| Mercestes |
These are vampire variant rules I am working on. Having given up on being published under 3.5, I have decided to release it to the world in hopes that it will help D&D 3.5 (via Pathfinder) live on and keep the pre-4e era going. If Paizo wishes to use any of the contained rules variants, in all or in part, feel free. If you'd like to credit me, you may credit me as "Mercestes D'Moriarty."
My current campaign setting is "Rhaenatus." The same rules can be applied to any campaign setting.
I also appreciate all feedback and input, in regards to balance and playtesting.
Thanks!
Purpose: Create a race that looks and feels like a full blown vampire, that people will want to play, and can feasibly played at a level of 5 or less that DMs will still allow in their game.
Vampires
Not all life on Rhaenatus evolved along the same lines as their predecessors. Some took entirely new evolutionary paths. Vampires, for example, are very different than those of ancient times.
While still undead, and still craving and living off of the blood of the living, vampires of today’s age have lost some of their strengths, and some of their weaknesses. They’ve gained the ability to more easily blend in with mortal society, but have lost some of their toughness as undead creatures.
Vampirisim is a creature template that can be applied to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature, hereafter referred to as the base creature.
Size and Type remains unchanged.
Hit Dice: Increase all and future Hit Dice to d12s but do not apply a constitution bonus to HP. Vampires never get a constitution bonus to HP.
Speed: same as base creature.
Attack: A vampire retains all the attacks of the base creature, and also gains a slam attack if it didn’t already have one.
Full Attack: A vampire fighting without weapons uses either its slam attack or its natural weapons. If armed with a weapon, the vampire usually attacks with its weapons, but can opt to make a slam attack instead.
Damage: Vampires have slam attacks. Use the appropriate damage from the MM.
Special Attacks: A vampire retains all the special attacks of the base creature and gains those described below. Saves have a DC of 10 + ½ the vampire’s HD + vampire’s CHA modifier unless noted otherwise.
Blood Drain (Ex): A vampire can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, the vampire gains 5 temporary hit points.
Create Spawn (Su): If the vampire drains the victim’s Constitution to 0 or lower, the victim returns as a vampire if it had 5 or more HD. The new vampire is under the command of the vampire that created it and remains enslaved until its Master’s destruction, or until it is released. At any given time a vampire may have enslaved vampires totaling no more than twice its own Hit Dice, and any vampires it creates that would exceed this limit are created as free-willed vampires. A vampire that is enslaved may create and enslave vampires of its own, so a Master vampire can control a number of lesser vampires in this fashion. A vampire may voluntarily free an enslaved vampire in order to enslave a new vampire, but once freed, a vampire cannot be enslaved again.
The creation of spawn is an intentional act. A vampire using his blood drain ability can, at-will, can cease drinking blood as a free action, if the 1d4 constitution damage would reduce his victim to 1 or less constitution points. Therefore, a vampire can elect to do less constitution damage than is indicated by his 1d4 die roll. This means that a vampire cannot accidentally kill his victim and therefore create unintentional or unwanted spawn.
Dominate (Su): A vampire can crush an opponent’s will just by looking into his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that the vampire must use a standard action, and those merely looking at it are not affected. Anyone who the vampire targets must succeed on a will save or fall instantly under the vampire’s influence as though by a dominate person spell (caster level 12th). The ability has a range of 30’.
Special Qualities:
Fast Healing (Ex): A vampire heals damage each round as indicated below. A vampire reduced to 0 or less hit points becomes helpless and ceases healing. Any damage done to an unconscious vampire decreases their HP total but does not kill a vampire. After 1 hour the vampire’s Hit Point total becomes 1 and is no longer helpless, and resumes healing at the rate indicated by his bloodline and hunger level.
Alternate Form (Su): A vampire can assume the shape of a bat, dire bat, wolf or dire wolf as a standard action. This ability is similar to a Polymorph Self spell cast by a 12-level Character, except that the vampire does not regain hit points for changing form and must choose from among the forms mentioned here. While in its alternate form, the vampire loses its natural slam attack and dominate ability (if it has it), but it gains the natural weapons and extraordinary special attacks of its new form. It can remain in that form until it assumes another or until the next sunrise.
A vampire has a +4 turn resistance, if it can be turned (see below.)
Vampires always receive positive damage from healing spells and negative energy healing from harm/inflict spells, just like undead.
A vampire can never be raised or resurrected. A vampire who has been rendered helpless will rise of their own accord. A vampire that has been destroyed may only be brought back to life through the means of a wish or a miracle.
Abilities: Abilities increase as vampire bloodline levels increase, as indicated below. Vampires in Rhaenatus retain their Constitution score (see below.)
Vampires are immune to disease, poison, fear, level drain, ability drain and save v/s death, as allowed by their bloodline level. (see below.)
Vampires gain skills and feats based on their bloodline level. (see below).
Vampire Weaknesses:
Sunlight Susceptibility: Vampires suffer constant damage in direct sunlight, equal to 5 hp per round minus their current fast healing rate. If this equals 0, then fast healing and sunlight damage negate each other. A vampire who falls helpless in sunlight with fast healing 5 remains helpless until nightfall, at which point their current hit point total becomes 1 and they resume healing.
If this result is more than 0, the vampire loses their fast healing ability and takes the indicated damage per round. A vampire who falls helpless with fast healing less than 5 (or sun damage more than 10), continue taking sun damage each round after falling helpless. After five rounds of such damage, the vampire is permanently destroyed, and cannot be brought back without the use of a miracle or wish.
While rumor has it that driving a wooden stake through a vampire’s heart kills it, in reality, it only renders the vampire instantly helpless and stops its healing, and any sharp object thrust into a vampire’s heart has the same effect. In some continents in Rhaenatus, it is popular to bury individuals believed to be vampires with an iron nail driven through its heart. Removing the obstruction returns the vampire to life. Vampires who are staked in sunlight take full sun damage every round, and are destroyed in 5 rounds if the stake is not removed.
Killing a vampire: Any continual source of acid or fire damage that persists for at least 5 rounds after a vampire is rendered helpless destroys it. Removing a vampires head from its body ceases its fast healing ability until the head is returned to its body. Staking a vampire renders it helpless and ceases its fast healing ability until the stake is removed. A vampire that is rendered helpless and receives sun damage (due to hunger level, bloodline level, being staked, or having its head removed) for 5 rounds or more is destroyed. A destroyed vampire can only be brought back to life through the means of a miracle or wish.
Vampire Characters:
A vampire loses all animal companions and familiars if they are not a bat or rat. A character can summon or befriend a bat or rat as a new companion or familiar. Vampires can only summon vermin and undead from any of the summon monster spells.
Bloodlines:
Vampires increase in power based upon their bloodline. This process is believed to be, among intelligent vampires, a process of vampiric blood strengthening as they evolve and grow. Vampires go through several distinct ranks as they evolve. Through methods unknown, vampires are able to recognize the relative rank of any vampire they encounter, and vampires adhere to a strict caste system in which lower ranks are subservient to the higher ranking vampires in Rhaenatus.
In order to advance in rank, you must dedicate levels into your bloodline. Bloodline levels are racial levels which increase your Effective Character Level, not your character or class level. Bloodline levels do not provide increases to hit dice, BAB, skill points, or maximum skill ranks, nor do they count towards acquiring new feats or ability score bonuses. They can be taken at any time during character level up, instead of taking a class level. Newly created vampires may exchange their existing class levels for bloodline levels in order to immediately increase their rank, so long as they have at least 1 class level remaining.
Bloodline levels cannot be “bought off” as other ECLs can. Bloodline levels are permanent and can only be removed with the aid of an unlimited wish, miracle, or direct divine intervention. Such methods will decrease the vampire rank to the appropriate level.
Fledgling:
Vampires who have not dedicated any levels into their bloodline are considered to be of fledgling rank. Newly created vampires fall within this rank. At fledgling level, a vampire’s fast healing ability only heals 1 hp per round, and the minimum hunger level they can reach is 1, so fledgling vampires suffer a constant need to feed until they evolve to a higher level. Fledglings gain immunity to poison and disease, but they remain susceptible to fear, ability drain, level drain, and save v/s death, and they do not yet gain their +4 turn resistance. Fledglings cannot create other vampires, cannot dominate others, and do not get their alternate form ability. Vampires are very susceptible at this stage. Newly created vampires can sacrifice any number of their existing class levels in exchange for bloodline levels, so long as they have at least 1 class level.
At fledgling level, vampirism can still be cured by casting remove curse followed by a cure disease spell.
Spawn:
After dedicating at least 1 level to their bloodline, vampires are promoted to the rank of vampire spawn. At this level, vampires can reach hunger level 0, their fast healing increases at 5 hp per round at hunger level 0, they gain their dominating gaze and alternate form abilities, but they are still unable to create spawn. They gain immunity to ability drain, level drain, and save v/s death, but they still do not gain their +4 turn resistance. They gain the feats alertness, stealthy, and dodge.
Once a vampire reaches the level of spawn, vampirism can no longer be cured without the use of an unlimited wish, miracle, or direct divine intervention to reduce their bloodline level back to fledgling, and then casting remove curse followed by a cure disease.
Vampire:
At bloodline level 2, characters are finally considered to be full-blown vampires. Vampires gain the ability to create their own spawn and have +4 turn resistance. Their strength, dexterity and charisma all increase by +2 and they gain a +2 racial bonus to bluff, stealth, perception, search and sense motive, and they gain the feats improved initiative and lightning reflexes. They also gain cold and electricity resistance 5.
Elder:
At Bloodline level 3, vampires advance to the Elder stage, and become even more powerful. They gain the feat combat reflexes, another +2 racial bonus to bluff, stealth, perception, search and sense motive, their Strength, Dexterity, and Charisma all increase by another +2, and they gain damage reduction 5/silver.
Ancient:
Finally, at Bloodline level 4, a vampire enters the ancient stage and come into their full power. Vampires of this stage are revered by all lesser vampires. Ancients can become the head of their own clans, or serve as generals in other clans. At this stage, their strength, intelligence, and wisdom increase by +2, they gain a final +2 racial bonus to Bluff, Stealth, Perception, Search and Sense motive, their cold and electricity resistance increase to 10 and their damage reduction increases to 10/silver.
Feeding
Vampires must feed to maintain their undead state. As vampire hunger grows, they become even more powerful and more deadly. They also lose their ability to blend in with mortal society and become even more susceptible.
Hunger 0:
All vampire statistics above are listed for a vampire who has recently fed. At this level, vampires can move freely among mortal society, and are nearly identical to their base race, with the exception of being a physically exceptional example of their species. They have a heartbeat, which pumps their recently consumed blood throughout their bodies, though they still have no necessity to breathe (but they can fake it). Only feeding from humanoids can maintain or bring a vampire to this level.
Hunger 1:
A vampire who does not feed for three nights reaches hunger level 1. At this phase, their heartbeat ceases, their skin darkens and becomes sunken, their eye sockets grow darker, and their lips turn darker. They begin to look more and more emaciated. They may begin to show physical symptoms of starvation, such as involuntary twitches. Vampires who reach hunger level 1 lose all bonuses to bluff, diplomacy and sense motive. Vampires can be turned at this level. A vampire’s healing reduces from 5 hp a round to 1 hp a round. A vampire that falls helpless in direct sunlight risks being destroyed. A vampire can return to Hunger Level 0 by feeding upon a humanoid creature.
Hunger 2:
A vampire at Hunger Level 1 who does not feed for another 9 days reaches hunger level 2. At this level, a vampire loses their constitution score (It does not become 0, they no longer have a constitution score) their creature type immediately becomes undead (humanoid or augmented humanoid), and they become immune to critical hits and sneak attacks, and gain all other undead traits. Vampires at Hunger Level 2 lose all class abilities with the exception of armor proficiencies, and gains the “Improved Grapple” feat. Sun damage increases to 10 hp a round. Feeding on any humanoid or monstrous humanoid will return a vampire back to Hunger Level 1. Almost all monster vampires encountered in Rhaenatus are at Hunger level 2. Vampires at this level feed mercilessly and cannot pass in mortal society. Vampires at Hunger Level 2 are nearly mindless.
Torpor:
A vampire that does not feed for a year (or more) enters a state known as “Torpor.” Vampires very rarely willingly enter this state. A vampire who enters torpor becomes helpless. Their body decays and withers, becoming a skeleton covered in a thin, leathery skin, much like an unwrapped mummy. They remain in this state indefinitely until they are forcefully introduced blood from a humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature. Upon introduction of blood, they immediately reach Hunger level 2 and must feed again to the following night to reach Hunger level 1. This process is often performed as a 24 hour ritual in which multiple (or in rare cases single) donors are made available as the vampire slowly returns back to life. If blood is made available during the full 24 hour period, they can reach Hunger Level 0 in 24 hours.
WhipShire
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I may have misunderstood you but if your wanting an undead in pathfinder I believe they receive d8 racial hit dice and class HD and gain their charisma bonus to hit points and fort saves.