Powers of a Vampire

Commonly attributed abilities of the undead. (NOTE: not all vampires possess the powers listed; see separate species.)

Common Attributes

• Create other vampires: Some believe the vampire can choose to create more of it's kind; others think that it take three bites to be effective.
• Flight: The bruxsa (female species found in Portugal), lansuir (female species found in Malaysia), and aswang (female species found in the Philippines) can fly; other vampires change shape to fly.
• Misting or vaporizing: Gives the vampire access to places considered secure or hard to reach.
• Strength: Equal to that of many men; increases with age.
• Hypnosis: Useful in luring and ensnaring victims.
• Change in size or demensions: Good for tight spots.
• Control of the elements: Power over wind, rain, and other natural forces.
• Control of animals: Power extends over many creatures, including insects, rats, fleas, and bats.
• Eternal life: Varies in length; not all vampires are immortal.
• Scale walls: Vampires are as nimble as spiders.
• Transformation: Vampires can turn into bats, dogs, wolves, butterflies, insects, rats, birds, fleas, mice, and locusts.
• Drain life-force or psychic energy: An attribute of the psychic vampire.

Less Common Attributes

• Causing blight and crop failures: Vampires are opposed in this activity by the Kresnik (kind of vampire fighter found in Istria in Slovenia.)
• Causing plagues or epidemics: The result of killing some many people.
• Siring children: The offspring are called dhampirs in some regions.
• Causing impotence: A power of the nosferatu (Romanian species of vampire.)
• Stealing organs: A power of the jigarkhwar (witch or sorceress found in the Sind region of India), which takes the liver, and the upier (species found in the Ukraine), which takes the heart.