Noob question can dwarfs become vampires?

[magnificent*]

Playing is not really a priority neither is following canon but I would like to make a vampire army with different races so I was wondering if this totally contradicts the background.

Dwarf models for a block of tough infantry and dark elf horsemen for fast scouts, and chaos knights with chaos symbols removed for heavy cavalry, I would convert them to make them look more like vampires, I have made some snacks for the horsemen (screaming peasants with their hands tied behind their backs that can be slung across the backs of the horses) , and their will be peasant prisoners in the centre of the dwarf unit.

My reasoning is that a vampire would turn some of his fast victims into vampires to have food catching specialists, and since the chained food can only move slowly you would turn captured dwarfes into guards for the food because their lack of speed is not a drawback.

[spetswalshe]

I don't think it is directly contradictory, but I do know that Dwarf blood isn't a popular beverage with the undead. Too gritty, I think, though I always get the impression such stone-related characteristics come from Old Worlder racism more than anything else ("Dwarf blood tastes like chalk! Wood Elves bleed sap! Orcs is just two goblins standing on top of each other! I know 'cause Old Hob down the Three Cats says so, and he's been as far as Nuln! He says they don't talk proper down there, either, they just sings it instead."). I believe there is some kind of reason why you don't get Elf or Dwarf vampires much - magic resistance, or resistance to Chaos-style corruption or something.

What rules were you planning on using for them? Because an actual unit of vampires seems a bit strong just for Grave Guard or what have you. Plus the Dwarfs M3 might be a hiccup - Undead rules obviously limit speed and the fact that they're Vampires should mean even Dwarfs could burn a bit of rubber (hobnails), but you'd still need to clear it with your opponent. Otherwise, it's a nice idea.

[magnificent*]

I was thinking that a unit of 10 vampire dwarves guarding 10 human prisoners would simply count as 20 grave guard, in all respects since the vampire dwarf is conviently twice a tough and twice as good at bashing things, the prisoners are there for decoration, their vampire blood makes them M4, and carrying prisoners gives the same movement restrictions as being a skeleton

[lcfr]

You'd probably be hard pressed to find more than a handful of vampiric dwarfs across the Warhammer world, and why would they fight together? Vampires aren't really the type to huddle together and fight as a group, they've always seemed to me more the skulky, loner types.

On the flipside, you do have Blood Knights so I suppose you could say that the unit of vampire dwarfs still retain some dwarfish sense of community, etc. and so stick together and fight together. They just don't have a preference for booze anymore

[Urgat]

According to Vampireslayer, yes they can. It's stated that vampires rarely turn dwarfs into vampires, so it means that it's rare, but it happens. There you go

[Leogun_91]

You'd probably be hard pressed to find more than a handful of vampiric dwarfs across the Warhammer world, and why would they fight together? Vampires aren't really the type to huddle together and fight as a group, they've always seemed to me more the skulky, loner types.

But dwarfs however are, if there is ten vampiredwarfs in the oldworld one can almost guarantee that they find each other and co-operate due to their kinship.

[Condottiere]

Again, what's the process in Warhammer for achieving Vampirehood?

[spetswalshe]

The Blood Kiss isn't actually described, as far as I know, and it's suggested that it may be different for different vampires.

Read Night's Dark Masters last night - it says that vampires avoid turning Elves and Dwarfs due, basically, to snobbery. I suppose vampires and humanity are linked in a very deep way, so much so that were a Dwarf turned, other vampires might not actually consider him one of their kind, in much the same way a human nobleman doesn't consider a Dwarf nobleman his equal. Vampires are specifically linked with humans as their prey species - human blood tastes best, apparently - they're all former humans, and have fought to protect humanity several times. I guess they just see humanity as a whole, rather than the Empire/Bretonnia/Kislev divide.

[skavenSte]

it all boils down to the fact that human/dwarf/elf blood is different. vampires were made of human gene stock and so vampirism can only affect humans. the fact that vampires don't bite other races is not being disputed but those that do get bitten will never become true vampires unless they're human.
vampires will only bite other races out of shear desperation of the need for the plasma in blood cells, hence they may even resort to feeding on animals, and in doing so they will inevitably kill their prey.
only a lucky-or unlucky, depending on your point of view- few will be given the blood kiss which involves the prey drinking on the blood of the vampire whilst the vampire drinks of the blood of the victim. its normally done wrist to wrist.

[Condottiere]

Do the Strigoi pass on Vampirism to other animals, such as, say, bunnies?

[skavenSte]

[QUOTE]Do the Strigoi pass on Vampirism to other animals, such as, say, bunnies?[QUOTE]


unfortunatly, Condottiere, all the vampires have seen the movie "monty python and the holy grail" and so make sure that any animal they drink from stays dead unless resurected by a raise dead spell. i think the movie scared them a bit, sorry to disappoint.

[MontytheMighty]

I'd venture a "no" since I think if they dwarves could become vamps they're would have been some dwarf vamps by now in the fluff, I think vampirism is limited to humans (I don't think chaos warriors count as human anymore)

also I think there aren't any chaos vampires and other such combinations for a reason, either they'd be overpowered or GW doesn't want too many factions

[Urgat]

it all boils down to the fact that human/dwarf/elf blood is different. vampires were made of human gene stock and so vampirism can only affect humans. the fact that vampires don't bite other races is not being disputed but those that do get bitten will never become true vampires unless they're human.

I'd venture a "no" since I think if they dwarves could become vamps they're would have been some dwarf vamps by now in the fluff, I think vampirism is limited to humans (I don't think chaos warriors count as human anymore)

I know it's common practice to happily post while ignoring the others, and I don't like much repeating myself, but Bill King (You know, Bill King? Gotrek and Felix?) seems to disagree with you, and I'd be inclined to believe him more than the both of you
So he clearly, bluntly wrote that dwarf vampires are rare, so therefore, they exist. And yeah, he also says that dwarv blood tastes like stone and isn't really good, and there's something in it that makes the blood kiss often (note: "often", not "always") fail.

[AndrewGPaul]

One of the older short stories, possibly Red Thirst, mentions a dwarf vampire. There's further mention in one of Jack Yeovil's novels, I think.

[skavenSte]

Are you sure thay were dwarf's and not midgets with beards?

[Condottiere]

Is there an actual difference?

[skavenSte]

Is there an actual difference?

Apparently its in the feet. dwarfs wear boots, midgets can't find any to fit.

[Trimmey]

I would be inclined to say no myself, for several reasons.

Firstly most people don't consider any black library novels to be strictly canon as the authors are always given a fair amount of liberty in what they do with the background.

Secondly the fact that the dwarfs are inherently resistant to magic would imply that the process was impossible. Remember that Vampirism is not really a mundane virus in this setting, if it is a virus at all. While we can see in the Chaos Dwarfs that this resistance can be overcome, as they have sorcerers, they do suffer the severe side effect of slowly turning into stone. Therefore it seems likely that dwarf vampires would recieve a similar side effect, although it would occur much more quickly as vampires are effectively always channeling dark magic, not just when they want to cast a spell.

Thirdly due to a dwarf's stubborn nature and intolerance of anything remotely chaotic, dark or unnatural I would imagine that 99.9% of dwarfs would immediately commit suicide if they DID become vampires.

Fourthly vampires only reward the blood kiss to those they have a close personel relationship with, which is very unlikely if the dwarf is even vaguely aware of the Vampire's condition.

However I have to say that this isn't the biggest background problem with your army. The main problem I can see is that you seriously oversetimate the amount of vampires there are in the entire Warhammer world. Although there is now one whole unit of them in the bloodknights I imagine that you would see such a unit even more rarely than you would see a steamtank on the battlefield in an empire army. (Of course this doesn't stop everyone and thier dog from feilding them in all of thier army lists.)

Of course with that said if you like this army idea then please feel free to completely ignore me and do it anyway.

[Condottiere]

I foresee the coming of Halfdan the Vampire Slayer.

Halfdan - Dwarf who takes Slayer vows after becoming a Vampire.

[spetswalshe]

I think it states that Dwarfs are mentally incapable of commiting suicide, though. Hence why they have the Slayer Oath. I'd also argue the point about most people not considering BL canon, but sometimes I truly wish that was true.

I think one reason why they're rare might be the whole personal-relationship thing. It's not really a case that a victim who escapes gets turned - I don't think the Blood Kiss can actually happen by accident. And Dwarfs tend not to chummy up with the undead in the same way humans do. I could see a few Chaos Dwarf vampires creeping about, but most Dwarfs would happily stake anyone who turned out to be one of the living dead.

I know it's common practice to happily post while ignoring the others

Dude you're not allowed to say it out loud, people might feel the need to reply and that breaks the magic where the only posts that matter are the OP and the one you've just written.