My vampire concept for d20 Modern games

[cybernetic]

Here's a preview of the vampire mechanics I have started to put together...Its just a little of the stuff I'm working on for them....they are going to be part of my Dark Revelations d20 Modern campaign setting...

The Turning
There are two primary types of vampire, pure blooded and turned. The pure blooded vampire is born into this world as the offspring of two pure blooded greater vampire while a turned vampire is actually born as a human, and later transformed into one of the children of darkness.

The process of turning a human into a newly born vampire is a painful process that literally kills the body of the human to be turned. This process is known as siring and begins with the vampire draining the human of blood until the point that the heart stops beating. At this point the sire, or vampire who is siring the new vampire, must feed their own dark blood to the dying human before the brain stops functioning. The dying human will immediatly begin to feed unless their willpower is strong enough (Will save DC 20).

Once the blood of the vampire starts to course through the human's veins it begins to change the body into a suitable vessel to house the fiendish essence that will fuel their vampiric powers. This causes all of the organs of the body, save the heart, to atrophy and wither away into dust while the heart is vitalized with necromantic energies, becoming a dark phylactery for the fiendish essence. This is very painful to the turning human and is usually followed by severe seizures as all liquid and fluids are expelled from the body and replaced with necromantic energy. These fluids exit the body from every opening, even the pours of the skin, and is the last bit of mortality of the human's existance. This stage of the turning process is very intense and painful and turning a weak-minded human usually results in a a fractured mind and a psychotic vampire.

After the mortality has been expelled, the fiendish essence begins to consume the mortal soul of the human. The consumption of the soul gives the fiendish essence all the power it needs to fully convert the human into a vampire and allows it to assimilate the human's personality. This final stage ends with the creation of a lesser vampire with an intense thirst for blood. The new vampire must feed within 2 hours or the fiendish essence will die, their body turning to dust without any necromantic energy to sustain it. In fact the only thought in their head is the need to feed. The left over energies from the consumed mortal soul also burn out during this 2 hour period and grant the new vampire an extreme boost of strength (+10 bonus to Strength) during these hours.

According to vampiric law, the sire is required to stay with the turned human throughout the entire change from mortal to vampire in order to prevent the vampire-kind from being enveiled through a rampant fledgling vampire rampaging after their turning. This law is often overlooked by younger vampire who simply do not care for the laws of the vampiric nation and leave the turned to their own devices. This is the truth behind most of the vampire sightings throughout history, a newly turned vampire left alone through their transformation from human to vampire.

 

[cybernetic]

more info....

LESSER VAMPIRE
The Lesser vampire is the first stage of the vampire evolution and represent the majority of vampire-kind. They are still somewhat bound to their physical shell and their power tends to reinforce and enhance their mortal body with supernatural power.

[SIZE=1]Level	BaB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special				Defense		Reputation
1	+0	+0	+0	+0	Fiendish Essence,  Resistances, Weaknesses	+0		+0
2	+1	+0	+1	+0	Talent				+1		+0
3	+2	+0	+2	+0	Bonus Feat				+1		+1
4	+3	+1	+2	+1	Talent				+1		+1
5	+3	+1	+2	+1	Bonus Feat				+2		+1
6	+4	+1	+3	+1	Talent				+2		+2
7	+5	+2	+3	+2	Bonus Feat				+2		+2
8	+6/+1	+2	+4	+2	Talent				+3		+2
9	+6/+1	+2	+4	+2	Bonus Feat				+3		+3
10	+7/+2	+3	+4	+3	Talent				+3		+3[/SIZE]

Examples of Lesser Vampire
Newly turned fledgling vampires, vampire minions, vampiric thralls of greater vampire, and fleshbound vampires that hold the more physical abilities in higher regard than the darkest powers of a vampire all fall into the category of a Lesser vampire.

Game Rule Information
Lesser vampire have the following game statistics.

Hit Die
Lesser vampire gain 1d8 hit points per level. The character's Constitution modifier applies. The character also adds his vampire class levels to his hit points. A 1st level Lesser vampire receives hit points equal to 9 plus the character's Constitution modifier.

Action Points
Lesser vampire do not receive action points when they attain a level in this class.

Class Skills
The Lesser vampire's class skills are as follows.

Starting Feats
In addition to the two feats all characters get at first level, a Lesser malakim begins play with the either the Archaic Weapons feat or the Simple Weapons feat.

Class Features
All if the following are class features of the Lesser vampire.

Fiendish Essence
- At 1st level grants Alertness. +2 to Spot, Listen, Hide, Move Silently.
- At 5th level....the fiendish essence gives the character +4 turn resitance.

Fiendish Visage
Move-equivelant action to manifest the fiendish visage.
- At 1st level..grants the Dodge feat. and a +2 fiendish bonus to Strength and Dexterity.
- At 2nd level...it also provides Improved Initiative and Lightning Reflexes
- At 3rd level..grants a +2 fiendish bonus to Dexterity.
- At 4th level..grants a +2 fiendish bonus to Strength.

Resistance- At 1st level... Cold resistance 5
- At 3rd level... Cold resistance 10 / Electricity 5
- At 6th level... Electricity 10

Vampire Weaknesses
Still working on these....

Blood Thirst
Still working on these mechanics...

Ultra-violet Allergy
- 1st level...mild allergy to Sunlight..-2 to all actions in direct sunlight or uv light. Take 1 hp worth of damage each minute in sunlight or intense uv light.
- still working on...

Aversions
Still workin on..

 

[cybernetic]

Racial Traits

Vampire Species Traits
The following are species traits that apply to all vampires.
Size: Medium. Vampire have no special penalties due to their size.

Ability Modifiers: +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Wis.

Base Speed: 30 feet.

Dual-Type: A vampire is considered to be both an outsider and undead. Vampires, like other outsiders, cannot be raised from the dead. Vampires, unlike normal undead, are still susceptible to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, and mind-affecthing effects as well as critical hits, nonlethal damage, and massive damage. Vampires retain immunity to necromantic spells and spell-like effects and are healed instead of damaged by negative energy attacks (such as Inflict spells).

Fienish Soul: The fiendish soul that empowers the vampire also causes him to be affected by any spells, abilities and effects that target creatures with an allegiance of evil. The vampire does not have to take evil as an allegiance, however.

Darkvision (Ex): Vampires can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision allows sight in black and white only, but is otherwise the same as normal vision, and a vampire can function without any light source. The eyes of a vampire using darkvision flare with supernatural energy.

Damage Reduction (Ex): The vampire ignores the first 5 points of damage dealt by a non-silver weapon. A vampire instantly heals mundane damage from a non-silver source as his fiendish soul infuses the wound with negative energy.

Cold Resistance (Ex): The vampire ignores the first 5 points of cold damage from any cold-based attack. The body of a vampire is dead and does not feel mild cold effects.

Saving Throw Bonuses: Vampires gain a +4 species bonus on saves against poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, and mind-affecthing effects. Additionally, they gain a racial bonus to all Fortitude saves equal to 1 plus their vampire class levels.

Skill Bonuses: Vampires gain a +2 species bonus on Listen and Spot checks. The fienish soul boosts the sight and hearing of the

 

[C. Baize]

Interesting...
This seems to be a mixing of a few genres of Vampires...

I see parts of the Buffyverse vampires, little bits of Anne Rice, and even a bit of Blade vampires...

I like where it's going. I will be interested to read more on it.

 

[cybernetic]

Talent Trees

Talents
At 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th level, he Lesser vampire selects a talent from the following talent trees. Some trees have a set order that must be followed, while others provide a list to choose from. As long as the vampire qualifies, he can select freely from any and all talent trees. No talent can be selected more than once unless expressly indicated.

Activating a Lesser vampire talent is a free action and are considered to be supernatural abilities. This talents may only be used when the vampire manifests his fiendish visage.

Blood of the Arachnid
Your fiendish soul grants you abilities akin to that of a spider.

Arachnid Balance: The vampire gains the balance of a spider which grants a +4 racial bonus balance, climb, and jump checks.

Arachnid Leap: The vampire can spend one point of Constitution to make your next jump check without needing to move 20 feet. In addition, the vampire gains a +20 racial bonus to the jump check when using this talent.
Prerequisite: Arachnid balance.

Hands of the Arachnid: The vampire can spend one point of Constitution to gain a climb speed of 10 feet and does not need to make a Climb check to scale a surface. This ability also provides the vampire a +5 synergy bonus to catch himself while falling per the Climb skill for one round.
Prerequisite: Arachnid balance.

Improved Hands of the Arachnid: The vampire gains an addition climb speed of 10 feet and an additional +5 synergy bonus to catch himself while falling when using the hands of the arachnid talent (20 feet movement and +10 bonus total).
Prerequisite: Arachnid balance, hands of the arachnid.

Body of Undeath
The body of a vampire is composed of dead flesh that is preserved and imbued with the negative energy of its fiendish soul. This infusion grants the body extraordiniary resitances and recooperative power.

Undead Fortitude: The vampire gains a +4 bonus to all Constitution-based skill checks and a +2 bonus to all Fortitude saves.

Dead Skin: The vampire may spend a point of Constitution to increase his damage reduction by two points for one round. The vampire ignores the first 7 points of damage dealt by a non-silver weapon.
Prerequisites: Undead fortitude.

Improved Dead Skin: The vampire's damage reduction increases by an additional three points when using the dead skin talent. The vampire ignores the first 10 points of damage dealt by a non-silver weapon.
Prerequisites: Undead fortitude, dead skin.

Necrotic Rejuvenation: The vampire gains fast healing that heals one hit point worth of damage each round as long as the vampire has at least one hit point remaining. This fast healing cannot heal damage done by fire, holy items, holy water, silver, or sunlight.
Prerequisites: Undead fortitude.

Improved Necrotic Rejuvenation: The fast healing granted by necrotic rejuvenation is increased to two hit points each round.
Prerequisites: Undead fortitude, necrotic rejuvenation.

Advanced Necrotic Rejuvenation: The fast healing granted by necrotic rejuvenation and improved necrotic rejuvenation is increased to three hit points each round and also allows the vampire to regenerate lost limbs in a matter of days.
Prerequisites: Undead fortitude, necrotic rejuvenation, improved necrotic rejuvenation.

Claws of the Beast
The fiendish soul sometimes carries a more beast-like nature along with it. This nature usually manifests in the form of a set of natural claws.

Claws of the Beast: The vampire gains a set of claws as natural weapons. These claws deal 1d6 points of damage, threaten a critical hit on a natural roll of 20, and deal double damage on a successful critical hit. These claws are considered to be equivelant to silver in regards to hitting a creature with damage reduction.

Claw Mastery: The vampire gains instinctual mastery of his claws granting a +2 bonus to their damage.
Prerequisite: Claws of the beast.

Razor Edge Claws: The vampire's claws gain an razer sharp keen which allows them to threaten a critical hit on 19 or 20.
Prerequisite: Claws of the beast, claw mastery, razor edge claws.

Speed of Night
Supernatural speed is another quality that a fiendish soul can grant a vampire.

Speed of Night: The vampire can spend a point of constitution to gain an additional 20 feet added to his movement for one round.

Improved Speed of Night: The vampire gains an additional 20 feet of movement when using the speed of night talent (40 feet total).
Prerequisite: Speed of night.

Combat Quickness: The vampire can spend a point of Constitution to gain a +2 dodge bonus to defense for one round.
Prerequisites: Speed of night.

Improved Combat Quickness: The vampire gains a single extra attack action when using the combat quickness talent.
Prerequisites: Speed of night, combat quickness.

Quickened Reaction: The vampire gains a +2 racial bonus to initiative rolls.
Prerequisites: Speed of night.

Strength of Darkness
The body of a vampire is often granted supernatural strength from his fiendish soul.

Fiendish Strength: The vampire gains a +4 racial bonus to all Strength checks, Strength-based skills checks, and grapple checks. Furthermore, the vampire is considered to be one size category when determining carrying capacity.

Fienish Powerhouse: The vampire can spend a point of Constitution to gain a +2 profane bonus to Strength. This ability lasts for 1 minute per Constitution point spent.
Prerequisites: Fiendish strength.

Improved Fiendish Powerhouse: The vampire gains an additional +2 profane bonus to Strength when using the fiendish powerhouse talent (+4 total).
Prerequisites: Fiendish strength, fiendish powerhouse.

 

[cybernetic]

Interesting...
This seems to be a mixing of a few genres of Vampires...

I see parts of the Buffyverse vampires, little bits of Anne Rice, and even a bit of Blade vampires...

Yep....all of those types of vampires have something appealing...and I wanted to try to capture most of those points in one unifying mechanic..

This is actually a project I started a long time ago..but kinda had sitting on the backburner...I figured I'd post some of what I have...in the hope that I'll get a reponse/discussion going that will fuel my creative engine to finish it

I'll post more (and update the previous posts as I finish things...) The lesser vampire "class" I have posted most of already represents the more physical (or as SKR put it Fleshbound) vamps from buffy and blade...where as the in-the-works Greater Vampire will cover those advanced abilities like shapeshifting, domination, and more mental vamp abilities..

I'm also brainstorming a "prestige class" for the vamps, the Transcendant. It will be for those who wanna pull off the vamps like from the Legacy of Cain series..basically they start to manifest more of their fiendish nature than normal...growing wings or horns or other demonic features/abilities...

 

[Sertimon]

Just wanted to drop by to say I really like where you're going with these vampires! Great idea for a campaign centered on vampires! I kind of see some eastern influences on these vampires (whether it's intentional or not), which is something that appeals to me a lot. I guess your vampires have Constitution scores, correct? Since you have quite a few talents that grant bonuses to Constitution ...

Is there anything specific you need help with? I’d be glad to help you out if I can ...

 

[cybernetic]

I kind of see some eastern influences on these vampires (whether it's intentional or not), which is something that appeals to me a lot.

Wasn't intentional...but now that I think of it, I kinda see it as well...not exactly a bad thing

I guess your vampires have Constitution scores, correct? Since you have quite a few talents that grant bonuses to Constitution ...

Actually, my vampires do still have constitution but it is very unlike normal character's constitution as it is a fluctuating ability score. The blood thirst rule I am working on will go into it more, but their constitution represents their blood intake...if they do not feed, they take Con damage...and they can spend Con to empower their abilities..similar to blood points...I tend to try to use mechanics that already exist in the rules before I move onto creating new ones...so they have a type of Constitution that takes Con damage when they don't feed or they use their vampiric abilities..with the only way to heal this Con damage is to take it from another living being (through drinking their blood)..

Is there anything specific you need help with? I’d be glad to help you out if I can ...

Nothing that I can really think of at the moment...just let me know if you have any ideas and opinions and such...plus just showing interest in my work is helping me by inspiring me to finish it .

 

[Sertimon]

Actually, my vampires do still have constitution but it is very unlike normal character's constitution as it is a fluctuating ability score. The blood thirst rule I am working on will go into it more, but their constitution represents their blood intake...if they do not feed, they take Con damage...and they can spend Con to empower their abilities..similar to blood points...I tend to try to use mechanics that already exist in the rules before I move onto creating new ones...so they have a type of Constitution that takes Con damage when they don't feed or they use their vampiric abilities..with the only way to heal this Con damage is to take it from another living being (through drinking their blood)..

There's actually a quite good set of rules for blood thirst or hunger in Dragon #313, intended for half-vampires called Katane. I can give you a rundown if you don't read dragon (or otherwise don't have this issue). Anyways, I personally liked it so much that I gave it to my c.a.l.i.s.h.i.t.e vampire template (basically identical to the vampire template found in MM, but it has vampirism is actually a supernatural disease instead).

 

[cybernetic]

There's actually a quite good set of rules for blood thirst or hunger in Dragon #313, intended for half-vampires called Katane. I can give you a rundown if you don't read dragon (or otherwise don't have this issue). Anyways, I personally liked it so much that I gave it to my c.a.l.i.s.h.i.t.e vampire template (basically identical to the vampire template found in MM, but it has vampirism is actually a supernatural disease instead).

hmmm....I'm pretty sure I have that issue...I don't remember it really "catching" me..but I definatly give it another look