Homebrew Vrykolas Major (Mature Vampire) Species Details

“Eventually, I was able to earn Valthena’s trust and she granted me to enter her home. The irony of such permission was not lost on me, as so much of the legends surrounding vampires hinged on the magic that bound them from entry without invitation. Her body was still and graceful as she welcomed me, and I was captured in awe. Had she not been there, I’d surely have seen the dozens of eyes peering at me from the darkened stairwell. It would be a long time before I learned that we two were never truly alone.”

“Valthena of House Augusten is the sole reason we now have an opportunity to understand the deeper culture surrounding Vampirism and the long undeath. In this study, I will do my best to illustrate the lessons she bestowed upon me as I toured her house and learned  of her methods and sophistication that allowed her to reach a breathtaking 600 years of age post-mortem.”

— Harriet Joelles, House of Ages; A living History in the Eyes of Undeath

Hemophage; Vrykolas Major. You have been infected with a deadly disease that has altered your body forever. Once a living, breathing beacon of life, you have endured a grueling process of infection, metamorphosis, and confirmation that has completely transitioned you into a creature o the night, wholly undead, a Vampire.

This passage describes a Mature Vampire- one who has adjusted fully to undeath. As they continue to Mature, a Vampire will gain in power and abilities. However, this passage does Not Describe Elder Vampires, otherwise known as Vampire Lords (Though they will be mentioned, for context).

Foreword

This custom race is not meant to be used at lower levels, and may be unbalanced levels 1-3 (At which time I’d recommend using the Dhampir lineage for power scaling) Please check in with your DM and read through the traits thoroughly. The traits listed are meant to compliment players who enjoy keeping track of restrictions and drawbacks in exchange for utility. I recommend this as best applied to games with a narrative focus on tracking time and character lore exploration. As a favor to me, the author of this race,  please do not make your DM keep track of your Advantages, Disadvantages, Vulnerabilities, and Vampiric Weaknesses. If these seem like a lot to keep track of, then this may not be the best race for you and the Dhampir is a wonderful option to re-flavor as a full Vampire that is balanced with your party!

A Bad Reputation

Vampires exist in four stages of Undeath, but only one is often seen by the general public, and they are the most terrible of all.

Newborns.

The entire process of vampiric procreation is highly involved, and the results range from macabre family-rearing to terroristic epidemics. Most successful Vampires are born in controlled environments, turned intentionally and nursed by a House or Coven until they are ready to re-enter the world. Vampiric procreation is a hardship and a responsibility, as the transformation is frightful, violent, and leaves a newborn Vampire in a state of fragility. However, most Vampires are not born in this idealistic environment- and those fortunate few are certainly not what the world gets to see. 

Newborn Vampires are by far the most common Vampire, and are entirely responsible for the reputation of being mindless, bloodthirsty, ravenous leeches who kill indiscriminately. This reputation may be true in a Vampire’s youth, as a newborn Vampire requires two to three times the amount of blood a fully Mature Vampire requires. Their bodies are fragile, their insides are on the brink of collapse, and the blood they drink is used as energy almost as fast as they can drink it. 

The vast majority of newborn Vampires are born to other newborn Vampires. Contagious from the moment of reanimation, a wounded newborn Vampire may rip through a settlement of mortals, biting all who cross their path and bleeding freely from wounds inflicted onto them by their struggling prey; The two components of  procreation- the bite, and the exchange of blood from sire to victim. The disease may sweep through a civilization, wreaking havoc as more and more people fall prey to these ravenous newborns and awaken days later with an insatiable, aching thirst for blood. A problem that breeds itself.

From Life to Undeath: What to Expect

Details on the process of infection and transformation provided by Dorian De La Hel, Helledan Sangvenari Hunter and Known Dhampir

So, you’ve been infected with Vampirism! What now? Well, first thing is first- it’s time to get away from everyone you know and love as swiftly as possible and prepare for the next three months of your transformation. The passage below will describe everything you can expect to experience from the moment of infection to the time you regain your sanity- if you’re that lucky.

Stage 1, Infection…

• You have been bitten by A fully transformed, infectious Vampire and you have been exposed to your Sire’s blood. Both components must be present in your body at the same time for the disease to activate, bond, and spread throughout your body. The spread of the disease is similar in theory to a slow-acting venom. It will multiply over time until you are fully permeated with its effects. As the disease spreads and overtakes you, you will experience some ailments that will slowly progress and worsen until your body fails and achieves True Death. This process can take hours to weeks to kill you, and if you die prematurely, the disease will continue to spread through your cadaver on it’s own.
• While alive, the effects of the disease will first induce a sensation of limitless hunger and thirst. You may crave meat, fruit, and copious amounts of water as your body attempts to conserve as much fuel as possible. While you gorge yourself, your body will begin to degrade from the inside out. First you will experience stiffness and joint pain, head fog, fever, and dizziness. Then it will progress to full body aches and lack of coordination, memory loss, and fatigue. Finally you will die of internal hemorrhaging as your vascular system loosens and separates itself from your liquefying organs.

Stage 2, Metamorphosis…

• Your skin will first begin to dehydrate and harden, as a tough material is deposited into your epidermis post-mortem.  This creates a hard shell around your liquefying insides, much akin to a chrysalis, and provide protection while your biological mass is re-arranged. Your organs and vascular system will be completely reworked until it matches the biology of a hemophage. This process takes a massive amount of energy, and it’s success is highly influenced by how much fuel your body had access to before death. When your cadaver runs out of biological material to arrange, the fluid that had acted as lubricant for the changing organs then returns to your skin-  revitalizing it, and you will regain elasticity. Now able to move, fully transformed, a newborn Vampire awakens.
• In the occasion that a victim dies prematurely, or perhaps at the hand of their Sire after having been drained of all of their resources, the metamorphosis will still occur. The process may be quicker, hastened, and far less stable. A newborn Vampire that is born this way is especially volatile- and due to epidemics, this less ideal transformation is by far the most common to occur.

Stage 3, Confirmation…

• Newborn Vampires are fragile and unstable. They require two to three times the amount of blood a Mature Vampire requires. Their body uses the blood they drink almost as fast as they can drink it. At this time they are feral, seeking blood to sustain themselves as they fight to exist. It wont be until their bodies have fully stabilized that they may regain the mind and sanity they had in life. This can take anywhere from a week to nearly a month of constant feeding. If a newborn Vampire fails to feed appropriately, they will starve and wither as their delicate insides rip apart irreparably. Most unattended Vampires do not survive this stage. Even worse, the requirements needed for survival are more severe if the Newborn did not have ample time to prepare for their transformation.
• However, if the Newborn Vampires body is able to stabilize then their thirst will decline and the Vampire will become Fledgeling. Their mind will begin a slow process of returning, and the adjustment period will begin. Most often, it takes a Fledgeling up to a year to regain their full sanity, memories of life, and to learn to compose themselves. It may take up to five years to fully mature, and by this time the Vampire will re-enter the world as a social creature, adept at navigating prey with coordination and discretion.

Sophisticated Vampire Houses and Covens treat this process with the utmost of care. The prospective mortal is cared for and fed while the disease takes their body, the chrysalis is kept in ideal conditions, and the Newborn is kept out of the public view- protected, tended to, and fed regularly. The House or Coven will either provide a steady flow of victims to feed their Newborn, or else the Newborns Sire will over-feed themselves and blood-let as a source of nourishment.

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Vampirism is a biological and Arcane disease that may affect any existing race. As your visage does not change greatly in the metamorphosis between Death and Undeath, Vampires can appear in many shapes, sizes, colors, and dispositions. They may be able to pass, undetected, as their former race. However, it is notable that all racial traits that had been present before turning do disappear, as the transformation churns your body from the inside out and changes everything within. (With the exception of Swim Speeds and Fly Speeds; Speak with your DM about playing Vampire Triton and Aaracockra, as they may have something to say on the matter, and your DMs word is law.) 

It is important to note that because of the bad reputation created by unchecked Newborn Epidemics, most Vampires live with a stigma that they find they cannot outgrow. People are wary of Vampires as a predator and a false citizen, expecting that a Mature Vampire’s sane composition is only a facade, ready to fall away at any moment and reveal the insatiable beast within. A Vampire that has been exposed in this way will be met with fear and open hostility, and possibly, attacked out of terror. It is common practice for mature Vampires to live out of the way, and to only attempt to pass in public as an unassuming member of their former race who just so happens to be accustomed to night life.

Hidden in Plain Sight

While most of the public will know Vampires only through legends, rumors, and the terrible reputation… Not all societies fear them. Mature and Elder Vampires gather in Houses, or sometimes Covens. These complex organizations often require a wide hunting ground to support so many mouths, and the best way to do that is to integrate into a civilizations ecosystem. 

Some mortal leaders may enter into an agreement with a local Vampire House or Coven to achieve a symbiotic relationship. The Vampires may choose to feed strategically, slowly, and out of the public eye while cloaked in discretion and secrecy in exchange for a service. Whether it is keeping away other less civilized monsters, defending the civilization from threat of invasion, or keeping people out of a night-life or sewer system that otherwise weakens the establishment’s grip on control, there are many reasons a Vampire House may be integrated into the shadows of a pristine civilization. Not all agreements are made openly- Vampire Houses may choose to integrate into a society through wealth and careful political influence, or even use a puppet-king to create their own city and an economy to attract more people to hunt from. Some Vampire Houses even choose to move from place to place, following the scent of blood in civil unrest and hunting freely during times of war. Whether their influence is explicit or implicit, the removal of a Vampire House will often rip unforeseen infrastructure from a civilizations natural balance.

Sophistication and Relations: Manners and Etiquette

Tips and Tricks provided by Dorian De La Hel, Helledan Sangevenari Hunter, Known Dhampir

Vampire Society is ruled by etiquette and hierarchy. Unlike the feral youth that starve and wither in the streets, the Vampires who adjust to undeath are far from unreasonable.

There are many ways in which a Vampire and mankind may foster kinship, although with no small mount of respect and understanding for things that cannot and will not change. A Vampire must feed on mortal blood, which creates an inescapable dynamic of Predator and Prey. However, not every exchange of blood must be unpleasant and end in fatality. If a Polite Vampire exists with an abundance of prey, they need not drain the mortal to the point of death, but can instead feed from several companions over a period of time without inflicting harm. This is referred to as Slow Feeding.

Slow feeding is a shared experience that tests the trust between a Vampire and a Mortal. For the Polite Vampire, Slow Feeding is an opportunity to drink with dignity and serenity, rather than fear. The act requires an immense mount of patience and self control. To perform it is to say ‘You are worthy of my respect and careful effort’ and it is a thank-you for the gift of blood. It is an acceptance of Vulnerability, to part from the neck of your mortal and to be known for what you are and then allow this person to leave with your truth. For the mortal, to willingly allow a Vampire to drink from your neck is an act of total physical trust and vulnerability. Rather than being taken, the mortal has the power to give, and let live without threat of extermination. Slow Feeding is immensely culturally important to fostering lasting intimacy and bonds with mortals. It is done between Living and Undead peers to show respect, it may indicate a familial loyalty, and in some rare cases, Slow Feeding may foster a close intimate bond between lovers.

 Equally important to both Vampires and Mortals is the principle of privacy and boundaries. This is magically enforced in Vampires through the power of Forbiddance, and receiving invitation to a Mortal Companions home is seen as a gesture of honorable closeness. Conversely, most Vampire Houses and Covens treat Invitations very seriously.

If a Vampire establishment decides to host, all who are invited to the event are expected to attend. Refusing an invitation is a gesture of great dishonor and disrespect with very few exceptions. However, unless a Vampire’s invitation names you directly, it is perfectly serviceable to send a figure in your stead. Many Coven/Civilization ecosystems operate by means of Vampiric social events. Such events provide the resident Vampires an opportunity to browse new companions to choose between. It is common for invitations to Vampiric events to request a number along with a designation. For example ‘Cordially Invited are Grayson’s Three” would indicate that the Greyson Household must send at least three members to the event.

Choose wisely, when deciding who will attend the Vampire’s event. Your guests are seen as an olive branch, and the quality of your choice will be seen as a direct reflection of how much you value the Vampire House’s influence on your community. Sending only the least-loved of your community is a searing insult that may have consequences upon you or your communities livelihood. Should you send a selection of your most beloved, is seen as a grand gesture of respect and you shall be received graciously. Some, but not all of the Mortals who are sent to the Vampire’s event may be selected to stay permanently- often as a Vampire’s companion to live in luxury and lavish relaxation, with free access to the Vampires wealth of ancient texts and curated collections. This luxury and security will be in exchange for a bond with their host Vampire- a bond that will initially be made during that original event. The mortal is to provide company for months to years- be it friendship, apprenticeship, or romance. They will also serve as a steady, healthy supply of blood- eliminating a sophisticated Vampires need to hunt. A polite, successful companionship may last until the mortal expires, or on occasion, until the House or Coven decides to bestow immortal undeath, creating a new Vampire to stay forever.

Family Crest

Vampires are a social creature, benefiting from organization and coordination.  A Mature Vampire may choose to become a part of a House or Coven, or else they might begin their own House name.

• House: A collection of several Vampires identified by the same Surname. The members of the House will have loyalty to one another with the intimacy of an extended family system, and will often be obedient to one ‘Head of House’. The Vampire Patron of a House is often responsible for Siring the other members, creating a situation where the other Vampires owe their Newborn and Fledgeling survival to one wise protector. The average size of a healthy, successful Vampire House is 3-10 Vampires and may include lesser Vampire Kin.
• Coven: A collection of several Houses, unified under one House. Covens only appear under the guidance of an Elder Vampire who exceeds the age of all others significantly. Covens require an established ecosystem to support such a large collection of Vampires. They are the epitome of Vampiric sophisticated society, and demand complete obedience and discipline.

House Names

Most Vampires will take the surname of their Sire, the House that they live in, or declare their own surname and thus begin the potential for a new Vampire house.

Family Names: House Cirillo, House Augusten, House Lycaster, House Virillian, House Dior , House Romulus, House Fenris, House Sangui, House Rumeus, House Sirian, House Patroclio, House Faustus, House Aufester.

Dhampirs and Spawn

A Mature Vampire may spread Vampirism in two ways. They might create another Vampire as described above, by sharing bite and blood with a mortal. They may also happen to create a Dhampir through some unholy consummation. So where does that leave Vampire Spawn? 

Vampire Spawn are a form of Vampire Kin, Vrykolas Minor. They can only be created by an Elder Vampire who has sown their own blood into the soil if their land or lair. A Bitten Victim that has not been shared the blood of a Sire must be buried in the cursed soil and laid to rest. Their transformation will take place in the rotten earth and when they arise, they will resemble in all ways a Newborn Vampire. They must be tended to and fed in the same manner as any Newborn, but unlike their greater Vampire counterparts, a Vampire Spawn will never truly regain their sanity from life. They remain mindless, even when they are no longer feral, and never regain their memories or autonomy. The Elder Vampire will have total command over them, like the monarch of an undead hive. Spawn have all the appetite of a traditional vampire, and they possess most of a Vampire’s powers, but they are completely unable to use them without permission and direction from their Lord.

Dhampirs are also a form of Vampire Kin, Vrykolas Minor. However, they are set apart in a greater way. A Dhampir will have all of the sanity and autonomy as a true Vampire, but their bodies are not completely Hemophage. No two Dhampirs are completely the same. Some may be more or less reliant on blood as a food source, and they may never develop such conditions as Sunlight Sensitivity, Forbiddance, or an aversion to running water. However, they often do not develop all of the powers associated with Vampirism as well. It is uncommon for a Dhampir to retain the ability to change forms into a Bat or Wolf, and it is very rare for a Dhampir to retreat into a misty form. Some may or may not have access to a limited amount of natural magic. Dhampirs are extremely uncommon as it is only extenuating circumstances that might stop the Vampiric Disease from achieving it’s intended transformation. The best and most well studied circumstance of Dhampiric Creation is when a very pregnant woman is infected with Vampirism and successfully gives birth before her death. The babe will have been able to adapt with the Sire’s Blood and Bite, allowing the living child to coexist with the disease without dying. If a person born this way then dies prematurely, there is a chance that their latent vampiric condition may awaken within their form. Other means have been documented as Tieflings or Aasimar having a natural child with a Vampire- WHile Vampires are normally sterile, divine or infernal intervention may allow for a child to develop after such a union. However, it is rare for two Dhampirs bear the same story and thus, research, rhyme, and reason are difficult to find.

Vrykolas Major (Mature Vampire) Traits

Your Vampire character has a variety of natural abilities, the result of an invasive transformation and grueling trial to survive.

Ability Score Increase

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

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and whatever languages you knew in life.

Age

Vampires are deathless and will continue to operate until they are killed, but their career as an undead creature does have several milestones of development.
Newborn: A Vampire that has recently been turned. They appear as an emaciated, starving version of the person they were in life. They will not visibly age from here-on. 0-1 Months.
Fledgeling: A Vampire that has regained some amount of sanity and impulse control. A Fledgling is no longer emaciated and starving, but still has not fully adjusted to undeath. 0-5 years.
Mature: A Vampire who has regained all of the saity and cunning they had in life, and is ready to either strike out on their own or join a House or Coven. 1-199 Years
Elder: A Vampire that has reached 200 Years of age, throwing their origins into antiquity. These Vampires often hold high positions in society- leading houses, covens, or organizing ecosystems with mortals.

Size

As a biological and arcane disease, Vampirism can affect any race. You retain you form from your previous life.

Speed

Uncanny speed carries you from one target to the next. As a predator, your base walking speed is 35 feet.

Superior Darkvision

Accustomed to the endless night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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.

Deathless Nature

You do not need to breathe and you have resistance to Necrotic Damage. Additionally, you do not need to drink water or eat food. Your body is cold to the touch, and you have no detectable heartbeat. A creature can make a touch-based Investigation check against your passive Deception. On a success, they may glean your true nature.

Spider Climb

You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. In addition, at 3rd level, you can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving your hands free.

Social Predator

You have proficiency in the Persuasion skill. You also naturally learn several spells that assist you on the hunt. At 3rd Level you learn Charm Person. At 5th Level you learn Suggestion. These spells are cast using Charisma as a spellcasting Modifier. 

Shapechanger

 Once Per Day As an action, you can change your form into that of a Bat, a Spider, a Wolf, or a Cat. This transformation lasts for up-to an hour, or until you dismiss it as a bonus action. You can choose to do this Once per Day, and at 10th Level you gain an additional use of this feature. You regain all expended uses after finishing a long rest. 

While transformed as an animal in this way, your body uses the monster stat-block associated with your choice. If you fall to 0 hit-points, you revert to your natural form and carry over the damage equal to the number that had been dealt to your transformed body.

Misty Escape

When you drop to 0 Hit Points, instead of falling unconscious your body will transform into a Cloud of Mist with the same properties as the spell Gaseous Form. You can only regain your Humanoid form in two ways- Being targeted by a Healing spell, or returning to your Vampiric Resting Place and completing a short or long rest.

Upon bursting into mist, you retain your consciousness and can move freely while you continue to make your necessary Death saving Throws. Your Misty Form is vulnerable to Direct Sunlight and magical damage; each time you are exposed to either of these things during a round, roll an additional Death Saving Throw. Failing more than %50 of your cumulative Death Saving Throws will cause you to die while in Misty Form, at which time the mist will swirl and condense into a single gemstone. This Gemstone acts as piece of your body when interpreting spells like Revivify, Resurrection,  and Reincarnate.

Vampiric Bite

Vampiric Bite. Your fanged bite is a natural weapon, which counts as a simple melee weapon with which you are proficient. You add your Constitution modifier, instead of your Strength modifier, to the attack and damage rolls when you attack with this bite. It deals 2d6 piercing damage on a hit. While you are missing half or more of your hit points, you have advantage on attack rolls you make with this bite.

• When you attack with this bite and hit a creature that isn’t a Construct or an Undead, you can empower yourself in one of the following ways of your choice:
  • You regain hit points equal to the piercing damage dealt by the bite.
  • You gain a bonus to the next ability check or attack roll you make; the bonus equals the piercing damage dealt by the bite.
• On a successful hit, You can force the target of the bite to make a Strength Saving Throw, or be grappled by you.
• You can empower yourself with this bite a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Vampiric Weaknesses

Forbiddance. You can't enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants.

Harmed by Running Water. You take 1d8 + (your level) acid when your turn ends in running water.

Stake to the Heart. If a piercing weapon made of wood is driven into your heart while resting, you are paralyzed until the stake is removed.

Sunlight Hypersensitivity. You take 1d8 + (your level) radiant damage when you start your turn in sunlight and are not concealed by a shroud or cloak. While in sunlight, you have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.

Home is where the Heart Heals. In order to gain the benefits of a Long Rest, you must spend at least six hours resting in a designated Vampiric Resting Place, such as a Coffin that you have slept in at least one other time, or a Wondrous Item that gives the same benefits as a Vampiric Resting Place.

Unending Thirst. You must Drink the blood of a humanoid, or succumb to dehydration. Every 72 Hours without drinking blood, gain a level of Dehydration. You must take the Bite attack to drink a humanoid creature’s blood, or you can choose to short-rest with a willing participant and Slow Feed without dealing damage.

Dehydration Level 1: Mild Dehydration, you are never truly sated. For 72 hours you can choose to Slow Feed on a Short Rest, which keeps your Dehydration at bay.
Dehydration Level 2: Moderate Dehydration. After Failing to feed for 4 or more days, you have Disadvantage on Intelligence Checks, as it becomes difficult to think. Make a wisdom Saving Throw when you start a day Moderately Dehydrated (DC 13).On a fail, the DM may invoke your Vampire to Bite (Attack) another creature once, or until successful. This may occur at any time while Moderately Dehydrated.
Dehydration Level 3: Severe Dehydration. After failing to feed for 7 days or more, you have Disadvantage on Wisdom Saving Throws and Intelligence Checks. Make a wisdom Saving Throw when you start a day severely Dehydrated (DC 17) On a fail, the DM may invoke your Vampire to Bite (Attack) another creature twice consecutively, until successful. This may occur at any time while Severely Dehydrated.
Dehydration Level 4: Frenzied Dehydration.  After failing to feed for 10 days or more, you have Disadvantage on Wisdom Saving Throws and Intelligence Checks. Make a wisdom Saving Throw when you start a day with Frenzied Dehydration (DC 20) and again every time you are exposed (within 40 ft) of an open blood source. On a fail, you immediately use all of your movement speed and actions to Bite (Attack) the closest humanoid creature until all bite attacks are successfully expended, even if the Target has dropped to 0 Hit Points.
Dehydration Level 5: Dormancy. After failing to feed for 13 days consecutively, You are so starved for blood, you enter a deep vampiric slumber. You do not die, but you cannot move, take actions, and you are not aware of your surroundings until a humanoid creature comes within 15 feet of you. At this time, you awaken and immediately fail all Wisdom Saving Throws. See Dehydration Level 4 for details.