• The VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX is LIVE! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!

The Vampyr-with illustrations, age categories, a PrC, & a half-vampyr template!!!


log in or register to remove this ad


Camarath

Pale Master Tarrasque
Dagredhel said:
Here is my first draft of the vampyr spawn for consideration. I'd especially appreciate suggestions on an appropriate Challenge Rating.
Your vampyr spawn seems to be the same as your vampyr except that its natural amror and turn resistance are 2 less and it does not gain the Command Spawn ability. Did I miss anything? I do not think these reductions warrent a reduction in CR. Thus for CR I would say 4 (1 for base human +1 for 4 hit dice +2 for vampyr spawn) and for LA I would stick with +4.
 
Last edited:

Dagredhel

Explorer
Ferret said:
What do you mean nosferatu? I can't see anything like that :confused:

Essex uses different varieties of vampires, which he refers to as bloodlines, in his campaign. His nosferatu are one of these bloodlines...

Essex said:
I may just use your vampyrs as another bloodline. In a small nod to White Wolf, I'm using the well-written vampire variants I can use as varying bloodlines. The differences between them have to do with originI am being picky though. Right now, there are just the Standard Vampires (unholy, damned creatures; chaotic evil), Nosferatu (Dracula's bloodline; created by a curse (anyone else see Dark Prince?) neutral evil), Chiang-Shi (Oriental bloodline, haven't decided an origin yet, lawful evil) and Vryolakta (monstrous sewer-dwelling, animalistic vampires; a twisted necromantic experiment gone horribly wrong). I'm using the main templates as Masters and the Spawn templates as the grunts, who can die just by being staked.
 

Dagredhel

Explorer
Camarath said:
Your vampyr spawn seems to be the same as your vampyr except that its natural amror and turn resistance are 2 less and it does not gain the Command Spawn ability. Did I miss anything? I do not think these reductions warrent a reduction in CR. Thus for CR I would say 4 (1 for base human +1 for 4 hit dice +2 for vampyr spawn) and for LA I would stick with +4.

Come to think of it, you're right (again ;) .)

I based the posted version of the vampyr spawn on the SRD vampire spawn, just making changes where they seemed warranted. I realized almost immediately afterwards that what I really needed was something different--- guidelines for dealing with characters under 5 Hit Dice who become vampyres.

Basically, they'd be bumped up to at least 4 Hit Dice, have to refigure skills, BAB, and base saves, and retain (most?) of their racial features. And there are little things, like giving creatures that had a racial bonus to Constitution the Toughness feat, or giving improved darkvision to creatures who could already see in the dark. When I do a rewrite, it will reflect this approach. I'd forgotten that when I wrote the vampyr template, I was already trying to represent the baseline, basic abilities that even a newly arisen vampyr would possess.

Camarath said:
Did I miss anything?

Nope, but I sure did... I'll try to do better next time (which won't be difficult, considering.)

The pics are pretty cool though, huh? So that day wasn't entirely wasted...
 


Dagredhel

Explorer
Today I removed the superfluous 'vampyr spawn' I had previously posted, and replaced it with instructions for applying the vampyr template to a base creature with fewer than 5 Hit Dice.

Still to do:

Notes on vampyres as characters, with attention to alignment and affected class features.

Sample vampyres. I'm thinking Count Dracula, and Lucy Westenra from the novel, and also a monstrous humanoid of some sort (maybe a lizardman, kobold, or gnoll--- I haven't decided which would be most interesting.)

'Half-Vampyres': These are still-living creatures that either have drank the blood of a vampyr from its veins, or are the offspring of a half-vampyr whose bloodline was contaminated in this fashion.

A half-vampyr is doomed to become a vampyr upon its death, which it can only stave off by drinking blood itself. Only the most noble and strong-willed character will be able to long resist the hunger for blood. And once the half-vampyr has consumed mortal blood, its fate becomes irrecoverably sealed, even if the vampyr who 'infected' it is destroyed.

A half-vampyr grows weaker and will perish from lack of blood, but possesses greater stamina than before when it has fully fed, and can spend some of its vitality to enhance its strength for a brief time. A half-vampyr can also see in the dark.

Those upon whom a half-vampyr has fed are likewise doomed to return as undead themselves.

But while still alive, half-vampyres are also touched by undeath and, as a consequence, are affected by Turn Undead and by holy symbols, though to a lesser extent than a true vampyr.

This will be a template, and Mina Harker will be the sample character.
 

TheOneAboveAll

First Post
Vampires have always been one of my favorite monsters. Feared, feral, cultured, intelligent, charismatic and powerful. It seemed though that they never got the proper treatment. Now I believe that they have. I love the Vampyr, they may be the centerpeice I was looking for.
 

Dagredhel

Explorer
TheOneAboveAll said:
Vampires have always been one of my favorite monsters. Feared, feral, cultured, intelligent, charismatic and powerful. It seemed though that they never got the proper treatment. Now I believe that they have. I love the Vampyr, they may be the centerpeice I was looking for.

Thank you. I hope you'll like the half-vampyr and sample characters as well. I'll try to get the half-vampyr posted soon.
 

Dagredhel

Explorer
I posted the half-vampyr template on the first post of the thread, below the greater vampyr prestige class. Let me know what you think! And as always, ECL and CR recommendations are appreciated. Thanks. ;)
 
Last edited:

Voidrunner's Codex

Remove ads

Top