Monster Revisions

[Upper_Krust]

Hi zarquin mate!

But that system wouldn't work for a PC who for the most part never really gains size catagories. So then they are left without a mechanic to raise stats, which I think is a bad thing.

PCs gain class levels, not hit dice as such.

Using a system that says that PC still DO gain attribute points every 4 HD, but monsters don't is shifting the balance of power even further to the PC, which doesn't need to be done.

How is it shifting power. Monsters get a Challenge Rating AFTER they are designed, not before.

Really that system isn't needed unless you're looking at creatures with atleast THOUSANDS of HD and by that point, there are greater problems that need to be dealt with.

I think it makes sense at lower hit dice values as well though. If I design a monster I don't want to have to worry about adding extra ability scores AFTER its already designed. Especially when (apart from the size rules) there is absolutely no proceedure to tell you which points get added to which score.

Like the problem of DDQ for VSCs and Spell levels, but not DDQ for HP. Since a 6000 str or an 800th level spell both do effectively infinite damage, where infinite is defined by the damage needed to OHKO a zota-titantic creature that has taken only inproved toughness and put every attribute point into CON, or about 10^60 points of damage.

The simple answer to those problems is that there is no actual answer. Every possible solution creates its own seperate problem.

If you don't have DDQ for VSCs then combat will take forever at higher levels.

DDQ for spells is a different kettle of fish, but to me, without it, there is nothing 'epic' about epic magic. The challenge for me is merging DDQ with Dimensional Magic without blowing up the universe at 50th-level. Obviously DDQ spells is going to run into the same problem as VSCs - at a certain power level its going to become unbalanced, but if that power level is already time lord or thereabouts then I think the pros will outweigh the cons.

 

[paradox42]

The more I think about it the more I hate being forced into giving a monster bonus ability score points due to its hit dice. Its just so bloody arbitrary.

Designing these mile tall giants really illustrates the flaws of adhering to that mantra, which, retroactively I don't think is even in the rules.

Trouble is, it is in the rules: here's a link to prove it. This is a link to the online version of the d20 SRD, the base rules of the system; the section under "Ability Score Arrays" and subsection titled "Ability Score Improvement" clearly states:

Ability Score Improvement
Treat monster Hit Dice the same as character level for determining ability score increases. This only applies to Hit Dice increases, monsters do not gain ability score increases for levels they "already reached" with their racial Hit Dice, since these adjustments are included in their basic ability scores.

Now, with this you could potentially make an argument that if you do something like add a Macrobe template then the ability score adjustments for increased hit dice shouldn't happen, since presumably the monster always was a Macrobe and thus its new HD are its inborn racial number. A key point, though, is what you do with the clause that says "these adjustments are already included in their basic ability scores." That strongly implies that it's supposed to work for base HD as well, at least in some manner.

Anyway, if you do go with the no-ability-increases-for-Macrobes method, then properly speaking you need to remove the notion of ability score increases by HD from other areas of the rules- like Immortals gaining ability increases for their HD which you incorporated into your "average score" numbers in Chapter 2 of Ascension. Since most beings of (for example) Sidereal class have always been that way, since the cosmos was created from the detritus of the Demiurge, their HD are racial HD- and their ability scores will accordingly get significantly lower. If you want to keep their numbers high, then those numbers will have to come from somewhere else.

Which is more satisfying to you?

 

[zarquin]

Ability Score Improvement
Treat monster Hit Dice the same as character level for determining ability score increases. This only applies to Hit Dice increases, monsters do not gain ability score increases for levels they "already reached" with their racial Hit Dice, since these adjustments are included in their basic ability scores.

Right, that is saying that the ability scores increases should already by factored into the monster when creating it. Which means that a creature still should have ~HD/4+63 total attribute points.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hiya matey!

Now, with this you could potentially make an argument that if you do something like add a Macrobe template then the ability score adjustments for increased hit dice shouldn't happen, since presumably the monster always was a Macrobe and thus its new HD are its inborn racial number. A key point, though, is what you do with the clause that says "these adjustments are already included in their basic ability scores." That strongly implies that it's supposed to work for base HD as well, at least in some manner.

Anyway, if you do go with the no-ability-increases-for-Macrobes method, then properly speaking you need to remove the notion of ability score increases by HD from other areas of the rules- like Immortals gaining ability increases for their HD which you incorporated into your "average score" numbers in Chapter 2 of Ascension. Since most beings of (for example) Sidereal class have always been that way, since the cosmos was created from the detritus of the Demiurge, their HD are racial HD- and their ability scores will accordingly get significantly lower. If you want to keep their numbers high, then those numbers will have to come from somewhere else.

Which is more satisfying to you?

I think the rules are totally clear on how to handle things.

You don't retroactively gain bonuses for Hit Dice you always had, only for advancing.

A Macrobe Humanoid is not a humanoid that somehow grew really, really big, its a race unto itself.

A Balor (20 HD) doesn't retroactively gain +5 ability points, but if it advanced to 40 HD then it would gain +5 (in addition to other possible boosts).

 

[Gothenem]

A Balor (20 HD) doesn't retroactively gain +5 ability points, but if it advanced to 40 HD then it would gain +5 (in addition to other possible boosts).

Do we really know tha though? It could already be included.

 

[dante58701]

A revision of an elder vampire template I found.

Elder Vampire

A few vampire lords that survive long enough can attain ever greater power still. However, this requires a "trial by fire".

As is uncommonly known, the only way to make sure that a vampire lord does not return is to cut its head from its body, burn the body and the head separately, scatter the ashes from the body over running water, immerse the ashes from the head in holy water, and bury the immersed ashes in consecrated ground. However, if the head ashes are ever unearthed and somehow separated from the holy water, dried thoroughly, and then subjected to an unhallow spell, the vampire lord can regenerate in a week if the ashes are placed inside one of its places of rest.

In theory, this could bring a vampire lord back to the unlife it formerly enjoyed. However, more powerful vampire lords, the ones that have been vampire lords for over 250 years and have over 20 class levels, have a special condition upon this return. If the vampire lord has been brought back in this fashion, then fully immersed, even briefly, into the negative energy plane itself, and then subjected to a miracle or wish, the vampire lord evolves into an elder vampire.

If vampire lords exist they are few and far between, elder vampires are even more rare. If any exist, they having existed unchallenged for eons. More often than not, elder vampires grow weary of the world and go into hibernation, waking only periodically. Elder vampires have the power to command entire nations of vampires and often exist as the central figure of legions of followers and slaves.

Elder vampires, like vampire lords, often look as they did in life. However, elder vampires can take on a new look, though the specifics of this vary from elder vampire to elder vampire. If and when someone rises to challenge their power, they are often quick to show off their superiority.

Elder vampires speak any languages they knew in life or learned as a vampire or vampire lord.

Creating an Elder Vampire

“Elder vampire” is a template that can be applied to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature with a character level of at least 20 that has already had the vampire lord template applied to it (hereafter referred to as the "base vampire lord"). So, make a vampire lord, and then apply this template to it. The creature uses all the special abilities of the base vampire lord, except as noted below.

Hit Dice: Same as base vampire lord, then add +2 hit points per total Hit Dice of the base vampire lord.

Speed: The elder vampire's base speed increases by +30 ft., plus elder vampires can fly with speed 180 ft. and perfect maneuverability.

Armor Class: The base vampire's natural armor bonus improves by +6 or equals the base creature’s natural armor bonus, whichever is higher.

Attacks: Same as base vampire.

Special Attacks: An elder vampire retains all the special abilities of the base vampire lord, except as modified below, and also gains those noted below. The saving throw, where applicable, is 10 + 1/2 the elder vampire's total Hit Dice + the elder vampire's Charisma modifier, unless noted otherwise. The DCs of the elder vampire's abilities are increased by +4 where applicable.

Domination (Su): As base vampire lord, except that an elder vampire can can dominate one humanoid per Hit Dice of the elder vampire.

Energy Drain (Su): As base vampire lord, but a living creature hit by an elder vampire's slam attack takes 5 negative levels.

Blood Drain (Su): As base vampire lord, but an elder vampire's blood drain inflicts 2d4+2 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained.

Special Qualities: An elder vampire retains all the special qualities of the base vampire lord, except as modified below, and gains those listed below.

Create Spawn (Su): As base vampire lord, but elder vampires can create a vampire lord if the target has over 10 Hit Dice. The vampire lord is completely under the command of the elder vampire and cannot rebel, as a vampire slave to a vampire lord.

Damage Reduction (Ex): An elder vampire is extremely tough; it has damage reduction 15/epic, good, and silver.

Etherealness (Su): An elder vampire can cast etherealness (Caster level 20th), as a free action, at will. The effect can be used a total of one round per Hit Dice of the elder vampire per day. These rounds need not be used consecutively.

Fast Healing (Ex): As base vampire lord, but an elder vampire heals 20 hit points each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point. An elder vampire can rest in any area that is neither consecrated nor would expose or leave the elder vampire exposed to direct contact with sunlight. An elder vampire can search and wait for as long as is required to locate one. Once a suitable location is found, the elder vampire requires only 10 minutes of rest to reach one hit point, for its fast healing to take effect.

Nondetection (Su): An elder vampire is continually protected as though under the effects of a nondetection (Caster level 20th) spell.

Protection from Good (Su): An elder vampire is continually protected as though under the effects of a protection from good (Caster level 20th) spell.

Resistances (Ex): An elder vampire has resistance to cold 30 and electricity 30, and resistance acid 10, fire 10, and sonic 10.

Spell Immunity (Ex): An elder vampire is immune to spells and magical effects of up to 4th level that are subject to spell resistance.

Telekinesis (Su): An elder vampire can use telekinesis (Caster level 20th), as a free action, at will.

Telepathy (Su): An elder vampire can communicate telepathically with any living creature within 1 mile per Hit Dice of the elder vampire that has a language, and with any vampire under its direct control to a range of 2 miles per Hit Dice of the elder vampire. Because this telepathy works so well, the Elder Vampire using this ability can gain access to certain surface thoughts and other memories. Creatures within the range of the telepathy can be subjected to a detect thoughts (Caster level 20th) effect.

Turn Immunity (Ex): An elder Vampire cannot be turned or destroyed at all as its lesser kin normally would.

Saves: Any time the elder vampire must make a saving throw for half or partial effect, success results in no effect. (as per mettle of will and fortitude and evasion.)

Abilities: Increase from the base vampire lord as follows: Strength +10, Dexterity +6, Intelligence +4, Wisdom +4, Charisma +6. As undead creatures, elder vampires have no Constitution scores.

Skills: An elder vampires receives a +12 racial bonus to Concentration, Gather Information, Jump, and Tumble. All prior racial adjustments from the vampire and vampire lord templates are increased by +4.

Feats: The Elder Vampire gains Blinding Speed, Epic Leadership, Epic Reputation, Epic Toughness, Polygot, and Unholy Strike, assuming the base vampire lord meets the prerequisites and doesn’t already have these feats.

Climate/Terrain: Any land or underground.

Organization: Solitary.

Challenge Rating: Same as base vampire lord +9.

Level Adjustment Same as base vampire lord +12.

Treasure: Quintuple standard.

Alignment: Any evil.

Advancement: By character class.

Elder Vampire Weaknesses

An elder vampire has even fewer weaknesses than a vampire lord, a benefit of their quest for power.

An elder vampire has none of typical vampire or vampire lord vulnerabilities and weaknesses. This means, amongst other things, that an elder vampire, unlike a vampire lord, is not vulnerable to sunlight at all, suffering no penalties whatsoever. An elder vampire, unlike a vampire lord, can use its supernatural powers in sunlight. Even spells that produce sunlight effects cannot harm an elder vampire, unless said spells could harm even a living creature, though they acquire no special advantages when used against an elder vampire. If the elder vampire is destroyed while exposed to direct sunlight, it assumes gaseous form and attempts to find a resting place (as described in the fast healing description above).

An elder vampire can only be slain cutting its head from its body with a sword forged in the positive energy plane and cooled in the freely given blood of a good outsider with at least as many Hit Dice as the elder vampire. The head and body must be burnt into ashes separately while being fully immersed, even briefly into the positive energy plane. The ashes from the head must then be immersed in holy water for one week on consecrated ground, followed by a miracle or wish spell to permanently destroy the elder vampire. Then the immersed ashes of the head must be buried in consecrated ground. The ashes from the body must then be scattered over running water on consecrated ground. However, if the head ashes are ever unearthed and somehow separated from the holy water, dried thoroughly, and then subjected to an unhallow spell and a miracle or wish spell, the elder vampire can regenerate in a week if the ashes are placed in an area that is neither consecrated nor would expose or leave the elder vampire exposed to direct contact with sunlight.

 

[dante58701]

Now the Vampire Lord

Vampire Lord

In the machinations of vampires, the undead creatures vie against the living and against each other. Power is all, and the accumulation of power is the goal of these foul beings. Sometimes they rise up against their creators; on rare occasions they succeed in breaking the iron control of their "master" and slay it. These creatures can go beyond the normal vampire, and become an even more vile and horrible undead: a vampire lord. Few are ever seen, or recognized if seen. Possessing few of the weaknesses of their lesser kindred, they walk among mortals with little fear of discovery. They are the rulers of vampire communities. In a world where vampire conclaves battle against each other, the vampire lords play chess with their lesser kindred.

Vampire lords are those few vampires who meet a strict set of requirements. They each have lived as a vampire for at least 100 years, and have acquired 10 or more class levels or Hit Dice. They tend to possess levels of arcane spellcasting classes, but not always. A vampire lord was formerly a vampire under the control of another vampire (not a vampire lord) and has slain its creator. Further, the vampire lord must have created at least 10 vampires and survived an assassination attempt by one of its subjects before achieving vampire lord status.

Vampire lords are few and far between, and each is fiercely territorial. They know that run-of-the-mill vampires cannot match their power, but another vampire lord is a definite threat. As they gain power, they become more arrogant towards those they believe pose no threat, and more fearful of any real threat to their continued existence. Thus, if a vampire lord arises in the territory of another, the newcomer is driven away or destroyed as quickly as possible. Vampire lords command hundreds of undead servants throughout their vast territories, and can have legions of vampire servants at their beck and call.

Unlike normal vampires, a vampire lord does not look the least bit unusual. It looks exactly like it did when alive and in the peak of health. It has lost the pale, hardened, almost feral look of the vampire. A vampire lord always surrounds itself with wealth and opulence, but it never forgets that the opulence is a by-product of power, not the primary goal.

Vampire lords speak any languages they knew in life or learned as a vampire.

Creating a Vampire Lord

Vampire lord is a template that can be applied to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature with a character level of at least 10 that has already had the vampire template applied to it (hereafter referred to as the "base vampire"). So, make a vampire, and then apply this template to it. The creature uses all the special abilities of the base vampire, except as noted below.

Hit Dice: Same as base vampire, then add +1 hit point per total Hit Dice of the base vampire

Speed: Same as base vampire, plus vampire lords can fly with speed 90 ft. and perfect maneuverability.

Armor Class: The base vampire's natural armor bonus improves by +6 or equals the base creature’s natural armor bonus, whichever is higher.

Attacks: Same as base vampire.

Special Attacks: A vampire lord retains all the special abilities of the base vampire, except as modified below, and also gains those noted below. The saving throw, where applicable, is 10 + 1/2 the vampire lord's total Hit Dice + the vampire lord's Charisma modifier, unless noted otherwise.

Blood Drain (Su): As base vampire, but a vampire lord's blood drain inflicts 1d4+2 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained.

Domination (Su): As base vampire, except that a vampire lord can do this either by gaze or voice. It does not require line of sight to the target, but the target must be able to hear the vampire lord's voice when it speaks at a normal volume level.

Energy Drain (Su): As base vampire, but a living creature hit by a vampire lord's slam attack takes 3 negative levels.

Special Qualities: A vampire lord retains all the special qualities of the base vampire, except as modified below, and gains those listed below.

Alternate Form (Su): A vampire lord can assume the form of any animal, as the druid ability wild shape used by a 12th-level druid. The vampire lord can use this power at will as a move-equivalent action. The vampire lord can change from one animal shape to another without having to revert to its humanoid form.

Children of the Night (Su): As base vampire, but the creatures summoned forth serve the vampire lord until released. Further, the vampire lord can sense through the senses of any such commanded creatures, and communicate empathically with them, to a range of 10 miles.

Control Weather (Sp): A vampire lord can cast either control weather or fog cloud as a 12th-level sorcerer at will.

Create Spawn (Su): As base vampire, but vampire lords create only vampire slaves, never vampire spawn. The new vampire is enslaved to the vampire lord until its master's death, and the willpower of the vampire lord is too strong to allow it to break free of its enslavement.

Damage Reduction (Ex): A vampire lord is extremely tough; it has damage reduction 10/good, magic, and silver.

Fast Healing (Ex): As base vampire, but a vampire lord heals 8 hit points each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point. It has 24 hours to reach a place of rest (rather than 2 hours) if brought to zero hit points. A vampire lord can have many places of rest prepared, since the only requirement is some soil from its homeland (the place where the base vampire was born).

Telekinesis (Su): A vampire lord can use telekinesis (caster level 12th) at will.

Telepathy (Su): A vampire lord can communicate telepathically with any living creature within 100 feet that has a language, and with any vampire under its direct control to a range of 1 mile.

Turn Resistance (Ex): As base vampire +4 (see Monster Manual).

Saves: Same as the base vampire, plus the vampire lord applies its Charisma modifier to all saving throws in addition to its other ability modifiers (as a paladin does).

Abilities: Increase from the base vampire as follows: Strength +6, Dexterity +4, Intelligence +2, Wisdom +2, Charisma +4. As undead creatures, vampire lords have no Constitution scores.

Skills: A vampire lord receives an additional +4 racial bonus to Sense Motive checks, and a +8 racial bonus to Diplomacy and Intimidate checks.

Feats: A vampire lord gains Iron Will and Leadership as bonus feats, assuming the base vampire meets the prerequisites and doesn’t already have these feats.

Climate/Terrain: Any land or underground.

Organization: Solitary.

Challenge Rating: Same as base vampire +8.

Level Adjustment: Same as base vampire +12.

Treasure: Quadruple standard.

Alignment: Any evil. In the transformation from vampire to vampire lord, the creature recovers the Law-Neutral-Chaos bent of the original creature. Thus, a Lawful Neutral monk who becomes a vampire turns Chaotic Evil, and when it becomes a vampire lord it turns Lawful Evil.

Advancement: By character class.

Vampire Lord Weaknesses

Vampire lords have far fewer weaknesses than normal vampires, a benefit of their quest for power.

Vampire lords cannot be repelled by garlic or holy symbols, though they can be turned. Mere presentation of a holy symbol has no effect. They have no fear of mirrors, although they only cast reflections when they desire to do so and control this reflection as though it were a minor image constrained within the boundaries of the mirror or mirrors. They also cast shadows, though only when they desire to do so and control their shadows, manipulating their apparent form, movements, and number as they desire. Neither their reflection (or reflections) nor their shadow (or shadows) are harmful, though they are rather unsettling to mortals and vampires alike.

Vampire lords can cross over or through running water with no impediments. They are not harmed in any way by immersion in running water.

A vampire lord is not as vulnerable to sunlight as a normal vampire, and can go about in broad daylight if it desires. Under sunlight, it takes a -4 penalty to all ability scores and on all attacks, saves, and skill checks. Also, a vampire lord in sunlight cannot use any of its supernatural powers. Victims of its domination power are not freed of the vampire lord's control during daylight hours; the vampire lord can verbally command any creature in its thrall even in direct sunlight. Spells that produce sunlight effects cannot harm a vampire lord; only direct light from the sun can weaken it. If the vampire lord is destroyed while exposed to direct sunlight, it seems to die, but unless the body is disposed of as described below, it assumes gaseous form as soon as the sun sets and attempts to return to its coffin.

A vampire lord is not killed outright by a wooden stake driven through its heart, though the stake does cause normal damage if it can bypass the creature's damage reduction.

The only way to make sure that a vampire lord does not return is to cut its head from its body, burn the body and the head separately, scatter the ashes from the body over running water, immerse the ashes from the head in holy water, and bury the immersed ashes in consecrated ground. However, if the head ashes are ever unearthed and somehow separated from the holy water, dried thoroughly, and then subjected to an unhallow spell, the vampire lord can regenerate in a week if the ashes are placed inside one of its places of rest.

 

[dante58701]

An now the vampire.

Vampire

Forever anchored to their coffins and the unholy earth of their graves, these nocturnal predators scheme constantly to strengthen themselves and fill the world with their foul progeny.

Vampires appear just as they did in life, although their features are often hardened and feral, with the predatory look of wolves. Like liches, they often embrace finery and decadence and may assume the guise of nobility. Despite their human appearance, vampires can be easily recognized, for they cast no shadows and throw no reflections in mirrors.

Vampires speak any languages they knew in life.

Creating a Vampire

“Vampire” is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature).

A vampire uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Size and Type: Size is unchanged. The creature’s type changes to undead. Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points.

Hit Dice: Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12's.

Speed: Same as the base creature. If the base creature has a swim speed, the vampire retains the ability to swim and is not vulnerable to immersion in running water (see below).

Armor Class: The base creature’s natural armor bonus is +6 or the base creature’s natural armor bonus, whichever is higher.

Attack: A vampire retains all the attacks of the base creature and also gains a slam attack if it didn’t already have one. If the base creature can use weapons, the vampire retains this ability. A creature with natural weapons retains those natural weapons. A vampire fighting without weapons uses either its slam attack or its primary natural weapon (if it has any). A vampire armed with a weapon uses its slam or a weapon, as it desires.

Full Attack: A vampire fighting without weapons uses either its slam attack (see above) or its natural weapons (if it has any). If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack along with a slam or other natural weapon as a natural secondary attack.

Damage: Vampires have slam attacks. If the base creature does not have this attack form, use the appropriate damage value from the table below according to the vampire’s size. Creatures that have other kinds of natural weapons retain their old damage values or use the appropriate value from the table below, whichever is better.

Size Damage
Fine 1
Diminutive 1d2
Tiny 1d3
Small 1d4
Medium 1d6
Large 1d8
Huge 2d6
Gargantuan 2d8
Colossal 4d6

Special Attacks: A vampire retains all the special attacks of the base creature and gains those described below. Saves have a DC of 10 + 1/2 vampire’s Hit Dice + vampire’s Charisma modifier unless noted otherwise.

Blood Drain (Ex): A vampire can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, the vampire gains 5 temporary hit points.

Children of the Night (Su): Vampires command the lesser creatures of the world and once per day can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms, or a pack of 3d6 wolves as a standard action. (If the base creature is not terrestrial, this power might summon other creatures of similar power.) These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the vampire for up to 1 hour.

Create Spawn (Su): A humanoid or monstrous humanoid slain by a vampire’s energy drain rises as a vampire spawn (see the Vampire Spawn entry, page 253) 1d4 days after burial. If the vampire instead drains the victim’s Constitution to 0 or lower, the victim returns as a spawn if it had 4 or less Hit Dice and as a vampire if it had 5 or more Hit Dice. In either case, the new vampire or spawn is under the command of the vampire that created it and remains enslaved until its master’s destruction. At any given time a vampire may have enslaved spawn totaling no more than twice its own Hit Dice; any spawn it creates that would exceed this limit are created as free-willed vampires or vampire spawn. A vampire that is enslaved may create and enslave spawn of its own, so a master vampire can control a number of lesser vampires in this fashion. A vampire may voluntarily free an enslaved spawn in order to enslave a new spawn, but once freed, a vampire or vampire spawn cannot be enslaved again.

Dominate (Su): A vampire can crush an opponent’s will just by looking onto his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that the vampire must use a standard action, and those merely looking at it are not affected. Anyone the vampire targets must succeed on a Will save or fall instantly under the vampire’s influence as though by a dominate person spell (caster level 12th). The ability has a range of 30 feet.

Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a vampire’s slam attack (or any other natural weapon the vampire might possess) gain two negative levels. For each negative level bestowed, the vampire gains 5 temporary hit points. A vampire can use its energy drain ability once per round.

Special Qualities: A vampire retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains those described below.

Alternate Form (Su): A vampire can assume the shape of a bat, dire bat, wolf, or dire wolf as a standard action. This ability is similar to a polymorph spell cast by a 12th-level character, except that the vampire does not regain hit points for changing form and must choose from among the forms mentioned here. While in its alternate form, the vampire loses its natural slam attack and dominate ability, but it gains the natural weapons and extraordinary special attacks of its new form. It can remain in that form until it assumes another or until the next sunrise. (If the base creature is not terrestrial, this power might allow other forms.)

Damage Reduction (Su): A vampire has damage reduction 10/ magic and silver. A vampire’s natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Fast Healing (Ex): A vampire heals 5 points of damage each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, it automatically assumes gaseous form and attempts to escape. It must reach its coffin home within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed. (It can travel up to nine miles in 2 hours.) Any additional damage dealt to a vampire forced into gaseous form has no effect. Once at rest in its coffin, a vampire is helpless. It regains 1 hit point after 1 hour, then is no longer helpless and resumes healing at the rate of 5 hit points per round.

Gaseous Form (Su): As a standard action, a vampire can assume gaseous form at will as the spell (caster level 5th), but it can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.

Resistances (Ex): A vampire has resistance to cold 10 and electricity 10.

Spider Climb (Ex): A vampire can climb sheer surfaces as though with a spider climb spell.

Turn Resistance (Ex): A vampire has +4 turn resistance.

Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Strength +6, Dexterity +4, Intelligence +2, Wisdom +2, Charisma +4. As an undead creature, a vampire has no Constitution score.

Skills: Vampires have a +8 racial bonus on Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.

Feats: Vampires gain Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, and Lightning Reflexes, assuming the base creature meets the prerequisites and doesn’t already have these feats.

Environment: Any, usually same as base creature.

Organization: Solitary, pair, gang (3–5), or troupe (1–2 plus 2–5 vampire spawn)

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +5.

Treasure: Double standard.

Alignment: Always evil (any).

Advancement: By character class.

Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +8.

Vampire Weaknesses

For all their power, vampires have a number of weaknesses.

Repelling a Vampire: Vampires cannot tolerate the strong odor of garlic and will not enter an area laced with it. Similarly, they recoil from a mirror or a strongly presented holy symbol. These things don’t
harm the vampire—they merely keep it at bay. A recoiling vampire must stay at least 5 feet away from a creature holding the mirror or holy symbol and cannot touch or make melee attacks against the creature holding the item for the rest of the encounter. Holding a vampire at bay takes a standard action.

Vampires are also unable to cross running water, although they can be carried over it while resting in their coffins or aboard a ship. They are utterly unable to enter a home or other building unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so. They may freely enter public places, since these are by definition open to all.

Slaying a Vampire: Reducing a vampire’s hit points to 0 or lower incapacitates it but doesn’t always destroy it (see the note on fast healing). However, certain attacks can slay vampires. Exposing any vampire to direct sunlight disorients it: It can take only a single move action or attack action and is destroyed utterly in the next round if it cannot escape. Similarly, immersing a vampire in running water robs it of one-third of its hit points each round until it is destroyed at the end of the third round of immersion. Driving a wooden stake through a vampire’s heart instantly slays the monster. However, it returns to life if the stake is removed, unless the body is destroyed. A popular tactic is to cut off the creature’s head and fill its mouth with holy wafers (or their equivalent).

Vampire Characters

Vampires are always evil, which causes characters of certain classes to lose some class abilities, as noted in Chapter 3 of the Player ’s Handbook. In addition, certain classes take additional penalties.

Clerics: Vampire clerics lose their ability to turn undead but gain the ability to rebuke undead. This ability does not affect the vampire’s controller or any other vampires that a master controls. A vampire cleric has access to two of the following domains: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, or Secrets. Sorcerers and Wizards: Vampire sorcerers and wizards retain their class abilities, but if a character has a familiar other than a rat or bat, the link between them is broken, and the familiar shuns its former companion. The character can summon another familiar, but it must be a rat or bat.

 

[Ltheb Silverfrond]

Do we really know tha though? It could already be included.

Actually, I think it is.
IIRC, at least in 3.0, the reason you take (Stat-10 if even, -11 if odd) to find a monster's racial ability score adjustments is to "screen out" ability ups. All racial stat modifiers are even, and all monsters have base 10 for stats. Any odd number is the result of a stat-up.

For the Balor: (An example) Str 35, Dex 25, Con 31, Int 24, Wis 24, Cha 26.
Its obvious 3 of the balor's 5 stat ups went to strength, dexterity and constitution. Since Charisma is it's superior mental stat, and conveniently 2 points higher than the rest, it is a safe guess thats where the other 2 stat ups went. I can't prove it, but it is a reasonable hypothesis.

 

[dante58701]

Logical enough but it doesnt make much sense to do that since being enormous doesnt make anyone any smarter. I tend to think WOTC has and always will take certain liberties with their own rules. Not that all of their creature designers even read the rules that much.
I have seen some glaring errors in my time.

Which reminds me of a pet peeve of mine. Dont you just hate it when the illustrations all look just like one another (certain artists really need to stop making every moster look the same). Or even worse, when they dont match the description at all.

And what's up with nymphs. I liked their "nudity equals death" ability. Though I must say "NICE" in response to their new picture in 3.5. Not every hot chick need be blonde. I am sick to death of blondes.

I think I'll revise the nymph and add their old "nudity equals death" ability.