PDA

View Full Version : Vampire Flavor on a Lower LA Budget [3.5 Template, PEACH]



Myrddhin
2011-08-07, 12:48 AM
First off, I am aware that there are plenty of good, and not so good, options floating around for vampire-based monster classes, but my goal here was to create a template for a particular campaign in which we are being encouraged to use templates which rarely see player use due to LA. My choice of vampire goes a little higher than the LA we're allotted, so I opted to try to create a lower LA template which captured the flavor and perks (as well as weaknesses) I wanted from the vampire, without the extra LA-boosting baggage.

This version is actually based more on a fusion between Vampire Spawn and Libris Mortis' Half-Vampire template, as working up from there ended up being easier to try to gauge than coming down from a full vampire.

My major question: What is the best LA approximation for this template?

I was aiming for LA+2, but might have slipped up into +3. For the campaign I do need it to be LA+2, so any suggestions of how to alter it to reach that are very much welcome. (Despite encouraging us to use moderately high LA templates, he also expects us to have 4-5 class levels)


Nightstalker Template (working title)
"Nightstalker" is an acquired template which can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid, hereafter referred to as the base creature.

Size and Type
The creature’s type changes to undead (augmented humanoid or monstrous humanoid). Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.

Hit Dice
Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12s.

Speed
Same as base creature. The nightstalker retains all movement modes and speeds possessed by the base creature.

Armor Class
The base creature's natural armor bonus improves by +2.

Attack
A nightstalker retains all the attacks of the base creature and also gains a slam attack if it didn’t already have one. If the base creature can use weapons, the nightstalker retains this ability. A creature with natural weapons retains those natural weapons. A nightstalker fighting without weapons uses either its slam attack or its primary natural weapon (if it has any). A nightstalker armed with a weapon uses its slam or a weapon, as it desires.

Full Attack
A nightstalker fighting without weapons uses either its slam attack (see above) or its natural weapons (if it has any). If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack along with a slam or other natural weapon as a natural secondary attack.

Damage
Should include a table for this... but for now, Slam damage is based on the creature's size, with a Medium creature dealing 1d6, and scaling up and down from there as normal.

Special Attacks
A nightstalker retains all the special attacks of the base creature and gains those described below.

Blood Drain (Ex)
A nightstalker can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, the nightstalker gains 5 temporary hit points.

Special Qualities
A nightstalker retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains those described below.

Diet Dependency (Blood)
A nightstalker must use its Blood Drain attack on at least one living creature every three days. If it does not, it must make a Will save DC 15 or take 2d4 Wis damage. This damage cannot be healed except by feeding (in which case it is all, immediately, removed), and should it reduce the character's Wisdom to 0 then they are temporarily remanded to the DM who plays the character as a ravening monster solely focused upon feeding with no thought to its own safety, until it has managed to feed.

Damage Reduction (Su)
A nightstalker has damage reduction 5/silver or magic.

Fast Healing 2 (Ex)
A nightstalker heals 2 points of damage each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point remaining.

Resistances (Ex)
A nightstalker has resistance to cold 5 and electricity 5.

Spider Climb (Ex)
A nightstalker can climb sheer surfaces as though with a spider climb spell.

Turn Resistance (Ex)
A nightstalker has turn resistance +4.

Abilities
Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +2, Dex +2, Cha +2. As an undead creature, a nightstalker has no Constitution score.

Skills
Nightstalkers have a +2 racial bonuses on Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks.

Feats
Nightstalkers gain Improved Initiative as a bonus feat, assuming the base creature does not have it already.

Weaknesses

Holy Symbols: A strongly presented holy symbol forces a nightstalker to remain at least 5ft from its wielder, and bars the nightstalker from touching or making melee attacks against the creature presenting it. Keeping a nightstalker at bay in this fashion takes a standard action.

Homes and Private Buildings: A nightstalker cannot safely enter any home or building without an invitation from someone with the authority to do so. Public buildings are inherently open to all and are thus safe. A nightstalker can enter buildings uninvited, but doing so can weaken the negative energy which maintains them. Each round they spend uninvited in building, they must make a Will Save DC 15 (+1 for each additional round) or take 1d6 damage and lose access to their Fast Healing until they leave the building. This damage ignores their damage reduction. An invitation obtained through coercion or deceit is as valid as one offered freely.

Sunlight Vulnerability: Exposure to direct sunlight disorients it: It can take only a single move action or attack action and is destroyed utterly in the next round if it cannot escape. Reflected sunlight, such as from a mirror or the moon is not sufficient. (Thinking of toning this down to 1/3 hit points per round and continuing the disorientation effect, just as a potential safe guard)

Wooden Stake: Impaling a nightstalker through the heart with a wooden stake (a natural 20 while attacking with one) incapacitates it: it is treated as helpless until either the stake is removed or it is destroyed.

(Also considering adding a Lesser Fire Vulnerability: +25% damage from fire or toning down the DR if it does seem to be LA+3-ish as is)