Hi Guys and Gals,

I'm reading through COS campaign guide right now and have noticed that for a Vampire themed horror campaign it seems to have a lack of vampires interacting with the characters outside of Strahd encounters. Is this by design or have you guys come up with ways to add more vampirism into your campaigns?

I'm thinking of solving this by rolling a character that meets the party as a seemingly nice helpful NPC that will ask to travel with the group because he overhears they are trying to take on Strahd. Little do they know he is also a "new" vampire. He is grappling with the reality of possibly becoming a monster like he has heard that Strahd is. He survives on the blood of chickens and other animals throughout the campaign and is has an emotional range and depth similar to a human with a soul rather than an undead creature. He abhors feeding on humans, wants to become human again because he was given no choice in his transition to become a vampire and is actively looking to kill Strahd as he see's him as the evil that he is trying not to become.

I have a very big reveal if the players do not pick up on the hints I have planned to lay out like the priests son smelling the death on him in the basement in the town of Barovia. Him sneaking off during short of long rests to feed discreetly on livestock if they are in populated areas and things like that. The reveal is at the first dinner with Strahd. The book said the motivation for Strahd is to look for a successor and that Strahd likes to corrupt and toy with his guests especially the hero's. Strahd is going to out the vampire to the group, try to convince him to become Strahd's understudy and take over for the Count so he can rest in peace and will give the new vampire a cruel test. I plan on having Strahd's servants pull a child into the dinner and give the new vampire a choice. Either turn this child into his spawn and force him to feed on human life knowing full well it is against his beliefs or Strahd will turn the child into a spawn and condemn the child to a life of servitude in Caste Ravenloft and to remain a child there forever. Strahd is eager to turn the child as he see's this as an opportunity to woo Ireena and create a forever family again with her once he actually turns her into one of his spawns finally giving him the family he has been denied for about 400 years. He hopes that presenting himself as a father will show Ireena that he is not evil or incapable of love and in fact I plan on having Strahd bring the child to other social events within Barovia to show off the fact that he is a "changed man".

So that's what I've come up with so far to add more vampires into the campaign. I feel like if at that point they know they have a conflicted vampire in their party I can play with the theme a little bit and show them a part of vampire society and an emotional range for vampire characters that may or may not be spawns of Strahd. I like the idea of adding possibly a whole group of vampires to the campaign that come and go as they please. They are guests of Strahd and he regularly travels with his guests throughout his kingdom showing off the locals and their despair as the high of vampire society. No other vampires have challenged Strahd because he is known as the oldest and most powerful among vampire society and is respected as their leader throughout the known world. Barovia is somewhat of a pilgrimage for these other vampires. I like the whole court intrigue that I could possibly play on with this angle. The other vampires are not his spawns, have their own motivations, maybe hate Strahd and would be willing to provide information, assistance and other useful things to the party should these other vampires come to know the party's true intentions.

What do you guys think and how else do you add more vampire's into your campaigns? Maybe I just haven't made it through the full book yet and there are other goodies in there but let me know and I'll make sure to read up on whatever resources you have.

Thanks Guys and Gals!