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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Dwarf in the Playground
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    Default Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.3.1

    Welcome, vampires and Renfelds! This is my attempt to build a vampire class as a prestige class for players to take levels in. This is not intended to be used as a solo class.

    Perquisites:
    To take levels in this class, you must meet or exceed the following requirements:
    Level: 3+
    Ability Scores: Constitution 13+, Charisma 13+
    Special: You must have been the victim of a vampire's Bite attack or Blood Drain attack.

    The Vampire

    Level Features Maximum Blood Dice
    1 Bonus Proficiencies, Blood Dice, Bloodsucker, Undead Nature, Vampiric Taboo 2
    2 Vampiric Focus 3
    3 Hunter in the Night 4
    4 Ability Score Improvement 6
    5 Vampiric Fortitude 7
    6 Vampiric Focus Feature 8
    7 Silver Tongued Devil 9
    8 Ability Score Improvement 11
    9 Eternal Reign 12
    10 Vampiric Focus Feature, Vampiric Fortitude Improvement 13

    Class Features
    As a Vampire, you gain the following class features:

    Hit Points
    Hit Dice: none (see Blood Dice)
    Hit Points at 1st Level: n/a (prestige class)
    Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier

    Spoiler: Class Features
    Show

    Bonus Proficiencies
    You gain proficiency in Charisma Saving Throws. Additionally, you gain proficiency in your choice of two of the following: Athletics, Deception, Intimidation, and Persuasion.

    Blood Dice
    As an undead creature, you do not have Hit Dice representing your vitality. Instead, you have blood dice, which are d8s and which represent the vitality you have drained from others. The maximum amount of blood dice you may have at once increases as you gain levels in this class, and is shown in the Maximum Blood Dice column of the Vampire table.
    At the conclusion of every 24-hour period, you lose one blood die. If you have no blood dice at the end of a long rest, your maximum health is reduced by 3 for each level you have taken in this class. This reduction cannot be fixed except by acquiring more blood dice. If you take a long or short rest while your maximum health is reduced by this feature and you have at least one blood die, your maximum health is restored to its normal maximum. If your maximum health is reduced to 0 by this feature, you die and cannot be resurrected without sacrificing all of a single living creature's blood as part of the spell used to resurrect you.
    You may spend one blood die as a bonus action to roll the die, add your constitution modifier, and regain that much health.
    When you take this class or if you are resurrected, you begin with 1 blood die.

    Bloodsucker
    As a vampire, you subside solely on the blood of the living. To do so, you gain a special attack called Blood Drain.
    When a living humanoid is within your reach and is either incapacitated or has their speed reduced to 0, you can use a bonus action to bite the target and drain blood from them. The targeted humanoid takes 1d4 piercing damage and 1d4 + your Charisma Modifier necrotic damage.
    If you roll a 4 on one of the damage dice used in Blood Drain, or if this attack reduces the target to 0 HP, you regain 1 expended blood die.
    This attack's damage increases by 1d4 necrotic damage when your character reaches 5th level (1d4 piercing + 2d4 + Cha necrotic), 11th level (1d4 piercing + 3d4 + Cha necrotic), and 17th level (1d4 piercing + 4d4 + Cha necrotic).

    Undead Nature
    As an undead creature, you have no need of much of the requirements of the living. You do not need to eat, drink, or breath, and are immune to disease. Additionally, you have advantage on saves against spells that would force you to fall asleep.
    You do not sleep, but instead enter a form of hibernation. You need to hibernate for only 4 hours in order to gain the benefits of a long rest, and may spend the other 4 hours engaged in light activity such as reading or keeping watch.
    You have resistance to necrotic damage. Additionally, you are vulnerable to radiant damage.

    Vampiric Taboo
    You are averse to several phenomena associated with vampiric lore (i.e. holy symbols, sunlight, running water, garlic, entering a home uninvited etc.). When you encounter one of these taboos you suffer disadvantage on all attack rolls and ability checks until the taboo is no longer present or in effect or you take an obvious action to resolve the taboo. This might involve recoiling from a holy symbol, counting quickly the fallen grains of rice, etc. The DM determines if an action counts as one of your taboos, and if your reaction resolves it. The DM may also choose to give you the option to spend a number of Blood Dice to resolve the taboo.
    You can be effected by a taboo only once – when you first encounter it – and are thereafter immune to it until you have finished a short or long rest. Each taboo therefore requires you to endure it (and suffer disadvantage as outlined) or sacrifice an action with behaviour that might potentially reveal your nature as a vampire.
    You must choose a number of taboos equal to 6 minus your Charisma modifier. If your Charisma modifier increases, choose one of your taboos to overcome and no longer suffer its effects.

    Vampiric Focus
    Beginning at level 2, your growing powers as a vampire begin to shape themselves according to your personality. Choose a focus for your vampiric powers from Dominating Mind, Creatures of the Night, Blood-Stained Hands, and Ghoulish Servitors. Your vampiric focus gives you features at 2nd, 6th, and 10th level, which are detailed at the end of this class description.

    Hunter in the Night
    Beginning at level 3, your skill at hunting the living as your prey grows as your mobility increases and your senses become sharp enough to hear heartbeats. You are always considered to be under the effects of the spider climb spell, and know the location of all living creatures within 30 feet of you.
    Beginning at level 9, you can cast fly on yourself by spending 3 blood dice.

    Ability Score Increase
    When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

    Vampiric Fortitude
    Beginning at level 5, the stores of vitality within you help you maintain your health even when you don't draw on them. As long as you have at least 1 unexpended blood die, you gain Temporary Hit Points equal to the number of unexpended blood dice you have at the beginning of each of your turns.
    Beginning at level 10, you may add your Charisma modifier to the amount of Temporary Hit Points gained from this feature.
    This feature does not function while you are in direct sunlight.

    Silver Tongued Devil
    Beginning at 7th level, your vampiric nature smooths over mistakes in the minds of others, making you always appear graceful and perfect. If you roll a 10 or below on the die when rolling a Charisma check, you may treat the roll as an 11.

    Eternal Reign
    Beginning at level 9, if you die you can be resurrected without casting a spell. To do so, a living humanoid must be drained of all of its blood and the blood on your remains. This brings you back to life with 1 blood die.


    Spoiler: Vampiric Focuses
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    Vampiric Focuses

    Spoiler: Dominating Mind
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    Dominating Mind
    Your vampiric power and the store of stolen vitality within you allows you to warp the minds of the living, helping you hunt them down without them knowing or caring

    Blood-Stained Tongue
    Beginning at 2nd level, you learn how to cast Friends and Vicious Mockery.
    Additionally, you can cast Charm Person or Command at 1st level by spending 1 blood die.
    Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

    Charming Devil
    Beginning at 6th level, you can spend additional blood dice when casting Charm Person or Command to upcast them by 1 level per additional blood die spent, to a maximum spell level of half your vampire level (rounded up).
    Additionally, you can cast Suggestion or Hold Person at 2nd level by spending 2 blood dice, and targets that are charmed by you have disadvantage when resisting your Blood Drain attack.
    Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

    Master of the Mind
    Beginning at 10th level, you can spend additional blood dice when casting Hold Person to upcast it by 1 level per additional blood die spent, to a maximum of half your vampire level (rounded up). You can spend additional blood dice when casting Suggestion to choose one additional target per additional blood die spent, to a maximum of half your vampire level (rounded up). When you do so, you must suggest one course of action for all of the targets.
    Additionally, you can spend 3 blood dice to cast Dominate Beast at 4th level, or 4 blood dice to cast Dominate Person at 5th level.
    Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
    [I]

    Spoiler: Creatures of the Night
    Show
    [I]
    Creatures of the Night
    Your vampiric power and store of stolen vitality allows you to warp your own body into other forms, becoming a true hunter.

    Wolf Form
    Beginning at 2nd level, you can spend 1 blood die as a bonus action to transform into a wolf. All of your abilities and features are replaced by those of a wolf, but you retain your alignment, personality, health, and your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of a wolf. You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so - this includes your Blood Dice and Bloodsucker features. Your equipment merges into your body and reforms when you return to your normal shape, which you can do as a bonus action.
    When you are a wolf, you regain 1 expended blood die whenever you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hp.
    If you are reduced to 0 HP as a wolf, you are returned to your normal shape with HP equal to the number of unexpended blood dice you have plus your Constitution modifier, and cannot transform into a wolf again until after a long or short rest.

    Bat Form
    Beginning at 6th level, you can spend 2 blood dice as a bonus action to transform into your choice of a bat or a swarm of bats. All of your abilities and features are replaced by those of a bat or swarm of bats, but you retain your alignment, personality, health, and your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of a bat or swarm of bats. You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so - this includes your Blood Dice and Bloodsucker features. Your equipment merges into your body and reforms when you return to your normal shape, which you can do as a bonus action.
    If you are reduced to 0 HP as a bat or swarm of bats, you are returned to your normal shape with HP equal to the number of unexpended blood dice you have plus your Constitution modifier, and cannot transform into a bat or swarm of bats again until after a long or short rest.
    Additionally, when you use your Wolf Form feature, you transform into a Dire Wolf instead of a Wolf.

    Mist Form
    Beginning at level 10, you can spend 3 blood dice as a bonus action to transform into a cloud of mist. While you are a cloud of mist, you can't take any actions, speak, or manipulate objects. You are weightless, have a flying speed of 20 feet, can hover, and can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. In addition, if air can pass through a space, you can do so without squeezing, but you can't pass through water. You have advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution savingthrows, and are immune to all nonmagical damage.
    If you are reduced to 0 HP in your normal form, you automatically transform into a mist as a reaction as long as you have at least 3 blood dice, which are expended. After you do so, you have HP equal to the number of unexpended blood dice you have plus your Constitution modifier. If you do not have at least 3 blood dice, you fall unconscious as normal.
    If you are reduced to 0 HP in your mist form, you die.
    Additionally, when you use your Wolf Form feature, you gain the Multiattack feature, allowing you to make 2 bite attacks as an action.


    Spoiler: Blood-Stained Hands
    Show
    Blood-Stained Hands
    Your vampiric power and store of stolen vitality has turned inward, boosting your physical abilities to beyond mortal limits.

    Blood-Soaked Vitality
    Beginning at level 2, your maximum health increases by 2, and increases by 1 whenever you take a level in this class. Additionally, your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 slashing damage, and you may use either your Str or Dex to attack with them. If you hit with an unarmed strike, you may choose to automatically grapple your target instead of dealing damage.

    Burning Blood
    Beginning at level 2, you can spend your stolen vitality to enhance your physical abilities. You gain the following options to spend your blood dice:
    • When you make a weapon attack against a creature, you can expend one blood die to add it to the attack roll. You can do so before or after making the attack roll, but before any of the effects of the attack are applied.
    • When you damage a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one blood die to add it to the damage roll as necrotic damage. You can use this ability after rolling damage.
    • When you are the target of an attack, you may spend a blood die as a reaction to roll the die and subtract the result from the attack roll. You can use this ability after the attack roll is made, but before the DM tells you the result.
    • When you are damaged by a melee attack, you may spend 1 blood die as a reaction to immediately make 1 melee weapon attack against the creature which damaged you. If your attack hits, you regain health lost to the triggering attack up to a maximum of your own damage roll.
    • When you make a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throw, you may spend a blood die as a reaction to roll the die and add the result to your roll. You can use this ability after making the roll, but before the DM tells you the result.


    Extra Attack
    Beginning at level 6, you can attack twice instead of once when you take the Attack action.

    Fueled by Death
    Beginning at level 10, whenever you expend blood dice to add to a damage roll, you can expend up to two dice instead of just one, adding both to the roll. Additionally, whenever you reduce a living humanoid to 0 HP with a weapon attack, you may immediately regain 1 expended blood die.


    Spoiler: Ghoulish Servitors
    Show
    Ghoulish Servitors
    Your vampiric power and store of stolen vitality manifests as a hold over those you have slain. You can raise them as loyal servants - slaves, really.

    Half-Turned Slaves
    Beginning at level 2, when you reduce a target to 0 HP using your Blood Drain attack, you may choose to transform them into a zombie instead of regaining an expended blood die. The zombie is completely loyal to you and will obey any commands you give it to the best of its ability. You may command it as a bonus action.
    You may only have a number of zombies equal to or less than half of your Vampire level under your control at once using this feature. If you raise an additional zombie, one of your existing zombies crumbles to dust.
    If you are reduced to 0 HP, you can instead choose one of your zombies as a reaction and cause it to crumble into dust. If you do so, you are reduced to 1 HP instead of 0.

    Ghoulish Lieutenant
    Beginning at level 6, when you use your Half-Turned Slaves to transform a victim into a zombie, you may expend a blood die to instead transform them into a ghoul. The ghoul is completely loyal to you and will obey any commands you give it to the best of its ability. You may command it as a bonus action, and it can spend its own bonus action to command your zombies, unless you tell it otherwise.
    Your ghoul retains any proficiencies it had in life, but does not remember specific information unless it is covered by a skill check.
    You can only command 1 ghoul at a time using this feature. If you raise a second ghoul, your first ghoul crumbles into dust.
    Additionally, your ghoul and any zombies you have created using your Half-Turned Slaves feature increase their maximum health by your Vampire level, and they may add your Proficiency bonus to their attack and damage rolls.

    Slavish Loyalty

    Beginning at 10th level, you may command your zombies or your ghoul without speaking or spending a bonus action.
    You may spend a bonus action to destroy any number of your zombies or your ghoul, causing them to crumble to dust. If you do so, you regain 1 expended blood die for each zombie you destroy, and 2 expended blood dice if you destroy your ghoul. You may then spend as many blood dice as you regained using this feature to roll them, adding the result of each die + your Constitution modifier to your health.


    Spoiler: Changelog
    Show

    v0.1 Initial Release!
    • Initial Release

    v0.1.1
    • Corrected a handful of typos.
    • Turns out Suggestion doesn't have an upcast, so I specified that it should allow selecting multiple targets when you spend extra blood dice (this shouldn't be too powerful in comparison to Mass Suggestion, since that has a way better duration and can do way more targets.

    v0.1.2

    • Added perquisite that you must have been bitten by a vampire.
    • Removed proficiencies section - instead gave a first-level feature Bonus Proficiencies.
    • Changed Blood Drain to always be a bonus action and require a grappled target.
    • Renamed Regeneration to Vampiric Fortitude.

    v0.2 Now with Drawbacks!

    • Blood dice are now lost over time instead of gained over time, and if you run out then your maximum hit points will be reduced instead.
    • To counter the loss of blood dice over time, the maximum blood dice have been increased at every level, as has the rate at which your maximum increases.
    • Added the Vampiric Weaknesses feature.
    • Vampiric Fortitude will no longer function in sunlight.

    v0.2.1

    • Adjusted wording of Bloodsucker.

    v0.2.3

    • Blood Drain now scales as a cantrip, gaining an additional 1d4 necrotic damage at levels 5, 11, and 17. It now reaches 1d4 piercing + 4d4 necrotic damage. However, it no longer adds your Charisma modifier to the damage.
    • Replaced Well of Blood with Eternal Reign, which still lets you be resurrected without a spell but no longer gives you back used blood dice.

    v0.3 Different Taboos

    • Fixed some typos.
    • Turned the Vampiric Weaknesses section into Vampiric Taboo based on CunningKindred's suggestion of how to handle taboos. The number of taboos is lower with higher charisma scores, but even with 20 you still end up with 1 taboo.
    • Altered how the Blood Dice Feature reduces your max health. Instead of a relatively static amount that could be ignored for some time by most high-level characters, the amount increases based on how many levels you take in this class. This is to represent a growing thirst for and dependence on blood as you develop your vampiric powers - a high-level barbarian who has only a single level of Vampire could ignore his thirst for quite a long time, but someone who devotes themselves more to their growing vampiric power would have greater need of blood.

    v0.3.1

    • Clarified some wordings.
    • Blood Drain adds your Charisma Modifier to damage again.

    Last edited by theVoidWatches; 2019-05-06 at 03:09 PM.
    Hi, you can call me Void. I prefer she/her or they/them pronouns, please. Yes, "they" is a singular pronoun. I write a superhero webserial called Paternum - check it out!



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  2. - Top - End - #2
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.1

    I really like the flavor of it. All of this feels traditional vampire. Sadly I don't know how to balance prestige classes so I'll have to pass on that part of it. Wording seems clear on all of it, wasn't confused reading it. The abilities don't feel op to me. Wish I could help more. Good luck.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Ogre in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.1.1

    Quote Originally Posted by theVoidWatches View Post
    Perquisites:
    To take levels in this class, you must meet or exceed the following requirements:
    Level: 3+
    Ability Scores: Constitution 13+, Charisma 13+
    Just a thematic question on this one: is it intended that a player that meets these prerequisites could take the class at any time, or is it a case of after being attacked by a vampire these prerequisites allow you to opt into the class instead of just taking a nasty nibbling?

    Quote Originally Posted by theVoidWatches View Post
    Proficiencies
    Armor: Light armor
    Weapons: Simple weapons
    Tools: None
    Saving Throws: Charisma
    Skills: Choose two skills from Athletics, Deception, Intimidation, Persuasion, and Religion.
    Under regular multiclassing rules, nothing wrong with the weapons and armor proficiencies, but the saving throw and skills should probably be moved into a class level feature since you cannot start first level in this class. Would probably strike Religion from the list also unless you're going down the 'blood memories' route of vampirism.

    Quote Originally Posted by theVoidWatches View Post
    Bloodsucker
    Feel like this one could be locked down a bit. Possible change to the bite is always a bonus action and requires a the target to be successfully grappled? Also by specifying the target just has to be grappled, but not necessarily by yourself, it would make is viable to bite a creature grappled by someone else. In any case, the bite is more a physical attack over a magical attack and would make more sense to still be strength based instead of charisma for the modifier.

    Quote Originally Posted by theVoidWatches View Post
    Regeneration
    Suggest renaming considering how temporary hitpoint work (maybe to Vampiric Fortitude?).
    Quote Originally Posted by PHB p198
    Healing can’t restore temporary hit points, and they can’t be added together. If you have temporary hit points and receive more of them, you decide whether to keep the ones you have or to gain the new ones. For example, if a spell grants you 12 temporary hit points when you already have 10, you can have 12 or 10, not 22.
    Unless you are intending this as a constant heal, in which case I'd suggest doing a rough copy of the Fighter Champion's Survivor ability for the wording and avoid temporary hitpoints.


    As fort he whole vampire aspect, I'd suggest putting in more thematic vampire aspects into the base class.
    Suggest Sunlight Sensitivity (it's good enough for Drow and Kobold PC's after all) and potentially a vulnerability to radiant damage and/or silvered weapons.
    Just doesn't seem right to get all the benefits of vampirism without the drawbacks.

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Dwarf in the Playground
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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.1.1

    Quote Originally Posted by Zhorn View Post
    Just a thematic question on this one: is it intended that a player that meets these prerequisites could take the class at any time, or is it a case of after being attacked by a vampire these prerequisites allow you to opt into the class instead of just taking a nasty nibbling?
    The second. I should add a perquisite "have had blood drained by a vampire".

    Quote Originally Posted by Zhorn View Post
    Under regular multiclassing rules, nothing wrong with the weapons and armor proficiencies, but the saving throw and skills should probably be moved into a class level feature since you cannot start first level in this class. Would probably strike Religion from the list also unless you're going down the 'blood memories' route of vampirism.
    You're right - since it's a prestige class and multiclassing rules apply, I might as well strike the proficiencies section entirely (the weapons and armor proficiencies were actually not supposed to be given, that was a relic of where I copied that section from) and add a Bonus Proficiencies feature to first level instead. Also, Religion struck from the skill list.

    Quote Originally Posted by Zhorn View Post
    Feel like this one could be locked down a bit. Possible change to the bite is always a bonus action and requires a the target to be successfully grappled? Also by specifying the target just has to be grappled, but not necessarily by yourself, it would make is viable to bite a creature grappled by someone else. In any case, the bite is more a physical attack over a magical attack and would make more sense to still be strength based instead of charisma for the modifier.
    Good ideas - changed. As for using Charisma, my thinking is that the piercing damage is the actual blood loss - the necrotic is from your life energy being drained, and so it (and the ability modifier) is based on the vampire's charisma. You're still using your strength to get the attack off, since it's an athletics check.

    Quote Originally Posted by Zhorn View Post
    Suggest renaming considering how temporary hitpoint work (maybe to Vampiric Fortitude?).
    Renamed, thank you.

    Quote Originally Posted by Zhorn View Post
    As fort he whole vampire aspect, I'd suggest putting in more thematic vampire aspects into the base class.
    Suggest Sunlight Sensitivity (it's good enough for Drow and Kobold PC's after all) and potentially a vulnerability to radiant damage and/or silvered weapons.
    Just doesn't seem right to get all the benefits of vampirism without the drawbacks.
    It feels pretty weird for a class to be giving you drawbacks. I've been thinking about including an optional section for vampiric weaknesses (sunlight sensitivity, sunlight turns off the regeneration ability, vulnerability to radiant damage, unable to enter homes without an invitation, unable to cross running water), including a note that vampires of high enough levels should be allowed to spend blood dice to ignore some of those limitations (as Dracula often does), but I don't think it's an incredibly strong class to start with. I haven't made up my mind yet.
    Last edited by theVoidWatches; 2019-01-30 at 09:17 PM.
    Hi, you can call me Void. I prefer she/her or they/them pronouns, please. Yes, "they" is a singular pronoun. I write a superhero webserial called Paternum - check it out!



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  5. - Top - End - #5
    Ogre in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.1.1

    Quote Originally Posted by theVoidWatches View Post
    It feels pretty weird for a class to be giving you drawbacks.
    It does, but we're not talking regular classes here. If some asked what the defining traits of a vampire are, the most common responses would be 'drinks blood' and 'hates sunlight'. The extremes of each would vary based on the source, but presence of those two were pretty constant.

    Really you can flavor them however you want in you own games, it just comes down to consistency for the sake of the players and what they are to expect.
    "I was bitten by a vampire and now drink blood... But there doesn't seem to be any detrimental effect if I don't drink blood... and I don't have an aversion to sunlight... Actually this vampire thing has been a net gain overall. What hasn't society embraced vampirism if it is only making you better?"

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    Dwarf in the Playground
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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.1.2

    To be honest, I've always felt that most versions of vampirism had way more benefits than drawbacks. But I take your meaning, and I'll definitely work on the drawbacks section. My main worry, I guess, is that the class might be too front-loaded with features. I guess I could have the weaknesses all be in one feature together, but that would still make 5 new things in the first level, even if one of them is basically "your hit dice for this class are weird" and another is bonus proficiencies.
    Last edited by theVoidWatches; 2019-01-30 at 10:10 PM.
    Hi, you can call me Void. I prefer she/her or they/them pronouns, please. Yes, "they" is a singular pronoun. I write a superhero webserial called Paternum - check it out!



    PEACH My 5e Homebrew, including...

    Yet Another Warlock Rewrite (on GiantITP) Playtested Once!

    Lycanthrope Base Class (on GiantITP) Contest Winner!

    Vampire Base Class (on GiantITP) Full Class!

    Inspiration Domain (On GiantITP) In Playtest!

    Skinwalker Ranger Subclass (on GiantITP) Silver Medalist!

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    Dwarf in the Playground
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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.2

    Added the weaknesses section. Sunlight Sensitivity (which you can temporarily ignore by spending dice starting at level 7 - Dracula could go in the sun with no issues), Radiant Vulnerability (which I decided shouldn't be ignorable), and the inability to cross running water (which you can do by spending dice starting at level 3). I decided not to use the inability to enter homes without an invitation, as that requires too much DM fiat for my tastes. Plus, I made Vampiric Fortitude not work in sunlight.

    Also, I changed the blood dice section to give you actual bloodthirst - instead of getting 1 blood die for free every time you rest, you lose one every 24 hours, and if you don't have one to lose then you lose maximum health. I considered having your ability scores drop until one reached 0, killing you, but decided that mechanics which require you to rewrite every number on your character sheet are bad.

    Since blood dice now degenerate instead of regenerate over time, I increased your maximums slightly. You now start with 2 instead of 1, and get 2 on the levels that you normally get an ASI.

    The addition of weaknesses, and the change the blood dice in particular, seem like large enough changes to warrant calling this v0.2.

    v0.2 ​Now with Drawbacks!

    • Blood dice are now lost over time instead of gained over time, and if you run out then your maximum hit points will be reduced instead.
    • To counter the loss of blood dice over time, the maximum blood dice have been increased at every level, as has the rate at which your maximum increases.
    • Added the Vampiric Weaknesses feature.
    • Vampiric Fortitude will no longer function in sunlight.
    Last edited by theVoidWatches; 2019-01-30 at 10:26 PM.
    Hi, you can call me Void. I prefer she/her or they/them pronouns, please. Yes, "they" is a singular pronoun. I write a superhero webserial called Paternum - check it out!



    PEACH My 5e Homebrew, including...

    Yet Another Warlock Rewrite (on GiantITP) Playtested Once!

    Lycanthrope Base Class (on GiantITP) Contest Winner!

    Vampire Base Class (on GiantITP) Full Class!

    Inspiration Domain (On GiantITP) In Playtest!

    Skinwalker Ranger Subclass (on GiantITP) Silver Medalist!

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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.1.2

    Quote Originally Posted by theVoidWatches View Post
    Bloodsucker
    As a vampire, you subside solely on the blood of the living. To do so, you gain a special attack called Blood Drain, which allows you to suck the blood of an adjacent living humanoid as a bonus action.
    When you use Blood Drain, choose an adjacent living humanoid with a speed of 0 and make an athletics check, opposed by the target's athletics or acrobatics check. If you win the contest, deal 1d4 piercing damage and 1d4+your Charisma Modifier necrotic damage.
    If you are grappling the target, you have advantage on the athletics check to use Blood Drain.
    If you roll a 4 on one of the damage dice used in Blood Drain, or if this attack reduces the target to 0 HP, you regain 1 expended blood die.
    Beginning at level 7 in this class, Blood Drain deals 1d4 piercing damage and 2d4 + your Charisma Modifier necrotic damage.
    If the target is already grappled, would it still make sense to have additional contested check to get the bit off? I'd have assumed the grapple would have been the only contested check (that is what restrains the target).
    I'm just trying to think of the power balance in how it's ruled here, as my earlier comment was about separating out the grapple and bite into their own things. Too many checks and it's hard to get a bite through (multiple rolls is pretty much fishing for failures). But not enough obstacles and then it's just OP.
    Current thinking (still subject to change, so only go with what you like more)...
    Bloodsucker
    As a vampire, you subside solely on the blood of the living. To do so, you gain a special attack called Blood Drain.
    Blood Drain. When a living humanoid is within your reach and is either the subject of a successful grapple (by either yourself or another effect), has their speed reduced to 0, or is otherwise incapacitated; you can use a bonus action to bite the target and drain blood from them. The targeted humanoid takes 1d4 piercing damage and 1d4+your Charisma Modifier necrotic damage.
    If you roll a 4 on one of the damage dice used in Blood Drain, or if this attack reduces the target to 0 HP, you regain 1 expended blood die.
    Beginning at level 7 in this class, Blood Drain deals 1d4 piercing damage and 2d4 + your Charisma Modifier necrotic damage.
    The thinking being that if you want to blood drain, you either use an attack from your attack action to make the grapple check, OR you can opportunistically take advantage of a creature already restrained. The check the opposing creature fights against is the restraining grapple. If they're are otherwise incapacitated (such as unconscious, exhaustion level 5, sleeping, etc) then it's a free hit.
    Strong bonus action, but niche in how often it can be used. I liken it to the paladin smite, strong but riding on the success of other abilities.
    Last edited by Zhorn; 2019-01-30 at 11:09 PM.

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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.2

    Quote Originally Posted by theVoidWatches View Post
    v0.2 ​Now with Drawbacks!
    It's generally more justifiable to add strengths above the norm when there's a cost involved
    Now we just need some the math heavy folk to give this a good look over.

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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.1.2

    I like it - as much for the simplicity as anything else. I think that

    is either the subject of a successful grapple (by either yourself or another effect), has their speed reduced to 0, or is otherwise incapacitated
    can probably be reduced down to

    has their speed reduced to 0
    because every condition that would logically allow for a blood drain (grappled, stunned, paralyzed, incapacitated, asleep) does involve your speed being reduced to 0.

    I guess that Eldritch Blast with Lance of Lethargy can also do it, but that feels like an edge case. Plus it requires more effect to reduce someone's speed to 0 (requiring 3 hits in one round) with Lance of Lethargy than anything else.

    With that modification, I think I'll take your wording.

    It's generally more justifiable to add strengths above the norm when there's a cost involved
    Now we just need some the math heavy folk to give this a good look over.
    Very true, but I don't think this class is above the curve power-wise. I could be wrong, of course - the way blood dice work is all sorts of weird and it could come out way strong because of the number you can get (way more than the number of superiority dice Fighters get, which my instinct says is the closest analogue), but not getting them back on rests is a big nerf.
    Last edited by theVoidWatches; 2019-01-30 at 11:25 PM.
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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.2.1

    I originally was also thinking 'speed to 0' as the sole qualifier, but then was looking at the conditions and saw unconscious and paralyzed specified incapacitated, but incapacitated did NOT specify 0 speed. So for RAW I included incapacitated. The wording on grapple can cut and it will function identically. I kept that in mostly for player clarity; "What's a way I can do X? Oh the ability mention Y as a method".

    As for the power-curve thing, that was mostly a comment about the benefit of adding downsides and costs, as it generally makes mechanical strengths more justifiable.
    Vampires have weaknesses, and these changes reflect that. NOW you should have the freedom to focus on vampire strengths more openly.

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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.2.1

    Incapacitated
    • An incapacitated creature can’t take actions or reactions.
    ...huh. I don't know if there's anything that only incapacitates you and doesn't apply any other conditions (like stunned or unconscious), but if so... you'd still be able to move (because movement isn't an action in 5e) and take bonus actions (because bonus actions are distinct from actions). That's... kind of stupid. I'll add it in though.

    Hypnotic Pattern incapacitates without any other conditions, but it also specifies a speed of 0.

    EDIT: After a little bit of research,

    anything that deprives you of your ability to take actions also prevents you from taking a bonus action.
    so being Incapacitated also means you can't take bonus actions. You definitely can move though, assuming you've someone been incapacitated but not have your speed cut.

    Also, I found a surprising number of things that incapacitate you but don't reduce your speed to 0. From the Player's Handbook...
    • Tasha's Hideous Laughter incapacitates, forces you to fall prone, and prevents you from standing... but when you're prone you still have movement, and can crawl at half your speed.
    • A Symbol of Pain incapacitates but doesn't affect movement at all.
    • Banishing Smite and Banishment both cause a creatures native to your plane to be banished to a harmless demiplane and incapacitated, but doesn't affect movement. On the other hand, a vampire probably can't get at them there.
    • Modify Memory incapacitates the target for the 1 minute the spell lasts
    • A wild magic sorcerer who rolls to transform into a plant is incapacitated and has a vulnerability to all damage. This is particularly amusing to me because the effect doesn't give any stats or restrictions on the form other than incapacitation, which I think technically means the sorcerer could still move. It would be pretty hard to argue that the potted plant counts as humanoid, though, so the vampire probably won't able to drink his blood sap.

    From the Monster Manual...
    • Animated Armor, Flying Swords, and Rugs of Smothering are incapacitated in an antimagic field. But apparently not immobilized. This is probably not very useful to the vampire since they're not humanoid or, arguably, alive.
    • The Yochlol can turn into mist, which incapacitates it. Interestingly, the feature specifically notes that it has a fly speed in mist form, so that makes it pretty clear that incapacitation not including 0 movement is intentional. Along with "stunned" just being "incapacitated and 0 movement". Definitely not humanoid though.
    • Also from the Yochlol, its mist form poisons people, which causes incapacitation.
    • Red Dragons have a lair action which poisons people and causes incapacitation.
    • If you knock over a Flumph it can end up upside down, which causes incapacitation.
    • The song of a Harpy incapacitates someone who fails their save.
    • Myconid Sovereigns can produce hallucinatory spores, which incapacitate.
    • Shield Guardians are incapacitated if their controlling amulet is destroyed.

    From Volo's Guide to Monsters...

    • Bheur Hags can eat corpses, which causes madness in those seeing it - the afflicted are incapacitated. It's noted in the feature that the DM controls the creature's movement.
    • Broodguards are humanoids transformed by a magical potion fed to them by their yuan-ti masters. The sidebar on this transformation notes that they are rendered incapacitated, but their movement is unmentioned.

    From Mordenkainen's Tomb of Foes...
    • Clockworks can have an occasional malfunction if the DM chooses. One of them gives a 1-in-6 change of incapacitating the clockwork until the end of its turn, but doesn't mention movement.
    • Corpse Flowers will incapacitate anyone who starts their turn too close to it.
    • If a Star Spawn Seer hits with its staff, it can incapacitate you until the end of its next turn.

    From Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica...
    • Like animated objects in the Monster Manual, a Loading Rig is incapacitated by an antimagic field.
    • During the month that a Nightveil Specter spends to create a Gloamwing, it is incapacitated.

    I found nothing in the Dungeon Master's Guide, Sword Coast Guide, Xanathar's Guide to Everything, or Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron.
    Last edited by theVoidWatches; 2019-01-31 at 12:38 AM.
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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.2.1

    Nice research.
    So I guess it comes down to how you want to rule what conditions should constitute to enabling a bite.
    Speed 0 seems solid as the target would be unable to move away.
    Incapacitated I feel should still qualify, but that's just how I envision the condition, being the creature is effectually unable to put up any force or resistance in its actions. But that is just my interpretation, and could be well off design intent.

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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.2.1

    You may want to edit the running water weakness to be 'cannot cross running water under your own power'. Going by Dracula, vampires could cross running water if someone else was moving them (carrying his coffin in a cart or train, for example). The way it's worded now sounds like running water is basically a wall that a vampire can't cross even with assistance.

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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.2.1

    Good point. Edited.
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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.2.1

    Having run and played a couple of games with vampire characters, I have found that many players have strong ideas about what a vampire should be and what is fun about them. And they often don't always agree. Certainly the points made about weaknesses and strengths existing are very valid but since you are writing a whole class you might want to consider some variability in the design. Perhaps allow the player to select one or two weaknesses from a specific selection and have them gain powers as they advance but give them some choice as to what they get over time so that they can build the kind of vampire they want to play.

    Vampire lore includes lots of weaknesses: running water, garlic, mirrors, crosses (or turning), blood rage, inhuman callousness, an obsessive compulsive need to count anything presented to them, glowing red eyes, hidous deformities, sunlight (which is actually probably the least appropriate given the older lore), a need to sleep in particular soul or the original grave, only able to move with a hopping motion, the list is quite extensive.

    One solution I came up with that allowed the players to be a bit more selective was to just use the bond system for flaws but another option I tried out was a taboo characteristic.

    Taboo. You are averse to several phenomena associated with vampiric lore (i.e. holy symbols, sunlight, running water, garlic, entering a home uninvited etc.). When you encounter one of these taboos you suffer disadvantage on all attack rolls and ability checks until the taboo is no longer present or in effect or you take an obvious action to resolve the taboo. This might involve recoiling from a holy symbol, counting quickly the fallen grains of rice, steeling yourself before crossing holy water or specifically asking for permission to enter a home (although you need not actually receive said permission).
    You can be effected by a taboo only once – when you first encounter it – and are thereafter immune to it until you have finished a short or long rest. A different taboo can still be presented to you however. Each taboo therefore requires you to endure it (and suffer disadvantage as outlined) or sacrifice an action with behaviour that might potentially reveal your nature as a vampire.

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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.2.2

    Having you pick a handful of a weaknesses from a more extensive list might make more sense than specifying the most generic ones, you may be right.

    As for making the powers more modular, that's basically what the subclasses are meant to be. I suppose one way to build that to be even more modular would be to change it from subclasses into power tracks - each time you get it, you could either pick a new track or continue along one of your existing tracks. Take the first level of Blood-Stained Hands and two levels of Ghoulish Servitors to fight alongside your zombies, for example. I'll think about that as well.

    I wish someone would give me balance notes, though! It's nice to get all these thoughts on how to make the class feel more like a vampire, but balancing is important too!
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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.2.2

    Quote Originally Posted by theVoidWatches View Post
    I wish someone would give me balance notes, though! It's nice to get all these thoughts on how to make the class feel more like a vampire, but balancing is important too!
    Personally, I find the balance of prestige classes in 5E very difficult. Even more difficult than normal classes and subclasses. By definition multiclassing is in play, which can be a massive complication and the class always has such a narrow focus that many abilities can seem both too powerful and kinda useless at the same time.

    However:

    Over-all most of the abilities, taken in isolation, seem reasonable for their level in my opinion. The only ability which sticks out as problematic to me is the 9th level ability to re-charge blood dice.

    Well of Blood
    Beginning at 9th level, you have drained the life from so many that your store of stolen vitality is endless. At the end of a turn in which you expend 1 or more blood dice, you regain 1 expended blood die.
    Additionally, if you die, you can be resurrected without casting a spell, by draining a living humanoid of all of its blood and pouring the blood on your remains. This brings you back to life with 1 blood die.
    The second part is kinda awesome. Very cool, and very powerful in a party. The first part, well, that's not only going to make a lot of the other powers broken, its also totally not appropriate for a vampire. It renders most of the weakness of the class nullified as well. I would remove this completely and just have the second part. Blood dice are already relatively easy to regain.

    The blood drain ability also might need some modification. You might find it easier to balance if you make it more like a normal cantrip. Have it scale more often and have it scale based on full character level rather than class level - this will make balancing the prestige class easier since it won't matter as much how many levels are taken and the ability should always have an appropriate power level for the game's current tier.

    All that said, I have found that more than almost any other game I've ever played, 5E need to be playtested. You just don't really get a proper feel for how things interact until you do. Each individual ability in isolation can seem reasonable but when put together the results are often a little unpredictable.

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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.2.2

    I think you're right about the first part of the level 9 capstone - that was based on a similar capstone for my warlock rewrite, as well as being a way of extending your blood dice in combat - but with blood dice being more impactful here than eldritch dice are for my warlock, it's too strong.
    Instead of giving you one back every turn that you spend any, perhaps it should give you one back every time you roll initiative?

    And yeah, Blood Drain should definitely scale like a normal cantrip. Originally it was a kind of attack you could do, so its damage needed to be in the normal range for a weapon so that extra attack folks wouldn't get overpowered. With Blood Drain now being a bonus action, having it scale as cantrips do is more reasonable. Maybe change it to scale at the usual levels, ending at 5d4+Cha? That's a above Vicious Mockery, but it uses worse damage types, requires set-up, and has no range.
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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.2.2

    Quote Originally Posted by theVoidWatches View Post
    Instead of giving you one back every turn that you spend any, perhaps it should give you one back every time you roll initiative?
    This would certainly be less broken. And I might even go as far as saying that I could see it working (although there are still some interaction problems with other class features), I still think you should dump it outright. The other part of the feature is much more thematically appropriate and I just think it's weird for a vampire to be able to gain any blood points/dice/whatever without someone else loosing blood. Perhaps, if you want to make blood dice more readily available at this level you might consider an ability that once per long rest lets the vampire select a vampire and drag the blood out of them directly, as a bonus action, allowing them to refill at a distance with much less effort.

    BTBH, I would say you don't really need that. The feature of being able to come back so easily is probably quite sufficient for the level.

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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.2.2

    Having thought it over, I think you're right. Just made that change, as well as the previously mentioned change to Bloodsucker.
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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.2.3

    Huh interesting I do enjoy this prestige class it looks fun. But that is a small window to prestige into unless the dm just throws only Vampires at you.
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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.2.3

    You can take it at any point after level 3, as long as you've been bitten at some point - although, obviously, it would be best taken for you next level up after that, or even to retrain a previous level immediately.
    Last edited by theVoidWatches; 2019-02-03 at 03:07 PM.

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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.2.3

    v0.3 Different Taboos
    • Fixed some typos.
    • Turned the Vampiric Weaknesses section into Vampiric Taboo based on CunningKindred's suggestion of how to handle taboos. The number of taboos is lower with higher charisma scores, but even with 20 you still end up with 1 taboo.
    • Altered how the Blood Dice Feature reduces your max health. Instead of a relatively static amount that could be ignored for some time by most high-level characters, the amount increases based on how many levels you take in this class. This is to represent a growing thirst for and dependence on blood as you develop your vampiric powers - a high-level barbarian who has only a single level of Vampire could ignore his thirst for quite a long time, but someone who devotes themselves more to their growing vampiric power would have greater need of blood.
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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.3

    I don't think this class actually states that blood dice-like hit dice- increase your hitpoint maximum, though I assume that it should.
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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.3

    Your hit points increase each level as though you had gotten a 1d8 hit die, as specified in the Hit Points section, but you don't actually get any hit dice from this class, thus limiting your short-rest healing. Blood dice are obviously very similar (and in fact I considered having Blood Drain mention that the victim loses a hit die and the blood die you gain is the same size as the victim's hit dice, but I decided that was too complex) but you get them faster than hit dice, since they don't restore on their own.
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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.3

    Quote Originally Posted by theVoidWatches View Post
    Perquisites:
    To take levels in this class, you must meet or exceed the following requirements:
    Level: 3+
    Ability Scores: Constitution 13+, Charisma 13+
    Special: You must have been the victim of a vampire's Bite attack or Blood Drain attack.
    Mkay, so we're talking ECL 3-13 features, I guess/

    Hit Points
    Hit Dice: none
    Hit Points at 1st Level: n/a
    Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier
    Starting off weird... I remember you saying something about this, though. You might include a note like "see Blood Dice"

    Bonus Proficiencies
    You gain proficiency in Charisma Saving Throws. Additionally, you gain proficiency in your choice of two of the following: Athletics, Deception, Intimidation, and Persuasion.
    Starting strong...maybe a bit on the strong side, to be honest-- Undead Nature is hella good.

    Blood Dice
    As an undead creature, you do not have Hit Dice representing your vitality. Instead, you have blood dice, which are d8s and which represent the vitality you have drained from others. The maximum amount of blood dice you may have at once increases as you gain levels in this class, and is shown in the Maximum Blood Dice column of the Vampire table.
    At the conclusion of every 24-hour period, you lose one blood die. If you have no blood dice at the end of a long rest, your maximum health is reduced by 3 for each level you have taken in this class. This reduction cannot be fixed except by acquiring more blood dice. If you take a long or short rest while your maximum health is reduced by this feature and you have at least one blood die, your maximum health is restored to its normal maximum. If your maximum health is reduced to 0 by this feature, you die and cannot be resurrected without sacrificing all of a single living creature's blood as part of the spell used to resurrect you.
    You may spend one blood die as a bonus action to roll the die, add your constitution modifier, and regain that much health.
    When you take this class or if you are resurrected, you begin with 1 blood die.
    It's a cool mechanic; very vampire-y. I'm not sure about how the balance works out... being able to spend them as a bonus action might be a bit on the strong side.

    BloodsuckerAs a vampire, you subside solely on the blood of the living. To do so, you gain a special attack called Blood Drain.
    When a living humanoid is within your reach and is either incapacitated or has their speed reduced to 0, you can use a bonus action to bite the target and drain blood from them. The targeted humanoid takes 1d4 piercing damage and 1d4 necrotic damage.
    If you roll a 4 on one of the damage dice used in Blood Drain, or if this attack reduces the target to 0 HP, you regain 1 expended blood die.
    This attack's damage increases by 1d4 necrotic damage when you reach 5th level (1d4 piercing + 2d4 necrotic), 11th level (1d4 piercing + 3d4 necrotic), and 17th level (1d4 piercing + 4d4 necrotic).
    Do you add your Str or anything? Also, is the damage increase by character level (like cantrips) or class level?

    Undead Nature
    As an undead creature, you have no need of much of the requirements of the living. You do not need to eat, drink, or breath, and are immune to disease. Additionally, you are immune to spells that would force you to fall asleep.
    You do not sleep, but instead enter a form of hibernation. You need to hibernate for only 4 hours in order to gain the benefits of a long rest, and may spend the other 4 hours engaged in light activity such as reading or keeping watch.
    You have resistance to necrotic damage. Additionally, you are vulnerable to radiant damage.
    Thematic. Powerful-- necrotic is common, radiant is hella rare.

    Vampiric Taboo
    You are averse to several phenomena associated with vampiric lore (i.e. holy symbols, sunlight, running water, garlic, entering a home uninvited etc.). When you encounter one of these taboos you suffer disadvantage on all attack rolls and ability checks until the taboo is no longer present or in effect or you take an obvious action to resolve the taboo. This might involve recoiling from a holy symbol, counting quickly the fallen grains of rice, etc. The DM determines if an action counts as one of your taboos, and if your reaction resolves it. The DM may also choose to give you the option to spend a number of Blood Dice to resolve the taboo.
    You can be effected by a taboo only once – when you first encounter it – and are thereafter immune to it until you have finished a short or long rest. Each taboo therefore requires you to endure it (and suffer disadvantage as outlined) or sacrifice an action with behaviour that might potentially reveal your nature as a vampire.
    You must choose a number of taboos equal to 6 minus your Charisma modifier. If your Charisma modifier increases, choose one of your taboos to overcome and no longer suffer its effects.
    While thematic, I think this is both too vague ("several phenomena...etc," "obvious action," "a number of Blood Dice," etc) and too painful? D&D vampires only have sunlight, running water, stakes through the heart, and invitations.

    Vampiric Focus
    Beginning at level 2, your growing powers as a vampire begin to shape themselves according to your personality. Choose a focus for your vampiric powers from Dominating Mind, Creatures of the Night, Blood-Stained Hands, and Ghoulish Servitors. Your vampiric focus gives you features at 2nd, 6th, and 10th level, which are detailed at the end of this class description.
    Lots of subclass options, nice. I'd tinker with the wording some, though; it took me a minute to realize this was your subclass and not picking one of several discreet powers.

    Hunter in the Night
    Beginning at level 3, your skill at hunting the living as your prey grows as your mobility increases and your senses become sharp enough to hear heartbeats. You are always considered to be under the effects of the spider climb spell, and know the location of all living creatures within 30 feet of you.
    Beginning at level 9, you can cast fly on yourself by spending 3 blood dice.
    Mkay, mkay.

    Vampiric Fortitude
    Beginning at level 5, the stores of vitality within you help you maintain your health even when you don't draw on them. As long as you have at least 1 unexpended blood die, you gain Temporary Hit Points equal to the number of unexpended blood dice you have at the beginning of each of your turns.
    Beginning at level 10, you may add your Charisma modifier to the amount of Temporary Hit Points gained from this feature.
    This feature does not function while you are in direct sunlight.
    This is... quite strong. You're potentially talking 18 points of temp HP a turn. Maybe tone it down a bit?

    Silver Tongued Devil
    Beginning at 7th level, your vampiric nature smooths over mistakes in the minds of others, making you always appear graceful and perfect. If you roll a 10 or below on the die when rolling a Charisma check, you may treat the roll as an 11.
    Solid.

    Eternal Reign
    Beginning at level 9, if you die you can be resurrected without casting a spell. To do so, a living humanoid must be drained of all of its blood and the blood on your remains. This brings you back to life with 1 blood die.[/SPOILER]
    Cool. I like it.

    Dominating Mind
    Your vampiric power and the store of stolen vitality within you allows you to warp the minds of the living, helping you hunt them down without them knowing or caring

    Blood-Stained Tongue
    Beginning at 2nd level, you learn how to cast Friends and Vicious Mockery.
    Additionally, you can cast Charm Person or Command at 1st level by spending 1 blood die.
    Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.[/quote]
    Fair, okay.

    Charming Devil
    Beginning at 6th level, you can spend additional blood dice when casting Charm Person or Command to upcast them by 1 level per additional blood die spent, to a maximum spell level of half your vampire level (rounded up).
    Additionally, you can cast Suggestion or Hold Person at 2nd level by spending 2 blood dice, and targets that are charmed by you have disadvantage when resisting your Blood Drain attack.
    Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
    "Upcast" isn't an official rules term. Otherwise okay.

    Master of the Mind
    Beginning at 10th level, you can spend additional blood dice when casting Hold Person to upcast it by 1 level per additional blood die spent, to a maximum of half your vampire level (rounded up). You can spend additional blood dice when casting Suggestion to choose one additional target per additional blood die spent, to a maximum of half your vampire level (rounded up). When you do so, you must suggest one course of action for all of the targets.
    Additionally, you can spend 3 blood dice to cast Dominate Beast, or 4 blood dice to cast Dominate Person.
    Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
    Mkay. You need to specify a level for the Dominates.

    Spoiler: Creatures of the Night
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    [I]
    Creatures of the Night
    Your vampiric power and store of stolen vitality allows you to warp your own body into other forms, becoming a true hunter.

    Wolf Form
    Beginning at 2nd level, you can spend 1 blood die as a bonus action to transform into a wolf. All of your abilities and features are replaced by those of a wolf, with the exception of your health, your Blood Dice feature, and your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. Your equipment merges into your body and reforms when you return to your normal shape, which you can do as a bonus action.
    When you are a wolf, you regain 1 expended blood die whenever you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hp.
    If you are reduced to 0 HP as a wolf, you are returned to your normal shape with HP equal to the number of unexpended blood dice you have plus your Constitution modifier, and cannot transform into a wolf again until after a long or short rest.
    Spoiler: Creatures of the Night
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    This is a bit more punishing than shapeshifting usually is. I'd let you keep most of your features, more in the vein of Wild Shape.

    Bat Form
    Beginning at 6th level, you can spend 2 blood dice as a bonus action to transform into your choice of a bat or a swarm of bats. All of your abilities and features are replaced by those of a bat or swarm of bats, with the exception of your health, your Blood Dice feature, and your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. Your equipment merges into your body and reforms when you return to your normal shape, which you can do as a bonus action.
    If you are reduced to 0 HP as a bat or swarm of bats, you are returned to your normal shape with HP equal to the number of unexpended blood dice you have plus your Constitution modifier, and cannot transform into a bat or swarm of bats again until after a long or short rest.
    Additionally, when you use your Wolf Form feature, you transform into a Dire Wolf instead of a Wolf.
    As above.

    Mist Form
    Beginning at level 10, you can spend 3 blood dice as a bonus action to transform into a cloud of mist. While you are a cloud of mist, you can't take any actions, speak, or manipulate objects. Your are weightless, have a flying speed of 20 feet, can hover, and can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. In addition, if air can pass through a space, you can do so without squeezing, but you can't pass through water. You have advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution savingthrows, and are immune to all nonmagical damage.
    If you are reduced to 0 HP in your normal form, you automatically transform into a mist as a reaction as long as you have at least 3 blood dice, which are expended. After you do so, you have HP equal to the number of unexpended blood dice you have plus your Constitution modifier. If you do not have at least 3 blood dice, you fall unconscious as normal.
    If you are reduced to 0 HP in your mist form, you die.
    Additionally, when you use your Wolf Form feature, you gain the Multiattack feature, allowing you to make 2 bite attacks as an action.
    It's probably simpler to just cast Gaseous Form.

    Spoiler: Blood-Stained Hands
    Show
    Blood-Stained Hands
    Your vampiric power and store of stolen vitality has turned inward, boosting your physical abilities to beyond mortal limits.

    Blood-Soaked Vitality
    Beginning at level 2, your maximum health increases by 2, and increases by 1 whenever you take a level in this class. Additionally, you gain a special melee attack called a Claw attack, which allows you to make an unarmed strike dealing 1d6 + ability modifier damage. Your Claw Attack uses your choice of your Strength or Dexterity to calculate its attack and damage. Your Claw attack is considered a light weapon and you may consider it a weapon for the purposes of dual-wielding.
    If you hit with your Claw attack, you may choose to grapple your target instead of dealing damage.
    Spoiler: Blood-Stained Hands
    Show

    This feels clunky. I'd start with "your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 slashing damage, and you may use either your Str or Dex to attack with them" and go from there. 5e doesn't really do natural weapons like 3.5 did.

    Burning Blood
    Beginning at level 2, you can spend your stolen vitality to enhance your physical abilities. You gain the following options to spend your blood dice:
    • When you make a weapon attack against a creature, you can expend one blood die to add it to the attack roll. You can do so before or after making the attack roll, but before any of the effects of the attack are applied.
    • When you damage a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one blood die to add it to the damage roll as necrotic damage. You can use this ability after rolling damage.
    • When you are the target of an attack, you may spend a blood die as a reaction to roll the die and subtract the result from the attack roll. You can use this ability after the attack roll is made, but before the DM tells you the result.
    • When you are damaged by a melee attack, you may spend 1 blood die as a reaction to immediately make 1 melee weapon attack against the creature which damaged you. If your attack hits, you regain health lost to the triggering attack up to a maximum of your own damage roll.
    • When you make a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throw, you may spend a blood die as a reaction to roll the die and add the result to your roll. You can use this ability after making the roll, but before the DM tells you the result.
    I'd have the third ability boost your AC by, oh, half the roll; the fourth point is much too strong, I think. It's essentially Parry + Riposte in one action, and those are both some of the best Battle Master maneuvers.

    Extra Attack
    Beginning at level 6, you can attack twice instead of once when you take the Attack action.
    Makes sense.

    Fueled by Death
    Beginning at level 10, whenever you expend blood dice to add to a damage roll, you can expend up to two dice instead of just one, adding both to the roll. Additionally, whenever you reduce a living humanoid to 0 HP with a weapon attack, you may immediately regain 1 expended blood die.
    Nice.

    [SPOILER=Ghoulish Servitors]
    Ghoulish Servitors
    This whole subclass is waaaaay more powerful than any of the others. Dominating Mind gives you a pair of cantrips and first level spells; this gives you one of the most powerful third levels and only builds from there. But... that may be more because the other subclasses are too weak than because this is too strong. I wanted to address this all in one point, but... the other subclass abilities are fine if you start as a vampire, if those are your level 2, 6, and 10 features. But they're not; at a minimum, your ECL is three levels higher than that. Unless you go to level 5+ before entering, you're going to be hurting pretty badly.
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  28. - Top - End - #28
    Dwarf in the Playground
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    Default Re: Vampire Prestige Class (PEACH) v0.3

    You might include a note like "see Blood Dice"
    Note added.


    Starting strong...maybe a bit on the strong side, to be honest-- Undead Nature is hella good.
    I mean... Undead Nature doesn't give you anything you can't get at 1st level some other way. The sleep thing is the same thing that elves get, and hibernation should be mechanically identical to trancing. Not needing to eat or drink is mostly flavor for basically all games. Not needing to breath could come up more often but still isn't common. Necrotic damage is definitely good to have resistance against, but Aasimar get that too.

    It's a cool mechanic; very vampire-y. I'm not sure about how the balance works out... being able to spend them as a bonus action might be a bit on the strong side.
    I'munsure about the balance too - with them draining over time instead of restoring, it's hard to say how many a player is likely to have access to at any one time.

    Do you add your Str or anything? Also, is the damage increase by character level (like cantrips) or class level?
    At present, you don't add anything, but getting one of your modifiers to it is probably okay - Charisma is what i'm using as the primary stat, and would make sense if I add it to the necrotic damage. It should be increasing by character level.[/quote]

    While thematic, I think this is both too vague ("several phenomena...etc," "obvious action," "a number of Blood Dice," etc) and too painful? D&D vampires only have sunlight, running water, stakes through the heart, and invitations.
    It is pretty vague, I admit... vampiric taboos cover an enormous range in folklore and I didn't want it to be too restrictive in that way. Might have gone too far in the other direction.

    This is... quite strong. You're potentially talking 18 points of temp HP a turn. Maybe tone it down a bit?
    I think it's unlikely that a character will have maxed out blood dice most of the time. And anyway, it only reaches 18 per turn, max, at the class capstone, which comes at level 13 minimum. I think it's fine.

    Mkay. You need to specify a level for the Dominates.
    Level specified.

    This is a bit more punishing than shapeshifting usually is. I'd let you keep most of your features, more in the vein of Wild Shape.
    Somewhat edited to make it closer to Wild Shape, which it was intended to be similar to. The thing about Wild Shape though is that it acts as an extra store of HP - this is fine for druids because Wild Shape has a limiter built in to how often you can use it, but this subclass's shapeshifting works off of blood dice. If it was extra HP in the same way, then you could shapeshift indefinitely as long as you were able to get blood dice - if you aren't knocked out of your wolf form, you'd be able to turn normal then wolf again to restore your health. I'm not sure I'm explaining this properly because it feels like I'm rambling, but that's basically why you don't get extra HP from this.

    It's probably simpler to just cast Gaseous Form.
    It's modeled directly on the gaseous form ability that MM vampires have.

    This feels clunky. I'd start with "your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 slashing damage, and you may use either your Str or Dex to attack with them" and go from there. 5e doesn't really do natural weapons like 3.5 did.
    Edited.

    This whole subclass is waaaaay more powerful than any of the others. Dominating Mind gives you a pair of cantrips and first level spells; this gives you one of the most powerful third levels and only builds from there. But... that may be more because the other subclasses are too weak than because this is too strong. I wanted to address this all in one point, but... the other subclass abilities are fine if you start as a vampire, if those are your level 2, 6, and 10 features. But they're not; at a minimum, your ECL is three levels higher than that. Unless you go to level 5+ before entering, you're going to be hurting pretty badly.
    Hm. Maybe I should consider turning this back into a full class? It would give more space to buff the other subclasses, while Ghoulish Servitors could be spread out a little more - the level 6 feature could be just the health+damage boost I copied from the School of Necromancy, for example, with the ghoul not coming until ~10.
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