How would you build a vampire themed dhampir druid?

[Rfkannen]

The druid class has a lot to offer a dhampir looking to be as vampire like as they can be. You can summon bats and wolves, turn into bats and wolves, age even slower than you already do, make clouds of fog, etc.

But other than picking dhampir as your race, I am not sure how else to maximize the vampire theme on a druid! How would you build a dhampir druid trying to be as vampire like as possible? What subclass do you think would work best? Any feats or spells?

[Abracadangit]

I'm not sure if there's one druid sub that checks all of the boxes, but there are a couple that definitely check some of them.

Circle of the Land with Underdark Circle Spells adds some very thematically appropriate spells to your list -- spider climb, web, and gaseous form are all very classically vampiric. Plus the 14th level ability Nature's Sanctuary, where you can make beasts reconsider attacking you, seems like something a vampire might do. The plant part, maybe not so much, but you could refluff other sub abilities to be suitably vampire-themed.

The other choice that springs to mind is Circle of Spores. You get chill touch for free, as well as animate dead and gaseous form later on. The spores will need a little refluffing -- maybe as a vampire, you have an aura of necromantic magic? Or you can cause shadows to pool around you and siphon the vitality out of living things? Whichever way you go with it, an always-on necrotic-damage aura is fairly vampiric. You can go full-dhampir combat mode when you use Symbiotic Entity, and animating a zombie creature (with Fungal Infestation) is totally a vampire move.

So it depends what kind of vampire you envision your character as. Classic vampire with some spells refluffed as abilities, I'd go Land, but for more of a sinister/spooky necromancy-spec vampire, I'd go Spores.

And don't forget Tasha's Wild Companion feature! Summon a bat buddy or wolf companion for extra vampire points.

[strangebloke]

IMO, multiclassing from moon druid into barbarian is really fun here because you become legitimately good at just biting people to death and you also get the physical resistances and speed you'd associate with a vampire. Personally I'd prefer something like Beast Barbarian 5/Moon Druid X.

[Abracadangit]

IMO, multiclassing from moon druid into barbarian is really fun here because you become legitimately good at just biting people to death and you also get the physical resistances and speed you'd associate with a vampire. Personally I'd prefer something like Beast Barbarian 5/Moon Druid X.

Actually playing a dhampir Beast Barb in a game right now -- works great! The different transformations are all dhampiry as heck. Climb speed, super jumping, the claws, the bite attack, and just rage in general is great as "vampire mode."

No druid levels in mine, though.

[strangebloke]

Actually playing a dhampir Beast Barb in a game right now -- works great! The different transformations are all dhampiry as heck. Climb speed, super jumping, the claws, the bite attack, and just rage in general is great as "vampire mode."

No druid levels in mine, though.

The moon druid levels are just there if you want to go full vargheist with some spellcasting in your 'human' form.

[Psyren]

Vampires are known for transforming into large wolves, bats etc. I'd go moon druid and lean into that.

[Rfkannen]

The moon druid levels are just there if you want to go full vargheist with some spellcasting in your 'human' form.

flavoring a beast barbarian as a more monsterous vampire (like the varghiests from warhammer or the vampire lords from skyrim) sounds like an awesome idea!

If we are going age of sigmar my real question is how to go full lauka vai and be a vampire dragontaur! Or ghoul king on terrorghiest. thaaats probably harder lol

[Amnestic]

Spore druid is my go-to.

Circle spells: Necromantic themed, Gaseous form.
Halo of Spores: Refluff as bats or blood.
Symbiotic entity: Works with your vampire bite (though not the 'empowered' version, since it's necrotic damage)
Fungal Infestation: Refluff as more necromancy/blood thrall.
Spreading Spores: Refluff as bats or blood.
Fungal Body: Just your vampire powers getting stronger.

While vamps do shapeshift it never seemed to be their primary combat state to me, which is why I lean away from Moon personally, but I guess it depends on the kind of vamp you want to be.

[Burley]

Yeah, I think for fun factor, a re-skinned Spore Druid is the way to go.

However, as un-flashy as it is, I think the Circle of Dreams abilities fit more with Vampire, in my mind. They've got a ranged lay-on-hands ability type ability to heal themselves or their allies, a way to keep yourself safe in darkness if you need to camp during the day, some teleport stuff and a level 14 capstone that lets to do some real Dracula stuff (like mess in people's dreams, or teleport back to your safe resting space).
Circle of dreams misses out on some bonus spells, and probably falls behind most other sub-Druids, but I think the abilities afforded best match up with what I imagine an adventuring vampire would need.

[Mastikator]

I agree with the moon druid approach. As long as you're wild shaping into an animal with a bite attack (like a dire wolf which is also on theme) you should be able to deliver an empowered vampire bite attack (but only using 1d4 + con damage sadly, unless you can convince your DM that the dire wolf's 2d6 + strength can be empowered, that would actually be decent healing)

[da newt]

Not a druid at all, but an Oathbreaker Paladin Dhampir could be VERY vampire-y and there isn't much more fun than a good old smite bite.

[Bearserk]

Second the circle of spores.

Charm person: check
Inhuman strength via Enhance Ability: check
Summon and controll animals: check
Undead fortitude with symbiotic entity: check
Undead minions: check
Gaseous form: check
Shapechange into normal wolves or bats: check

It's all in and fits.
I play a dhampir dwarf druid and it's cool.

[GentlemanVoodoo]

The druid class has a lot to offer a dhampir looking to be as vampire like as they can be. You can summon bats and wolves, turn into bats and wolves, age even slower than you already do, make clouds of fog, etc.

But other than picking dhampir as your race, I am not sure how else to maximize the vampire theme on a druid! How would you build a dhampir druid trying to be as vampire like as possible? What subclass do you think would work best? Any feats or spells?

Well if you want a sparkly vampire theme there is always star druids (:smallwink:)

But depends on what theme you want. If just general vampire like, land or shepherd druids can fit the bill with perhaps some levels in bard or GOO warlock for a few mind control related effects.