Editing Jiangshi (section)

=[[Dungeons and Dragons]]=
[[File:Mummy VRGttAD 6.jpg|right|250px]]
Like most [[vampire]] variants, the jiangshi debuted in [[Dungeons & Dragons]] via the [[Ravenloft]] setting... and was not actually very mythologically accurate at all.

The original D&D jiangshi was the ''Oriental Vampire'', which was actually a weird mishmash of a conventional western vampire and a bakeneko; a [[hengeyokai|spiritually awakened cat]] with a modus operandi similar to a [[vampire]] or [[succubus]]. This vampire looks largely like its living self, save a feral cast to its features, slightly luminescent skin, and that its nails grow into massive claws, which it tends to favor over weaponry. They can't turn into mist, but can turn invisible and walk through walls. Their gaze paralyses a victim with a mesmeric effect rather than charming them. They can summon insect swarms and great cats to their aid, and transform into tigers (unlike the regular vampire, which can turn into bats, rats and woles). They are repulsed by mirrors, holy symbols, garlands of rosemary & ivy, and the scent of incense of rosemary and myrrh. They lack the ability of the "western" vampire to climb walls like a spider, but can instead levitate at will, and retain their cousin's lack of a reflection or shadow and their ability to move in complete silence. Nonmagical weapons that strike these vampires do no damage and are destroyed. They must rest in at least a cubic foot of soil from their original burial place at night; if exposed to sunlight, or prevented from sleeping in this grave-soil for nine days in a row, they are destroyed. Staking them through the heart with bamboo renders them inert; killing them requires placing blessed rosemary in the vampire's mouth and then sewing its mouth and eyes shut with golden thread using a silver needle. These vampires are largely associated with the Japanese-based domain of Rokushima Taiyoo and the India-based domain of Sri Raji, in large part due to the setting's only China-based domain, I'Cath, being an uninhabited wasteland. Third edition brought this vampire back, renaming it the ''Chiang-shi''.

[[Van Richten's Guide]] to the Ancient Dead (aka, the [[Mummy]] Mini-[[Monster Manual]] for Ravenloft) would, ironically, feature a picture of a Chinese-themed Ancient Dead that looks a ''lot'' like a jiangshi, and is featured here.

A more mythologically accurate jiangshi, including actually being ''called'' "jiangshi", wouldn't enter D&D canon until 5th edition, via [[Van Richten's Guide]] to [[Ravenloft]].
* Created when a soul becomes trapped in its own corpse.
* Affected by rigor mortis, they hold their arms rigidly and walk with a stiff gait.
* If it drains life energy from the living, for the next 7 days its walking speed doubles and it gains the ability to fly.
**the creature killed with the draining attack then immediately rises as a CR 3 [[Wight]] which can become a Jiangshi 5 days later if kill a person with a Drain attack.
* [[Gotcha Monster|They can polymorph into a Beast, a Humanoid, or an Undead that is Medium or Small while maintaining their statistics]] (imaging a rat starts flying, superman their 3 presents head and then devour the four's soul).
* Hide in their tombs and ruins during the day to avoid the living.
* Scared of their own reflection.
* Touching or wearing a holy symbol causes them to automatically fail saving throws against effects that turn undead.
* '''A Sleeper apocalypse:''' Van Richten's Guide may introduce zombie plague spreaders, [[Deathstar Units|Jiangshi have better built for a single one create an undead horde]]. Using only Datasheets as written, Jiangshi is likely to down several common low CR humanoids that make up most villages, Creating squads of battle-ready Wights in a minute (10 rounds of combat) which then mature into more Jiangshi 5 days later after it turns a sob into a [[zombie]]. This effectively turns CR 0 Villagers instantly into CR 3 mobs that later Morph into CR 9. If that's not bad enough, they have high intelligence (so supposedly smart, on pare with common wizards and Dragons). They do have some weakness: must Use its reaction to move away a seen reflection (just look away or send the Wights); [[Dexterity|Low Dex]] (only matters for people that know [[List of D&D Spells#Fireball|Fireball]], and they are not supposed to be that numerous even in wealthy cities in most settings). infiltration and surprised attacks are come easy to them will the ability to turn into undiscerning animals, humanoids, or even an unimpressive zombie. As the hoard leaders pick their right targets to get the ball rolling, remembering only deliver the killing blow with drain attacks, avoid Pitched field battles, don't do it near [[Theocracy|very religious]] [[Paladin|Peaple]], and Hope level appropriate PC don't confront it or use a [[Plot Armor|Deus Ex Maguffen]].