Vampire PC

[ThinkMinty]

So, if one were going to play a ****-mothering vampire (full-on vampire rather than Dhampir), what classes go well with that? Off the top of my head, Sorcerer, Bard, and Swachbuckler would mesh nicely. Eldritch Scion Magus might also be kinda neat.

[Psyren]

Oracle is good too - Cha-based (more HP/DCs) and you get all the Inflict spells for free. Most of the curses won't do anything to you, although few of them help you either.

[Milo v3]

If you can, you might want to look at Lords of Night by Dreamscarred Press (the guys that made Psionics and Path of War), where it has a more player friendly version of the vampire template. As for class, I'd personally go with mesmerist because of the hypnotic eyes of vampirism + charisma to will saves + charisma-based caster.

[Selion]

So, if one were going to play a ****-mothering vampire (full-on vampire rather than Dhampir), what classes go well with that? Off the top of my head, Sorcerer, Bard, and Swachbuckler would mesh nicely. Eldritch Scion Magus might also be kinda neat.

First question, are you paying the +2 CR modifier? I guess you want to abuse yout high charisma to boost both your tankiness and your dps.
Full sorcerer would be a waste of physical abilities, and would slow down significatively your spellcasting abilities. A human sorcerer would be stronger than you.
Bard is better, he is half martial class, so you can use a bastard sword and do a lot of melee damage and cast spells with high DC.
Why not antipaladin? You can maximize your charisma and have still +6 to strenght, your bonus to charisma so applies to:
Saving throws (!)
HP per level
Attack rolls made with smite good
CA against the target of smite good
Cruelties DC
Spells DC
Channel energy DC

He will be a decent foe to non-good enemies and the ultimate slayer to any good creature.

[MyrPsychologist]

I think that it depends entirely on the type of vampire you want to portray.


Are you a savage and blood thirsty monster of legend? Maybe a blood rager or a barbarian would be a good fit. Show off the brutality and physical prowess that vampires supposedly possess.

Are you a suave and sophisticated manipulator? Maybe a bard, sorcerer, or oracle would fit nicely. Let you play up the manipulation spells and casting off of Cha just fits nicely.

Are you the maniacal puppeteer? Maybe a wizard, sorcerer, summoner, witch, or arcanist. Focus on playing the long game and really bring out minionomancy. I could even see a cleric or oracle fitting this one as well, but probably to a lesser extent for this concept.

I would probably shy away from pure martials for most builds because vampire stories have them vapable of doing a lot of crazy things and emulating that without magic would get more difficult. Not impossible, especially if you're more of a front-line fighter, lord, or viscous monster type.

[ThinkMinty]

First question, are you paying the +2 CR modifier? I guess you want to abuse yout high charisma to boost both your tankiness and your dps.
Full sorcerer would be a waste of physical abilities, and would slow down significatively your spellcasting abilities. A human sorcerer would be stronger than you.
Bard is better, he is half martial class, so you can use a bastard sword and do a lot of melee damage and cast spells with high DC.
Why not antipaladin? You can maximize your charisma and have still +6 to strenght, your bonus to charisma so applies to:
Saving throws (!)
HP per level
Attack rolls made with smite good
CA against the target of smite good
Cruelties DC
Spells DC
Channel energy DC

He will be a decent foe to non-good enemies and the ultimate slayer to any good creature.

What are the rules for the +CR templates, exactly? I keep hearing different things. Honestly, most of the draw is Cha to HP.


If you can, you might want to look at Lords of Night by Dreamscarred Press (the guys that made Psionics and Path of War), where it has a more player friendly version of the vampire template. As for class, I'd personally go with mesmerist because of the hypnotic eyes of vampirism + charisma to will saves + charisma-based caster.

Link?

[Harmelyo]

Vampire (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/monsters/vampire.html)

Creating a Vampire
“Vampire” is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature with 5 or more Hit Dice (referred to hereafter as the base creature). Most vampires were once humanoids, fey, or monstrous humanoids. A vampire uses the base creature's stats and abilities except as noted here.

CR: Same as the base creature + 2.

AL: Any evil.

Type: The creature's type changes to undead (augmented). Do not recalculate class Hit Dice, BAB, or saves.

Senses: A vampire gains darkvision 60 ft.

Armor Class: Natural armor improves by +6.

Hit Dice: Change all racial Hit Dice to d8s. Class Hit Dice are unaffected. As undead, vampires use their Charisma modifier to determine bonus hit points (instead of Constitution).

Defensive Abilities: A vampire gains channel resistance +4, DR 10/magic and silver, and resistance to cold 10 and electricity 10, in addition to all of the defensive abilities granted by the undead type. A vampire also gains fast healing 5. If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, a vampire assumes gaseous form (see below) and attempts to escape. It must reach its coffin home within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed. (It can normally travel up to 9 miles in 2 hours.) Additional damage dealt to a vampire forced into gaseous form has no effect. Once at rest, the vampire is helpless. It regains 1 hit point after 1 hour, then is no longer helpless and resumes healing at the rate of 5 hit points per round.

Weaknesses: Vampires cannot tolerate the strong odor of garlic and will not enter an area laced with it. Similarly, they recoil from mirrors or strongly presented holy symbols. These things don't harm the vampire—they merely keep it at bay. A recoiling vampire must stay at least 5 feet away from the mirror or holy symbol and cannot touch or make melee attacks against that creature. Holding a vampire at bay takes a standard action. After 1 round, a vampire can overcome its revulsion of the object and function normally each round it makes a DC 25 Will save.

Vampires cannot enter a private home or dwelling unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so.

Reducing a vampire's hit points to 0 or lower incapacitates it but doesn't always destroy it (see fast healing). However, certain attacks can slay vampires. Exposing any vampire to direct sunlight staggers it on the first round of exposure and destroys it utterly on the second consecutive round of exposure if it does not escape. Each round of immersion in running water inflicts damage on a vampire equal to one-third of its maximum hit points—a vampire reduced to 0 hit points in this manner is destroyed. Driving a wooden stake through a helpless vampire's heart instantly slays it (this is a full-round action). However, it returns to life if the stake is removed, unless the head is also severed and anointed with holy water.

Speed: Same as the base creature. If the base creature has a swim speed, the vampire is not unduly harmed by running water.

Melee: A vampire gains a slam attack if the base creature didn't have one. Damage for the slam depends on the vampire's size (see Natural Attacks). Its slam also causes energy drain (see below). Its natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Special Attacks: A vampire gains several special attacks. Save DCs are equal to 10 + 1/2 vampire's HD + vampire's Cha modifier unless otherwise noted.

Blood Drain (Su): A vampire can suck blood from a grappled opponent; if the vampire establishes or maintains a pin, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage. The vampire heals 5 hit points or gains 5 temporary hit points for 1 hour (up to a maximum number of temporary hit points equal to its full normal hit points) each round it drains blood.

Children of the Night (Su): Once per day, a vampire can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms, or 2d6 wolves as a standard action. (If the base creature is not terrestrial, this power might summon other creatures of similar power.) These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the vampire for up to 1 hour.

Create Spawn (Su): A vampire can create spawn out of those it slays with blood drain or energy drain, provided that the slain creature is of the same creature type as the vampire's base creature type. The victim rises from death as a vampire in 1d4 days. This vampire is under the command of the vampire that created it, and remains enslaved until its master's destruction. A vampire may have enslaved spawn totaling no more than twice its own Hit Dice; any spawn it creates that would exceed this limit become free-willed undead. A vampire may free an enslaved spawn in order to enslave a new spawn, but once freed, a vampire or vampire spawn cannot be enslaved again.

Dominate (Su): A vampire can crush a humanoid opponent's will as a standard action. Anyone the vampire targets must succeed on a Will save or fall instantly under the vampire's influence, as though by a dominate person spell (caster level 12th). The ability has a range of 30 feet. At the GM's discretion, some vampires might be able to affect different creature types with this power.

Energy Drain (Su): A creature hit by a vampire's slam (or other natural weapon) gains two negative levels. This ability only triggers once per round, regardless of the number of attacks a vampire makes.
Special Qualities: A vampire gains the following.

Change Shape (Su): A vampire can use change shape to assume the form of a dire bat or wolf, as beast shape II.

Gaseous Form (Su): As a standard action, a vampire can assume gaseous form at will (caster level 5th), but it can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.

Shadowless (Ex): A vampire casts no shadows and shows no reflection in a mirror.

Spider Climb (Ex): A vampire can climb sheer surfaces as though under the effects of a spider climb spell.
Ability Scores Str +6, Dex +4, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +4. As an undead creature, a vampire has no Constitution score.

Skills Vampires gain a +8 racial bonus on Bluff, Perception, Sense Motive, and Stealth checks.

Feats Vampires gain Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, and Toughness as bonus feats.


Vampire is brutal... You get massive Stat bonuses, resistances, fast healing, feats, skill bonus, specials attacks, spell likes and the ability to make your own army and all of those at the lowly lowly cost of a few weaknesses which for most of them can be either overcome by a will check, a domination, a spell or a just grabbing a swim speed... Yes... it is as simple as that, Vampire are powerhouses.

With the stats given, Vampire make for good bruisers. The best are probably the ones using natural attacks as each attack inflict 2 negative levels! Grapplers are also good as pinning an enemy deals 1d4 CON damage. The spell likes help them gain in flexibility.

Vampire are great skill monkeys and specifically amazing perception bots (+11!!!).

Any Charisma spell caster also make for a really good vampire as they gain not only spell casting but fortitude and HP from their charisma. With the vampire +4 it is really attracting. Sorcerer have access to Penumbra and protective Penumbra spells which are really convenient ways to trivialize the sun weakness. Oracle and cleric have access only to the second.

Fighting Oracle are terrifying vampires getting the best from the Vampire stat array. The other abilities are just gravy turning Oracle in monsters...

[ghanjrho]

What are the rules for the +CR templates, exactly? I keep hearing different things. Honestly, most of the draw is Cha to HP.



Link?

http://paizo.com/products/btpy9dz9?Lords-of-the-Night

When I get back to my books, I'll reproduce the template.

[Selion]

What are the rules for the +CR templates, exactly? I keep hearing different things. Honestly, most of the draw is Cha to HP.



Link?

Vampire is a template that raises the creature CR by 2, if you play as a vampire, you should be, by rules, equally matched with your party comrades if you are 2 levels below.

[ThinkMinty]

http://paizo.com/products/btpy9dz9?Lords-of-the-Night

When I get back to my books, I'll reproduce the template.

I have the Paizo Blood of the Night in front of me, and particularly the Moroi look fun, because they have the classic "aristocratic *******" thing going on.