Vampiric Powers
by Gilles LeblancNormal OD&D Vampire:
Normal Vampire Powers:
Resist Sleep, Charm and Hold Spell
Change into Gaseous Form
Change into Dire Wolf, Giant Bat
Regeneration outside coffin
Energy Drain Touch
Charm Gaze
Summon Creatures
Regeneration inside coffin
Normal Vampire Weakness:
Repulsed by holy symbol
Repelled by garlic
Cannot cross running water
Can be staked
Hurt by sunlight
Normal AD&D 2E Vampire:
Normal Vampire Powers:
Exceptional Strength
Regeneration outside coffin
+1 or better weapon to hit
Charm Gaze
Energy Drain Touch
Resist Sleep, Charm and Hold Spell
Immune to poison and paralysis
Change into Gaseous Form
Shapechange into Large Bat
Summon Creatures
Spider Climb at will
Regeneration inside coffin
Normal Vampire Weakness:
Repulsed by lawful good holy symbol
Repelled by garlic
Cannot cross running water
Can be staked
Hurt by sunlight
Offended by mirrors
Need an invitation to enter a residence
Vampire Powers which cannot be altered:
Resist Sleep, Charm and Hold Spell
Immune to poison and paralysis
Regeneration inside coffin
New vampire powers:
These new vampire powers can be switched for any power which is not listed in the Vampire Powers that cannot be altered list and which are not the new power base power. For example Terrible Might cannot replace Exceptional Strength as it is base upon it, and could in fact be considered an upgrade.
Vampires customise with these skills still retain the same number of power and could thus give the same amount of XP. Although this is for the DM to decide.
Magical Aura
Base: +1 or better weapon to hit
Description: The vampire is cloaked in a mysterious aura of magic at all times. Weapons of +2 or better enchantment are needed to hit the vampire instead of the normal +1. If the standard form of this vampire normally possesses stronger resistance augment it by +1 to a maximum of +5.
Terrible Might
Base: Exceptional Strength in AD&D 2E, None in OD&D
Description: The vampire is exceptionally strong, even for one of the undead. This vampire gains an additional + 2 to damage when attacked with claws, fists or melee weapons. In 2E the vampire has a strength of 19.
Extra Sensory Powers
Base: None
Description: This power gives the vampire extremely heightened sense. This gives the vampire a +2 bonus to all surprise roll and the ability to Detect Noise at 85% as per a thief.
Exceptional Resistance
Base: Regeneration outside coffin, +1 or better weapon to hit
Description: This power makes the vampire extremely tough, able to shake off most hits. This power gives the vampire lowers the vampire AC by 2.
Extreme Resistance
Base: Exceptional Resistance
Description: A vampire with extreme resistance is hard as stone and receives another 2 points reduction of AC. Also he gains a +1 bonus to all saving throws.
Magnetic Personality
Base: Charm Gaze
Description: This vampire is not only extremely charismatic but also extremely alluring. All victims of the vampire charm attack receives an additional -3 penalty on their saving throw.
Vampiric Stealth
Base: None
Description: A vampire with vampiric stealth is not only able to move about very silently but is a master at hiding. His power to meld with shadows is in fact magical. A vampire with vampiric stealth has a Hide in Shadows skill of 95% and if this vampire type is not normally capable of walking utterly silently he also receives the thief skill Move Silently at 95%. Enemies attacked by a vampire with vampiric stealth receive a -2 penalty on their surprise rolls.
Dimensional Movement
Base: None
Description: A vampire with dimensional movement is able to open a Dimension Door ( as per the spell ). The point of entry and arrival of the spell must either be in darkness or in heavy shadows. Only the vampire can use the Dimension Door.
Illusionist
Base: None
Description: A vampire with Illusionist has a natural ability to influence the mind of those around him. Thus he is able to create a phantasmal force as per the wizard spell 3 times per day. Additionally the vampire receives a +1 bonus to all saving throws to disbelieve illusions.
Fast Regeneration
Base: Regeneration outside coffin
Description: A vampire with Fast Regeneration is able to regenerate any wounds extremely rapidly. This augment the vampire regenerative rate outside it's coffin by another hit point per round ( to a total of 4 hp per round for a normal vampire ).
Summon Stirges
Base: Summon Creatures
Description: A vampire with summon stirges may also summon 1d4 stirges additionally to his other creatures. The summon works like his normal summoning spell except that stirges will always come to aid the vampire. These vampires are normally in regular contact with a nest of stirge who tend to lair near the vampire and follow him.
Vampiric Familiar
Base: Summon Creatures
Description: The vampire has a familiar similar to that of a wizard. The vampire is able to see anything it's familiar sees. It also has an empathic bond with the familiar who most always remain within 1 mile of the vampire. If the vampiric familiar dies, the vampire looses 6 hp's which are regenerated normally. When the vampiric familiar is in the vicinity of the vampire, the vampire gains a +1 bonus to his surprise rolls and the familiar may detect attackers. The vampiric familiar as the statistics of the it's species except that it has 6 more hit points than those rolled up by the DM and that it had an additional +2 bonus to all attack rolls. The vampire's familiar is a: 1-2 stirge, 3-4 large bat, 5-6 large rat, 7-8 large spider.
Poisonous Claws
Base: None
Description: The vampire's claws are a sickly green colour and encrusted with filth. When the vampire successfully strikes a target with it's claw the target must make a saving throw vs. poison at a -2 penalty. Those who save against the poison suffer no ill effects. Those who fail their saving throws suffer a -2 penalty to their attack rolls for 1d4 hours as the poison makes them sluggish and feverish.
Bird Shapes
Base: Shapechange into Large Bat for AD&D 2E,
Change into Gaseous Form, Dire Wolf, Giant Bat for OD&D
Description: This power gives the vampire to shapechange into the following additional shapes to the ones it already knows: Raven, Crow, Vulture.
Wolf Shape
Base: Shapechange into Large Bat for AD&D 2E,
Description: This power allows a AD&D 2E vampire to transform into a dire wolf ( this is only available to OD&D vampires normally ).
Crocodile Shape
Base: Shapechange into Large Bat for AD&D 2E,
Change into Gaseous Form, Dire Wolf, Giant Bat for OD&D
Description: This power allows the vampire to change in the additional form of a normal crocodile. Note that the vampire cannot cross running water and must keep to pools, stagnant swamps and such.
Pass Without Traces
Base: Summon Creatures
Description: A vampire with this ability as a special affinity with nature. When travelling in wooded area he may move unrestricted in bushes, underbrush and other vegetation at his normal movement rate and leave no trail or scent to follow for even the most expert tracker.
Fury of the Beast
Base: Exceptional Strength in AD&D 2E
Description: A vampire with this skill is capable to call it's inner beast. When it does so it enters in a sort of berserk fury. When under fury the vampire receives a +1 AC penalty due and +1 penalty to all saving throws due to a lack of self-concern on the vampire's part. When in fury the vampire gains a +1 bonus on damage and attack rolls. The vampire cannot cast spells or use innate powers when in fury. Fury lasts for 2d4 rounds and can be used 3 times per day by the vampire.
Vampiric Speed
Base: None
Description: A vampire with vampiric speed is able to move very fast. This gives him a -3 bonus on initiative and a +1 bonus on attack rolls.
Create servitors
Base: None
Description: With this power the vampire is able to create and maintain a group of zombies whose total Hit Dice are equal to his. These zombies are mindless controlled undead who are totally loyal to the vampire. If some of the zombies are destroyed the vampire can create other zombies at a rate of 1 per turn if he has access to enough useable corpses.
Fire Magic
Base: None
Description: The vampire is a master of arcane powers dealing with fire. If the vampire is a spellcaster, most of his spells should be fire-based. A vampire with fire magic is able to augment or diminish any normal fire within 100 feet of him by 50% in size and intensity. This power can be used at will. In addition, 3 times per day the vampire is able to launch a salve of 2 magic missiles that appear as small fiery balls.
Corrupting Influence
Base: Energy Drain Touch, Charm Gaze
Description: This rare and terrible power is posses by few vampiric bloodlines. Vampires with a corrupting influence remove 3 levels per energy draining touch instead of the normal 2.
Flight
Base: None
Description: The vampire is imbued with a natural ability to fly. He can fly at
a rate of 12 with a manoeuvrability class of B in AD&D 2E and at a rate of
120' in OD&D.
New Vampire Weaknesses:
Here are the vampire weaknesses that can be substituted with one of the new vampire weaknesses. Other vampire weaknesses cannot be altered.
Repulsed by holy symbol
Repelled by garlic
Offended by mirrors
Need an invitation to enter a residence
When a vampire weakness is incompatible with a power, a vampire who has this weakness cannot also have the incompatible power. The incompatible power can either be a traditional vampire power or a new vampire power.
New Weaknesses:
Repulsing
Incompatible With: Magnetic Personality
Description: The vampire has a disgusting appearance. His face has twisted features, his skin is covered in boils and scars and he emits a strong odour. The vampire's charm gaze does not inflict the traditional -2 penalty on the victim's saving throw. If the vampire's charm does not normally inflict a penalty it is made at a +2 bonus by the victim. The vampire cause disgust and people and cannot be seen in public if he is not hidden, disguised or using illusion magic. Even then the vampire's smell can give him away.
Unnatural Creature
Incompatible With: Summon Creatures
The vampire is an unnatural creature. As such normal animals will either act in a hostile or scared manner towards him. The vampire cannot summon creatures and if he is shape changed into a wolf or bat form, other animals will still either act hostile or afraid. Such a vampire will cause dogs to bark, wolves to howl and horses to neigh. Druids, rangers and foresters can usually sense something is amiss when faced with such a vampire who poses either as a human, bat or other animal form.
Weak Aura
Incompatible With: Corrupting Influence
Description: The vampire has a weak aura of death. As such he only drains 1 level per energy draining touch.
Weak Faith
Incompatible With: None
Description: The vampire does not have faith in himself or fears good immortals. As such any cleric turning the vampire gain a +2 bonus to their roll to determine if the vampire is turned or not.
Creature of the Night
Incompatible With: None
Description: The vampire is a creature of the night. Has such any strong light cause him to be blinded. When fighting under the illumination of a light spell or in a well light area, such as one light by a good lantern, the vampire receives a -2 penalty to all attack rolls due to the light blinding him. Areas illuminated by few torches or mostly shadowy do not impose any penalty on the vampire.
Erroneous Belief
Incompatible With: None
Description: The vampire is deeply wrong about something. This can be a superstition, false knowledge, prejudices or something else. These vampires cannot correct their way as there is a magical reason for their erroneous belief. A good example of this is the Alphatian bloodline who thinks Alphatian humans and vampires are inherently superior to other people and vampires, thus they are known to underestimate these opponents. This belief should prove a liability to the vampire but should not be a reason for him to make stupid mistakes that will likely get itself killed.
Vampiric Bloodlines
With the description of the vampire powers and weaknesses that cannot be changed we can get the list of power and weaknesses that can change. This list will help us define the "standard" vampire from the rulebook.
Normal OD&D Vampire:
Normal Vampire Powers:
Change into Gaseous Form
Change into Dire Wolf, Giant Bat
Regeneration outside coffin
Energy Drain Touch
Charm Gaze
Summon Creatures
Normal Vampire Weakness:
Repulsed by holy symbol
Repelled by garlic
Cannot cross running water
Normal AD&D 2E Vampire:
Normal Vampire Powers:
Exceptional Strength
Regeneration outside coffin
+1 or better weapon to hit
Charm Gaze
Energy Drain Touch
Change into Gaseous Form
Shapechange into Large Bat
Summon Creatures
Spider Climb at will
Normal Vampire Weakness:
Repulsed by lawful good holy symbol
Repelled by garlic
Cannot cross running water
Offended by mirrors
Need an invitation to enter a residence
By making this list of changeable powers and weaknesses I will not have to repeat the power that cannot change anyway. Just assume that vampire always possess these powers and weaknesses, because, they always do. Unless of course, you want to make things different in your campaign.
Vampiric Power-Level:
This optional rule allows you to create vampire which have access to fewer or more powers than normal vampires. These vampires are have either been recently created or come from weak bloodlines in the case of fewer powers. Or are old, powerful and come from potent bloodlines in the case of more powers. Master and sometimes Master vampires tend to have maximum hit points. It is also suggested that no vampire except Minion should have 1/2 or less of maximum possible hit points for it's hit dices.
|
Title |
Powers |
XP |
|
|
|
|
|
Minion |
Minus 2 powers |
-10% |
|
Disciple |
Minus 1 power |
-5% |
|
Normal |
No change |
---- |
|
Elder |
Plus 1 power |
+5% |
|
Master |
Plus 2 powers |
+10% |
|
Venerable |
Plus 3 powers |
+15% |
Vampiric Bloodlines:
Here the standard vampire bloodline is illustrated. Vampiric bloodlines will be presented or future documents.
Common Vampire:
This is the most common and the most widely known breed in the known world.
These vampires have the standard powers and weaknesses.
Minion: Minion common vampire typically do not have access to the energy drain touch and summon creatures power as they are weaker and didn't have the time to familiarise themselves with animals. Sometimes these vampires do not possess shape change powers instead.
Disciple: Disciple common vampires typically do not have the power to either summon creatures or shape change.
Elder: Elder common vampires are able to master their un-holy might. This gives them the Terrible Might power.
Master: Master common vampires possess the Terrible Might. Also, due to their long life or power they have developed a kind of fourth sense and a growing paranoia which gives them the Extra Sensory Powers.
Venerable: The venerable common vampire possess
all of the power of the master vampire. Their extremely long life spans have
also gifted them with the Magical Aura power.