Half vampire ring?

[Carlos The Mage]

hi i was doing an adventure with 2 of my friends, i dont know if we were playing right but our dm (my friend) has read the whole players handbook/DM handbook and the monster manual .

so we just killed a bunch of undead and we looted a chest of 4 copper rings which gave a +1 to strength and a silver ring, so i done a check using spell craft (is that how you do it?) to see the affects of it but i rolled to low so i put it on and it melted onto my finger and now ages later i have transformed into a half-vampire because of it?

is this an actual item/enchantment in dungeons and dragons or what i need to know because being a half vampire wizard is really cool ^~^

[Flickerdart]

a) Identifying magic items is done with the identify spell among others. You can't simply do it with skill checks. Having said that, this is a remnant of the days of 2e when D&D hated its players and wanted them all to fall into spheres of annihilation, so houseruling that a skill check can identify items isn't unreasonable.

b) There is only one official item that grants you templates - the collar of umbral metamorphosis from the Tome of Magic can give you the Dark template when it is worn.

[HunterOfJello]

You can deduce the Command Word to activate a magical item with a DC 30 Knowledge (Arcana) check.

There's a skill trick called Magical Appraisal that can allow you to discern the abilities of a magical item as per the Identify spell. (Skill tricks are technically skills)


I think one magazine set up a DC 50 Knowledge (Arcana) to determine the magical properties of an item or something like that. It would need to be a very high DC to determine that sort of thing without casting at least Detect Magic.

[Carlos The Mage]

so this ring is just completely made up by my friend? and is it ok to make up items in dungeons and dragons and i think we are playing the version 3.0 or its 3.5

[Arcanist]

so this ring is just completely made up by my friend? and is it ok to make up items in dungeons and dragons and i think we are playing the version 3.0 or its 3.5

It's a hobby for some people. It's just a little hard to price an item that gives a template (least I don't recall any rules for it).

[Flickerdart]

so this ring is just completely made up by my friend? and is it ok to make up items in dungeons and dragons and i think we are playing the version 3.0 or its 3.5
3.5 gives you pricing guidelines (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm) for creating magic items, so making up items that don't exist is not that hard. The thing to remember is that magic items are a very important part of 3.5 - the Dungeon Master's Guide has a wealth by level table, and characters should usually have wealth around the values shown there in order to have the stats they need to take on level-appropriate challenges. This is why it's important to put a price estimate on items that player characters receive.

The Half-Vampire isn't open content so I can't give you pricing information for all of its stuff, but if you compare the benefits it gives (for instance, +2 natural armour) to other magic items (for instance, an amulet of natural armour +2, which costs 8000 gp) gives you an idea of what each part should cost. Then just add them all together, and voila! As a ballpark, I'd price such an item at around 70k - a powerful item that becomes affordable as characters become more powerful on their own.

3.0 and 3.5 content is largely compatible. Just check the date of the printing - if it's newer than 2003, it's a 3.5 book.

[Carlos The Mage]

70k!!! oh my word lol im only level 2 :P (i couldnt sell it anyway without having to sell my finger with it lol since is melted into my skin haha)

could some one give me a quick list of the abilitys you get as a half vampire like my friend said there is one called control, basically when you touch some ones forehead they are under your command for a while? please because i don't really like playing not knowing much about my characters P:

[Crake]

70k, but then you could reduce it for arguably being cursed in that you cannot take it off at all (although some may call that a good thing, because nobody likes having magic items stolen)

[VGLordR2]

b) There is only one official item that grants you templates - the collar of umbral metamorphosis from the Tome of Magic can give you the Dark template when it is worn.

Ghostwalk has the Flesh of Orcus, which gives the Vampire template when consumed. Great price, too; only 6,000 GP.

I could have sworn that there was another one that granted the Half-Dragon template, but I can't remember where I found it.

[Urpriest]

70k!!! oh my word lol im only level 2 :P (i couldnt sell it anyway without having to sell my finger with it lol since is melted into my skin haha)

could some one give me a quick list of the abilitys you get as a half vampire like my friend said there is one called control, basically when you touch some ones forehead they are under your command for a while? please because i don't really like playing not knowing much about my characters P:

I've never run into an ability where you can touch someone's forehead and put them under your control, so I'm pretty certain your DM made it up. Since it's part of your abilities now, you should ask your DM to write down all the changes to your stats and new powers.

One thing I would point out, by the way: it's generally better to learn D&D with someone who's played before DMing. Just reading the books and going from there misses the whole gaming culture, which makes things trickier. It would be like a few people who had never met anyone who played soccer reading up on soccer online and just going out and playing it. It's not really something that people do, typically.

[Flickerdart]

Ghostwalk has the Flesh of Orcus, which gives the Vampire template when consumed. Great price, too; only 6,000 GP.

I could have sworn that there was another one that granted the Half-Dragon template, but I can't remember where I found it.
Ghostwalk is...well, let's not talk about Ghostwalk. That item probably sticks you with the LA, in which case it's still too overpriced!


70k!!! oh my word lol im only level 2 :P (i couldnt sell it anyway without having to sell my finger with it lol since is melted into my skin haha)

could some one give me a quick list of the abilitys you get as a half vampire like my friend said there is one called control, basically when you touch some ones forehead they are under your command for a while? please because i don't really like playing not knowing much about my characters P:
The full Vampire (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/vampire.htm) is available for free, so I will make reference to its abilities.

Half-vampires get one of either Blood Drain (but only up to your Constitution per hour, plus you suffer blood dependency), Children of the Night (but half as many), or Dominate (but only as Charm Monster instead). That last one could be the ability that your DM refers to.

[Zack Reever]

Half-Vampire I do believe is in Libris Mortis or MMII.

[Urpriest]

Half-Vampire I do believe is in Libris Mortis or MMII.

Libris Mortis. But I'm guessing that's not what they're using, since the OP only describes the DM as having read the core three books.

[gr8artist]

On a side note, while it's perfectly viable to discuss plans or advancement with Playgrounders, you might not want to ask us for information about the item the DM gave you.
It's possible that the DM is making this item up, and as such we won't be very helpful. But it's also possible that this is an item he found somewhere, or that there's more to it than meets the eye. Asking us for information about this ring might ruin his surprises or give away his secrets.
My players will occasionally look up creatures or spells I use against them. They'll try and tell me that I did something wrong, or that a spell doesn't work that way, but often times the problems are flavor changes I've made to book material.

[Phelix-Mu]

Back to the pricing of said item, it could well be considered some kind of curse, since it seems to be impossible/really hard to remove the item (not a characteristic of normal magic items). Pricing for cursed items is pretty much subjective; assuming you can get it off, you might find someone in the campaign for whom it could be useful.

Also, while there aren't a lot of mechanical drawbacks to being a half-vamp, it is certainly a role playing drawback, since this will probably freak out just about anyone that discovers it (in the realm of normal people...obviously other adventurers will be more open-minded-ish).

[TuggyNE]

Also, while there aren't a lot of mechanical drawbacks to being a half-vamp, it is certainly a role playing drawback, since this will probably freak out just about anyone that discovers it (in the realm of normal people...obviously other adventurers will be more open-minded-ish).

I find it tremendously amusing that, in this context, most Paladins are more like "normal people" than "adventurers". :smalltongue:

[Flickerdart]

I find it tremendously amusing that, in this context, most Paladins are more like "normal people" than "adventurers". :smalltongue:

Why should Paladins care? Half-vampires aren't undead, and only a third of them even drink blood.

[Carlos The Mage]

role playing drawback, since this will probably freak out just about anyone that discovers it (in the realm of normal people...obviously other adventurers will be more open-minded-ish).

i guess your right P: anyway my friend who is an assassin :3 he could just silence anyone that finds out, if you know what i mean :smallwink:

[willpell]

a) Identifying magic items is done with the identify spell among others. You can't simply do it with skill checks.

Correction - you can't simply do it with skill checks unless you have a feat, skill trick, or similar widget which allows you to. The feat is in Complete Adventurer, and skill tricks are in Complete Scoundrel. There may be others.

[SowZ]

DM guidelines in the DMG aren't gospel. It's fine to make stuff up for plot reasons. If you are getting the Half-Vamp template with no mechanical drawback at level two, though, I would assume he expected you to try and get it removed via plot OR there is some other plot thread he wants to explore OR he should probably give the other players something powerful.

I remember making up a ritual book a character traded for in one of the nine planes of hell for a fourth level character. It was far too expensive for him based on his level, but it had plenty of drawbacks and him randomly performing rituals was really fun plot wise. Everyone enjoyed it. If this kinda stuff with the vampire curse adds to your games, more power to y'all.

[Flickerdart]

Correction - you can't simply do it with skill checks unless you have a feat, skill trick, or similar widget which allows you to. The feat is in Complete Adventurer, and skill tricks are in Complete Scoundrel. There may be others.
If you need a feat or a skill trick, then it's not simply with skill checks.

[SowZ]

If you need a feat or a skill trick, then it's not simply with skill checks.

That's right! It's complicaty with skill checks!

[Flickerdart]

No, it's with skill checks and a feat, or with skill checks and a skill trick.

[Chilingsworth]

As far as your worry about "playing it right," if everyone at your table is ok with how the game is being played, then you're playing it right (or at the very least, weather or not you are is irrelavent.)

As for half-vampire templates, I know of two:

The first is in Libris Mortis and has already been mentioned.

The second is here (http://www.realmshelps.net/monsters/templates/half-undead.shtml)

[SowZ]

No, it's with skill checks and a feat, or with skill checks and a skill trick.

I don't know who would blow a feat on it when they could just drop a couple SP, though. Seems the poor choice.

[willpell]

If you need a feat or a skill trick, then it's not simply with skill checks.

Semantics, bah. I say the feat or skill trick, once aquired, lets you do it "simply" thereafter.


I don't know who would blow a feat on it when they could just drop a couple SP, though. Seems the poor choice.

Unless you're playing a skill-starved class, such as Fighter (which has feats to spare) or Cleric (which hardly becomes useless if it gives up a feat), and do not have the high INT or human race or Nymph's Kiss access or other such bonuses to get any spare skill points. Or your DM doesn't allow skill tricks, since they're a subsystem not included in the game by default, and thus they can be banned specifically as well as by book, while the feat is always legal unless the DM doesn't allow CAdv (or specifically vetoes the feat, though I doubt many would).


As for half-vampire templates, I know of two:

The first is in Libris Mortis and has already been mentioned.

The second is here (http://www.realmshelps.net/monsters/templates/half-undead.shtml)

How big is the difference, and how "official" is the second one?

[Phelix-Mu]

I find it tremendously amusing that, in this context, most Paladins are more like "normal people" than "adventurers". :smalltongue:

I believe "open-minded-ish" covered the probably paladin reaction to a non-blood dependent half-vamp. Obviously if you are eating people, you can expect no people to like you. Hehe.

It's a cool thing to get from a ring, especially unexpectedly. Horray for custom items!

[willpell]

Obviously if you are eating people, you can expect no people to like you.

Oh I wouldn't count on that. Many psychopaths have found a girlfriend (or boyfriend), and I'd bet more than a few of them were cannibals. She might belief herself to be so special that he won't eat her, or she might be disturbed enough to romanticize the idea of being his victim. Either way it happens, and in a world where the Afterlife is a known quantity and swearing fealty to Evil can be a rewarding career path, it's even more likely that every Clyde will have his Bonnie (or vice versa).

[Slipperychicken]

Obviously if you are eating people, you can expect no people to like you. Hehe.


You can certainly befriend the >9,000 cannibalistic species and cultures in D&D. Also, of Paladins can ally with Fiends (i.e. physical incarnations of everything wrong with the universe), they can ally with Vampires.

[Chilingsworth]

How big is the difference, and how "official" is the second one?

The difference is pretty significant. The second one is an LA +4 template, as opposed to the Libris Mortis version being a +2. I think alot of the difference comes from the general half-undead traits those templates come with.

As for how official it is, it was originally printed in an issue of Dragon Magazine, one of the first ones after the switch to 3.5 if I remember correctly.