| Phantom15 |
Hey, guys.
So, I and some friends are getting together a rpg group (4 players and a gm, I am not the gm), and I had an idea...
I want to play a Damphir character that has retained SOME of the inherent abilities of a vampire. (not immortality so you know)
Essentially the story behind it would be that the character is always struggling against his vampirish tendencies, (and therefore fears to use his powers) but is really a good guy. His biggest fear is one day killing one of his companions (which, if you use the vampire hunger tables, is a real possibility). The role-play would be very interesting as the character is not evil, but good has refused to accept him, he is lonely, but getting to close to his companions could result in them being killed.
Some of his abilities would be darkvision, vampire speed and the ability to turn into a bat. His weaknesses would include taking light sun damage if not cloaked, hating garlic, and a general aversion to holy symbols.
My question is before I request this character of my GM, do you guys think it is overpowered?
Lincoln Hills
|
Well, first of all, I have to warn you it's been done. (That's not necessarily a criticism: the story 'boy meets girl' has been done too, and yet it remains popular.)
Second, yes; it would be overpowered. The dhamphir as it appears in Bestiary 2 is Paizo's closest approach to a 'playable vampire' and it doesn't include most of the things you want your version to include.
By very special arrangement with the rest of the group, you might get - say - a 1st-level character with such abilities when the rest of the party is 3rd, or 4th, or whatever level: but then you have to cope with the severe drawbacks of having 1 HD (and matching BAB/saves) when everybody else is at 3, 4, or whatever.
Honestly if I were trying to cover this sort of ground with a character, I'd design him as one of the standard races and then come up with a backstory explaining that he was recently restored to life after being destroyed as a vampire - an "ex-vampire" would cover a lot of the same emotional bases (and have many of the same motivations) as the quasi-vampire you propose, without the rules and balance complications. I acknowledge it's not exactly the same, of course...
| DM_Blake |
Arrrgggh! Dhampir *Player*??? Watch out for that guy, he sounds dangerous - don't let him in your house!!!
Oh, wait, you meant character. Uh, OK, nevermind that first bit.
(hint, you got the 'h' in Dhampir in the wrong place)
I'm trying to figure out from your post: Are you creating your own homebrew version of the Dhampir race? If so, are you aware that there already is a Dhampir race that has a little of what you want (darkvision, light sensitivity)?
Your idea of turning into a bat is a bit overpowered as a racial ability, and I don't know what you mean by "vampire speed" (Dhampirs get +2 DEX, is that what you're looking for?), and the rest of your weaknesses are just roleplaying fluff (hating garlic and holy symbols) unless you create real mechanics for them, such as you become Shaken whenever you are in the presence of a holy symbol (but not even actual vampires have such a weakness).
All the stuff about being afraid of killing comerades, alignment angst, etc., is all just roleplaying anyway. It sounds like a fun concept.
In short, maybe just play the race that already exists, and use class abilities (e.g. druid, etc., to turn into a bat or wizard, etc., to use beast shape and haste spells).
If you really want a homebrew race like you described, then maybe this is a question for the House Rules forum instead?
| Ginglebrix |
Scions of the Night is 3rd party material that has some cool stuff for dhampirs.
Gaseous form, talking to and/or summoning rats/bats/wolves, spider climb, charm person, etc. are all racial traits you can swap in place of "vanilla" abilities of the race.
All of these have limitations of course but makes you more "vampiric" in ability without making you OP.
| Phantom15 |
Well, first of all, I have to warn you it's been done. (That's not necessarily a criticism: the story 'boy meets girl' has been done too, and yet it remains popular.)
Second, yes; it would be overpowered. The dhamphir as it appears in Bestiary 2 is Paizo's closest approach to a 'playable vampire' and it doesn't include most of the things you want your version to include.
By very special arrangement with the rest of the group, you might get - say - a 1st-level character with such abilities when the rest of the party is 3rd, or 4th, or whatever level: but then you have to cope with the severe drawbacks of having 1 HD (and matching BAB/saves) when everybody else is at 3, 4, or whatever.
Honestly if I were trying to cover this sort of ground with a character, I'd design him as one of the standard races and then come up with a backstory explaining that he was recently restored to life after his vampire-self was destroyed - an "ex-vampire" would cover a lot of the same emotional bases (and have many of the same motivations) as the quasi-vampire you propose, without the maze of rule complications.
I have never heard of a vampire being un-undead :) but it sounds at least plausible. keep in mind that the abilities I listed would be unlocked over time and have a certain amount of uses. Plus you could make him make a check every time he used an ability that accumulates negative points with the hunger table.
| ub3r_n3rd |
Hey, guys.
So, I and some friends are getting together a rpg group (4 players and a gm, I am not the gm), and I had an idea...
I want to play a Damphir character that has retained SOME of the inherent abilities of a vampire. (not immortality so you know)
Essentially the story behind it would be that the character is always struggling against his vampirish tendencies, (and therefore fears to use his powers) but is really a good guy. His biggest fear is one day killing one of his companions (which, if you use the vampire hunger tables, is a real possibility). The role-play would be very interesting as the character is not evil, but good has refused to accept him, he is lonely, but getting to close to his companions could result in them being killed.Some of his abilities would be darkvision, vampire speed and the ability to turn into a bat. His weaknesses would include taking light sun damage if not cloaked, hating garlic, and a general aversion to holy symbols.
My question is before I request this character of my GM, do you guys think it is overpowered?
Yes, your version is over-powered. Why don't you just use the Dhampir PC race RAW? You can then flavor the character to suit you however you wish with the alternate racial traits, traits, feats, and even drawbacks. It'd make it so much easier for you as well and the race is already balanced as part of the Paizo books: Advanced Race Guide and Pathfinder Player Companion: Blood of the Night.
I am running an evil campaign and have 2 Dhampir anti-paladins in the group using the RAW from Paizo, but there is no way I'd allow your specific PC into my game with those powers.
| Phantom15 |
Scions of the Night is 3rd party material that has some cool stuff for dhampirs.
Gaseous form, talking to and/or summoning rats/bats/wolves, spider climb, charm person, etc. are all racial traits you can swap in place of "vanilla" abilities of the race.
All of these have limitations of course but makes you more "vampiric" in ability without making you OP.
Thanks that was really helpful, I have no problem with the "vanilla" Dhampirs except the seem, well, more human than vampire but the racial traits would fix that.
| Phantom15 |
Arrrgggh! Dhampir *Player*??? Watch out for that guy, he sounds dangerous - don't let him in your house!!!
Oh, wait, you meant character. Uh, OK, nevermind that first bit.
(hint, you got the 'h' in Dhampir in the wrong place)
I'm trying to figure out from your post: Are you creating your own homebrew version of the Dhampir race? If so, are you aware that there already is a Dhampir race that has a little of what you want (darkvision, light sensitivity)?
Your idea of turning into a bat is a bit overpowered as a racial ability, and I don't know what you mean by "vampire speed" (Dhampirs get +2 DEX, is that what you're looking for?), and the rest of your weaknesses are just roleplaying fluff (hating garlic and holy symbols) unless you create real mechanics for them, such as you become Shaken whenever you are in the presence of a holy symbol (but not even actual vampires have such a weakness).
All the stuff about being afraid of killing comerades, alignment angst, etc., is all just roleplaying anyway. It sounds like a fun concept.
In short, maybe just play the race that already exists, and use class abilities (e.g. druid, etc., to turn into a bat or wizard, etc., to use beast shape and haste spells).
If you really want a homebrew race like you described, then maybe this is a question for the House Rules forum instead?
LOL I spelled it wrong? well you can't really blame me I am new at this :).
| Rynjin |
Play a Dhampir Sorcerer or something that would allow you access to polymorphing stuff and Haste.
There you go. Dhampir with everything you wanted.
Or perhaps a Travel Domain Cleric, get +10 ft. speed and Longstrider as a Domain spell. Fluff your short range teleport as you turning into a cloud of mist and oozing across the ground very quickly to your destination, where you reform.
Stuff like that.
There's two Dhampir only Feats that you may find flavorful, Blood Drinker and Blood Salvage.
Blood Drinker is (stupidly, IMO) an evil act to use, since it requires you to bite a living creature (the fact that this living creature can be an enemy is irrelevant, it's unwilling and therefore evil to drink from), but grants some binuses.
Blood Salvage lets you feed from corpses. This could be a way to get around the hunger a bit, you just find a way to not feed on your friends (since you'll often be satiated) and then can afford to get closer to them.
Another good option for class would be Monk, which will eventually grant you Dimension Door (see above for teleport), and great speed of course. Only thing you're missing is a bat transformation, Oh well.
Take the Hungry Ghost archetype for another "alternative feeding" option (you just drain life energy from your fallen foes, bypassing the need for blood at all, eventually).
Hell, mix Drunken Master with it and fluff the alcohol as bottled blood.
Very vampiric, gaining Ki (and therefore fueling your superhuman abilities) with blood and the raw lifeforce of your enemies.
| DM_Blake |
The "Hunger Chart" you are referencing has a lot of penalties, but very few of them really impact a PC version of a Dhampir. For example, you wouldn't have Channel Resistance, Fast Healing, or DR (and if you did, then this is WAY TOO MUCH for a player race). Also, you can simply feed on any old monster you kill, as long as it has blood. Goblins, orcs, ogres, owlbears, rats, stirges, whatever, so you will never really have to risk eating your companions - although you could still roleplay that way if you want.