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Skyserpent
2007-10-17, 01:20 AM
My friend keeps pestering me about wanting to be a Vampire, but not really a vampire, just like, a Half-Vampire... but he doesn't want any level adjustment, he doesn't want to drink blood, or anything really... I think He just wants that alternate form ability for turning into swarms of creatures... any idea on how to go about this?

Kyace
2007-10-17, 01:35 AM
My friend keeps pestering me about wanting to be a Vampire, but not really a vampire, just like, a Half-Vampire... but he doesn't want any level adjustment, he doesn't want to drink blood, or anything really... I think He just wants that alternate form ability for turning into swarms of creatures... any idea on how to go about this?

Warlock has a good deal of the vampire's crunch so you might see if he'll be willing to take a couple of levels in it (enough for spider climb and summon swarm) and change the fluff to fit.

Another possible easy fix is the vampire bloodline (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/bloodlines.htm#vampire). However you may have to homebrew your own bloodline to better suit what he wants, but the idea could work.

Xefas
2007-10-17, 01:37 AM
Warlock has a good deal of the vampire's crunch so you might see if he'll be willing to take a couple of levels in it (enough for spider climb and summon swarm) and change the fluff to fit.

Another possible easy fix is the vampire bloodline (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/bloodlines.htm#vampire). However you may have to homebrew your own bloodline to better suit what he wants, but the idea could work.

I agree with using a Warlock. Not to mention they can slip around unnoticed via invisibility at will, and an at-will Charm ability which is similar to vampiric lore (although the action vampire template gets Dominate).

EDIT: It also wouldn't be impossible to alter the fluff to their fly invocation to make him turn into a bat-shape while he flies.

Skyserpent
2007-10-17, 02:08 AM
Oh right, I forgot to mention he has some kind of obscene beef with magic-users, and I think Warlock might cut into his jib a bit...

Xefas
2007-10-17, 02:11 AM
You could pre-choose the invocations at each level, give them a different name, call them "class features", rename the warlock, come up with different fluff, and call it "The Vampire Class".

Noone will ever know spellcasting is involved at all. Mmmm...could convert Eldritch Blast to some form of Sneak Attack progression, I suppose. Not as fast a rogue, but in there...

EDIT: For example, at first level, the Vampire class gets "Children of the Night", an ability that lets them, at will, summon a Bat Swarm, but it only exists as long as they spend a standard action every round concentrating their badassness at it.

At second level, the Vampire class gets "Spooky Nightvision" which lets them see through all darkness perfectly, whether magical or mundane.

He doesn't have to know it's just a Warlock with "Summon Swarm" and "Devil's Sight" because they're always at-will or 24hour constants.

Ilgivan
2007-10-17, 08:43 AM
Aw man, I come in here expecting an LA+0 Undead player race and I find something about a guy who thinks vampires are awesome but doesn't want to actually have to deal with any of the badness associated vampires.

I'm sad now.

Skyserpent
2007-10-17, 03:40 PM
Aw man, I come in here expecting an LA+0 Undead player race and I find something about a guy who thinks vampires are awesome but doesn't want to actually have to deal with any of the badness associated vampires.

I'm sad now.

I'm sad too.

Draz74
2007-10-17, 05:26 PM
You could pre-choose the invocations at each level, give them a different name, call them "class features", rename the warlock, come up with different fluff, and call it "The Vampire Class".

Noone will ever know spellcasting is involved at all. Mmmm...could convert Eldritch Blast to some form of Sneak Attack progression, I suppose. Not as fast a rogue, but in there...

EDIT: For example, at first level, the Vampire class gets "Children of the Night", an ability that lets them, at will, summon a Bat Swarm, but it only exists as long as they spend a standard action every round concentrating their badassness at it.

At second level, the Vampire class gets "Spooky Nightvision" which lets them see through all darkness perfectly, whether magical or mundane.

He doesn't have to know it's just a Warlock with "Summon Swarm" and "Devil's Sight" because they're always at-will or 24hour constants.

You win. This is hilarious. I'd even be generous and give this "new class" a Hit Die boost to d8 or something, to make up for the fact that you're giving him a fairly weak class and then taking away most of its options. :smallamused:

Anxe
2007-10-17, 05:52 PM
After much searching I found the thread for the lower LA for a vampire race and here it is. Unfortunately it is +1 not +0.

Vampire (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54290)

Xefas
2007-10-17, 10:46 PM
You win. This is hilarious. I'd even be generous and give this "new class" a Hit Die boost to d8 or something, to make up for the fact that you're giving him a fairly weak class and then taking away most of its options. :smallamused:

Here's the conversion I'd make.

Drop Eldritch Blast, Add Sneak Attack at 1st and every three levels afterward (4th, 7th, 10th, etc). Replace Damage Reduction X/cold iron, with X/silver. Change the name of Fiendish Resilience to "Vampiric Regeneration", change "Deceive Item" to "Corrupt Magic", and take out Imbue Item because the OP's friend doesn't like using magic (but if someone who is okay with magic would be playing it, change it to something like "Ancient Lore", which emphasized a vampire's vast knowledge).

1st level: Summon Swarm "Children of the Night"
2nd level: Devil's Sight (always on) "Vampiric Sight"
4th level: Entropic Warding (always on) "Vampiric Stealth"
6th level: Fell Flight "Bat Form" (You become a giant bat, and can fly, woo! But...none of your other statistics change)
8th level: Charm "Domination Gaze"
10th level: Walk Unseen "One With the Shadows"
11th level: The Dead Walk "Create Spawn"
13th level: Noxious Blast "Inspire Fear" (For this one, have it work only once per round, and only when he succeeds on a Sneak Attack. If they fail their save, instead of being queasy, have them recoil in fear...but keep the same nauseated mechanic)
15th level: Repelling Blast "Knockback" (Just say he either has to concentrate on inspiring fear OR slapping people around the room.)
16th level: Utterdark Blast "Energy Drain" (Okies, you have to either be scary, slap them around the room, OR steal their soul, your choice.)
18th level: Path of Shadow "Walk the Shadows"
20th level: Dark Discorporation "Swarm Form"

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I've also done this for players who wanted to play ninjas (obviously with a few different invocations). I believe you could do even more with the invocations in Dragon Magic and Complete Mage (I think?).