Gnome Vampire

Rarely seen by surface folk, gnome vampires are smaller and slighter than dwarf vampires and, unlike most undead, show their years in deeply lined, worn faces. They understand the languages they knew but cannot speak, a silence that robs them of the jokes and songs they loved, so dealing with one means written notes.

With no extra Strength, its fist deals only 1d4, so it often uses a flail or other weapon. Its touch is the danger: each unarmed hit drains 2 Dexterity, bringing an arthritic stiffness that can cripple, and at 0 Dexterity the paralysis reaches heart and lungs and kills. It keeps the gnomish +1 to hit kobolds and goblins, ogres, trolls and bugbears attack it at -4, and beyond 60-foot infravision it sees in the faintest light as if it were day.

Once per turn it can twist its face into a dreadful smile. Anyone watching must save vs. spell or be seized by hideous laughter lasting twice the spell's normal duration and dealing 1d4 damage per round of laughter. The grin worsens with age, hitting harder and imposing larger save penalties.

Only metal weapons of +1 or better can strike it; non-metal weapons are useless no matter how magical. It is immune to charm, sleep, hold, poison, disease and all illusion/phantasm spells, and takes half damage from lightning, cold and fire. It saves at +5 against spells, wands, rods and staves, but any magical device it uses has a 35% chance to malfunction. Weapons, armor, shields, items copying illusionist spells, and (for former thieves) thieves' tools are exempt. It keeps all its class and magical abilities from life, along with gnomish stone sense: direction underground on 1-3 on 1d6, depth on 1-4, slopes on 1-5, and unsafe walls or floors 70% of the time.

At will it can become a glowing sphere much like a will o' wisp, passing through stone walls but never through anything living or once alive, so a wooden wall stops it. At 0 hp it is forced into this form and must reach the cavern holding its sarcophagus within 12 rounds or be destroyed. It cannot change shape otherwise, but casts change self at will and holds it indefinitely. It may command any animal it happens to meet (it cannot summon them), and the creature serves for 2d4 days. It spider climbs at will, but only on stone or earth.

Real daylight annihilates it instantly, but magical sunlight, even spells that normally hurt undead, fails against its magic resistance. A presented gem holds its gaze for 2d4 rounds unless it is attacked. Priests and paladins can turn it, less easily with age. Holy water and holy symbols burn for just 1d4 per vial or hit, and it cannot approach a confident believer displaying a symbol, though it is not driven away.

Driving in a spike of pure, blessed silver kills it until the spike is removed. For permanent death, cut off the hands and boil them a full day in a volcanic hot spring, lay the body in a wooden casket, replace its eyes with precious gems (better stones are fine, lesser ones fail), and nail the lid shut.

Once charming pranksters, they become dour hermits of the deepest caverns, emerging only to feed on whatever humans, demihumans or humanoids they find. Age adds Hit Dice, a deadlier grin, higher weapon requirements, better saves and resistance to turning.

It feeds on youthful vigor. This resembles a ghost's aging touch, but the victim is not made older, only robbed of vitality, a subtle difference many consider worse. It rarely makes spawn, since doing so is risky: it must kill a gnome with its touch, place the body in its own sarcophagus, and lie atop it for three days as its essence seeps in. During this time it cannot regenerate or use spell-like powers, and interrupting the process kills both. The new vampire then rises completely under its maker's control.