vampires in the underworld

[Shadowdragon]

What, if any, effect would the Underworld have on vampires? They're dead, but they're not Bound or ghosts, and they don't have Essence or Plasm. I know they won't be able to feed on anything, so no regaining vitae unless they bring blood bags, and there's no real sunlight, but is there anything else?

[Eldagusto]

From what I recall in the 1st ed books Vampires are judged by the Old Laws on a case by case basis, and sometimes they can find blood dripping from the ceiling can slow drink it by standing with their maws open for a couple hours for a point.

[PinkHaunt]

Yeah second edition didn't really tells us a whole lot about other supernaturals in the underworld, but I think some of what's said in Book of the Dead from the frist edition coud still be applied if you contextualize it within the second edition underworld. If I remember well, all Eidagusto said is right about vamps inside the underworld, there's no sun, so they don't run the risk or damage by sunlight, and they don't have to daysleep either.

Blood's hard to come by, they can find some dripping from the ceiling and stand there with their mouths open like Eidagusto said. I suppose that if they found the river of blood, they could drink from it suffering the weird side effects and risking calling the attention of a Cthonian dwelling inside the river. I also think there was a merit on Book of the Dead called Ghost Drinker which allowed a vamp to drink ghostly essence and convert it to Vitae, and I don't see a problem in using it at second edition, but narrative-wise that seems very specific and not something an average vampire would know about.

Finally, concerning the Old Laws, I tend to consider that Vamps count amongst the Dead for the purposes of being subject to the Old Laws, so any rule that applies to ghosts and sin-eaters also would apply to vamps if I were to decide on it

[Minty]

Personally I feel like any blood you would find in the Underworld would be dead blood and would be unlikely to have any vitae in it, but that's just based on food in the Underworld not providing sustenance for the living (per 2e core) rather than anything specific to vampires.

[Neos01]

Well, the merit Unnatural affinity, on 2ed vampire core, pag 114, allows you to drink blood from ghosts but gives you no ability to interact with twilight.
Entering the underworld would circumvent that difficulty

[Mad_Maudlin]

The Contagion Chronicle also refers to a Coil of the Dragon meant to allow Kindred to feed on ghostly Corpus, in the San Francisco setting, but a) it doesn't give specific rules for it, just mentions its existence, and b) all ghosts are materialized in this setting so the twilight thing isn't an issue.