Currently we are 5th level in a Way of the Wicked Campaign. All the PC's chose to become vampires so we could effectively keep in-sync with each other.
The Greater Vampire is a Prestige Class that is connected to a PC variant of the Vampire template, also known as a "Young Vampire", that is weaker than the full vampire, also known as a "Noble Vampire" template.
Challenge Rating: +1
Senses: The base creature gains darkvision 60 ft. or increases its existing darkvision by 30 ft.
Alignment: The base creature’s alignment moves one step towards evil. Its alignment on the law-chaos axis is unchanged. Like other undead, vampires detect as evil when subjected to detect evil and similar effects, regardless of their actual alignment.
Size and Type: Change the base creature’s type to undead. Recalculate racial hit dice. Do not recalculate hit dice based on class levels. Do not alter its base attack bonus, skill points, or class skills. Its size is unchanged.
Special Attacks: The base creature gains the following special attacks:
Vampire Fangs (Ex): The vampire gains a bite natural attack that deals 1d6 damage (damage given is for medium creatures). If this attack damages a living corporeal creature (excluding constructs, elementals, oozes and undead), the vampire gains gains temporary hit points equal to 1/2 the damage dealt and also slakes his thirst (see the thirst ability, below). At the GM’s discretion, some creatures – such as a golem made of animate blood – may also permit the vampire to gain temporary hit points in this manner. These temporary hit points stack with themselves, up to a maximum equal to 1/2 the vampire’s full normal hit point total, and last for up to 1 hour.
Channel Resistance (Ex): The vampire benefits from +4 channel resistance.
Vampiric Power: Vampires display a variety of powers; the vampire chooses one of the following abilities upon acquiring this template. The vampire gains the chosen ability. Once made, this choice may not be changed:
Familiar Stranger (Sp): The vampire may cast disguise self as a spell-like ability up to three times per day, with a caster level equal to his character level. Starting at 6th level, the vampire may communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 ft. that has a language. At 10th level, the vampire benefits from a constant detect thoughts effect at a caster level equal to his character level.
Hypnotic (Sp): The vampire may cast charm person and charm animal as spell-like abilities up to twice per day, with a caster level equal to his character level. At 6th level, the vampire may also cast charm monster up to twice per day as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to his character level.
Servitor Beast (Ex): The vampire gains an animal companion. His effective druid level is equal to his character level minus three, which might mean that the vampire does not attract a companion immediately. If the vampire would gain an animal companion from another source (such as druid levels), he instead possesses a single animal companion at his highest effective druid level, plus one.
Undying Ferocity (Ex): The vampire gains 2 claw attacks that deal 1d4 damage (or increases the base creature’s existing claw damage by 1 die step; damage given is for medium creatures) and gains temporary hit points equal to 1/2 the damage dealt with these claws (but does not slake his thirst). These temporary hit points are treated as though gained through the vampire’s vampire fangs ability for the purposes of stacking, and last for up to 1 hour.
Special Qualities: The base creature gains the following special qualities:
Shadowless (Ex): A vampire casts no shadows and shows no reflection in a mirror; in a room with shadowy or better illumination, or with one or more mirrors, creatures gain a +5 circumstance bonus on their Knowledge (religion) checks to identify the vampire.
Thirst (Ex): A vampire must feed to sustain themselves. If the vampire does not gain 10 temporary hit points through his bite attack before sunrise each morning, he becomes hungry, suffering a -2 penalty to all D20 rolls, as well as a -1 penalty to the vampire’s save DCs. After three days without feeding, these penalties increase to a -4 to all D20 rolls, -2 to the vampire’s save DCs, and a -2 penalty to the vampire’s caster level, initiator level, and manifester level. These penalties vanish after the vampire has gained the required number of temporary hit points. Vampires that are cut off from the sun (such as by living underground) must meet their feeding requirements every 24 hours.
Vampiric Weakness (Ex): The vampire is vulnerable to sunlight; it becomes exhausted (ignoring immunity) when exposed to direct sunlight and suffers a -4 penalty to its level-based variables (such as those calculated based on caster level, initiator level, manifester level, or character level, among others) while so exposed. Additionally, choose one of the weaknesses listed below. The vampire gains the chosen weakness (once made, this choice may not be altered):
Accursed Being (Ex): The vampire is vulnerable to holy symbols of good-aligned religions; if confronted by such a symbol (wielded by a member of its faith as a standard action or used as part of casting a divine spell) the vampire suffers a -2 penalty to attack rolls and saving throws for 3 rounds. In addition, the vampire cannot cast spells with the evil descriptor that target creatures bearing such symbols, nor include those creatures in the area of spells with the evil descriptor.
Arithmomania (Ex): Some vampires develop an obsession with counting objects. The vampire suffers a -2 penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, and concentration checks while in the presence of a group of small objects (such as a bowl of rice or a pile of coins) that he has not yet counted. This penalty does not stack with itself, and persists as long as the vampire can see the container or pile, or until he spends a fullround action doing nothing but count the objects (the vampire may count up to two groups of objects with the same full-round action, such as a pile of coins and a bowl of rice). If there is more than one grouping of small objects nearby, the penalty lasts until the vampire has counted them all (spending at least one fullround action per grouping).
Foot in the Grave (Ex): The vampire’s body has been weakened by the transition to undeath. The vampire gains a -2 penalty to its Strength and Dexterity whenever it is subjected to a critical hit or sneak attack. This penalty stacks with itself and lasts until the vampire can rest for eight hours.
Purification (Ex): The vampire’s corruption is especially susceptible to fire; it suffers an additional 25% damage (rounded down) from fire damage. A vampire that is immune to fire may not select this weakness, and a vampire that selects this weakness may not gain fire immunity or fire resistance; attempts to do so simply fail.
Spilled Blood (Ex): The vampire is not immune to bleed damage or damage to its Strength and Dexterity scores.
Unclean Being (Ex): The cleansing touch of water is enough to hinder the vampire. While standing in water at least an inch deep, the vampire is slowed. When the vampire is affected by a spell of the water descriptor, they must succeed at an additional Reflex save (DC equal to the spell’s save DC) or suffer 1d6 damage per two caster levels of the spell’s source (items typically have their own caster level).
Ability Score Modifiers: Strength +2 and increase the base creature’s Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma by +2. As an undead creature, the vampire does not have a Constitution score.
Skills: Bluff +2, Diplomacy +2
To become a "Noble Vampire" the "Young" vampire would have to follow a list of feats which grant increasingly more power and weaknesses normally associated with being a Vampire.
The full list can be found here at Obsidian Portal:
The first two feats on this list are for becoming Undead in the first place. As we are already "Young" Vampires we jump straight to qualifying for the following:
The Risen:
Prerequisites: The Bitten, The Dying, 5th level
Benefits: You gain the feats Dodge, Improved Initiative and Lightning Reflexes. Your Dex score is improved by +2. You are now an undead and have no Constitution score. You gain resistance to cold 10 and electricity 10 in addition to all the normal defensive abilities granted by being an undead. You also gain the special attack Blood Drain (as per the vampire template). However, you must sleep in a coffin every night, you gain the vampiric weaknesses to daylight (this replaces being sickened by daylight) and running water, and if you ever go more than twenty four hours without feeding on living blood you become sickened until you feed. If you are sickened from lack of food and encounter a living creature with blood in their veins, you must make a DC 12 Will save or immediately try to drain their blood. If you succeed at such a save you do not have to check again for one hour. If reduced to zero hit points, you fall dead, indistinguishable from a normal corpse. You will remain this way until either you are healed by negative energy or fed blood enough to heal you.
The Initiated:
Prerequisites: The Bitten, The Dying, The Risen, 7th level
Benefits: You gain the feat Combat Reflexes. You gain a +4 racial bonus to Bluff, Perception, Sense Motive and Stealth Checks (the Perception bonus replaces the bonus from the Dying feat). You gain the gaseous form and spider climb special qualities of a vampire (see the vampire template). If reduced to zero hit points You are still sickened if you do not feed but now you need only feed every three days. However, you now recoil from mirrors and strongly presented holy symbols.
True Vampirism:
Prerequisites: The Bitten, the Dying, the Risen, The Initiated, 9th level
Benefits: You gain the full benefit and weaknesses of the vampire template.
Positive Energy Resistance: You gain positive energy resistance equal to 5 + your Hit Dice.
Blood of the Deep (prerequisite, The Risen): You are no longer harmed by running water as other advanced vampires are. Further, you can “fly” through the water. You have a swim speed equal to your normal movement rate.
Blush of Life: You lose the shadowless racial trait. Additionally, you detect as your actual alignment when subjected to the detect evil spell or similar abilities (unless you have another ability that would alter how
you are detected), and Knowledge (religion) checks made to identify you as undead or discern your vampiric nature suffer a -4 penalty.
Creature of Darkness: Your darkvision increases to 120 feet. Additionally, you can see through magical darkness, even that created by "Deeper darkness".
Dark Flight (prerequisites: 11th level or True Vampirism): You gain a fly speed of 40 feet (good maneuverability).
Improved Channel Resistance: Your channel resistance increases by +4 (even if you didn’t have channel resistance).
Red Feast (prerequisites: 9th level or The Risen): Blood is life for all vampires, but you take particular joy in it. Draining blood via your bite attack can heal your HP instead of providing temporary HP.
This feat changes if you ever grow into a vampire noble. In this case, it would do the following: You do 1d6 Constitution damage and gain 10 hit points or 10 temporary hit points from your blood drain special attack.
Sunlight Resistance: Learn to fight off the sun's deadly rays. For young vampires, this means they can walk in the day without immediately exposing their true nature. You will be less tired during the day if forced to remain awake (more like being a living creature that missed sleep), and only fatigued rather than exhausted if forced to stand directly in the sun (all other penalties still apply).
This feat changes if your weakness to the sun should ever grow more pronounced. In this case, rather than being staggered one round then destroyed the next, it would do the following: For a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier you are only staggered in direct sunlight. After that period of grace is over, you remain staggered and on the next round take one third of your hit points in damage. No damage reduction can reduce this. The next you are utterly destroyed.
Finally, we arrive at the Prestige Class.
Requirements:
To qualify to become a Greater Vampire, a character must fulfill all the following criteria
Skills: Knowledge (religion) 3 ranks
Feats: Positive Energy Resistance
Special: Base Attack Bonus +3, or able to cast 2nd level or higher spells, or able to initiate 2nd level or higher maneuvers, or able to manifest 2nd level or higher powers, or able to shape at least 3 veils per day.
Alignment: any.
Hit Die: d8.
Class Skills:
The class skills for a greater Vampire is Knowledge (Religion) (Int)
Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Table: Greater Vampire
Level BAB Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special Class Features
1st +0 +1 +0 +1 Deathly Speed –
2nd +1 +1 +1 +1 Feast of Scraps; +1 level of previous class
3rd +2 +2 +1 +2 Mist Form –
4th +3 +2 +1 +2 Advanced Vampirism; +1 level of previous class
5th +3 +3 +2 +3 Master Vampire –
Class Features
The following are the class features of the Greater Vampire.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Greater Vampire gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Class Features:
At 2nd level, and again at 4th level, the Greater Vampire advances class features just as if she had gained a level in a class she belonged to previously. She does not, however, gain any other benefit that a member of that class might have gained (such as Hit Dice, base attack bonus increases, or skill points). This essentially means that she adds those levels of Greater Vampire to her levels of the previous class and determines her class features (such as power points, initiator level, and bonus feats) accordingly. If the Greater Vampire had more than one class before she became a Greater Vampire, she must choose one of them to augment with this benefit; once made, this choice cannot be changed.
Deathly Speed (Ex):
The greater vampire’s body reacts much faster than other vampires. At first level she increases her Dexterity by 2 and gains Lightning Reflexes as a bonus feat.
Feast of Scraps (Su):
Starting at 2nd level, the greater vampire learns incredible feats of parasitic regeneration. As a swift action, she may expend any number of temporary hit points and heal damage equal to ½ (rounded down) the temporary hit points expended this way. Any excess healing that would bring the greater vampire above her full maximum hit point total is lost.
Mist Form (Sp):
Starting at third level, the greater vampire may use gaseous form as a spell-like ability up to twice per day (with a caster level equal to her character level), except that its casting time is 1 swift action. At fifth level, she may use this ability at will.
Advanced Vampirism:
The greater vampire’s deathly power grows, pouring strength through her undead body. At 4th level, she may select an additional vampiric power (see the vampiric powers) and gain the benefits of that power, just as if she’d selected it when acquiring the vampire template. She may not select a vampiric power she already possesses.
Vampiric Power:
Familiar Stranger (Sp): The vampire may cast disguise self as a spell-like ability up to three times per day, with a caster level equal to his character level. Starting at 6th level, the vampire may communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 ft. that has a language. At 10th level, the vampire benefits from a constant detect thoughts effect at a caster level equal to his character level.
Hypnotic (Sp): The vampire may cast charm person and charm animal as spell-like abilities up to twice per day, with a caster level equal to his character level. At 6th level, the vampire may also cast charm monster up to twice per day as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to his character level.
Servitor Beast (Ex): The vampire gains an animal companion. His effective druid level is equal to his character level minus three, which might mean that the vampire does not attract a companion immediately. If the vampire would gain an animal companion from another source (such as druid levels), he instead possesses a single animal companion at his highest effective druid level, plus one.
Undying Ferocity (Ex): The vampire gains 2 claw attacks that deal 1d4 damage (or increases the base creature’s existing claw damage by 1 die step; damage given is for medium creatures) and gains temporary hit points equal to 1/2 the damage dealt with these claws (but does not slake his thirst). These temporary hit points are treated as though gained through the vampire’s vampire fangs ability for the purposes of stacking, and last for up to 1 hour.
Master Vampire (Sp):
At 5th level, the greater vampire reaches the pinnacle of her deathly power, enabling her to command the dead and living alike. She may use command undead as a spell-like ability at will (with a caster level equal to her character level). Additionally, the greater vampire may cast dominate person up to twice per day as a spell-like ability (with a caster level equal to her character level).
There's definitely some overlap between the two. Deathly Speed and The Risen feat both grant +2 to Dexterity and the Lightning Reflexes feat. Kind of unfortunate about Lightning Reflexes, although I think the +2 to Dexterity from both would stack since they're untyped.
Mist Form granted at 3rd level of Greater Vampire is the Gaseous Form Spell like ability twice/day as a Swift Action but otherwise overlaps with the Gaseous Form ability of The Initiated feat. Although at 5th level it becomes at-will.
Then at 5th level there is also the Dominate Person twice/day spell like ability which overlaps with the Full Vampire Dominate ability.
For my character he is a 5th level Mesmerist. Taking Greater Vampire would definitely slow spellcasting progression, not all the way since there are two levels of Previous Class abilities thrown in, but would give him handful of in-theme spell like abilities.
Is it worth taking both the class, as well as taking the feats to become a Vampire Noble or Full Vampire?