Jaanos
Athasian Vampires
1. Introduction
2. Characteristics of Vampires
3. The Clans
4. Blood Magic
5. Vampire Powers
6. Vampire Nations
7. Playing Vampires
Introduction
Below the surface world of Athas lies an incredible world, that of the underdark. The underdark is home to many races, Drow, Beholder, Dwarves, Humans… and the mighty Vampires.
During the cleansing wars, the Vampire Nations stood alongside the mortal races to defeat the Destroyers, beings even more powerful that Rajat’s 13 champions. But the cost was horrendous. For three millennia, the underdark has been recovering – the remaining gods and destroyers building strength, the vampires returning to their former power – readying for another war.
Characteristics of Vampires
Athasian vampires ARE NOT undead. They are mortals, either born or created, who for some reason, are now connected to the plane known as the White. Much like a shadow mage or necromancer is drawn to their respective planes, so too are Vampires drawn to the plane of white – the plane of immortal magic.
The white is a source of immortal magic, much like the gray is a source of death magic and the black a source of shadow magic. It is mysteriously tied to the ‘radiance’ that all rocks in the underdark emit. It is also linked to the true gods of Athas ability to receive power from their worshippers. Little is known of it, except that the white can only be accessed in the underdark.
The link to the white gives vampires enormous powers. They are stronger, faster, and smarter than mortals. They cease to age, and develop strange powers beyond mortal comprehension. But it is at the cost of their mortality. The white burns their mortal essence away, and to live, the vampires must imbue themselves with mortal life energy – blood – from living creatures. That is the price for immortal life.
Vampires are almost always lawful, and revere their clans and traditions. They see mortals as vessels for the greater cause – that of the vampire nations survival (and through this the underdarks survival)
Vampires appear as they did before they became immortal, but take on a more regal look, and may grow several inches taller.
A vampire is both a template initially applied to the character, and a class at which they newly created vampire starts at 1st level.
Hit Dice: D12
Speed: See vampire power table
AC: See vampire power table
Attacks: See vampire power table
Special attacks:
Domination (as per standard vampires)
Blood Drain (see vampire powers)
Blood Magic
Special Qualities:
Damage Reduction (see vampire powers)
Turn immune (vampires aren’t undead)
Fast Healing
Abilities: See vampire powers
Skills: +8 racial bonus to listen, move silently, sense motive, sport, knowledge (history: underdark), history (Athas) and knowledge (aracana) clan specialties also apply
Feats: Vampires gain alterness, combat reflexes, dodge, improved initive, lightning reflexes, combat casting and speed of thought (if psionic)
Weaknesses: Blood Rage (described later)
Fire (damage reduction doesn’t apply)
Sunlight* (*special conditions apply)
The Vampire Clans
Almost all vampires belong to a clan. These are a major influence on a vampires life, determining his powers, and place in society.
Clan Brujah:
Clan Brujah represents the military arm of the Vampire Nation. It’s members are strong, tough and the ultimate soldiers. A single platoon of Brujah soldiers can destroy hundreds of mortal warriors – with little or no lose of vampire troops.
Despite, their strength, clan Brujah as more susceptible to the Blood Rage than any other clan. Their cities are tightly controlled semi-police states, and they retain large reveres of magically preserved blood.
Clan Tremere
Clan Tremere represents the magical arm of the Vampire Nation. Cloaked in mystery, Tremere are the closest to Caine (the vampire god) and most clerics and virtually all vampire mages belong to this clan. A single Tremere member can use his magic to take out all but the most powerful mages or at least escape to bring reinforcements. Despite their magical resources, clan treme uses vast amounts of blood, and hence control (more loosely than their Brujah brethren) large cities of mortal races. They are not particularly well suited to combat, and suffer from arrogance (even for vampires)
Clan Assamite
Clan Assamite is the most feared and loathed clan in the vampire nations and are the silent, deadly power of the underdark. They are the ultimate assassins, and once, before the war with the destroyers, nearly took control of all the other vampire clans. A blood hunt was declared, and nearing destruction, the clan sued for peace. Part of the peace process was a single spell, cast by the leaders of clan termere that prevent Assamites from draining blood from other vampires. This is their greatest weakness, but also a source of strength – they gain vampire levels slower, but make up for this is many other ways.
Clan Giovanni
Clan Giovanni are the traders within vampire society, making deals with mortals, even the surface world (through agents) and quietly acquiring treasure, magical items and stockpiles of potent blood types to further the clans aims, and of course, preparation for the second war with the vampire. They are, like Tremere, weak by vampire standards, but have many powers useful in commerce.
Clan Venture
The leaders and rules of the Vampire Nation
Vampire Blood Magic
All vampires have blood magic. Blood magic is considered a supernatural ability if they affect others. If they act only on the Vampire, then there is a 50% chance that the ability functions even in an anti-maigc field if a failure is indicated, blood potions are NOT spent however.
Every vampire can hold within themselves a certain number of blood points as per the following table:
Vampire Level Blood Points
1 2
2 3
3 4
4 7
5 10
6 15
7 20
8 27
9 34
10 43
11 52
12 63
13 74
14 87
15 100
16 115
17 130
18 147
19 164
20 183
Vampires also gain a bonus blood point for every level of character class they have in of their original character class.
Blood points are replenished by draining blood from living creatures. To do this, a vampire must either have a willing participant, or succeed in pinning an attacker. The amount of blood drained is determined by the creature type, the amount of damage dealt by the attack (vampires can either make a maximum bite, or one that inflicts only 1hp) and the results are indicated on the following table:
Type of Creature Blood Points
(per point of damage) Maximum
Small normal Animal 1 3
Medium normal Animal 1 4
Large normal creature 1 6
Humanoid, Normal (non psionic, magical etc) 2 40
Humanoid, Psionic*
* see side effects table 3 60
Humanoid, Magical*
* see side effects table 3 60
Undead 0 0
Magical Creatures*
* see side effects table 2 30
Psionic Creatures*
* see side effects table 2 30
Once a creature has been drained of blood, certain effects are taken into consideration. The amount of damage done, and the amount of blood lost. To determine the amount of blood lost, the total amount of blood points drained is compared to the total current hit-points. If the result is 0 or less, the creature has died. E.g.:
Rozan grapples a mind-flayer, and bites his neck for 12 potions of damage. He drains 36 blood points. The DM knows that the Mindflayer had 72 hit points left, after the bite, so the mind-flayer has lost 50% of his blood and is affected accordingly.
If a Vampire drains blood out of a Magical creature, a Magic user or Psionic creature or user (defined as 3rd level or higher) he must roll d100 and add the amount of blood points consumed to determine the side effects:
Die Roll Number of Side effects
0-10 1d2
11-20 1d2
21-30 1d3
31-40 1d4
41-50 1d6
51-65 1d8
65-85 1d10
85+ 1d12
Side effects table
Number Side effect
1 Gains 1d4HP
2 Enters Blood rage for 3 rounds
3 Blinding headache (-4 all rolls)
4 Gains 1d4 spells/levels from the target must be used within 1 day
5 Weakens, -6 STR
6 Becomes stronger +6 str
7 Fully heals
8 Loses 50% of remaining hitpoints
9 Gains the highest level spell / power and ability to use it, for one day from the creature bitten
10 Gains extra 1d12 blood points
11 Loses 1d12 blood points (cannot take last blood point)
12 Temporarily insane for 1d4 days
Using Blood Maigc:
Blood magic is much like Psionics. Vampires gain a certain number of powers per level, and can spend blood points to manifest them in anyway they desire. In addition to the powers they discover (much the way a sorcerer does) they also get Blood Line powers, similar to Domains used by Clerics. There is a difference though, all Vampires can use their Blood Line Powers once per day, from each Blood Line. Clan members get 3 Blood Lines, Cantriff (Clanless vampires) get only two.
The first Blood Line Power manifestation is free, the next two subsequent uses cost 50% the blood point cost (rounded up) this gives one free use per day, not three, and two at half-cost. Usage after that costs as per normal.
Additionally, vampires must spend one blood point per day to remain alive.
Powers can be taken from the psionic book, in which case they cost the same in blood points as they would power-points. Vampire powers can also emulate spells, as per the following table:
Level Blood Point Cost
0 1
1 1
2 3
3 5
4 7
5 9
6 11
7 13
8 15
9 17
Epic 20+ (DM’s discretion)
Vampire Power Progression Table
Level 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Epic
1 3 1+3B - - - - - - - -
2 4 2+3B - - - - - - - -
3 4 2+3B 1+3B - - - - - - -
4 5 3+3B 2+3B - - - - - - -
5 5 3+3B 2+3B 1+3B - - - - - -
6 5 3+3B 3+3B 2+3B - - - - - --
7 6 4+3B 3+3B 2+3B 1+3B - - - - -
8 6 4+3B 3+3B 3+3B 2+3B - - - - -
9 6 4+3B 4+3B 3+3B 2+3B 1+3B - - - -
10 6 4+3B 4+3B 3+3B 3+3B 2+3B - - - -
11 6 5+3B 4+3B 4+3B 3+3B 2+3B 1+3B - - -
12 6 5+3B 4+3B 4+3B 3+3B 3+3B 2+3B 1+3B - -
13 6 5+3B 5+3B 4+3B 4+3B 3+3B 2+3B 2+3B 1+3B -
14 6 5+3B 5+3B 4+3B 4+3B 3+3B 3+3B 2+3B 2+3B -
15 7 5+3B 5+3B 5+3B 4+3B 4+3B 3+3B 3+3B 2+3B 1+3B
16 7 5+3B 5+3B 5+3B 4+3B 4+3B 3+3B 3+3B 3+3B 2+3B
17 7 5+3B 5+3B 5+3B 5+3B 4+3B 4+3B 3+3B 3+3B 2+3B
18 8 5+3B 5+3B 5+3B 5+3B 4+3B 4+3B 4+3B 3+3B 3+3B 1
19 8 5+3B 5+3B 5+3B 5+3B 5+3B 4+3B 4+3B 4+3B 3+3B 2
20 8 5+3B 5+3B 5+3B 5+3B 5+3B 4+3B 4+3B 4+3B 4+3B 3
Vampire Blood Powers
The following table indicates which clans get what powers.
Clan Burjah: Destruction, War and Brujah lines
Level Destruction War Brujah
1 Inflict light wound Magic Weapon Stomp
2 Shatter Spiritual Weapon Combat prescience
3 Contagion Magic Vestment Whitefire + claws of vampire
4 Inflict critical wounds Divine Power Mass Concussion
5 Circle of doom Flame Strike Graft Weapon
6 Harm Blade Barrier Shield of Prudence
7 Disintegrate Power Word, Stun Mass concussion
8 Earthquake Power Word, Blind Iron Body
9 Implosion Power Word, Kill True Metabolism
Clan Tremere: Magic, Knowledge and Tremere
Level Magic Knowledge Tremere
1 Nystyuls undetectable aura Detect secret doors Object reading
2 Identify Detect thoughts See invisibility
3 Dispel magic Clairudirence / Clairvoyance Invisibility purge
4 Imbue with spell ability Divination Dismissal
5 Spell resistance True seeing Teleport
6 Antimagic field Find the path Trace Teleport
7 Spell turning Legend Lore Emulate power
8 Protection from spells Discern location Hypercognition
9 Mordenkainens disjunction Foresight Greater emulation
Clan Assamite: Trickery, Assassination, Assamite
Level Trickery Assassination Assamites
1 Change Self True Strike Spider Climb
2 Invisibility Darkness Chameleon
3 Nondeection Haste Dimensional slide
4 Confusion Phantasmal killer Dimension door
5 False Vision Passwall Teleport
6 Mislead Circle of Death Flaming shroud
7 Screen Finger of Death Fission
8 Polymorph Any object Horrid wilting Shadow Body
9 Time-stop Wail of Banshee Dissolution
I could swallow this if it was any other world, but the problem with DS is that there is no immortal magic. If there was such a thing defilement would not be necessary. Can you possibly redo it so that they are in fact very dead, and they link to the grey just like any normal and good undead?
Sorry
I would have dropped in the link, but I could not find it- but someone in here will be able to
You'll note that the plane called white is only accessable in the underdark, specifically in places where the glowing rocks that emit 'radiance' are found.
This was done deliberately to isolate this work from the main-stream DS stuff, as i said, take it or leave it
What i did try and do was create a game mechanic system for what i see as the obvious flaw in most vampire conversions in a variety of RPG's, that being the ability to drain blood and use it to power themselves and thier magic, however this has to be at a cost hence:
1. Without blood they die
2. Blood simply keeps the effects of being tied to the white at bay for another day
3. The white and any connection to it is destroyed by sunlight, hence no vampires on the surface (again, a way of isolating the under-dark from the main setting)
4. As a nation / race they are limited in power to the amount of mortals they can keep alive, or the amount of blood they can have on stock
It's just a simple little thing i did up for a series of DS games for a group of ex-vampire players - who wanted that type of stuff in it, just thought i'd share.
Although i totally agree the setting and flavour is heavily (well, entirely almost) inspired by vampire the masquerade, i still use the blood point system for 'normal' vampires in other settings from time to time - makes them very, very formidable foes!
Jaan
Just some thoughts I have had on the subject.
Hell at this point I'm almost tempted to make an Athasian Vampire that isn't undead, what with the way undead work in Athas and such.
Just some thoughts I have had on the subject.
There is. The thrax. Which, oddly enough, isn't undead.
I personaly think (heh, what a sptupid expression, like if sometimes I had other people's thoughts :D ) that the D&D classics - vampires, liches, ghosts, ghouls, mummies - ought not to be used in DS. For example, the morg is technically meant to be a DS mummy yet has no abilities related to the D&D original, or fluff for that matter.
I think Nyt means a creature we could actually call vampire, or that we'd all easily recognize as such despite a different name.
Right, the Thrax is more or less the perfect example of an Athasian Vampire as far as I'm concerned, but if we wanted something more akin to what's in the MM or classically referred to as such, what I have in mind might be a better option.
Someone else brought this up earlier, but I think what the wraith are from Stargate: Atlantis might be something cool to use as a base. Get rid of some of the sci-fi cookiness and modify it a bit and you might wind up with something truly interesting.
I still would like to tie it to the nature benders because it sounds like something right up their alley and could be a weapon of sorts for their last attempt to gain control, but they were never able to use it.
I would keep it pretty rare and not have many running around. I was going to keep it at one when I originally started contemplating such an idea and think that might be the best route to go whichever way we do go with it.
I personaly think (heh, what a sptupid expression, like if sometimes I had other people's thoughts :D ) that the D&D classics - vampires, liches, ghosts, ghouls, mummies - ought not to be used in DS. For example, the morg is technically meant to be a DS mummy yet has no abilities related to the DS original, or fluff for that matter.
Right. I'm wanting something to keep in spirit of what is classically referred to as a vampire, moreso than what the Thrax is, without trouncing on the DS flavor too much.
It's one of those balancing acts like we will be doing with the Pyreen since it's one of those sacred cows that a lot of people don't like to see messed with.
First, you gotta find a way into the underark. In my campain, the enterance to the underdark (in the Tyr Region) was only re-opened after the great earthquake, and promptly re-sealed by a cult of Earth Clerics who knew what lies under the surface.
Anyway, i like the Athasian undead as they are; they are unique. Having said that, given how much magic has stuffed the sun around, one wonders if athasian sunlight would have the same effect on a "normal" D&D vampire....
I dont know if any of you guys have owned any ravenloft books, but there was a RL creature collection of some sort (sorry, cannot remember the name) that featured an NPC that came to Ravenloft from Athas. He was an example of an athasian vampire. I forget what he was called, but rather than sucking blood, he drained water from people with suction cups on his fingertips.
Yes- this is the Thrax, which has been discussed- Thank though
Yes- this is the Thrax, which has been discussed- Thank though
:embarrass
Neat idea, though... I was kinda surprised when I didn't see them in Terrors of the Deadlands...
If a vampire as a spell casting class of any kind including psionics, he/she may replenish their spell points or power points by drinking blood.
When the vampire uses the blood drain ability the vampire may choose to gain 5 temporary hit points or gain 5 temporary spell points or power points instead.
Just an idea, and if no one uses the spell point system maybe they would like to try this out with the psionic classes. (If it seems too un balancing then maybe casting classes have no choice and must replenish spell points/power points instead of hp.)
:embarrass
Neat idea, though... I was kinda surprised when I didn't see them in Terrors of the Deadlands...
The thrax is not undead- but IIRC is can turn another creature into a thrax- I think the stats are in Terror of Athas.
Thrax
Victims of an ancient curse, thrax are wretched creatures that can only survive by draining water from the bodies of others, leaving them desiccated corpses. A thrax's appearance is very different than what it was before "the change." Its hair darkens and its skin takes on a ruddy tinge. Its facial features develop a gaunt, angular cast and its eyes become a deep blue. The most striking change is in its hands. Each of the thrax's fingers grows a circular "sucker" through which it drains water from its victims.
Sample Thrax
This gaunt creature stares at you with piercing blue eyes. It raises its hand, revealing a set of jet suckers on the tip of each finger. This example uses a 7th level half-elven ranger as the base creature.
Thrax, 7th-Level Half-Elf Ranger
Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Psionic)
Hit Dice: 7d8+14 (45 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 24 (+6 Dex, +4 natural, +4 +1 studded
leather), touch 16, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/16
Attack: +1 longsword +13 melee (1d8+8/19-20) or +1 mighty composite longbow [+4 Str bonus] +14 ranged (1d8+5/x3)
Full Attack: +1 longsword +13/+8 melee (1d8+8/19- 20), or +1 longsword +11/+6 melee (1d8+6/19-20) and masterwork short sword +11/+6 melee (1d6+3/19-20), or +1 mighty composite longbow [+4 Str bonus] +14/+9 ranged (1d8+5/x3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Combat style, create thrax, favored enemies (elves +2, humans +4), improved combat style, psi-like abilities, water drain
Special Qualities: Animal companion, darkvision 60 ft., half-elf traits, wild empathy, woodland stride
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +11, Will +3
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 22, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 10
Skills: Handle Animal +2, Hide +20, Jump +15, Listen +17, Move Silently +20, Search +1, Spot +17, Survival +13
Feats: Alertness, Cleave, Endurance, Improved Grapple, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Unarmed Strike, Power Attack, Track, Two Weapon Fighting
Environment: Deserts
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +3
Combat
Thrax prefer to attack creatures traveling alone. They sneak up as close as possible before attacking. If their target is part of a group, they will try and isolate the creature with stealth and their psionic powers before attacking. Thrax prefer to attack with their water drain ability, only using their weapons if seriously threatened.
Create Thrax (Su): A humanoid that takes damage from a thrax’s water drain ability must make a Fortitude save (DC 13) or slowly become a thrax. The creature suffers intense thirst and requires double its normal water intake, becoming a thrax after 1d4 weeks. A remove curse spell prevents transformation if cast before the end of this time.
Psi-Like Abilities: 3/day—ego whip (DC 12), empty mind, energy adaptation, greater concealing amorpha, mind thrust (DC 11), painful strike, shadow body (ML
15th), thought shield. Manifester level 7th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Water Drain (Su): A thrax can drain water from a living victim with its finger suckers by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains water, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained unless the opponent makes a Fortitude save (DC 13) to negate the drain.
Possessions: +1 longsword, masterwork short sword, +1 mighty composite longbow [+4 Str bonus], +1 studded leather armor.
Creating a Thrax
“Thrax” is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid (referred to hereafter as the base creature). A thrax uses all of the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here. Do not recalculate the creature’s base attack bonus, saves, or skill points.
Size and Type: The base creature’s type changes to Monstrous Humanoid. Size is unchanged.
Hit Dice: The base creature’s HD are unchanged.
Armor Class: Natural armor improves by +4.
Special Attacks: The thrax retains all the base creature’s special attacks and gains those described below. Saves have a DC of 10 + 1/2 thrax’s HD + thrax’s Cha modifier unless noted otherwise.
Create Thrax (Su): A humanoid that takes damage from a thrax’s water drain ability must make a Fortitude save or slowly become a thrax. The creature suffers intense thirst and requires double its normal water intake, becoming a thrax after 1d4 weeks. A remove curse spell prevents transformation if cast before the end of this time.
Psi-Like Abilities: 3/day—ego whip, empty mind, energy adaptation, greater concealing amorpha, mind thrust, painful strike, shadow body (ML 15th), thought shield. Manifester level is equal to the creature’s HD. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Water Drain (Su): A thrax can drain water from a living victim with its finger suckers by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains water, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained unless the opponent makes a Fortitude save to negate the drain.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +6, Dex +4, Con +4.
Skills: Thrax have a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.
Feats: Thrax gain Alertness and Improved Unarmed Strike, assuming the base creature doesn’t already have these feats.
Environment: Any, usually same as base creature.
Organization: Solitary.
Treasure: Standard.
Challenge Rating: HD 3 or less, as base creature +4; HD 4 to 10, as base creature +3; HD 11 or more, as base creature +2.
Alignment: Always neutral evil.
Advancement: By character class.
Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +3.
Thrax Characters
Because the corpse of a thrax victim is so easily recognized, few thrax live in cities or villages. Instead, they haunt the wastelands, where many become rangers or druids.
shutting up about the thrax now. :P
Cool. If they're alive then it seems more like lycanthropy than vampirism.
Not sure how that correlates since it's a magical curse just like vampirism can be and not a disease like lycanthropy is.
Not to mention that people's issues with it not being undead is a bit weird just because they drain liquids from someone like a vampire does.
There are many instances of creatures in real life that drain body fluids, not sure why the Thrax has to be any different just because it's humanoid.
Never mind the fact that no where in the 2e fluff does it even hint at them being undead.
There are many instances of creatures in real life that drain body fluids, not sure why the Thrax has to be any different just because it's humanoid.
Never mind the fact that no where in the 2e fluff does it even hint at them being undead.
I could be that the thrax injects a toxin that alters the victume on the genitic level or it could be the only way that the creatures reproduce- who knows- but this creature is most definatly NOT a DS vampire- we just need to find the right flavor and DS originality for our own undead badass- like how Athasian Wraiths rule and the normal ones drool :D
I could be that the thrax injects a toxin that alters the victume on the genitic level or it could be the only way that the creatures reproduce- who knows- but this creature is most definatly NOT a DS vampire- we just need to find the right flavor and DS originality for our own undead badass- like how Athasian Wraiths rule and the normal ones drool :D
Pretty much in agreement, though I want to find a niche for it as well and not just create one for the sake of having one.
That being said, I've considered using normal D&D wraiths as something that are under the control of and slaves to Athasian wraiths, just not sure how to implement it yet, but that's another topic of discussion.
Pretty much in agreement, though I want to find a niche for it as well and not just create one for the sake of having one.
That being said, I've considered using normal D&D wraiths as something that are under the control of and slaves to Athasian wraiths, just not sure how to implement it yet, but that's another topic of discussion.
I really think we need to res brun01's vampire thread and re-exam the stuff we had going there- I truely think we were on a bit of a roll with some of it.
Hey Nyt- maybe you want to e-mail me and we can get something good going between the two of us and see what shakes out of the box- just let me know!