So, I'm getting ready to run a new 5e Campaign (in Forgotten Realms) with my group, and two of the players asked me if they could play (and start) as classic Ravenloft-esque vampires, apparently because they're on a Castlevania kick. Being the accommodating and homebrew-comfortable DM that I am, I said yes.
Looked around a bit, didn't like any of the options I was able to find (including the race of pseudovampires from MtG and the homebrewed prestige class). With a bit of reviewing and suggestions from a friend, and a lot of reviewing the sorts of abilities vampires have in both 5e and previous editions of the game, I came up with a template that I'm comfortable allowing the players to have. It feels very much like it fits the themes of a D&D vampire, without giving the characters abilities that are too powerful for any given character level. It was also important to me that it be a template rather than class levels, so if the character is killed and resurrected (whereby they would come back without vampirism) the character would not have to be rebuilt, simply remove the template. The worst logistical issue would arise from them (possibly) having to replace vampire specific feats they took, which is much simpler, and has a smaller impact if they have to finish a session without them.
So, there has also been some confusion about what this is, and how I'm intending to use it, so I'm editing the post to try to clarify the goals and intentions and design target:
- This does not take the place of a race or a class. This is designed to be something you can bolt on to basically any character or monster, except when it wouldn't make sense, like a fire elemental.
- I'm approaching the design not as a race or class. This template should function more like a cursed artifact, that's very difficult to get rid of without dying and being revived, and which unlocks new level-appropriate abilities as you level up.
- As a result, in terms of the number of abilities you have, this should increase versatility. But in terms of actual Power, this template should keep things fairly close to where they were before. For instance, a 7th level Wizard should be about as effective at handling any single encounter as a 7th level Vampire wizard, but the Vampire Wizard would have some more options to work with, as well as some restrictions and shortcomings to work around.
The daylight and water weaknesses could be a very large hurdle, so much so that this will not be suitable to all campaigns. Primarily those where the characters spend a lot of time outdoors during the day. Another significant concern is the shortage of low level spells that can heal undead in 5e. In my particular case I'll be allowing coming up with some healing abilities to fill that gap. I have not determined what they will be yet, but I may allow a necrotic lay-on-hands from the vampire paladin, and I may also add in a new spell for clerics that heals undead but not the living.
Vampire
Any creature that is not an elemental, construct, or undead can become a vampire. When a creature becomes a vampire, it retains all statistics except as noted below.
Vampire Traits
Undead Type: The creature’s type changes to undead. Undead creatures don’t breathe, and don’t need to sleep.
Darkvision: 60ft.
Damage Vulnerability: Radiant, piercing damage from wooden weapons, slashing damage from silver weapons.
Damage Resistance: Necrotic; nonmagical bludgeoning damage.
Shadowless: A vampire casts no shadows and shows no reflection in a mirror.
Blood Drain: A vampire can spend 1 minute sucking blood from a grappled, paralyzed, restrained, stunned, unconscious, or willing opponent, giving the victim one level of exhaustion. For each size category smaller that the victim is, increase the levels of exhaustion given by 1. For each size category larger than the vampire that the victim is, increase the number of times the Blood Drain action has to be used before the victim gets a level of exhaustion by 1 (larger creatures have more blood). For instance, a medium vampire trying to blood drain a gargantuan creature has to blood drain 4 times before the victim takes a level of exhaustion. When a vampire uses Blood Drain, it recovers a level of exhaustion.
Create Spawn: After reaching level 3, A vampire can choose to take a level of exhaustion (for thirst, if you’re tracking such things). if it does, it can spend 30 seconds giving a dead creature vampirism. The DM rolls a medium Charisma+Proficiency check (Charisma+level bonus for my group) for the vampire (in secret). The vampire can attempt this multiple times, taking a level of exhaustion each time. Each time it is attempted, the DM records the best result. On a success, the target rises again as a vampire at the next sundown. If the vampire failed the Charisma Check, if the target’s body is destroyed by fire, if the target has been decapitated, or if the target has been dead for longer than 2 minutes before the vampire starts to Create Spawn, the creature simply remains dead..
Hard to Kill: Vampires can only truly *die* a handful of ways: fire, sunlight, running water, decapitation, massive damage. When a vampire drops to 0hp, they do not make death saves (and can suffer neither death saving throw successes or failures), they stay inert unless something brings them back to 1hp, or kills them. When at or below 0hp, a vampire continues to accrue levels exhaustion from thirst. On the one hand, this means they don't have a 50% chance of death in a few rounds. On the other hand, this means vampires never stabilize during combat, and when taken down they stay down, giving their enemies lots of time to finish them off.
Torpor: A vampire who would die of exhaustion does not carry on to an afterlife. They remain trapped in their unmoving husk, trapped with no senses, with only their own thoughts to keep them company. A vampire in torpor can be resuscitated using a pint of fresh blood, which activates their regeneration ability. They come back with 4 levels of thirst exhaustion (an additional 4 pints will bring them back without any exhaustion). If they were in Torpor for more than a day, they come back with one indefinite madness trait. If they were in torpor for more than 7 days, they come back with two indefinite madness traits instead.
Regeneration: As a bonus action, if it isn't in fire, sunlight, or running water, the vampire can choose to take a level of exhaustion (for thirst, if you’re tracking such things). If it does, for the next 5 rounds, it regains its level in hit points at the start of its turn. If the vampire takes radiant damage, fire damage, acid damage from running water, or damage from holy water, this trait doesn't function at the start of the vampire's next turn. A vampire who is at 0hp and has fewer than 5 levels of exhaustion can activate this ability once per day, at dusk (after accumulating any applicable thirst exhaustion for the day). Once the vampire uses this ability, it can’t use it again until it finishes a long rest.
Climb: A vampire climbs without it costing additional movement.
Spider Climb: After reaching level 5, a vampire is treated as though it were permanently under the effects of a Spider-Climb spell.
Vampiric Powers
If a vampire isn’t in sunlight or running water, it can use the following abilities.
Children of the Night: As an action, when indoors, a vampire can magically call swarms of bats or rats, or half as many swarms of centipedes or spiders. While outdoors, it can instead call wolves or giant wolf spiders (as appropriate to the environment). The number of creatures called is as follows:
| Level | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swarm (Bat, Rat) | 1d4 |
| 1 | Swarm (Centipede, Spider) | 1d2 |
| 1 | Wolves, Giant Wolf Spiders | 2d4 |
| 3 | Swarm (Bat, Rat) | 2d3 |
| 3 | Swarm (Centipede, Spider) | 1d3 |
| 3 | Wolves, Giant Wolf Spiders | 2d6 |
| 5 | Swarm (Bat, Rat) | 2d4 |
| 5 | Swarm (Centipede, Spider) | 1d4 |
| 5 | Wolves, Giant Wolf Spiders | 3d6 |
The called creatures arrive in 1d4 rounds. The vampire can direct them using verbally and somatically, as a bonus action. The creatures remain for 1 hour, until the vampire dies, or until it dismisses them as a bonus action. Once the vampire uses this ability, it can’t use it again until it finishes a long rest.
Charm: Starting at level 3, a vampire can target a humanoid it can see within 30 ft. of it. If the target can see them as well, the target must succeed on a DC (8+Proficiency+CHA) Wisdom saving throw against this magic or be charmed by the vampire. The charmed target regards the vampire as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn't under the vampire’s control, it takes the vampire’s requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, and it is a willing target for the vampire’s Blood Drain attack.
A target that succeeds its saving throw is immune to the vampire’s charm ability for 24 hours. Each time the vampire or the vampire's companions do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 8 hours or until the vampire is destroyed, is on a different plane of existence than the target, or takes a bonus action to end the effect. Once the vampire uses this ability, it can’t use it again until it finishes a long rest.
Weaknesses
Diet Restriction: A vampire can only subsist on blood. For purposes of hunger and thirst, vampires are immune to hunger, but are twice as thirsty, and the only fluid that will nourish them is blood. For a vampire, thirst exhaustion is evaluated at dusk each day.
Forbiddance: The vampire can't enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants.
Harmed by Running Water: The vampire takes 20 acid damage if it starts its turn in running water. It takes 10 acid damage if it starts its turn in heavy rain, and it takes 5 acid damage if it starts its turn in light rain. If the creature had a swim speed before becoming a vampire, it does not have this weakness.
Stake to the Heart: If a piercing weapon made of wood is driven into the vampire's heart while the vampire is incapacitated or unconscious, the vampire is paralyzed until the stake is removed.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity: The vampire takes 10 radiant damage (doubled for vulnerability) when it starts its turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
Vampire Feats
At each indicated character level, choose one of the listed spells to be permanently added to your spells prepared. They do not count towards your limit.
- 1st - Cause Fear, Command, Fog Cloud
- 3rd - Darkness, Misty Step, Suggestion
- 5th - Hold Person, Fly, Meld Into Stone, Speak with Dead
- 7th - Arcane Eye, Dominate Beast
- 9th - Dominate Person, Dream, Geas
If you aren’t in sunlight or running water, you can use your action to transform into one of the following forms, or back to your own natural form.
- Bat Form: Starting at level 4, you can transform into a tiny bat. While in bat form, you can't speak or take any actions, your walking speed is 5 feet, and you have a flying speed of 30 feet. Your statistics, other than your size and speed, are unchanged. You revert to your true form if you die.
- Mist Form: Starting at level 6, you can transform into a medium cloud of mist. While in mist form, you can't take any actions, speak, or manipulate objects. You are weightless, have a flying speed of 20 feet, can hover, and can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. In addition, if air can pass through a space, you can do so without squeezing, and you can't pass through water. You have advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws, and you are immune to all nonmagical damage, except the damage you take from sunlight, running water, or fire. You revert to your true form if you die.
Your charm ability is usable at-will, and now lasts 24 hours.
So, I know that some people are very against players having templates, such as for a vampire, or lich, or what have you. In my experience it works out well so long as the template in question isn't adding large stacking bonuses to what the player already had. But at this point, this template looks like it should get the job done without breaking the game. I'll come back and update this after it's been at the table for a while, and detail how it worked out for us.
Hey man. Very neat this template.
ReplyDeleteAnd how is the FFT adaptation coming? I'd like to see it fulfiled, and also I'd like to help, if needed.
Keep up the good job!
Hey man. Sorry the blog's been so dead.
DeleteMy Dad died, then I went through an intensive year of college (did a 4 term diploma in under a year), got married, getting ready to go on my honeymoon and then move across the country. I intend to pick up on my FFT adaptation after the move, but It'll be November before I get my feet back on the ground.
Won't be my only big time commitment, but I will be able to start to chip away at it again, and gradually get a first pass on the rest of the classes done, before going back and doing a second pass on it to work on balance. I have rough notes on some more than never went up, but they're not ready to post.
I could be open to working on the FFT project with someone however, once I'm done my move, if that's something you'd be interested in. I do like FFT a whole lot.