Need help - Custom vampire SA - need PEACH by tomorrow (Tuesday!)

[Brasswatchman]

Sorry for the trouble, but I need some input on a custom vampire special attack for a session tomorrow. Could I get a CR check on a vampire with this ability? I'm guessing I'll need to knock up any critter with this up by +3 CR, rather than the usual +2 for the template. What do you think?

FYR, Vampire template: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/vampire.htm

Thanks for the help. Really appreciate it.


SOUL DRAIN (Su):
- Replaces the blood drain, energy drain, and dominate special attacks.
- Basic concept: vampire feeds off of the spiritual/psychic energy of victim, rather than blood.
- The vampire makes a ranged touch attack (range 60 feet).
- Victim gets a Will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 vampire's HD + vampire's Cha mod); if fails, suffers 1d3 points of Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma drain (chosen randomly).
- Vampire gains 5 temporary hit points with each successful attack
- Should ability reduce Int, Wis or Cha to 0, the victim comes under the vampire's control as per the dominate person spell (caster level 12th). The victim remains in this state permanently unless the spell restoration (or one with similar effect) is cast on the affected ability score.
- Attack counts as a standard action.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

The range makes this a nasty ability.. more so if he can do it while alternate formed as a Bat hanging on the ceiling.

I don't know about the rest of your setup, but I would suggest altering to within 30 feet or touch, and have the attack provide Psionic Power Points instead of hit points... allowing the BBG to pull power from his enemies and then use it against them.

But that depends on you using Psionics

Its at least a +1 CR bump to the template.

 

[Nifft]

I have no peaches, you'll have to buy one yourself.

As to the ability: in fiction, Vampires must look in your eyes, and they usually do so at very close range.

How about making it a gaze attack that affects everyone within 10 ft. of the vampire, and it deals 1 point each of Int, Wis and Cha (to cut down on rolling) from everyone who fails their Will save?

Now it's doing the job of Energy Drain + Blood Drain (making melee very dangerous), and also taking some of the traditional Gaze role.

Cheers, -- N

 

[avr]

I like it, actually. Make sure it's possible for the PCs to spot who's doing this. The attack is too powerful for +1 CR if the vampire can do it from social cover with no chance of being spotted IMO. Also there needs to be a limit on the number of people the vampire can have dominated at any one time, I'd suggest some multiple of the vampires' HD, 2x or 3x.

 

[Arkhandus]

Yep. Sell yer peaches on the WotC forums, we don't care fer screams of PEACH!!! here.

Anyway.... I second Primitive Screwhead's concerns about the ability to use Soul Drain from a distance while hidden or in gaseous form or bat form or whatever.

Reminds me of Raziel from Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, though.

I don't think it calls for a different CR adjustment, but that depends on if it gets clarified or not.

I would make it require looking into the victim's eyes as per the standard vampire's Dominate ability, so that at least it's less uber-stealthy. Also, the victim should be aware of the drain when it occurs (they shouldn't be unaware that they're suddenly dumber, crazier, or less eloquent), at least IMO.

Maybe no gaze requirement, but at least make it obvious when it happens....like a visual effect of some phantasmal spirit-stream flowing out of the victim and into the vampire. And regardless it should be unuseable in gaseous form.

Also, note: a character reduced to 0 Int, Wis, or Cha is normally comatose. It would be rather useless to Dominate a comatose meat-sack. So if you're going to have them Dominated once that happens, at least include a clause that says they become Dominated instead of comatose, until a Restoration or similar effect increases their drained ability score above 0.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

I like the ability as a Gaze attack.. much better and already has a mechanic in the rule system... altho I would be against Nifft's nifty idea of making it a 10' burst Gaze attack.

That would be interesting for some other effects tho, like the original Dominate

 

[Brasswatchman]

Okay, here's the final version of the ability for the curious:

Soul Drain (Su):
- Replaces the blood drain, energy drain, and dominate special attacks.
- Vampire makes a ranged touch attack against intended victim (range 30 feet); this counts as a full-round action.
- Victim gets a Will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 vampire's HD + vampire's Cha modifier); if fails, takes 1d4 points of Charisma damage (2d4 on a critical hit).
- Vampire gains 1 temporary hp per successful attack (2 points on critical hit).
- Should ability reduce Cha to 0, victim does not fall into coma, but instead comes under the vampire's control as per the dominate person spell (no save). The victim remains in this state until the vampire is destroyed, the vampire releases him voluntarily (in both cases, falls immediately into a coma) or has his Charisma restored to at least 1 by lesser restoration or restoration. Victim does not heal his ability naturally while under domination.
- Vampire can control a maximum of 4 HD worth of creatures per each of vampire's HD with this ability.
- +1 CR to vampire's challenge rating.

Thanks for the help, everyone.

 

[Brasswatchman]

Yep. Sell yer peaches on the WotC forums, we don't care fer screams of PEACH!!! here.

:-D Sorry! Haven't been back here in a while.