rferries
2017-08-03, 12:59 AM
Here we go, Longbow520 and demonslayerelf! My attempt at converting the Kindred from Vampire: The Masquerade :) . I fully admit I've only played the computer games (Bloodlines, Redemption) and not the original tabletop version, so I'm sure a lot of the flavour and nuances get lost in translation.
This is a template (i.e. Vampire) in racial form - the idea is that PCs were 0th-level mortals with no feats/skills/etc before being Embraced so even though they’re human they don’t get the human bonus feat etc..
1. Kindred
2. Clans (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=22259011&postcount=2)
3. Discipline Feats (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=22259014&postcount=3)
4. Other Feats & Beastiary (TBD) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=22259015&postcount=4)
Kindred
http://i.imgur.com/e33oBes.jpg
Physical Description: Once mere humans, Kindred generally retain the appearance they had in mortal life (especially if they have recently fed and are flushed with Vitae). They exhibit only subtle changes after the Embrace, such as an unhealthy pallour, pronounced incisors or canines, and sometimes even pale or luminous eyes. The obvious exception would be members of Clan Nosferatu, who are twisted into emaciated wretches with bat-like ears, ashen flesh, and long talons.
Society: Kindred are divided both by Clan and by Sect, though there is some overlap.
A Kindred's Clan is determined by the Clan of their Sire - a Kindred that is Embraced by a Toreador will become a Toreador, and will herself Sire only Toreadors when she performs the Embrace. Kindred Clans determine the powers they will exhibit and their general relationships with Kindred of other Clans.
The Clans are themselves organised into three main Sects - the Camarilla, the Sabbat, and the Anarchs. The self-appointed vampire nobility of the Camarilla work to preserve the Masquerade, which keeps mortals unaware of the existence of Kindred. The vicious Sabbat revel in their undead natures and seek to rule over mortals, and care not for the Masquerade. The free-spirited Anarchs wish to preserve the Masquerade but chafe at the Camarilla's manipulations.
Most Clans are officially aligned with the Camarilla or at least the Anarchs. Some few clans are neutral (such as the unscrupulous Clan Giovanni), and some are openly and exclusively aligned with the Sabbat - most notably the fiendish Clan Tzimisce. Kindred from a non-Sabbat Clan that defect to the Sabbat in pursuit of power are known as "antitribu".
Relations: Kindred relations are quite complex, both with other and with other races. A detailed description of vampire politicking is beyond the scope of this article but suffice it to say that most Kindred (apart from the bestial Sabbat) seek to conceal their natures from non-Kindred - there is safety in obscurity.
Alignment and Religion: Kindred originally maintain the alignments they had in life, but this of course may change as the many long years of their immortality pass by - or much sooner, if the Beast is indulged! Camarilla tend towards lawful alignments (but are by no means good), and Anarchs tend towards chaotic alignments (but are by no means evil). Vampires that join the Sabbat are almost always fully corrupted, revelling in both chaos and evil.
Adventurers: Kindred by their nature must being cunning and ambitious to survive - whether in the vampire courts or simply to be able to feed and live amongst mortals without being hunted down. The particular character classes they gravitate towards are determined by their Clan.
http://i.imgur.com/zJbo6KY.jpg
Kindred Racial Traits
+2 Strength: Kindred are superhumanly strong. As undead creatures with the mortal subtype, they possess Constitution scores. A Kindred's Clan may also grant them additional ability score bonuses or penalties.
Medium: Kindred are Medium creatures and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Kindred have a base speed of 30 feet.
Undead: Kindred are undead with the mortal subtype.
Mortal (Ex): This creature lacks the immunities normally granted by virtue of its type. If it would have any nonabilities, it instead rolls ability scores for those attributes as a normal creature. Finally, a creature of this type may only assume humanoid forms when using the alter self spell.
Darkvision: Kindred have darkvision out to 60 feet.
Claws (Ex): A Kindred has a two primary natural claw attacks that deal 1d4 damage each.
Clan (Ex): A Kindred joins the Clan of its Sire (see below (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=22259011&postcount=2)) when it is first Embraced.
Damage Reduction (Su): A Kindred has damage reduction/magic or silver equal to its character level.
Drain Vitae (Ex) A Kindred can suck "Vitae" (blood) from a living victim or another Kindred with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains Vitae, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, the Kindred gains 5 temporary hit points. Living creatures without blood are immune to this ability.
A "Feed Attempt" is any grapple check made by a Kindred to use its Drain Vitae ability, whether just the once or to drain a creature all the way to Constitution 0.
Frenzy (Ex): A Kindred is always fighting against the Beast within. Whenever it is involved in combat that lasts longer than one round per character level, it must make a special Concentration check known as a "Frenzy check" (DC 10 plus the total damage it has taken in the last round) at the start of its turn each round. If it fails the check, it immediately enters a "Frenzy".
A Frenzying Kindred rages as a barbarian of its character level, including the Greater Rage and Mighty Rage class features as appropriate. The Kindred attacks the nearest creature (whether friend or foe), making Feed Attempts on that creature if possible but resorting to attacks with its melee or natural weapons if not. If it slays that creature it proceeds to attack the next nearest creature, and so on until either all enemies have been slain, it has drained a creature to Constitution 0, or the Kindred is itself destroyed. To end this rage prematurely the Kindred must succeed on another Frenzy check (DC 20 plus the total damage it has taken in the last round); the Frenzy otherwise lasts indefinitely. A Kindred is not fatigued at the end of a Frenzy.
A Frenzying Kindred gains the [Chaos] and [Evil] subtypes and is immune to charm and compulsion effects. Calm emotions and similar effects can end a Frenzy.
A Kindred with levels in barbarian may rage as normal, but is still susceptible to Frenzying (if it Frenzies while raging, all bonuses and penalties from the rage and the Frenzy are cumulative).
Kiss of the Vampire (Su) A Kindred that successfully deals at least 1 Constitution point of damage with its Drain Vitae special attack induces a paralytic, soporific euphoria in its victim. The target must succeed in a Will save (DC 10 plus one-half the Kindred's character level plus the Kindred's Charisma modifier) or be paralysed for one minute, and furthermore lose all recollection of the last 5 minutes as if by modify memory (caster level = Kindred's character level). This is a mind-affecting morale effect. Other Kindred are immune to this ability.
Living Dead (Ex): Kindred have a +2 racial bonus on saves against any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless). They are immune to diseases and poisons that do not specifically affect undead. They do not need to eat (though they must consume Vitae), breathe, or sleep.
Rapid Healing (Ex): A Kindred heals hit points and ability damage every hour rather than every day. It heals nonlethal damage every minute rather than every hour.
Regeneration (Su): A Kindred has regeneration 0 (this functions exactly as standard regeneration save that the Kindred does not automatically heal any hit points each round). This regeneration is overcome by magic weapons, silver weapons, holy water, spells, and all types of energy damage (including sunlight). Furthermore, a Kindred that has nonlethal damage greater than its current hit points may be killed by being beheaded or by having a wooden stake driven through its heart.
The Beast (Ex): The Beast is the amoral survival instinct that lurks in the heart of each Kindred; a Kindred that indulges their baser instincts risks freeing the Beast more and more often (by Frenzying). Kindred take bonuses and penalties on Frenzy checks according to factors corresponding to how well (or poorly) they have suppressed their Beasts, as shown below. All modifiers are cumulative.
Factor
Frenzy Modifier
Lawful alignment
+2
Chaotic alignment
-2
Good alignment
+1
Evil alignment
-1
Monk
+1
Paladin
+2
Bard
-1
Barbarian
-2
A Kindred's Clan may provide further modifiers on Frenzy checks.
Furthermore, acts of particular savagery or cruelty by a Kindred (even outside of combat) may trigger a Frenzy check, at the DM's discretion. The DM may choose to impose a cumulative -1 penalty on a Kindred's Frenzy checks for each lethal Feed Attempt they have made on an innocent humanoid (in addition to any alignment-based penalties to that Kindred's Frenzy checks), even if they involuntarily made those Feed Attempts involuntarily e.g. while Frenzying.
Finally, a Kindred that has gone more than 24 hours without dealing at least 2 points of Constitution damage via its Drain Vitae special attack must make a Frenzy check every hour (DC 10, plus 2 for each hour beyond 24 that it has not fed).
Vampire Vulnerabilites (Ex): Many of the archetypal weaknesses of Kindred have no factual basis, but there are some that hold true:
Holy Water: Kindred take double the normal damage that an undead creature would take from holy water.
Mirrors: Kindred cast no reflections in mirrors (and may be identified thereby).
Sunlight: A Kindred takes 1d6 points of lethal damage for each round it is exposed to natural sunlight. This may be circumvented by certain spells, at the DM's option.
Feats: A Kindred's Clan determines which [Discipline] Feats it may select.
Skills: A Kindred's Clan grants it certain bonus class skills.
Languages: Kindred speak any languages they knew in life as humans. (Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic). See the Speak Language skill.)
Level Adjustment: +1.
Favoured Class: A Kindred's favoured class is determined by their Clan Feat.
This is a template (i.e. Vampire) in racial form - the idea is that PCs were 0th-level mortals with no feats/skills/etc before being Embraced so even though they’re human they don’t get the human bonus feat etc..
1. Kindred
2. Clans (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=22259011&postcount=2)
3. Discipline Feats (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=22259014&postcount=3)
4. Other Feats & Beastiary (TBD) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=22259015&postcount=4)
Kindred
http://i.imgur.com/e33oBes.jpg
Physical Description: Once mere humans, Kindred generally retain the appearance they had in mortal life (especially if they have recently fed and are flushed with Vitae). They exhibit only subtle changes after the Embrace, such as an unhealthy pallour, pronounced incisors or canines, and sometimes even pale or luminous eyes. The obvious exception would be members of Clan Nosferatu, who are twisted into emaciated wretches with bat-like ears, ashen flesh, and long talons.
Society: Kindred are divided both by Clan and by Sect, though there is some overlap.
A Kindred's Clan is determined by the Clan of their Sire - a Kindred that is Embraced by a Toreador will become a Toreador, and will herself Sire only Toreadors when she performs the Embrace. Kindred Clans determine the powers they will exhibit and their general relationships with Kindred of other Clans.
The Clans are themselves organised into three main Sects - the Camarilla, the Sabbat, and the Anarchs. The self-appointed vampire nobility of the Camarilla work to preserve the Masquerade, which keeps mortals unaware of the existence of Kindred. The vicious Sabbat revel in their undead natures and seek to rule over mortals, and care not for the Masquerade. The free-spirited Anarchs wish to preserve the Masquerade but chafe at the Camarilla's manipulations.
Most Clans are officially aligned with the Camarilla or at least the Anarchs. Some few clans are neutral (such as the unscrupulous Clan Giovanni), and some are openly and exclusively aligned with the Sabbat - most notably the fiendish Clan Tzimisce. Kindred from a non-Sabbat Clan that defect to the Sabbat in pursuit of power are known as "antitribu".
Relations: Kindred relations are quite complex, both with other and with other races. A detailed description of vampire politicking is beyond the scope of this article but suffice it to say that most Kindred (apart from the bestial Sabbat) seek to conceal their natures from non-Kindred - there is safety in obscurity.
Alignment and Religion: Kindred originally maintain the alignments they had in life, but this of course may change as the many long years of their immortality pass by - or much sooner, if the Beast is indulged! Camarilla tend towards lawful alignments (but are by no means good), and Anarchs tend towards chaotic alignments (but are by no means evil). Vampires that join the Sabbat are almost always fully corrupted, revelling in both chaos and evil.
Adventurers: Kindred by their nature must being cunning and ambitious to survive - whether in the vampire courts or simply to be able to feed and live amongst mortals without being hunted down. The particular character classes they gravitate towards are determined by their Clan.
http://i.imgur.com/zJbo6KY.jpg
Kindred Racial Traits
+2 Strength: Kindred are superhumanly strong. As undead creatures with the mortal subtype, they possess Constitution scores. A Kindred's Clan may also grant them additional ability score bonuses or penalties.
Medium: Kindred are Medium creatures and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Kindred have a base speed of 30 feet.
Undead: Kindred are undead with the mortal subtype.
Mortal (Ex): This creature lacks the immunities normally granted by virtue of its type. If it would have any nonabilities, it instead rolls ability scores for those attributes as a normal creature. Finally, a creature of this type may only assume humanoid forms when using the alter self spell.
Darkvision: Kindred have darkvision out to 60 feet.
Claws (Ex): A Kindred has a two primary natural claw attacks that deal 1d4 damage each.
Clan (Ex): A Kindred joins the Clan of its Sire (see below (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=22259011&postcount=2)) when it is first Embraced.
Damage Reduction (Su): A Kindred has damage reduction/magic or silver equal to its character level.
Drain Vitae (Ex) A Kindred can suck "Vitae" (blood) from a living victim or another Kindred with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains Vitae, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, the Kindred gains 5 temporary hit points. Living creatures without blood are immune to this ability.
A "Feed Attempt" is any grapple check made by a Kindred to use its Drain Vitae ability, whether just the once or to drain a creature all the way to Constitution 0.
Frenzy (Ex): A Kindred is always fighting against the Beast within. Whenever it is involved in combat that lasts longer than one round per character level, it must make a special Concentration check known as a "Frenzy check" (DC 10 plus the total damage it has taken in the last round) at the start of its turn each round. If it fails the check, it immediately enters a "Frenzy".
A Frenzying Kindred rages as a barbarian of its character level, including the Greater Rage and Mighty Rage class features as appropriate. The Kindred attacks the nearest creature (whether friend or foe), making Feed Attempts on that creature if possible but resorting to attacks with its melee or natural weapons if not. If it slays that creature it proceeds to attack the next nearest creature, and so on until either all enemies have been slain, it has drained a creature to Constitution 0, or the Kindred is itself destroyed. To end this rage prematurely the Kindred must succeed on another Frenzy check (DC 20 plus the total damage it has taken in the last round); the Frenzy otherwise lasts indefinitely. A Kindred is not fatigued at the end of a Frenzy.
A Frenzying Kindred gains the [Chaos] and [Evil] subtypes and is immune to charm and compulsion effects. Calm emotions and similar effects can end a Frenzy.
A Kindred with levels in barbarian may rage as normal, but is still susceptible to Frenzying (if it Frenzies while raging, all bonuses and penalties from the rage and the Frenzy are cumulative).
Kiss of the Vampire (Su) A Kindred that successfully deals at least 1 Constitution point of damage with its Drain Vitae special attack induces a paralytic, soporific euphoria in its victim. The target must succeed in a Will save (DC 10 plus one-half the Kindred's character level plus the Kindred's Charisma modifier) or be paralysed for one minute, and furthermore lose all recollection of the last 5 minutes as if by modify memory (caster level = Kindred's character level). This is a mind-affecting morale effect. Other Kindred are immune to this ability.
Living Dead (Ex): Kindred have a +2 racial bonus on saves against any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless). They are immune to diseases and poisons that do not specifically affect undead. They do not need to eat (though they must consume Vitae), breathe, or sleep.
Rapid Healing (Ex): A Kindred heals hit points and ability damage every hour rather than every day. It heals nonlethal damage every minute rather than every hour.
Regeneration (Su): A Kindred has regeneration 0 (this functions exactly as standard regeneration save that the Kindred does not automatically heal any hit points each round). This regeneration is overcome by magic weapons, silver weapons, holy water, spells, and all types of energy damage (including sunlight). Furthermore, a Kindred that has nonlethal damage greater than its current hit points may be killed by being beheaded or by having a wooden stake driven through its heart.
The Beast (Ex): The Beast is the amoral survival instinct that lurks in the heart of each Kindred; a Kindred that indulges their baser instincts risks freeing the Beast more and more often (by Frenzying). Kindred take bonuses and penalties on Frenzy checks according to factors corresponding to how well (or poorly) they have suppressed their Beasts, as shown below. All modifiers are cumulative.
Factor
Frenzy Modifier
Lawful alignment
+2
Chaotic alignment
-2
Good alignment
+1
Evil alignment
-1
Monk
+1
Paladin
+2
Bard
-1
Barbarian
-2
A Kindred's Clan may provide further modifiers on Frenzy checks.
Furthermore, acts of particular savagery or cruelty by a Kindred (even outside of combat) may trigger a Frenzy check, at the DM's discretion. The DM may choose to impose a cumulative -1 penalty on a Kindred's Frenzy checks for each lethal Feed Attempt they have made on an innocent humanoid (in addition to any alignment-based penalties to that Kindred's Frenzy checks), even if they involuntarily made those Feed Attempts involuntarily e.g. while Frenzying.
Finally, a Kindred that has gone more than 24 hours without dealing at least 2 points of Constitution damage via its Drain Vitae special attack must make a Frenzy check every hour (DC 10, plus 2 for each hour beyond 24 that it has not fed).
Vampire Vulnerabilites (Ex): Many of the archetypal weaknesses of Kindred have no factual basis, but there are some that hold true:
Holy Water: Kindred take double the normal damage that an undead creature would take from holy water.
Mirrors: Kindred cast no reflections in mirrors (and may be identified thereby).
Sunlight: A Kindred takes 1d6 points of lethal damage for each round it is exposed to natural sunlight. This may be circumvented by certain spells, at the DM's option.
Feats: A Kindred's Clan determines which [Discipline] Feats it may select.
Skills: A Kindred's Clan grants it certain bonus class skills.
Languages: Kindred speak any languages they knew in life as humans. (Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic). See the Speak Language skill.)
Level Adjustment: +1.
Favoured Class: A Kindred's favoured class is determined by their Clan Feat.