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Wryte
2018-11-05, 07:21 PM
The first campaign my weekend table ever played together was Curse of Strahd. It was a wild ride, in which we swept through a world of subtleties and intrigue like a careening boulder. I've been talking about wanting to run a Legacy of Strahd campaign, in which we would revisit the land of Barovia with new characters a century or so after our original campaign, and dealt with the fallout of our actions, and with our current campaign going on indefinite hiatus, I may be stepping up to the plate sooner rather than later.

One of the twists I wanted to put on this campaign was that the players would start out as various kinds of undead creatures, and would have to choose whether to serve Strahd's successor, or try to find ways to restore their humanity. To that end, I've devised several racial templates to apply to their characters, and could use some feedback. In particular, I'm looking for whether these templates faithfully convey the feeling of the respective monsters through their mechanics, whether they might be too clunky or unwieldy, and whether any stand out as too powerful or too weak in relation to the others.

Aversion to Fire. Whenever you take fire damage, you must make a Wisdom saving throw, the DC of which is equal to 10 + the number of dice rolled for the fire damage. On a failure, you have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of your next turn.

Berserk. Whenever an attack reduces you below half your maximum hit points, you must make a DC 15 Wisdom save or be driven berserk. On each of your turns while berserk, you must move to the nearest creature that you can see, or nearest object if no creatures are within reach, and use your action to make a melee attack against it. You remain berserk for 1 minute, or until a creature makes a successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check to calm you.

Starting at 8th level, you learn to enter and control your berserk trait intentionally. When you take damage from an attack, you can use your reaction to go berserk and make a melee attack against the creature that damaged you. You also gain a degree on control over your berserk state, and can choose any creature or object that you can reach on your turn as the target of your attack, rather than only the nearest one, and deal +2 damage with your melee attacks while berserk. Once you go berserk in this way, you must complete a long or short rest before you can do so again.

Constructed Fortitude. You have advantage on Constitution saving throws, and count as one size larger for determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Immutable Form. You have advantage on saving throws to resist spells and effects which would alter your form, such as the polymorph spell, and are immune to exhaustion, paralysis, petrification, and poison.

Living Construct. Even though you were constructed, you are a living, intelligent creature. You do not need to eat or breathe, but you can ingest food and drink if you wish. Additionally, you can be affected by spells such as cure wounds that normally have no effect on constructs.

Toughened Flesh. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level. This trait does not stack with similar racial traits like dwarven toughness.

Lightning Absorption. You are immune to lightning damage, and whenever you are subjected to lightning damage from a source other than a cantrip, you instead regain a number of hit points equal to the lightning damage dealt.

Damage Resistance. Starting at 4th level, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapon attacks.

Intangibility. Your armor class is equal to 13 + your Dexterity modifier when you are not wearing armor, but you count as one size smaller when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Levitation. Your movement speed is 0. You have a flying speed equal to your race's normal speed. You can hover, but cannot ascend more than 10 feet above a solid surface. If you move over an empty space such as a pit or the edge of a cliff, you fall gently at a rate of 60 feet per round until you are 10 feet above a solid surface and take no falling damage.

Take it with You. You know a ritual which can be performed during a rest period to bind an object to yourself with the same ethereal qualities as yourself. The object must be within your reach for the full duration of the ritual, at the end of which you touch the object to form the bond. You can can have up to three objects bound to you in this way, and can release any or all of them to their original state as a bonus action. An eldritch knight's bound weapons and a warlock's pact weapon automatically gain this property once bound to you, and do not count against this limit.

Undead Nature. You do not require air, food, drink, or sleep, but still gain the benefits of resting. If killed and brought back to life by a resurrection or similar spell, you return as a living creature without this template.

Withering Touch. Your unarmed strikes deal necrotic damage instead of bludgeoning.

Incorporeal Movement. Starting at 4th level, you can move through other creatures and non-magical objects as if they were difficult terrain. You take force damage equal to 5 x your character level if you end your turn inside an object. Objects or creatures you are carrying cannot pass through with you unless they have been bound to you with your take it with you ritual.

Possession. Starting at 8th level, you can can attempt to possess one humanoid that you can see within 5 feet of you. The target creature must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be possessed by you. You then disappear, taking control of the creature's body, but not depriving them of awareness. You can't be targeted by any attacks, spell, or other effect, except ones that turn undead. You retain your alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, but otherwise use the possessed creature's statistics. You do not gain access to the creature's knowledge, class features, or proficiencies.

Your possession lasts for 1 hour. The effect ends early if the possessed body drops to 0 hit points, if you end it as a bonus action, or if you are turned or forced out by an effect like the dispel good and evil spell. The possessed creature can also repeat its saving throw anytime you attempt to take an action that would violate its alignment, bonds, or ideals, expelling you on a success. When the possession ends, you reappear in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the body, and the creature is immune to your Possession for 7 days.

You must complete a long rest before using this trait again. You may choose Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma as your spellcasting ability for this trait's save DC when you gain it at 8th level.

Binding Strike. When you have advantage on a melee attack roll, if both rolls would hit you can use your wrappings to grapple the target as part of the same attack.

Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Resistance and Vulnerabilities. You are vulnerable to fire damage, but are immune to necrotic and poison damage. You also have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.

Undead Nature. You do not require air, food, drink, or sleep, but still gain the benefits of resting. If killed and brought back to life by a resurrection or similar spell, you return as a living creature without this template.

Voice of the Crypt. You know the command spell and can cast it up to three times. You may choose your spellcasting ability for this trait from Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma when you first become a mummy. You regain all uses of this trait after a long rest.

Dreadful Glare. Starting at 4th level, you can use your action to target one creature you can see within 60 feet. If the target can see you, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of your next turn. If the target fails its save by 5 or more, it is also paralyzed for the same duration. Once you use this trait you must finish a long rest before you can use it again. Your spellcasting ability for this trait is the same as your spellcasting ability for Voice of the Crypt.

Mummy's Curse. Starting at 8th level, you can cast the bestow curse spell once at 4th level, regaining the ability to do so after a long rest. When you do so, you may also choose the following option for the curse to take:


While cursed, the target cannot regain hit points, and its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to your characer level.



Your spellcasting ability for this trait is the same as your spellcasting ability for Voice of the Crypt and Dreadful Glare.

Bite. Your fangs are a natural weapon with which you can make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal 1d4 + your Strength modifier piercing damage instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Drain Life. If your target is willing, grappled, incapacitated, or restrained when you use your action to make a bite attack against them, you can use a bonus action to drain the target's life force, dealing an additional 1d6 necrotic damage and regaining hit points equal to the damage dealt. The damage increases to 2d6 at 6th level, 3d6 at 11th level, and 4d6 and 16th level. After you drain life from a victim, you can't use this trait again until you complete a short or long rest.

Spider Climb. You have a climbing speed equal to your regular movement speed, and have advantage when climbing difficult surfaces such as hanging upside down on ceilings.

Undead Nature. You do not require air. You do not cast a shadow or reflection. If killed and brought back to life by a resurrection or similar spell, you return as a living creature without this template.

Vampire Weaknesses. You have the following flaws:

Forbiddance. You can't enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants.
Harmed by Running Water. You take acid damage equal to 5 x your character level when you end your turn in running water.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity. You take radiant damage equal to 5 x your character level when you start your turn in sunlight.


Charm. Starting at 4th level, you can force one humanoid that you can see within 30 feet of yourself to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the target is charmed by you, and regards you as a friend to be heeded. Although the creature isn't under your control, it takes your requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, and it is a willing target for your Drain Life trait.

Each time you or your companions do something harmful to the target, or instruct it to take an action that would violate its alignment, bond, or ideal, the creature can repeat its saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts for 1 hour, or until you are incapacitated, on a different plane of existence than the target, or you take a bonus action to end the effect.

You may choose Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma as your spellcasting ability for this trait when you reach 4th level. After using this trait once, you must finish a long rest before using it again.

Shapechanger. Starting at 8th level, if you aren't in sunlight or running water, you can use your action to polymorph into a bat or return to your humanoid form. While in bat form your statistics remain the same, except as noted in the Bat Form sidebar.

Bat Form
While in bat form, you gain the following traits:

Speed. Your movement speed is 5 feet, and your flying speed is 30 feet.
Echolocation. You have blindsight out to 60 feet. You can't use your blindsight while deafened.
Keen Hearing. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing.
Bite. You can use your bite and drain life traits in bat form.

Shapechanger. You can use your action to polymorph yourself into one of three forms: humanoid, wolf, or hybrid. Your statistics are the same in each form, except that your speed increases to 40 ft. in wolf form. Any equipment you are wearing or carrying isn't transformed. You revert to your true form if you die. You are automatically polymorphed into either your hybrid or wolf form and cannot polymorph into your humanoid form during a full moon.

Cursed Nature. You can be cured of your lycanthropy by a remove curse spell, at which point you lose all the traits of this template.

Damage Resistance. While in hybrid form you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons. Starting at 4th level, this trait applies to your humanoid and wolf forms as well.

Forest Adaptation. You are adapted to life in the forest. When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to forests, your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are using a skill that you're proficient in.

While traveling for an hour or more in a forest, you gain the following benefits:


Difficult terrain doesn't slow your group's travel.
Your group can't become lost except by magical means.
Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger.
If you are traveling alone, you can more stealthily at a normal pace.
When you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would.
While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.


Keen Hearing and Smell. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.

Natural Weapons (Wolf or Hybrid Form Only). Your jaws in your wolf and hybrid forms are a natural weapon with which you can make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal 1d4 + your Strength modifier piercing damage instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. Additionally, when in hybrid form your unarmed strikes with your claws deal slashing damage instead of bludgeoning.

Walk Among Them. While in humanoid or wolf form you are indistinguishable from a normal humanoid of the same race or a normal wolf, respectively.

Ferocity. Starting at 4th level, whenever you have advantage on a melee weapon attack against a creature no more than one size category larger than you, if both rolls would hit your target, you knock them prone.

Pack Tactics. Starting at 8th level, you have have advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.

Wryte
2018-11-10, 09:13 PM
Anyone? Please?

Composer99
2018-11-10, 10:54 PM
The first campaign my weekend table ever played together was Curse of Strahd. It was a wild ride, in which we swept through a world of subtleties and intrigue like a careening boulder. I've been talking about wanting to run a Legacy of Strahd campaign, in which we would revisit the land of Barovia with new characters a century or so after our original campaign, and dealt with the fallout of our actions, and with our current campaign going on indefinite hiatus, I may be stepping up to the plate sooner rather than later.

One of the twists I wanted to put on this campaign was that the players would start out as various kinds of undead creatures, and would have to choose whether to serve Strahd's successor, or try to find ways to restore their humanity. To that end, I've devised several racial templates to apply to their characters, and could use some feedback. In particular, I'm looking for whether these templates faithfully convey the feeling of the respective monsters through their mechanics, whether they might be too clunky or unwieldy, and whether any stand out as too powerful or too weak in relation to the others.

Let's have a look!

Suffice to say, I'm hoping that taking one of these templates is going to be required. A PC without one of these templates will be far behind everyone who has one.

Also, suffice to say, any combat challenges would have to be significantly more difficult to actually challenge the PCs.


Aversion to Fire. Whenever you take fire damage, you must make a Wisdom saving throw, the DC of which is equal to 10 + the number of dice rolled for the fire damage. On a failure, you have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of your next turn.

Berserk. Whenever an attack reduces you below half your maximum hit points, you must make a DC 15 Wisdom save or be driven berserk. On each of your turns while berserk, you must move to the nearest creature that you can see, or nearest object if no creatures are within reach, and use your action to make a melee attack against it. You remain berserk for 1 minute, or until a creature makes a successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check to calm you.

Starting at 8th level, you learn to enter and control your berserk trait intentionally. When you take damage from an attack, you can use your reaction to go berserk and make a melee attack against the creature that damaged you. You also gain a degree on control over your berserk state, and can choose any creature or object that you can reach on your turn as the target of your attack, rather than only the nearest one, and deal +2 damage with your melee attacks while berserk. Once you go berserk in this way, you must complete a long or short rest before you can do so again.

Constructed Fortitude. You have advantage on Constitution saving throws, and count as one size larger for determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Immutable Form. You have advantage on saving throws to resist spells and effects which would alter your form, such as the polymorph spell, and are immune to exhaustion, paralysis, petrification, and poison.

Living Construct. Even though you were constructed, you are a living, intelligent creature. You do not need to eat or breathe, but you can ingest food and drink if you wish. Additionally, you can be affected by spells such as cure wounds that normally have no effect on constructs.

Toughened Flesh. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level. This trait does not stack with similar racial traits like dwarven toughness.

Lightning Absorption. You are immune to lightning damage, and whenever you are subjected to lightning damage from a source other than a cantrip, you instead regain a number of hit points equal to the lightning damage dealt.

Damage Resistance. Starting at 4th level, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapon attacks.

Wow, what a list of features!

Aversion to Fire is certainly a more complex version of the trait than is possessed by flesh golem monsters. I take it you wanted PCs to feel more in control of their flesh golems? Making the DC set by the number of dice rolled seems clunky, and I can't think of any other mechanic in 5e that does anything like it. Given how strong the rest of the template is, I think this feature could stand to be the same as the one the monster gets, but if you insist on a saving throw, I'd recommend that the DC be calculated the same way that the DC is for concentrating on a spell when you take damage (10 or half the damage, whichever is greater).

For Berserk, I'm not sure that I'd give the golem PC a chance to use the feature intentionally. But the way you've implemented it is pretty solid.

Constructed Fortitude has no equivalent for the flesh golem monster, I see. It's a decent, and even thematic feature, though. Did you include it because it felt suitable, or because you felt the flesh golem template needed buffing when compared to the others, or some combination of both factors?

Immutable Form is a great modification of the monster feature, and a great way of incorporating some of the flesh golem's damage and condition immunities.

Living Construct is fine with respect to food & water. What about sleep? Do you need to sleep despite being a construct? I'm not sure you really need to be affected by cure wounds (&c.), but I suppose if you were in a party of lycanthropes it could be an issue.

Toughened Flesh, Lightning Absorption and Damage Resistance (nice touch on the cantrips) are all fine.



Intangibility. Your armor class is equal to 13 + your Dexterity modifier when you are not wearing armor, but you count as one size smaller when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Levitation. Your movement speed is 0. You have a flying speed equal to your race's normal speed. You can hover, but cannot ascend more than 10 feet above a solid surface. If you move over an empty space such as a pit or the edge of a cliff, you fall gently at a rate of 60 feet per round until you are 10 feet above a solid surface and take no falling damage.

Take it with You. You know a ritual which can be performed during a rest period to bind an object to yourself with the same ethereal qualities as yourself. The object must be within your reach for the full duration of the ritual, at the end of which you touch the object to form the bond. You can can have up to three objects bound to you in this way, and can release any or all of them to their original state as a bonus action. An eldritch knight's bound weapons and a warlock's pact weapon automatically gain this property once bound to you, and do not count against this limit.

Undead Nature. You do not require air, food, drink, or sleep, but still gain the benefits of resting. If killed and brought back to life by a resurrection or similar spell, you return as a living creature without this template.

Withering Touch. Your unarmed strikes deal necrotic damage instead of bludgeoning.

Incorporeal Movement. Starting at 4th level, you can move through other creatures and non-magical objects as if they were difficult terrain. You take force damage equal to 5 x your character level if you end your turn inside an object. Objects or creatures you are carrying cannot pass through with you unless they have been bound to you with your take it with you ritual.

Possession. Starting at 8th level, you can can attempt to possess one humanoid that you can see within 5 feet of you. The target creature must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be possessed by you. You then disappear, taking control of the creature's body, but not depriving them of awareness. You can't be targeted by any attacks, spell, or other effect, except ones that turn undead. You retain your alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, but otherwise use the possessed creature's statistics. You do not gain access to the creature's knowledge, class features, or proficiencies.

Your possession lasts for 1 hour. The effect ends early if the possessed body drops to 0 hit points, if you end it as a bonus action, or if you are turned or forced out by an effect like the dispel good and evil spell. The possessed creature can also repeat its saving throw anytime you attempt to take an action that would violate its alignment, bonds, or ideals, expelling you on a success. When the possession ends, you reappear in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the body, and the creature is immune to your Possession for 7 days.

You must complete a long rest before using this trait again. You may choose Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma as your spellcasting ability for this trait's save DC when you gain it at 8th level.

This seems like a far weaker template than the flesh golem. The flesh golem does get a full weakness in the form of Aversion to Fire and a partial weakness in the form of Berserk (I say partial because it can learn to use a controlled version of it), but it also gets a bunch of resistances and immunities that the ghost doesn't get (even though the ghost monster gets most of the same ones), and I'm not sure that Incorporeal Movement, Levitation, and Possession are sufficient to make up for the difference.

I'm not sure what you would need Take it With You for. As far as I know, there are no special rules for incorporeal monsters in 5e that prevent them from interacting normally with objects. I see that you added such special rules for Incorporeal Movement, which I don't think you need. Just keep it simple and let ghosts be weird that way. Also, why make the force damage scale like that? It's pretty unforgiving.

Everything else is fine. I would say you should explicitly spell out some condition and damage resistances/immunities, perhaps as part of the Undead Nature feature.


Binding Strike. When you have advantage on a melee attack roll, if both rolls would hit you can use your wrappings to grapple the target as part of the same attack.

Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Resistance and Vulnerabilities. You are vulnerable to fire damage, but are immune to necrotic and poison damage. You also have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.

Undead Nature. You do not require air, food, drink, or sleep, but still gain the benefits of resting. If killed and brought back to life by a resurrection or similar spell, you return as a living creature without this template.

Voice of the Crypt. You know the command spell and can cast it up to three times. You may choose your spellcasting ability for this trait from Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma when you first become a mummy. You regain all uses of this trait after a long rest.

Dreadful Glare. Starting at 4th level, you can use your action to target one creature you can see within 60 feet. If the target can see you, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of your next turn. If the target fails its save by 5 or more, it is also paralyzed for the same duration. Once you use this trait you must finish a long rest before you can use it again. Your spellcasting ability for this trait is the same as your spellcasting ability for Voice of the Crypt.

Mummy's Curse. Starting at 8th level, you can cast the bestow curse spell once at 4th level, regaining the ability to do so after a long rest. When you do so, you may also choose the following option for the curse to take:


While cursed, the target cannot regain hit points, and its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to your characer level.



Your spellcasting ability for this trait is the same as your spellcasting ability for Voice of the Crypt and Dreadful Glare.

This mostly seems fine. I should clarify for Voice of the Crypt that you are casting it as a 4th-level spell. It's mostly clear from context, but seems like the thing where the word "spell" should be in there explicitly for clarity's sake.

That said, since the SRD mummy does not have any magic resistance (only the mummy lord does), I'm not keen on seeing it in Resistance and Vulerability. I'd be inclined to get rid of advantage on those saving throws and giving it a few of the condition immunities that mummy monsters get.


Bite. Your fangs are a natural weapon with which you can make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal 1d4 + your Strength modifier piercing damage instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Drain Life. If your target is willing, grappled, incapacitated, or restrained when you use your action to make a bite attack against them, you can use a bonus action to drain the target's life force, dealing an additional 1d6 necrotic damage and regaining hit points equal to the damage dealt. The damage increases to 2d6 at 6th level, 3d6 at 11th level, and 4d6 and 16th level. After you drain life from a victim, you can't use this trait again until you complete a short or long rest.

Spider Climb. You have a climbing speed equal to your regular movement speed, and have advantage when climbing difficult surfaces such as hanging upside down on ceilings.

Undead Nature. You do not require air. You do not cast a shadow or reflection. If killed and brought back to life by a resurrection or similar spell, you return as a living creature without this template.

Vampire Weaknesses. You have the following flaws:

Forbiddance. You can't enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants.
Harmed by Running Water. You take acid damage equal to 5 x your character level when you end your turn in running water.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity. You take radiant damage equal to 5 x your character level when you start your turn in sunlight.


Charm. Starting at 4th level, you can force one humanoid that you can see within 30 feet of yourself to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the target is charmed by you, and regards you as a friend to be heeded. Although the creature isn't under your control, it takes your requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, and it is a willing target for your Drain Life trait.

Each time you or your companions do something harmful to the target, or instruct it to take an action that would violate its alignment, bond, or ideal, the creature can repeat its saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts for 1 hour, or until you are incapacitated, on a different plane of existence than the target, or you take a bonus action to end the effect.

You may choose Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma as your spellcasting ability for this trait when you reach 4th level. After using this trait once, you must finish a long rest before using it again.

Shapechanger. Starting at 8th level, if you aren't in sunlight or running water, you can use your action to polymorph into a bat or return to your humanoid form. While in bat form your statistics remain the same, except as noted in the Bat Form sidebar.

Bat Form
While in bat form, you gain the following traits:

Speed. Your movement speed is 5 feet, and your flying speed is 30 feet.
Echolocation. You have blindsight out to 60 feet. You can't use your blindsight while deafened.
Keen Hearing. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing.
Bite. You can use your bite and drain life traits in bat form.

Since the hyper-sensitivity to sunlight and running water are such traditional vampiric weaknesses, I can't recommend weakening them - well, not much. A vampire spawn monster loses just shy of 1/4 its hit points each round in running water or sunlight. A vampire spawn PC using this template with a d6 or d8 Hit Die class is toast in two rounds given average hit points. Also, shouldn't the vampire spawn also have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks whilst in sunlight?

That does mean, though, that the vampire is perhaps the least resilient of the templates here. Especially since, unlike the others, it appears to require food and water. Also, unlike the other undead being turned into templates, it doesn't have a suite of condition immunities you could add in to buff the template up.

It's getting late, and I'm too tired to think of anything to add right now.


Shapechanger. You can use your action to polymorph yourself into one of three forms: humanoid, wolf, or hybrid. Your statistics are the same in each form, except that your speed increases to 40 ft. in wolf form. Any equipment you are wearing or carrying isn't transformed. You revert to your true form if you die. You are automatically polymorphed into either your hybrid or wolf form and cannot polymorph into your humanoid form during a full moon.

Cursed Nature. You can be cured of your lycanthropy by a remove curse spell, at which point you lose all the traits of this template.

Damage Resistance. While in hybrid form you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons. Starting at 4th level, this trait applies to your humanoid and wolf forms as well.

Forest Adaptation. You are adapted to life in the forest. When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to forests, your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are using a skill that you're proficient in.

While traveling for an hour or more in a forest, you gain the following benefits:


Difficult terrain doesn't slow your group's travel.
Your group can't become lost except by magical means.
Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger.
If you are traveling alone, you can more stealthily at a normal pace.
When you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would.
While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.


Keen Hearing and Smell. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.

Natural Weapons (Wolf or Hybrid Form Only). Your jaws in your wolf and hybrid forms are a natural weapon with which you can make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal 1d4 + your Strength modifier piercing damage instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. Additionally, when in hybrid form your unarmed strikes with your claws deal slashing damage instead of bludgeoning.

Walk Among Them. While in humanoid or wolf form you are indistinguishable from a normal humanoid of the same race or a normal wolf, respectively.

Ferocity. Starting at 4th level, whenever you have advantage on a melee weapon attack against a creature no more than one size category larger than you, if both rolls would hit your target, you knock them prone.

Pack Tactics. Starting at 8th level, you have have advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.

See what I said at the end of the vampire spawn form. Seems fine overall, to the extent that I can assess this at the moment.