Bjarkmundur
2019-02-21, 04:55 PM
This was my first homebrewing project, and I've learned a lot since then.
I was trying to make a vampire for my player, but there was just no way to make the race balanced while still giving it all the features that the MM shows as being iconic Vampire traits. It might work for campaign starting at level 16, but isn't really feasible before that. Vampires come with a lot of mechanical and role playing baggage, that simply doesn't work in the hands of a player that is a part of a group or a team. The personality traits a creature gets when it gets turned into a vampire makes it hard for groups to accommodate one, maybe even impossible. The there's also the question of intra-party balance.
That's why I've created two versions of the vampire. One can be used from 1st level, and is a more toned down version of the vampire. Calling it a Dhampir allows us to give it many of the Vampire features without having to explain why this vampire isn't exactly like any other vampire the group might face as an enemy. This allows us to remove some of that baggage, make it friendly towards its teammate, and preserves balance between party members.
The second race is the full conversion of the Monster Manual's vampire into a race, and removes any possible discrepancies between playing a vampire and fighting a vampire from the MM, which was the original goal of this project.
This can of course be tweaked to better suit the campaign. If you're a former halfling your size might be small, for example.
Half-Vampire
Ability score increases: Something something ability scores
Size: Medium
Speed: 30ft
Senses: Darkvision up to 30ft.
Born of Undeath: Your creature type is undead as well as humanoid. You have resistance to necrotic damage and immune to disease.
Vampire Tactics: You gain proficiency in one of the following skills: Stealth, Deception, Persuasion or Acrobatics.
Languages: Common, one other.
Climb Speed: You have climb speed equal to your speed.
Sunlight Sensitivity: While in sunlight, you have disadvantage on Attack rolls and Ability Checks.
Diet Dependency: If you go for longer than 30 days without drinking at least one ration of blood, you suffer one level of exhaustion on the midnight of that day, which can only be removed by drinking a ration of blood. After consuming one ration of blood, you recover all levels of exhaustion.
Vampire Magic: When you reach 3rd level, you can cast Charm Person once, and it recharges after a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability modifier for this spell.
Vampire Bite: As an action, you can make a unarmed attack against one willing, paralyzed, charmed, incapacitated, restrained or grappled creature. The attack deals 1 piercing damage and necrotic damage equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain health equal to the necrotic damage taken, and the target's hit point maximum is reduced by the same amount until it finishes a long rest. This attack has no effect on undead or constructs.
Ability score increases: Your Charisma and Dexterity score increases by 1.
Size: Medium
Speed: 30ft
Senses: Darkvision up to 30ft.
Claws: Your unarmed attacks deal 1d4 damage, and is considered a natural weapon with the finesse property.
Undead: Your creature type is undead as well as humanoid. You have resistance to necrotic damage, are immune to disease and you don't need to breathe or sleep.
Vampire Tactics: You gain proficiency in two of the following skills: Stealth, Deception, Persuasion and Acrobatics.
Languages: Common, one other.
Spider Climb: You can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Vampire Weaknesses
Forbiddance: You can't enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants.
Harmed by Running Water: If you end your turn in running water you take acid damage equal to your level x 5.
Stake to the Heart: If a piercing weapon made of wood is driven into the your heart while you are Incapacitated in your Resting place, you are Paralyzed until the stake is removed.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity: While in sunlight, you have disadvantage on Attack rolls and Ability Checks. Additionally, you take radiant damage equal to your level x 5 when you start your turn in sunlight.
Recoil: When you take damage from ending your turn in running water or direct sunlight you cannot regain hit points or cast any vampire spells until the end of your next turn.
Diet Dependency: If you go for longer than seven days without drinking at least one ration of blood, you suffer one level of exhaustion on the midnight of that day, which can only be removed by drinking a ration of blood. After consuming one ration of blood, you recover all levels of exhaustion.
Regeneration: If you start your turn with at least 1 hit point remaining, you regain hit points equal to half your level (minimum 1).
Vampire Magic: When you reach 3rd level, you can cast Charm Person once, and it recharges after a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast Animate Dead (Zombie) once, and it recharges after a long rest. When you reach 7th level, you can cast Polymorph (Bat) once, but only on yourself, and it recharges after a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Vampire Bite: As an action, you can make a unarmed attack against one willing, paralyzed, charmed, incapacitated, restrained or grappled creature. The attack deals 1d4 piercing damage and necrotic damage equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain health equal to the necrotic damage taken, and the target's hit point maximum is reduced by the same amount until it finishes a long rest. When you use your Bite, you can choose deal reduce the piercing damage dealt to 1. This attack has no effect on undead or constructs.
Misty Escape: When you've reached 9th level and you die outside your Resting place, you can cast Gaseous Form without expending a spell slot. You can't revert to your vampire form and you must reach your Resting place within 2 hours or be destroyed. Once in your Resting place, you revert to your vampire form. You are then Paralyzed until you regain at least 1 hit point. After spending 1 hour in your Resting place with 0 Hit Points, you regain 1 hit point. Your resting place is defined by having dirt from your site of turning. You can acquire a bag containing dirt which you can use to make any safe place your resting place, for example by putting it under your mattress or in a coffin. Doing so requires 10 minutes of concentration. You can have multiple resting places at once.
Due to multiple iterations without update posts, the comments are outdated and no longer relevant to the OP.
I was trying to make a vampire for my player, but there was just no way to make the race balanced while still giving it all the features that the MM shows as being iconic Vampire traits. It might work for campaign starting at level 16, but isn't really feasible before that. Vampires come with a lot of mechanical and role playing baggage, that simply doesn't work in the hands of a player that is a part of a group or a team. The personality traits a creature gets when it gets turned into a vampire makes it hard for groups to accommodate one, maybe even impossible. The there's also the question of intra-party balance.
That's why I've created two versions of the vampire. One can be used from 1st level, and is a more toned down version of the vampire. Calling it a Dhampir allows us to give it many of the Vampire features without having to explain why this vampire isn't exactly like any other vampire the group might face as an enemy. This allows us to remove some of that baggage, make it friendly towards its teammate, and preserves balance between party members.
The second race is the full conversion of the Monster Manual's vampire into a race, and removes any possible discrepancies between playing a vampire and fighting a vampire from the MM, which was the original goal of this project.
This can of course be tweaked to better suit the campaign. If you're a former halfling your size might be small, for example.
Half-Vampire
Ability score increases: Something something ability scores
Size: Medium
Speed: 30ft
Senses: Darkvision up to 30ft.
Born of Undeath: Your creature type is undead as well as humanoid. You have resistance to necrotic damage and immune to disease.
Vampire Tactics: You gain proficiency in one of the following skills: Stealth, Deception, Persuasion or Acrobatics.
Languages: Common, one other.
Climb Speed: You have climb speed equal to your speed.
Sunlight Sensitivity: While in sunlight, you have disadvantage on Attack rolls and Ability Checks.
Diet Dependency: If you go for longer than 30 days without drinking at least one ration of blood, you suffer one level of exhaustion on the midnight of that day, which can only be removed by drinking a ration of blood. After consuming one ration of blood, you recover all levels of exhaustion.
Vampire Magic: When you reach 3rd level, you can cast Charm Person once, and it recharges after a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability modifier for this spell.
Vampire Bite: As an action, you can make a unarmed attack against one willing, paralyzed, charmed, incapacitated, restrained or grappled creature. The attack deals 1 piercing damage and necrotic damage equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain health equal to the necrotic damage taken, and the target's hit point maximum is reduced by the same amount until it finishes a long rest. This attack has no effect on undead or constructs.
Ability score increases: Your Charisma and Dexterity score increases by 1.
Size: Medium
Speed: 30ft
Senses: Darkvision up to 30ft.
Claws: Your unarmed attacks deal 1d4 damage, and is considered a natural weapon with the finesse property.
Undead: Your creature type is undead as well as humanoid. You have resistance to necrotic damage, are immune to disease and you don't need to breathe or sleep.
Vampire Tactics: You gain proficiency in two of the following skills: Stealth, Deception, Persuasion and Acrobatics.
Languages: Common, one other.
Spider Climb: You can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Vampire Weaknesses
Forbiddance: You can't enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants.
Harmed by Running Water: If you end your turn in running water you take acid damage equal to your level x 5.
Stake to the Heart: If a piercing weapon made of wood is driven into the your heart while you are Incapacitated in your Resting place, you are Paralyzed until the stake is removed.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity: While in sunlight, you have disadvantage on Attack rolls and Ability Checks. Additionally, you take radiant damage equal to your level x 5 when you start your turn in sunlight.
Recoil: When you take damage from ending your turn in running water or direct sunlight you cannot regain hit points or cast any vampire spells until the end of your next turn.
Diet Dependency: If you go for longer than seven days without drinking at least one ration of blood, you suffer one level of exhaustion on the midnight of that day, which can only be removed by drinking a ration of blood. After consuming one ration of blood, you recover all levels of exhaustion.
Regeneration: If you start your turn with at least 1 hit point remaining, you regain hit points equal to half your level (minimum 1).
Vampire Magic: When you reach 3rd level, you can cast Charm Person once, and it recharges after a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast Animate Dead (Zombie) once, and it recharges after a long rest. When you reach 7th level, you can cast Polymorph (Bat) once, but only on yourself, and it recharges after a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Vampire Bite: As an action, you can make a unarmed attack against one willing, paralyzed, charmed, incapacitated, restrained or grappled creature. The attack deals 1d4 piercing damage and necrotic damage equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain health equal to the necrotic damage taken, and the target's hit point maximum is reduced by the same amount until it finishes a long rest. When you use your Bite, you can choose deal reduce the piercing damage dealt to 1. This attack has no effect on undead or constructs.
Misty Escape: When you've reached 9th level and you die outside your Resting place, you can cast Gaseous Form without expending a spell slot. You can't revert to your vampire form and you must reach your Resting place within 2 hours or be destroyed. Once in your Resting place, you revert to your vampire form. You are then Paralyzed until you regain at least 1 hit point. After spending 1 hour in your Resting place with 0 Hit Points, you regain 1 hit point. Your resting place is defined by having dirt from your site of turning. You can acquire a bag containing dirt which you can use to make any safe place your resting place, for example by putting it under your mattress or in a coffin. Doing so requires 10 minutes of concentration. You can have multiple resting places at once.
Due to multiple iterations without update posts, the comments are outdated and no longer relevant to the OP.