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As per the title, can dragons in Rifts become vampires?

No. Creatures of Magic are among the races barred from being turned into vampires.

Alkede wrote:As per the title, can dragons in Rifts become vampires?

Technically no. Dragons are classified as a Creature of Magic and those cannot become a Vampire by normal means (ie a Master/Secondary/Wild Vampire turning them).

There might be a few ways to create one, but they are going to be subject to GM approval and would seem pretty improbable (I do not support them, but they are options that exist):
1. an actual Dragon sub-race (by sub-race I mean type, like Basilisk, Royal-Frilled, etc) with Vampiric qualities, this would have to be a GM creation AFAIK.
2. a visit to the Land of the Damned (Palladium Fantasy line, specifically #2) and receive the Mortification Curse. This is one that has some justification as an NPC Dragon suffers from the Mortification Curse, this requires rolling twice (once on the curse table, and then again on the option for being undead) so seems unlikely in terms of probability.
3. Practice Necromancy, and use the Ritual that turns one into a Vampire ("Return from the Grave" IIRC), though I'm not sure if it would work on a Creature of Magic

As of 23 seconds ago, in my world there's an ancient dragon who has used reasons to become a dragon/vampire intelligence hybrid.

A hybrid that can pass it's curse only to other dragons.

Thank you, OP.

ITWastrel wrote:As of 23 seconds ago, in my world there's an ancient dragon who has used reasons to become a dragon/vampire intelligence hybrid.

A hybrid that can pass it's curse only to other dragons.

Thank you, OP.

I had something similar in my game but she was ancient, from the battle against the Old Ones. After the defeat of the Old Ones she spent centuries amassing magical artifacts and knowledge until she became a Dragon Vampire Intelligence.

I had her buried in a tomb, my players went digging in that tomb looking for magic, vampire dragon released, wackiness ensues. Why would I do it this way? I think it's more fun when the players cause the things that are trying to kill them.

Out of curiosity what breed of dragon are you planning to use? I used Chang-ku because I wanted it to have tattooed men minions.

Alkede wrote:As per the title, can dragons in Rifts become vampires?

Offically, no.

Unoffically: it's yer game, do whatever you want.

I can't help but think being a vampire would be more of a downgrade to a dragon than an upgrade. a lot more exploitable weakness's in return for a handful of powers they probablly already had covered through existing magic/metamorphasis. I can't really think of anything a Vampire can do a Dragon couldn't already do through natural abilities and spell selection.

Warshield73 wrote:

ITWastrel wrote:As of 23 seconds ago, in my world there's an ancient dragon who has used reasons to become a dragon/vampire intelligence hybrid.

A hybrid that can pass it's curse only to other dragons.

Thank you, OP.

I had something similar in my game but she was ancient, from the battle against the Old Ones. After the defeat of the Old Ones she spent centuries amassing magical artifacts and knowledge until she became a Dragon Vampire Intelligence.

I had her buried in a tomb, my players went digging in that tomb looking for magic, vampire dragon released, wackiness ensues. Why would I do it this way? I think it's more fun when the players cause the things that are trying to kill them.

Out of curiosity what breed of dragon are you planning to use? I used Chang-ku because I wanted it to have tattooed men minions.

I've got a mental image of a Great Horned Dragon, a majestic powerhouse in the classic proportions. Think huge, black wings, sharp, sinister horns, and a distinctly regal bearing. When you look upon it's terrible majesty your blood runs cold. The icicle sharp pang of an an ancient survival instinct grips your chest, urging you to run. Run, and never look back.

Human metamorphosis form has to be a Dracula turned up to 11. Strahd with dragon wings. 114% Goth bait.

Since these are NPCs, I'd just double the strength, give the dragon the full V-suite of powers, psionics, and weaknesses, but keep all dragon abilities as well. Heck, maybe kick everything up a notch, and let these nasty buggers fly faster, breath harder, claw nastier, and move with teleportational speed.

And then there's the terror. Horror factor isn't enough, make that a spell-like fear effect, something nasty.

One of these should be a party wipe if they're not careful. Two is a guaranteed TPK.

I'm going to have to convince a player to roll a dragon. Having a PC Dragon get Mina'd would be a hell of a reversal of conventional group power roles. Save the strongest party member, or they will come back from the dead, team up with Vampire Daddy, and destroy you.

I have three other options come to mind to create a "vampiric" dragaon:
1. The dragon has developed a taste for the sensation of drinking blood (IIRC they don't eat/drink, when they do its for the sensation)
2. The dragon has picked up an insanity and thinks he/she is a vampire (or vampire-like being), but doesn't have any true vampire powers or vulnerabilities
3. The dragon's chosen to practice a form of magic that is somewhat "vampiric" in nature (this will require GM to create the branch of magic)

ShadowLogan wrote:3. The dragon's chosen to practice a form of magic that is somewhat "vampiric" in nature (this will require GM to create the branch of magic)

Already created, if I recall. There is a Life Force powered magic...using stolen life force...covered in one of the PF books.

For an alternate, a (hideously old) dragon following one of the False Paths of Immoratality mentioned in Mystic China?

Alkede wrote:As per the title, can dragons in Rifts become vampires?

As per the book, no they can't. Most SN and COM can not become vampires.

As a GM though you can do what every you want as long as your players are OK with it.

Vampire using the spell metamorph into a dragon.

As previously mentioned becoming a vampire would be a downgrade for a dragon. Dragon’s get more powerful as they age and vampires do not plus vampires have more weaknesses than dragons.

Mlp7029 wrote:As previously mentioned becoming a vampire would be a downgrade for a dragon. Dragon’s get more powerful as they age and vampires do not plus vampires have more weaknesses than dragons.

This all depends on how you create the character. If you replace the abilities of the dragon with those of a vampire, like you would with a mortal being, then yes huge downgrade. But, if you add the abilities to the dragon, creatively combining the powers here and there, you get something very powerful. Remember this is outside the rules so you can create it in almost any way you want. It also matters if you make them a secondary, master or intelligence if you are looking at power level as this will tell you how many normal vampires they can command.

In the alternative if a vampire intelligence or sufficiently powerful master vampire really wanted to punish a dragon enemy they might seek out a ritual to convert that dragon into a vampire under there control. They would still be far more powerful than the average vampire and it also tortures the dragon.

OK, how about a Dragonoid ?

BookWyrm wrote:OK, how about a Dragonoid ?

Do you mean Draconids from Phase World?

If so then I would say everything we stated above about dragons would apply to them, as well as any other creature of magic.

Warshield73 wrote:

BookWyrm wrote:OK, how about a Dragonoid ?

Do you mean Draconids from Phase World?

If so then I would say everything we stated above about dragons would apply to them, as well as any other creature of magic.

Dragonoids, Aliens Unlimited p. 155.

BookWyrm wrote:

Warshield73 wrote:

BookWyrm wrote:OK, how about a Dragonoid ?

Do you mean Draconids from Phase World?

If so then I would say everything we stated above about dragons would apply to them, as well as any other creature of magic.

Dragonoids, Aliens Unlimited p. 155.

I had forgotten all about these guys. According to WB1: Vampire Kingdom, Revised any SDC mortal race can be so it depends on if you think this race would be SDC or MDC. Also not sure if races that have natural super powers can be turned. However, I do think this race would be far more straightforward than actual dragons.

Warshield73 wrote: I had forgotten all about these guys. According to WB1: Vampire Kingdom, Revised any SDC mortal race can be so it depends on if you think this race would be SDC or MDC. Also not sure if races that have natural super powers can be turned. However, I do think this race would be far more straightforward than actual dragons.

A good call. Thanks.

Another possible path to a "vampiric dragon" that would require some GM doing would be: Bio-Wizardry augmentation.

This can be done in several ways possibly:
-Rune Weapon/Artifact that confers Vampire powers/curse to the wielder (some precedent in the Rifter #5 pg42-4, Vald-Korskoi Rune Sword, though this is presented as optional material)
-a symbiote or parasite (one drawback is there are very few that can interact with Dragons), this does require some GM creation as this would have to be a non-standard symbiote/parasite (note Palladium doesn't really have rules for general adaption of creatures into Bio-Wizard weapon systems).
-while related to the above, they might also be the result of a Bio-Wizard experiment on the Were-Dragon (WB21 pg97-102) that went horribly wrong (creating a "Vampire Dragon", I do not think the race in question can become a vampire via Intelligence) or another race that resulted in a "vampire dragon" (there are reptile/dragon-like races out there)

Just take a normal dragon, and have him be really gothy with a blood-drinking fetish.
Give him a cape and a fake accent.
Have him act "mysterious," and talk about the night a LOT.

There's your path to a rules-legit dragon vampire.

Killer Cyborg wrote:Just take a normal dragon, and have him be really gothy with a blood-drinking fetish.
Give him a cape and a fake accent.
Have him act "mysterious," and talk about the night a LOT.

There's your path to a rules-legit dragon vampire.

Don't forget the music. He would need to be blaring some extremely silly music.

the only blood drinking dragons are those 'individuals' that have become so twisted in their thoughts that that is their preferred way to feed.

If this happened I would suspect that the dragon somehow ended up as a life-force wizard.