This one is from Scottish legend. Whether its more a vampire, or a succubus or some kind of fairy is open to interpretation. My take is that its the rarest of all things, a fey-influenced undead. And that actually gives us a great story to build this foe around - it isn't exactly a vampire, it doesn't have the weaknesses of a vampire, but it has weaknesses of the fey. Intended as a high hazard foe for expert level adventurers.
Baobhan sith
by Cab Davidson
From the Journal of Averyx
"The fey of Mystara are not beholden to the laws of the immortals, to the realities that obviously bind the living to immortals and (less obviously) immortals to the living. And they are among the most variable of all creatures, each being essentially an immortal soul that after death may choose to return as almost any other fey form. And this is in most respects the great strength of the fey realm, which is older and more bizarre than you've ever considered. That is, however, a subject for another day. Suffice to say that despite the fey not being subject to the ravages of time, they do not exist outside of time and change, and the choices they make as to what to return as are influenced by the mortal world around them. Theirs is a different world to that of the mortals, but it is one that holds a sort of mirror to it, and as such many of the ailments that inflict mortal man can also inflict the fey.
The vampirism virus rarely takes hold of the fey, partly because there are so few encounters between the fey and vampires. Where it does, the result is tragic. Rather like the soul of a mortal is cut off and unable to pass on, the soul of the fey is unable to find its way back to the spirit realm. Finding itself unable to reform, it transforms its body into a twisted interpretation of both fairy and humanity.
It is quite interesting that while the fey soul can construct a huge range of forms, and come back as almost any other known (and ample as yet unknown) forms, the baobhan sith has but one. It appears as if a red headed human female, invariably clad in a green velvet gown that hides a lower body in the form of a deer. Human sages in the regions of Heldann and Norwold (where the baobhan sith is most common) have speculated that this may have been designed by an unknown entropic immortal, chosen as the form for infiltration. But sages do have a habit of making things up to cover gaps in their knowledge, and the truth is far simpler - there is but a single mutant of the virus can infect fey, most common in the Northern parts of Brun, that cannot quite copy the form of the humans it previously infected, and this strange visage is the best it can do.
So what we have in the Baobhan sith is a creature of darkness but which is still in essence a fairy, with some of the strengths of each and a mixture of weaknesses that reflect both. Perhaps, in swapping one form of immortality for another far less pleasant one, the baobhan sith is the one which most deserves our pity."
| Stat | Baobhan sith |
| AC: | 2 |
| HD: | 7** to 9** |
| Move: | 120’ (40’) or per animal form |
| Attacks: | 1 |
| Damage: | 1d10+ double energy drain |
| No. Appearing: | 0 (1) |
| Save As: | F7-9 |
| Morale: | 11 |
| Treasure Type: | F |
| Intelligence: | 10 |
| Alignment: | Chaotic |
| XP Value: | 1,250; 1,750 or 2,300 |
The rare and dangerous baobhan sith are believe to be the the unusual product of vampiric infection of fey creatures. It is unknown exactly how they are created, but the result is one of the more feared and hated undead.
They appear as if beautiful women with pale red hair, invariably wearing green velvet dresses that hide the fact that rather than human feet they have the hooves of red deer. They can gaze at any foe within 120’, who must make a save vs. spells (with a -2 penalty) or be charmed, and use this (alongside their great beauty) to attract victims. They can at will take the form of a raven, black cat, deer or hooded crow. They may also assume gaseous form a will. In any form, a baobhan sith regenerates 3hp per round, starting from the round they first take damage. They may also assume gaseous form. All such transformations take 1 round to complete. They may summon any of the following creatures to assist them, and if they are within 300 yards the will arrive as quickly as they can.
| Creature | Number | Creature | Number |
| Cats | 2d10 | Crows/Rooks | 1d20x10 |
| Great Cats | 1d6 | Ravens | 1d10x10 |
| Deer | 2d8 | Eagles | 2d8 |
Baobhan sith are similar to vampires in many ways, but there are important differences. They cast a reflection in a mirror, and they do not abhor garlic. They do not need to retreat to a coffin, nor does sunlight harm them (although they prefer to hunt by night, to hide their deer like feet and footprints). They spend the day in mist form, merged into the soil. They suffer no restrictions crossing running water. Lastly, they have no immunity to normal weapons, nor is a wooden stake required to kill them – but iron weapons must be used (see below). They are unable to approach holy symbols, and are turned as if vampires.
They are somewhat vulnerable to iron, and weapons containing iron in as pure form as possible cause them more harm than those which do not. Mundane steel weapons cause normal damage to them, whereas magical weapons up to +2 enchantment cause half damage, whereas weapons of +3 or greater enchantment contain so little iron in an appropriate form that only the magical bonus causes damage (e.g. any blow from a sword +4 causes 4 points of damage to them). Baobhan sith are immune to first and second level spells. A baobhan sith redued to 0 hp will turn to mist and retreat, merging into the earth until the following sunset. Unless the final (killing) blow to kill a baobhan sith is made with a pure iron (rather than steel) weapon then it will survive and return the following night.
A human killed by a baobhan sith rises the next night as a vampire, but independent and not under control of the slayer, whereas an elf killed by baobhan sith rises as a banshee. It is postulated that a sidhe may return as a baobhan sith. Other creatures are believed to remain dead.
There are baobhan sith spellcasters, and many are clerics – they can clerics or magic users of up to 9th level. Note that spellcasting undead may have some resistance to turning (see RC).