Dewtani (and Lanotaur and Psi-Stalkers) and Vampires - the enigma

[Plane]

World Book 30 (D-Bees of North American) in 2007 introduced the Dewtani, page 65 listed their MDC and their Bonuses include "impervious to the vampire's bite"

Fast-forward to 2011 when Vampire Kingdoms Revised page 19 mentioned under a section about "SDC mortal humanoids"...
"Dewtani, D'Norr Devilmen, and Lanotaur also seem to appeal to vampire sensibilities, though not nearly as much as the others"

Lanotaur (originally introduced in Psyscape) are similarly MDC beings as statted in World Book 30, which is explicitly called out in VKrevised... so what's the solve? They can be turned... but they're MDC not SDC...

The right column of 19 says two things which are a bit confusing too...
"D-Bees with M.D.C. bodies cannot be turned into vampires"
"most Mega-Damage beings, cannot become a vampire via the Slow Kill"
"beings with Mega-Damage bodies cannot become vampires."

Is there.... a Mega-damage being who does not have a Mega-Damage body? What's the distinction? Does MD being perhaps refer to SDC creatures capable of inflicting MD like how some Juicers and Atlanteans have augmented strength capable of MD power punches?

If so... is it possible the intention was to retcon the Dewtani and Lanotaur into SDC creatures who are perhaps MDC only part of the time, like the new Psi-Stalker ability to turn MDC when battling supernatural creatures?

Rifts Ultimate Edition in 2005 introduced that (page 154 "their HP becomes MDC") and happens "whenever a Psi-Stalker locks horns with an MDC supernatural being". I guess that's how vampires can still turn them - they're supernatural beings but they're HP not MDC so the ability can't trigger to stop the vampire MD punches I guess?

Well except on ley lines, it "also occurs when on a ley line" (MDC against ALL threats) so that's be a protection.

Lanotaur have PPE detection powers "identical in every respect to the Psi-Stalker power" so it would make sense there were plans in the works to have them work similarly, probably thinking a downgrade for them would be good for game balance given that they're still on restricted PC lists in many PBP due to having the juicer-like melee attacks on top of the MD+MDC.

Circling back to the Dewtani, while they do not have sensing powers like the Psi-Stalker or Lanotaur, like the Psi-Stalker they do have an affiliation with Ley Lines. It in fact says their "attunement to ley lines makes them minor MDC" so one could posit they were intended to be written as MDC-on-ley-lines like the "Ultimate Psi-Stalker" but they failed to release the errata.

The bigger hurdle though is... what does it mean to be impervious to a vampire's bite? I doubt it means you don't take damage... but does it mean you can't be turned into a vampire via a Slow Kill?

It's worth noting here that the slow kill is not the only way to make a vampire. There are bite-free ways to become one like the pact made by a Master Vampire, or the Minor Deific Curse talked about in Land of the Damned Two.

I think maybe being 'immune to the bite' could just be talking about the preliminary advanced Mind Control abilities induced by it though. Vampires all have both the super-psionic power of Hypnotic Suggestion plus "Super Hypnotic Suggestion". I think these two are what is meant by "the vampire's charms"

Slow-Kill is a 3-day process leading to complete blood drain, but the first partial drain creates a mental link with effects like "Passive Victim" and a "Call and Control" bond. I think perhaps the Dewtani is immune to THESE (the immediate 'bite' effects) but not the 'Slow Kill' itself because that's not as much the 'bite' as the effect of the 'drain'.

Another approach here could be that Dewtani start out immune to vampire bites because they're good creatures but as they descend into evil and insanity, they lose it?

Another thing to point out about MDC beings in general - even if we do decide they're MDC all the time- Spirit West has a spell which can turn MDC beings into SDC temporarily so that might allow temporary windows of vampirification. That or you could toss them temporarily into a dimension that's SDC only and turn them there and then return them to an MDC world.

[ShadowLogan]

Is there.... a Mega-damage being who does not have a Mega-Damage body?

Some beings might be considered/use MDC as "short-hand" due to the shear amount of SDC/HP they have.

Examples in WB30 alone include (most don't call this out, but a few do as the results would be standard):
N'mbyr Gorilla Man (potentially, between skills and high rolls a starting character could have almost 2 "MDC")
Malvoren (as NGM, 2+)
Loaks (as NGM, 1+)
Ganka (as NGM, 6-10 body +3-4 tentacles with 1-6)
Feni Nomands (as NGM, 1-4)
Dirari Ecto-man (6-36 as the dice roll)
Chasseur Vert (as NGM 1+)
Bluecies (1+)
Amorph (1+ as the dice roll)
Altara (as NGM, 1-2)
Spinne (as NGM, 1-2)
Simvan Monster Riders (as NGM, 1-2)
Amaki Stonemen (SA2 pg154-5, 3-18)

Now some of these beings don't have "blood" IINM (Ganka, Amaki, Dirari, Amorphs for example might also add the Spinne), and IIRC WB21 mentions Vampire Altara present on Altanis. And I'm sure there are other examples (Juicers and Crazy OCCs come to mind).

If so... is it possible the intention was to retcon the Dewtani and Lanotaur into SDC creatures who are perhaps MDC only part of the time, like the new Psi-Stalker ability to turn MDC when battling supernatural creatures?

In all likely hood this was an editing/writing mistake.

IF you are looking for an inuniverse reason, "natural" MDC races like the Dewtani and Lanotaur WILL become SDC/HP creatures in certain parts of the Megaverse (like Palladium Fantasy or Heroes Unlimited, which are exclusively SDC/HP worlds). Nothing prevents these races from traveling there, and we know Vampires are present in PF. That means it is possible (in general) to convert an MDC race into a Vampire, but you have to go to another dimension. That won't impact someone like a Dewtani, but it might explain the Lanotaur.

The bigger hurdle though is... what does it mean to be impervious to a vampire's bite? I doubt it means you don't take damage... but does it mean you can't be turned into a vampire via a Slow Kill?

That is exactly what it means, you can't be turned into a vampire.

EDIT: fixed formating

[OdieKessler]

Immunity does not necessarily mean not being able to take physical damage, but can only prevent the transformation effect, such as not being turned into a vampire through the "slow killing" process. Vampires must continuously suck the blood of their victims, gradually weakening them before transforming. If a person is immune, the possibility of transmitting toxins or physiological effects from the bite will not occur.

[Plane]

I don't think there's toxins, this isn't like other vampire lore where the vamp puts their own blood into the victim AFAIK, it's just purely draining.

The revised VK talks about the slow kill as being similar to a magical ritual.