I suspect Strahd has pointy ears because he is a vampire. When the novel Dracula by Bram Stocker was published in 1897, the title character is described as follows:
"His face was a strong—a very strong—aquiline, with high bridge of the thin nose and peculiarly arched nostrils; with lofty domed forehead, and hair growing scantily round the temples but profusely elsewhere. His eyebrows were very massive, almost meeting over the nose, and with bushy hair that seemed to curl in its own profusion. The mouth, so far as I could see it under the heavy moustache, was fixed and rather cruel-looking, with peculiarly sharp white teeth; these protruded over the lips, whose remarkable ruddiness showed astonishing vitality in a man of his years. For the rest, his ears were pale, and at the tops extremely pointed; the chin was broad and strong, and the cheeks firm though thin. The general effect was one of extraordinary pallor."
Chapter II; JONATHAN HARKER’S JOURNAL—continued; 5 May.
Ever since then, it has been popular to portray vampires with these features.
Hm. Could Strahd be a half elf? That could explain things to a degree. Also would explain why he has pointy ears, and has a really high level of stealth...... Could he be a half drow elf?
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I am part of the Cult of Grammar. Respect us. Or we will find the slightest mistake in your grammar, and never let you forget it. Clones would have saved Star Wars, and Kylo Ren sucks. MAKE THE EMPIRE GREAT AGAIN!!! I am a stormtrooper, and the Skywalker family is made of nothing but idiots who are insane. Cough Anakin and Luke Skywalker Cough
Hm. Could Strahd be a half elf? That could explain things to a degree. Also would explain why he has pointy ears, and has a really high level of stealth...... Could he be a half drow elf?
In lore it is clear that he is a human, but you can do whatever you want
OK. Wait! Maybe a An elf that was a vampire transformed him into a vampire, causing him to have pointy ears?
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I am part of the Cult of Grammar. Respect us. Or we will find the slightest mistake in your grammar, and never let you forget it. Clones would have saved Star Wars, and Kylo Ren sucks. MAKE THE EMPIRE GREAT AGAIN!!! I am a stormtrooper, and the Skywalker family is made of nothing but idiots who are insane. Cough Anakin and Luke Skywalker Cough
Oh wait. Never mind. D&D Vampirism doesn't work that way though.
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I am part of the Cult of Grammar. Respect us. Or we will find the slightest mistake in your grammar, and never let you forget it. Clones would have saved Star Wars, and Kylo Ren sucks. MAKE THE EMPIRE GREAT AGAIN!!! I am a stormtrooper, and the Skywalker family is made of nothing but idiots who are insane. Cough Anakin and Luke Skywalker Cough
No. An old Ravenloft novel (I forget which one) explicitly says that Strahd does not have Elven blood. I think @Eriniel is right. Strahd was the first vampyr and analogous to the Gothic novel version of Dracula in many ways (Vlad Drakov of Falkovnia is basically the historical Dracula).
OK. Wait! Maybe a An elf that was a vampire transformed him into a vampire, causing him to have pointy ears?
No, Strahd was not turned into a vampire by another vampire. He was the first vampire, so no previous vampire existed to turn him into a vampire. He made a pact with the Dark Powers of Ravenloft who turned him into a Vampire. Also, like you pointed out, in D&D lore, vampires don't gain the physical traits of the race of vampire that turned them into a vampire.
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
No, Strahd was not turned into a vampire by another vampire. He was the first vampire, so no previous vampire existed to turn him into a vampire. He made a pact with the Dark Powers of Ravenloft who turned him into a Vampire. Also, like you pointed out, in D&D lore, vampires don't gain the physical traits of the race of vampire that turned them into a vampire.
I think you are wrong there. Strahd was the first Vampire in HIS domain, yes - but not of all Vampires. That would strongly condradict 2 other facts. 1- Noone can leave Barovia, except Vistani. - So Strahd could not have populated the rest of the world with all the vampires out there. 2- Van Richten's son was kidnapped and sold to other Vampires - outside of Barovia.
Strahd was made a Vampire by the dark powers of Barovia. But there must be other Alpha-Vampires, made in similar ways, other places in the realms.
I changed strahd. She was a simple bartender at the local tavern that would give the players things to do. Not knowing what they were getting into they played along. They trusted her and were rewarded.
Should of seen the looks in their faces when they realized it all. Priceless!
I'm going with simple, if Strahd had no elven heritage, it wouldn't make sense considering that the picture of Strahd in life inside of Ravenloft shows him also with pointed ears, so it couldn't have been because he turned into a vampire.
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Hi DnDBeyond. If Strahd was a human.... why does he have pointy ears?
Hm. It make sense now
Hm. Could Strahd be a half elf? That could explain things to a degree. Also would explain why he has pointy ears, and has a really high level of stealth...... Could he be a half drow elf?
I am part of the Cult of Grammar. Respect us. Or we will find the slightest mistake in your grammar, and never let you forget it.
Clones would have saved Star Wars, and Kylo Ren sucks.
MAKE THE EMPIRE GREAT AGAIN!!! I am a stormtrooper, and the Skywalker family is made of nothing but idiots who are insane. Cough Anakin and Luke Skywalker Cough
Don't even TRY to argue with me about Star Wars.
In lore it is clear that he is a human, but you can do whatever you want
OK. Wait! Maybe a An elf that was a vampire transformed him into a vampire, causing him to have pointy ears?
I am part of the Cult of Grammar. Respect us. Or we will find the slightest mistake in your grammar, and never let you forget it.
Clones would have saved Star Wars, and Kylo Ren sucks.
MAKE THE EMPIRE GREAT AGAIN!!! I am a stormtrooper, and the Skywalker family is made of nothing but idiots who are insane. Cough Anakin and Luke Skywalker Cough
Don't even TRY to argue with me about Star Wars.
Oh wait. Never mind. D&D Vampirism doesn't work that way though.
I am part of the Cult of Grammar. Respect us. Or we will find the slightest mistake in your grammar, and never let you forget it.
Clones would have saved Star Wars, and Kylo Ren sucks.
MAKE THE EMPIRE GREAT AGAIN!!! I am a stormtrooper, and the Skywalker family is made of nothing but idiots who are insane. Cough Anakin and Luke Skywalker Cough
Don't even TRY to argue with me about Star Wars.
No. An old Ravenloft novel (I forget which one) explicitly says that Strahd does not have Elven blood. I think @Eriniel is right. Strahd was the first vampyr and analogous to the Gothic novel version of Dracula in many ways (Vlad Drakov of Falkovnia is basically the historical Dracula).
No, Strahd was not turned into a vampire by another vampire. He was the first vampire, so no previous vampire existed to turn him into a vampire. He made a pact with the Dark Powers of Ravenloft who turned him into a Vampire. Also, like you pointed out, in D&D lore, vampires don't gain the physical traits of the race of vampire that turned them into a vampire.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I changed strahd. She was a simple bartender at the local tavern that would give the players things to do. Not knowing what they were getting into they played along. They trusted her and were rewarded.
Should of seen the looks in their faces when they realized it all. Priceless!
I'm going with simple, if Strahd had no elven heritage, it wouldn't make sense considering that the picture of Strahd in life inside of Ravenloft shows him also with pointed ears, so it couldn't have been because he turned into a vampire.