While i can appreciate the standard "stokerian" vampires in 5e, i also have started feeling that they only really fit only certain kinds of adventures/encounters. I have a few times tried to use vampire spawn as lesser vampires and let's be hones they haven't been the most interesting monsters and aren't really meant to be used as solo monsters. The only other vampire option is a "CR13" full blooded vampire who is pretty built to be Count Dracula/Strahd and let's be honest outside of a "classic vampire story," it feels kinda meh. After a lot of various different depictions of vampire in literature, games and other media, the standard ones feel lacking and i would like to see more options for vampires/vampiric monsters. Especially in the CR 5-10 range.
So i started thiking about what kinds of alternate vampires i want in my current campaign and started looking how would build them, so i started picking some other monsters, re-skinning their abilities and/or adding more vampiric elements. I have currently the basic idea for two varieties using currently names from Witcher games as sort of placeholders:
Ekimmara/Fledger: The more feral/bestial vampire. Started building it from the hybrid form of the weretiger. The pounce attack is a great combination with vampiric bite.
Bruxa: The more charismatic and magical ability based. Based on the incubus/succubus (which can be used in a lot of standard "vampire stories" or even pretty easily altered), has charm abilities, but also a lot of turn into mist/invisible abilities for tactical reasons (to attack, not just flee or travel). Still working on those.
Might also revisit the standard vampire and its spawn, to see what i can see there. And having a few other ideas.
What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you feel the standard 5e vampires lacking, do you feel that there could be some subtypes or alternate vampires or perhaps a list of additional/alternate abilities and weaknesses that DMs could use to make their vampires different.
PS. About certain kind of sparkling creatures... well real vampires only sparkle when they are under the effects of the glitterdust spell, so for them we would need to get that spell back into 5e.
So i started thiking about what kinds of alternate vampires i want in my current campaign and started looking how would build them, so i started picking some other monsters, re-skinning their abilities and/or adding more vampiric elements. I have currently the basic idea for two varieties using currently names from Witcher games as sort of placeholders:
Ekimmara/Fledger: The more feral/bestial vampire. Started building it from the hybrid form of the weretiger. The pounce attack is a great combination with vampiric bite.
Bruxa: The more charismatic and magical ability based. Based on the incubus/succubus (which can be used in a lot of standard "vampire stories" or even pretty easily altered), has charm abilities, but also a lot of turn into mist/invisible abilities for tactical reasons (to attack, not just flee or travel). Still working on those.
Might also revisit the standard vampire and its spawn, to see what i can see there. And having a few other ideas.
What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you feel the standard 5e vampires lacking, do you feel that there could be some subtypes or alternate vampires or perhaps a list of additional/alternate abilities and weaknesses that DMs could use to make their vampires different.
PS. About certain kind of sparkling creatures... well real vampires only sparkle when they are under the effects of the glitterdust spell, so for them we would need to get that spell back into 5e.
). So i might consider that option.
