Homebrew Vampire Race Details
On the outskirts of a rural city perched on a hillside, a cloaked figure watches as a middle aged man staggers out of the local Tavern. The drunk slowly makes his way along the road en route to his home. As the cloaked figure follows the man with sorrowful eyes, Ivory canines begin to protrude past the bottom lip while saliva slowly drips down a pale chin. The next morning, a little girl wakes up to her Mothers shrieks filling the house following urgent rapping on the door.
“Don’t underestimate the allure of Darkness. Even the purest hearts are drawn to it.”
— Niklaus Mikaelson
All seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some embracing darkness, and others fighting it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views.
The Undead
Vampires are pale, humanoid beings who are neither dead nor alive. They are Undead, feeding from the life force of living things. They have dark, even reddish eyes and long, sharp fangs that can be retracted at will. They are known for their strength, speed, and charm, which can be a very deadly combination. Apart from their gained undead appearance, they look very similar to whatever they looked like in life.
Unholy Creation
Humanoid creatures are turned when a Vampire bites it, that creature is buried in the ground, and then rises the next night. The result of this process is a Vampire Spawn, which is not a true Vampire. Vampire Spawn are pawns of the Vampire that turned it, and are completely under the control of their sire. But, if a Vampire Spawn drinks the blood of a True Vampire, it will then become a True Vampire like the one that turned it.
The Vampire
Level Bite Attack Features
1st |
2d6 |
Bite Attack |
3rd |
2d6 |
|
5th |
3d6 |
Healing Blood |
7th |
3d6 |
Blood Manipulation |
9th |
4d6 |
Creatures of the Night |
12th |
4d6 |
Legendary Resistance |
15th |
5d6 |
Multi Attack |
19th |
6d6 |
Flight |
Forsaken Road
Vampires tend to keep to themselves and shy away from others. They choose grand yet defensible locations for their lairs, such as Castles, Manors, or ruins. They then hide their coffins, which they use to spend their sleeping hours beneath the ground. Their resting places are usually well-guarded by traps or other loyal creatures of the night.
Vampire Traits
Vampirism is a curse, however some of the traits that are gained may make one rethink if its really that terrible.Ability Score Increase
Your Charisma, Dexterity and Strength scores all increase by 2.
Age
Vampires are Immortal, and do not age a day from when they were turned.
Alignment
Becoming a Vampire is either by choice, or accident. A pious man seeking immortality, or an Elf desiring power to rule are some scenarios that can turn one into a Vampire. Or even a Half-Orc being in the wrong place at the wrong time could turn into a night of new found immortality. No matter how one came to be a Vampire, after some time of dwelling in darkness, evil might be the easiest thing to cling to. However, with strong enough will, one could maintain their values and remain the alignment they had in life.
Size
There is no change in your size once becoming a Vampire.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 45
Superior Darkvision
You can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can discern color in darkness.
Undead
You are an Undead creature. Necrotic damage does not affect you. You also need 1 ration of blood every 5 days or your body begins to cease functioning. On the 5th day without blood, the Vampire is unable to heal and takes 1d20 of damage every hour and rolls disadvantage on everything. If the Vampire drops to 0 hit points from this, they are paralyzed until force fed blood. Then they regain 1d20 hit points taken from loss of blood and no longer roll disadvantage.
Compulsion
The Vampire can control the mind of another simply through eye contact. The target must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be compelled by the Vampire. Compelled beings usually follow the instructions given to them to the best of their ability, and are willing subjects to the Vampire's bite attack. Some species of naturally occurring herbs can prevent compulsion.
Languages
You know the languages known in life.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity
Because of the corpse a vampire resides in, sunlight burns any skin it comes into contact with. A Vampire takes 20 radiant damage when it starts its turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
Forbiddance
Luckily for every living creature, a Vampire can not enter a residence without an invitation from the owner.
Stake to the Heart
If a piercing weapon made of wood is driven into the Vampires heart, the Vampire begins to desiccate and is paralyzed until the stake is removed. However, if this happens when a Vampire is at 0 hit points, they spontaneously combust and are destroyed. The soul of the Vampire leaves the burning corpse and seeks its final resting place. It may be captured and used as a component to a spell.
Vampiric Feats
Vampires learn these as they become better acquainted with their new Immortal form.
Bite
At 1st level, you can use your sharp fangs to inflict damage. One willing creature, or a creature that is grappled by the Vampire, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 2d6+DEX piercing damage plus 2d8 necrotic damage. The amount of bite damage increases as you gain levels. 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. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. You may use your bonus action to drink their blood dealing 1d12 damage. This also satisfies your need for blood. A humanoid slain after being bitten, and then buried in the ground will rise the following night as a Vampire Spawn.
Healing Blood
Starting at 5th level, your immortal nature is imbedded in your blood, making your Vampire blood able to heal any living creature by 1d20+CON.
Blood Manipulation
When you reach 7th level, your knowledge of organic processes and experience with your victims life blood grants you the dark magic ability to siphon out your targets blood (if they have an open wound) and mold it into any solid construct. This action deals 1d12 damage. The construct becomes liquid if the target dies.
Creatures of the Night
Beginning at 9th level, your relation to dark creatures gives you power over weaker creatures of the night. As an action you can call 2d4 swarms of Bats or Rats at night time, or 3d6 wolves if outside. The creatures arrive in 1d4 rounds and obey your spoken commands.
Legendary Resistance
When you reach 12th level, because you are king of the night, if a you fail a saving throw, you can choose to succeed instead. 3/day
Multi-Attack
At 15th level, the deadly and frightening reputation that proceeds you gives you the ability to make two attacks, only one of which can be a bite attack.
Flight
At 19th level, you gain the ability to Fly. No creature is safe anymore. Your Flying speed is 60 feet.
This one is ridiculously overpowered. I don't get how this got that many upvotes.
It lets you have some additional levels worth of power just at level 1. Then, as you level up, it gets even more ridiculous.
I can see it being overpowered if the DM is going by the rulebook. I instead would only allow Playable Characters to get this at higher levels, maybe even at Level 20, but instead of getting everything from the start, you give your Vampire its own XP system. So you still have to level it up, and you actually feel like you're this all-powerful Vampire, while still working for it.
Im using it for my bbeg, I thinks its great
Yah I think that a game where you start at 20th level and the goal is to make crazy characters this would be great but not in a normal gaming experience.
healing blood seems a bit op among other things. Making the vampire take half of what is rolled may balance it out a bit, eg a vampire uses healing blood and rolls an 18, healing one of its allies for 18hp but in turn the vampire takes 9 damage themself.
I like it all other than the forbiddance part. Ruins most vampire mythos.
Love that everyone flames this because its too op, like, dudes, this is pretty obviously meant to be a race just for fun, wth you getting all worked up about xD
this is too op, which is why im making team four stars alucard to place in the world.
Pretty Decent Vampire Race.
I always found Vampires to be far to weak in D&D so this give it more of the "This thing is really dangerous. Watch out" kind of feel to it.
just keeps getting more devastating and devastating....
Pretty sure this race choice is also doubling a class. Since it has levels you would need to level up vampire instead of another class.. don't think all these bonuses are meant to be free
I almost want to give it the upvote for the originals reference lmao. Yea, I'm gonna do it.