Can you use the vampiric bite as an unarmed strike for the monk multiattack? My DM is open to it.
Vampiric bite:
Your fanged bite is a natural weapon, which counts as a simple melee weapon with which you are proficient. You add your Constitution modifier, instead of your Strength modifier, to the attack and damage rolls when you attack with this bite. It deals 1d4 piercing damage on a hit. While you are missing half or more of your hit points, you have advantage on attack rolls you make with this bite.
When you attack with this bite and hit a creature that isn’t a Construct or an Undead, you can empower yourself in one of the following ways of your choice:
You regain hit points equal to the piercing damage dealt by the bite.
You gain a bonus to the next ability check or attack roll you make; the bonus equals the piercing damage dealt by the bite.
You can empower yourself with this bite a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
With the original 5e version of the Dhampir from Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, you cannot, since it's defined as a "melee weapon", and unarmed strikes do not use weapons. However, if your DM is open to it, then that doesn't matter.
With the updated 5.5e version of the Dhampir from Astarion's Book of Hungers, you can, because the Vampiric Bite is explicitly defined as something you use when you make an Unarmed Strike.
Bites, claws, horns etc are natural weapons, not unarmed strikes. An unarmed strike, per the glossary, is a punch, kick, headbutt etc.
Exceptions to the general rules, are specific rules such as the Alter Self, spell.
There isn’t really a general rule about this at all; each thing like this tells you explicitly whether it counts as a weapon (which they usually did in the 2014 rules) or an Unarmed Strike (which they usually do in the 2024 rules).
As I explained above, the 2014-style Dhampir’s bite is explicitly defined as a weapon, while the 2024-style one is explicitly defined as an Unarmed Strike.
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Can you use the vampiric bite as an unarmed strike for the monk multiattack? My DM is open to it.
Vampiric bite:
Your fanged bite is a natural weapon, which counts as a simple melee weapon with which you are proficient. You add your Constitution modifier, instead of your Strength modifier, to the attack and damage rolls when you attack with this bite. It deals 1d4 piercing damage on a hit. While you are missing half or more of your hit points, you have advantage on attack rolls you make with this bite.
When you attack with this bite and hit a creature that isn’t a Construct or an Undead, you can empower yourself in one of the following ways of your choice:
You can empower yourself with this bite a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Genius with a god complex...
Get the joke?
With the original 5e version of the Dhampir from Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, you cannot, since it's defined as a "melee weapon", and unarmed strikes do not use weapons. However, if your DM is open to it, then that doesn't matter.
With the updated 5.5e version of the Dhampir from Astarion's Book of Hungers, you can, because the Vampiric Bite is explicitly defined as something you use when you make an Unarmed Strike.
pronouns: he/she/they
Bites, claws, horns etc are natural weapons, not unarmed strikes. An unarmed strike, per the glossary, is a punch, kick, headbutt etc.
Exceptions to the general rules, are specific rules such as the Alter Self, spell.
There isn’t really a general rule about this at all; each thing like this tells you explicitly whether it counts as a weapon (which they usually did in the 2014 rules) or an Unarmed Strike (which they usually do in the 2024 rules).
As I explained above, the 2014-style Dhampir’s bite is explicitly defined as a weapon, while the 2024-style one is explicitly defined as an Unarmed Strike.
pronouns: he/she/they