never described as being that horribly infectious. If that's okay with you and your group though, have fun!

Title: Re: Vampire Starvation
Post by: lankyogre on September 02, 2010, 11:56:40 AM

Part of the ceremony in Grave Peril was Bianca becoming a Red Court Noble. This was not only a ceremonial thing, but an actual supernatural event. Before then, Bianca did not have the ability to create other vampires. So, not all Red Court vampires can create baby vampires. I think that to create a new vampire you have to be a noble, keep them alive, and do something special/different when you feed.

In the books, especially Changes

(click to show/hide)

there is talk about the Red Court valuing those who can control their hunger and are not controlled by it. Part of the reason there was a power play in the Red Court was because the Red King was losing control of himself.

Title: Re: Vampire Starvation
Post by: Richard_Chilton on September 02, 2010, 04:03:17 PM

A quick note about BCV:

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In It's my Birthday Too - one of the short stories - there is a Master BCV who's been a BCV for maybe a year who makes minions during the course of the story.  As in the entire struggle doesn't take more than an 1 or so and she makes and deploys 3 minions - which means they didn't need to rise.

Also, Tomas has fought other vampires and has no problems with the minions, but can't beat the Master because it's a master.

Richard

Title: Re: Vampire Starvation
Post by: arsieiuni on September 02, 2010, 10:52:19 PM

To Lanir: It's not intentional. The PC playing the BCV is my spouse and has been our GM for most games we've played in the past ten years plus. She's probably the most respected GM and roleplayer in our area. She was just kinda mixed up on how the BCVs turned people. Given the explanations in this thread, she was coming around to understanding that if a BCV just feeds on someone, they're fine. If they're fed upon unto death, they'd become a vampire, but only with an investment of blood from their sire would they become a FULL-FLEDGED BCV.

That said, the way she was turned gets a little sketchy, but I took care of that. She was fed upon to death because the BCV in question was preparing some minions for the big plot he's involved in in the city right now (my other thread here, we're working out all the details) and when the PC that came along to "save" her set the BCV on fire, well he donated blood to her by happenstance. So she's able to be a real BCV, but she's young, fledgeling with no one to show her the ropes of their more key powers. She has inhuman strengths and recovery and whatnot, but she doesn't have and may never have dominates and animal forms and mist forms because she'd need someone to teach her how to do those things... and well, she's fighting her nature so...

Anyway, I think the question has been answered now! 1-2/week for the bare necessities. More than that for enjoyment. And of course, as per feeding dependency, as needed.
This gives me a good idea of how much to bother her about her need to feed.