Nosferatu [Ravenloft]

A variant of the common vampire, a nosferatu can arise from any humanoid race, though demihuman versions may differ in power as other demihuman vampires do. At night it passes for a pale member of its kind. Sunrise drops it into a corpse-like stupor; freshly fed (within 2 hours) it looks a little flushed and bleeds if cut, but as the hours pass its flesh grays and its face sinks, looking cadaverous by dusk. It speaks all its old languages and often a few acquired since.

Apart from what follows, it shares the common vampire's powers and flaws. It has no natural melee attack, so it brawls, throws heavy objects, or uses weapons and spells, with +2 to hit and +4 damage from its strength; capable ones always carry a magic weapon.

It preys only on the weak or charmed, biting (usually the throat) to drink. A resisting target requires an attack roll, with armor but not shields counting. Once latched on, it drains automatically: typically 1 Constitution per round to savor the death, or 3 per round if rushed. While drinking it can do nothing but use its charm gaze, though it may let go at any time. Victims recover 1 Constitution every other day, and those who die rise at half strength as its slaves.

It can charm anyone it has ever bitten from as far as 360 feet through one-way telepathy, giving orders but hearing nothing back. The control lasts for life unless remove curse is cast by a priest of at least 14th level.

Most nest in cemeteries or abandoned places, hunting by night, and keep 3 or 4 coffins hidden in different spots.

It must have blood. A night without draining at least 3 Constitution costs 1 Hit Die, cumulatively, down to a floor of 4 HD, where it turns berserk whenever prey comes within 40 feet. Animal blood restores most losses but always leaves it 1 HD below normal. Sleep matters too: each day without proper rest, meaning 8 hours in its coffin on a fistful of earth from its first grave, costs 1 HD. A rested nosferatu that drained at least 6 Constitution the previous night regains 1 HD, so a full recovery may take several nights of gorging.