20 Dressings: Vampire's Castle
The passageways and chambers of a vampire’s castle are a terrifying place. Even if if they are not drenched in gore and littered with the corpses of the vampire’s many victims a sense of dread and doom hangs over the place. Such a place is as terrifying as any lich’s lair.
Use these lists, to add flavour and detail to the chambers and passages in a vampire’s castle.
Presentable Locations
If the vampire keeps their undead status a secret much of the castle may be in a presentable, “normal” state. Subtle clues, however, may abound for the astute visitor.
A thick, faded rug covers part of the floor. Wear-marks on the rug show this to be a high traffic area. Characters looking under the rug discover a large, dried bloodstain on the floor.
A lone bat roosts high up in a dark corner of the passageway or chamber. Light—such as that thrown by a torch or light spell startles the bat; it flutters madly around the area for a few seconds before darting out the nearest window or arrow slit.
Perceptive characters notice a faint imprint of a bloody palm print near a window. Characters investigating this discovery realise the bloodstain was left by someone climbing into the room from outside.
The portraits hanging on the walls are old and faded. The folk in the pictures wear grim looks on their faces and antiquated clothes. Cobwebs cluster thickly about the portraits’ frames. No obviously new portraits hang on the walls.
After spending some time exploring the castle, a perceptive character notices the complete lack of religious paraphernalia or mirrors in any of the castle’s public areas. The castle’s chapel is dusty and unused.
At night, the castle’s interior is poorly lit. Many of the castle’s torch sconces are empty, and those actually equipped with torches invariably gutter out during the night. Thus, deep pools of darkness fill many of the castle’s passageways, staircases and chambers—a perfect hunting ground for a hungry vampire.
The doors warding many of the castle’s guest chambers are equipped with comparatively new and complex locks. Strangely, most of the locks have no keys in them. A close examination of these locks reveals a hidden mechanism on the outside of the door that unlocks the doors without need of its key.
The castle is seemingly free of vermin; the rats normally present in such locales are nowhere to be seen (the vampire uses his powers to keep them in check). The castle also has no cats or dogs, and comparatively few horses.
Dusty, once fine, tapestries hang on the walls. Each depicts a key scene in the family’s history—the first of the family line being ennobled, a heroic victory in battle and the like.
A dark, shadow-filled alcove holds a dusty display of a suit of plate armour along with several weapons including a spear, morningstar and longsword. The armour clutches the spear while the other two weapons are pinned to the wall. Paranoid character may suspect the armour and weapons to be animate guardians…and they very well might be!
Gore-Splattered Locations
Some vampires do not bother to hide their nature, and their castles are a testimony to their evil, depravity and unending thirst.
The pallid, bloodless corpse of a naked human man lies sprawled on the floor. Although the corpse is partially decomposed, a score or more bite marks are evident all over the body.
An impressive spray of dried arterial blood decorates one wall and ceiling. Characters investigating the spray notice disturbing marks in the dried blood that suggest someone—or something—licked some of the blood up.
A ripped and smashed picture hangs drunkenly on the wall, its frame splintered. The picture’s remains depict the vampire as it was in life.
Graffiti, scratched into the floor (perhaps with a dagger or similar) reads, “Despair. The castle’s master is a devil.”
Jagged fragments of a wooden stake lie scattered about the floor. Dried blood coats the stake’s tip.
The skeletal remains of some unfortunate lies heaped in a corner. A character wise in the healing arts who examines the remains notices deep gouge marks on some of the person’s neck bones.
A twisted, partially crushed silver holy symbol of a good-aligned faith lies on the floor against a wall. A chip in the stone above suggests it was hurled against the wall with considerable force.
Chilly, brooding darkness fills this area. Sensitive (or paranoid) characters detect a sense of lurking, malignant menace in the dark. Investigation suggests the cold air seems to be issuing upwards through many small cracks in the floor.
Dust cloaks the floor and cobwebs hang from the ceiling so low they brush over the faces of those exploring the area. Careful searching reveals the faint outlines of tracks in the dust created by someone running. It is impossible to tell how long ago the tracks were made.
A gentle breeze—perhaps from a cracked window or arrow slit—occasionally blows through this area stirring up the dust herein into short-lived dust devils. (This could work in the party’s favour as the dancing dust could reveal a hiding or invisible enemy just before it strikes).
Want More?
This article is an extract from 20 Things #45: Vampire’s Castle which appears in GM's Miscellany: 20 Things Volume V. Add the book to your GM’s toolkit today! Alternatively, check out the 20 Things Archive for more handy, flavoursome and time-saving 20 Things articles ready for immediate use in your campaign.
Design Creighton Broadhurst
