Turn Resistance. The Vampire Necromancer has advantage on saving throws made to resist turning, as do any Undead within its Aura of Annihilation.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the vampire fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Misty Escape. When it drops to 0 hit points outside its resting place, the vampire transforms into a cloud of mist (as in the Shapechanger trait) instead of falling unconscious, provided that it isn't in sunlight or running water. If it can't transform, it is destroyed.
While it has 0 hit points in mist form, it can't revert to its vampire form, and it must reach its resting place within 2 hours or be destroyed. Once in its resting place, it reverts to its vampire form. It is then paralyzed until it regains at least 1 hit point. After spending 1 hour in its resting place with 0 hit points, it regains 1 hit point.
Regeneration. The vampire regains 20 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point and isn't in sunlight or running water. If the vampire takes radiant damage or damage from holy water, this trait doesn't function at the start of the vampire's next turn.
Spider Climb. The vampire can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Vampire Weaknesses. The vampire has the following flaws:
Forbiddance. The vampire can't enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants.
Harmed by Running Water. The vampire takes 20 acid damage if it ends its turn in running water.
Stake to the Heart. If a piercing weapon made of wood is driven into the vampire's heart while the vampire is incapacitated in its resting place, the vampire is paralyzed until the stake is removed.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity. The vampire takes 20 radiant damage when it starts its turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
Spellcasting. The vampire is a 9th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). The vampire has the following wizard spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): mage hand, prestidigitation, ray of frost
1st level (4 slots): shield, Charm Person, sleep
2nd level (3 slots): blindness/deafness, gust of wind, mirror image
3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, bestow curse, nondetection
4th level (3 slots): Shadow of Moil, greater invisibility
5th level (1 slot): Dance Macabre
Multiattack. (Vampire Form Only). The vampire makes two attacks, only one of which can be a Bite attack or Life Drain.
Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. Instead of dealing damage, the vampire can grapple the target (escape DC 18).
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one willing creature, or a creature that is grappled by the vampire, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and the vampire regains hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. A humanoid slain in this way and then buried in the ground rises the following night as a vampire spawn under the vampire's control.
Life Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 30 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) Necrotic damage. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and the vampire regains hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if its hit point maximum is reduced to 0.
A Humanoid slain by this attack rises 24 hours later as a zombie under the vampire’s control, unless the Humanoid is restored to life, or its body is destroyed. The vampire can have no more that twelve zombies under its control by this ability at a time.
Mind Siphon (Recharge 5-6). The vampire targets one humanoid it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 17 Intelligence saving throw, with disadvantage if the vampire has previously consumed the target’s blood. On a failed save the target takes 28 (8d6) psychic damage, and the vampire discerns the target’s surface emotions and thoughts. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage, and the vampire discerns the targets general emotional state, but not its thoughts.
Aura of Annihilation. The vampire activates or deactivates this deathly aura. While active, the aura deals 5 necrotic damage to any creature that ends its turn within 30ft of the vampire. Undead and Fiends ignore this effect.
Command Undead. The vampire mentally commands any undead it created within 60 feet of it (if it control multiple creatures, it can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one). It decides what action the creature will take and where it will move during its next turn, or the vampire can issue a general command, such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor. If the vampire issue no commands, the creature only defends itself against hostile creatures. Once given an order, the creature continues to follow it until its task is complete.
When the vampire is hit by an attack or targeted by the magic missile spell, it may cast shield as a reaction.
The vampire can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The vampire regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Move. The vampire moves up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Unarmed Strike. The vampire makes one unarmed strike.
Summon Undead (Costs 2 Actions). The vampire summons up to five [Tooltip Not Found] or [Tooltip Not Found] in unoccupied spaces within 30 feet of it. They remain until destroyed. Undead summoned this way act on the initiative count of when they were summoned, and obey the vampire.
The vampire can have no more than five Undead summoned by this ability at a time.
Description
General Combat Tactics-
It is best for the Vampire Necromancer to stay out of the front line, despite their hit points, and AC. Instead it is better for them to summon Undead, and continually bring them back into the fray; then dealing killing blows with Life Drain, or Bite in order to continue building their legion.
It is safe to assume that the Necromancer has used all of its 3rd level spell slots, and 1 of its 4th level spell slots to cast animate dead at the start of its day. This means that it should have 5 skeletons, zombies, or a combination of the two, as well as a number of Vampire Spawn.
This being the case-
A Vampire Necromancer’s first turn is best spent casting either Shadow of Moil, or Greater Invisibility. As its action, then Commanding Undead as a bonus action.
summoning additional undead as a Legendary Action, and doing so again whenever its thralls are killed.
On later turns it should use a combination of its Aura, Mind Siphon, and Life Drain effects to damage targets from a distance, while continuing to command its thralls. The Vampire’s Aura should be a mild deterrent for engaging, but gets its real use in granting turn resistance to the Thralls.
Once 5 thralls die, it can use Danse Macabre as its action to recreate them even stronger- although only once.
in effect- early turns should feel like an near endless wave of undead; however if the party can break through the wave, or target the vampire directly he shouldn’t be any more threatening than most other vampires.
Lair and Lair Actions
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:
- There’s a noticeable increase in the populations of bats, rats, and wolves in the region.
- Plants within 500 feet of the lair wither, and their stems and branches become twisted and thorny.
- Shadows cast within 500 feet of the lair seem abnormally gaunt and sometimes move as though alive.
- 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.
If the vampire is destroyed, these effects end after 2d6 days.
Comments