Old school DM (2nd ed) playing with 5e. Started a campaign and one of the PCs is a Dhampir. No big deal, humanoid, different abilities, sure I'll allow it. However, this has gone though a number of changes from what I have been able to find out. Originally a humanoid/undead and had other abilities as well. OK so WoTC changed it to humanoid and kept in Deathless Nature. The character doesnt breathe. This is the ONLY character that isnt a construct that I can find that doesnt breathe.
No big deal why is this important? Well if the character needs to feed to stay alive, which is the nature of why a feeding must happen, they feed for life force. Why would they feed for life force? Probably bc they're not fully alive, they have characteristics of undead. They also dont breathe or age the same, they look paler, more vampiric and more, well, dead.
5e removed things like holy damage, ie cure light wounds, cause light wounds, but 5e cure wounds says does not work on undead or constructs, it doesnt harm them as it did in the past, but it just does nothing. Why? is it because the undead body has no living tissue? so it wouldnt work on regeneration either, i dont think you can regenerate a zombie, but 5e doesnt say it has no effect on undead.
This effects how the Dhampir character heals. they dont just have to feed to heal, medicines should be able to heal, I mean the character can eat so you'd assume that herbs effect them the same way so potions would work. Its important for things like Raise Dead, can a half undead character be raised the same as any other character? When they are raised wouldnt they need to eat? why would they need to eat? Well they need life force to sustain themselves and after resurrection I'd assume they have no life force or very little. So again this "living" character needs to feed to live, when others dont need to feed.
I get "the book says humanoid", but WotC has screwed up plenty before. I think Dhampir can actually be alot cooler than they make it, more nuanced, but they didnt have the stones to really explain what's happening.
I'm giving certain advantage and disadvantage rolls to the character for certain things and stating that healing just doesnt work the same way for them as it does for "normal" people. Save vs death I give advantage, turn undead in their proximity PC will roll a save to see if gives them a disadvantage on attack rolls. They walk both lines, living and undead and i think it should be treated as such.
Has anyone else come up with good homebrew rules for Dhampir?
I get "the book says humanoid", but WotC has screwed up plenty before. I think Dhampir can actually be alot cooler than they make it, more nuanced, but they didnt have the stones to really explain what's happening.
Ruleswise that is it really, they use the same mechanics as any other humanoid. If you want to do it some other way that could be really cool but that would, as Farling said, belong in the homebrew forum instead.
Answered my question. Everyone else plays it like every other non breathing, dead looking, half vampire, life eating humanoid. Normal rules apply. Thanks WotC! Thanks forum peeps.
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Old school DM (2nd ed) playing with 5e. Started a campaign and one of the PCs is a Dhampir. No big deal, humanoid, different abilities, sure I'll allow it. However, this has gone though a number of changes from what I have been able to find out. Originally a humanoid/undead and had other abilities as well. OK so WoTC changed it to humanoid and kept in Deathless Nature. The character doesnt breathe. This is the ONLY character that isnt a construct that I can find that doesnt breathe.
No big deal why is this important? Well if the character needs to feed to stay alive, which is the nature of why a feeding must happen, they feed for life force. Why would they feed for life force? Probably bc they're not fully alive, they have characteristics of undead. They also dont breathe or age the same, they look paler, more vampiric and more, well, dead.
5e removed things like holy damage, ie cure light wounds, cause light wounds, but 5e cure wounds says does not work on undead or constructs, it doesnt harm them as it did in the past, but it just does nothing. Why? is it because the undead body has no living tissue? so it wouldnt work on regeneration either, i dont think you can regenerate a zombie, but 5e doesnt say it has no effect on undead.
This effects how the Dhampir character heals. they dont just have to feed to heal, medicines should be able to heal, I mean the character can eat so you'd assume that herbs effect them the same way so potions would work. Its important for things like Raise Dead, can a half undead character be raised the same as any other character? When they are raised wouldnt they need to eat? why would they need to eat? Well they need life force to sustain themselves and after resurrection I'd assume they have no life force or very little. So again this "living" character needs to feed to live, when others dont need to feed.
I get "the book says humanoid", but WotC has screwed up plenty before. I think Dhampir can actually be alot cooler than they make it, more nuanced, but they didnt have the stones to really explain what's happening.
I'm giving certain advantage and disadvantage rolls to the character for certain things and stating that healing just doesnt work the same way for them as it does for "normal" people. Save vs death I give advantage, turn undead in their proximity PC will roll a save to see if gives them a disadvantage on attack rolls. They walk both lines, living and undead and i think it should be treated as such.
Has anyone else come up with good homebrew rules for Dhampir?
Oh, your last line mentions homebrew. I was going to make comments regarding RAW.
Perhaps this thread needs moving to the homebrew section?
Ruleswise that is it really, they use the same mechanics as any other humanoid. If you want to do it some other way that could be really cool but that would, as Farling said, belong in the homebrew forum instead.
Answered my question. Everyone else plays it like every other non breathing, dead looking, half vampire, life eating humanoid. Normal rules apply. Thanks WotC! Thanks forum peeps.