How to RP a vampire

[JobsforFun]

I am starting a 5e homebrew campaign (I believe the DM said it was based off dark souls). I wanted my character to be a wizard necromancer plague doctor who wears the black robes and has the mask hiding his face etc. But the thing I wanted to have is that he is a vampire but is very secretive and doesn't like using his "abilities" in-front of people because he is afraid if would just make his life harder in the long run.

I am currently taking some aspects from other homebrewd and dnd 5e vampire stats to make sure it is balanced and not over powered. Wanted to ask people here what would be some good ways to RP this character and also some good ways to balance the vampire race.

[Gastronomie]

First off, god, that avatar is badass. Well, really, almost anything related to Miura Kentaro is badass, but still, couldn't help mentioning it.

The Monster Manual has some stuff about adventurers becoming vampires, but the guidelines presented there make them overpowered and are meant for converting former player characters into enemy NPCs. That's not what you want, right?

The officially released MTG Zendikar setting supplement (https://media.wizards.com/2016/downloads/magic/Plane%20Shift%20Zendikar.pdf) includes a Vampire race, so try using it.

As for role-playing, that's honestly more of a personal preference thing because not all vampires act the same. DIO and Alucard and Darren Shan behave much differently, and yet they're all well-acclaimed. Don't "role-play as a vampire". Think for yourself, what the mindset of a vampire would be like (depending on what vampires are defined as in the setting), and base his personality off from there. Then proceed to roleplay that guy's distinctive personality. If the three vampires mentioned above were all stereotype, nobody would really remember them.

The only piece of advice I can give is to not sparkle.

[Biggstick]

To be honest, you have a bit too much going on here imo. You've described the character yourself as a: Wizard. Necromancer. Plague Doctor. Vampire.

You've got four character concepts that you're trying to wrap up all in one. It might be better to start with picking one of those, and then branching into a second to give the character flavor.

Why would a Vampire care about being a Necromancer? While s/he themselves is already undead, why would they want to raise those they've killed? Most Vampires are going to want to kill those they bite to prevent more Vampires in their hunting ground. Does your PC then feel a need to utilize the body afterwards? If that's the route you're going for, you're building at least a 5th level character, as you can't Animate Dead until level 5 at least.

What level are you starting at in the campaign? Depending on the level you're starting at, you need to be comfortable with your character not actually having raised anything from the dead yet, as you wouldn't have the ability to have done so. What do you have in mind as being your story should the DM have you starting at level 1? You definitely haven't done much, only just tapped into your abilities.

Now on to the Vampire part you were talking about. Unless you're playing in a pretty dubious group, you're going to have the other PC's in the group in an awkward situation. Why do they want to adventure with a creepy masked finger waggler who never shows his face, only talks about manipulating dead bodies and disease, and never wants to adventure during the day?

[JobsforFun]

To be honest, you have a bit too much going on here imo. You've described the character yourself as a: Wizard. Necromancer. Plague Doctor. Vampire.

You've got four character concepts that you're trying to wrap up all in one. It might be better to start with picking one of those, and then branching into a second to give the character flavor.

Why would a Vampire care about being a Necromancer? While s/he themselves is already undead, why would they want to raise those they've killed? Most Vampires are going to want to kill those they bite to prevent more Vampires in their hunting ground. Does your PC then feel a need to utilize the body afterwards? If that's the route you're going for, you're building at least a 5th level character, as you can't Animate Dead until level 5 at least.

What level are you starting at in the campaign? Depending on the level you're starting at, you need to be comfortable with your character not actually having raised anything from the dead yet, as you wouldn't have the ability to have done so. What do you have in mind as being your story should the DM have you starting at level 1? You definitely haven't done much, only just tapped into your abilities.

Now on to the Vampire part you were talking about. Unless you're playing in a pretty dubious group, you're going to have the other PC's in the group in an awkward situation. Why do they want to adventure with a creepy masked finger waggler who never shows his face, only talks about manipulating dead bodies and disease, and never wants to adventure during the day?

Well the plague doctor thing is just what the character wears and he is going to be the wizard class.. We're starting at level 3 so I wont be able to take necromancer abilities until a little later. And thats what I sort of want, I want the character to be the odd one out I want them to question him and be suspicious and if they kill him so be it.

[JobsforFun]

First off, god, that avatar is badass. Well, really, almost anything related to Miura Kentaro is badass, but still, couldn't help mentioning it.

The Monster Manual has some stuff about adventurers becoming vampires, but the guidelines presented there make them overpowered and are meant for converting former player characters into enemy NPCs. That's not what you want, right?

The officially released MTG Zendikar setting supplement (https://media.wizards.com/2016/downloads/magic/Plane%20Shift%20Zendikar.pdf) includes a Vampire race, so try using it.

As for role-playing, that's honestly more of a personal preference thing because not all vampires act the same. DIO and Alucard and Darren Shan behave much differently, and yet they're all well-acclaimed. Don't "role-play as a vampire". Think for yourself, what the mindset of a vampire would be like (depending on what vampires are defined as in the setting), and base his personality off from there. Then proceed to roleplay that guy's distinctive personality. If the three vampires mentioned above were all stereotype, nobody would really remember them.

The only piece of advice I can give is to not sparkle.

And thanks, I didn't draw it Holammer did :). Luckily I have until next week when this campaign starts so I have some time to flavor the character as I wish.

[Temperjoke]

The concepts aren't necessarily incompatible with each other. The core of each of them is (wizard/necromancer can be the same thing really) is a connection to death. The plague doctor outfit is a good idea for going out during the day, given that it was all-covering, but at some point relatively early in the campaign it's going to be questioned why you are wearing it all the time, so you'll want to be able to explain that part. How does your character cope with the bloodthirst that vampires have? If your character is a doctor, drawing blood for "testing" could be a way to hold the thirst at bay, but how acceptable it is depends on the campaign setting. If your character demonstrates a fascination with death/undeath, and understanding it, then being a necromancer would be in alignment with that. The most obvious part of necromancy is animating the dead in various forms, but there are plenty of other spells in that school. There is a difference, after all, in making vampire spawn vs. animating zombies/skeletons. I guess the main thing to determine is, what is your character's goal? Why is he questing? Once you have that, then it becomes easier to define him around it, since it would explain why he does things, how he feels about things, etc.

[JobsforFun]

The concepts aren't necessarily incompatible with each other. The core of each of them is (wizard/necromancer can be the same thing really) is a connection to death. The plague doctor outfit is a good idea for going out during the day, given that it was all-covering, but at some point relatively early in the campaign it's going to be questioned why you are wearing it all the time, so you'll want to be able to explain that part. How does your character cope with the bloodthirst that vampires have? If your character is a doctor, drawing blood for "testing" could be a way to hold the thirst at bay, but how acceptable it is depends on the campaign setting. If your character demonstrates a fascination with death/undeath, and understanding it, then being a necromancer would be in alignment with that. The most obvious part of necromancy is animating the dead in various forms, but there are plenty of other spells in that school. There is a difference, after all, in making vampire spawn vs. animating zombies/skeletons. I guess the main thing to determine is, what is your character's goal? Why is he questing? Once you have that, then it becomes easier to define him around it, since it would explain why he does things, how he feels about things, etc.

Well when someone gets turned into a vampire by someone they're under that person's control until they let them go or that vampire dies right? If not I am sure the DM would be okay with having that rule. Was thinking he was turned into a vampire and was forced to kill his parents or something of the sort? And maybe that is why he is uncomfortable with being a vampire?

[Spore]

The concept in and of itself does make sense. Do you know anything about the Lore in Dark Souls? I am not sure if he wants to introduce the curse of undeath to your group but if he does you ARE already undead. And I don't know if there are any Vampires in Dark Souls. Vampires are more or less Bloodborne's thing. Undead in Dark Souls feed on souls not blood. So your concept might not even be viable.

Being an undead Plague Doctor in a setting where the curse of undeath is spreading and worse - people go hollow and hunt surviving humans, is a good and fitting concept. Maybe he looks for his own cure. Studying arcane magic has not netted him the knowledge he seeks. So he goes out and travels the lands to learn the curse firsthand.

[JobsforFun]

The concept in and of itself does make sense. Do you know anything about the Lore in Dark Souls? I am not sure if he wants to introduce the curse of undeath to your group but if he does you ARE already undead. And I don't know if there are any Vampires in Dark Souls. Vampires are more or less Bloodborne's thing. Undead in Dark Souls feed on souls not blood. So your concept might not even be viable.

Being an undead Plague Doctor in a setting where the curse of undeath is spreading and worse - people go hollow and hunt surviving humans, is a good and fitting concept. Maybe he looks for his own cure. Studying arcane magic has not netted him the knowledge he seeks. So he goes out and travels the lands to learn the curse firsthand.

He hasn't explained much in the way of how the world in his campaign works. All I know is that he is using normal DnD 5e classes etc. Sadly I do not know any of the dark souls lore.

[Erys]

He hasn't explained much in the way of how the world in his campaign works. All I know is that he is using normal DnD 5e classes etc. Sadly I do not know any of the dark souls lore.

Probably goes without saying, but is your dm even remotely cool with you starting as a vampire?

I would not allow it unless other character had strong templates to balance things out.

[JobsforFun]

Probably goes without saying, but is your dm even remotely cool with you starting as a vampire?

I would not allow it unless other character had strong templates to balance things out.

He is fine with it, but if it turns out that he isn't or some of the players in the party aren't fine with it I will either ask the character to be killed off or just wont do it before hand. I don't like being the person in a group who makes the entier campaign un-enjoyable for everyone if everyone is annoyed by what I am doing i'll stop.

[Herobizkit]

If being undead is the draw, you could always play a Revenant (https://dnd.wizards.com/sites/default/files/media/upload/articles/UA%20Gothic%20Characters.pdf).

Now you're like a vampire but don't have to drink blood to exist, and you have a pressing need to complete a mission.

Vampires aren't generally team players. D&D is a team game.

Dark Souls is a solo game with practically no character interaction involved. The character you're describing is a grimdark loner and you don't care if you party turns on you.

Why do you even want to play this character?

[Battlebooze]

Make sure to count everything out loud, then laugh madly, proclaiming the total number for everyone to hear.

Also, drink blood. It's very good for vampires. Avoiding sunlight is good, especially if you are a sparkle vampire. Nobody likes those. If your preferred melee weapon is a fish, make a different character.

[Esprit15]

It depends. By the sound of it, you have been a vampire for a while. Use that. Most things are tired out, predictable, and don't catch your interest. Your alignment and personality will likely determine your response to that.

Perhaps you see the world as nothing more than a toy to be manipulated, whether from a throne or from beside it. Find a kingdom, get on their good side, get a title there (maybe military, since that is generally the easiest), and move up the ranks. Do this with several disguised personas in nearby areas.

Perhaps with life being ultimately meaningless and the desire to hunt overpowering in the back of your head, you enjoy a bit of regression toward the feral. Disappear from your party at night, hunting the local game hunters.

Or maybe vampirism is just the easiest way that you found toward longevity. Without annoying bodily functions like sleep to care for, you can perform your arcane research in peace, undisturbed by that annoying specter Death.

Maybe you once fought against the desire to feed on blood, disgusted at what you had become, but that was decades ago. Now you enjoy spreading your curse, sewing discord and creating a challenge for the clerics that would normally just be opposing you. After all, some are bound to die fighting your spawn. The fewer positive energy based jerks running around turning your kind, the easier life will be.

There are a lot of ways to play a vampire.

[RickAllison]

"I vant to suck your blood!"
"Bleh, bleh-bleh!"
"Velcome to my humble castle."
"How many goblins am I raising? Six! Six corpses!"
"I count slowly, slowly, slowly getting faster. Once I begin counting, it's really hard to stop. Faster, faster, it is so exciting. I would count all day and I would count until I drop! 1, 2, 3, 4, 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4, I love counting, I love counting, whatever the amount."

I'm just kidding. No, what you need to do to stay hidden is be a vampire from Twilight. No one will believe you are a vampire, so you will be home free!

[JobsforFun]

If being undead is the draw, you could always play a Revenant (https://dnd.wizards.com/sites/default/files/media/upload/articles/UA%20Gothic%20Characters.pdf).

Now you're like a vampire but don't have to drink blood to exist, and you have a pressing need to complete a mission.

Vampires aren't generally team players. D&D is a team game.

Dark Souls is a solo game with practically no character interaction involved. The character you're describing is a grimdark loner and you don't care if you party turns on you.

Why do you even want to play this character?

I just thought I would enjoy it :p and I sort of enjoy that this character while in the party has a shroud of mystery surrounding him.

[Spore]

To be honest the limitations of a vampire would be too much for me personally. And they need to be clarified unless the D&D vampire has a set rule of weaknesses. (Stuff like garlic, running water and invitations to one's home were optional in Pathfinder). I would honestly just try to play a Variant Human and refluff as (chosen) undead.

You were once a wizard of the noble school of x but unfortunately you died during your journeys or experiments. You were reawakened with an ominous signet next to you. You are now neither living nor dead and you feel your will to live dwindling and have to actively fight regressing into a state of a rabid zombie. So far it is going well but you are not sure how long you can keep this up.

[Sabeta]

Well, really, almost anything related to Miura Kentaro is badass,

You mean like Idolmaster
http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/914/944/694.jpg


Anyway TC, dig up some old Dracula lore if you want to go old-school. You know, a weakness to garlic, sensitivity to sunlight, and the inability to enter someone's house unless invited. As far as simple role-play is concerned that's probably enough, but your companions will probably ask why you wear the mask...

[SillyPopeNachos]

Read bram stoker's dracula. For a bit of uniqueness you could give him Imhotep's personality from the Mummy.

[JobsforFun]

Has anyone had experience with Half Vampires? From what I see they're more balanced.

[Zorku]

The only piece of advice I can give is to not sparkle.
I don't even care if he sparkles so long as it he's not trying to pass off bad recountings of friends and family as original characters.

...and doesn't act like being a vegetarian is oh so hard or ostracizes him half as much as being a snob does.

Anyway, this sounds like the right tone for your campaign, but you should try to nail down what kind of vampirism this is, or at least what your DM thinks of as vampirism, and how much they are willing to bend those rules. Of immediate import: if sunlight burns you to ash, how long can a heavy cloak forestall that? If a heavy enough cloak gives you indefinite protection but imposes the same penalties that drow and duegar suffer in sunlight then this falls right in line with how those races deal with it (though some tinted goggles may not give you quite the same mileage...)

[JobsforFun]

I don't even care if he sparkles so long as it he's not trying to pass off bad recountings of friends and family as original characters.

...and doesn't act like being a vegetarian is oh so hard or ostracizes him half as much as being a snob does.

Anyway, this sounds like the right tone for your campaign, but you should try to nail down what kind of vampirism this is, or at least what your DM thinks of as vampirism, and how much they are willing to bend those rules. Of immediate import: if sunlight burns you to ash, how long can a heavy cloak forestall that? If a heavy enough cloak gives you indefinite protection but imposes the same penalties that drow and duegar suffer in sunlight then this falls right in line with how those races deal with it (though some tinted goggles may not give you quite the same mileage...)

I know drow get dis advantage on perception and attack rolls while in sunlight only problem though with the attack rolls I miss most of the time anyway...

[CaptainSarathai]

I wanted my character to be a wizard necromancer plague doctor who wears the black robes and has the mask hiding his face etc. But the thing I wanted to have is that he is a vampire but is very secretive and doesn't like using his "abilities" in-front of people because he is afraid if would just make his life harder in the long run.
Shadowblade, is that you?
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?504282-How-to-make-the-edgiest-character


Has anyone had experience with Half Vampires? From what I see they're more balanced.

Someone made a Vyrloka class?
Dude, there is official stuff from Wizards for all of this. Google:
UA Gothic Heroes
--thats the Revenant sub-race, for an undead version of every race.
DnD Plane Shift Zendikar
--has an actual Vampire race that you can start from level 1.
Basically, +1Int, +2Cha, Resist Necrotic, Dark Vision, and you can bite people for 1+D6 damage, gaining the D6 as hitpoints. If you kill them with a bite they become a Null.
They have NO disadvantages - they're are not weak to sunlight, can cross running water, not allergic to sunlight, etc etc.

Roleplay it however you want, just don't be a jerk to your party. Considering you count as Undead, the Paladin could probably Smite you to death for quite a few levels, and any Divine can just 'Turn' you. So remember that stuff works on you.

[nilshai]

Dude, there is official stuff from Wizards for all of this. Google:
UA Gothic Heroes
--thats the Revenant sub-race, for an undead version of every race.
DnD Plane Shift Zendikar
--has an actual Vampire race that you can start from level 1.
Basically, +1Int, +2Cha, Resist Necrotic, Dark Vision, and you can bite people for 1+D6 damage, gaining the D6 as hitpoints. If you kill them with a bite they become a Null.
They have NO disadvantages - they're are not weak to sunlight, can cross running water, not allergic to sunlight, etc etc.

Those races also have the advantage of having a solution to being unaffected by healing spells.