Homebrew Batkin Species Details

Unknown to the general population, Vampires are not the only pale, sunlight averse blood suckers in existence; there is another. The Batkin. Batlike creatures of the night, they can cling to walls with gravity-defying reliability, and have an almost magical amount of charismatic charm, whether they choose to nurture it or not. To compensate for these abilities, they cannot consume wine, they cannot enter a residence without permission, and they have a deep-rooted, insatiable hunger for blood, the blood of sentient creatures especially. This hunger can be all-consuming, if not kept in check, and could lead to them losing control and doing something they might regret. Or perhaps, to some Batkin, this hunger is yet another perk, an opportunity to let loose and become a true, free form of what they were before.

Vampires and Batkin are often mistaken for one another, as they share many characteristics, such as the drinking of blood, and the burning under sunlight, but each do have features unique to them; batkin are not undead, for example, or only vampires can create Spawn. Some believe that these similarities are not coincidental. Perhaps vampirism and batkinism are two different mutations of the same, ancient curse, cast by a vengeful druid, angered by the poaching of their most treasured species. What is known for sure, is that, at one time, poached bats were a delicacy of the rich dignitaries of the world, and it was with them that the infection began, with innocent people being stolen from their homes and reappearing days later, scarred, both physically and mentally, with a thirst for blood and a newfound scorn for sunlight; the same scorn that the local lord-esses and counts had begun to display. Perhaps over time, vampirism and batkinism split off from one another, developing small differences over time. Biodiversity inevitably forms when an environment does not favor any one variety of life, after all.

Batkin Traits

Vampires gain many traits upon being infected, both positive and negative. Over time, new positive traits may appear and old weaknesses may disappear.

Ability Score Increases & AC

It is said that, upon being infected, Batkin develop an air of allure, making it so they can more easily lure their prey closer or get the less fortunate to bend to their will. They also develop quicker reflexes than what they had before the virus reached them.

Charisma increase 2, Dexterity increase 1

AC: 12 + Dex mod

Echolocation

You inherit a limited form of echolocation, being able to, functionally, see in the dark over a limited range.

 

You can make a high-pitched noise in order to see in darkness up to 60 feet. This enables you to see in dim light and complete darkness as if it were dim light.

Increases to unlimited range at 10th level.

 

Batkinic Resistance

Your newfound charming air gives you an eye for similar airs, making you more likely to perceive the caster for what they really are.  

 

You gain advantage against being charmed and you can't be magically put to sleep.

Bloodhound

Because of your body's dependence on blood, you have developed a keen nose for detecting it.

 

You have advantage when making a Perception check for organic beings and traces of blood in a 90 foot radius around you, and you can add your Proficiency bonus to the roll, if you aren’t already.

Bloodthirst

As a melee attack, you can pierce the skin and drink the blood (and health) of either willing or immobile creatures. This deals 1d6 piercing damage and also deals necrotic damage equal to your Constitution modifier for every turn you remain latched on. You will gain the amount of health equal to the total damage you dealt.

Doing so also softens your Blood Dependency by 1 day for every 5 health regained. See Blood Dependency later on for more info.

This piercing damage increases by 1d6 at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level.

Claws

Your fingernails have grown into retractable claws. 

If you already had claws prior to your infection, you will most likely not notice any change.

 

You have grown sets of claws equal to the number of hands you have. These can be used instead of an unarmed strike, dealing 1d4 slashing damage, and can either use Strength or Dexterity for attack rolls.
Increases by 1d4 at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level.

Wall Cling

Your bat-like nature allows you to cling to seemingly smooth surfaces with gravity-defying security.

 

You can cling to difficult surfaces, including upside down, without the need for an ability check.

You cannot climb, however, and will need to jump onto the specific spot you want to cling to from a flat surface.

At 3rd level, you can now fully walk on these surfaces without the need for an ability check, gravity be damned.

Made of Moonbeams

Being a creature of the night, you have a deep, internal connection to the later, darker hours. You feel a massive amount of comfort and safety in the hours after the sun has set. Once you are strong enough, you can even cloak yourself in the light of the moon, making yourself invisible to those around you.

 

At 15th level, you can choose to become completely invisible when standing in the moonlight. You can only be detected through magical means. You can spend 1 total hour invisible before the effect runs out; you will regain use of this feature after you finish a long rest.

Bat Form

You can transmute your body at will into the form of a bat.

 

You become a Small creature and lose the ability to speak, although you can be understood with the Speak with Animals spell.
Your walk speed is reduced to 5, but you gain a flight speed of 30. Your clothes change with you, but your carried items do not. You can only change at night, and need to perform a short rest before transforming again. You cannot transform while under the effects of the Made of Moonbeams trait.

 

At 12th level, you no longer need to short rest in order to transform, and can turn as often as you like.

Turn

The virus that plagues your body resides in your blood, and is highly contagious. If a non-infected being consumes your blood or your blood is injected into them, they will have to make a series of Constitution saving throws functionally similar to death saves over a span of many days, they have to consume grapes or wine for each day they combat it, and they will have disadvantage on all other saving throws during this time. If they fail to consume grapes or fail three saving throws, they will fully transform into a Batkin, causing them to lose the racial traits they had previously for a Batkin’s racial traits. Perhaps as a rule set by whatever or whoever created the virus, only sentient beings can be infected.

 

At 18th level, the batkinic virus has mutated to be transmissible through your saliva, allowing you to, if you choose, infect someone with a bite. If infected by bite, the victim will have to make Constitution saving throws equivalent to death saves in the immediate turns. Consuming grapes will count for an immediate saving roll, but will only work once. If the victim fails three times, they will immediately lose all racial traits they had previously for the Batkin racial traits.

If you choose to attempt to infect someone, the blood drunk from them immediately afterward will heal an additional 4d6 health (and health gained past your max will act as temporary health) and will fully satisfy your Blood Dependency for a month (see Blood Dependency later on for more info).

Forbiddance

You are magically bound by the cruel mistress of decency.

 

The first time you come across a residence, you cannot enter its walls without receiving permission to do so from an occupant of said residence. This invitation can indirectly include you, such as your whole party being invited in without you being specifically barred, and can be either written or spoken to you.

After you have been invited once, you will not need permission to enter again.

Water Bane

You are incapable of coming into contact with running water, as now even the slowest current can tear the flesh from your bones.

 

You will take 1d6 acid damage if you end your turn in running water.

Sunlight Hypersensitivity

Your infection has severely damaged your resistance to sunlight. You can no longer stand in direct sunlight without instantly developing painful welts and burns on your skin anywhere the light touches.

 

You will take 1d6 radiant damage if you end your turn in direct sunlight.

Non-reflective

You have stopped casting both a shadow and a reflection on reflective surfaces, and you can't take pictures of yourself.

 

At 10th level, you will gain Sentient Reflection. You now cast a reflection and you can spend an action to reach into the mirror and pull your reflection out into the physical world. They will act as another you. With every reflection brought through, your remaining health will be equally divided among all versions of you, and if one of you dies, their max health will be equally distributed back to the remaining yous. You can pull a max of 2 additional yous out of the mirror before you cease to cast a reflection, thus no longer having anything to pull out of the mirror; you will continue to lack a reflection until you finish a long rest. You still do not appear in photos, and you still do not cast a reflection.

Bat Sleep

Because of your bat-like nature, you are incapable of falling asleep without hanging upside-down from something, whether that be a wall, a ceiling, or some other hanging fixture. 

Floral Coma

There is something about the aroma, feel, and presence of a black rose that lulls you into a deep, inescapable slumber. So beautiful... So elegant... So..........Ahhhhhh...........

 

If you have a black rose on your person when you take a short or long rest, or a black rose is placed on your person while you are taking a short or long rest, you will be incapable of waking up until the rose is removed by an external source, be that intervention by another player, an NPC, or environmental happenstance. This coma is completely indiscernible from a deep sleep, and you are equally as unaware of the world around you while in it.

Gold Spurn

There's something about the beautiful, glittering substance of gold that dulls your senses, leaving you vulnerable to attack. This spurn was supposedly incorporated into the curse to spite the dignitaries that were meant to be infected with it.

 

A weapon made of pure gold will always succeed in its attack roll against you.

Grape Averse

Perhaps as a response to the rich's original penchant for wine, your body rejects and is repulsed, even burned and poisoned, by the smell, feeling, and taste of grapes.

 

At the end of your turn, if you are within 5 feet of grapes or a substance containing over 50% grapes (with the exception of wine, more on that later), you must roll a Constitution saving throw, if you fail, you will  take 1d4 poison damage. Take 1d6 poison damage if you consume something containing grapes and fail a Constitution saving throw. 

 

If you consume wine or a substance containing over 50% wine, you will immediately take 1d6 poison damage, no saving throw.

Blood Dependancy

Your infection has left you unable to sustain yourself with anything other than blood. Health potions are completely ineffective and food of all kinds tastes bland, stale, or both, offering no health benefits of any kind.

 

You can only regain health, with the exception of hit dice and long rests, through drinking blood. Rations of blood (1d4 + 1 health) are worth 4 ounces and will last you 1 week, although you will be noticeably twitchy in the presence of open blood (a Wisdom saving throw must be made to ensure you don't creepily hover over the source of said open blood, rousing possible suspicion from those around you). Flasks of blood (2d4 + 2) are worth 1 pint and will last 2 weeks, and you will be fully satisfied for those 2 weeks, unfazed by the sight or smell of blood.

If you go over the amount of time you have been allotted from your last intake of blood without consuming more blood, you will start to lose 1d4 health each day, and smell blood more potently, being required to make a Wisdom saving throw whenever you pass a being containing blood, lest you lose control and feast. The required number for the check will rise by 1 for every 2 health you lose.

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