LA for reduced vampire

[evilbob]

I see vampire-related posts on this forum at least every few weeks, so I know you guys are out there.

I was wondering how folks would house rule a level adjustment for a vampire with reduced powers (but some reduced weaknesses as well). Basically, the vampire template would give all the normal powers - normal powers can be found here:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/vampire.htm
- but without the following special qualities/attacks:

- Children of the Night (summon swarms and wolves)
- Dominate (dominate person at will)
- Create Spawn (create vampire slaves, pass on vampirism)
- Energy Drain (negative level attacks)
- Alternate Form (wolves and bats)
- Gaseous Form (and also extra-safe-from-death)

and also without the following weaknesses:

- garlic and mirrors (aka "even non-clerics can hold them at bay")
- anything to do with running water
- anything to do with "permission to enter" (aka "can't feed anytime, anywhere," or as I call it, the Buffy contribution)

The way I think about the LA for vampires is that it should probably be more than +8, but the weaknesses help to "subtract" from the overall total. (That, and LA is even more of an art and less of a science than creating magic items - and that's really saying something.) I'm guessing this puts the level adjustment down to around +5 or +6, just off-hand. You lose maybe +4 or +5 LA's worth of stuff, but you also gain about two back from the reduced weaknesses.

Other thoughts?

 

[Cheiromancer]

I might go as low as +4. The vulnerability to sunlight is still a big drawback, and the lack of a Con bonus is a pain- so is the "destroyed at 0 hp" feature. Sure you have an exotic DR (10/ silver and magic) and resistance 10 to fire and electricity; but if you get breathed on by a black dragon you are likely a goner. Fast healing doesn't help you if you are destroyed.

You should mention what happens if a vampire doesn't feed- having to have a source of victims should be a major cost, too. Maybe lose one point of Cha and/or Wis each day (to a minimum of 1), to be made up by draining Con? The Con drain caused by feeding on others means you can't rely on a "stable" of regular blood donors to feed your hunger.

BTW, don't replace the Con drain with Con damage. I think it is a metaphor for consumption (tuberculosis) which was a major killer in urban areas up to fairly recently:

Caused by a highly contagious bacterial infection, TB is blamed for 20% of the deaths in 17th-century London and 30% of those in 19th-century Paris (as depicted in Moulin Rouge). In those days, the disease proved deadly for about 80% of its victims. It's estimated that TB has killed over 1 billion people in the last two centuries.

You don't get better from consumption- thus it should be drain rather than damage. And having a quarter of the population dying from a wasting disease indicates a sizeable vampire population - which I think would be really cool.

 

[Apeiron]

A much easier approach might be to have vampire as a class or prestige class. Not something one develops with XP, but over centuries. Unearthed Arcana has those Bloodlines, they might be a good model as well.

Or, heaven forbid, look at Vampire: The Masquerade/Requiem for ideas.

As the vampire ages they gain derangements and powers. The player/GM selects which powers and penalties to add. This means that young vampires are more "normal" seeming and not incredibly powerful. As they age the develop irrational fears about running bodies of water, their sun allergy worsens, but they gain this or that power.

Avoid the cliche of "at level 5 gain power X and penalty Y". Let the creator pick and choose.

Create paths like the Ranger with the Bow or Dual Wield. The paths might be: Nosferatu (a horrid monster, influence animals), Master of Night (Dracula, refined, lawful), Incubus/Succubus (Seducer), Lost Soul (clinging to their soul). Or each could be a separate variant.

One of the best features of 3.x is that monsters are functionally (almost) the same as characters. Take advantage of that. Instead of a simple rigid template, create something that allows GMs to create unique vampires, or allows players to play interesting (non-cookie cutter vamps).

 

[evilbob]

I appreciate the suggestions but I'm mostly interested in this one particular situation.

Vulnerability to sunlight is a big drawback, but one that is also most easily avoided (especially for powerful casters). I don't personally rate its LA at more than -1. "Destroyed at 0 HP" is really the biggest change from the template; not having access to gaseous form as an immediate action when reduced to 0 HP is certainly knocking off 1 or maybe even 2 to the LA.

Also, I believe the whole "no Con bonus" is easily offset by "undead traits," but that's really more of a side discussion.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

I would go with Sean Reynolds Savage Progression ..

Actually it looks like what you are asking about

 

[WhatGravitas]

I would go with Sean Reynolds Savage Progression ..

Actually it looks like what you are asking about

Or alternatively his Fleshbound Vampire... - just avoid this strange variant "Staking the heart"-rule.

 

[evilbob]

Thank you! That flesh-bound variant template is almost exactly like what I wanted... Its seems pretty amazing that it's only +4 to me, however - but all the same, that's a great place to start.