Some vampire questions

[eyebreaker7]

Liches tend to have vampire minions so I'll work on one of those too :)

1: Can you be born a vampire?

2: Can 2 vampires have children?

3: What happens to an unborn child if a pregnant woman is turned into a vampire?

4: Is there such a thing as a half-vampire? I've never seen anything to even hint at it but question #3 is why I ask. There's half-celestials, half-dragons & half-fiends, why not half-vampires?

5: At what age do vampires stop aging?

6: What are some ways a vampire can protect itself from direct sunlight or a daylight spell? I found this feat:

ENDURE SUNLIGHT [MONSTEROUS] ( Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead, p. 26)
Your vulnerability to sunlight is reduced.

Prerequisites: Sunlight powerlessness or sunlight-related weakness.

Benefit: You can resist all dangerous effects of sunlight for a number of rounds equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier (minimum 1 round). After this time, if you are still exposed to sunlight, you take the normal effects as appropriate for your kind.


Obviously some of these questions might not need an answer depending on some of the other answers.




*Forgot this one*
7:" A vampire cleric has access to two of the following domains: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, or Trickery." Is that in addition to it's cleric domains for the god it serves? Or are vampire considered to be godless?

[Kayblis]

1. No, Vampires are undead. You can't be born an undead, it goes against the born part.

2. No, Vampires are undead. They can't reproduce normally.

3. The child usually doesn't survive, as the mother is now undead and can't sustain reproduction mecanisms. If it's old enough to be born in some way, it may be saved, but it's not standard.

4. Yes, actually. Half-vampire is a template, look it up on google as "3.5 Half-vampire". It has specific fluff and mechanics.

5. They never age. They're undead. Vampire children are children forever.

6. There are a couple ways, none of which I recall right now. That one I'll leave to the fellow giants.

EDIT:
7. The rules for vampire clerics overwrite the normal cleric rules. You can only pick from these domains. They're not exactly godless, more shunned by the other gods.

[Doctor Despair]

3. Isn't that the fluff how Deathtouched or Morgs or something similar are made? Maybe the Half-Undead template?

[Venger]

All of Kayblis's answers are correct. Additionally to question 6, a portable shade is a magic levitating umbrella that can indefinitely protect a vampire from sunlight. Liquid night is a magical suntan lotion that does the same albeit only for an hour.

Mohrgs are made from mass murderers. Pregnant women who are turned into vampires, ghouls, or wights can whelp half-undead if dragon magazine is allowed.

[Psyren]

6: What are some ways a vampire can protect itself from direct sunlight or a daylight spell?

Daylight spell doesn't do anything to vampires, were you thinking of Sunburst?

Anyway, there's too many to list - darkness spell, liquid night, parasol, very heavy cloak...

3: What happens to an unborn child if a pregnant woman is turned into a vampire?

In Pathfinder, this is a commonly-accepted origin for Dhampirs, a living humanoid race with some vampiric benefits/features.

(PF Vampire Clerics also dropped the domain restriction.)

[Doctor Awkward]

Liches tend to have vampire minions so I'll work on one of those too :)

1: Can you be born a vampire?

2: Can 2 vampires have children?

3: What happens to an unborn child if a pregnant woman is turned into a vampire?

4: Is there such a thing as a half-vampire? I've never seen anything to even hint at it but question #3 is why I ask. There's half-celestials, half-dragons & half-fiends, why not half-vampires?

5: At what age do vampires stop aging?

6: What are some ways a vampire can protect itself from direct sunlight or a daylight spell? I found this feat:

ENDURE SUNLIGHT [MONSTEROUS] ( Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead, p. 26)
Your vulnerability to sunlight is reduced.

Prerequisites: Sunlight powerlessness or sunlight-related weakness.

Benefit: You can resist all dangerous effects of sunlight for a number of rounds equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier (minimum 1 round). After this time, if you are still exposed to sunlight, you take the normal effects as appropriate for your kind.


Obviously some of these questions might not need an answer depending on some of the other answers.




*Forgot this one*
7:" A vampire cleric has access to two of the following domains: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, or Trickery." Is that in addition to it's cleric domains for the god it serves? Or are vampire considered to be godless?

So the rules as written cover the majority of these questions, laid out under the general rules for templates:

They come in two flavors: acquired and inherited.
An inherited template is part of a creature from it's very existence. You are born with an inherited template. Acquired templates are things that are picked up at some point in time, and is something that a creature did not always have. "Vampire" is an acquired template, so no one is ever born a vampire. Additionally, the template changes your creature type to undead, which by definition are "once-living creatures animated by spiritual or supernatural forces." So vampires are not alive, do not ever age and cannot reproduce, and a pregnant woman will lose the child.

Libris Mortis has additional rules for a Half-vampire template, which is an inherited template.

Protecting themselves from daylight is generally as simple as staying inside, away from windows, or covering themselves with clothing. The rules stipulate that the vampire must be "exposed" to "direct sunlight" in order for it to have an effect. Any effect which would block out this light would also work, such as from the darkness spell.

[Telonius]

I think that the Domain issue was mostly intended for people who were Clerics of deities who are generally anti-undead; they get access to some powers right away even if they don't go through the Atonement rigmarole to transfer their allegiance to a new deity. A newly-undead character would replace whatever domains they have with domains from that list.

Personally I would make an exception if the character in question worshiped an Undead-centric deity before they'd been bitten. I would rule that a Cleric of Orcus, Nerull, Evening Glory, or something like that would keep the domains they have, since their god is cool with vampires.

[Venger]

I think that the Domain issue was mostly intended for people who were Clerics of deities who are generally anti-undead; they get access to some powers right away even if they don't go through the Atonement rigmarole to transfer their allegiance to a new deity. A newly-undead character would replace whatever domains they have with domains from that list.

Personally I would make an exception if the character in question worshiped an Undead-centric deity before they'd been bitten. I would rule that a Cleric of Orcus, Nerull, Evening Glory, or something like that would keep the domains they have, since their god is cool with vampires.

I think it was intended for monsters who don't have listed gods of their own and don't immediately seem to be obviously associated with another extant god, like avalokias. The best thing to do would be to have them work like angels who list a couple of domains in addition to whatever the character might have from normal worship of their deity.

[ShurikVch]

1: Can you be born a vampire?

Yes and no - you can be born as:
Fire Vampire (Aberration, Call of Cthulhu d20),
Star Vampire (Aberration, Call of Cthulhu d20),
Vampire Bat (Animal, Dragon #341),
and Vampiric Ixitxachitl (Aberration, Monster Manual II) - because they're alive.

Ravenloft have Vampyres: "Although often confused with undead vampires, vampyres are a living, breathing race that breeds and dies like any other."

But for a "common" Vampire to be born this way...
It may happen only if somebody cast Searing Seed on a character with no more than 6 levels in Vampire savage progression (although "child" would have Half-Fiend template)

4: Is there such a thing as a half-vampire? I've never seen anything to even hint at it but question #3 is why I ask. There's half-celestials, half-dragons & half-fiends, why not half-vampires?

Besides the aforementioned, there is also Katane template in the Dragon #313, which is a kind of "half-vampire" too

Also, Necromantic Bloodline feat (Dragon Compendium) explicitly mentioned possibility of being a descendant from a Vampire ("Descendants of vampires tend to have long canine teeth and commanding, seductive personalities.") Along with it, directly mentioned possible ancestors are: Ghoul, Ghast, Lich, Mummy, Wight. (Briefly mentioned possibility of gaining that bloodline from incorporeal or unintelligent Undead)

5: At what age do vampires stop aging?

Usually, instantly on a transformation
In case of Vampire savage progression - at the moment of gaining 7th level
Living Vampires from the "1:" don't stop age at all (although I'm not sure if Fire Vampire ageing to begin with - having no Advancement, and being made of fire...)

6: What are some ways a vampire can protect itself from direct sunlight or a daylight spell?

Besides the aforementioned:
Vampiric Dragon (Draconomicon): "A vampiric dragon can survive exposure to direct sunlight for a number of consecutive rounds equal to its age category, after which it is utterly destroyed."
Vampire Lord:

A vampire lord is not as vulnerable to sunlight as a normal vampire, and can go about in broad daylight if it desires. Under sunlight, it takes a -4 penalty to all ability scores and on all attacks, saves, and skill checks. Also, a vampire lord in sunlight cannot use any of its supernatural powers. Victims of its domination power are not freed of the vampire lord's control during daylight hours; the vampire lord can verbally command any creature in its thrall even in direct sunlight. Spells that produce sunlight effects cannot harm a vampire lord; only direct light from the sun can weaken it. If the vampire lord is destroyed while exposed to direct sunlight, it seems to die, but unless the body is disposed of as described below, it assumes gaseous form as soon as the sun sets and attempts to return to its coffin.

[CharonsHelper]

In Pathfinder, this is a commonly-accepted origin for Dhampirs, a living humanoid race with some vampiric benefits/features.

(PF Vampire Clerics also dropped the domain restriction.)

Which is basically what Blade is, though unlike D&D, in that setting he has ALL of the vampire strengths rather than a fraction.

[Alcore]

1: Can you be born a vampire?

2: Can 2 vampires have children?

3: What happens to an unborn child if a pregnant woman is turned into a vampire?

4: Is there such a thing as a half-vampire? I've never seen anything to even hint at it but question #3 is why I ask. There's half-celestials, half-dragons & half-fiends, why not half-vampires?

5: At what age do vampires stop aging?

*Forgot this one*
7:" A vampire cleric has access to two of the following domains: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, or Trickery." Is that in addition to it's cleric domains for the god it serves? Or are vampire considered to be godless?

often setting dependant. From Twilight to The Lost Boys once you leave tabletop anything can go for some...

(For a typical D&D setting...)
1. No.

2. No. (Typically the mother needs to be living for procreation to take place)

3. The unborn child is now an immortal vampire. It will spend an eternity inside the mother. Whether it will survive her destruction is a matter of conjecture.

4. Yes. It is in the same book as referenced in #6.

5. The age they are turned.

7. I'm sure there is one. Libris Mortis does have a god that doesn't mind vampires though calling her a vampire god/patron is a stretch. The rules you quote likely predate any vampire god. I don't think it's in addition; i think that is to help quickly make an npc vampire cleric.

[Telonius]

Regarding aging: it's not "aging" per se, but the "Evolved Undead" template from Libris Mortis can be applied to intelligent undead that have existed for 100+ years. It can be applied multiple times. Basically, the monster gets more powerful as it gets older.

[eyebreaker7]

What happens to a paladin if (s)he turns into a vampire? Vampirism isn't a disease is it?

[Doctor Awkward]

What happens to a paladin if (s)he turns into a vampire? Vampirism isn't a disease is it?

Lycanthropy is a disease.

Vampirism is a template. If a paladin is killed and then brought back as a vampire they become evil and fall, losing all of their paladin abilities.

[eyebreaker7]

Are we SURE he'd just turn evil? I mean EVERY race has exceptions. Would the holiest of knights just automatically be evil? As far as the drinking blood (s)he could just drink what is killed and not prey on the living.

[ShurikVch]

Also, Vampire - contrary to stereotype - can stay Good, and thus - Paladin
(I mean - if Jander Sunstar managed to stay CN while in Ravenloft...)

Alternately, Paladin could be one of Evil ones to begin with...

[Bullet06320]

God of Vampires

Kancheisis was first seen in Monster Mythology for AD&D 2nd Ed

https://www.enworld.org/threads/d-dg...ampires.12413/

you would think most deities of undeath would except vampire clergy

http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=20507

[frogglesmash]

Also, Vampire - contrary to stereotype - can stay Good, and thus - Paladin
(I mean - if Jander Sunstar managed to stay CN while in Ravenloft...)

Alternately, Paladin could be one of Evil ones to begin with...

Maybe it's possible in Ravenloft, but vanilla d&d vampires have an alignment of "always evil (any)."

[PoeticallyPsyco]

2: Can 2 vampires have children?

As others have pointed out, the Necromantic Bloodline feat implies that they can.

For a more specific answer, the BoEF (3rd party) suggests that gentle repose will preserve the body well enough to be capable of having kids, further suggesting that it only takes one hour without this protection for the body to decay enough that having kids is impossible.

[ShurikVch]

Maybe it's possible in Ravenloft, but vanilla d&d vampires have an alignment of "always evil (any)."

By the RAW, "Always" is not always :

Alignment: This line in a monster entry gives the alignment that the creature is most likely to have. Every entry includes a qualifier that indicates how broadly that alignment applies to all monsters of that kind.
Always: The creature is born with the indicated alignment. The creature may have a hereditary predisposition to the alignment or come from a plane that predetermines it. It is possible for individuals to change alignment, but such individuals are either unique or rare exceptions.

I selected Ravenloft example, because Ravenloft is a very very Evil demiplane: even Golems there are Evil, and extremely rare decent Undead are forced to struggle with ongoing corruption

[frogglesmash]

By the RAW, "Always" is not always :

I selected Ravenloft example, because Ravenloft is a very very Evil demiplane: even Golems there are Evil, and extremely rare decent Undead are forced to struggle with ongoing corruption

If that's all you meant, then I agree, but you initially said it was a stereotype, and that's like saying it's stereotypical for humans to have arms.

[ShurikVch]

If that's all you meant, then I agree, but you initially said it was a stereotype, and that's like saying it's stereotypical for humans to have arms.

Still, PC Vampire can be of any alignment:

If a character transforms to a kind of monster that always has a particular alignment, and the character did not originally have that alignment, the transforming character makes a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the goal monster's Hit Dice + the goal monster's Wis modifier) to avoid an involuntary alignment change.

Thus - stereotype.

[frogglesmash]

Still, PC Vampire can be of any alignment:

Thus - stereotype.

Demonstrating that PCs can do exceptional things proves very little. In practice, the percentage of vampires who aren't evil is vanishingly small, both due to the template's rules, and due to the fact that their dietary habits requires most vampires to make frequent evil actions.

[eyebreaker7]

Do weather conditions help protect a vampire from the sun? Heavy clouds or a storm, such as a blizzard? Or a spell like Obscuring Snow

"A swirling snow vapor arises around you, and follows you from that point on.
The snow obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet.
A creature 5 feet away has concealment (attacks have a 20% miss chance).
Creatures farther away have total concealment (50% miss chance, and the attacker cannot use sight to locate the target).
A strong wind (21+ mph) disperses the snow in 4 rounds.
A very strong wind (31+ mph) disperses the snow in 1 round.
A fireball, flame strike, or similar spell burns away the snow in the explosive or fiery spell's area.
A wall of fire burns away the snow in the area into which it deals damage.
This spell does not function underwater.
Creatures with snowsight are immune to the effects of this spell."

[Alcore]

Are we SURE he'd just turn evil? I mean EVERY race has exceptions. Would the holiest of knights just automatically be evil? As far as the drinking blood (s)he could just drink what is killed and not prey on the living.

according to the SRD;

Alignment
Always evil (any).

https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/vampire.htm


So if your vampires in your setting don't that needs to be established shortly after encountering them. If your setting occasionally deviates from other norms then that might not be necessary; they might assume it is different.

[hamishspence]

MM specifically explains for the 3 alignments that "Always evil" allows for exceptions, but also that the exceptions are either unique, or rare.

So the players should know already that "Always" is not absolutely always.

In practice, the percentage of vampires who aren't evil is vanishingly small, both due to the template's rules, and due to the fact that their dietary habits requires most vampires to make frequent evil actions.

Draining an enemy monster in battle, that's attacking the innocent, isn't exactly evil - no more so than using Energy Drain in battle is.

[ShurikVch]

Do weather conditions help protect a vampire from the sun? Heavy clouds or a storm, such as a blizzard? Or a spell like Obscuring Snow

Libris Mortis, Sunlight Vulnerability:

Cloud cover or similar interference does not protect the undead creature unless it is thick enough to provide concealment to the creature. For example, a vampire within a fog cloud spell would not adversely be affected by sunlight. Even thick clothing, as long as it covers the body completely, can protect an undead creature from the dangers of sunlight.

[Drelua]

By the RAW, "Always" is not always

Since the quote says "It is possible for individuals to change alignment," not that they can start as a different alignment, I would still rule that they are evil upon becoming a vampire. They could RP becoming good again, getting a handle on their hunger or something. Or just finding someone who can raise them, destroying themself, and coming back human again, since I can't see a Paladin choosing to remain a vampire. The bonuses are nice, but needing to drink blood to survive and the possibility of creating another vampire would be a deal breaker for any Paladin I was playing.

Of course, that's just semantics, so interpreting that quote more loosely would be entirely reasonable.

[Jay R]

Since these are not covered explicitly in the rules, they will be handled by the DM.

Having said that, they are undead, which means that they are not alive. I suspect that most DMs would agree with this: They cannot be born, age, or have children.

[ShurikVch]

Since the quote says "It is possible for individuals to change alignment," not that they can start as a different alignment, I would still rule that they are evil upon becoming a vampire. They could RP becoming good again, getting a handle on their hunger or something.

That may be by the RAW...
But Jander Sunstar and Thibbledorf Pwent are still canon, and neither of them is Evil

The thing about Vampires: they aren't appearing ex nihilo, but rather a transformation of preexisting creature
If base creature was already Evil - it doesn't matter, but if creature was Good (like a Paladin)...

Or just finding someone who can raise them, destroying themself, and coming back human again, since I can't see a Paladin choosing to remain a vampire. The bonuses are nice, but needing to drink blood to survive and the possibility of creating another vampire would be a deal breaker for any Paladin I was playing.

Need to drink blood is so easy:

• Ring of Sustenance
• Buy blood from willing donors
• Animal blood
• Summon Blood Elemental and drink it
• etc

Also, sentient Undead are able to choose to just don't make a spawn

For me, the most disadvantages of vampirism (numbered by priority) are:

1. Inability to enter a house uninvited (just imagine a bad guy who tells your PC he's uninvited forever in this building)
2. Destruction by sunlight
3. Enormous LA
4. Inability to cross a water
5. Risk of being Turned/Destroyed/Rebuked/Commanded/Controlled