I took a shot at designing a playable vampire race for my players to try out and I would very much appreciate any advice or review you guys could give! I encourage you to help me playtest it, and see what you think! Of particular note are the vampiric power/blood point synergies in relation to the low con, and the balance of risk/reward in terms of using the Vampire Bite attack to heal. Also, would you prefer the Swarm of Darkness vampiric power feat as a starting vampiric power? And obviously, if I missed anything blatant, please feel free to let me know!
(RACE SHEET ON FOLLOWING POST)
I'll be running a homebrew campaign in the next few weeks or so wherein part of the setting's lore involves a large scale war between my world's version of Vampires and their sister race, the half-undead, half construct Vyrlock. As such, I needed a new, balanced Vampire race for player characters. We've all taken a look at the dhampir and their fun new tricks from Blood of the Night, as well as the options from the Liber Vampyr, and while they were all great option, none of them really hit the mark that I was aiming for.
So, instead of lamenting, I took some of my favorite inspirations and decided to design my own!
(Some of the fluff isn't finished, and there are some terms relating to the campaign setting you might not know, but nothing that would affect the crunch.)
(please try to avoid posts of "just use the dhampir" or "just use the vampire")
Thanks in advance to anyone willing to help out with this project! I'll do my best to update the race as I review your comments, and will credit and log the edits on the following post.
The Vampire {Strigoi}
Standard Racial Traits
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Ability Score Racial Traits: Vampires are fast and seductive, but the state of living death the cataclysm wrought upon their species has left them in a state of constant thirst for life giving blood. They gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, and –4 Constitution.
Type: Strigoi Vampires are humanoids with the Vampire (Strigoi) subtype.
Size: Strigoi Vampires are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Base Speed: Strigoi Vampires have a base speed of 30 feet.
Languages: Strigoi Vampires begin play speaking Vampyrchje. Those with high Intelligence scores can choose any language it wants (except secret languages, such as Druidic). See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.
Offensive Racial Traits
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Vampire Bite: Their most legendary and feared characteristic, a vampire’s fangs are capable of piercing through all but the toughest hide, and their many rows of teeth make escaping a vampire’s hungry jaws a difficult task. Whenever the vampire makes a grapple combat maneuver check to damage an opponent, he can choose to bite his opponent, dealing 1d3 points of damage as if using a natural bite attack. If the vampire can maintain the grapple hold, he can maintain his bite attack, and receives a +1 bonus to his bite attack on the following turn (this effect is not cumulative). For each round (including the first) the vampire maintains the attack, the target takes one point of Constitution damage as the vampire drinks it‘s blood, up to the character’s blood pool maximum. For every point of Constitution damage the vampire inflicts in this way, he gains one blood point. As a standard action, the vampire can bite a creature that is bound, helpless, paralyzed, or similarly unable to defend itself. The blood must come from a living creature of the humanoid subtype. It cannot come from a dead or summoned creature. Feeding on unwilling intelligent creatures is an evil act. (However, if the person was genuinely threatening to take your life unjustly, the gods and powers that be are not fickle enough to cast aspersions on the manner in which you take his.)
Defense Racial Traits
Those that survived the Cataclysm’s pulse need longer fear the touch of the dead and the damned…
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Living Dead Resistance: Vampires gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease and mind-affecting effects.
Resist Level Drain (Ex): A Vampire takes half penalties from energy drain effects, though he can still be killed if he accrues more negative levels then he has Hit Dice. After 24 hours, any negative levels a vampire takes are removed without the need for an additional saving throw.
Feat and Skill Racial Traits
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Predatory: Strigoi Vampires gain a +2 racial bonus on Perception and Stealth checks.
Magical Racial Traits
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Blood Pool (Su): Strigoi Vampires have a blood point pool, which represents the maximum number of blood points he can have at any time. At first level, Strigoi Vampires have a blood pool point maximum of 3. In order to use a vampiric power that costs blood points, the vampire must spend a number of blood points equal to the cost noted in that power’s description. The only way to gain a blood point is to drain it from a living creature, either through it’s Vampire Bite attack (see above), or through other means such as a spell or magic item. Blood pool points last for 1 hour after being gained. After 1 hour, the life essence in the blood diminishes, and the blood pool point is lost. Final discretion as to which creatures can be drained for blood points is up to the DM, but in general anything that is subject to ability score damage, has a Constitution score, and is not a Construct, Elemental, Ooze, Plant, or Undead, can be drained of blood.
Vampiric Powers: Strigoi Vampires must spend blood points to harness the power of their innate supernatural abilities. Unless stated otherwise, Vampiric Powers are spell-like abilities which take a standard action to manifest and do not provoke attacks of opportunity. If a vampiric power calls for a saving throw, and does not specify a DC, the DC is equal to 10 + ½ the character’s level + the character’s charisma modifier.
Boon of the Night (Su): Expend 1 blood point; Once per day, the vampire can gain fast healing 1 for 1 minute per 2 character levels, as long as he remains in an area of Darkness.
Sanguine Healing (Su): Expend 1 blood point; On your next successful Vampire Bite attack, this vampire can regain 1d4 hit points, and a +1 bonus on checks and saves based on Constitution. The effect lasts for 1 hour. Special: If this vampire has the Boon of the Night vampiric power active, it can choose to end that power immediately and add it’s remaining minutes, rounded down, to the hit point total healed by Sanguine Healing, and increase the bonus to Constitution based checks and saves to +2.
Transfixing Gaze (Su): Expend 2 blood points; Once per day, you compel a single target to look into your eyes, locking their gaze upon you and only you for 1 round (Will negates). While staring at you, the target is considered to be averting it’s eyes from every other creature but you, granting creatures other than you concealment against the target’s attacks. If the target willingly leaves your line of sight, it is dazzled for 1 round and the effect ends. If you willingly leave the target’s line of sight or become unconscious or dead, the target creature suffers no ill effects. This power is subject to spell resistance. Blind creatures and creatures immune to gaze attacks are immune to this vampiric power.
Senses Racial Traits
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Low-light vision: In addition to their ability to see perfectly in the dark up to 60 ft, dhampir have low-light vision, allowing them to see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
Weakness Racial Traits
Just as the cataclysm’s pulse provided the Vampires with the gifts of night, so too did curse them with it’s burdens…
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Light Blindness: As creatures of the night, Vampires suffer from light blindness. Abrupt exposure to any bright light blinds Vampire for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area.
The Blood is the Life: Except by the Boon of the Night blood power, Strigoi Vampires cannot heal damage naturally, and spells of the healing sub school (and supernatural abilities that cure hit point damage or ability damage) provide only temporary hit points, at half their normal effect. A Strigoi Vampire incurs the “fatigued” condition if he goes 2 full days without drinking blood. If he goes 3 days without drinking blood, he incurs the “sickened” condition, and his “fatigued” condition becomes “exhausted”. Each day after that the vampire loses one point of Constitution. This Con damage, and all negative conditions incurred by resisting the thirst, cannot be removed by any means, but go away as soon as the vampire spends 1 blood point for every day he did not drink blood.
Vampire Allergens: Vampires recoil before garlic (as prolonged exposure to it causes them severe discomfort and a temporary, yet painful, necrotizing of the flesh) and must stay at least five feet away from it, as long as it is strongly presented. After 1 round, a vampire can overcome its revulsion of the garlic and function normally each round it makes a DC 15 Will save.
Resonance of the Cataclysm: So great and traumatic was The Cataclysm Pulse to the vampires, that the psychic resonance of the sundering of their species is still echoed in the genetic memory of all vampires born to this day. One manifestation of this collective trauma is the vampire’s severe aversion to mirrors. A vampire recoils before mirrors (especially broken ones), and must stay at least five feet away from them, as long as they are strongly presented. A recoiling vampire must stay at least 5 feet away any creature presenting a mirror and cannot touch or make melee attacks against that creature. Holding a vampire at bay takes a standard action. After 1 round, a vampire can overcome its revulsion of the object and function normally each round it makes a DC 15 Will save. In addition, a vampire’s image is not reflected by mirrors.
Vulnerable to Sunlight: If a Strigoi Vampire ends its turn in direct sunlight and lacks the protective covering of it’s Sczari (see below) the vampire takes 5 damage and must make a DC 15 Fort save or become sickened, after which he takes 1 point of Constitution damage after every hour it is exposed to Bright sunlight. If he drops below 1 hit point from this damage, he is destroyed.
Unmistakable Presence: A vampire’s pallid skin and facial structure, rows of fangs, glowing eyes, and unnatural stillness betray them as predatory creatures of the night. They take a -2 on diplomacy, and a -2 on disguise checks to pass as non-vampire humanoids. Though the War of Night is over and the Strigoi Vampires have some amount of autonomy & freedom under the Dominion Concords, an undisguised strigoi vampire will immediately be recognized as such, and in most cases treated with ignorant fear and/or (sometimes well-earned) hostility.
Racial Feats
Supernatural Might (Vampire {Strigoi})
Though your body seems lithe and agile, the cataclysm’s curse has granted some of your people a supernatural strength to match their hunger.
Prerequisites: base attack bonus +1, vampire (strigoi)
Benefit: You gain a bonus to the damage rolls of your Vampire Bite & Vampiric Powers equal to your Charisma modifier. This bonus does not apply to the Constitution damage inflicted by these attacks. This bonus does not stack with other Charisma based damage roll bonuses.
Normal: Without this feat, damage rolls of Vampire Bite & Vampiric Powers do not include Charisma modifier.
Swarm of Darkness (Vampire {Strigoi})
Tapping into the animating darkness within themselves, the strigoi vampires have learned to temporarily transform themselves into a swarming cloud of bat-like shadows, flitting out of harms way to re-coalesce a short distance away.
Prerequisites: Dex 17, Cha 17, vampire (strigoi)
Benefit: Expend 3 blood points: When an attack is made against a strigoi vampire, he can move ten feet as an immediate action. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The vampire can move through occupied squares (but not obstacles or walls), as long as it’s destination square is not occupied. Special: If this vampire has the Boon of the Night vampiric power active, it can choose to end that power immediately and add a +2 bonus to AC against the triggering attack.
Echoes of War (Vampire {strigoi})
Prerequisites: Str 13, Dex 15, vampire (strigoi)
Benefit: Vampires gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC and a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls, against humanoid creatures of the Vyrlock subtype because of their special training against these ancient foes.
Interesting.
Still not entirely certain it really meshes with the average group due to having to work around the weaknesses, but it's very interesting.
Although, it seems like a sort of archetype rather than a race. Maybe you should go all out and make a Vampire class/Archetype for an existing class instead of this weird halfway thing. I'd be very interested in seeing (and using, I'm running Carrion Crown and my PCs need a challenge...) this.
Oh! It bears mentioning that in this world there is a piece of equipment known as a "Sczari", which is essentially a traditional vampire's traveling cloak that eliminates daylight. It can only be worn over light armor. I'm debating it also having a minor penalty to dex while worn.
Interesting.
Still not entirely certain it really meshes with the average group due to having to work around the weaknesses, but it's very interesting.
Although, it seems like a sort of archetype rather than a race. Maybe you should go all out and make a Vampire class/Archetype for an existing class instead of this weird halfway thing. I'd be very interested in seeing (and using, I'm running Carrion Crown and my PCs need a challenge...) this.
Thank you! Yeah, it was definitely designed to favor a non-traditional style of play, one wherein a player plays the race in favor of playing the class, so to speak. But I want to make sure that it's still versatile enough to be enjoyed by most, you know? Also, it would rock if you let one of your players play test one of these dudes for me!
Well, characters are already rolled up and in play, and hopefully none of them will die soon, but I was thinking some non-standard baddies would be good. Sort of an elite guard working for a True Vampire who could be his more powerful agents in the daylight or some such.
Seems like a squad of Strigoi Rangers would be a force to be reckoned with.
Also, to anyone interested in why the race's bloodline name is "Strigoi"; a bit of folklore:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strigoi
Well, characters are already rolled up and in play, and hopefully none of them will die soon, but I was thinking some non-standard baddies would be good. Sort of an elite guard working for a True Vampire who could be his more powerful agents in the daylight or some such.
Seems like a squad of Strigoi Rangers would be a force to be reckoned with.
That...would be badass, actually. >D
do these guys have age catagories? if so i would totally lean towards the name moroi instead. strigoi maybe could be used to refer to the typical vampire template instead. i would like to see your other race as well.
do these guys have age catagories? if so i would totally lean towards the name moroi instead. strigoi maybe could be used to refer to the typical vampire template instead. i would like to see your other race as well.
The moroi are in Blood of the Night. Just as soon as I get these guys finished, I'll post the Vyrlock. They are admittedly pretty neat!
do these guys have age catagories? if so i would totally lean towards the name moroi instead. strigoi maybe could be used to refer to the typical vampire template instead. i would like to see your other race as well.The moroi are in Blood of the Night. Just as soon as I get these guys finished, I'll post the Vyrlock. They are admittedly pretty neat!
ah ok then, sorry, i haven't gotten blood of night yet. I look foreward to the vyrlock. btw just for fun i have been trying to think of racial feats for you. will post when i have my thoughts consolidated.
Anyone else care to chime in? I'd really like to get this race properly balanced before I put it in the game. With any luck, I'll be publishing the work when it is completed.
Haha, you just had to use the name strigoi. I have an undead race that are called strigoi. And here I thought I was clever, lol.
Haha, you just had to use the name strigoi. I have an undead race that are called strigoi. And here I thought I was clever, lol.
Hahah, I guess there's only so many cultural folklore names for Vampire out there. XD
What do you think of the build? If you've already built a previous vampire race, you are in a unique position to offer experienced thoughts on it.
Haha, you just had to use the name strigoi. I have an undead race that are called strigoi. And here I thought I was clever, lol.Hahah, I guess there's only so many cultural folklore names for Vampire out there. XD
What do you think of the build? If you've already built a previous vampire race, you are in a unique position to offer experienced thoughts on it.
I think your build is rather interesting, though mine aren't vampires. They're a race of undead similar to the Forsaken from WOW, but they're different types of strigoi. Here is my creation: Strigoi
I'm not 100% finished, I still need to work on their background and favored class options. But I chose the strigoi for the name because a friend of mine said that it was Romanian for undead. Though I guess she was wrong, lol.
Due to a player suggestion, I'm debating adding Common to the Vampire's starting languages. I think it makes sense for the now-kingdom-less wanderers.
Yeah, common should be added to their automatic languages.
Dot.
I'm concerned about the amount of weaknesses in build, but wanted to make sure the race was balanced on account of it's variable spell like abilities. As both players and DM's, what are your opinions?
Vampire (Strigoi)
Standard Racial Traits
Ability Score Racial Traits: Vampires are fast and seductive, but the state of living death the Cataclysm wrought upon their species has left them in a state of constant thirst for living blood. They gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, and -4 Constitution.
Type: Vampires are Humanoid creatures with the (Strigoi) subtype.
Size: Vampires are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Base Speed: Vampires have a base speed of 30 feet.
Languages: Vampires begin play speaking Common and Vampyrchje. Those with high Intelligence scores can choose any language it wants (except secret languages, such as Druidic). See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.
Defense Racial Traits
Defensive Training: Vampires gain a +4 Dodge bonus to AC against creatures of the Vyrlock subtype.
Resist Level Drain (Ex): A Vampire takes no penalty from energy-drain effects, though he can still be killed if he accrues more negative levels than he has Hit Dice. After 24 hours, any negative levels a vampire takes are removed without the need for an additional saving throw.
Undead Resistance: Vampires gain a +1 Racial bonus on saving throws against disease and mind-affecting effects.
Feat and Skill Racial Traits
Nimble Faller: Vampires land on their feet even when they take lethal damage from a fall. Furthermore, they gain a +1 bonus to their CMD against trip attempts.
Stalker: Perception and Stealth are always class skills for Vampires.
Magical Racial Traits
Blood Pool: [See text below]
Spell-Like Abilities (Su): Vampires can cast Hypnotism, Infernal Healing, and Jump, once each per day, using their total character level as caster level.
Movement Racial Traits
Sprinter: Vampires gain a +10 foot Racial bonus to their speed when using the charge, run, or withdraw actions.
Offensive Racial Traits
Bite: Vampires have a natural bite attack, dealing damage equivalent to that of a creature two size categories lower than normal for their size (1d2 for Small races, 1d3 for Medium, etc.). The bite is a primary attack, or a secondary attack if the creature is wielding manufactured weapons.
Senses Racial Traits
Darkvision: Vampires can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Weakness Racial Traits
Catoptrophobia: A vampire recoils before mirrors (especially broken ones), and must stay at least five feet away from them, as long as they are strongly presented. A recoiling vampire must stay at least 5 feet away any creature presenting a mirror and cannot touch or make melee attacks against that creature. Holding a vampire at bay takes a standard action. After 1 round, a vampire can overcome its revulsion of the object and function normally each round it makes a DC 15 Will save. In addition, a vampire’s image is not reflected by mirrors.
Light Blindness: Abrupt exposure to bright light blinds Vampires for 1 round; on subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area.
Negative Energy Affinity: Vampires are alive, but react to positive energy as if it were undead. Positive energy harms it, while negative energy heals it.
Vulnerable to Sunlight: Vampires take 1 point of Constitution damage every hour they are exposed to sunlight.
Blood Pool Racial Trait (1 RP)
Prerequisites: Bite Racial Trait, Strigoi or Vyrlock Subtype.
Benefit: As part of a successful Bite attack, you may forgo inflicting damage and instead consume blood from the target creature. This deals 1 point of temporary Constitution damage to the target creature and adds 1 Blood Point to your Blood Pool. This Blood Pool has a number of points equal to 1/2 your character level (minimum 1) + his Charisma modifier. Any excess Blood Points beyond your maximum Blood Pool value are immediately lost with no benefit.
All racial spell-like abilities able to be cast once a day no long function once a day but may instead be cast multiple times a day at a cost of 1 Blood Point per ability per casting.
Special: Each day you must spend a single Blood Point to sustain your vital functions. Failure to spend at least one Blood Point per day results in Starvation.
Racial Feats
Noble Blood
Your connection to the night is stronger than that of your lesser kin.
Prerequisites: Strigoi Subtype, Character Level 3rd.
Benefit: Add Shield, Sleep, and Feather Fall to the spell-like abilities that you may use with your Blood Pool. Your caster level is equal to your character level.
Eternal Embrace
Once captured, none may escape your grasp.
Prerequisites: Strigoi Subtype, Str 13, BAB +1.
Benefit: If a creature fails to break free of a grapple you initiated, you gain a +5 bonus to your CMD for the purposes of maintaining the grapple.
Expanded Blood Pool
You possess the ability to retain more of the vital essence living blood contains.
Prerequisites: Blood Pool, Con 10.
Benefit: Your Blood Pool is increased by 3.
Special: This feat can be taken once at 1st level, and again at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th.
Vampire (Strigoi)
Standard Racial Traits
Ability Score Racial Traits: Vampires are fast and seductive, but the state of living death the Cataclysm wrought upon their species has left them in a state of constant thirst for living blood. They gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, and -4 Constitution.
Type: Vampires are Humanoid creatures with the (Strigoi) subtype.
Size: Vampires are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Base Speed: Vampires have a base speed of 30 feet.
Languages: Vampires begin play speaking Common and Vampyrchje. Those with high Intelligence scores can choose any language it wants (except secret languages, such as Druidic). See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.Defense Racial Traits
Defensive Training: Vampires gain a +4 Dodge bonus to AC against creatures of the Vyrlock subtype.
Resist Level Drain (Ex): A Vampire takes no penalty from energy-drain effects, though he can still be killed if he accrues more negative levels than he has Hit Dice. After 24 hours, any negative levels a vampire takes are removed without the need for an additional saving throw.
Undead Resistance: Vampires gain a +1 Racial bonus on saving throws against disease and mind-affecting effects.Feat and Skill Racial Traits
Nimble Faller: Vampires land on their feet even when they take lethal damage from a fall. Furthermore, they gain a +1 bonus to their CMD against trip attempts.
Stalker: Perception and Stealth are always class skills for Vampires.Magical Racial Traits
Blood Pool: [See text below]
Spell-Like Abilities (Su): Vampires can cast Hypnotism, Infernal Healing, and Jump, once each per day, using their total character level as caster level.Movement Racial Traits
Sprinter: Vampires gain a +10 foot Racial bonus to their speed when using the charge, run, or withdraw actions.
Offensive Racial Traits
Bite: Vampires have a natural bite attack, dealing damage equivalent to that of a creature two...
Nice! I'll take those build suggestions into account in the next revision! One thing though: The vampires of this world aren't undead. They're a new subtype called "the Living Dead". They can't be made, only born as offspring of other vampires. The classic pathfinder vampires exist in this setting as well, as ancient strigoi who have gone mad from the abuse of their blood powers, and as strigoi who have contracted a disease similar to rabies.
I have updated my Strigoi, now keep in mind that they're tailored for my setting. They can be found here: Strigoi
The only thing I haven't added is the racial favored class options.
After 3 revisions, here is the current incarnation of this race:
The Vampire {Strigoi}
Standard Racial Traits
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Ability Score Racial Traits: Vampires are fast and seductive, but the state of living death the cataclysm wrought upon their species has left them in a state of constant thirst for life giving blood. They gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, and –2 Constitution.
Type: Strigoi Vampires are humanoids with the Vampire (Strigoi) subtype.
Size: Strigoi Vampires are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Base Speed: Strigoi Vampires have a base speed of 30 feet.
Languages: Strigoi Vampires begin play speaking Vampyrchje and Common. Those with high Intelligence scores can choose any language it wants (except secret languages, such as Druidic). See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.
Offensive Racial Traits
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Vampire Bite: Their most legendary and feared characteristic, a vampire’s fangs are capable of piercing through all but the toughest hide, and their many rows of teeth make escaping a vampire’s hungry jaws a difficult task. Whenever the vampire makes a grapple combat maneuver check to damage an opponent, he can choose to bite his opponent, dealing 1d4 points of damage as if using a natural bite attack. If the vampire can maintain the grapple hold, he receives a +1 bonus to his next bite (this effect is not cumulative). For every point of damage the vampire inflicts in this way, he gains one blood point. As a standard action, the vampire can bite a creature that is bound, helpless, paralyzed, or similarly unable to defend itself. The blood must come from a living creature of the humanoid subtype. It cannot come from a dead or summoned creature.
Defense Racial Traits
Those that survived the Cataclysm’s pulse need longer fear the touch of the dead and the damned…
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Living Dead Resistance: Vampires gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease and mind-affecting effects.
Resist Level Drain (Ex): A Vampire takes no penalties from energy drain effects, though he can still be killed if he accrues more negative levels then he has Hit Dice. After 24 hours, any negative levels a vampire takes are removed without the need for an additional saving throw.
Feat and Skill Racial Traits
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Stalker: Perception and Stealth are always class skills for Vampires.
Magical Racial Traits
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Blood Pool (Su): Strigoi Vampires have a blood point pool, which represents the maximum number of blood points he can store at any time. A vampire cannot gain points in excess of this number. At first level, Strigoi Vampires have a blood pool point maximum of 3. In order to use a vampiric power that costs blood points, the vampire must spend a number of blood points equal to the cost noted in that power’s description. The only way to gain a blood point is to drain it from a living creature, either through it’s Vampire Bite attack (see above), or through other means such as a spell or magic item.. Final discretion as to which creatures can be drained for blood points is up to the DM, but in general anything that is subject to ability score damage, has a Constitution score, and is not a Construct, Elemental, Ooze, Plant, or Undead, can be drained of blood.
Vampiric Powers: Strigoi Vampires must spend blood points to harness the power of their innate supernatural abilities. Unless stated otherwise, Vampiric Powers are spell-like abilities which take a standard action to manifest and do not provoke attacks of opportunity. If a vampiric power calls for a saving throw, and does not specify a DC, the DC is equal to 10 + ½ the character’s level + the character’s charisma modifier.
Boon of the Night (Su): Expend 1 blood point; the vampire gains fast healing 1 for 1 minute per 2 character levels, as long as he remains in an area of Darkness.
Sanguine Healing (Su): Expend 1 blood point; On your next successful Vampire Bite attack, this vampire can regain 1d4 hit points. Special: If this vampire has the Boon of the Night vampiric power active, it can choose to end that power immediately and add it’s remaining minutes, rounded down, to the hit point total healed by Sanguine Healing.
Transfixing Gaze (Su): Expend 2 blood points; Once per day, you compel a single target to look into your eyes, locking their gaze upon you and only you for 1 round (Will negates). While staring at you, the target is considered to be averting it’s eyes from every other creature but you, granting creatures other than you concealment against the target’s attacks. If the target willingly leaves your line of sight, it is dazzled for 1 round and the effect ends. If you willingly leave the target’s line of sight or become unconscious or dead, the target creature suffers no ill effects. This power is subject to spell resistance. Blind creatures and creatures immune to gaze attacks are immune to this vampiric power.
Senses Racial Traits
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Low-light vision: In addition to their ability to see perfectly in the dark up to 60 ft, vampires have low-light vision, allowing them to see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
Weakness Racial Traits
Just as the cataclysm’s pulse provided the Vampires with the gifts of night, so too did curse them with it’s burdens…
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Light Blindness: As creatures of the night, Vampires suffer from light blindness. Abrupt exposure to bright light, such as direct sunlight or the daylight spell, blinds Vampire for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area.
The Blood is the Life: Except by the Boon of the Night blood power, Strigoi Vampires cannot heal damage naturally, and spells of the healing sub school (and supernatural abilities that cure hit point damage or ability damage) provide only temporary hit points, at half their normal value.
Blood Thirst: A vampire must drink blood to sustain themselves and avoid starvation. A vampire can go 1 day (plus a number of days equal to his Constitution modifier) before having to spend 1 Blood Point to sustain his vital functions. Failure to do so results in Starvation.
Vampire Allergens: Vampires have an innate allergy to garlic and prolonged exposure to it causes them severe discomfort and a temporary, yet painful, blackening of the flesh. A large enough quantity of garlic (such as a braid of garlic, or concentrated oil of garlic) will cause a vampire to attempt to stay at least five feet away from it, as long as it is strongly presented. After 1 round, a vampire can overcome the effects of the garlic and function normally each round it makes a DC 15 Will save.
Resonance of the Cataclysm: So great and traumatic was The Cataclysm Pulse to the vampires, that the psychic resonance of the sundering of their species is still echoed in the genetic memory of all vampires born to this day. One manifestation of this collective trauma is the vampire’s severe aversion to mirrors. A vampire recoils before mirrors (especially broken ones), and must stay at least five feet away from them, as long as they are strongly presented. A recoiling vampire must stay at least 5 feet away any creature presenting a mirror and cannot touch or make melee attacks against that creature. Holding a vampire at bay takes a standard action. After 1 round, a vampire can overcome its revulsion of the object and function normally each round it makes a DC 15 Will save. In addition, a vampire’s image is not reflected by mirrors.
Vulnerable to Sunlight: If a Strigoi Vampire ends its turn in direct sunlight and lacks the protective covering of it’s Sczari (see below) the vampire takes 5 damage, after which he takes 1 point of Constitution damage after every hour he is exposed to sunlight.
Unmistakable Presence: A vampire’s pallid skin and facial structure, rows of fangs, glowing eyes, and unnatural stillness betray them as predatory creatures of the night. They take -2 on disguise checks to pass as non-vampire humanoids.
And here are some racial feats:
Racial Feats
Expanded Blood Pool (Vampire {Strigoi})
You possess a potential for blood magic that rivals that of the ancient Vampire Lords.
Prerequisites: vampire (strigoi)
Benefit: You gain a bonus to your maximum blood pool total equal to your Charisma modifier + 1 (minimum 1).
Special: This feat can be taken once at 1st level, and again at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th.
Normal: A Strigoi Vampire’s blood pool maximum total is 3.
Bloodthirsty (Vampire {Strigoi})
Honed by an existence of war and strife, you have adapted to better reave blood from your opponents in the heat of combat.
Prerequisites: vampire (strigoi)
Benefit: After cutting an opponent by dealing at least 1 point of damage to it with a slashing or piercing weapon (though this ability may also be used upon a creature suffering from severe wounds or the bleed effect without cutting it first), you may gain 1 blood point by drinking from its wound as a standard action.
Final discretion as to which creatures can be drained for blood points is up to the DM, but in general anything that is subject to ability score damage, has a Constitution score, and is not a Construct, Elemental, Ooze, Plant, or Undead, can be drained of blood.
Normal: Vampires must use the Vampire Bite ability to harvest blood points from opponents.
Thirsty Blade (Vampire {Strigoi})
You have learned how to coat your blade in the blood of your enemies, thereby providing a more expeditious means of consuming it.
Prerequisites: Bloodthirsty, base attack bonus +3, vampire (strigoi)
Benefit: After cutting an opponent by dealing at least 1 point of damage to it with a slashing or piercing weapon (though this ability may also be used upon a creature suffering from severe wounds or the bleed effect without cutting it first), you may gain 1 blood point by drinking from its wound as a swift action. In addition, the target creature is dealt 1 point of Constitution damage.
Final discretion as to which creatures can be drained for blood points is up to the DM, but in general anything that is subject to ability score damage, has a Constitution score, and is not a Construct, Elemental, Ooze, Plant, or Undead, can be drained of blood.
Normal: Gaining a blood point by drinking from a wound with the Bloodthirsty feat counts as a standard action.
Supernatural Might (Vampire {Strigoi})
Though your body seems lithe and agile, the cataclysm’s curse has granted some of your people a supernatural strength to match their hunger.
Prerequisites: base attack bonus +2, Cha 13, vampire (strigoi)
Benefit: You gain a bonus to the damage rolls of your Vampire Bite & Vampiric Powers equal to your Charisma modifier. This bonus does not apply to the Constitution damage inflicted by these attacks.
Normal: Without this feat, damage rolls of Vampire Bite & Vampiric Powers do not include Charisma modifier.
Echoes of War (Vampire {strigoi})
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Int 13, vampire (strigoi)
Benefit: Vampires gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC and a +2 racial bonus on attack and damage rolls against humanoid creatures of the Vyrlock subtype because of their special training against these ancient foes.
Vampiric Power: Swarm of Darkness (Vampire {Strigoi})
Tapping into the animating darkness within themselves, the strigoi vampires have learned to temporarily transform themselves into a swarming cloud of bat-like shadows, flitting out of harms way to re-coalesce a short distance away.
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Cha 13, vampire (strigoi)
Benefit: Expend 3 blood points: When an attack is made against a strigoi vampire, he can move ten feet as an immediate action. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The vampire can move through occupied squares (but not obstacles or walls), as long as it’s destination square is not occupied. If this movement brings the Vampire out of the attacks range, the attack misses.
Special: If this vampire has the Boon of the Night vampiric power active, it can choose to end that power immediately and add a +5 bonus to AC against the triggering attack.
Vampiric Power: Ravenous Charge (Vampire {strigoi})
Prerequisites: Str 13, base attack bonus + 3, vampire (strigoi)
Benefit: Expend 1 blood point: You gain a +10 foot bonus to their speed when using the charge action, or bull rush combat maneuver for a number of rounds equal to your Strength modifier +1 per 4 levels.
Vampiric Power: Warding Shadows (Vampire {strigoi})
You summon a swarm of bat-like shadows that fly defensively within your space, making it difficult for foes to accurately strike you.
Prerequisites: Cha 13, base attack bonus + 3, vampire (strigoi)
Benefit: Expend 2 blood points: Enemy attack rolls targeting you suffer a -2 penalty for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier + 1 per 4 levels.
Vampiric Power: Hungry Shadows (Vampire {strigoi})
Your shadow bats now harry your opponents, harvesting blood from those around you.
Prerequisites: Cha 13, Warding Shadows, vampire (strigoi)
Benefit: Expend 1 blood point: Your shadow swarm now extends in a 5 foot burst centered on you, and collects blood points from any enemies within the burst that have been dealt at least 1 damage or are suffering from the bleed effect. This effect persists for as long as Warding Shadows is active.
Vampiric Power: Storm of Night (Vampire {strigoi})
Your Swarm of Darkness vampiric ability is now a source of terrifying retribution, allowing your shadow-swarm form to explode outward, terrorizing foes in a storm of bat-like shadows that slash and bite from seemingly all directions, before you re-form in a space of your choosing.
Prerequisites: Cha 13, Hungry Shadows, Swarm of Darkness
Benefit: Expend 1 blood points: As a full round action during a turn that Warding Shadows is active, you may cause the swarm to lash out in a 10 foot radius burst (centered on you) that causes 1d6 + 1 per level points of damage to a number of enemies equal to your Charisma modifier + 1 per level, after which you may choose to move to any unobstructed square within the blast (this movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity). Doing so ends the effect of Warding Shadows. Reflex save for half damage.
I'll be posting the updated race in pdf form on a new thread, and updating this one with a link to it as well as soon as the pdf design is finished.