Normal vampires spawn vampires (if victim is high enough level) or vampire spawn (weaker sub-vampires that result from non-adventurer types).
What most frustrates me--and this happens a lot--is that it seems like the flavor text of what the creatures are like doesn't mesh with the stats. Particularly the Terror Vampire. He really needs a base ability to create illusions around himself that targeted individuals see. He needs to appear to dislocate his jaws hideously and drip insects. He doesn't. He can change his shape and alter terrain and make nightmare opponents for his enemies--but the few powers he needs he don't have. I'd like the Savage Vampire to be a real bruiser, but he doesn't really feel all that savage. He feels like a variant vampire with some different abilities. I like the ideas a lot, but will probably totally rewrite their powers when I use them to make them feel like what they should be.
They are just variant vampires with different abilities.
The terror vampire can do all the things the flavor text describes with his spell-like abilities. Granted, he would have to have a lot of hit dice. I'm pretty sure 'silent image' could produce the dislocated jaw and insect dripping effect. That's only five hit dice. Human with five levels of a PC class and that template would fit the requirements, and onlt be a CR of 8.
As for the savage vampire, he IS a bruiser. He's got wild shape, big strength bonus, and that animal summoning ability. The one in the magazine can turn into a dire bear apparently, according to the wild shape table in the "Class Acts" section. Plus on top of all that you could really mess with your PC's with the savage vampire as he doesn't need a coffin.
But as the text says, these are just variants designed to baffle the players, not so much to be 'more powerful' then the standard. There's a 3rd Edition template on the Wizard's site called a "Vampire Lord" that's pretty insane if you want more powerful. It needs converted, but talk about hard to get rid of.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mm/20021018a
A Savage Vampire with THAT template. I cringe at the thought.
Just my thoughts.
-Aaron
Who said more powerful? Heck I wouldn't mind colorful and specialized but less powerful than a standard vampire.
Basically this is what I'd like to see conceptually in the various vampires:
Savage: Can Pounce, Rend and Knockback foes, more bite damage, bonus damage on Charges, Rage ability, Power Attack--things like that. Looks like a zombie from 28 days later. No alternate forms. No summoning. No free animal change if injured. Can't talk beyond grunts and howls. Their spawn are uncontrolled versions of their own kind as likely to attack their master as anything else. No zombie army for them thank you.
Shadow: Not a Shadowdancer, but rather a quasi-incoporeal creature like a shade that leaves his body in his coffin every night and returns to it in the morning, animating it just long enough to feed on subdued victims it drags back to its lair. It can shadow walk at will, disappearing and reappearing out of any shadow and travelling with alarming speed. Spawn are shadows/shades/whatever minor undead under its control. Shadow Vampire returns to body if "killed" and heals. No dominate, no summoning, blood drain only in body.
Terror: Ability to use Alter Self and Prestidigitation at will, ability to use Suggestion 1/day per point of Cha. Modifier, escalating magical fear aura based on HD. Feed on Wisdom not slam based, but through fear abilities and illusions. Spawn and masters resent each other and see each other as competition each seeking their own territory. No eyebite. No other magic. That's it.
You see what I mean here? Creatures feeling like their flavor text. I think I'm actually going to cut and paste this and use it...it's not bad.