DracoDei
2012-10-31, 06:54 PM
WARNING! This template and thread contain spoilers for a fanfic I am writing!!
(Knowledge of fanfic or even setting not necessary to understanding this template)
Wikipedia-like cross-indexing:
A vampire class (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=274442).
A Vampire Template (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=275262)
Vampire Lite (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=290290)
Explanation and notes for further development, and questions.
The following is the story of how I came up with this idea, but what you see should be usable in any campaign.
I have read a few MLP:FiM fanfics that featured vampires. My brain twisted this perhaps overused concept around into something a bit different, and I started writing my own story, in which the niceness and even cuteness destroy any evil tendencies and standard vampire angst (there is a bit of angst at the start of things, but only because the caster was Luna and the accidentally target was Fluttershy).
I had run low on steam for the story itself (EDIT: I got past it.), but for some reason I got a bug up my butt to write the D&D rules for the condition.
And here are some comments on mechanics.
I toned down a lot of the vulnerabilities and strengths of the SRD vampires here, trying to make something a bit more playable while I was at it. For instance, sunlight is painful without protective spells, but much more survivable even in such cases. In the original story, the sunlight vulnerability is something that Princess Celestia created, and she installs an exception for Fluttershy and her spawn within a few days of Fluttershy's tranformation. Similar things apply to running water and "native soils" although those are slower to be altered.
Unfortunately one of the most important facets as far as the mood of the whole thing proved to be a bit of a pain in the neck (joke intended) to write out, and the entire template benefits greatly from being paired with a good diplomacy fix (which might require re-working the table... suggestions welcome), but I think I did a good job, providing two versions of the template depending on how in-depth a particular play-group wants, and it isn't the sort of thing most parties worry about anyway. Basically the nutrition level of blood is both vaguely volume proportionate, and proportionate to the good-will in which the blood is given (IE their bonuses to diplomacy and sense motive are a survival trait for maintaining the relationships that keep them well-fed). This means that holding a screaming victim down and biting them deals damage to the drinker, while an eripmav (see above or the story for the source of the name) who is well-loved in their community can sustain themselves without ever drinking enough from any one individual to cause so much as a single point of constitution damage. Even in the average adventuring party, the occasional point of constitution damage will prove a minimal problem. There should be enough there for most GMs to wing it.
Questions:
What do people think of the CR and LA?
What would be a good Diplomacy fix to pair this with?
How is the feeding/damage table looking?
Do the "fiddly bits" such as how sunlight effects them, the "native soil" requirements, and the various tables add more to the feel, and interestingness of social, tactical, and logistical roleplay than the complication they impose?
Eripmav
Author's recommended version of Template. (Other version moved to the next post).
How Eripmavs came to exist in-universe (remember that fluff is mutable):
In a far distant outer plane, a mighty archangel associated with the moon and night fell, becoming an arch-devil. She was imprisoned for a thousand years, before she escaped and was redeemed. Thinking (correctly at it turned out) that her evil powers were gone from her, later while laying blessings on a timid mortal whom she was aiding the archangel accidentally cast a spell that would have slain its target and raised them as a vampire... and slay them it did, but what they become was not a vampire exactly. In a hurry to reassure the ex-mortal, one of the archangel's retinue named the new condition the first thing that came to her mind, simply spelling "vampire" backwards. The name stuck. Although the archangel did not dare cast the spell again for many centuries, she had the person she had visited this accidental "gift" on grant it to worthy individuals via the vampiric bite. Since then it has spread to less worthy individuals, although it reacts... violently with outright evil.
Appearance and Language
Eripmavs appear just as they did in life although with a bluish cast to their skin, due to their permanent cyanosis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanosis).
Unlike vampires, eripmavs usually dress in a very normal fashion. Despite their mostly normal appearance (and the coloration can, of course, be disguised), eripmavs can be easily recognized, for they cast no shadows and have no reflections in mirrors.
Eripmavs speak any languages they knew in life.
Creating An Eripmav
"Eripmav" is an acquired template that can be added to any non-plant living creature with an intelligence of at least 3(referred to hereafter as the base creature). Note, however, the strong restrictions on evil creatures becoming eripmavs listed under "alignment" below.
An eripmav uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type
The creature’s type changes to deathless (augmented <previous creature type>). Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves (but see below), or skill points. Size is unchanged. Unlike most deathless, eripmavs are subject to starvation and lack of sleep as if they were still alive, see Mortal Frailties below. They also still experience aging after a fashion, see Abilities below.
Hit Dice
Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12s.
Speed
Same as the base creature. If the base creature has a swim speed, the eripmav retains the ability to swim and is not damaged by running water (see below).
Armor Class
The base creature’s natural armor bonus improves by +3.
Attack/Full Attack
Unchanged from base creature.
Special Attacks
An eripmav retains all the special attacks of the base creature and gains those described below. Saves have a DC of 10 + ½ eripmav’s HD + eripmav’s Cha modifier unless noted otherwise.
Blood Drain (Ex)
An eripmav can suck blood from a living non-plant victim with its fangs. While this technically requires a successful grapple check and pin eripmavs do not usually use this ability in any situation that would require these to actually be rolled. Each round the eripmav drinks it may deal up to enough blood drain to cause a single point of constitution damage, although outside of emergencies most eripmavs feed over the course of several minutes both to use a smaller bite-hole and just in case the "donor" has a sudden flash of annoyance at them. In whatever case it drains blood, but usually not enough to deal even as single point of constitution DAMAGE. On each such successful round of feeding, the eripmav gains sustenance or takes damage as per the following table if dealing a point of constitution damage, or proportionately less if feeding more slowly. No hitpoint damage is healed, only nourishment such as a living individual would gain from eating.
Days worth of nourishment or damage per point of constitution damage inflicted, indexed by the size of the "donor" relative to the eripmav (WITHOUT including an supernatural or magical size changes, but including such things as Powerful Build and Slight Build when they would be to the eripmav's benefit) and the "donor"'s attitude towards the feeding (which may not exceed their attitude towards the eripmav in general). Any magical influence improving the donor's receptiveness (such as Charm spells) do not count for this, but any worsening it (such as a Suggestion that an eripmav wife might be cheating on the husband she feeds on in strict moderation each day) are effective in reducing the nutrition/harming the eripmav.
~
Size class of Donor Relative to Eripmav
Donor Disposition3+ Smaller2 Smaller1 SmallerSame Size1 Larger2 Larger3 Larger4 Larger5+ Larger
Hostile2 damage1d6+1 damage2d8 damage3d10 damage8d6 damage16d6 damage32d6 damage225 damage450 damage
Unfriendly1 damage1d4 damage1d8 damage2d8 damage4d6 damage8d6 damage16d6 damage32d6 damage225 damage
Neutral1/32 day1/16 day1/8 day1/4 day1/2 day1 day2 days4 days8 days
Friendly1/16 day1/8 day1/4 day1/2 day1 day2 days4 days8 days16 days
Helpful1/8 day1/4 day1/2 day1 day2 days4 days8 days16 days1 month
Exceptional RP1/4 day1/2 day1 day2 days4 days8 days16 days1 month2 months
An eripmav may take half this amount (gaining half the nourishment or taking half the hitpoint damage) in any 24 hour period without dealing dealing constitution damage. Note that no matter how slowly an eripmav feeds, they have a general idea of the effectiveness of the blood within the first few rounds, just as a living individual can tell the quality of food as they eat it. Spells exist to disguise the taste of blood from an eripmav, but they are incredibly obscure, requiring a DC 25 Knowledge(Religion) or Spellcraft check to know of the existence of the divine and arcane versions respectively.
At any one time an eripmav may store enough blood inside itself to have caused 12 points of constitution damage (equal to 24 feedings not sufficient to cause constitution damage) to a creature of its own size-class. Note that the amount of time this will sustain the eripmav varies widely based on the disposition and relative size of the "donors".
Note that paying people for their blood generally produces a neutral result, unless they are well accustomed over a long period of time to being fed from in that fashion, or bleeding treatments. In such a case the result might improve to Friendly at the GM's discretion.
The final catagory is reserved for boon companions/family members, with an eripmav player (AND donor if that is a PC as well) who demonstrated exemplary roleplay of their character's relationship with eachother. This is always at the GM's sole discretion.
Sustenance from creatures of animal intelligence is divided by four, damage is uneffected.
For convenience, the rules for starvation from the SRD, edited for clarity,:
A character can go without food for 3 days, in growing discomfort. After this time they take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage, which repeats each day.
Characters who have taken nonlethal damage from lack of food or water are fatigued. Nonlethal damage from starvation cannot be recovered until the character gets (sufficient) food (to make up the deficit)—not even magic that restores hit points heals this damage.
Note that Eripmavs are subject to both the nonlethal and fatigue effects from starvation, despite being immune to nonlethal damage and fatigue from other sources. Note that the 3 days does not start to run out until their stored blood is exhausted.
Children of the Night (Su)
The lesser nocturnal creatures, such as rats, bats, wolves, jackals, owls, and some cats are well-disposed toward eripmavs. When dealing with such creatures they gain the Animal Empathy class feature of a druid of level equal to their ECL, and a +8 bonus on handle animal checks. Their presence is slightly disturbing to daylight favoring creatures, imposing a -8 penalty to Animal Empathy and handle animal checks on any such creature that has not had positive interactions with them for at least the last 24 hours. Both the bonus and the penalty apply to Magical Beasts and Abberations, provided they are of True Neutral alignment, have racial intelligence of 6 or less, and do not possess a true language.
Influence (Su)
An eripmav can weaken an opponent’s will just by looking onto his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that the eripmav must use at least a standard action, and those merely looking at it are not affected. This action must be combined into a single action with a use of the Diplomacy or Intimidate skill. Anyone the eripmav targets must succeed on a Will save after the first standard action of the diplomacy or intimidate check or be Entranced for the duration of the intimidate or diplomacy attempt (to a maximum of twice the eripmav's ECL in rounds). On a failed save the diplomacy or intimidate check also gains a +8 bonus. The ability has a range of 30 feet, an equivalent spell level equal to half the eripmav's ECL (Maximum 9), and a caster level equal to the eripmav's ECL. The influence of this ability NEVER applies to nutrition-levels, although a long-term relationship that started off this way is not forever ruined.
Create Spawn (Su)
A creature that qualifies for this template slain by an eripmav’s blood drain (either by hitpoint loss in combination with an earlier injury, or by having its Constitution reduced to 0 or lower) rises as an eripmav 1d4 rounds after death.
Optional rule to keep spawn from becoming too numerous.This costs the eripmav creating the spawn 50 xp per hit-die of the newly created eripmav. This process is not optional, although if the creating eripmav does not have enough xp's or simply wishes an alternate cost, they may take burn to any of their stats that they actually have at a conversion rate of 100 xps per point of burn. This CAN result in a gain of up to 50 xps. This burn may not be removed in any way until they points are bought back with xps at the same conversion rate, after which it recovers at the normal rate for ability score burn.
In either case, the new eripmav is under the influence of the eripmav that created it as per Charm Monster without benefit of spell resistance or saving throw, and not suppressed by Protection from Chaos/Evil/Good/Law or Magic Circle Against Chaos/Evil/Good/Law. This effect has a duration of a number of days equal to the creating eripmav's ECL. The effects of this ability are otherwise treated as a 4th level spell cast by a sorcerer of a level equal to the eripmavs ECL. At any given time an eripmav may have influenced spawn totaling no more than twice its own ECL; any spawn it creates that would exceed this limit are created as free-willed eripmavs. An eripmav that is influenced may create and influence spawn of its own, so a master eripmav can control a number of lesser eripmavs in this fashion. An eripmav may voluntarily free an influenced spawn in order to influence a new spawn, but once freed, an eripmav or eripmav spawn cannot be influenced again.
Special Qualities
An eripmav retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains those described below.
Alternate Form (Su)
An eripmav each may assume two alternate forms, one flying, and one canid. The appearance of these forms is consistent each time a given eripmav assumes it and will look as much like the eripmav's base form as is possible within the normal variation of that type (not species exactly since, for instance "dog" and "riding dog" are considered two different things) of animal, and always shares the body-temperature and cyanosis of the eripmavs true form(unless lesser phoenix, see below). Once each of these forms is selected it may not be changed. Eripmavs of medium or smaller size can assume the shape of a bat or owl for their flying form, while those of Large or larger size select either dire bat or giant owl. Regardless of size if at the moment after their transformation into an eripmav is complete they meet at least one of the following criterion then they may select lesser phoenix as their alternate form:
[Fire] subtype.
Cleric or other divine caster with access to the sun and/or fire domains. (Note that this is AFTER any domains have been exchanged).
Evocation specialist, Warmage, or sorcerer with at least 3 spells known (of levels they can actually cast) that "natively" deal fire damage.
Have the Energy Substitution(Fire) feat.
At least 4 ranks and skill focus in a craft skill that uses large amounts of fire(such as pottery or any sort of smithing) focused around objects larger than kitchen utensils.
At least 4 ranks and skill focus in Craft(Alchemy) AND have created at least one gallon of alchemist's fire for each year since their birth.
Have a breathweapon capable of dealing fire damage.
Know at least 6 maneuvers (including stances) from the Desert Wind discipline. If this option is used to qualify for the lesser pheonix form, then they they only have access to that form if they continue to know at least that many maneuvers from that discipline. If, for some reason, this changes while they are in lesser pheonix form, they immediately revert to their base form.
Eripmavs of small or smaller size select either dog, coyotes, jackals, and African wild dogs (all of which use the same statistics). Eripmavs of medium size turn into wolves or riding dogs mechanically, but if riding dog is selected then they may choose to resemble an enlarged version of any form a small eripmav could take, and which the GM rules suits their personality. Eripmavs of large or larger size use dire wolf for the mechanics of their canid form, but can resemble an enlarged wolf(without the more primative cast of a dire wolf) or any other canid with the animal type as suits their personality. For instance, especially kindly giants have been known to turn into gigantic lap-dogs, although the individuals in question almost invariably consider this an embarrassment.
In addition, if at the moment after their transformation into an eripmav is complete they meet at least one of the following criterion then they may replace the normal subtype of the canid they turn into with plant. In which case the form appears to be made out of dried wood of some species of plant that is in keeping with the eripmav's personality. There may even be perfectly dried flowers blooming from them (while easily damaged these regrow with hours and losing them deals no damage to the eripmav). They never have thorns or contact poison (such as poison ivy), regardless of species.
Have the Animal Empathy ability.
Cleric or other divine caster with access to the plant domain.
Augmented Plant subtype in native form.
Assuming an alternate form is a standard action. While in its alternate form, the eripmav loses its influence ability, but it gains the natural weapons and extraordinary special attacks of its new form. It can remain in that form until it assumes another or until the next sunrise. (If the base creature is not terrestrial, this power might allow other forms.)
Damage Reduction (Su)
An eripmav has damage reduction 5/silver and magic, increasing at the following ECLs: at ECL 10 this increases to 10, at ECL 15 it increases to 15, at ECL 20 it increases to 20, and so on. At ECL 25+ this damage reduction is only bypassed by weapons that are both Silver and Epic.
An eripmav’s natural weapons and unarmed attacks are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. At ECL 25 they are also treated as Epic Weapons for similar purposes.
Gaseous Form (Su)
As a standard action, an eripmav can assume gaseous form at will as the spell (caster level 5th), but it can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability. In this form it takes quadrupal damage from fire and acid(including sunlight and running water), and double damage from all area of effect attacks. Unlike most multiplications, area of effect fire or acid attacks deal octupal damage to an Eripmav. HOWEVER, apply all multiplications from this weakness AFTER resistances and and protections. An eripmav reduced to 0 hitpoints in this form instantly reverts to its normal form.
Healing Lick (Su)
An eripmav can close wounds on living creatures with its lick, healing one point of damage from a slashing or piercing injury as a full round action that provokes attacks of opportunity and causes both parties to count as flat-footed. Each individual injury may only be treated once by this ability. Injuries treated in this way will be closed up enough to prevent dirt and such from entering the wound, thus avoiding later infection, although the deeper damage will remain. This also stops any ongoing hit-point or constitution damage from the injury in question.
Mortal Frailties (Ex)
An eripmav is subject to subdual damage and fatigue from lack of food (blood in their case, see the blood drain special ability).
They also take the same penalties to lack of sleep/trance as they when they were alive, and furthermore they only benefit from such rest when taken while in their native forms and near a certain amount of their native soil (about 20 dry weight pounds for medium sized eripmavs). Most use bedrolls, mattress covers, or blankets filled soil. Native soil is where-ever the eripmav considers its true home. As a rule of thumb, they should have to have lived a particular place for at least a year, and the soil should only count within a radius of a few miles at most. Alternatively, for dedicated travelers, an approximately equal mix of soils from at least 10 locations, each separated from all the others by at least 200 miles or one change to a non-co-existant plane may be substituted.
Since the SRD seems to lack rules for sleep deprivation, here are some simple ones to apply to Eripmavs:
An eripmav requires 8 hours of sleep (or 4 hours of trance) after 20 hours of alertness or they become fatigued. 24 hours after this they become exhausted. Each 12 hours after that, they take 1d4 points of damage to each of their ability scores. Sleeping/Trancing stops this progression, and removes the penalties in reverse order as the deficit is made up (note that this may require one or more full days in extreme cases).
On the plus side, eripmavs regain hit-points and ability points over time as if they were living creatures.
Power of the Empty Mirror (Su)
An Eripmav gains a +10 bonus on saving throws against Scrying, Greater Scrying, and similar spells, effects, and abilities. For any spell, spell-like ability, effect, or non-racial ability that allows seeing an eripmav where the caster or creature would not normally be able to see them, they gain spell-resistance equal to 15 + their ECL. A spell that does not beat this resistance (which the GM should roll secretly) can not see them. This means that Clairvoyance, Prying Eyes, Detect Undead, and scrying another creature in the eripmav's vicinity treat them as invisible. Even augmenting such spells with See Invisible or True Seeing spells or abilities of any kind does no good if the other spell does not succeed against the spell resistance.
Eripmavs invisible from other sources gain this spell resistance against attempts to directly view them(rather than via a separate divination effect) via See Invisible, True Seeing, etc.
This ability provides no protection against Glitterdust, Invisibility Purge or similar spells and effects.
Resistances (Ex)
An eripmav has resistance to cold 10 and electricity 10.
Turn Resistance (Ex)
An eripmav has +4 turn resistance.
Abilities
Increase from the base creature as follows: If their prior constitution score (not including any enhancement bonuses or bonuses of any kind from equipment and non-permanent spells) is higher than their prior strength score(Ditto) then their strength score changes to the average of the aforementioned two old scores(rounded up). In either case, the eripmav then gains a +4 racial bonus to their strength score.
As a deathless creature, an eripmav has no Constitution score, however they multiply their charisma bonus (if any) by their hitdice, divide by two, and add the result to their hitpoints. They also add their charisma modifier to their fortitude saves and concentration checks in lieu of their constitution modifier.
In addition unlike most deathless and undead, an eripmav is effected differently by aging. They remove all aging penalties to dexterity. Aging penalities to strength (and technically constitution) present upon becoming an eripmav remain. The eripmav no longer takes ability score penalties for further aging and cannot be magically aged.
Bonuses still accrue, and unlike almost all other deathless the eripmav still dies of old age when her time is up, going instantly from perfect functionality to dead at the moment that fate has ordained for them.
Skills
Eripmavs rely on friendship to eat well, and their psychology adjusts to this, both quickly (via gaining the Negotiator Feat) and over a period of time. They gain a racial bonus to diplomacy and sense motive checks made outside of combat based on how long they have been an eripmav. They also use their ECL instead of their class levels or hitdice when determining their maximum ranks for these two skills and always treat them as class skills.
TimeBonus
Less than a month+0
1 month+1
3 months+2
6 months+3
1+ years+4
They also gain a +2 racial bonus to Hide, and Move Silently checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.
Feats
Eripmavs gain Great Fortitude and Negotiator, assuming doesn’t already have these feats.
Environment
Any, usually same as base creature.
Organization
Solitary, or Club (2-5)
Challenge Rating
Same as the base creature +1.
Treasure
Standard.
Alignment
Any non-evil, but see below.
A willing evil creature may become an eripmav, but only if the act of having their life saved by their "master" opens them to alignment change. This functions as per the alignment change from Atonement, with the same restrictions on it. The alignment of the spawn changes to neutral on the good/evil axis. Alignment on the Law/Chaos axis is never directly effected by becoming an eripmav.
An Eripmav that becomes evil must make a will save followed by a Fortitude save(without the benefit of the charisma or feat bonuses provided by this template), both against DC 22. If the will save is successful, then the eripmav exchanges this template for the vampire template, however, in this case, they reduce all their ability scores by 6 if they fail the fortitude save and do not gain the bonuses to charisma, bluff checks, nor the Children of the Night or Dominate special abilities. If both saves are failed the eripmav is utterly destroyed by holy fire burning it from the inside out (half of this unlimited damage results directly from divine energy, and thus it is not subject to resistances or immunity). If the Fortitude save is successful but the will save is failed, the eripmav loses this template and replaces it with the ghoul template((Note to self: Create this template)), but subsisting on blood rather than flesh, and lacking the paralytic touch.
Advancement
By character class.
Level Adjustment
Same as the base creature +3.
Eripmav Weaknesses
For all their differences from vampires, eripmavs share a number of weaknesses.
Repelling a Eripmav
Eripmavs cannot tolerate the strong odor of garlic and will not enter an area laced with it. Similarly, they recoil from a strongly presented unholy symbol(but not from a mirror or holy symbol). These things don’t harm the eripmav—they merely keep it at bay. A recoiling eripmav must stay at least 5 feet away from a creature holding the unholy symbol and cannot touch or make melee attacks against the creature holding the item for the rest of the encounter. Holding an eripmav at bay takes a standard action.
Eripmavs without a natural swim speed are burned by running water in something like the way that acid burns living creatures. Protections and resistances to acid apply against this damage. A creature of at least tiny size may deal damage to an eripmav by splashing them directly from such a body of water causing damage per the following table if splashed directly from such a source, treated as a splash weapon with a range incriment of 5 feet for creatures of up to large size, and 10 feet for creatures larger than that.
SizeMaximum RangeDamageRange Incriment
Tiny Same Square 1d2 N/A
Small 5 feet 1d4 5 feet
Medium 5 feet 1d6 5 feet
Large 10 feet 1d8 5 feet
Huge 15 feet 2d6 10 feet
Gargantuan 20 feet 3d6 10 feet
Colossal 30 feet 5d6 10 feet
Wading or swimming in running water deals damage based on the following table. Note that the water must actually touch the skin of the Eripmav, making high oil-skin boots a favorite among careful eripmavs. Note also that, until and unless it starts running along the ground, precipitation never counts as "running water".
DepthDamage per Round
Ankle 1d3
Knee* 2d4
Waist/Full Leg 6d4
Swimming/Fully Immersed 15d4
*This is for humanoids, the more general rule is "half-way up the leg", which is quite a different thing for many quadrupeds.
Exposure to direct sunlight usually disorients an eripmav: It is dealt 3d6 fire damage per round (manifesting as the skin charring and flaking away, rather than actual flames, but subject to all sources of fire resistance/immunity/protection), and unless all of this damage is prevented disorients it: It can take only a single move action or attack action each round it is in direct sunlight.
They are utterly unable to enter a home or other building with ill intent unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so. If entering such a building without such an invitation they become incapable of attacking in any way (can not make attack rolls, cast spells on unwilling targets, etc) until they leave it. They may freely enter public places, since these are by definition open to all.
Slaying a Eripmav
Reducing an eripmav’s hit points to 0 or lower incapacitates it but doesn't always destroy it. However, certain attacks can slay eripmavs. Exposing it to sunlight or, fully immersing an eripmav in running water destroys it after such immersion and/or sunlight has dealt an number of points of damage over consecutive rounds equal to its maximum hitpoints. Actual fire and acid count half towards this total. Driving a wooden stake through an eripmav’s heart instantly slays the monster. However, it returns to life if the stake is removed, unless the body is destroyed. A popular tactic is to cut off the creature’s head and fill its mouth with unholy spices (or their equivalent).
Eripmav Characters
Eripmavs of certain classes experience special effects as described below.
Clerics
Eripmav clerics lose their ability to rebuke undead but gain the ability to turn undead. This ability does not affect the eripmav’s master-spawn relationships in either direction. An eripmav cleric has access to the domains they had in life (assuming they are not cut off from their god by an alignment change or other problem with their becoming deathless), or may swap one or both of them out for the following domains: Community, Chaos, Good, Healing, or Law. They may not select alignment domains unless they are of that/those alignment(s). Alternatively an eripmav cleric may exchange BOTH their domains for the Sun domain, in which case they gain 10 resistance to damage from sunlight, Sunray, Sunburst and other light based damage. This stacks with fire resistance, Protection from Elements (applying the reduction before the protection), and similar spells, effects, etc. A cleric who already had access to the Sun domain, must either take this option(in effect losing access to one other domain) or trade away the sun domain for a different domain on the previous list.
Sorcerers and Wizards
Eripmav sorcerers and wizards retain their class abilities, but if a character has a familiar other than a rat, owl, or bat, the link between them is broken(but with halved XP penalties, which is a quarter on a successful save), and the familiar shuns its former companion for a number of days equal to twice the eripmav's new ECL. The character can summon another familiar, but it must be a rat, owl or bat. Alternatively they may rebind their old familiar after the period of shunning has passed, followed by succeeding on a DC 20 handle animal (or diplomacy if the familiar's natural intelligence score is 3 or higher) with the same casting time and material components as summoning a new familiar.
FEAT
Tongue of the Healer of Hearts and Bodies
"I can taste your spirit my beloved."
Prerequisites: Eripmav, 5 ranks each in Sense Motive and Heal, at least three class levels.
Benefits: When you drink someone's blood, you get a feeling for their emotional state. The automatically tells you any emotions they are not trying to repress or are intentionally trying to communicate to you via this method, and grants a sense motive check opposed by their bluff check on any they were repressing and are not trying to intentionally communicate to you via letting you drink their blood. You know only the emotions, not their source. In addition, this allows you to attempt a heal check to diagnosis any diseases in the blood or psychological conditions, or gives a +5 to the check to diagnosis if combined with mundane examination. If an eripmav treats someone for a properly diagnosed psychological condition and drinks at least a few sips from them each day, then the patient gains a +2 bonus to all fortitude and will saves that would directly aid in the treatment, and the eripmav gains +5 to all will saves and skill checks directly related to treating them. Drinking from a patient directly also grants a +2 bonus to caster level for one minute for any spell to cure or otherwise treat them for a properly diagnosed psychological condition.
Changelog
Mar 5th 2013: Many grammatical edits.
Feb 3rd 2013: Fixed a grammatical error or two, added ability to qualify for lesser pheonix access using Desert Wind.
Dec 27th: Fixed several spelling/grammatical errors (need to check for more).
8:01 PM Eastern Oct 31st 2012: Edited feeding table after seeing many empty columns.
10:16 PM: Made feeding table look nicer, and added language preventing cheese with size-changing magics. Beefed up healing lick to stop bleed damage (which was part of my original intention). Added some stuff about how emotion-effecting magics interact with feeding, as well as mentioning the existence of taste disguising spells. I would type those up, but I think that they would be more of plot points than things that would require an actual spell-description.
3:30 PM Nov 1st: Reduced nutrition levels to encourage roleplay. May not have gone far enough.
3:45 PM Had DR improve to Silver and Epic at ECL 25.
6:30 PM Nov 5th: Made Diplomacy and Sense Motive always class skills. Fixed some spelling errors, and added the simplified version for those who don't wish support from their crunch for their roleplaying (or hack and slashers I suppose, but this REALLY isn't the template for them).
(Knowledge of fanfic or even setting not necessary to understanding this template)
Wikipedia-like cross-indexing:
A vampire class (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=274442).
A Vampire Template (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=275262)
Vampire Lite (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=290290)
Explanation and notes for further development, and questions.
The following is the story of how I came up with this idea, but what you see should be usable in any campaign.
I have read a few MLP:FiM fanfics that featured vampires. My brain twisted this perhaps overused concept around into something a bit different, and I started writing my own story, in which the niceness and even cuteness destroy any evil tendencies and standard vampire angst (there is a bit of angst at the start of things, but only because the caster was Luna and the accidentally target was Fluttershy).
I had run low on steam for the story itself (EDIT: I got past it.), but for some reason I got a bug up my butt to write the D&D rules for the condition.
And here are some comments on mechanics.
I toned down a lot of the vulnerabilities and strengths of the SRD vampires here, trying to make something a bit more playable while I was at it. For instance, sunlight is painful without protective spells, but much more survivable even in such cases. In the original story, the sunlight vulnerability is something that Princess Celestia created, and she installs an exception for Fluttershy and her spawn within a few days of Fluttershy's tranformation. Similar things apply to running water and "native soils" although those are slower to be altered.
Unfortunately one of the most important facets as far as the mood of the whole thing proved to be a bit of a pain in the neck (joke intended) to write out, and the entire template benefits greatly from being paired with a good diplomacy fix (which might require re-working the table... suggestions welcome), but I think I did a good job, providing two versions of the template depending on how in-depth a particular play-group wants, and it isn't the sort of thing most parties worry about anyway. Basically the nutrition level of blood is both vaguely volume proportionate, and proportionate to the good-will in which the blood is given (IE their bonuses to diplomacy and sense motive are a survival trait for maintaining the relationships that keep them well-fed). This means that holding a screaming victim down and biting them deals damage to the drinker, while an eripmav (see above or the story for the source of the name) who is well-loved in their community can sustain themselves without ever drinking enough from any one individual to cause so much as a single point of constitution damage. Even in the average adventuring party, the occasional point of constitution damage will prove a minimal problem. There should be enough there for most GMs to wing it.
Questions:
What do people think of the CR and LA?
What would be a good Diplomacy fix to pair this with?
How is the feeding/damage table looking?
Do the "fiddly bits" such as how sunlight effects them, the "native soil" requirements, and the various tables add more to the feel, and interestingness of social, tactical, and logistical roleplay than the complication they impose?
Eripmav
Author's recommended version of Template. (Other version moved to the next post).
How Eripmavs came to exist in-universe (remember that fluff is mutable):
In a far distant outer plane, a mighty archangel associated with the moon and night fell, becoming an arch-devil. She was imprisoned for a thousand years, before she escaped and was redeemed. Thinking (correctly at it turned out) that her evil powers were gone from her, later while laying blessings on a timid mortal whom she was aiding the archangel accidentally cast a spell that would have slain its target and raised them as a vampire... and slay them it did, but what they become was not a vampire exactly. In a hurry to reassure the ex-mortal, one of the archangel's retinue named the new condition the first thing that came to her mind, simply spelling "vampire" backwards. The name stuck. Although the archangel did not dare cast the spell again for many centuries, she had the person she had visited this accidental "gift" on grant it to worthy individuals via the vampiric bite. Since then it has spread to less worthy individuals, although it reacts... violently with outright evil.
Appearance and Language
Eripmavs appear just as they did in life although with a bluish cast to their skin, due to their permanent cyanosis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanosis).
Unlike vampires, eripmavs usually dress in a very normal fashion. Despite their mostly normal appearance (and the coloration can, of course, be disguised), eripmavs can be easily recognized, for they cast no shadows and have no reflections in mirrors.
Eripmavs speak any languages they knew in life.
Creating An Eripmav
"Eripmav" is an acquired template that can be added to any non-plant living creature with an intelligence of at least 3(referred to hereafter as the base creature). Note, however, the strong restrictions on evil creatures becoming eripmavs listed under "alignment" below.
An eripmav uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type
The creature’s type changes to deathless (augmented <previous creature type>). Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves (but see below), or skill points. Size is unchanged. Unlike most deathless, eripmavs are subject to starvation and lack of sleep as if they were still alive, see Mortal Frailties below. They also still experience aging after a fashion, see Abilities below.
Hit Dice
Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12s.
Speed
Same as the base creature. If the base creature has a swim speed, the eripmav retains the ability to swim and is not damaged by running water (see below).
Armor Class
The base creature’s natural armor bonus improves by +3.
Attack/Full Attack
Unchanged from base creature.
Special Attacks
An eripmav retains all the special attacks of the base creature and gains those described below. Saves have a DC of 10 + ½ eripmav’s HD + eripmav’s Cha modifier unless noted otherwise.
Blood Drain (Ex)
An eripmav can suck blood from a living non-plant victim with its fangs. While this technically requires a successful grapple check and pin eripmavs do not usually use this ability in any situation that would require these to actually be rolled. Each round the eripmav drinks it may deal up to enough blood drain to cause a single point of constitution damage, although outside of emergencies most eripmavs feed over the course of several minutes both to use a smaller bite-hole and just in case the "donor" has a sudden flash of annoyance at them. In whatever case it drains blood, but usually not enough to deal even as single point of constitution DAMAGE. On each such successful round of feeding, the eripmav gains sustenance or takes damage as per the following table if dealing a point of constitution damage, or proportionately less if feeding more slowly. No hitpoint damage is healed, only nourishment such as a living individual would gain from eating.
Days worth of nourishment or damage per point of constitution damage inflicted, indexed by the size of the "donor" relative to the eripmav (WITHOUT including an supernatural or magical size changes, but including such things as Powerful Build and Slight Build when they would be to the eripmav's benefit) and the "donor"'s attitude towards the feeding (which may not exceed their attitude towards the eripmav in general). Any magical influence improving the donor's receptiveness (such as Charm spells) do not count for this, but any worsening it (such as a Suggestion that an eripmav wife might be cheating on the husband she feeds on in strict moderation each day) are effective in reducing the nutrition/harming the eripmav.
~
Size class of Donor Relative to Eripmav
Donor Disposition3+ Smaller2 Smaller1 SmallerSame Size1 Larger2 Larger3 Larger4 Larger5+ Larger
Hostile2 damage1d6+1 damage2d8 damage3d10 damage8d6 damage16d6 damage32d6 damage225 damage450 damage
Unfriendly1 damage1d4 damage1d8 damage2d8 damage4d6 damage8d6 damage16d6 damage32d6 damage225 damage
Neutral1/32 day1/16 day1/8 day1/4 day1/2 day1 day2 days4 days8 days
Friendly1/16 day1/8 day1/4 day1/2 day1 day2 days4 days8 days16 days
Helpful1/8 day1/4 day1/2 day1 day2 days4 days8 days16 days1 month
Exceptional RP1/4 day1/2 day1 day2 days4 days8 days16 days1 month2 months
An eripmav may take half this amount (gaining half the nourishment or taking half the hitpoint damage) in any 24 hour period without dealing dealing constitution damage. Note that no matter how slowly an eripmav feeds, they have a general idea of the effectiveness of the blood within the first few rounds, just as a living individual can tell the quality of food as they eat it. Spells exist to disguise the taste of blood from an eripmav, but they are incredibly obscure, requiring a DC 25 Knowledge(Religion) or Spellcraft check to know of the existence of the divine and arcane versions respectively.
At any one time an eripmav may store enough blood inside itself to have caused 12 points of constitution damage (equal to 24 feedings not sufficient to cause constitution damage) to a creature of its own size-class. Note that the amount of time this will sustain the eripmav varies widely based on the disposition and relative size of the "donors".
Note that paying people for their blood generally produces a neutral result, unless they are well accustomed over a long period of time to being fed from in that fashion, or bleeding treatments. In such a case the result might improve to Friendly at the GM's discretion.
The final catagory is reserved for boon companions/family members, with an eripmav player (AND donor if that is a PC as well) who demonstrated exemplary roleplay of their character's relationship with eachother. This is always at the GM's sole discretion.
Sustenance from creatures of animal intelligence is divided by four, damage is uneffected.
For convenience, the rules for starvation from the SRD, edited for clarity,:
A character can go without food for 3 days, in growing discomfort. After this time they take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage, which repeats each day.
Characters who have taken nonlethal damage from lack of food or water are fatigued. Nonlethal damage from starvation cannot be recovered until the character gets (sufficient) food (to make up the deficit)—not even magic that restores hit points heals this damage.
Note that Eripmavs are subject to both the nonlethal and fatigue effects from starvation, despite being immune to nonlethal damage and fatigue from other sources. Note that the 3 days does not start to run out until their stored blood is exhausted.
Children of the Night (Su)
The lesser nocturnal creatures, such as rats, bats, wolves, jackals, owls, and some cats are well-disposed toward eripmavs. When dealing with such creatures they gain the Animal Empathy class feature of a druid of level equal to their ECL, and a +8 bonus on handle animal checks. Their presence is slightly disturbing to daylight favoring creatures, imposing a -8 penalty to Animal Empathy and handle animal checks on any such creature that has not had positive interactions with them for at least the last 24 hours. Both the bonus and the penalty apply to Magical Beasts and Abberations, provided they are of True Neutral alignment, have racial intelligence of 6 or less, and do not possess a true language.
Influence (Su)
An eripmav can weaken an opponent’s will just by looking onto his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that the eripmav must use at least a standard action, and those merely looking at it are not affected. This action must be combined into a single action with a use of the Diplomacy or Intimidate skill. Anyone the eripmav targets must succeed on a Will save after the first standard action of the diplomacy or intimidate check or be Entranced for the duration of the intimidate or diplomacy attempt (to a maximum of twice the eripmav's ECL in rounds). On a failed save the diplomacy or intimidate check also gains a +8 bonus. The ability has a range of 30 feet, an equivalent spell level equal to half the eripmav's ECL (Maximum 9), and a caster level equal to the eripmav's ECL. The influence of this ability NEVER applies to nutrition-levels, although a long-term relationship that started off this way is not forever ruined.
Create Spawn (Su)
A creature that qualifies for this template slain by an eripmav’s blood drain (either by hitpoint loss in combination with an earlier injury, or by having its Constitution reduced to 0 or lower) rises as an eripmav 1d4 rounds after death.
Optional rule to keep spawn from becoming too numerous.This costs the eripmav creating the spawn 50 xp per hit-die of the newly created eripmav. This process is not optional, although if the creating eripmav does not have enough xp's or simply wishes an alternate cost, they may take burn to any of their stats that they actually have at a conversion rate of 100 xps per point of burn. This CAN result in a gain of up to 50 xps. This burn may not be removed in any way until they points are bought back with xps at the same conversion rate, after which it recovers at the normal rate for ability score burn.
In either case, the new eripmav is under the influence of the eripmav that created it as per Charm Monster without benefit of spell resistance or saving throw, and not suppressed by Protection from Chaos/Evil/Good/Law or Magic Circle Against Chaos/Evil/Good/Law. This effect has a duration of a number of days equal to the creating eripmav's ECL. The effects of this ability are otherwise treated as a 4th level spell cast by a sorcerer of a level equal to the eripmavs ECL. At any given time an eripmav may have influenced spawn totaling no more than twice its own ECL; any spawn it creates that would exceed this limit are created as free-willed eripmavs. An eripmav that is influenced may create and influence spawn of its own, so a master eripmav can control a number of lesser eripmavs in this fashion. An eripmav may voluntarily free an influenced spawn in order to influence a new spawn, but once freed, an eripmav or eripmav spawn cannot be influenced again.
Special Qualities
An eripmav retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains those described below.
Alternate Form (Su)
An eripmav each may assume two alternate forms, one flying, and one canid. The appearance of these forms is consistent each time a given eripmav assumes it and will look as much like the eripmav's base form as is possible within the normal variation of that type (not species exactly since, for instance "dog" and "riding dog" are considered two different things) of animal, and always shares the body-temperature and cyanosis of the eripmavs true form(unless lesser phoenix, see below). Once each of these forms is selected it may not be changed. Eripmavs of medium or smaller size can assume the shape of a bat or owl for their flying form, while those of Large or larger size select either dire bat or giant owl. Regardless of size if at the moment after their transformation into an eripmav is complete they meet at least one of the following criterion then they may select lesser phoenix as their alternate form:
[Fire] subtype.
Cleric or other divine caster with access to the sun and/or fire domains. (Note that this is AFTER any domains have been exchanged).
Evocation specialist, Warmage, or sorcerer with at least 3 spells known (of levels they can actually cast) that "natively" deal fire damage.
Have the Energy Substitution(Fire) feat.
At least 4 ranks and skill focus in a craft skill that uses large amounts of fire(such as pottery or any sort of smithing) focused around objects larger than kitchen utensils.
At least 4 ranks and skill focus in Craft(Alchemy) AND have created at least one gallon of alchemist's fire for each year since their birth.
Have a breathweapon capable of dealing fire damage.
Know at least 6 maneuvers (including stances) from the Desert Wind discipline. If this option is used to qualify for the lesser pheonix form, then they they only have access to that form if they continue to know at least that many maneuvers from that discipline. If, for some reason, this changes while they are in lesser pheonix form, they immediately revert to their base form.
Eripmavs of small or smaller size select either dog, coyotes, jackals, and African wild dogs (all of which use the same statistics). Eripmavs of medium size turn into wolves or riding dogs mechanically, but if riding dog is selected then they may choose to resemble an enlarged version of any form a small eripmav could take, and which the GM rules suits their personality. Eripmavs of large or larger size use dire wolf for the mechanics of their canid form, but can resemble an enlarged wolf(without the more primative cast of a dire wolf) or any other canid with the animal type as suits their personality. For instance, especially kindly giants have been known to turn into gigantic lap-dogs, although the individuals in question almost invariably consider this an embarrassment.
In addition, if at the moment after their transformation into an eripmav is complete they meet at least one of the following criterion then they may replace the normal subtype of the canid they turn into with plant. In which case the form appears to be made out of dried wood of some species of plant that is in keeping with the eripmav's personality. There may even be perfectly dried flowers blooming from them (while easily damaged these regrow with hours and losing them deals no damage to the eripmav). They never have thorns or contact poison (such as poison ivy), regardless of species.
Have the Animal Empathy ability.
Cleric or other divine caster with access to the plant domain.
Augmented Plant subtype in native form.
Assuming an alternate form is a standard action. While in its alternate form, the eripmav loses its influence ability, but it gains the natural weapons and extraordinary special attacks of its new form. It can remain in that form until it assumes another or until the next sunrise. (If the base creature is not terrestrial, this power might allow other forms.)
Damage Reduction (Su)
An eripmav has damage reduction 5/silver and magic, increasing at the following ECLs: at ECL 10 this increases to 10, at ECL 15 it increases to 15, at ECL 20 it increases to 20, and so on. At ECL 25+ this damage reduction is only bypassed by weapons that are both Silver and Epic.
An eripmav’s natural weapons and unarmed attacks are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. At ECL 25 they are also treated as Epic Weapons for similar purposes.
Gaseous Form (Su)
As a standard action, an eripmav can assume gaseous form at will as the spell (caster level 5th), but it can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability. In this form it takes quadrupal damage from fire and acid(including sunlight and running water), and double damage from all area of effect attacks. Unlike most multiplications, area of effect fire or acid attacks deal octupal damage to an Eripmav. HOWEVER, apply all multiplications from this weakness AFTER resistances and and protections. An eripmav reduced to 0 hitpoints in this form instantly reverts to its normal form.
Healing Lick (Su)
An eripmav can close wounds on living creatures with its lick, healing one point of damage from a slashing or piercing injury as a full round action that provokes attacks of opportunity and causes both parties to count as flat-footed. Each individual injury may only be treated once by this ability. Injuries treated in this way will be closed up enough to prevent dirt and such from entering the wound, thus avoiding later infection, although the deeper damage will remain. This also stops any ongoing hit-point or constitution damage from the injury in question.
Mortal Frailties (Ex)
An eripmav is subject to subdual damage and fatigue from lack of food (blood in their case, see the blood drain special ability).
They also take the same penalties to lack of sleep/trance as they when they were alive, and furthermore they only benefit from such rest when taken while in their native forms and near a certain amount of their native soil (about 20 dry weight pounds for medium sized eripmavs). Most use bedrolls, mattress covers, or blankets filled soil. Native soil is where-ever the eripmav considers its true home. As a rule of thumb, they should have to have lived a particular place for at least a year, and the soil should only count within a radius of a few miles at most. Alternatively, for dedicated travelers, an approximately equal mix of soils from at least 10 locations, each separated from all the others by at least 200 miles or one change to a non-co-existant plane may be substituted.
Since the SRD seems to lack rules for sleep deprivation, here are some simple ones to apply to Eripmavs:
An eripmav requires 8 hours of sleep (or 4 hours of trance) after 20 hours of alertness or they become fatigued. 24 hours after this they become exhausted. Each 12 hours after that, they take 1d4 points of damage to each of their ability scores. Sleeping/Trancing stops this progression, and removes the penalties in reverse order as the deficit is made up (note that this may require one or more full days in extreme cases).
On the plus side, eripmavs regain hit-points and ability points over time as if they were living creatures.
Power of the Empty Mirror (Su)
An Eripmav gains a +10 bonus on saving throws against Scrying, Greater Scrying, and similar spells, effects, and abilities. For any spell, spell-like ability, effect, or non-racial ability that allows seeing an eripmav where the caster or creature would not normally be able to see them, they gain spell-resistance equal to 15 + their ECL. A spell that does not beat this resistance (which the GM should roll secretly) can not see them. This means that Clairvoyance, Prying Eyes, Detect Undead, and scrying another creature in the eripmav's vicinity treat them as invisible. Even augmenting such spells with See Invisible or True Seeing spells or abilities of any kind does no good if the other spell does not succeed against the spell resistance.
Eripmavs invisible from other sources gain this spell resistance against attempts to directly view them(rather than via a separate divination effect) via See Invisible, True Seeing, etc.
This ability provides no protection against Glitterdust, Invisibility Purge or similar spells and effects.
Resistances (Ex)
An eripmav has resistance to cold 10 and electricity 10.
Turn Resistance (Ex)
An eripmav has +4 turn resistance.
Abilities
Increase from the base creature as follows: If their prior constitution score (not including any enhancement bonuses or bonuses of any kind from equipment and non-permanent spells) is higher than their prior strength score(Ditto) then their strength score changes to the average of the aforementioned two old scores(rounded up). In either case, the eripmav then gains a +4 racial bonus to their strength score.
As a deathless creature, an eripmav has no Constitution score, however they multiply their charisma bonus (if any) by their hitdice, divide by two, and add the result to their hitpoints. They also add their charisma modifier to their fortitude saves and concentration checks in lieu of their constitution modifier.
In addition unlike most deathless and undead, an eripmav is effected differently by aging. They remove all aging penalties to dexterity. Aging penalities to strength (and technically constitution) present upon becoming an eripmav remain. The eripmav no longer takes ability score penalties for further aging and cannot be magically aged.
Bonuses still accrue, and unlike almost all other deathless the eripmav still dies of old age when her time is up, going instantly from perfect functionality to dead at the moment that fate has ordained for them.
Skills
Eripmavs rely on friendship to eat well, and their psychology adjusts to this, both quickly (via gaining the Negotiator Feat) and over a period of time. They gain a racial bonus to diplomacy and sense motive checks made outside of combat based on how long they have been an eripmav. They also use their ECL instead of their class levels or hitdice when determining their maximum ranks for these two skills and always treat them as class skills.
TimeBonus
Less than a month+0
1 month+1
3 months+2
6 months+3
1+ years+4
They also gain a +2 racial bonus to Hide, and Move Silently checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.
Feats
Eripmavs gain Great Fortitude and Negotiator, assuming doesn’t already have these feats.
Environment
Any, usually same as base creature.
Organization
Solitary, or Club (2-5)
Challenge Rating
Same as the base creature +1.
Treasure
Standard.
Alignment
Any non-evil, but see below.
A willing evil creature may become an eripmav, but only if the act of having their life saved by their "master" opens them to alignment change. This functions as per the alignment change from Atonement, with the same restrictions on it. The alignment of the spawn changes to neutral on the good/evil axis. Alignment on the Law/Chaos axis is never directly effected by becoming an eripmav.
An Eripmav that becomes evil must make a will save followed by a Fortitude save(without the benefit of the charisma or feat bonuses provided by this template), both against DC 22. If the will save is successful, then the eripmav exchanges this template for the vampire template, however, in this case, they reduce all their ability scores by 6 if they fail the fortitude save and do not gain the bonuses to charisma, bluff checks, nor the Children of the Night or Dominate special abilities. If both saves are failed the eripmav is utterly destroyed by holy fire burning it from the inside out (half of this unlimited damage results directly from divine energy, and thus it is not subject to resistances or immunity). If the Fortitude save is successful but the will save is failed, the eripmav loses this template and replaces it with the ghoul template((Note to self: Create this template)), but subsisting on blood rather than flesh, and lacking the paralytic touch.
Advancement
By character class.
Level Adjustment
Same as the base creature +3.
Eripmav Weaknesses
For all their differences from vampires, eripmavs share a number of weaknesses.
Repelling a Eripmav
Eripmavs cannot tolerate the strong odor of garlic and will not enter an area laced with it. Similarly, they recoil from a strongly presented unholy symbol(but not from a mirror or holy symbol). These things don’t harm the eripmav—they merely keep it at bay. A recoiling eripmav must stay at least 5 feet away from a creature holding the unholy symbol and cannot touch or make melee attacks against the creature holding the item for the rest of the encounter. Holding an eripmav at bay takes a standard action.
Eripmavs without a natural swim speed are burned by running water in something like the way that acid burns living creatures. Protections and resistances to acid apply against this damage. A creature of at least tiny size may deal damage to an eripmav by splashing them directly from such a body of water causing damage per the following table if splashed directly from such a source, treated as a splash weapon with a range incriment of 5 feet for creatures of up to large size, and 10 feet for creatures larger than that.
SizeMaximum RangeDamageRange Incriment
Tiny Same Square 1d2 N/A
Small 5 feet 1d4 5 feet
Medium 5 feet 1d6 5 feet
Large 10 feet 1d8 5 feet
Huge 15 feet 2d6 10 feet
Gargantuan 20 feet 3d6 10 feet
Colossal 30 feet 5d6 10 feet
Wading or swimming in running water deals damage based on the following table. Note that the water must actually touch the skin of the Eripmav, making high oil-skin boots a favorite among careful eripmavs. Note also that, until and unless it starts running along the ground, precipitation never counts as "running water".
DepthDamage per Round
Ankle 1d3
Knee* 2d4
Waist/Full Leg 6d4
Swimming/Fully Immersed 15d4
*This is for humanoids, the more general rule is "half-way up the leg", which is quite a different thing for many quadrupeds.
Exposure to direct sunlight usually disorients an eripmav: It is dealt 3d6 fire damage per round (manifesting as the skin charring and flaking away, rather than actual flames, but subject to all sources of fire resistance/immunity/protection), and unless all of this damage is prevented disorients it: It can take only a single move action or attack action each round it is in direct sunlight.
They are utterly unable to enter a home or other building with ill intent unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so. If entering such a building without such an invitation they become incapable of attacking in any way (can not make attack rolls, cast spells on unwilling targets, etc) until they leave it. They may freely enter public places, since these are by definition open to all.
Slaying a Eripmav
Reducing an eripmav’s hit points to 0 or lower incapacitates it but doesn't always destroy it. However, certain attacks can slay eripmavs. Exposing it to sunlight or, fully immersing an eripmav in running water destroys it after such immersion and/or sunlight has dealt an number of points of damage over consecutive rounds equal to its maximum hitpoints. Actual fire and acid count half towards this total. Driving a wooden stake through an eripmav’s heart instantly slays the monster. However, it returns to life if the stake is removed, unless the body is destroyed. A popular tactic is to cut off the creature’s head and fill its mouth with unholy spices (or their equivalent).
Eripmav Characters
Eripmavs of certain classes experience special effects as described below.
Clerics
Eripmav clerics lose their ability to rebuke undead but gain the ability to turn undead. This ability does not affect the eripmav’s master-spawn relationships in either direction. An eripmav cleric has access to the domains they had in life (assuming they are not cut off from their god by an alignment change or other problem with their becoming deathless), or may swap one or both of them out for the following domains: Community, Chaos, Good, Healing, or Law. They may not select alignment domains unless they are of that/those alignment(s). Alternatively an eripmav cleric may exchange BOTH their domains for the Sun domain, in which case they gain 10 resistance to damage from sunlight, Sunray, Sunburst and other light based damage. This stacks with fire resistance, Protection from Elements (applying the reduction before the protection), and similar spells, effects, etc. A cleric who already had access to the Sun domain, must either take this option(in effect losing access to one other domain) or trade away the sun domain for a different domain on the previous list.
Sorcerers and Wizards
Eripmav sorcerers and wizards retain their class abilities, but if a character has a familiar other than a rat, owl, or bat, the link between them is broken(but with halved XP penalties, which is a quarter on a successful save), and the familiar shuns its former companion for a number of days equal to twice the eripmav's new ECL. The character can summon another familiar, but it must be a rat, owl or bat. Alternatively they may rebind their old familiar after the period of shunning has passed, followed by succeeding on a DC 20 handle animal (or diplomacy if the familiar's natural intelligence score is 3 or higher) with the same casting time and material components as summoning a new familiar.
FEAT
Tongue of the Healer of Hearts and Bodies
"I can taste your spirit my beloved."
Prerequisites: Eripmav, 5 ranks each in Sense Motive and Heal, at least three class levels.
Benefits: When you drink someone's blood, you get a feeling for their emotional state. The automatically tells you any emotions they are not trying to repress or are intentionally trying to communicate to you via this method, and grants a sense motive check opposed by their bluff check on any they were repressing and are not trying to intentionally communicate to you via letting you drink their blood. You know only the emotions, not their source. In addition, this allows you to attempt a heal check to diagnosis any diseases in the blood or psychological conditions, or gives a +5 to the check to diagnosis if combined with mundane examination. If an eripmav treats someone for a properly diagnosed psychological condition and drinks at least a few sips from them each day, then the patient gains a +2 bonus to all fortitude and will saves that would directly aid in the treatment, and the eripmav gains +5 to all will saves and skill checks directly related to treating them. Drinking from a patient directly also grants a +2 bonus to caster level for one minute for any spell to cure or otherwise treat them for a properly diagnosed psychological condition.
Changelog
Mar 5th 2013: Many grammatical edits.
Feb 3rd 2013: Fixed a grammatical error or two, added ability to qualify for lesser pheonix access using Desert Wind.
Dec 27th: Fixed several spelling/grammatical errors (need to check for more).
8:01 PM Eastern Oct 31st 2012: Edited feeding table after seeing many empty columns.
10:16 PM: Made feeding table look nicer, and added language preventing cheese with size-changing magics. Beefed up healing lick to stop bleed damage (which was part of my original intention). Added some stuff about how emotion-effecting magics interact with feeding, as well as mentioning the existence of taste disguising spells. I would type those up, but I think that they would be more of plot points than things that would require an actual spell-description.
3:30 PM Nov 1st: Reduced nutrition levels to encourage roleplay. May not have gone far enough.
3:45 PM Had DR improve to Silver and Epic at ECL 25.
6:30 PM Nov 5th: Made Diplomacy and Sense Motive always class skills. Fixed some spelling errors, and added the simplified version for those who don't wish support from their crunch for their roleplaying (or hack and slashers I suppose, but this REALLY isn't the template for them).