Carn Vampire [Archive] - Wizards Community

Carn Vampire [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
kinem
03-05-04, 06:30 PM This is an alternative vampire for those of us who don't like cheesy quirks or overpowered abilities. What do you think?

CARN VAMPIRE (template)
Carn vampires appear just as they did in life, although they are often pale.

A carn vampire can arise in rare cases when an evil blood drinker dies, or can be created with a create greater undead spell.

The template can be added to a humanoid or monstrous humanoid.

Type: The creature’s type changes to undead. It gains the augmented and shapechanger subtypes.

Hit Dice: Change all current and future Hit Dice to d12s.

Armor Class: The base creature’s natural armor bonus improves by +6.

Blood Drain (Ex): A carn 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 Constitution damage each round the pin is maintained.

Dominate (Su): This is similar to a gaze attack in that the victim must look at the carn vampire, but the carn vampire must use a standard action to target one humanoid. Anyone the vampire targets must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + ½ HD + Cha modifier) or fall instantly under the vampire’s influence as though by a dominate person spell (caster level 12th). This ability has a range of 30 feet and can be used up to three times per day.

Create Spawn (Su): A humanoid or monstrous humanoid slain by Constitution damage from a carn vampire’s blood drain can be made to rise as a carn vampire after 1d4 days. To achieve this the original carn vampire must spend 500 ? xp, and this can only be done up to once per day. The newly created carn vampire becomes evil and initially regards the creator carn vampire as a friend, though this is subject to change as normal.

Alternate Form (Su): A carn vampire can assume the shape of a bat or dire bat as a standard action. This ability is similar to a polymorph spell. It can remain in that form until the next sunrise. (If the base creature is not terrestrial, this power might allow other forms.)

Damage Reduction (Su): A carn vampire has damage reduction 10/silver or (wood and piercing).

Fast Healing (Ex): 5. Even lost limbs or the like are re-grown; regrowing a limb or head takes 10 rounds. If reduced below 0 hp, the carn vampire is not destroyed, but falls unconscious and continues to heal. It can be slain by reducing it to –20 hp or below.

Resistances (Ex): A carn vampire has resistance to cold 10 and electricity 10.

Turn Resistance 4

Sunlight Vulnerability (Ex): A carn vampire’s fast healing does not work while it is in sunlight, and it will instead take 4 hp / round of damage. Cover or concealment reduces the amount of damage by the amount of cover or concealment (typically half). While in sunlight it is also slowed as if by the spell. If it stays in a shady area (lit by reflected sunlight) or there is cloud cover during the day, damage is halved. This damage is divine in nature and results from the influence of good-aligned sun deities, not from the light itself.

Garlic Vulnerability (Ex): A carn vampire is treated as sickened if it smells a strong garlic odor, and finds the odor very unpleasant. (–2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks)

Hunger Vulnerability (Ex): For every day that it does not drain blood from a humanoid or monstrous humanoid, a carn vampire takes 1 point of damage that cannot be repaired until it feeds. Draining blood heals this by 1 point per point of Constitution damage inflicted.

Abilities: Str +6, Dex +4, Con --, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +4

Skills: Carn vampires have a +8 racial bonus on Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks.

Feats: Carn vampires gain Alertness, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, and Lightning Reflexes, assuming the base creature doesn’t already have these feats.

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2

Alignment: Always evil

Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +4 (+5?)

Myths about carn vampires:

These myths are often promoted by carn vampires to mislead potential victims, and are prevalent in areas where these undead have been active for many years. A DC 30 religion check for each rumor reveals that it is false, but only for a person whose training touched on these monsters, as they must be known to his teachers.

Carn vampires are rumored to be repelled by mirrors and to have no reflection and cast no shadow. This myth allows a carn vampire to easily “prove” that he’s just an innocent human. Since a creature that blocked no light would of course be invisible, it is also rumored that a carn vampire is in fact invisible except for a mind-affecting illusion that it creates, so it can become truly invisible at will.

Carn vampires are rumored to be unable to enter a home or other building unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so. People who turned away suspicious travelers at night probably invented this myth. The travelers complied and left, so obviously since they looked suspicious and frightening, they “must have been” guilty but under a supernatural compulsion to leave.

Carn vampires are rumored to be able to assume gaseous form and to be practically indestructible as they will simply assume this form if harmed. An alternative form of this rumor is that the carn vampire’s spirit leaves its body when it is knocked cold, and that it will re-form elsewhere like a lich.

Carn vampires are rumored to sleep in coffins during the day, appearing to be dead. In fact, like other undead, they do not sleep.

Carn vampires are rumored to be repelled by holy symbols. Obviously this myth started when people saw a cleric successfully turn one, but the myth states that anyone can do it.
Ratguy629
03-05-04, 07:22 PM yet another vampire spin off...........*sigh* id just use the one in the book its the most correct legend of vampires
kinem
03-06-04, 09:00 PM Originally posted by Primitive KiKe
Hmm... This is very similar to the Nosferatu Vampire, isn't it?

I don't know. Where is that, and what's it like?

Certainly it's not the first attempt to make a better vampire. This one is intended to make more sense and to be suitable for PC use.

The domination should be limited in daily uses or the PC will use it on everyone.

The abilities that allowed them to gain temporary hp were obviously very broken, as the PC can easily use his bag of rats to gain unlimited hp. And I don't recall anything about inflicting negative levels in the vampire legends.

The create spawn of the standard vamp is very overpowered, it allows them to hand out +8 LA templates like candy and to gain a growing army of slaves.

Maybe the quirks of the standard vampire kind of work if you attribute all of its strange properties to some powerful divine curse, but even that begs the question of why vamps are singled out when normal undead like wights and liches have no such quirky curses.

The no shadow or reflection thing ... is just stupid. I could never use it. The games are for fun, but I think they should make a little bit of sense too.

The no entry without an invitation thing needs is silly but might be useable as a curse they have if it were defined better. Does it just mean they can't intentionally enter, or will a wall of force spring into existance to block it? If it's just a matter of intention, what if a third party carries him? Or what if the vampire closes his eyes and walks in the general direction of an open door to a private house to which he has not been invited in. He will not know when the house starts so by chance he might walk in, right? And he can keep trying until he does. The whole thing is just a silly can of worms and there is not even any reason for it that was given, so why use it?
Ratguy629
03-07-04, 02:20 AM the no shadow and reflection thing means that it has no soul garlic and running water symbolis heath and im not quite sure about not entering someone elses house i forgot but im going to buy a book about vampire legends soon and ill let ya know
kinem
03-07-04, 11:55 AM Originally posted by Ratguy629
the no shadow and reflection thing means that it has no soul

In D&D, that is proven false by the text of the magic jar spell. Zombies have no souls and do cast shadows; vampires have souls and don't. Not that it would have made any sense anyway.
kinem
03-07-04, 02:13 PM Originally posted by Ratguy629
im going to buy a book about vampire legends soon and ill let ya know

I forgot to say thanks for that. I would be curious about the no entry thing. It's cool to know the legends, but they just don't make sense to use in the game, except maybe as something the many ignorant commoners believe.
Ratguy629
03-07-04, 09:33 PM One thing the monsters in the monster manual are jumbled myths from all over the world hydras (roman) gouls (europe) and is imposible to decide on a single rule...and zombies cast physical shadows vampires cast nothing not physical not spiritual. there so many vampire myths anyways be glad we got the one we do...slavic vampire are way difrent to stop a slavic vampie you put poppy seed on the body when it wakes up it must count every single seed. vampires from other countrys have a strange absestion with counting cat hair, holes seeds all sorts of wierd things
Ratguy629
03-07-04, 10:08 PM oh one more thing i spaced. on the creat spawn ability is really blurry to me what is the ritual that creats the vampire anyway if your thinking the whole drink each others blood thing that onley creates a blood ghoul check out the web enchance ment for ghost walk to see more its not really acurete but its the best i could find
kinem
03-09-04, 01:14 AM Originally posted by Ratguy629
to stop a slavic vampie you put poppy seed on the body when it wakes up it must count every single seed. vampires from other countrys have a strange absestion with counting cat hair, holes seeds all sorts of wierd things

The Count (from Sesame Street) must be one of those :)

Now, about my improved vampire - would it be more balanced to change the fast healing to 1/2 HD with LA 5?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
kinem 03-05-04, 06:30 PM	This is an alternative vampire for those of us who don't like cheesy quirks or overpowered abilities. What do you think? CARN VAMPIRE (template) Carn vampires appear just as they did in life, although they are often pale. A carn vampire can arise in rare cases when an evil blood drinker dies, or can be created with a create greater undead spell. The template can be added to a humanoid or monstrous humanoid. Type: The creature’s type changes to undead. It gains the augmented and shapechanger subtypes. Hit Dice: Change all current and future Hit Dice to d12s. Armor Class: The base creature’s natural armor bonus improves by +6. Blood Drain (Ex): A carn 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 Constitution damage each round the pin is maintained. Dominate (Su): This is similar to a gaze attack in that the victim must look at the carn vampire, but the carn vampire must use a standard action to target one humanoid. Anyone the vampire targets must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + ½ HD + Cha modifier) or fall instantly under the vampire’s influence as though by a dominate person spell (caster level 12th). This ability has a range of 30 feet and can be used up to three times per day. Create Spawn (Su): A humanoid or monstrous humanoid slain by Constitution damage from a carn vampire’s blood drain can be made to rise as a carn vampire after 1d4 days. To achieve this the original carn vampire must spend 500 ? xp, and this can only be done up to once per day. The newly created carn vampire becomes evil and initially regards the creator carn vampire as a friend, though this is subject to change as normal. Alternate Form (Su): A carn vampire can assume the shape of a bat or dire bat as a standard action. This ability is similar to a polymorph spell. It can remain in that form until the next sunrise. (If the base creature is not terrestrial, this power might allow other forms.) Damage Reduction (Su): A carn vampire has damage reduction 10/silver or (wood and piercing). Fast Healing (Ex): 5. Even lost limbs or the like are re-grown; regrowing a limb or head takes 10 rounds. If reduced below 0 hp, the carn vampire is not destroyed, but falls unconscious and continues to heal. It can be slain by reducing it to –20 hp or below. Resistances (Ex): A carn vampire has resistance to cold 10 and electricity 10. Turn Resistance 4 Sunlight Vulnerability (Ex): A carn vampire’s fast healing does not work while it is in sunlight, and it will instead take 4 hp / round of damage. Cover or concealment reduces the amount of damage by the amount of cover or concealment (typically half). While in sunlight it is also slowed as if by the spell. If it stays in a shady area (lit by reflected sunlight) or there is cloud cover during the day, damage is halved. This damage is divine in nature and results from the influence of good-aligned sun deities, not from the light itself. Garlic Vulnerability (Ex): A carn vampire is treated as sickened if it smells a strong garlic odor, and finds the odor very unpleasant. (–2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks) Hunger Vulnerability (Ex): For every day that it does not drain blood from a humanoid or monstrous humanoid, a carn vampire takes 1 point of damage that cannot be repaired until it feeds. Draining blood heals this by 1 point per point of Constitution damage inflicted. Abilities: Str +6, Dex +4, Con --, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +4 Skills: Carn vampires have a +8 racial bonus on Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks. Feats: Carn vampires gain Alertness, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, and Lightning Reflexes, assuming the base creature doesn’t already have these feats. Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2 Alignment: Always evil Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +4 (+5?) Myths about carn vampires: These myths are often promoted by carn vampires to mislead potential victims, and are prevalent in areas where these undead have been active for many years. A DC 30 religion check for each rumor reveals that it is false, but only for a person whose training touched on these monsters, as they must be known to his teachers. Carn vampires are rumored to be repelled by mirrors and to have no reflection and cast no shadow. This myth allows a carn vampire to easily “prove” that he’s just an innocent human. Since a creature that blocked no light would of course be invisible, it is also rumored that a carn vampire is in fact invisible except for a mind-affecting illusion that it creates, so it can become truly invisible at will. Carn vampires are rumored to be unable to enter a home or other building unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so. People who turned away suspicious travelers at night probably invented this myth. The travelers complied and left, so obviously since they looked suspicious and frightening, they “must have been” guilty but under a supernatural compulsion to leave. Carn vampires are rumored to be able to assume gaseous form and to be practically indestructible as they will simply assume this form if harmed. An alternative form of this rumor is that the carn vampire’s spirit leaves its body when it is knocked cold, and that it will re-form elsewhere like a lich. Carn vampires are rumored to sleep in coffins during the day, appearing to be dead. In fact, like other undead, they do not sleep. Carn vampires are rumored to be repelled by holy symbols. Obviously this myth started when people saw a cleric successfully turn one, but the myth states that anyone can do it.
Ratguy629 03-05-04, 07:22 PM	yet another vampire spin off...........sigh id just use the one in the book its the most correct legend of vampires
kinem 03-06-04, 09:00 PM	Originally posted by Primitive KiKe Hmm... This is very similar to the Nosferatu Vampire, isn't it? I don't know. Where is that, and what's it like? Certainly it's not the first attempt to make a better vampire. This one is intended to make more sense and to be suitable for PC use. The domination should be limited in daily uses or the PC will use it on everyone. The abilities that allowed them to gain temporary hp were obviously very broken, as the PC can easily use his bag of rats to gain unlimited hp. And I don't recall anything about inflicting negative levels in the vampire legends. The create spawn of the standard vamp is very overpowered, it allows them to hand out +8 LA templates like candy and to gain a growing army of slaves. Maybe the quirks of the standard vampire kind of work if you attribute all of its strange properties to some powerful divine curse, but even that begs the question of why vamps are singled out when normal undead like wights and liches have no such quirky curses. The no shadow or reflection thing ... is just stupid. I could never use it. The games are for fun, but I think they should make a little bit of sense too. The no entry without an invitation thing needs is silly but might be useable as a curse they have if it were defined better. Does it just mean they can't intentionally enter, or will a wall of force spring into existance to block it? If it's just a matter of intention, what if a third party carries him? Or what if the vampire closes his eyes and walks in the general direction of an open door to a private house to which he has not been invited in. He will not know when the house starts so by chance he might walk in, right? And he can keep trying until he does. The whole thing is just a silly can of worms and there is not even any reason for it that was given, so why use it?
Ratguy629 03-07-04, 02:20 AM	the no shadow and reflection thing means that it has no soul garlic and running water symbolis heath and im not quite sure about not entering someone elses house i forgot but im going to buy a book about vampire legends soon and ill let ya know
kinem 03-07-04, 11:55 AM	Originally posted by Ratguy629 the no shadow and reflection thing means that it has no soul In D&D, that is proven false by the text of the magic jar spell. Zombies have no souls and do cast shadows; vampires have souls and don't. Not that it would have made any sense anyway.
kinem 03-07-04, 02:13 PM	Originally posted by Ratguy629 im going to buy a book about vampire legends soon and ill let ya know I forgot to say thanks for that. I would be curious about the no entry thing. It's cool to know the legends, but they just don't make sense to use in the game, except maybe as something the many ignorant commoners believe.
Ratguy629 03-07-04, 09:33 PM	One thing the monsters in the monster manual are jumbled myths from all over the world hydras (roman) gouls (europe) and is imposible to decide on a single rule...and zombies cast physical shadows vampires cast nothing not physical not spiritual. there so many vampire myths anyways be glad we got the one we do...slavic vampire are way difrent to stop a slavic vampie you put poppy seed on the body when it wakes up it must count every single seed. vampires from other countrys have a strange absestion with counting cat hair, holes seeds all sorts of wierd things
Ratguy629 03-07-04, 10:08 PM	oh one more thing i spaced. on the creat spawn ability is really blurry to me what is the ritual that creats the vampire anyway if your thinking the whole drink each others blood thing that onley creates a blood ghoul check out the web enchance ment for ghost walk to see more its not really acurete but its the best i could find
kinem 03-09-04, 01:14 AM	Originally posted by Ratguy629 to stop a slavic vampie you put poppy seed on the body when it wakes up it must count every single seed. vampires from other countrys have a strange absestion with counting cat hair, holes seeds all sorts of wierd things The Count (from Sesame Street) must be one of those :) Now, about my improved vampire - would it be more balanced to change the fast healing to 1/2 HD with LA 5?