Vampire
Forever anchored to their coffins and the unholy earth of their graves, these nocturnal predators scheme constantly to strengthen themselves and fill the world with their foul progeny.
Vampires appear just as they did in life, although their features are often hardened and feral, with the predatory look of wolves. Like liches, they often embrace finery and decadence and may assume the guise of nobility. Despite their human appearance, vampires can be easily recognized, for they cast no shadows and throw no reflections in mirrors.
Vampires speak any languages they knew in life.
Creating A Vampire
"Vampire" is a template that can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the "base creature"). The creature's type changes to "undead." It uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Hit Dice: Increase to d12.
Speed: Same as the base creature. If the base creature has a swim speed, the vampire retains the ability to swim and is not vulnerable to immersion in running water (see below).
AC: The base creature's natural armor improves by +6.
Attacks: A vampire retains all the attacks of the base creature and also gains a slam attack if it didn't already have one.
Damage: Vampires have slam attacks. If the base creature does not have this attack form, use the damage values in the table below. Creatures with natural attacks retain their old damage ratings or use the values below, whichever is better.
| Size | Damage |
| Fine | 1 |
| Diminutive | 1d2 |
| Tiny | 1d3 |
| Small | 1d4 |
| Medium-size | 1d6 |
| Large | 1d8 |
| Huge | 2d6 |
| Gargantuan | 2d8 |
| Colossal | 4d6 |
Special Attacks: A vampire retains all the special attacks of the base creature and also gains those listed below. Saves have a DC of 10 + 1/2 vampire's HD + vampire's Charisma modifier unless noted otherwise.
Domination (Su): A vampire can crush an opponent's will just by looking onto his other eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that the vampire must take a standard action, and those merely looking at it are not affected. Anyone the vampire targets must succeed at a Will save or fall instantly under the vampire's influence as though by a dominate person spell cast by a 12th-level sorcerer. The ability has a range of 30 feet.
Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a vampire's slam attack suffer 2 negative levels.
Blood Drain (Ex): A vampire can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, inflicting 1d4 points of permanent Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained.
Children of the Night (Su): Vampires command the lesser creatures of the world and once per day can call forth a pack of 4d8 dire rats, a swarm of 10d10 bats, or a pack of 3d6 wolves as a standard action. These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the vampire for up to 1 hour.
Create Spawn (Su): A humanoid or monstrous humanoid slain by a vampire's energy drain attack rises as a vampire spawn (see the Vampire Spawn) 1d4 days after burial.
If the vampire instead drains the victim's Constitution to 0 or less, the victim returns as a spawn if it had 4 or fewer HD and as a vampire if it had 5 or more HD. In either case, the new vampire or spawn is under the command of the vampire that created it and remains enslaved until its master's death.
Special Qualities: A vampire retains all the special qualities of the base creature and those listed below, and also gains the undead type.
Damage Reduction (Su): A vampire's undead body is tough, giving rho creature damage reduction 15/+1.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A vampire has +4 turn resistance.
Resistance (Ex): A vampire has cold and electricity resistance 20.
Gaseous Form (Su): As a standard action, a vampire can assume gaseous form at will, as the spell cast by a 5th-level sorcerer, but can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.
Spider Climb (Ex): A vampire can climb sheer surfaces as though with a spider climb spell.
Alternate Form (Sn): A vampire can assume rho shape of a bat, dire bar, wolf, or dire wolf as a standard action. This ability is similar to a polymorph self spell cast by a 12th-level sorcerer, except that rho vampire can assume only one of the forms listed here. It can remain in that form until it assumes another or until the next sunrise.
Fast Healing (Ex): A vampire heals s points of damage each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 hit points or lower, a vampire automatically assumes gaseous form and attempts to escape. It must reach its coffin home within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed. (It can travel up to nine miles in 2 hours.) Once at rest in its coffin, it rises to 1 hit point after 1 hour, then resumes healing at the rate of 5 hit points per round.
Saves: Same as the base creature.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +6, Dex +4, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +4. As undead creatures, vampires have no Constitution score.
Skills: Vampires receive a +8 racial bonus to Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks. Otherwise same as rho base creature.
Feats: Vampires gain Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, and Lightning Reflexes, assuming the base creature meets the prerequisites and doesn't already have these feats.
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary pair, gang (2-5), or troop (1-2 plus 2-5 vampire spawn)
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2.
Treasure: Double standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: By character class
Vampire Weaknesses
For all their power, vampires have a number of weaknesses.
Repelling A Vampire
Vampires cannot tolerate the strong odor of garlic and will not enter an area laced with it. Similarly, they recoil from a mirror or a strongly presented holy symbol. These things don't harm the vampire - they merely keep it at bay.
Vampires are also unable to cross running water, although they can be carried over it while resting in their coffins or aboard a ship. They are utterly unable to enter a home or other building unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so. They may freely enter public places, since these are by definition open to all.
Slaying a Vampire
Simply reducing a vampire's hit points to 0 or below incapacitates but doesn't destroy it. However, certain attacks can slay vampires.
Exposing any vampire to direct sunlight disorients it: It can take only partial actions and is destroyed utterly on the next round if it cannot escape. Similarly, immersing a vampire in running water robs it of one-third of its hit points each round until it is destroyed at the end of the third round.
Driving a wooden stake through a vampire's heart instantly slays the monster. However, it returns to life if the stake is removed, unless the body is destroyed. A popular tactic is to cut off the creature's head and fill its mouth with holy wafers (or their equivalent).
Vampire Characters
Vampires are always chaotic evil, which causes characters of certain classes to lose their class abilities. In addition, certain classes suffer additional penalties.
Clerics: Clerics lose their ability to turn undead but gain the ability to rebuke undead. This ability does not affect the vampire's controller or any other vampires that master controls.
Vampire clerics have access so the Chaos, Destruction, Evil, and Trickery domains.
Sorcerers and Wizards: These characters retain their class abilities, but if a character has a familiar (other than a rat or bat), the link between them is broken, and the familiar shuns its former companion. The character can summon another familiar, but it must be a rat or bat.
Sample Vampire: Vampire - 5th Level Character.
The Vampire - Class
"Vampire" is a fairly common acquired template among adventurers. When an adventuring party is attacked by a vampire, those slain by its special abilities may rise as vampires themselves if the proper measures are not taken. If the vampire template is applied to such a character, she would appear to be dead for a time, then return to a tenuous life, slowly succumbing to the seductive lure of the vampire's hunger, sharpened senses, and evil nature.
| The Vampire Template Class | ||
|---|---|---|
| Level | CR | Special |
| 1 | +0 | Con -2, blood drain (lesser), resistances (lesser), spawn slavery, spider climb, vampire bonus feats (Alertness, Dodge) |
| 2 | +0 | Str +2, blood drain (moderate), fortification (light), vampire bonus feats (Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes), vampire skills +2 |
| 3 | +1 | Cha +2, Dex +2, coffin sanctuary (lesser), dominate (lesser), gaseous form (lesser), resistances (greater), slam |
| 4 | +1 | Str +2, alternate form (lesser), blood drain (greater), dominate (moderate), natural armor +2, vampire aversions, vampire skills +4 |
| 5 | +1 | Wis +2, children of the night (lesser), coffin sanctuary (greater), damage reduction 5/ silver and magic, dominate (greater), fortification (moderate), gaseous form (moderate), sunlight & water vulnerability (lesser) |
| 6 | +2 | Int +2, Str +2, fast healing 1, natural armor +2, vampire skills +6 |
| 7 | +2 | Dex +2, children of the night (greater), create spawn (lesser), dominate (superior), energy drain (lesser), gaseous form (greater), sunlight & water vulnerability (greater), undeath, vampire bonus feat (Combat Reflexes) |
| 8 | +2 | Cha +2, alternate form (greater), create spawn (greater), damage reduction 10/silver and magic, energy drain (greater), fast healing 5, natural armor +2, turn resistance +4, vampire skills +8 |
Vampire Template Class Features
All of the following are class features of the vampire template class.
Ability Score Changes: The ability score in question increases or decreases by the indicated amount. Ability score increases are unnamed bonuses that stack with all other bonuses. At 1st level, however, the ability score change is a -2 penalty to Constitution, which represents the physical trauma involved in starting along the path toward undeath. No spell or other effect can remove this penalty.
Blood Drain (Ex): Starting at 1st level, a vampire can attempt to bite a victim with his growing fangs and suck blood. If the vampire makes a successful grapple check and pins the foe, it sucks blood, dealing 1 point of Constitution damage each round that the pin is maintained. With each such successful attack, the vampire gains 1 temporary hit point.
When the vampire reaches 2nd level, his fangs are fully developed, though he has not yet perfected his technique for drawing blood. At this point, his blood drain attack deals 1 point of Constitution drain.
At 4th level, the vampire has mastered the art of drawing blood from a victim. His blood drain attack deals 1d4 points of Constitution drain, and he gains 5 temporary hit points with each successful blood drain.
Resistances (Ex): At 1st level, the vampire gains cold resistance 5 and electricity resistance 5. When he reaches 3rd level, each of these resistances increases to 10.
Spawn Slavery (Su): Typically, a vampire is created when another vampire kills its mortal body by draining all of its blood (see Create Spawn, below). A vampire created in this fashion is under influence of the master vampire's dominate ability, even if it is normally immune to mental control or mind-affecting effects. This control lasts until the master is destroyed. Vampires created through other circumstances (such as unholy rituals or strange, spontaneous magical effects) are not under this sort of control.
Spider Climb (Ex): Beginning at 1st level, the vampire can climb sheer surfaces as though with a spider climb spell.
Vampire Bonus Feats: At 1st, 2nd, and 7th level, the vampire gains the feats indicated on Table SP-1, assuming that he doesn't already have them. If the vampire doesn't meet the prerequisites (if any) for a bonus feat, he gains the feat but cannot use it until he does meet the prerequisites.
Fortification (Ex): When the vampire reaches 2nd level, his internal organs begin to cease functioning as they become unnecessary to his altered metabolism. This process makes him less vulnerable to critical hits, sneak attacks, and other attacks that target a creature's vital spots. The vampire is treated as if he had the light fortification armor property active at all times. This ability gives him a 25% chance to turn a critical hit or sneak attack against him into a normal attack. If the vampire already has fortification from another source (such as a spell or magic item), use the better value.
At 5th level, this ability becomes moderate fortification (50% chance to turn a critical hit or sneak attack into a normal attack).
Vampire Skills: At 2nd level, a vampire gains a +2 racial bonus on Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks. This bonus increases to +4 at 4th level, to +6 at 6th level, and to +8 at 8th level.
Coffin Sanctuary (Ex): Upon reaching 3rd level, a vampire chooses a coffin or similar small enclosed space as his primary resting place. Thereafter, if he is brought to -1 to -9 hit points (if living) or to 0 or fewer hit points (if undead) while outside the coffin, he is forced to assume gaseous form (see below) immediately and flee for his coffin so that he may heal. If the vampire cannot use his vampiric ability to assume gaseous form (for example, if he has expended all his daily uses of that ability), he cannot enter gaseous form under these circumstances and dies immediately.
Any damage dealt to the vampire after he is forced into gaseous form has no effect. If the duration of his gaseous form ability expires before he reaches his coffin, or more than 2 hours pass after he is forced into gaseous form in this way, the vampire must assume his normal form at his current location. In that case, he either begins to die (if he is a living vampire) or is destroyed (if he is an undead vampire). If he succeeds in reaching his coffin, he is helpless for 1 hour, after which he heals 1 hit point and the helplessness ends. A non-helpless vampire resting in his coffin has fast healing 1.
A 5th-level or higher non-helpless vampire resting in his coffin has fast healing 5.
Dominate (Su): At 3rd level, a vampire gains the ability to crush another creature's will just by looking into its eyes. This ability is similar to a gaze attack, except that the vampire must use a standard action, and those merely looking at him are not affected. Anyone the vampire targets must succeed on a Will save or fall instantly under his influence, as though via a dominate person spell (caster level 12th). The ability has a range of 5 feet and is usable once per day.
At 4th level, the vampire can use this ability three times per day at a range of 10 feet. At 5th level, his range increases to 30 feet. At 7th level, the vampire may use his dominate ability at will.
Gaseous Form (Su): Starting at 3rd level, a vampire can assume gaseous form as the spell (caster level 5th) once per day as a standard action. He can remain in gaseous form for up to 10 minutes. A gaseous vampire's fly speed is 20 feet.
At 5th level, a vampire can assume gaseous form three times per day. At 7th level, he may become gaseous at will and remain in gaseous form indefinitely.
Slam: At 3rd level, the vampire gains a slam attack if he didn't already have one. If he is a Medium creature, his slam deals damage according to the following table.
| Size | Damage |
| Fine | 1 |
| Diminutive | 1d2 |
| Tiny | 1d3 |
| Small | 1d4 |
| Medium | 1d6 |
| Large | 1d8 |
| Huge | 2d6 |
| Gargantuan | 2d8 |
| Colossal | 4d6 |
Alternate Form (Su): At 4th level, a vampire can assume the shape of a bat or wolf as a standard action. This ability is similar to a polymorph spell (caster level 12th), except that the vampire does not regain hit points for changing form, and he must choose from among the forms allowed for his level. While in his alternate form, the vampire loses his natural slam attack and dominate ability but gains the natural weapons and extraordinary special attacks of his new form. He can remain in his alternate form until he assumes another form or until the next sunrise, whichever comes first.
At 8th level, the vampire can also take the form of a dire bat or dire wolf.
Natural Armor Improvements: At 4th, 6th, and 8th level, the vampire's natural armor bonus increases by +2. A character that does not normally have a natural armor bonus (such as a human) is considered to have an initial natural armor bonus of +0 for the purpose of this ability. Thus, a human's natural armor bonus would increase to +2 at 4th level, to +4 at 6th level, and finally to +6 at 8th level.
Vampire Aversions: The vampire gains the classic aversions of his kind. He cannot tolerate the strong odor of garlic and cannot enter an area laced with it. Similarly, he recoils from a mirror or a strongly presented holy symbol. These items don't harm the vampire -- they merely keep him at bay. A recoiling vampire must stay at least 5 feet away from a creature holding the mirror or holy symbol and cannot touch or make melee attacks against that creature for the rest of the encounter. Holding a vampire at bay requires a standard action.
Most vampires are also unable to cross running water, although they can be carried over it while resting in their coffins or aboard a ship. (A vampire that has a natural swim speed may freely cross running water and is quite comfortable in water of any kind). Vampires are utterly unable to enter a home or other building unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so. They may freely enter public places, since such areas are by definition open to all.
Children of the Night (Su): Vampires command the lesser creatures of the world. Starting at 5th level, a vampire can call forth a rat swarm, a bat swarm, or 1d3 wolves as a standard action once per day. The creature or creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the vampire for up to 1 hour.
At 7th level, the vampire can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms, or a pack of 3d6 wolves. The creatures arrive and serve as above.
Damage Reduction (Su): At 5th level, a vampire gains damage reduction 5/silver and magic. At 8th level, this protection increases to damage reduction 10/silver and magic. A vampire's natural weapons (the slam attack, for a humanoid vampire) are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Sunlight & Water Vulnerability: A 5th-level or higher vampire exposed to direct sunlight is disoriented. While in this condition, he can take only a single move action or attack action in a round, and 3 full rounds of such exposure destroy it utterly. Similarly, immersing a typical vampire in running water robs it of one-fifth of its hit points each round until it is destroyed at the end of the fifth round of immersion. (A vampire with a natural swim speed is not harmed by immersion in running water.)
At 7th level, a vampire's flesh becomes even more vulnerable to sunlight and running water. Upon exposure to sunlight, he takes the above penalties and is destroyed utterly in the next round if he cannot escape. The vampire loses one-third of his hit points each round of immersion in water instead of one- fifth, and he is destroyed after at the end of the third round of exposure instead of the fifth round.
Fast Healing (Ex): Beginning at 6th level, a vampire heals 1 point of damage each round so long as he has at least 1 hit point, whether or not he is resting in his coffin. A living vampire reduced to fewer than 0 hp or an undead vampire reduced to 0 hit points is automatically forced into gaseous form (if he still has uses of that ability available) and must retreat to his coffin (see the Coffin Sanctuary, above).
At 8th level, a vampire's fast healing increases to 5.
Energy Drain (Su): When the vampire reaches 7th level, any living creature hit by his slam attack (or any other natural weapon he might possess) gains one negative level. For each negative level so bestowed, the vampire gains 5 temporary hit points. He can use his energy drain ability once per round.
At 8th level, the vampire's slam attack (or other natural attack) bestows 2 negative levels.
Undeath: Upon reaching 7th level, a vampire gains the undead type, with all of its normal benefits and drawbacks. He no longer has a Constitution score, and he loses any Constitution bonus or penalty on hit points, saving throws, or skills that he may previously have had. He uses either his Charisma modifier or his Constitution modifier (+0), whichever is better, for all skills, save DCs, and other quantities that previously incorporated his Constitution modifier. The vampire becomes immune to many attacks but is subject to turn or rebuke undead attempts and is immediately destroyed if brought to 0 or fewer hit points. All of his current and future Hit Dice increase to d12s. (Rather than rerolling all the character's Hit Dice, you can simply add 4 hit points for every d4 Hit Die the vampire previously had, 3 hit points for every d6 Hit Die, 2 for every d8, and 1 for every d10, if desired.) The vampire immediately becomes evil and subject to the special rules for staking a vampire through the heart.
A vampire cleric may become an ex-cleric if his deity does not accept evil clerics, but character can remedy this problem either by changing allegiance or by devoting himself to an evil cause or a source of evil divine power (selecting new domains if appropriate). A vampire cleric who could normally turn undead loses that ability but gains the ability to rebuke undead, and one who can spontaneously convert spells into cure spells now converts them into inflict spells.
A vampire sorcerer, wizard, or other character who has a familiar is shunned by that creature unless it is a bat or rat, but he can acquire one of those creatures to replace the previous familiar.
Create Spawn (Su): A humanoid or monstrous humanoid slain by a 7th-level or higher vampire's energy drain attack rises as a vampire spawn (see the Monster Manual) 1d4 days after burial. If the vampire instead drains the victim's Constitution to 0 or lower, the victim returns as a spawn if it had 4 or fewer HD and as a vampire if it had 5 or more HD. In either case, the new vampire or spawn is under the command of the vampire that created it and remains so enslaved until its master's destruction.
At any given time, a vampire may have enslaved spawn whose Hit Dice total no more than his own. Any spawn he creates that would exceed this limit can be created either as free-willed vampires or as vampire spawn, at the creator's option. If he chooses the latter option, he must immediately free one or more spawn of his choice until the total Hit Dice of his existing enslaved spawn would allow the addition of the desired new one. Once freed, a vampire or vampire spawn cannot be enslaved again, except through magic such as control undead, rebuking attempts by evil clerics, and so on. An enslaved vampire may create and enslave spawn of its own, so a master vampire can control a large number of lesser vampires in this fashion.
At 8th level, the vampire may have enslaved spawn whose Hit Dice total no more than twice his own Hit Dice.
Turn Resistance (Ex): At 8th level, a vampire gains turn resistance +4. He is treated as an undead 4 Hit Dice higher than his normal total for the purpose of turn, rebuke, command, or bolster attempts.
Bloodlines - Three Variant Vampires
by Michael J. Montesano Dragon #348
Dreadful hunters of the night, deathless princes of ruined houses, feral corpses ravenous for blood - all of these images describe vampires. As ancient as legend, these terrifying undead rise every night, endlessly hungering for the blood of the living. Yet, a vampire's most romanticized ability is the power to pass on its immortal curse, corrupting its prey into undying slaves, each plotting to supplant its master. With all eternity in which to hunt, a vampire might sire countless spawn of a multitude of races and with a variety of powers. Over time, and through the innate abilities of countless spawn, even the scourge of vampirism might change, fundamentally corrupting into variant strains of the same ageless curse.
Presented here are three new forms of vampirism, each similar to the well-known, pure form of undeath and sharing the same weaknesses, but with new abilities and alternative powers. Each of these new types of vampire includes a number of abilities and deceptive traits to baffle even the most determined hunters of the undead.
Savage Vampire
Reeking of upturned grave rot, this bear-sized hulk of matted hair and filthy, bone-pierced flesh unleashes a sound: half hiss, half rasping roar. Beneath dull, blood clouded eyes extend broken fangs the size of daggers. Rivulets of blood and rank saliva pour from its under-slung jaw.
Savage vampires are undead consumed by their thirst for blood. Feral and brutish, these vampires stalk the wild reaches of the world like starving animals, gaining power over degenerate scavengers and abandoning their coffins for filthy, darkened holes. Although they often slake their thirst on animals, humanoid hunters and civilized travelers make just as savory meals.
Usually uncomplicated combatants, savage vampires know only their craving for blood and do all they can to quell it as swiftly as possible. Charging into battle, a savage vampire relies on its undead resiliency and unnatural strength to overcome prey. Should its victims defend against its initial assault or bring holy magic to bear, it retreats to heal and summon feral animal allies and zombie minions before marshaling another attack. If it is again forced to flee, a savage vampire doggedly pursues its prey, using its wild shape ability to slip into even the best guarded camps and attack from surprise.
Creating a Savage Vampire
"Savage vampire" is an acquired template that can be added to any fey, giant, humanoid, or monstrous humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
A savage vampire uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The creature's type changes to undead and it gains the augmented subtype. Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.
Hit Dice: Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12s.
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2.
Alignment: Always evil (any).
Armor Class: The base creature's natural armor bonus increases by +4.
Attack: A savage vampire retains all the attacks of the base creature and also gains two claw attacks if it didn't already have them. If the base creature can use weapons, the savage vampire retains this ability. A creature with natural weapons retains those natural weapons. A savage vampire fighting without weapons uses either its claw attacks or its primary natural weapon (if it has any). A savage vampire armed with a weapon uses its claws or a weapon, as it desires.
Damage: Savage vampires have two claw attacks. If the base creature does not have this attack form, use the appropriate damage value from the table below according to the savage vampire's size. Creatures that have other kinds of natural weapons retain their old damage values or use the appropriate value from the table below, whichever is better.
| Size | Damage |
| Fine | 1 |
| Diminutive | 1d2 |
| Tiny | 1d3 |
| Small | 1d4 |
| Medium | 1d6 |
| Large | 1d8 |
| Huge | 2d6 |
| Gargantuan | 2d8 |
| Colossal | 4d6 |
Attack Options: A savage vampire retains all the attack options of the base creature and gains those described below.
Blood Drain (Ex): A savage vampire can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood dealing 1d4 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, the savage vampire gains 5 temporary hit points.
Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures bit by a savage vampire's claw attack gain one negative level. For each negative level bestowed, the savage vampire gains 5 temporary hit points.
Zombie Spawn (Su): Any creature slain by a savage vampire's energy drain rises as a zombie 1d4 hours later. Spawn are under the command of the savage vampire that created them and remain enslaved until its death. They do not possess any of the abilities they had in life.
Special Actions: A savage vampire retains all the special actions of the base creature and gains those described below.
Children of the Wild (Su): Savage vampires command the rabid, starving creatures of the world and once per day can call forth 1d2 brown bears, 1d4 Medium constrictor snakes, 1d4 crocodiles, 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4 Large sharks, or a pack of 3d6 hyenas as a standard action. (If the base creature is not terrestrial, this power might summon other creatures of similar power.) These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the savage vampire for up to i hour. Creatures will not answer a call that would force them to enter an environment they cannot survive in (thus, sharks will not come to a savage vampire on land).
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +6, Dex +4, Cha +4. As an undead creature, a savage vampire has no Constitution score.
Special Qualities: A savage vampire retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains those described below.
Damage Reduction (Su): A savage vampire has damage reduction 10/magic. A savage vampire's natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Fast Healing (Ex): A savage vampire heals 3 points of damage each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, it automatically assumes a swift animal form and attempts to escape. This form cannot be changed until the savage vampire heals back to at least 1 hit point. The savage vampire can still be damaged in this animal form, keeping track of all additional damage it takes until it can rest. Once at rest in an appropriately dark place, a savage vampire is helpless. It regains 1 hit point per hour until it is back to 0 hit points, at which point it is no longer helpless and resumes healing at the rate of 3 hit points per round.
Resistances (Ex): A savage vampire has resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10.
Scent (Ex): A savage vampire gains the ability to track creatures by scent.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A savage vampire has a +2 turn resistance.
Unbound: Savage vampires do not have coffins like normal vampires and are capable of resting in any area of absolute darkness. While this allows savage vampires greater mobility than others, finding a place in the wilds where no light reaches often proves difficult. Savage vampires often spend their days at the bottom of deep, stagnant bogs, within caves, or within the rooty hollows of ancient dead trees.
Wild Shape (Su): A savage vampire can transform into an animal as if it were a druid of a level equal to 10 + half the savage vampire's Hit Dice. Regardless of its HD, savage vampires cannot use wild shape to turn into elementals or plants. Per example, a 15-HD savage vampire could wild shape into any Huge, Large, Medium, Small, or Tiny animal five times per day. Any animal a savage vampire transforms into looks sickly and starving.
Feats: Vampires gain Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Run, and Track as bonus feats, assuming the base creature meets the prerequisites and doesn't already have these feats.
Skills: Savage vampires have a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Intimidate, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Spot, and Survival checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.
Advancement: By character class.
Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +6.
Shadow Vampire
Two points of crimson malice stare out from the shadows. The creature's barely human-shaped form is faded and indistinct, like darkness come to life.
Attuned to the powers of night, shadow vampires draw their strength from the tenebrous depths of the Plane of Shadow, their forms reflecting the darkness of their undead souls. Able to travel through shadows and summon beings of unliving gloom, shadow vampires embrace the darkness as a deceptive ally in their endless hunt for blood.
Attacking from surprise whenever possible, shadow vampires strive to keep their opponents off balance and terrified. Able to slip through the gloom or hide as an animate shadow, a shadow vampire prefers to single out a lone target against whom to make hit-and-run attacks. A shadow vampire often uses lesser undead as decoys and diversions, commanding them to distract allies while it goes for its true target's neck.
Creating a Shadow Vampire
"Shadow vampire" is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
A shadow vampire uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The creature's type changes to undead and it gains the augmented subtype. Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.
Hit Dice: Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12s.
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2.
Alignment: Always evil (any).
Armor Class: The base creature's natural armor bonus increases by +6.
Attack: A shadow vampire retains all the attacks of the base creature and also gains a slam attack if it didn't already have one. If the base creature can use weapons, the shadow vampire retains this ability. A creature with natural weapons retains those natural weapons. A shadow vampire fighting without weapons uses either its slam attack or its primary natural weapon (if it has any). A shadow vampire armed with a weapon uses its slam or a weapon, as it desires.
Damage: Shadow vampires have slam attacks. If the base creature does not have this attack form, use the appropriate damage value from the table below according to the shadow vampire's size. Creatures that have other kinds of natural weapons retain their old damage values or use the appropriate value from the table below, whichever is better.
| Size | Damage |
| Fine | 1 |
| Diminutive | 1d2 |
| Tiny | 1d3 |
| Small | 1d4 |
| Medium | 1d6 |
| Large | 1d8 |
| Huge | 2d6 |
| Gargantuan | 2d8 |
| Colossal | 4d6 |
Attack Options: A shadow vampire retains all the attack options of the base creature and gains those described below.
Blood Drain (Ex) A shadow vampire can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, the shadow vampire gains 5 temporary hit points.
Create Spawn (Su): A humanoid or monstrous humanoid slain by a 7th-level or higher vampire's energy drain attack rises as a vampire spawn in 1d4 days after burial. If the vampire instead drains the victim's Constitution to 0 or lower, the victim returns as a spawn if it had 4 or fewer HD and as a vampire if it had 5 or more HD. In either case, the new vampire or spawn is under the command of the vampire that created it and remains so enslaved until its master's destruction.
At any given time, a vampire may have enslaved spawn whose Hit Dice total no more than his own. Any spawn he creates that would exceed this limit can be created either as free-willed vampires or as vampire spawn, at the creator's option. If he chooses the latter option, he must immediately free one or more spawn of his choice until the total Hit Dice of his existing enslaved spawn would allow the addition of the desired new one. Once freed, a vampire or vampire spawn cannot be enslaved again, except through magic such as control undead, rebuking attempts by evil clerics, and so on. An enslaved vampire may create and enslave spawn of its own, so a master vampire can control a large number of lesser vampires in this fashion.
Strength Damage (Su): Living creatures hit by a shadow vampire's slam attack take 1 point of Strength damage. For each point of Strength damage dealt, the shadow vampire gains 5 temporary hit points. A shadow vampire can use its Strength damage ability once per round.
Special Actions: A shadow vampire retains all the special actions of the base creature and gains those described below.
Dominate (Su): A shadow vampire can crush an opponent's will just by looking into his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that the shadow vampire must use a standard action, and those merely looking at it are not affected. Anyone the shadow vampire targets must succeed on a DC 13 Will save or fall instantly under the shadow vampire's influence as though by a dominate person spell (caster level 12th). The ability has a range of 30 feet. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Summon Shadows (Su): A shadow vampire can summon 1d4+1 shadows to serve him, once per day. These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the shadow vampire for up to 1 hour.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +4, Dex +6, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +4. As an undead creature, a shadow vampire has no Constitution score.
Special Qualities: A shadow vampire retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains those described below.
Darkness (Sp): A shadow vampire can cast darkness a number of times per day equal to its Charisma modifier (minimum 1/day). Caster level equals the creature's HD.
Damage Reduction (Su): A shadow vampire has damage reduction 10/silver and magic. A shadow vampire's natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Fast Healing (Ex): A shadow vampire heals 2 points of damage each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point. This healing increases to 5 points each round if the shadow vampire is in an area of shadowy illumination or darker. If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, it automatically assumes shadow form and attempts to escape. It must reach its coffin home within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed. (It can travel up to 9 miles in 2 hours.) Any additional damage dealt to a shadow vampire forced into shadow form has no effect. Once at rest in its coffin, a shadow vampire is helpless. It regains 1 hit point after 1 hour, then is no longer helpless and resumes healing at the normal rate per round.
Light Weakness: Besides the vulnerability to true sunlight that all vampires share, shadow vampires are sickened by exposure to magical sunlight (such as daylight). In addition, they take a -2 penalty on saving throws against all light-related effects, such as spells with the light descriptor or alchemical items like flash pellets.
Shadow Form (Su): As a standard action, a shadow vampire can change into an animate shadow. While in this form, the shadow vampire gains a +4 competence bonus on Escape Artist, Hide, and Move Silently checks. It also gains concealment. This shadowy concealment is not negated by a see invisibility spell, but a true seeing spell counteracts the effect. Standing within the radius of a daylight spell or in bright natural sunlight temporarily suppresses the concealment effect.
Shadow Jump (Su): A shadow vampire can travel between shadows as if by means of a dimension door spell. The limitation is that the magical transport must begin and end in an area with at least some shadow. A shadow vampire can jump up to a total of 100 feet each day in this way; this may be a single jump of 100 feet, two jumps of 50 feet each, or any number of smaller leaps up to the total 100 feet.
Resistances (Ex): A shadow vampire has resistance to cold 10 and electricity 10.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A shadow vampire has +4 turn resistance.
Feats: Shadow vampires gain Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, and Lightning Reflexes as bonus feats, assuming the base creature meets the prerequisites and doesn't already have these feats.
Skills: Shadow vampires have a +8 racial bonus on Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.
Advancement: By character class.
Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +10.
Vampire, Shadow Human Fighter*
Terror Vampire
A lithe, well-dressed man stands before you. As you look closer, though, you can see something is terribly wrong. From the gaping wounds of his eye sockets blood trickles freely down his face, and insects drop and skitter from the folds in his fine clothing. Turning in your direction, his jaw unfastens and drops impossibly low, revealing several rows of thin white fangs
Terror vampires hunger as much for fear as they do for blood. Masters of horror and illusion, some present an openly fiendish appearance, seeking to burst the hearts and overwhelm the sanity of their prey. Others prefer subtler approaches, alienating and horrifying a lone victim with the flash of a fang or a hint at its true nature while maintaining its disguise to all others. Aside from the traditional banes of all vampirekind, terror vampires have a weakness for artistic anguish and a flair for the dramatic, with nothing satisfying one more than creating a masterful tableau of gore and surprise.
Creating a Terror Vampire
"Terror vampire" is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
A terror vampire uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The creature's type changes to undead and it gains the augmented subtype. Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.
Hit Dice: Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12s.
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +3.
Alignment: Always evil (any).
Armor Class: The base creature's natural armor bonus increases by +6.
Attack: A terror vampire retains all the attacks of the base creature and also gains a slam attack if it didn't already have one. If the base creature can use weapons, the terror vampire retains this ability. A creature with natural weapons retains those natural weapons. A terror vampire fighting without weapons uses either its slam attack or its primary natural weapon (if it has any). A terror vampire armed with a weapon uses its slam or a weapon, as it desires.
Damage: Terror vampires have slam attacks. If the base creature does not have this attack form, use the appropriate damage value from the table below according to the terror vampire's size. Creatures that have other kinds of natural weapons retain their old damage values or use the appropriate value from the table below, whichever is better.
| Size | Damage |
| Fine | 1 |
| Diminutive | 1d2 |
| Tiny | 1d3 |
| Small | 1d4 |
| Medium | 1d6 |
| Large | 1d8 |
| Huge | 2d6 |
| Gargantuan | 2d8 |
| Colossal | 4d6 |
Attack Options: A terror vampire retains all the attack options of the base creature and gains those described below.
Blood Drain (Ex): A vampire can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, inflicting 1d4 points of permanent Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained.
Create Spawn (Su): A humanoid or monstrous humanoid slain by a vampire's energy drain attack rises as a vampire spawn (see the Vampire Spawn) 1d4 days after burial.
Wisdom Damage (Su): Living creatures hit by a terror vampire's slam attack take 1d4 points of Wisdom damage. For each point of Wisdom damage dealt, the terror vampire gains 5 temporary hit points. A terror vampire can use its Wisdom damage ability once per round.
Special Actions: A terror vampire retains all the special actions of the base creature and gains those described below. Saves have a DC of 10 + 1/2 terror vampire's HD + vampire's Cha modifier unless noted otherwise.
Eyebite (Su): A terror vampire can cripple an opponent's mind just by looking into his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that the terror vampire must use a standard action, and those merely looking at it are not affected. Anyone the terror vampire targets must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 terror vampire's HD + vampire's Cha modifier) or immediately be affected as if by the spell eyebite (caster level 12th). The ability has a range of 30 feet.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Dex +6, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +8. As an undead creature, a terror vampire has no Constitution score.
Special Qualities: A terror vampire retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains those described below.
Damage Reduction (Su): A terror vampire has damage reduction 10/silver and magic. A terror vampire's natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Fast Healing (Ex): A vampire heals 5 points of damage each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, it automatically assumes gaseous form and attempts to escape. It must reach its coffin home within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed. (It can travel up to 9 miles in 2 hours.) Any additional damage dealt to a vampire forced into gaseous form has no effect. Once at rest in its coffin, a vampire is helpless. It regains 1 hit point after 1 hour, then is no longer helpless and resumes healing at the rate of 5 hit points per round.
Gaseous Farm (Su): As a standard action, a terror vampire can assume gaseous form at will as the spell (caster level 5th), but it can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.
Resistances (Ex): A terror vampire has resistance to cold 10 and fire 10.
Spell-like Abilities: A terror vampire with a Charisma score of 8 or higher has one or more spell-like abilities, depending on its Hit Dice, as indicated on the Terror Vampire Special Abilities table. The abilities are cumulative; a derro terror vampire (3 HD) can use dancing lights, disguise self and ghost sound each 3 times per day. Unless otherwise noted, an ability is usable once per day. Caster level equals the creature's HD, and the save DC is Charisma-based.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A terror vampire has +4 turn resistance.
Vampiric Repression (Su): A terror vampire can repress all of its vampiric traits and abilities and appear to be a normal mortal for a number of rounds equal to twice its Charisma modifier every day (minimum 2). During this time, the. vampire is unaffected by its normal vampiric weaknesses but also loses the benefits of its special attacks and qualities. For example, a terror vampire trying to pass as a normal mortal could use this ability to stand in full daylight, but during this time it would lose its special attacks, fast healing, and similar abilities. The terror vampire is still undead even while this power is in effect, and as such it can be turned as normal. This ability also does not deceive spells like detect undead. A terror vampire can activate and deactivate this ability as a free action and may use it any number of times per day as long as the number of rounds it is used does not exceed twice its Charisma modifier.
Feats: Terror vampires gain Alertness, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, and Persuasive as bonus feats, assuming the base creature meets the prerequisites and doesn't already have these feats.
Skills: Terror vampires have a +8 racial bonus on Bluff, Hide, Intimidate, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.
Advancements: By character class.
Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +10.
| Terror Vampire Special Abilities | |
| HD | Abilities |
| 1-2 | Dancing lights 3/day, ghost sound 3/day |
| 3-4 | Cause fear 3/day, disguise self 3/day |
| 5-6 | Silent image 3/day |
| 7-8 | Displacement, misdirection |
| 9-10 | Hallucinatory terrain, greater invisibility 3/day |
| 11-12 | Fear 3/day, phantasmal killer |
| 13-14 | Nightmare, seeming |
| 15-16 | Mirage arcana |
| 17-18 | Mislead, programmed image |
| 19-20 | Project image |