The mechanics to force vampires to drink blood.

[Felix]

As written, vapmires have the ability, but not the necessity, to drink the blood of others.

Vampire Template

Here's what I want to do.

I want vampires compelled to drink blood; they'll have to make the decision to take life or starve.
I want it harder to create vampire spawn, and not have it happen every time a vampire kills someone; otherwise the world would be overrun.

So, here's my just-thought-of amendments:

All vampires must drink a number of points of Constituion equal to their HD every day. Each point of blood drain from one of their former race counts double. If they do not, they suffer a -4, -2, or -1 penalty to all stats, depending upon how much they miss their HD by, cumulative each day. If the cumulative penalty equals any stat they go unconscious; until blood is poured on their lips (which reduces the penalty such that all stats are 1), or they are killed, they remain dormant.

Vampires create spawn by feeding a mortal vampire blood. The mortal gains a "Blood Drain" ability, and must drain a number of points equal to the mortal's Con score. The mortal then is wracked with pain, dies, and becomes a vampire 1d4 days after burial. If 4 or fewer HD, vampire spawn, and they are under control of the original vampire. If 5 or more HD, they are a vampire, and are not under control of the original vampire. The original vampire gains a number of negative levels equal to the new vampire's HD for 24 hours. These negative levels are never permanent. If the negative levels exceed the vampire's HD, the vampire is destroyed.

----

So, this has some Anne Rice flavor to it, it forces Vampires to come out and hunt, it rewards Vampires that hunt within its former race, and it makes Vampires less willing to create too many spawn.

Whaddya think?

 

[ChampionoftheTriad]

I definitely like and agree with the basic idea...but I think you've given them too voracious an appetite. Perhaps if they hit there "blood HD" quota every week, otherwise any community that has an infestation looks more like Dusk til Dawn than Interview With A Vampire.

And I don't particularly like the "spawn feedback"...but that's just me...

Good Luck! - -
-v--v-

 

[Nifft]

I'd rather have the Con drain requirement based on the vampire's size.

Medium = 10/week, say.

Small = 6/week, Large = 16/week. Huge = very thirsty.

-- N

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Did you check out Libris Mortis? They have rules for this..

which of course is at home so I can't currently post the basic concept

 

[Liquidsabre]

I'd keep it much simpler for logistical reasons. In this case, each day a vampire awakens they are considered fatigued until they have fed at least once off of a creature of equal or greater size. After 1 week of not feeding in this manner (and being fatigued) they become exhausted. Each day of blood exhaustion a vampire must make a will save to prevent falling into a blood frenzy where their need for blood out strips all will or reason and they feed like a savage beast until their blood need is satiated.

 

[Sir Brennen]

I definitely like and agree with the basic idea...but I think you've given them too voracious an appetite. Perhaps if they hit there "blood HD" quota every week, otherwise any community that has an infestation looks more like Dusk til Dawn than Interview With A Vampire.

I dunno, I think it's pretty managable. By receiving double feeding points from a victim of the same race, an 8th level Aristocrat vampire only needs to drain 4 CON points a day - not enough to kill the victim. A vampire will probably have a couple of victims charmed to feed off of regularly, and by dropping in on a random villager, he can supplement while his regulars heal. The village would appear to have some disease which leaves many enemic, and with strange, open sores on their necks, but only the occasional death. This fits in with the older myths of vampires being bringers of pestilence.

A cleric vampire, even of low level, could keep himself even less conspicuous, casting Lesser Restoration on his charmed victims, so he could feed on the same person every night.

However, I could see a vampire needing to drink less as he ages. After 10 years, he only needs his quota once a week; after a hundred, once a month. This is why there are so few vampires - the young ones are too agressive in their feeding and often get caught.

As for the exact mechanic of the blood lust, I'd make it even more Anne Rice-y, in that it represents a struggle for some vampires. Make it a Will Save vs a DC of [12 + Vamp's Str Mod]. This is always based on the vampire's normal, unmodified Strength score, ignoring magical increases or ability damage. (Strength is the probably the best representation of what the vampire is trying to feed, and is also something which usually scales with size, per Nifft's suggestion. It also allows the vampire to try to keep from feeding everyday, if he needs to stay hidden or is having a crisis of consciousness.)

For each day since the vampire's last feeding, the DC increases by 1. If the vampire has fed, but less than half his normal requirement, a check is still required, but the DC is reduced 2. Reduce it by 4 if he has drained half or more but still less than his full requirement. The check occurs at exactly noon each day, when the sun is at its highest.

A failed save does 1d4 ability damage Strength or Dexterity (alternate between the two on each failed save) and 1 point of ability damage to Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma (alternate between the three on each failed save, or roll randomly.) I suggest this version of damage because lowering all stats equally will render the vampire incompetent to hunt long before he goes dormant, and will probably be destroyed. Also, using the Rice model, a starving vampire still retains his reason to some degree even when his physical attributes have dwindled to almost nothing.

Another suggestion: Draining blood from animals or other non-sentient beings. The CON of these creatures only counts 1/2 for the vampire's requirements. Also, subtract the target's size modifier from the total amount drained for any victim. So, a rat (Tiny, CON 10) would only provide 3 CON points to a vampire: 10 CON/2 minus +2 size mod. A light horse (Large, CON 15) could provide 8 points in a feeding: 15 CON/2 minus -1 size mod. So a vamp could get by feeding off of animals, but it would be difficult.

One last idea: Drinking after the heart stops. If a vampire drains a victim past 0 CON, he must make a Will Save vs a DC of (10 + Total CON drained from victim). Add +2 to the DC for each time this is done in the same night. A failed save causes the vampire to become sickened until he rests in his coffin for 24 hours.

 

[harmyn]

It depends on how much you want them to need to feed, but one thought would be that each night they go without drinking at least 1 point of Constitution they gain 1 "negative level". Skipping two nights equals 2 "negative levels". Impose the same sort of penalties that players get while under the penalty (-1 to attacks, -1 to saves, -1 to skills, -5hp / NL). To get rid of negative levels they must drain 2 Con for each negative level they wish to remove. Gives them incentive to hunt. If they reach an effective Zero HD they enter a torpor like state (idea from Vampire) and when something comes near them that they can feed upon they must make a Fort save DC 20 (or whatever) to awaken and attack.

You could also include the beast by giving them an Rage effect when they get down to less than half their remaining levels and a significant quantity of blood is available. A Will save to avoid this Rage.

Just some random thoughts off the top of my head.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

I dunno, I think it's pretty managable. By receiving double feeding points from a victim of the same race, an 8th level Aristocrat vampire only needs to drain 4 CON points a day - not enough to kill the victim. A vampire will probably have a couple of victims charmed to feed off of regularly, and by dropping in on a random villager, he can supplement while his regulars heal. The village would appear to have some disease which leaves many enemic, and with strange, open sores on their necks, but only the occasional death. This fits in with the older myths of vampires being bringers of pestilence.

Let's not forget that the vampire's bite deal Con drain, not con damage. So... Unless the vampire has some way to restore permanent ability score loss, he'll be killing his victims after a few feedings.

Later
silver

 

[Felix]

As for how much I want them to feed...

I want them feeding every night, and enough such that it would be easy for folks to figure out there are vampires about if the vampires weren't very careful in how they hunted.

Yes vampires are strong and powerful, but the prey that they feed upon are dangerous if they find out; I want to force vampires to come out to feed, and have that minimum of feeding risk the population becoming aware of them. That should force vampires to be cunning and very well hidden.

 

[Sir Brennen]

Let's not forget that the vampire's bite deal Con drain, not con damage. So... Unless the vampire has some way to restore permanent ability score loss, he'll be killing his victims after a few feedings.

Ah, true. Didn't realize it was permanent. Well, no reason one couldn't alter this as well if creating vampire feeding rules.

On the other hand, it would make it easier to be aware of the presence of a vampire in a community, since that seems to be what Felix is going for.

It also makes the Restoration spells even more valuable to vampires. As a result, cults of vampires may form, where the leader is a vampire priest capable of keeping prey "fresh" through these spells. Or, as a plot hook, vampires may have kidnapped a living cleric to do this for them, helping them stay hidden in a town. Would definitely lead to a moral dilemma for the captive cleric - keep the victim alive with restoration, which means the vampires continue to feed on them, prolonging the victim's suffering, or let the victim die, which means the vampires will quickly move on to new victims (and probably kill the priest.)