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Vampire lore rated:
Immortality: 5/5
You gotta have it. Vampires being immortal is absolutely classic.
You gotta have it. Vampires being immortal is absolutely classic.
Drinking blood to stay alive: 5/5
Gives vampires their creepy resonance. They require the life of others to prolong their own ghoulish existence. Rich with metaphor.
Gives vampires their creepy resonance. They require the life of others to prolong their own ghoulish existence. Rich with metaphor.
Drinking blood is a compulsion. like a drug, or a feeding frency: 3/5
This opens up other metaphorical possibilities, but in order to be truly spine-chilling, a vampire should choose consciously to prey on others to prolong its life.
This opens up other metaphorical possibilities, but in order to be truly spine-chilling, a vampire should choose consciously to prey on others to prolong its life.
Vampires reproduce by biting people: 4/5
Vampires are scariest if they are former humans who have lost all regard for human life as the cost of their own immortality, but I& #39;ve seen few works that bother justifying why vampires are interested in making more vampires.
Vampires are scariest if they are former humans who have lost all regard for human life as the cost of their own immortality, but I& #39;ve seen few works that bother justifying why vampires are interested in making more vampires.
Sunlight is instantly deadly to vampires: 1/5
Vampires should be formidable and scarce. This trope pops up in works where vampires are common and is an easy shortcut to killing them. These works can be good, but they don& #39;t portray ideal vampires.
Vampires should be formidable and scarce. This trope pops up in works where vampires are common and is an easy shortcut to killing them. These works can be good, but they don& #39;t portray ideal vampires.
Sunlight is harmful but not instantly deadly to vampires: 3/5
This seems to mostly serve as a justification for keeping vampires isolated, or at least to keep them nocturnal, which is good flavor, and is sometimes a good tell for someone being a vampire.
This seems to mostly serve as a justification for keeping vampires isolated, or at least to keep them nocturnal, which is good flavor, and is sometimes a good tell for someone being a vampire.
Vampires fear crucifixes: 2/5
This one only works in settings where Christianity is (at least approximately) verifiably true, and has far bigger implications than the average vampire work is interested in dealing with. The idea of vampires being unholy is kind of cool though.
This one only works in settings where Christianity is (at least approximately) verifiably true, and has far bigger implications than the average vampire work is interested in dealing with. The idea of vampires being unholy is kind of cool though.
Vampires fear all holy symbols, not just Christian ones: 1/5
Either every religion is objectively true, or vampires are scared off by the belief that people have in the symbols. Either way, it& #39;s very sloppy.
Either every religion is objectively true, or vampires are scared off by the belief that people have in the symbols. Either way, it& #39;s very sloppy.
Aversion to holy water: 1/5
This is another one that requires Christianity - particularly Catholicism, to be verifiably true. But at least a crucifix is something that someone might actually have on hand, I think most people only even know about holy water as a vampire weakness.
This is another one that requires Christianity - particularly Catholicism, to be verifiably true. But at least a crucifix is something that someone might actually have on hand, I think most people only even know about holy water as a vampire weakness.
Can& #39;t cross running water: 1/5
I don& #39;t like the ones that are just arcane ways to keep vampires at bay. this makes the vampire less scary since it gives you a convenient escape, and adds nothing but some really weird alien-ness.
I don& #39;t like the ones that are just arcane ways to keep vampires at bay. this makes the vampire less scary since it gives you a convenient escape, and adds nothing but some really weird alien-ness.
Super Strength: 2/5
I think this is a misstep. A vampire should be frightening for its cunning, experience, and intellect. Not for its ability to exert brute force. A vampire shouldn& #39;t be able to get you by simply overpowering you, it should have to deceive you.
I think this is a misstep. A vampire should be frightening for its cunning, experience, and intellect. Not for its ability to exert brute force. A vampire shouldn& #39;t be able to get you by simply overpowering you, it should have to deceive you.
If you kill the main vampire, its "offspring" die too: 1/5
Utter cop-out. If you want an easy ending, don& #39;t use so many vampires.
Utter cop-out. If you want an easy ending, don& #39;t use so many vampires.
If you kill the main vampire, its "offspring" turn back into humans: 1/5
Even worse! No! Much too easy!
Even worse! No! Much too easy!
Good vampires can substitute blood bank blood or animal blood or just not kill you when drinking your blood: 2/5
Good vampires should die of starvation. The immortality of vampirism should be an unholy bargain which requires you to treat human life as disposable.
Good vampires should die of starvation. The immortality of vampirism should be an unholy bargain which requires you to treat human life as disposable.
Cannot enter your home without permission: 2/5
Very difficult to justify logically, another weird limiter only good for establishing vampires as alien, or for making the audience think they& #39;re clever by noticing the vampire asked to come in.
Very difficult to justify logically, another weird limiter only good for establishing vampires as alien, or for making the audience think they& #39;re clever by noticing the vampire asked to come in.
This is one of a lot of tropes that seem to limit vampires in ways that require them to deceive and seduce you. Which should already be difficult enough for them, because they want to suck your blood and kill you.
Becoming a vampire makes you inherently sexy: 2/5
It makes sense that they& #39;d need bait to attract victims, but I prefer to think that vampires have no supernatural help, and will fail and die if they can& #39;t lure in victims without some sort of sexy aura.
It makes sense that they& #39;d need bait to attract victims, but I prefer to think that vampires have no supernatural help, and will fail and die if they can& #39;t lure in victims without some sort of sexy aura.
Vampires should be charismatic, but not because vampirism gives them a charismatic aura, it should be because non-charismatic vampires don& #39;t survive.
Vampirism is a disease: 1/5
What the hell kind of disease makes you immortal with powers
What the hell kind of disease makes you immortal with powers
Vampires have a secret vampire society with its own boroque rules and privileges: 2/5
You can do fun things with this, but I think loneliness and scarcity are too valuable as vampire flavor to sacrifice for this.
You can do fun things with this, but I think loneliness and scarcity are too valuable as vampire flavor to sacrifice for this.
Vampires have different "bloodlines," which are subject to different vampire tropes: 1/5
This is just a way to divide up the shittier weaknesses and powers
This is just a way to divide up the shittier weaknesses and powers
Vampires have some sort of weaker "vampire spawn" that they can create in great numbers so the heroes have something to fight droves of without diluting the vampire brand: 1/5
Only good for games.
Only good for games.
Vampires sleep upside-down like bats: 3/5
Very good, but for comical depictions only.
Very good, but for comical depictions only.
Some special vampires get "extra& #39; powers like prophecy, mind-reading, etc.: 1/5
Vampirism shouldn& #39;t give out too many goodies, immortality/eternal youth is enough in my humble opinion.
Vampirism shouldn& #39;t give out too many goodies, immortality/eternal youth is enough in my humble opinion.
Vampires are cold to the touch: 5/5
A logical and subtle tell
A logical and subtle tell
Vampires can& #39;t be seen in mirrors: 2/5
Certainly brands vampires as otherworldly, and makes for good folklore, but A: I think it& #39;s best left behind now that we know the science of how light works, and B: It limits where vampires can go! There are reflective surfaces everywhere!
Certainly brands vampires as otherworldly, and makes for good folklore, but A: I think it& #39;s best left behind now that we know the science of how light works, and B: It limits where vampires can go! There are reflective surfaces everywhere!
In order to make this one work, you need to have the vampire keep entirely to their remote castle with no mirrors in it, no polished metal, all windows frosted, etc. Which might be what you want to do!
In a story that isn& #39;t about Dracula, Dracula is one of the main historical vampires: 3/5
A fun tribute I guess
A fun tribute I guess
The no-reflection thing also extends to photos. Vampires can& #39;t be photographed: 1/5
Incredibly limiting, this vampire would be found out much too fast in the age of smartphones.
Incredibly limiting, this vampire would be found out much too fast in the age of smartphones.
Compulsion to count broom bristles and grains of rice: 2/5
This is another very weird one that gives you a really simple way to escape without adding anything scary. It just makes vampires weirder.
This is another very weird one that gives you a really simple way to escape without adding anything scary. It just makes vampires weirder.
Animals - particularly dogs and cats - instinctively mistrust vampires: 5/5
I love the idea of vampires being unholy, and this is one of the best ways to convey that without needing to make Christianity verifiably, obviously true.
I love the idea of vampires being unholy, and this is one of the best ways to convey that without needing to make Christianity verifiably, obviously true.
Ability to transform into a bat: 2/5
Very good for comedic depictions only.
Very good for comedic depictions only.
Ability to transform into a whole swarm of bats: 1/5
Absurd
Absurd
Ability to transform into a mist: 3/5
If you& #39;re going to give your vampire extra powers, this one& #39;s OK, but I prefer the idea of a vampire who needs to put you at ease and lure you to it, rather than a vampire with exciting magic ways to go to you.
If you& #39;re going to give your vampire extra powers, this one& #39;s OK, but I prefer the idea of a vampire who needs to put you at ease and lure you to it, rather than a vampire with exciting magic ways to go to you.
Vampire needs to sleep in its own coffin to get energy or something: 2/5
Very good for comedic depictions, but seems rooted in the idea of vampires becoming vampires only after being dead for a while that doesn& #39;t fit most depictions today.
Very good for comedic depictions, but seems rooted in the idea of vampires becoming vampires only after being dead for a while that doesn& #39;t fit most depictions today.
Vampires are powerful elites: 3/5
Vampires should serve as a metaphor for elites, as they live off the blood of others, but they should be too solitary and confined to exert too much power.
Vampires should serve as a metaphor for elites, as they live off the blood of others, but they should be too solitary and confined to exert too much power.
Vampires are outcasts who need to stick together to survive: 2/5
Vampires have a lot of perks, they should be able to make it on their own.
Vampires have a lot of perks, they should be able to make it on their own.
In general, any trope that depicts vampires as vulnerable rings false.
Vampires are immune to most forms of death: 4/5
I& #39;d be OK with, say, vampires not being unable to withstand being shot with a cannon, or being dismembered or something like that.
I& #39;d be OK with, say, vampires not being unable to withstand being shot with a cannon, or being dismembered or something like that.
I think it& #39;s a little unnecessary that you& #39;ve got to get them in a very specific arcane way, but they need to be very hard to kill.
Vampires have an aversion to garlic: 4/5
A pretty good tell that can be used subtly. When people are actively using garlic as a barrier to ward off vampires, it can get pretty silly.
A pretty good tell that can be used subtly. When people are actively using garlic as a barrier to ward off vampires, it can get pretty silly.
Vampire shrugs off a traditional vampire weakness, saying it "doesn& #39;t work like in the movies," and then proceeds to work like in the movies in every other possible way: 1/5
Vampires are sophisticated and genteel: 4/5
Fits well with vampires as a metaphor for parasitic elites, logically makes sense for immortals to learn a lot of stuff. It also makes sense that the vampires who survive to become really old would have to be the smart ones.
Fits well with vampires as a metaphor for parasitic elites, logically makes sense for immortals to learn a lot of stuff. It also makes sense that the vampires who survive to become really old would have to be the smart ones.
Some people live long lives and never become particularly educated though, so I& #39;m not sure if this should be the default.
You have to drive a stake through the heart to kill them, or maybe to immobilize them: 3/5
I& #39;m not sure how I feel about the stake itself, but it& #39;s good for the means of killing them to be difficult and specific.
I& #39;m not sure how I feel about the stake itself, but it& #39;s good for the means of killing them to be difficult and specific.
Also you have to burn them or decapitate them or something: 3/5
I& #39;m also not sure how I feel about the way you kill vampires being not only very difficult, but sort of an elaborate guessing-game as well.
I& #39;m also not sure how I feel about the way you kill vampires being not only very difficult, but sort of an elaborate guessing-game as well.
Super-speed: 3/5
I don& #39;t like vampires running around like the Flash, but I do like the idea that they never tire and could run you down that way.
I don& #39;t like vampires running around like the Flash, but I do like the idea that they never tire and could run you down that way.
