Vampires as PCs - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 finarin_panjoro Jan 10, 2007 22:11:07	This article attempts to provide a method for allowing a PC to be a vampire in a fun and enjoyable fashion. It treads between the areas of monster design, class design, prestige class design, and the management of characters with a significant level adjustment. If the DM allows the player to take the Vampire Template class provided by WotC (see Gaining a Template MidCampaign), then he runs the risk of having the character be to weak to adventure with the other players as the vampire does not gain hit dice, BAB, saves, skills, feats or ability increases for 8 levels (beyond what he gains as vampire bonuses). The loss of hit points and saves is especially debilitating here. If the DM uses *Libris Mortis, which provides us with the Vampire Spawn Monster class, he has the beginnings of solution. Now the character will gain hit dice, feats, ability bonuses, skill points, and saving throws every other level for 8 levels. The problem has been cut in half and is probably manageable with a little tweaking by the DM. Some players, however, really want to be full fledged vampires, not lesser spawn and the vampire spawn lacks several of the cool abilities that we expect vampires to possess (children of the night, alternate form, etc). So, I came up with the idea of introducing a prestige class that transitions the character from being a vampire spawn with class levels into a full fledged vampire. This class adds back in the additional +4 Level Adjustment that exists between a vampire and a vampire spawn. To make the transition happen more smoothly I modified the Vampire Spawn monster class somewhat from what appears in Libris Mortis. I will post only my revisions here since Libris Mortis* is not OGL. You may take them or leave them. Following my modifications to the Vampire Spawn Monster Class is the True Vampire Prestige Class. This is a 4 level Prestige class that allows the PC to complete his transformation into a full-fledged vampire. The True Vampire Prestige Class does not require using my modifications to the Vampire Spawn Monster Class. Vampire Spawn Monster Class Modifications:
#2 robbypants Jan 24, 2007 10:48:37	All in all, this is a fairly nice solution. I have a modified vampire template that I created, but I may seriously reconsider how I implement it after reading this. The way I did it was to give them powers based on their level, but with my system, a level 10 PC that becomes a vampire will have much stronger abilities than a lower level PC. With your system, they'll start the same, until they up their vampire levels, buying off their LA. I'd still keep some portions of my template, as I've modified how a few things work (blood drain, feeding, sleep, sun and water damage to name a few), but I may adopt this LA buy-off approach. Anyway, nicely done! :D
#3 omnefarious Jan 30, 2007 10:40:58	I was thinking on making a NPC a vamp in my Ebberon campaign. Here is some back story to it. The vamp is also a changeling. Quick question, would making a changeling a vamp affect his shape changing ability in any way? Does going from normal to undead do anything to it or is being an undead changeling just a sub-type? My confusion stems from the Renegade Master Maker where on achieving their final level they take on the living construct template and loses all previous racial abilities. Would that be the same thing for what I am asking about the changeling vamp or something entirely different? My PCs have come across a grisly murder and the city guards are on as well as a "Half-Elf" detective/inquisitive who is examining the body. There is a burn mark around the neck (caused by a water whip to hide the bite marks) and there is a calling card. The vamp is a top hitman (rogue/assassin or rogue/shadow dancer) and he only targets upper class people or people of power. The vamp does have a "good" side to him tho, he will not harm women or children and he gives his victims a fighting chance or a chance to redeem themselves. I am also thinking about a fact that the vamp is under the impression that he can be cured of his affliction if he kills a certain number of people. The Half-Elf is actually the vamp and uses his ties to the guard to find out who is under watch/protection and to gain trust from those people. I might have it come down to where he meets up with the PCs and ends up having a change of "heart". The PCs might help him take down his "boss" and he might join them. My only problem with this is that it says when creating a vamp it says that they are generally evil, but with this being in Eb, I find alignments being gray. So maybe he can have a change of alignment and be CN. If he is an Assassin he most likely wont be able to be anything other than NE.

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

finarin_panjoro

Jan 10, 2007 22:11:07

This article attempts to provide a method for allowing a PC to be a vampire in a fun and enjoyable fashion. It treads between the areas of monster design, class design, prestige class design, and the management of characters with a significant level adjustment.

If the DM allows the player to take the Vampire Template class provided by WotC (see Gaining a Template MidCampaign), then he runs the risk of having the character be to weak to adventure with the other players as the vampire does not gain hit dice, BAB, saves, skills, feats or ability increases for 8 levels (beyond what he gains as vampire bonuses). The loss of hit points and saves is especially debilitating here.

If the DM uses Libris Mortis, which provides us with the Vampire Spawn Monster class, he has the beginnings of solution. Now the character will gain hit dice, feats, ability bonuses, skill points, and saving throws every other level for 8 levels. The problem has been cut in half and is probably manageable with a little tweaking by the DM.

Some players, however, really want to be full fledged vampires, not lesser spawn and the vampire spawn lacks several of the cool abilities that we expect vampires to possess (children of the night, alternate form, etc). So, I came up with the idea of introducing a prestige class that transitions the character from being a vampire spawn with class levels into a full fledged vampire. This class adds back in the additional +4 Level Adjustment that exists between a vampire and a vampire spawn.

To make the transition happen more smoothly I modified the Vampire Spawn monster class somewhat from what appears in Libris Mortis. I will post only my revisions here since Libris Mortis is not OGL. You may take them or leave them.

Following my modifications to the Vampire Spawn Monster Class is the True Vampire Prestige Class. This is a 4 level Prestige class that allows the PC to complete his transformation into a full-fledged vampire. The True Vampire Prestige Class does not require using my modifications to the Vampire Spawn Monster Class.

Vampire Spawn Monster Class Modifications:

robbypants

Jan 24, 2007 10:48:37

All in all, this is a fairly nice solution. I have a modified vampire template that I created, but I may seriously reconsider how I implement it after reading this. The way I did it was to give them powers based on their level, but with my system, a level 10 PC that becomes a vampire will have much stronger abilities than a lower level PC. With your system, they'll start the same, until they up their vampire levels, buying off their LA.

I'd still keep some portions of my template, as I've modified how a few things work (blood drain, feeding, sleep, sun and water damage to name a few), but I may adopt this LA buy-off approach.

Anyway, nicely done! :D

omnefarious

Jan 30, 2007 10:40:58

I was thinking on making a NPC a vamp in my Ebberon campaign. Here is some back story to it. The vamp is also a changeling.

Quick question, would making a changeling a vamp affect his shape changing ability in any way? Does going from normal to undead do anything to it or is being an undead changeling just a sub-type? My confusion stems from the Renegade Master Maker where on achieving their final level they take on the living construct template and loses all previous racial abilities. Would that be the same thing for what I am asking about the changeling vamp or something entirely different?

My PCs have come across a grisly murder and the city guards are on as well as a "Half-Elf" detective/inquisitive who is examining the body. There is a burn mark around the neck (caused by a water whip to hide the bite marks) and there is a calling card. The vamp is a top hitman (rogue/assassin or rogue/shadow dancer) and he only targets upper class people or people of power. The vamp does have a "good" side to him tho, he will not harm women or children and he gives his victims a fighting chance or a chance to redeem themselves. I am also thinking about a fact that the vamp is under the impression that he can be cured of his affliction if he kills a certain number of people. The Half-Elf is actually the vamp and uses his ties to the guard to find out who is under watch/protection and to gain trust from those people. I might have it come down to where he meets up with the PCs and ends up having a change of "heart". The PCs might help him take down his "boss" and he might join them.

My only problem with this is that it says when creating a vamp it says that they are generally evil, but with this being in Eb, I find alignments being gray. So maybe he can have a change of alignment and be CN. If he is an Assassin he most likely wont be able to be anything other than NE.