Vampire (Variant)

"Before you stands a true vampire, a creature of the night that embodies both beauty and terror. Their form exudes an ethereal allure, with flawless pale skin that glows subtly under the moonlight. Elegant and poised, their features possess a timeless charm, framed by cascades of lustrous, dark hair that seems to capture shadows within its depths. Piercing eyes, glistening like polished onyx, hold an ancient wisdom and an insatiable hunger. Within their mouth, razor-sharp fangs extend with lethal precision, a chilling reminder of their predatory nature. Each movement is grace personified, fluid and deliberate, as they navigate their surroundings with an otherworldly poise. In their presence, an undeniable aura of power and authority emanates, an embodiment of the night that both mesmerizes and terrifies."

Lords of the Night.

Awakened to an endless night, vampires hunger for the life they have lost and sate that hunger by drinking the blood of the living. Vampires abhor sunlight, for its touch burns them. They never cast shadows or reflections, and any vampire wishing to move unnoticed among the living keeps to the darkness and far from reflective surfaces.

Dark Desires.

Whether or not a vampire retains any memories from its former life, its emotional attachments wither as once-pure feelings become twisted by undeath. Love turns into hungry obsession, while friendship becomes bitter jealousy. In place of emotion, vampires pursue physical symbols of what they crave, so that a vampire seeking love might fixate on a young beauty. A child might become an object of fascination for a vampire obsessed with youth and potential. Others surround themselves with art, books, or sinister items such as torture devices or trophies from creatures they have killed.

Born from Death.

Most of a vampire's victims become vampire spawn-ravenous creatures with a vampire's hunger for blood, but under the control of the vampire that created them. If a true vampire allows a spawn to draw blood from its own body, the spawn transforms into a true vampire no longer under its master's control. Few vampires are willing to relinquish their control in this manner. Vampire spawn become free-willed when their creator dies.

Chained to the Grave.

Every vampire remains bound to its coffin, crypt, or grave site, where it must rest by day. If a vampire didn't receive a formal burial, it must lie beneath a foot of earth at the place of its transition to undeath. A vampire can move its place of burial by transporting its coffin or a significant amount of grave dirt to another location. Some vampires set up multiple resting places this way.

Variants: Vampire Spellcasters and Warriors.

Vampires are often varied in their skills and abilities, the two following variants are examples of vampires with different areas of expertise. Both of these variants add abilities to the base vampire statblock, and increases the vampire to CR 15 (13,000 XP). 

Vampire Spellcaster.

Deep within the shadowed recesses of the vampire world, there exists a rare breed of undead known as Vampire Spellcasters. These creatures, already endowed with supernatural strength and immortal life, have delved into the arcane arts to unlock even greater power. Through relentless pursuit of forbidden knowledge and countless hours of study, these vampire spellcasters have become formidable masters of both dark magic and vampiric abilities. They revel in the art of spellcraft, viewing it as a means to further their own dominance and satisfy their insatiable thirst for power. With their cunning and manipulative nature intact, these vampire spellcasters employ their arcane abilities to orchestrate intricate schemes, control lesser beings, and explore the boundaries of magic itself. They are feared not only for their physical prowess and immortality but also for their mastery of spells that can manipulate minds, drain life force, and unleash devastating magical onslaughts upon their enemies. In their twisted quest for supremacy, these vampire spellcasters have become nightmarish embodiments of dark magic, forever lurking in the shadows, waiting to unleash their arcane might upon the world.

A vampire spellcaster has the following changes:

• The vampire’s Intelligence score is 20.
• The vampire has proficiency in the Arcana skill (+10).
• The vampire has the following additional actions:
• Negate Spell (Reaction, Recharge 5-6). The vampire tries to interrupt a spell it sees a creature casting within 60 feet of it. If the spell is 3rd level or lower, the spell fails and has no effect. If the spell is 4th level or higher, the Vampire makes a Intelligence check against a DC of 10 + the spell's level. On a success, the spell fails and has no effect.
• Spellcasting. The vampire casts one of the following spells, using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 18):
• At will: detect magic, fog cloud, mage hand, prestidigitation, sleep
• 2/day each: animate dead (5th-level version), dispel magic, fireball
• 1/day each: cloudkill, finger of death, greater invisibility, teleport
• Misty Step (Legendary Action). The vampire disperses into mist, and reappears, along with anything it is wearing or carrying, up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see (this replaces the vampire’s Move legendary action).

Vampire Warrior.

In the dark realms where night reigns supreme, vampire warriors emerge as ruthless and tyrannical rulers. These ancient creatures of the night have honed their skills in the arts of war, becoming formidable adversaries on the battlefield. Possessing immense strength, speed, and a vast knowledge of combat tactics, they strike fear into the hearts of their enemies. With their iron fists, they rule over vast regions, establishing themselves as cruel overlords who demand unwavering loyalty from their subjects. The vampire warriors' lust for power knows no bounds, and they constantly seek to expand their dominion. Through centuries of existence, they have perfected their martial prowess, combining their supernatural abilities with masterful swordsmanship and strategic brilliance. They command legions of undead soldiers, transforming their territories into nightmarish fortresses guarded by loyal and fanatical followers.

A vampire warrior has the following changes:

• The vampire has 170 hit points (20d8 + 80).
• The vampire’s Strength score is 20.
• The vampire has proficiently in the Athletics skill (+10).
• The vampire wears plate armor, granting it an AC of 18.
• The vampire has the following additional actions:
• Multiattack. The vampire makes two Greatsword or Unarmed Strike attacks in any combination. It can replace one attack with one Bite attack.
• Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage, plus 9 (2d8) necrotic damage.
• Martial Strike (Legendary Action). The vampire makes one Greatsword or Unarmed Strike attack (this replaces the vampire’s Unarmed Strike legendary action).

A Vampire’s Lair

A vampire chooses a grand yet defensible location for its lair, such as a castle, fortified manor, or walled abbey. It hides its coffin in an underground crypt or vault guarded by vampire spawn or other loyal creatures of the night.

Regional Effects

The region surrounding a vampire’s lair is warped by the creature’s unnatural presence, creating any of the following effects:

Corrupted Plantlife. Plants within 500 feet of the lair wither, and their stems and branches become twisted and thorny.

Creeping Fog. A creeping fog clings to the ground within 500 feet of the vampire’s lair. The fog occasionally takes eerie forms, such as grasping claws and writhing serpents.

Living Shadows. Shadows cast within 500 feet of the lair seem abnormally gaunt and sometimes move as though alive.

Vermin Infestation. There’s a noticeable increase in the populations of bats, rats, and wolves in the region.

If the vampire is destroyed, these effects end after 2d6 days.