Vampire Pumpkin
āInktober Monster Challenge 10: Vampire PumpkināĀ Ā© Richard Svennson, accessed at his deviantArt here
[I will no longer be in Europe for the World Tour project in October, but I still figured I should cover this exceedingly spooktacular monster. The only primary source for the vampire pumpkin comes from Tatomir P. VukanoviÄ, who wrote about the folklore of the Romani in Serbia. Part of me wonders if it is a goof, in either direction. Whether Vukanovic made it up as a joke, or whether the Romani he interviewed made it up to mess with the guy asking all the questions.Ā
Regardless, the original vampire pumpkin doesnāt bite people; it just moves around and causes ill-feelings. Which makes it moreĀ āvampireā as in monster than actual blood drinking undead. This is one of the few images of the vampire pumpkin out there, and it gives it fangs (which has the advantage of making this something you can fight, rather than a hazard).]
Vampire Pumpkin CR Ā½ NE Plant This creature resembles a large, blotched pumpkin with vines still attached. It has narrow eyes and a small slit for a mouth, in which are surprisingly sharp canine teeth.
In cursed lands, or areas where the undead commonly roam, even the vegetables may turn sinister. Vampire pumpkins can form from any sort of curcubit, including melons, squashes and gourds, but for whatever reason pumpkins are the most common. Vampire pumpkins are barely sapient, being able to understand a few words in a language commonly spoken where they live. They obey intelligent undead creatures, and are slavishly devoted to vampires. A vampireās castle may have a patch of vampire pumpkins growing outside it, whether the vampire wants it or not.
Vampire pumpkins are skittish and cowardly if not led by the undead, and tend to skulk in shadowy places rather than attack indiscriminately. If cornered, or if a foe is clearly weakened or dying, it will bite, which causes a surprising amount of blood loss for such a little nip. What makes vampire pumpkins especially dangerous is their cursed aura. Whether or not the vampire pumpkin shows itself, creatures near it become more vulnerable to accidents, disease and other misfortunes. Thus, identifying the vampire pumpkin is often more difficult than actually killing the thingāvampire pumpkins are slow, and can be pulped, chopped or boiled with only slightly more difficulty than an ordinary squash.
Despite their sinister behavior, vampire pumpkins are still edible. Dishes made with them have a slightly more iron-rich flavor, but are otherwise harmless.
