Warlock Patron: Blood Pact (Master Vampire)

[Submortimer]

Warlock Patron: Blood Pact (Master Vampire)


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"What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets!" - Count Dracula, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Vampires, by common folk, are known as the absolute masters of the night. They are powerful, Violent, and terrifying beyond measure. Despite that, one of the defining traits of the master vampire is his unfailing ability to draw others to him, to bind them to his service, and to subjugate them with his awe.

Warlocks Who take the Blood Pact seek to gain a measure of a master vampire's incredible strength, intimidating preasence, and immortal stamina. They desire to become true masters of the night, and, eventually, vampires in their own right.

Vampiric Warlock Bonus Spell list



Warlock Level
Spells


1st
Fog Cloud, Inflight Wounds


3rd
Spider Climb, Alter Self


5th
Conjure Animals, Melfs Minute Meteors


7th
Polymorph, Dominate Beast


9th
Dominate Person, Immolation



Bloodthirst
At first level, the Vampiric warlock grows a sharp pair of retractable fangs, and a powerful thirst for blood. After reducing an opponent to 0 hp, as a bonus action, he may heal a number of HP equal to his Charisma Modifier + his warlock level.

Alluring Presance
At 6th level your eyes turn a bright shade of red, and you learn to melt your opponent's willpower with but a stare. As an action, select a creature within 30 ft. that you can see; that creature must make a wisdom save against your spell save DC, Otherwise they are charmed or frightend by you, your choice. This effect ends once they can no longer see you, are further than 60 feet from you, or they take damage.
A creature that successfully saves against this effect may not be affected by it again for 24 hours.

Immortal Fortitude
At 10th level, your skin (and possibly your hair) toughens and takes on an unearthly hue (porcelain white, jet black, emerald green, etc.) and your aging seems to stop altogether. After you take a short rest, select two damage types from the following list: bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage. You gain resistance to these two damage types until you take a long or short rest. This resistance does not effect damage from magical or silver weapons. Additionally, you no longer age, do not suffer the effects of old age, cannot be magically aged, and cannot die from old age.

Child of the Night
At 14th level, you gain the ability to change your form like that of your master. As an action, you may Wild Shape into the form of a wolf, a bat, or a rat as if your were a Druid. Additionally, you may take the form of a swarm of bats, a swarm of rats, or a dire wolf; if you take on of these forms, you must take a short or long rest before you can use one of those forms again.


Edit: changes made for balance.

[ziggy_killroy]

You should clarify Immortal fortitude. Does it require magical, silvered weapons, or a magic or silvered weapon?

[Submortimer]

You should clarify Immortal fortitude. Does it require magical, silvered weapons, or a magic or silvered weapon?

I'll make that change.

[JNAProductions]

Immortal Fortitude is a 17th level War Cleric ability at level 10.

Child of the Night is a 20th level Druid ability at level 14.

Seems a tad unfair to the other classes that aren't as powerful.

[Submortimer]

Immortal Fortitude is a 17th level War Cleric ability at level 10.

Child of the Night is a 20th level Druid ability at level 14.

Seems a tad unfair to the other classes that aren't as powerful.

Immortal fortitude is the Fiend Patron's 10th level ability, expanded but with more restrictions (More types, Can't change resistance type)

Child of the Night has three specific forms you can change into. I suppose I could make it a short rest feature, but at that point it becomes far too weak for a 14th level warlock ability.

[JNAProductions]

Considering you selected the three most common damage types... I'd still rate it as overpowered.

The issue with Vampire Wild Shape is that you get effectively inifite HP, just like a level 20 Druid. Maybe make it Charisma Modifier times per rest, just to cap it out. (A pretty lenient cap, but not unlimited.)

[Submortimer]

Considering you selected the three most common damage types... I'd still rate it as overpowered.
You make an excellent point...i have a fix I'll post that should even it back out.



The issue with Vampire Wild Shape is that you get effectively inifite HP, just like a level 20 Druid. Maybe make it Charisma Modifier times per rest, just to cap it out. (A pretty lenient cap, but not unlimited.)

I'm making a change to this that should balance it out. It's still going to be at will, but in a different manner, and not in any way that would be more game breaking than being able to cast False Life at will (which a warlock can do at 2nd level).

Edit: change made. Now, you can turn into a bat, a rat, or a wolf at will, and one of the better forms once per short rest. The Bat or Rat only give you an additional 1 hp, less than that of false life, and wolf gives you a few more (11 hp), hardly enough to be an issue at that level.

[Palorin]

Any chance of getting this in a PDF or google docs?

[Palorin]

Actually, sorry for dredging this back up to the top, I have two critiques: the level 1 and level 14 powers. One is way over powered (the level 1 HEALS instead of granting temp hp like its twin the Fiend), while the level 14 power seems cool, but really really sucks. Yes it's supposedly "unlimited hp" but in reality it's not. The hp levels of the creatures are too low for that level. Plus, you already have access to Polymorph as a spell which is WAY better. Compared to other patron "capstones", which create thralls, or send you to hell, or take you to an illusory realm, this one seems like a level 6 utility power for scouting.

Maybe a form boost? Or damaging power?

[Submortimer]

Actually, sorry for dredging this back up to the top, I have two critiques: the level 1 and level 14 powers. One is way over powered (the level 1 HEALS instead of granting temp hp like its twin the Fiend), while the level 14 power seems cool, but really really sucks. Yes it's supposedly "unlimited hp" but in reality it's not. The hp levels of the creatures are too low for that level. Plus, you already have access to Polymorph as a spell which is WAY better. Compared to other patron "capstones", which create thralls, or send you to hell, or take you to an illusory realm, this one seems like a level 6 utility power for scouting.

Maybe a form boost? Or damaging power?

Both powers were made that way for a reason:

- The level 1 power does heal. Since this is arguably better than the fiend's ability on it's own, it requires a bonus action to use, whereas the fiend's ability does not.
- The level 14 power is not an attempt to add much additional combat ability (aside from the improved forms, those are quite nice), they're designed to boost your movement speed or give you a previously unavailable movement speed (like flight) at will. This power is pretty integral to the whole "vampire" thing, and would be OP at any other level.

[weaseldust]

I really like the changes in appearance. I was going to say that their negative consequences for social interactions would have to be taken into account, but I suppose in many fantasy worlds a pale guy with red eyes will be far from the most unusual-looking character, and players will take this sort of thing into account before choosing the archetype.

What's the reasoning behind giving them Melf's Minute Meteors? I would suggest Gaseous Form instead. I'd also favour Darkness or Hold Person over Alter Self, and either Hold Monster or Modify Memory over Immolation, for that Count Orlok feel.

Does Bloodthirst apply when you reduce them to 0HP by any means at all? Even when you are nowhere near them? I understand that it makes the ability awkward to use, but I prefer the idea of the vampire having to actually drink blood to regain the HP. You also face the perennial 'kill small animals to get free HP' problem. My suggestion would be that the vampire gets a d4 natural weapon that restores HP the first time they deal damage to any willing, restrained, or incapacitated humanoid with it.

I think the damage reduction should be OK, but it might depend on the extent to which your DM tries to circumvent it. When you can pretty much predict "I'm going to be facing more arrows and swords than clubs today" you can maximise your resistance. If you want an alternative, you could allow the Warlock to use their reaction and make a constitution save in order to avoid damage from a non-magical weapon (like the Rogue does with dexterity instead). Or you could focus on condition immunities/resistances instead of damage resistances, so give them immunity to poison and disease, and maybe stunning.

Do you intend them to be able to cast spells while in beast form? I actually don't think it would be overpowered, since other casters are getting flight at the same time and a bat will have trouble with material components. It might step on the Druid's toes a bit, though.

[Submortimer]

This vampire is most directly inspired by Castlevania, therefore fireballs :-)

I hadn't originally intended for spellcasting in animal form, but now, thats how it is.

Yes, you can use blood thirst with any attack. Thematically, you use the bonus action to draw their blood to you, healing your wounds.