Homebrew Dhampir Species Details

Sometimes spelled dhampyre, dhamphir, or dhampyr; Dhampirs are the unholy union between a human woman, and a male vampire. Vampires often stalk women at night, waiting for a perfect moment of vulnerability to strike. When the opportunity presents itself, the vampire swoops in, and bites the victim on the neck, making her his thrall, or his magically charmed, unwilling servant.

Vampires are insidious creatures, that play with their servants over a period of time. If the vampire so desires, he lures the charmed woman to his lair. It is there that he impregnates the woman. This is how Dhampires are born. For inexplicable reasons, the mother almost always perishes during the birthing process. If the dhampire infants are not killed immediately after birth, they are often orphaned, and forced to live a life of solitude and distrust.

Not Quite Human

Dhampires are elegant looking humans, with grace and confidance oozing from every step they take. They are often good looking humanoids, with sleek, black hair and cold, piercing eyes. They look nearly human, except they tend to be slightly thinner and taller than humans on average, they have remarkably pale skin, and have 2 menacing incisors that reveal themselves whenever a Dhampire smiles or bears it's teeth.

Dhampires can almost pass for human but in small communities, the subtle differences will eventually tip off the townsfolk. An angry mob might form with a mission to crucify the would be "vampire" or at the very least, drive it far away from town. In a large urban sprawl, a Dhampir can much more easily blend in with the crowd, especially since there are often much more visually striking oddities roaming around, catching everyone's attention. Regardless of the community they live in, or how human Dhampires look, they just can't shake the fact that they exude an overwhelming sense of dread or impending doom towards whoever they interact with. The feeling is visceral and supernatural in nature

Children of the Night

As a result of being orphaned, ignored, shunned, or hated; Dhampires tend to be loners. They struggle making friends, or really any meaningful connections with others. They are quiet, preferring to keep to themselves to avoid trouble. A loud, boistrous Dhampire is asking to be put in an early grave by holy folk or fearful serfs.

On the flipside, Dhampires consider those who do accept them as diamonds in the rough--that is-- rare cronies that don't want to see them burned alive. These friends of a Dhampire, either do not succumb to their feelings of dread, or do not apparently suffer from these feelings at all. Once a Dhampir makes a friend, unless some unfortunate occurence drives them apart, they tend to be friends for life, and a Dhampir will do whatever they can to keep them healthy and happy.

Spurned by the World

Often left for dead, the lucky few Dhampires that do get saved from the elements eventually form an uneasy bond with their caregivers. As a Dhampir reaches maturity, their caregivers see them more and more as monsters. Their vampiric origins become apparent, and while they were once offered a loving home, it is overwhelmingly common for Dhampires to be driven out of such homes-- sometimes with weapons pointed at them, threatening their life. So these rejects of society are forced to roam the world, tirelessly looking for a place to belong.

Contrary to popular opinion, Dhampires are not necessarily evil. Though many do succumb to their darker nature, or are driven there by how society treats them, many grow to abhor the very creatures responsible for creating them, and seek to destroy them in any way they can. Their motivations may be primarily vengeance, but such Dhampires often do so because they want to rid the world of evil, and destroying vampires is a logical place to start since they already have a personal vendetta with one.

Other good dhampires may simply just want to fit in and live a normal life. They are driven by an insatiable need for normalcy, even monotony in their lives. Dhampires may not be driven to destroy evil or protect others, but rather to just subsist and interact with others without having to flee from town to town or having to worry about plots being devised to destroy them.

Exploration and Adventure

The life of an adventurer comes naturally to most dhampirs, since constant persecution condemns many to spend their days wandering. Evil dhampirs keep moving to maintain their secrecy and evade lynch mobs, while those who follow the path of vengeance venture forth in search of their despised fathers. Regardless of their reasons, most dhampirs simply feel more at home on the road than in a settlement. Having little formal training, a great many of these journeyers become fighters and rogues.

Almost universally, those inclined toward magic pursue the field of necromancy, though dhampir alchemists have been known to obsess over transforming their own bodies. Those who feel the call of the hunt often become Paladins.

Dhampir Names

Lacking a culture and unified traditions, dhampirs share humans’ predilection for a diversity of names, and most keep their human birth names. Many dhampirs take their mother’s surname, while others take the surname of the towns or regions in which they were born, or use a surname derived from a significant event.

Dhampir Traits

Your dhampir character has a variety of supernatural abilities, the result of their vampiric ancestry.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.

Age

Dhampirs are long lived thanks to their vampire heritage. They reach adulthood at the same rate as a human, but can live for several hundred years. 

Alignment

Most dhampirs succumb to the evil within their blood. They are unnatural creatures, and the foul influence of their undead heritage makes an evil outlook difficult to overcome. Those who struggle against their wicked natures rarely progress beyond a neutral outlook.

Size

Dhampir have the same range of height and weight as humans.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Superior Darkvision

Cursed by your vampire heritage, you can easily see through darkness. 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’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Sunlight Sensitivity

You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.

Vampiric Magic

You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the charm person spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the misty step spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Spider Climb

The vampire can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Bite

Your fangs are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. Once per turn, when you hit a humanoid creature with your bite attack you regain hit points equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1).

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common.