Vampire preferences

Answering a question from an internet friend:

fangs only when feeding || strong preference

I am OK with hordes of pure evil ugly vamps with permanent fangs, but otherwise the fangs should only appear when feeding, else the vamps cannot hide, and what fun is that?

evil || moderate preference

My ideal vampire is the Goatee Spock version of the person they were, but Slowly Corrupted By The Hunger can work if that is central to the story.

sunlight vulnerable || emphatic preference

Yes, I have read Dracula — a few times! — but this is one I am adamant about. Popculture vamps have to be very vulnerable to the Sun; it gives you the day-night cycle for everyone to face. Even Dracula is better that way — Christopher Damm Lee!

garlic vulnerable || mild preference

Fun and works with either very- or not-very-supernatural vampires.

silver safe || mild preference

In my headcanon vamps & werewolves have different vulnerabilities, duh, but it does not bother me when vamps are vulnerable to silver, and if our Fearless Vampire Slayers are action-hero types, then you want them to have guns, so ... fine.

holy symbols safe || mild preference

I prefer holy symbols to be bullshit, but if they do work the wielder must have strong devotion. I am very not OK with Buffy’s cross working even though she never goes to church.

normal reflection || emphatic preference

The mirror thing is just stupid and raises complicated vampire science questions with weird corner cases for cameras and stuff. Only acceptable in a production of the stage play of Dracula.

werewolf enmity || strong preference

If you don’t want monster politics, what are you even doing here?

sleep anywhere || strong preference

The metaphysics of what even counts as The Earth Of Your Gravesite is just confusing, and don’t get me started on the Coffin Of Theseus. But you do need that rule to adapt Dracula properly, which someone really ought to do someday.

running water safe || emphatic preference

Again, this is just weird and a nuisance to include, which is why it is routinely ignored. What about water mains?

entering uninvited || it depends

For a single novel or movie, I have a mild preference for this being Not A Thing, but for a long-running series you need it to create complications for safe havens and keeping the secret.

turned by drinking vamp blood || strong preference

If being killed (or even just bitten) by a vamp turns someone, eventually you just run out of humans. No beuno. Much more interesting to have it a deliberate choice by the sire, which also comes with Who Do You Turn vampire politics. The old-fashioned bite-three-times rule can also be fun for particularly supernatural vampires.

non-human blood || it depends

When vamps are Just Evil, I have a strong preference for requiring human blood, though having them occasionally muddle through and get weak drinking animal blood can play. If vamps are Corrupted By The Hunger, then non-human blood being “nutritionally” adequate but unsatisfying is the way to go.