Vampire by

## Vampire

*"Blood is life ... and it shall be mine."*

— *Dracula*

Tall, pale and gaunt humanoids, their otherworldly presence and stillness make a vampire stand out among the warm bodied living. With sharp dark facial features, red eyes that seem to glow in the absence of light and cold bodies that cast no reflection, vampires are as solitary as they come.

Vampires are pale due to their undead nature and avoidance of the sun. While their stillness comes from the fact that they no longer need to draw breath, making every action and inaction a conscious decision on their part. When forced into a corner, their sharp retractable fangs and claws become a declaration of warning to all creatures that bleed as any eloquence in their humanoid guise disappears, replaced with a primal bloodlust as they cut down the living like a plague.

Half-Breed, otherwise known as Dhampirs, or turned Vampires of course will display lesser features resembling that of the Vampire as well as that of the fresh corpse of their other half.

### A Deal Or A Curse
Undead are not born, and vampires are no exception to this. When a creature dies and rises as a vampire or vampire spawn their race becomes this one, losing their previous traits, ability score increases, etc. Only retaining parts of their physical appearance as their personality is warped into a mockery of their former self. Vampires are usually the result of a dark pact and while the mortal may not make the deal with the goal of becoming a vampire in mind the dark powers they've negotiated with cares little and only seeks to sow as much evil and strife within the world as a result of such a deal. Powerful beings of evil such as malevolent gods are also capable of afflicting a mortal with vampirism.

It is a common misconception that being bitten by a vampire can turn you into one. When in practice it only, kills you, warping your body and mind into a creature of evil, a vampire spawn and as such a slave to the true vampire that killed you. It is only by drinking the blood of the vampire that turned you can a vampire spawn then become a vampires. Though, few vampires are willing to relinquish their control in this manner.

### History
According to many sages, a fabled being known as Strahd is said to be the first vampire to be. He was but a man who in a desperate, foolish attempt to win over his true love's heart, forged a pact with dark powers that made him immortal. At the wedding of his brother to his beloved, he confronted his brother and killed him. His love then fled and flung herself from the castle's walls.

Regardless of origin, remaining pure bloods are far and few between, only being able to copulate true vampire spawn amongst themselves. Any half blooded vampires, whether turned or bred, are sterile, such as the conditions of this virus like curse.

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### Vampire Traits
Horned and tailed beings thought erroneously to come from dragons

***Age.*** Vampires are immortal and can be any age. Vampires retain the physical appearance of the age at which they were turned at during their mortal life. They also retain the psychological development associated with that age, therefore vampires who did not reach adulthood in their mortal life may still have the impulses of an adolescent in their vampiric life.

***Alignment.***  Young vampires may keep the lawful, neutral or chaotic alignment they had in life, however, older vampires always lean towards lawfulness, usually following a code of their own design that they've developed over the centuries to ensure their survival. The vast majority of vampires are lawful evil, and none but the greenies attempt to maintain their inner humanity and remain even a neutral, let along a good one.

***Size.*** Vampires can range in height and weight like most humanoids would, though they are normally lighter then they appear to be while looming over others. Your size is Medium.

***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

**Undead.** Your creature type is considered to be undead.

**Claws.** Your set of claws is a natural weapon, which you can use to make an unarmed strike attack. If you hit with it, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier.

**Bite.** Your set of fangs is a natural weapon, which you can use to make a special natural weapon attack. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier. In addition, you may spend up to one-fourth of your hit dice (minimum of one) to deal extra necrotic damage to the target by drinking their blood. Roll the number of your hit dice you chose for damage. You then recover hit points equal to half the necrotic damage dealt.

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**Vampire Weakness.** Although vampires can be incredibly strong, their curse still comes with several notable drawbacks. Regardless of if you are a vampire spawn or a true vampire, you are affected by the following weakness unless specified otherwise:

- **Running Water:** Your flesh is torn apart in the presence of water, you take 20 acid damage when you end your turn in running water.
- **Stake to the Heart:** If a piercing weapon made of wood is driven into your heart while incapacitated, you become paralyzed until the stake is removed.
- **Sunlight Hypersensitivity:** You sear and burn in the light of the sun, your flesh immolating. If you end your turn in direct sunlight, you take 20 radiant damage. You also have disadvantage on any attack rolls and ability checks when in direct sunlight.

**Deadblood.** You are immune to disease and the poison condition, additionally you are resistant to poison.

**Darkvision.** 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.

**Past Life.** Choose another living race besides this one. Before turning into a vampire, you were a member of this race and appear as an undead version of it. Your size, height and movement speed are the same as a typical member of that race. You gain the ability score increases as well as any proficiencies that race would gain.

***Languages.*** You can speak, read, and write Common, and one language of your choice.

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## Vampiric Bloodlines
Vampires vary greatly between the different bloodlines. Though a bloodline does not define one's destiny, it often influences a new fledgling's path. Choose one of the following bloodlines from which your powers stem:

### Blueblood
Your bloodline stems from the cream of society. Decadent nobles, wealthy merchants, and even royalty hail from this strain of vampirism.

* You gain proficiency with the Persuasion skill, if you already had proficiency in the Persuasion skill, then you gain proficiency that your class can pick from.

* Charmed creatures are a willing target for Bite feature. As an action, you may use your Bite feature on a Charmed creature without making an attack roll.

### Feralblood
Your bloodline stems from the primordial vampires of old. The horrid creatures of night that shared more in common with beasts than man.

* You gain proficiency with the Survival skill, if you already had proficiency in the Survival skill, then you gain proficiency that your class can pick from.

* You know the Primal Savagery cantrip. Starting at 3rd level, when you cast Primal Savagery, and hit a target, you can roll a single hit dice to deal extra necrotic damage to the target by drinking their blood. Roll the number of your hit dice you chose for damage. You then recover hit points equal to half the necrotic damage dealt.

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### Demonblood
Your bloodline stems from Orcus' curse of undeath upon the denizens of the Material Plane. Mages, cultists, and priests often belong to this strain of vampirism.

* You gain proficiency with the Arcana skill, if you already had proficiency in the Arcana skill, then you gain proficiency that your class can pick from.

* Starting at 3rd level you gain the ability to summon Skeletal Wings or Demon Wings from your back and fly with them. You have a flying speed of 35 feet. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor.

### Day Walker
Your bloodline stems from the first vampire to ever walk in the sun and feel its warmth without turning to Ash... but there is a price to pay for such warmth.

* You gain proficiency with the Religion skill, if you already had proficiency in the Religion skill, then you gain proficiency that your class can pick from.

* You no longer have the Sunlight Hypersensitivity trait, however you are now vulnerable to Radiant damage.

* You know the Toll the Dead cantrip. Starting at 3rd level, you can also cast the Zone of Truth spell with this trait. Once you cast this spell with this trait, you can't cast that spell again until you finish a long rest. Your spellcasting ability for these spells is Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma, whichever is higher.

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## Vampire Feats
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Vampires have some impressive abilities and it is only the truly ancient and powerful vampires that can utilize them all. As a vampire you have access to the following list of feats and if you are using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking Ability Score Improvement feature to take a vampire feat of your choice instead.

### Feat: Superior Body
You can use your vampiric reflexes to dodge attacks and move with an unearthly grace and ease, gaining the following benefits:

* You can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
* While you are wearing no armor, your Armor Class equals 12 + your Dexterity modifier.
* Your base movement speed increases by 5 feet.

### Feat: Shapechanger
Vampires are known for their ability to shift from form to form. You gain the shapechanger tag and if you are not in sunlight or running water, you can use your action to polymorph into a Tiny bat or a Medium cloud of mist for 1 minute, or back into your true form.

* Bat Form: While in bat form you can't speak, your walking speed is 5 feet, and you have a flying speed of 30 feet. Your statistics, other than your size and speed, are unchanged. Anything you are wearing transforms with you, but nothing you are carrying does. You revert to your true form if you die.
* Mist Form: While in mist form, you can't take any actions, speak, or manipulate objects. You are weightless and have a flying speed of 20 feet, can hover, and can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. In addition, if air can pass through a space, the mist can do so without squeezing, and it can't pass through water. You have advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws, gain a number of temporary hit points equal to twice your level, and are immune to all nonmagical damage, except the damage you take from sunlight.

Once you transform this way you cannot do so again until you complete a short or long rest.

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### Feat: Animating Bite
You can suffuse your unholy lifeforce into creatures you drain. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points you can choose to animate it, causing it to rise at the next midnight as a zombie under your control. This zombie can take simple commands from you and you may have a number of zombies equal to your proficiency bonus under your control through this method at a time. If you already have your maximum number of zombies under your control other corpses which rise due to your bite are not under your control are hostile towards you and others.

### Feat: Children of the Night
As an action, you may magically call 1d4 swarms of bats or rats, provided the sun isn't up. While outdoors, you can call 1d6 wolves instead. The called creatures arrive in 1d4 rounds, acting as your allies and obeying your spoken commands. The beasts remain for 1 hour, and can be dismissed as a bonus action. You may not call on more than one swarm at any time, and you may not summon creatures with this feat more than once every hour.

### Feat: Unnatural Charm
As an action, you can target one humanoid you can see within 30 feet. If the target can see you, it must succeed a Wisdom saving throw, or be charmed. The DC for the save is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. The charmed target regards you as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn't under your direct control, it takes your requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, and it is a willing target for your Vampire Bite.

Each time you or one of your companions do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts for 24 hours, until you are destroyed, until you on a different plane of existence than the target, or if you take a bonus action to end the effect. You can only have one creature charmed this way at once and you can use this trait a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier before you must complete a long rest before using it again.