A player of mine wants to be a vampire from level 1, help!

[Rfkannen]

So yeah a player wants to play a vampire. So since that would be incredably op at level one we came to a concences that I would make some sort of lesser vampire that would be balanced with other races, as well as not being forced to be evil. However I am not sure how to do this, I mean setting a stat to above ten would be pretty poweful as would everythign else. So what would you do?

Also in case your wondering, He was thinking some sort of experiment by a evil cleric/frankenstien. A vampire spawn thats master was killed, or some form of spell that meant to prevent vampirism. Or just the vampire did something wrong with the biteing.

[Draken]

Ability score-wise is the easiest part, I think. You can just adjust the point buy for the other players to match the modified values.

You can lock him down to vampire spawn stuff and demand a feat or two in order to unlock full vampire powers. This still leaves one glaring issue.

The healing available to the vampire spawn is quite outrageous. You could perhaps change it so that they neither heal naturally on a long rest nor have hit dice to spend, but have a "pool" with a maximum value equal to their hit point pool that can be filled by using the bite and then emptied by their regeneration trait (and further limiting regeneration, maybe make it 1/character level per turn until it maxes out at level 10?

Creates an interesting situation where your vampire player quite appropriately needs to keep biting living things to keep healthy, and always tempted to the ease of draining helpless peasants for these purposes.

[Extra Anchovies]

Maybe for the lesser vampire they could do the following:


Normal racial traits for a chosen core race, except as follows:
They need to drink humanoid blood at least 1/month (or 1/week if you want it to be an important RP element), with starvation setting in after two missed feedings.
They get a -1 on every die roll in direct sunlight (but even a window or parasol is enough to protect the player)
For all other things, including healing, they function normally

There. They don't have the vampire traits, but they have the vampire fluff. If you want, give them something in return for the penalties (maybe +1 on all die rolls in direct moonlight?). I'm using plusses and minuses here because giving them disadvantage on every die roll in direct sunlight would be horribly crippling.

[Solauren]

In addition to Extra Anchovies's suggestions, I'd also give him a bonus from feeding, and treat feeding as an addiction.

Other then that, the only thing I can think off hand is to use the spell Mimic Mortal (originally from the Ravenloft campaign setting in 2e, and updated in Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I (WW15020) published by White Wolf/Sword and Sorcerey Studios) as a basis for a leveled class so they can 'power up' as they go (representing their humanity slipping away)

Mimic Mortal let a vampire supress their vampiric traits to appear to be mortal (hence the name). As a DM, I used it to great effect when my players went through the 3E version of Ravenloft. (Let me put it this way; Strahd used it on them, tricked them, they did his bidding, and ended up bringing the Sunsword and Tatanya to him. TPK followed)

This is the order that vampiric traits were supressed. I'd suggest reversing it

1 Skin no longer pale or cold Energy drain and blood drain
2 Can tolerate garlic Damage reduction
3 Does not recoil from mirror Domination
4 Can enter buildings uninvited Fast healing
5 Does not recoil from holy symbol Gaseous form
6 Can cross running water Alternate form
7 Not harmed by holy water Children of the night
8 Cannot be turned Create spawn, resistance
9 Not harmed by sunlight Spider climb, all salient powers

So at 'Level 2' they are harmed by sunlight more, but gain Spider Climb, level 2 they can be turned/effected by channel energy but can now make spawn, etc.

You'll have to tweak it, of course.

[DoomHat]

His class should be "Vampire". Just use whatever race he came from for his race modifiers, plus classifying as undead for effects.

Fluff it that undead have a limited capacity to learn new things, as growth is a quality of life. His leveling up will be symptomatic of coming into greater mastery of his unnatural nature. He's not learning to be undead, he's forgetting what it was to be alive.

Mechanically, a "Vampire" is a Psion with fighter BAB, but direct exposure to sunlight causes them 1d4 Damage per round. Additionally, they don't replenish Power Points normally. Their "Power Points per day" represents the maximum they can carry at a time. They replenish PP by dealing unarmed "bite" attack damage to a restrained or helpless living humanoid victim or volunteer.

Regardless of his actual alignment he is damaged by positive energy and healed by negative.

A vampire can avoid damage from sunlight by bundling up fully in cloth and or metal. The weight and restrictiveness of such garments classifies as untrained use of medium armor.

If he whines about any of these restrictions tell him, "Then maybe you shouldn't have asked to play an unholy god damn creature of the night, ********!"

[Doomchild]

Mechanically, a "Vampire" is a Psion with fighter BAB, but direct exposure to sunlight causes them 1d4 Damage per round. Additionally, they don't replenish Power Points normally. Their "Power Points per day" represents the maximum they can carry at a time. They replenish PP by dealing unarmed "bite" attack damage to a restrained or helpless living humanoid victim or volunteer.

Regardless of his actual alignment he is damaged by positive energy and healed by negative.

A vampire can avoid damage from sunlight by bundling up fully in cloth and or metal. The weight and restrictiveness of such garments classifies as untrained use of medium armor.

If he whines about any of these restrictions tell him, "Then maybe you shouldn't have asked to play an unholy god damn creature of the night, ********!"

5th edition, not 3rd.

[DoomHat]

5th edition, not 3rd.

Oh well then, didn't one of the splats have Revenant as a race? Just use that.

[Draken]

Oh well then, didn't one of the splats have Revenant as a race? Just use that.

That is 4th Edition.

[DoomHat]

That is 4th Edition.

Well then don't I feel stupid!

I don't know. Same deal more or less I guess? Let em be a Rogue with Wizard Spells that only refresh if he drinks the blood of the living.
Maybe he heals (and can only heal) by doing unarmed damage to the living? Gets back the use of a spell slot for every spell level X2 blood drank?

Also combusts with exposure to direct sunlight.

[JonathonWilder]

5th edition, not 3rd.
Ah, I was going to recommend the Vampiric Bloodline for Pathfinder Sorcerers by Silver Games LLC.

[Alias]

There comes a time when a DM should just say "no."

This is one of those times.

[Ramshack]

Half Vampire Race.

Dhampir.

Ability Score Increase: +2 to Strength

Speed: 30 feet.

Darkvision: 60 feet.

Resistance to necrotic damage.

Blood Drinking: As a bonus action a Dhampir can make a bite attack dealing 1d6 + (str or dex modifier) piercing damage. The Dhampir is healed for double the damage dealt. This action can be performed once per short rest.

Sub Races: Player may choose one of the following two options.

The Seducer
Ability Score Increase: +1 Cha

Spell Casting: The Dhampir can cast charm person once per short rest. DC = 8 + Cha Modifier + proficiency

The Dhampir gains proficiency in persuasion and insight skills

OR

Creature of the night:
Ability Score Increase: +1 Dex

Spell Casting: The Dhampir can turn into a flock of bats and escape his foes. This feature functions as the misty step spell and and can be cast as a reaction once per short rest.

The Dhampir gains proficiency in the stealth and perception skills

[brian 333]

Sometimes it is best to tell a player, "No."

It is unfair to the other players to give one of them a super-powered, or potentially super-powered PC, and it is unbalancing to the whole game to bump everyone up to that level of power, "to be fair."

Now, by level 10 or 12, when the vampire's powers are no longer so super awesome, perhaps a vampire can seduce the PC of this player and then it will be a quest by the party to free the PC from the vampire's domination. It may even make a good plot hook. Heck, what does the rest of the party think about it anyway? Will they involuntarily de-vamp the guy? Will they attempt to do so and fail halfway? Will they 'rescue' him only to discover he wants to go back to being a vampire?

A request like this is one that a good DM will recognize for what it is: too OP for level 1. Just say, "No."

[Extra Anchovies]

Half Vampire Race.

Dhampir.

Ability Score Increase: +2 to Strength

Speed: 30 feet.

Darkvision: 60 feet.

Resistance to necrotic damage.

Blood Drinking: As a bonus action a Dhampir can make a bite attack dealing 1d6 + (str or dex modifier) piercing damage. The Dhampir is healed for double the damage dealt. This action can be performed once per short rest.

Sub Races: Player may choose one of the following two options.

The Seducer
Ability Score Increase: +1 Cha

Spell Casting: The Dhampir can cast charm person once per short rest. DC = 8 + Cha Modifier + proficiency

The Dhampir gains proficiency in persuasion and insight skills

OR

Creature of the night:
Ability Score Increase: +1 Dex

Spell Casting: The Dhampir can turn into a flock of bats and escape his foes. This feature functions as the misty step spell and and can be cast as a reaction once per short rest.

The Dhampir gains proficiency in the stealth and perception skills

I second this, very strongly.

[kestrel404]

Similar, for full 'vampire' condition:

Templates - a template may be applied to any creature. Acquired Templates may be applied after character creation, while Inhereted Templates may only applied at character creation.

Vampire Spawn - Acquired Template
Type: Becomes Undead, gains Undead traits
Size: Does not change
Alignment: Shifts one step towards evil
Ability Score Increase: +2 to Strength, +1 to Charisma and Dexterity
Darkvision, Resistance to Necrotic Damage, Bite Attack

Blood Sustenance: The character does not need to feed normally, but instead must drain the blood of a living creature. Once per week, the Vampire Spawn must feed on the blood of the living. Failure to do so for two consecutive weeks has the same effects as starvation on a humanoid. Every week after that is equivalent to another day of starvation. The creature must be living when the blood is consumed, but it does not need to be an intelligent creature.

Weakness to Daylight: When in direct sunlight, or exposed to magical light which has negative effects on the undead, vampires have disadvantage in addition to any other effects the light may cause.

[AgentPaper]

Maybe for the lesser vampire they could do the following:


Normal racial traits for a chosen core race, except as follows:
They need to drink humanoid blood at least 1/month (or 1/week if you want it to be an important RP element), with starvation setting in after two missed feedings.
They get a -1 on every die roll in direct sunlight (but even a window or parasol is enough to protect the player)
For all other things, including healing, they function normally

There. They don't have the vampire traits, but they have the vampire fluff. If you want, give them something in return for the penalties (maybe +1 on all die rolls in direct moonlight?). I'm using plusses and minuses here because giving them disadvantage on every die roll in direct sunlight would be horribly crippling.

This seems like the best way of going about it, though probably should also increase their age as well. I wouldn't give it any upsides, though, at least not by default. Instead, it should give you access to special "Vampire Feats" and/or levels in a "Vampire Class", which you can use to unlock some of the more powerful vampire abilities, like regeneration, turning into a bat, increased stats, etc. This way your player can enjoy being a super-powerful vampire, or be a less powerful vampire that's a trained fighter/wizard/cleric/whatever, without having to worry about him out-shining the rest of your group since he's not gaining any more power than he would if he'd simply taken other feats or levels in a normal class. Unless you mess up and make the feats/class OP, of course, but such is the danger of homebrew. :smalltongue: