Change into Bat

Change into Bat^[1] or Turn To Bat^[2] is a special ability that can be used when you possess a Vampire in Dungeon Keeper 2. It allows the Vampire to fly around the map like a Firefly, and is useful for stealthy missions in which you need to be discreet.^[1]

The change is instantaneous, but it is followed by a slightly delayed smoke poof rising effect around the first person shapeshifter, which also happens when changing back to humanoid form.

This change enables the Vampire not only to fly over lava, literally traverse such natural obstacles like a Firefly, Fairy, Salamander, or Giant, but also enables him to overcome his (un)natural weakness to water. With one significant caveat: He will not be able to attack in bat form.

A certain level of caution is advised! The Vampire can still be attacked by A.I. creatures in bat form, although player controlled possessed creatures might have quite some difficulty managing to hit such a fast and virtually small target with a melee attack and have further difficulty both to target and hit with a ranged attack, that can miss.

Tips[]

Just so you know, the Vampire cannot Hypnotise or perform Grouping while in bat form, but is free to do creeping.
Be careful not to un-change or stop possession above water. The un-/non-possessed Vampire is not intelligent enough to move out of water with its pathfinding and most probably starts taking damage instantly when going back to his own tasks. This is extremely dangerous at level 1 and may result in one of his deaths, and still quite annoyingly wasteful above/past that. Unfortunately, nor is he smart enough to assume his bat form without a possessing Keeper doing it for him manually to get out of water.
If a player Keeper is particularly fond of Possession, the Vampire can move to and from a lava bridge quarantine in bat form to participate in later, non-possessed, artificially simulated real battle training, which a Vampire can take part in a stable way between levels 4 to 7 (if its target is melee only) due to not doing any ranged damage with his ranged attacks yet.
If injured in a bigger battle, even if in bat form, if allied creatures who have the Heal Creature ability notice you, they will heal you if they are also engaged in battle. However, a level 2+ Warlock is way more probable to do it than a Monk for some reason. Alternatively, you may fly over Hero Lair.
Be careful! If your Vampire moves slow due to low health, that slowness is inherited by his bat form too!
A Vampire in bat form doesn't trigger step-on/pressure traps, Freeze, Gas, and Spike.

Bugs[]

This is probably a bug, grouping gets cancelled after a short time when the Vampire assumes bat form.

Trivia[]

In bat form, while flying, the Vampire's possessor player can actually notice himself being able to slightly change elevation in flight to look at his surroundings from a slightly higher, elevated vantage point.
Bugs: Related to a bug, as a piece of possibly useless detail, the Vampire can change into a bat while he is trapped inside a Temple's central pool, where he fell in. (This particular water does not harm him.)
In older versions of the game, you could stand still in water or lava after returning to humanoid form, and not get harmed. This is no longer the case, probably with most modern versions of the game. Watch out!
When the player times the exit / cancelling of possession lucky enough between game ticks, a bat animal can momentarily be visible. A black one for normal vampires and a white one observed for the elite Kessler von Doom - however, the latter being white may or may not be a bug.