Homebrew Dhampir Species Details

Born from the union of a mortal and vampire, dhampirs come into the world as a nexus between the shadow of night and the light of dawn. Dhampirs are born into a world that rejects them. Stigma and suspicion follows them no matter if there true nature is known. This mistrust can force a dhampir to suspicion for others and there motives.

Outcasts

Despite their uncanny beauty and charm, Dhampirs are rarely treated well within human or vampire culture. Those risen within mortal cultures commonly face prejudice for their vampiric heritage. Several dhampirs will work to keep their dhampir identity hidden, allowing particularly human-looking individuals to live among humans without issue. Those who refuse to hide their nature, or are simply incapable of hiding it, prefer a life away from society, most commonly in complete isolation and allowed to embrace who they really are. Dhampirs shunned from common human cultures can still find community among other misfit races.

Sanguine Nature

Dhampir's have a strange relationship with death. Though they are not truly undead and die just like any living creature, they share an unnatural fortitude with their vampire progenitors. They can live for thousands of years if they are not hunted and killed for their dark ancestry. The Dhampir has an inherent thirst for blood and can drink blood in order to replenish their own vitality. While they have the ability to do this, they are not required to drink it to survive. 

While the sun is not as offensive to dhampirs as it is to their vampiric parent, dhampirs nevertheless prefer the dim light and darkness of night to the harsh sunlight. Their aversion to sunlight is so typical that the highly superstitious or untrusting might assume that a dhampir is a vampire itself. Unlike their vampiric parents, dhampirs do not need to use the cover of darkness to carry out predation on the mortal population so instead many dhampirs are acquaint themselves with the local nightlife and criminal organizations that operate largely in the evenings and wee hours of the morning.

Appearance

 While they seem more or less human, many dhampirs have pale skin and dark hair. At birth they resemble stillborn, but they do have a very faint heartbeat. Most even possess sharpened teeth and red irises that faintly glow at night, reminders of their undead heritage. Their looks are human too, though they are described as being more graceful in appearance than humans. They are not as powerful as vampires but are instead granted the gift of not needing to feed on others.  Dhampirs appear tall and sturdy while also having graceful features and a slender appearance which belies their unnatural strength and retain there youth after reaching adulthood.

 

Dhampir Traits

Do to your mixed heritage you gain the following traits:

Ability Score Increase

Increase one ability score by 2 and increase a different one by 1.

Age

Dhampirs mature at the same rate humans do and reach adulthood around the age of 20. They live much longer than humans, however, often living thousands of years. Dhampirs retain their appearance at their maturity. 

Alignment

Most dhampirs are neutral, but some are driven toward evil by the bitterness and suspicion their parentage thrusts upon them. A few turn toward good in defiance of their nature.

Size

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

Speed

Your base walking speed is 35 feet.

Darkvision

Thanks to your heritage, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 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.

Vampiric Resistance

You have resistance to necrotic damage.

Fangs

Do to your vampiric heritage you have retractable fangs that you can use as natural weapons that deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Dexterity modifier.

Sanguine Consumption

Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash your vampiric hunger, causing your eyes to turn into pools of darkness, your fangs to elongate, and wisps of shadow to flow off your form. The instant you transform, other creatures within 10 feet of you that can see you must each succeed on a wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. As a bonus action while transformed, you can make a special attack with your fangs called Sanguine Fangs. If the attack hits, the attack deals a 2d6+ dex in necrotic damage. You heal for half the total damage dealt by this attack. Additionally your walking speed increases by 10 during the transformation.

Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Night Stalker

You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice