Evil or Hero?

[Jesterzzn]

I would make Dracula a Godling with the same type of powers as a vampire intelligence. So I guess he would be a mini vampire intelligence.

[cornholioprime]

I would make Dracula a Godling with the same type of powers as a vampire intelligence. So I guess he would be a mini vampire intelligence.

Hmm.

Considering that he's pretty much considered a badass on our Earth NOW, what happens to his powers when he gets powered up by the Rifts?!?

Resist sunlight??

MegaDamage skin IN ADDITION TO being vulnerable only to wood, water and silver??

[Jesterzzn]

I would make Dracula a Godling with the same type of powers as a vampire intelligence. So I guess he would be a mini vampire intelligence.

Hmm.

Considering that he's pretty much considered a badass on our Earth NOW, what happens to his powers when he gets powered up by the Rifts?!?

Resist sunlight??

MegaDamage skin IN ADDITION TO being vulnerable only to wood, water and silver??

Bram Stokers Dracula was never harmed by sunlight. He would often walk around london during the day. Obviously the real dracula was also never harmed by sunlight.

[cornholioprime]

I would make Dracula a Godling with the same type of powers as a vampire intelligence. So I guess he would be a mini vampire intelligence.

Hmm.

Considering that he's pretty much considered a badass on our Earth NOW, what happens to his powers when he gets powered up by the Rifts?!?

Resist sunlight??

MegaDamage skin IN ADDITION TO being vulnerable only to wood, water and silver??

Bram Stokers Dracula was never harmed by sunlight. He would often walk around london during the day. Obviously the real dracula was also never harmed by sunlight.

It matters not.

Maharet STILL kicks his butt, even before she goes to the world of Rifts!!!

[Jesterzzn]

It matters not.

Maharet STILL kicks his butt, even before she goes to the world of Rifts!!!

Well, since The Sundance Kid is in New West, why not also bring Quincy Morris forward as well? That should freak Dracula out.

[Chuck Lang]

Don't bring Dracula into Rifts; I'm tired of rehashes and you'll be in danger of falling into the clichés that many Rifts books have been subject to.

[londonbaz]

Yeah, let this particular denizen of the night rest in peace... however, there is nothing stopping someone pretending to be Dracula from exploiting what has almost certainly implanted itself in the mythology of Rifts Earth...

Just think about it - only the odd scholar who read the original book or saw a movie would know the truth - there is every chance that some sort of "Dracula" archetype would have entered the folklore - remember that Juicer James Bond rip-off that CS parents threatened their naughty children with as if he was real?

Knowing that, there is nothing stopping a D-Bee or supernatural being, or even a master vampire, exploiting that archetype. But the Impaler himself in Rifts? I dont think so.

[Capt. Meschievitz]

I think someone somewhere in Rifts could impersonate Vlad.

Hell think about it any of the Books from this time could be confused with fact...could make a interesting tale for the people Rifts..

[Kryzbyn]

Dracula would not fit into Palladium's interpretation of vampires.
At most, he'd be a really old master vampire. That's about it.

I remember when I bought my first copy of Vampire kingdoms and reading the bit about the vampire intelligences...I thought "what was kevin smoking?" That one bit pretty much ruined 'em for me.

[Nightmaster]

and now i wish i had something other than left over pasgetti for lunch ...

Dracula is a classic vilian from literature, i think that a good and well written version of Dracula should be included. but if it's going to be all cheesed up and over done, then might as well forget about it all together.

but don't make him the Dracula make him Vlad the Impaler. read up on his actual history and try to incorporate that into his character. an immortal of one kind or another would be a great ay to start though. perhaps one of the lost ones [i think that's what they are called?] from Mercenaries would be a good choice.

if he must be a vampire, make him a one of a kind breed of vampire. do not use [i beg of you] the vampire rules in Vamp Kingdoms. i don't much care for the Rifts version of Vampires.

Great idea. Vlad the Impaler is much better than Vlad the Vampire.

As with what occured with Sundance Kid, he would have a hard time adapting to Rifts Earth but eventually his natural leadership and charisma would put him into a place of power somewhat. This can lead to him really trying to recreate Romenia and free his people from the clutches of the monster and demons of the Rifts.

[Dead Boy]

So all of us know of Vlad the Impaler in one way or another. I had a small idea WHAT if he didn't die? This isn't a History vs History Question its a What if something happened and he ended up on Rifts Earth, much like The legendary leader of the Wild bunch? Now I was wondering if I should have him try to rebuild Romania or Make him some kind of evil being or good depending on the general view.

If you ask me, he should be an Anti-Hero, fighting bad-guys as and even worse bad-guy himself. After all, he Vlad the friggin' Impaler! And though I think he should be a normal Human in the conventional sense, I wouldn't preclude him from using magic artifacts to make him a six-pack of whoop-ass in his own right. That way he could be a champion for Humanity in a land overrun with supernatural villainy, but still go toe to toe with the worst of them in person.

[Nemo235]

I would use dracula as a vampire.

But why stop at Dracula? Throw in Frankenstein's monster, a werewolf, a mummy, a swamp creature, and an invisible man.
You know, the whole dang monster mash!

Sheesh, how about Godzilla vs. the Glitterboys?
That has a certain ring to it..

[Nemo235]

I apologize. I was trying to be funny. Maybe I should have thrown in an emote.

I honestly misunderstood the topic.
I would use Vlad Tepes Dracula as a vampire lord type.
Maybe he was buried somewhere in an undead trance.

The magic energy from the ley-line storms awakened him.

He was hungry.

And enraged.

Okay, now I've gone overboard. Oh well. LOL

(But seriously, how about Godzilla vs. the Glitterboys? )

[DocS]

Now this concept is a little Subtle for Rifts, but I can see room for Vlad the Impaler type being

And he would be in CS or the NGR. Imagine a leader who is so brutal, so vile, that not only does he become the terror of the non-humans in the area, but his terrible acts earn the 'blessing' of some evil being. He's gaining strength and abilities and doesn't know it since he's not a witch in the conventional sense of 'selling his soul' inasmuch as he is gaining the power since "The powers of darkness really like the cut of his jib".

You'd run the adventure in a fortified city where no MD beings are allowed inside. Protray the brutality and efficiency of the city leader. If there's one thing you generally don't expect from an obsessive CS leader, it's neo-magic power. And if the party makes a move to hurt him, they find out that he's empowered himself. And now they have an MD guy coming after them, and their own gear is in storage across town. Can they evade him? Can they scavange gear to hurt him? Will the cyberknight Psi-sword finally be useful?

[DtMK]

I've actually been thinking along these lines for an HU game I was planning to run, only I thought, what if Vlad the Impaler came back and discovered how horribly his name and legend were twisted by an Irish author? I'd have him have an obsession with destroying ALL vampires and anything/anyone associated with the myths of Dracula from Bram Stoker's tales. His abilities would be different as a Mega-Mutant with Immortality, with a hint from the Lone Star table. Exceptionally charismatic, indomitable will, powerful jaws, he would associate himself as being called The Dragon, or even Drake as a nickname. He would be powerful, but he would NOT have the typical powers associated with vampires, so if anyone found out who/what he was and tried to stake him or even behead him a la the way Vlad really dies, imagine the Zombie Flesh power from PU3 kicking in, and this powerfully frightening character grabbing the PC by the throat, saying, "All you know of me is from fiction. Lies. All you know, all your weapons, all your defenses you've clung to...they are absolutely useless. Now...for the few years yet you have of life, I will educate you in the truth of Dracul-A, The Dragon."

This would be a chance to imagine, what if he actually DID die, but Vlad was somehow resurrected with ALL memories from his former life intact? It would be a whole new ballgame, and a chance to take back what has been taken from him. He was a hero to his people, using horrific, but efficient ways to do so. For my campaign, I thought of having him actually break INTO prisons, slowly slaughtering everyone on Death Row, and recording such tortures for posterity and resale, kind of like a cross between ******* and Faces of Death, causing a new following and means for income in underground snuff films, a powerful leader winning to do what others will not, and in the most horrific, graphic ways possible. He'd be a cannibal and dip his bread in blood, but perhaps instead of always impaling people, he might come up with a new, horrific way to kill his foes. I can easily see him being a power on Rift Earth as well with this formula, but I thought it would be fun if he decided to be powerful, brutal and everything Vlad was in life, and despising how he was twisted in remembrance in death.

Of course that's just my opinion and game idea, others may differ.

[DtMK]

Interesting, the filter eliminated my movie title. Let me elaborate: It curently has a sequel out on dvd called Number two, featuring Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Bam Margera and others from MTV. Now cross that with Faces of Death, and the patience of an immortal. Let the fun and horror begin.

[Kryzbyn]

IF I were to bring the big D into a RIFTs game, he would be uber as hell.
Having lived since like 40 AD or whatever to current day, he would probably have transcended even the most general legends of vampire lore. Now, like others have said, he has survived the apocolypse, and now emerges in a PPE rich environment. I envision a metamorphosis of sorts, or an expansion of what he was and has become...all of his powers growing and expanding to the point of godling-ness. Now he travels to survey the world and how it has changed. He is now free from the death that sunlight offers, and is now merely inconvenienced by it (-2 to all checks/rolls in daylight), crossing water is no big deal. He can take the form of a swarm of bats, or a larger than life wolf at will. His telekenisis would put a neo-humans to shame. He can dominate by thought like the most powerful mind melter, crosses will no longer hold him at bay, and silver only causes minor irritation. He can dessicate his foes and absorb thier blood at range with little thought. He can teleport through the shadows, and tear through MDC metal like butter (high SNPS). His visage has become more feral, as his body has become that of a true SN predator.
He has become...
like Kain.
Now he is pissed that these alien beings that dare call themsleves vampires have come as a plague upon his earth. He sees that they only offer a world devoid of food for himself. So, even as powerful as he is, he plays games with these supposed vampires, destroying caste after caste, as he knows a battle with one of these intelligences may not fare well for him. So he plays the role of the scourge to the scourge, the hunter of hunters, in an effort to keep their numbers within managable numbers.
After that, its on to the Xiticix.

[LunarYoma]

This idea i like. dont make him a vampire, but an immortal that is equal to a godling(thans to the rifts happning & so much magickal energy flowing on the earth). I'd make him to rebuild his kingdom. He being pissed off at all the lies that were told about him, drives him further to make sure is kingdom is mroe secure than ever. he becomes even more brutal than what he was known for. he become like a hell god to his enemies & a near god like status to his subjects.

[Greyaxe]

Dracula is a standard master Vampire, treat him as such (have a slayer whak him in less than a melee, and be done with it.)

[DtMK]

The Bram Stoker Dracula may be a vampire, but the real Vlad Tepes never was. It depends ultimately which interpretation you'd want to go with, the milked to death lies of a drunk Irishman or the man behind the legend, and the opportunity to make your own with him.

Of course that's just my opinion.

[Mudang]

I'm thinking along the lines of a Witch... but something much greater than a Witch. Maybe Vlad made a pact with one of the Old Ones or some other evil being of phenomenal power? Maybe the impalings were part of the deal? Maybe Vlad was granted immortality? Maybe he wasn't? Maybe he has only recently been resurrected due to his patron's increased interest in Rifts Earth due to the PPE levels? Maybe his patron will attempt to establish himself on Rifts Earth this time around?

[Jesterzzn]

I'm thinking along the lines of a Witch... but something much greater than a Witch. Maybe Vlad made a pact with one of the Old Ones or some other evil being of phenomenal power? Maybe the impalings were part of the deal? Maybe Vlad was granted immortality? Maybe he wasn't? Maybe he has only recently been resurrected due to his patron's increased interest in Rifts Earth due to the PPE levels? Maybe his patron will attempt to establish himself on Rifts Earth this time around?

Sounds like Merlin...Do you want to rename him Vllyhd and have him rule over New Transylvania?

All kidding aside, I like the idea of Vlad being an anti-hero. Beloved by the local populace as their protector, and hated and despised for his brutality by just about everyone else.

If you were running a low powered campaign he could just be a high-level magic user. If you are running a normal power campaign then I would make him a demi-god. And in a high power campaign, a godling.

Since the OP said the vampire angle is mostly secondary, and since even in vampire lore Dracula is hardly a normal vampire, I would just make it something that was attributed to him rather than making him an actual palladium vampire or even close to a palladium vampire.

[Jesterzzn]

It depends ultimately which interpretation you'd want to go with, the milked to death lies of a drunk Irishman...

What "lies" are you talking about?

[Mudang]

I'm thinking along the lines of a Witch... but something much greater than a Witch. Maybe Vlad made a pact with one of the Old Ones or some other evil being of phenomenal power? Maybe the impalings were part of the deal? Maybe Vlad was granted immortality? Maybe he wasn't? Maybe he has only recently been resurrected due to his patron's increased interest in Rifts Earth due to the PPE levels? Maybe his patron will attempt to establish himself on Rifts Earth this time around?

Sounds like Merlin...Do you want to rename him Vllyhd and have him rule over New Transylvania?

I don't own England, but wasn't Merlin written as an AI himself and not just a servant of one?

[Jesterzzn]

I'm thinking along the lines of a Witch... but something much greater than a Witch. Maybe Vlad made a pact with one of the Old Ones or some other evil being of phenomenal power? Maybe the impalings were part of the deal? Maybe Vlad was granted immortality? Maybe he wasn't? Maybe he has only recently been resurrected due to his patron's increased interest in Rifts Earth due to the PPE levels? Maybe his patron will attempt to establish himself on Rifts Earth this time around?

Sounds like Merlin...Do you want to rename him Vllyhd and have him rule over New Transylvania?

I don't own England, but wasn't Merlin written as an AI himself and not just a servant of one?

splintered essence. As is Gweny. It's not that its not a good idea, it was just too good to pass up a joke.

[DtMK]

[/quote]What "lies" are you talking about?[/quote]

What lies? Do you even have to ask? Really? Okay...how about the life eternal, woman seducing, metamorphing, weather controlling, crawling up the walls, master of darkness and children of the night king of all vampires that everyone in fiction refers to today? Pretty much Bram Stoker taking the name of a nation's hero and turning him into the biggest mythical monster this side of Lucifer. He was originally going to call the villain Nosferatu, but then was inspired when he heard about Lady Elizabeth Bathory and Vlad Tepes, throwing a mishmash together to the formalized fiction we all know today.

Yeah, I think that would be enough to hold a grudge.

[Jesterzzn]

What "lies" are you talking about?

What lies? Do you even have to ask? Really? Okay...how about the life eternal, woman seducing, metamorphing, weather controlling, crawling up the walls, master of darkness and children of the night king of all vampires that everyone in fiction refers to today? Pretty much Bram Stoker taking the name of a nation's hero and turning him into the biggest mythical monster this side of Lucifer. He was originally going to call the villain Nosferatu, but then was inspired when he heard about Lady Elizabeth Bathory and Vlad Tepes, throwing a mishmash together to the formalized fiction we all know today.

Yeah, I think that would be enough to hold a grudge.

Fiction - n. Literary type using invented or imaginative writing, instead of real facts, usually written as prose.

It's a fictional tale whose only basis in reality is the name Dracula. The character is never mentioned to be Vlad Tepes, nor is it even implied. When the character recounts his own history in the book he never mentions anything that would lead one to believe the character of Dracula is supposed to represent Vlad Tepes. In fact, the Dracula of the story is of the ethnic background Székely, where as Vlad Tepes was Wallachian.

Do you go and rant about the movie Young Guns every time someone mentions Billy the Kid?

Its a story, its not real.

[DtMK]

Yeah, I know it's fiction, but it is implied that the one in the story IS the same Dracula. I was simply going on the perspective of my idea of Dracul for my game, and the one in history compared to the one we all know in fiction. Fiction, lies, same thing.

And no, I HATE westerns.

[Vrykolas2k]

I would make Dracula a Godling with the same type of powers as a vampire intelligence. So I guess he would be a mini vampire intelligence.

Hmm.

Considering that he's pretty much considered a badass on our Earth NOW, what happens to his powers when he gets powered up by the Rifts?!?

Resist sunlight??

MegaDamage skin IN ADDITION TO being vulnerable only to wood, water and silver??

Bram Stokers Dracula was never harmed by sunlight. He would often walk around london during the day. Obviously the real dracula was also never harmed by sunlight.

It matters not.

Maharet STILL kicks his butt, even before she goes to the world of Rifts!!!

No.
Dracula would simply remind her she's immortal, and while she was wallowing in angst-filled anguish about it, he would kill her.

[Jesterzzn]

What "lies" are you talking about?

What lies? Do you even have to ask? Really? Okay...how about the life eternal, woman seducing, metamorphing, weather controlling, crawling up the walls, master of darkness and children of the night king of all vampires that everyone in fiction refers to today? Pretty much Bram Stoker taking the name of a nation's hero and turning him into the biggest mythical monster this side of Lucifer. He was originally going to call the villain Nosferatu, but then was inspired when he heard about Lady Elizabeth Bathory and Vlad Tepes, throwing a mishmash together to the formalized fiction we all know today.

Yeah, I think that would be enough to hold a grudge.

Fiction - n. Literary type using invented or imaginative writing, instead of real facts, usually written as prose.

It's a fictional tale whose only basis in reality is the name Dracula. The character is never mentioned to be Vlad Tepes, nor is it even implied. When the character recounts his own history in the book he never mentions anything that would lead one to believe the character of Dracula is supposed to represent Vlad Tepes. In fact, the Dracula of the story is of the ethnic background Székely, where as Vlad Tepes was Wallachian.

Do you go and rant about the movie Young Guns every time someone mentions Billy the Kid?

Its a story, its not real.

Well tuth be told bram stokers dracula is a mesh of both Vlad Tepes Dracula and The blood countess of hungery E. Bathery (Hope I got here name right). Bram has dracula mention many of the things that happened to Vlad during his life. The loss of his wife, his commanding of Armys, The turks falsily telling of his death, and his father and he being members of the order of the dragon. The things that made Dracula the Vampire (by that I mean what lead to his cursing of god) Were infact taken from Vlads real life. Now as for how evil Dracula was and the blood lust he had that came from Elzibeth Bathery.
Vlad is never said to be Dracula, but there is enough stated to make the connection between the two.

I was going to argue this point by point, but ran out of time. Look up Elizabeth Miller's works and papers, she holds a doctorate in Vampire Lore (literary), and she will argue my point much better than I.