Shapechanger. If the vampire isn't in sunlight or running water, it can use its action to polymorph into a Tiny bat or a Medium cloud of mist, or back into its true form.
While in bat form, the vampire can't speak, its walking speed is 5 feet, and it has a flying speed of 30 feet. Its statistics, other than its size and speed, are unchanged. Anything it is wearing transforms with it, but nothing it is carrying does. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
While in mist form, the vampire can't take any actions, speak, or manipulate objects. It is weightless, has a flying speed of 20 feet, can hover, and can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. In addition, if air can pass through a space, the mist can do so without squeezing, and it can’t pass through water. It has advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws, and it is immune to all nonmagical damage, except the damage it takes from sunlight.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the vampire fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Regeneration. The vampire regains 20 hit points at the start of its turn. 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.
Hard to Kill. The vampire dies when it reaches 0 hp from radiant damage or when its body is completely destroyed, such as turned to dust from the disintegrate spell.
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.
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.
Spellcasting. The vampire is a 20th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 19, +11 to hit with spell attacks). The vampire has the following Sorcerer spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): mage hand, prestidigitation, ray of frost, toll the dead
1st level (4 slots): absorb elements, comprehend languages, fog cloud, sleep
2nd level (3 slots): detect thoughts, gust of wind, mirror image
3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, bestow curse, nondetection
4th level (3 slots): blight, dimension door, greater invisibility
5th level (3 slots): dominate person, synaptic static, telekinesis
6th level (2 slots): circle of death, mass suggestion
7th level (2 slots): etherealness, power word pain
8th level (1 slot): Abi-Dalzim’s horrid wilting
9th level (1 slot): time stop
Multiattack. (Vampire Form Only). The vampire makes two attacks, only one of which can be a bite attack.
Unarmed Strike (Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage. Instead of dealing damage, the vampire can grapple the target (escape DC 19).
Bite. (Bat or Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one willing creature, or a creature that is grappled by the vampire, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 5) piercing damage plus 12 (4d6) 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.
Charm. The vampire targets one humanoid it can see within 30 feet of it. If the target can see the vampire, the target must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or be charmed by the vampire. The charmed target regards the vampire as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn't under the vampire's control, it takes the vampire's requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, and it is a willing target for the vampire's bite attack.
Each time the vampire or the vampire's companions do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until the vampire is destroyed, is on a different plane of existence than the target, or takes a bonus action to end the effect.
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.
Bite.(Costs 2 Actions). The vampire makes one bite attack.
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.
Lair Actions
When fighting inside its lair, a vampire can invoke the ambient magic to take lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the vampire takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects:
- The vampire targets any number of creatures it can see within 30 feet of it. No target can regain hit points until initiative count 20 on the next round.
- The vampire creates an illusory duplicate of itself, which appears in its space and lasts until initiative count 20 of the next round. On its turn, the vampire can move the illusory duplicate a distance equal to its walking speed (no action required). The first time a creature or object interacts physically with the vampire for example, hitting it with an attack), there is a 50 percent chance that it is the illusory duplicate that is being affected, not the vampire itself, in which case the illusion disappears.
- The vampire reaches in the mind of a creature and creates an illusion of the person that creature has the most affection for asking them to follow or save them. This illusion can only be seen by the affected creature. The creature must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be incapacitated and must use all their movement to move towards the illusion until the start of the next lair action. The creature has disadvantage if this person is dead or believed dead.
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.
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