Order of the Vampire

The curse of the vampire lives within your blood. You may hide it, but behind your facade is a terrifying fanged monstrosity that moves at impossible speeds and is nearly impossible to catch. However, there are drawbacks to your condition.

You must avoid the sunlight, however, to any possible extent, and you have to be invited into buildings (through gesture, statement of intent, etc.). You prefer to sleep during the daytime, but you can sleep at night if necessary (sleeping at night will likely be necessary due to other party members' needs). Similarly, you CAN be in the sunlight for short periods of time, but you start to burn after 10-15 minutes and soon after will turn to dust (so short jaunts, crossing streets, or standing where the sunlight hits the forest floor all won't hurt you). At 10 minutes in the sun, you take D20 - your level damage and take the same amount of damage every minute longer you stay in the sun. Depending on how superstitious you are, you might believe, however, that any contact with the sun will prove deadly (consult your DM).

You don't have to eat food or drink water (and normal food and drinks are tasteless to you), but you must feed on living humanoids every two weeks in-game or you will die and turn to dust (without the possibility of resurrection). After a week, you suffer one point of exhaustion per day until you feed. Additionally, after two points of exhaustion, you must roll a Charisma saving throw each night to keep from feeding on your allies. You CAN feed on animals if you're in the woods for too long, but that merely staves off the exhaustion for a day, not for the full two weeks (so, should you drink animal blood only, you must feed every day, not once every two weeks). You can choose whether or not to kill the person you feed off of or not, but if you don't kill them, they must roll a high-DC Intelligence check in the morning or have over 20 passive perception (up to DM) to notice the scar or remember your presence last night (similar to Modify Memory failing or succeeding). While feeding, you can control the dream your victim has.

When you feed on someone and they die as a result, you must roll and Charisma saving throw the morning afterwards to see what traits you pick up from that person. At a DC 10 (baseline), you may pick up one trait you wish to obtain from that person temporarily (a language, posture, accent, stat, etc.). Rolling above a 15 (baseline) means you can choose two traits you wish, and you may, if you wish, pick three traits on a natural 20. If you roll below a 10, or if you want two traits with a roll below 15, you take on a characteristic of that person as judged by your DM (i.e. a stutter or language disability, their worst stat, etc.). You maintain ALL traits you take (good or bad) until you next feed or until you die. Feeding on animals does not alter the traits you have, and should be considered a last resort. 

If you see bleeding, you immediately and uncontrollably transform into your vampiric state, and must roll a Deception check to fool your allies and keep them from seeing your bloodlust. However, you do not expend a charge of your vampiric form by doing so (assuming this will happen often, like in combat). In combat, you can hide your form from your allies with a Deception check or Charisma saving throw (your choice), but your allies can roll matched insight checks if they want to discern where you are or, more likely, what you are. 

If someone has a holy symbol, you are naturally afraid of them. This condition progresses to frightened if they use the symbol on you (to ward you off).

You can control some animals, and all undead serve you (if you so wish). Wolves, in particular, and bats are inclined to trust and obey you, so you automatically succeed on Animal Handling checks towards them. Others, like cats, dogs, and horses, that may sense your true nature, are scared of you. You have disadvantage on Animal Handling checks towards domesticated creatures. If an animal or person invites you in, you may occupy their physical form for up to eight hours (for spying, Persuasion, Deception, etc.), but the person or animal dies in the process. 

You CAN belong to any Alignment and pray to any god, but Lawful Good vampires are extremely improbable, and your DM may choose to lower your alignment according to the actions you take (feeding off someone but not killing them, for example, might lower your status from Lawful Good to Chaotic Good). Depending on which god you pray to, you may pick up some warlock, cleric, druid, or wizard spells through multiclassing, but you use your Charisma modifier to cast them (as you should always be an exceedingly charming vampire, with the sophistication of a gentleman or lady).

At level 11, your transformation can take a new form: you may change into an innumerable swarm of bats. These bats have a high flying speed and maintain all your other stats, but you cannot attack normally as a swarm. Instead, if you wish to attack as a swarm, you must roll an attack (using your attack modifier) on your chosen enemy and for every point over the target's Armor Class, the bats deal your Unarmed Strike damage (so, if the target's AC is 20 and you roll a 24, you will deal four times your Unarmed Strike damage to the target). As a swarm, you cannot suffer attacks of opportunity, and opponents have disadvantage to hit you for the duration (which is the same as a normal transformation). This is intended as a getaway or damage-mitigation tactic rather than an offensive one, so choose wisely which form you take.

You are vulnerable to piercing damage from wooden weapons (e.g. clubs, arrows (because of the arrow shafts), etc.). You are immune to poison damage and disease, and you don't age. For a week after you've fed, you are resistant to necrotic damage, and after that week has passed, you are vulnerable to radiant damage and should avoid garlic. For every second while in running water, you take 1d8 acid damage (baths or other forms of standing water won’t hurt you).

When you fall unconscious, you do not make death saving throws and instantly stabilize. However, outside of healing magics, you must sleep on a bed of your grave soil to recover fully within an hour and wake with one hit point. You should carry a pouch or container of grave soil at all times, as rests (short or long) will not heal you should you sleep on a different surface. There are creative means to getting around this condition (for instance, placing a handful of soil under a normal bed), and you should pursue them when necessary to hide your vampiric nature.

Abilities that normally would utilize your Wisdom modifier or DC now use your Charisma modifier or DC (since you're equal-parts frightening and charming). 

Recommended stats to prioritize: Charisma, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom.

Suggested backgrounds: Noble, Knight, Charlatan, Courtier, Gambler, Haunted One, House Agent (any), Mercenary Veteran, Pirate, Sailor, Smuggler, Soldier.

Heightened Senses

Starting when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you begin to adopt the improved abilities of a natural predator. You gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing, taste, or smell, and you now have proficiency in Charisma saving throws. Additionally, you gain the following feature:

Resilient Skin. You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons that aren’t wooden. So long as you are not wearing heavy armor, you gain a +1 bonus to your Armor Class.

 

Sanguine Nature

Upon choosing this archetype at 3rd level, you begin to learn to control the vampiric curse that now lives in your blood. As a bonus action, you can extend your fangs and assume your natural vampiric form. This form lasts for up to 1 hour after you can no longer see, taste, or smell blood. You can speak, use equipment, and wear armor in this form. You can contract your fangs by using a bonus action on your turn, but must roll a Constitution saving throw to hold back your condition if someone's bleeding near you. You remain in this form if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die. You must be in vampiric form to feed.

You can use this feature an unlimited number of times.

In the Character Builder, set the option for Sanguine Nature to Vampiric Form to activate the bonuses for that form on the character sheet.

Fangless Form

Your character's fangs are not out. Change this option to "Vampiric Form" when the character has assumed their natural form.

Vampiric Form

Selecting this option has updated the character sheet with the features of your vampiric form.

Sanguine Nature Features

While you have embraced your true form, you gain the following features:

Parasitic Precision. You gain a bonus to melee damage rolls for bite or claw attacks equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down). You also have advantage on Dexterity checks and Dexterity saving throws.

Predatory Strikes. Your unarmed (bite or claw attack) strikes are considered a single weapon in regards to your crimson rite feature. When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike, you can make another unarmed strike as a bonus action.

Bloodlust. If you haven't fed in over a week, and you take damage on your turn, you must roll a CHA saving throw to avoid attacking your allies. If you fail (DC 10 baseline), you must attack the closest creature to you before you can take your turn. On a critical failure, you must attack that creature for the entirety of your turn.

Altered Appearance. Your fangs are difficult to hide, so if you wish to keep your true form concealed from your allies, you must make a Deception check upon making a bite attack.

Kiss of the Vampire. You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolIs of your unarmed strikes (bite or claw). Your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 slashing damage. This die increases to 1d8 at 11th level, and 1d10 at 18th level.

Altered Appearance

Your fangs are difficult to hide, so if you wish to keep your true form concealed from your allies, you must make a Deception check upon making a bite attack.

Bloodlust

If you haven't fed in over a week, and you take damage on your turn, you must roll a CHA saving throw to avoid attacking your allies. If you fail, you must attack the closest creature to you before you can take your turn. On a critical failure, you must attack that creature for the entirety of your turn. You can choose whether or not to use your Extra Attack feature for this frenzied attack. If there is more than one possible target, roll to randomly determine the target. 

Kiss of the Vampire

You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolIs of your unarmed strikes (bite or claw). Your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 slashing damage. This die increases to 1d8 at 11th level, and 1d10 at 18th level.

Parasitic Precision

You gain a +1 to melee damage rolls. This bonus increases by 1 at 11th and 18th level. You also have advantage on Dexterity checks and Dexterity saving throws.

Parasitic Precision (level 11)

You gain a +1 to melee damage rolls. This bonus increases by 1 at 11th and 18th level. You also have advantage on Dexterity checks and Dexterity saving throws.

Parasitic Precision (level 18)

You gain a +1 to melee damage rolls. This bonus increases by 1 at 11th and 18th level. You also have advantage on Dexterity checks and Dexterity saving throws.

Predatory Strikes

You can apply your Crimson Rite feature to your unarmed strikes as a single weapon, and when you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.

Vulnerable in the Light

After ten minutes in the sunlight, you take a D20 - half-your-level damage for every second you remain in the sun. If someone uses a holy symbol on you to ward you off, you are considered frightened of them. At the end of each turn, you may make a Wisdom saving throw at disadvantage to resist the effect. Additionally, for every second in running water (streams, rivers, etc.), you take 1d8 acid damage. You cannot enter buildings without the invitation of another (gestured or stated), and you are vulnerable to wooden weapons that deal piercing damage (e.g. arrows or stakes).

Aversion to Daylight

After ten minutes in indirect or direct sunlight, you take a D20 - half-your-level damage for every second you remain in the sun.

Caustic Aquaphobia

For every second in running water (streams, rivers, etc.), you take 1d8 acid damage.

Crossing the Threshold

You cannot enter buildings without the invitation of another (gestured or stated).

Stake Through the Heart

You have damage vulnerability to wooden weapons that deal piercing damage (e.g. arrows or stakes).

Theophobic

As an unholy creature, you are naturally inclined to dislike holy symbols. If someone uses a holy symbol on you to ward you off, you are considered frightened of them. At the end of each turn, you may make a Wisdom saving throw at disadvantage to resist the effect.

Eternal Hunger

You don't need to eat food or drink water, but you must feed every two weeks. After one week, you suffer 1 point of exhaustion each morning until you feed, and are vulnerable to radiant damage. When you gain 2 points of bloodlust-related exhaustion, you must roll a Charisma saving throw every day thereafter to keep from feeding on your allies. By feeding on humanoids, all points of exhaustion are removed. By feeding on animals, you can stave off the next morning's 1 point of exhaustion. You can alter your victim's dream, if they are humanoid, and can choose whether or not to kill them. You are resistant to necrotic damage for a week after you have fed.

Stolen Inheritance

When it comes to drinking blood, you're a connoisseur. Having carefully chosen your victims, you can also choose to receive their natural gifts upon consuming their souls.

When you feed off someone and they die as a result, you can make a CHA saving throw based on your Charisma DC. On a success, choose one desirable trait from your victim to inherit until you next feed. This can include any stat, physical feature, voice, accent, or mannerism (get creative!). On a success of more than 2 above your Charisma DC, inherit two traits of your choice. On a natural 20, pick any 3 traits. On a failure, you inherit a trait of the DM's choice (positive, neutral, or negative). On a natural 1, you inherit 2 DM-controlled traits. Neutral or negative traits might include a stutter, limp, or phobia. No matter what you roll, if you choose, you can inherit as many traits as you wish so long as you ALSO inherit an equal number of DM-chosen traits.

Sleep of the Dead

You have mastered your soul and can block the progress of death, but there are certain caveats to your undead fortitude. You do not age, but in order to get the full benefits of a long or short rest, you must sleep on a bed of your own grave soil. You can use creative means to define "soil" and "bed," in order to hide your nature from your allies, but you cannot recover spells, health, or sanguine transformation uses if you sleep on a different surface. Additionally, you gain the following feature:

Undeath to the Dying: when you fall unconscious, you instantly stabilize and do not need to roll death saving throws. However, you will only recover with a short rest while sleeping on a bed of your own soil for an hour or with the influence of healing magic.

Undeath to the Dying

When you fall unconscious, you instantly stabilize and do not need to roll death saving throws. However, you will only recover with a short rest while sleeping on a bed of your own soil for an hour or with the influence of healing magic.

Shark's Frenzy

You can sense memories by tasting blood in the air. If an ally or enemy you can see bleeds, you can use a bonus action to extract one aspect of information (a name, a location, a damage vulnerability, a damage resistance, etc.) by tasting the air. Additionally, when you see, smell, or taste blood in the air, you transform uncontrollably into your vampiric form (as a free action). You must make a Deception check to hide your true form from others (including allies). If this occurs in combat, you may instead choose to make a Charisma saving throw (unrelated to your Bloodlust saving throw).

Stalker's Prowess

At 7th level, your walking speed increases by 10 ft. You now have 10 feet of flying speed and 3 feet of additional high jump distance. This speed increases by an additional 10 feet at 15th level. Further, your vampiric form gains the Improved Predatory Strikes feature. 

Improved Predatory Strikes. You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls made with your unarmed strikes. This bonus increases by 1 at 11th level (+2) and 18th level (+3). In addition, when you have an active Crimson Rite while in your vampiric form, your unarmed strikes are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage (from non-wooden weapons).

Improved Predatory Strikes

You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls made with your unarmed strikes. This bonus increases by 1 at 11th level (+2) and 18th level (+3).

In addition, when you have an active Crimson Rite while in your hybrid form, your unarmed strikes are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Spider's Grace

You have the agility of a spider, permanently granting you advantage on Stealth checks while in the shadows, as well as a climbing speed of 30 feet.

Courteous Guest

When invited, you may occupy and possess the physical form of any creature or humanoid a size over or under yours for 10 minutes (as an action). In the process,  the host body dies. Additionally, you can reanimate the corpses of those you've drained using the Create Vampire action. Creations have limited intelligence and sentience, however, and only last for 24 + your-Charisma-modifier hours at base level (see Create Vampire for more details).

Reticent Alterations

Starting at 11th level, you learn to unleash and control more of the monster within, and your vampiric form gains the Hematic Regeneration and Bat Form features.

Hematic Regeneration. At the start of each of your turns, before you roll for bloodlust, you regain hit points equal to 1 + your Constitution modifier (minimum of one) if you have at least 1 hit point and no more than half of your hit points left.

Bat Form. When you embrace your inner nature and extend your fangs, you can choose whether or not to assume your normal vampiric form or to become a swarm of bats for up to 8 hours. In this form, your attacks use your normal modifier (DEX) but you do not gain Hematic Regeneration or Parasitic Precision. Upon a successful hit, the target takes your unarmed strike damage multiplied by every point your attack goes over the target's Armor Class (starting at 1 unarmed strike for attacks equal to the target's Armor Class). You cannot suffer attacks of opportunity in bat form, and your fly speed is 30 ft. You may choose which species of bat your swarm becomes when you learn this power.

Bat Form

Upon assuming your natural vampiric form, you can choose to instead become a swarm of bats for up to 8 hours. In this form, your attacks use your normal modifier (DEX) but you do not gain Hematic Regeneration. Upon a successful hit, the target takes your unarmed strike damage multiplied by every point your attack goes over the target's Armor Class (starting at 1 unarmed strike for attacks equal to the target's Armor Class). You cannot suffer attacks of opportunity in bat form, and your fly speed is 30 ft. You may choose which species of bat your swarm becomes when you learn this power.

Hematic Regeneration

At the start of each of your turns, before you roll for bloodlust, you regain hit points equal to 1 + your Constitution modifier (minimum of one) if you have at least 1 hit point and no more than half of your hit points left. You don't gain this benefit if you have 0 hit points.

All Will Serve

You have advantage on all Animal Handling checks with wolves, bats, crows, rats, ravens, owls, bears, and other wild creatures. You have disadvantage on Animal Handling checks with domesticated creatures (cats, dogs, horses, etc.). The undead will obey your commands, and you can roll a contested Persuasion check to take control if they already serve another master. If you created the undead creature, they serve you automatically until they die, and Persuasion checks to turn them against you are at disadvantage.

Fanged Volition

Beginning at 15th level, you've honed your willpower to better resist the violent urges of your vampiric curse. You have advantage on your Wisdom saving throws to maintain control of your bloodlust in vampiric form. In addition, you gain the following features:

Duplicitous Temperament. You have advantage on Charisma saving throws and Deception checks.

Improved Stalker’s Prowess. You gain an additional 10 feet of movement per turn.

Reflection of the Truth

Mirrors are a unique kind of magic you’ve learned to tap into. Whenever you look into a mirror, all illusions and invisibility, including your disguised appearance, fall away, since you now have Truesight when looking into a mirror. Additionally, you may manipulate the image within a mirror up to three times per long rest, to show others what you see (or to trick them).

Sophrosyne

At 18th level, you have learned to control your thirst. You no longer need to roll for Bloodlust while in combat, and can choose whether blood provokes your condition or not. Additionally, you can stay in your natural form indefinitely, and gain 10 more charges to create servants or vampires with.

You also gain the Blood Curse of the Bitten for your Blood Maledict feature. This does not count against your number of blood curses known.