Vampire (Template)

Vampires speak, read, and write the languages they knew in life.

Template Traits

"Vampire" is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid, or monstrous humanoid (referred to hereafter as the base creature). The creature's type changes to undead. It uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2.

Undead: Vampires have the traits and immunities common to undead.

Hit Dice: Change to d12. Vampires have no Constitution score.

Speed: Same as the base creature. If the base creature has a swim speed, the vampire retains the ability to swim and is not vulnerable to immersion in running water (see below).

Defense: The base creature's natural armor improves by +6.

Attacks: A vampire retains all the attacks of the base creature and gains a slam attack if it didn't already have one. The vampire's slam attack deals damage according to its size: Fine 1, Diminutive 1d2, Tiny 1d3, Small 1d4, Medium-size 1d6, Large 1d8, Huge 2d6, Gargantuan 2d8, Colossal 4d6.

Special Qualities: A vampire retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains the additional special qualities described below.

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 points of temporary Constitution damage each round the pin is maintained.

Create Spawn (Su): A humanoid or monstrous humanoid slain by a vampire's energy drain attack rises as a vampire loyal to its creator (called the master vampire, or simply "master"). The new vampire gains three allegiances (in any order): chaos, evil, and master. All previous allegiances are lost permanently. A vampire loses its allegiance to its master (and may adopt a new allegiance to replace it) only when the master vampire is destroyed.

Domination (Su): As an attack action, a vampire can crush an opponent's will just by gazing into his or her eyes. The vampire can attempt to dominate only one target at a time, and the target must be within 30 feet and able to see the vampire. A target that fails a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 vampire's Hit Dice + vampire's Charisma modifier) becomes the vampire's thrall for 1 day per Hit Die of the vampire. The thrall temporarily loses all previous allegiances and adopts a singular, unswerving allegiance to the vampire. If the vampire commands its thrall to do something blatantly self-destructive, the target can make a Will save to break the vampire's control. If the save succeeds, the target becomes free-willed and regains its previous allegiances.

Energy Drain (Su): A living creature hit by a vampire's slam attack gains two negative levels. See page 226 for more information on energy drain and negative levels. A creature killed by a vampire's energy drain attack rises as a vampire under its creator's control (see Create Spawn, above).

Alternate Form (Su): A vampire can assume the form of a bat, rat, or wolf as a move action. The vampire can remain in that form until it assumes another form or until the next sunrise.

Children of the Night (Su): Vampires command the lesser creatures of the world and, once per day, can call forth a pack of 4d8 rats, a swarm of 10d10 bats, or a pack of 3d6 wolves as a full-round action. These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the vampire for up to 1 hour.

Damage Reduction 15/+1 (Su): In campaigns without magic weapons, the GM can disregard the vampire's damage reduction, change it to 15/silver or 15/wood, or apply the damage reduction only to certain types of weapons (ballistic, bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, or sonic/concussion).

Fast Healing 5 (Ex): A vampire heals 5 points of damage each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 hit points or lower, a vampire automatically assumes gaseous form (see below) and attempts to escape. It must reach its coffin home within 2 hours or be destroyed. (It can travel up to nine miles in 2 hours.) Once at rest in its coffin, its hit points rise to 1 hit point after 1 hour; the vampire then resumes healing at the rate of 5 hit points per round.

Gaseous Form (Su): As a move action, the vampire (and all its gear) becomes insubstantial, misty, and translucent. The vampire gains damage reduction 20/+1 in this form. Its armor (including natural armor) ceases to modify its Defense, though other modifiers (such as from Dexterity and size) still apply. The vampire cannot attack or use supernatural abilities while in gaseous form.

A vampire in this form can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability. It can pass through small holes or narrow openings, even mere cracks. Its gaseous form is subject to wind and cannot enter water or other liquid.

Cold Resistance 20 (Ex): A vampire ignores the first 20 points of cold damage from any cold-based attack.

Electricity Resistance 20 (Ex): A vampire ignores the first 20 points of electricity damage from any electricity-based attack.

Spider Climb (Ex): A vampire can climb sheer surfaces as though with a spider climb spell.

Turn Resistance (Ex): A vampire has +4 turn resistance.

Darkvision (Ex): Vampires have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.

Weaknesses (Ex): A vampire has several weaknesses, described below. A vampire can have fewer weaknesses, but each lost weakness costs a vampire one of its other special qualities. For example, a vampire that is immune to the effects of garlic might be unable to summon children of the night.

Direct Sunlight: The merest sliver of sunlight deals 2d6 points of damage to a vampire. A vampire exposed to direct sunlight for 1 full round must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20) or be consumed by fire and destroyed utterly.

Garlic: A vampire cannot enter or pass through any 5-foot square containing garlic. A vampire takes a -2 penalty on melee attack rolls against a target wearing garlic.

Holy Symbol: A vampire takes a -2 penalty on melee attack rolls against a creature prominently wearing or brandishing a holy symbol. The symbol's touch deals 1d4 points of holy damage to a vampire, and a vampire reduced to 0 hit points in this fashion is destroyed utterly. This holy damage can be healed only by inflict spells.

Inviolate Sanctuary: A vampire cannot enter a privately owned residence unless invited in by the rightful owner or tenant.

Mirror: A vampire in view of a mirror cannot use its domination special quality (see above).

Running Water: A vampire cannot cross running water (but may be carried across). A vampire immersed in running water loses one-third of its remaining hit points each round until it is destroyed at the end of the third round.

Wooden Stake: Wooden weapons that deal piercing damage (such as wooden stakes, arrows, pool cues, spear shafts, and table legs) threaten a critical hit against a vampire on a natural 20 (unless noted otherwise), even though vampires are normally immune to critical hits. A successful critical hit destroys a vampire instantly, turning it to dust.

Allegiances: Previous allegiances are lost, replaced by allegiances to chaos, evil, and master (or simply chaos and evil if the master vampire has been destroyed). Changed allegiances might cause the loss of particular class abilities.

Ability Scores: Vampires gain the following ability score increases: Str +6, Dex +4, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +4. As undead creatures, vampires have no Constitution score.

Skills: Same as the base creature (human vampires retain the extra skill points afforded to all humans). Vampires receive a +8 species bonus on Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks.

Feats: Vampires gain the bonus feats Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, and Lightning Reflexes, assuming the base creature meets the prerequisites and doesn't already have these feats. Human vampires keep the extra feat they gained as a 1st-level human character.

Advancement: By character class.

Vampire (Human Fast Hero 2/Charismatic Hero 3): CR 7; Medium-size undead; HD 5d12; hp 32; Mas -; Init +8; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 25, touch 19, flat-footed 21 (+4 Dex, +5 class, +6 natural); BAB +2; Grap +6; Atk +6 melee (1d6+4, slam); Full Atk +6 melee (1d6+4, slam) +7 melee (2d6/19-20, mastercraft katana), or +6 ranged; FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ blood drain, create spawn, domination (DC 17), energy drain, alternate form, chil-dren of the night, dam-age re-duction 15/+1, fast healing 5, gaseous form, cold and electricity resistance 20, spider climb, +4 turn resistance, darkvision 60 ft., weaknesses; AL evil, chaos, master; SV Fort +2, Ref +10, Will +3; AP 2; Rep +5; Str 19, Dex 18, Con -, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 20.

Skills: Bluff +17*, Diplomacy +9*, Disguise +9, Drive +8, Gather Information +9*, Hide +18, Intimidate +9*, Knowledge (art) +6, Knowledge (current events) +7, Knowledge (popular culture) +7, Perform (stringed instruments) +9*, Listen +10, Move Silently +18, Read/Write Language (any two), Search +10, Sense Motive +8, Speak Language (any two), Spot +10.

*The vampire gains a +3 bonus on these Charisma-based skill checks when influencing members of its chosen gender (see Charm).

Feats: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Exotic Melee Weapon (katana), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Renown, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Stealthy, Windfall.

Talent (Fast Hero): Evasion.

Talents (Charismatic Hero): Charm, favor.

Possessions: Aston-Martin Vanquish sports coupe, eight-bedroom mansion, designer formal wear, mastercraft katana (+1), cell phone, desktop computer (with cellular modem, printer, and scanner), mastercraft violin (+1).