Playable Dhampir race. First attempt

[Jeivar]

My friends now have the Player's Handbook and Monster Manual and we've had our first play session. I got the idea to create a very basic half-vampire race for when I want to be a melodramatic anti hero that eats clichés and craps angst. I would appreciate some opinions:

Dhampir.
Ability Score Increase: +2 to Strength and +1 to Charisma.
Speed: 30 feet.
Darkvision: 60 feet.
Resistance to necrotic damage.
Blood Drinking: The dhampir can sink its small fangs into a helpless or grappled humanoid and cause 1d4 points of damage per round. Each point taken heals damage the dhampir has suffered, up to their hit point maximum.

So what do you think? Too strong? Too weak?

I wanted to give it a watered-down version of a vampire's charm gaze or animal control but was worried about it being too powerful. I also considered making either the Strength or Constitution modifier add to the drain damage, but wanted some opinions first.

[Ralcos]

My friends now have the Player's Handbook and Monster Manual and we've had our first play session. I got the idea to create a very basic half-vampire race for when I want to be a melodramatic anti hero that eats clichés and craps angst. I would appreciate some opinions:

Dhampir.
Ability Score Increase: +2 to Strength and +1 to Charisma.
Speed: 30 feet.
Size: Medium.
Darkvision: 60 feet.
Resistance to necrotic damage.
Blood Drinking: The dhampir can sink its small fangs into a helpless or grappled humanoid and cause 1d4 points of damage per round. Each point taken heals damage the dhampir has suffered, up to their hit point maximum.

So what do you think? Too strong? Too weak?

I wanted to give it a watered-down version of a vampire's charm gaze or animal control but was worried about it being too powerful. I also considered making either the Strength or Constitution modifier add to the drain damage, but wanted some opinions first.

Here, I'll help you. You are allowed to do what you wish with it...

Spoiler: Damphir race

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Damphir
Many vampires take mistresses. Extremely few result in a half-undead child, an abomination that wasn't meant to be born.

Spoiler: Damphir pic

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Ability Score Increase. +2 to Strength OR Dexterity and +1 to Charisma.
Speed. 30 feet.
Darkvision. 60 feet.
Vampiric Body. Resistance to necrotic damage.
Vampiric Blood.Choose one of the following abilities; Once you choose, you cannot change it:
* Blood Drinking: The dhampir can sink its small fangs into a helpless or grappled humanoid and cause 1d4 points of damage per round. Each point of damage that the target takes gives you the same amount of Temporary Hit Points.
* Predator's Senses: You gain proficiency in the Perception skill. Also, you do not take attack penalties with any attack roll when Blinded.
* Shape of the Vampire: You can transform into either a bat, a wolf, or a medium-sized area of mist as a Bonus Action. You cannot make actions in combat when in any form, and your equipment becomes part of the form. You can use another Bonus Action to transform back into your original form.
As a Bat, you have a fly speed equal to (1/2 of your Proficiency Bonus x 5 feet)
As a Wolf, your base speed increases to (30 feet + (1/2 of your Proficiency Bonus x 5 feet))
As Mist, you gain Resistance against all physical attacks (except for magic weapons), but you gain Vulnerability (double damage) against any spells/invocations.
Vampiric Bloodlust Every turn when you are at 1/3 of your maximum Hit Points or less (Temporary Hit Points count as normal Hit Points for this ability), you must roll a Wisdom Saving Throw (DC equal to 10 + # of consecutive rounds you are at or below 1/3 of your Hit Points). A failure results in a rage-like state where you attack the nearest creature (even if it is an ally), dealing an extra 1d4 points of damage on all melee attacks. You must succeed a Wisdom Saving Throw (DC 20)to leave this state.

Anyhow, I REALLY like this race. I decided to make adjustments, as well as make the race more interesting to play. I'd want to add Weakness to Sunlight (as Drow from the PHB) and Improved Darkvision, but I'm not sure if the player'd want that.

Note: I am just trying to help and give suggestions.
Hopefully you like!

[BRKNdevil]

While I like the idea of choosing your racial ability, I have to say that I agree with the op and the increase it gives to strength, since I don't think i've ever seen a physically weak vampire blooded in any sort of fiction.
Also I think the Shape ability should scale more with level such that its movement bonus is (1/2) Prof. Bonus *5ft rounded down

[Ralcos]

While I like the idea of choosing your racial ability, I have to say that I agree with the op and the increase it gives to strength, since I don't think i've ever seen a physically weak vampire blooded in any sort of fiction.
Also I think the Shape ability should scale more with level such that its movement bonus is (1/2) Prof. Bonus *5ft rounded down

Updated to be a choice between Strength OR Dexterity.
Form Speed has been adjusted to be as suggested.
Also, no bonus does not mean weak in 5e.

[Steel Mirror]

I think the Blood Drinking is incredibly powerful. In some settings and adventures, it's a free full heal after every fight, and in others it's just begging for PvP drama. That last one isn't necessarily something that disqualifies a racial trait right out, but it is something I might try to avoid in general. Being too powerful is a major concern, though.

What if it just gave you temp hp instead? That is still quite good, and does a good job of simulating the feeding behavior of a dhampir who wants to "top up" on blood after any strenuous encounter, but isn't nearly as unbalancing. Or maybe something that lets you make a bite attack to drink blood in order to spend HD in combat, or something of that sort? Combat healing that involves blood drinking but doesn't break the hp-budget bank?

As an aside, lots of dhampir/half-vamp lore involves the individual fighting the bloodlust within, and risking the loss of their humanity if they ever give in and embrace the thirst. Contrary to that, this race seems just fine with individuals binging on blood every time they get an ouchie, with little in the racial description to suggest that there is any cost to this, biological or spiritual. That's fine if it is what you are going for, but had you given any thought to trying to bring that inherent tension of the dhampir myth into the racial description?

[Ralcos]

I think the Blood Drinking is incredibly powerful. In some settings and adventures, it's a free full heal after every fight, and in others it's just begging for PvP drama. That last one isn't necessarily something that disqualifies a racial trait right out, but it is something I might try to avoid in general. Being too powerful is a major concern, though.

What if it just gave you temp hp instead? That is still quite good, and does a good job of simulating the feeding behavior of a dhampir who wants to "top up" on blood after any strenuous encounter, but isn't nearly as unbalancing. Or maybe something that lets you make a bite attack to drink blood in order to spend HD in combat, or something of that sort? Combat healing that involves blood drinking but doesn't break the hp-budget bank?

As an aside, lots of dhampir/half-vamp lore involves the individual fighting the bloodlust within, and risking the loss of their humanity if they ever give in and embrace the thirst. Contrary to that, this race seems just fine with individuals binging on blood every time they get an ouchie, with little in the racial description to suggest that there is any cost to this, biological or spiritual. That's fine if it is what you are going for, but had you given any thought to trying to bring that inherent tension of the dhampir myth into the racial description?

Updated Blood Drinking ability to give Temporary Hit Points.
Added racial trait to illustrate the tension within the blood of the Damphir. Take a look!

[Jeivar]

As an aside, lots of dhampir/half-vamp lore involves the individual fighting the bloodlust within, and risking the loss of their humanity if they ever give in and embrace the thirst. Contrary to that, this race seems just fine with individuals binging on blood every time they get an ouchie, with little in the racial description to suggest that there is any cost to this, biological or spiritual. That's fine if it is what you are going for, but had you given any thought to trying to bring that inherent tension of the dhampir myth into the racial description?

I didn't include a racial description or lore because, well, we all know what a dhampir is and its usual place in pop culture. I was just wondering how to stat the race so as to give it the flavour one wants from a dhampir without being overpowered OR useless.

Updated Blood Drinking ability to give Temporary Hit Points.
Added racial trait to illustrate the tension within the blood of the Damphir. Take a look!

I appreciate the thoughts and input, but I'm not so hot on the frenzy business. It can cause a lot of trouble with other players, and I personally would prefer to make the "oh, my cursed existence" melodrama a roleplaying thing rather than a mechanical one. Still, the light sensitivity is a nice touch.

[Steel Mirror]

Oh yes, I wasn't talking purely fluff. I meant that you might think of including some mechanical backup for the conflicted nature of the race, else players are likely to just use it at will and handwave away what would otherwise be a rather strong component of the race, thematically. For an example of how that might be done, WW's Vampire games are more or less the industry standard for making vampires who have internal conflict baked into the mechanics, and while you certainly don't want to go anywhere near that level of detail, it might jog a few ideas.

Then again, if you really aren't interested in exploring that aspect of the dhampir, that's fine too! I was just providing feedback based on what I find striking about the mythology, and what I think might make for a fun and unique play experience.

[BRKNdevil]

So maybe something like a will save with an advantage or something to continue to drain a subject till the subject dies and zombifies and attacks the pc and that this roll is done every turn to stop

[Ramshack]

Dhampir.

Ability Score Increase: +2 to Strength

Speed: 30 feet.

Darkvision: 60 feet.

Resistance to necrotic damage.

Blood Drinking: As a bonus action a Dhampir can make a bite attack dealing 1d6 + (str or dex modifier) piercing damage. The Dhampir is healed for double the damage dealt. This action can be performed once per short rest.

Sub Races:

The Seducer
Ability Score Increase: +1 Cha

Spell Casting: The Dhampir can cast charm person once per short rest. DC = 8 + Cha Modifier + proficiency

The Dhampir gains proficiency in persuasion and insight skills

Creature of the night:
Ability Score Increase: +1 Dex

Spell Casting: The Dhampir can turn into a flock of bats and escape his foes. This feature functions as the misty step spell and and can be cast as a reaction once per short rest.

The Dhampir gains proficiency in the stealth and perception skills