I am not happy with the vampire template as it appears in the Monster Manual. Especially, I consider it overpowered and deviating excessively from Slavic/Balkan folklore and classic literature. I have created my own alternative which I have presented here. Chrizzt created a similar template several months ago, link. The different templates could represent different vampire clans or bloodlines. PEACH.
VAMPIRE (variant)
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 an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature). A 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 (augmented humanoid or monstrous humanoid). Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.
Hit Dice: Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12s.
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).
Armor Class: The base creature’s natural armor bonus improves by +6.
Attack: A 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 vampire retains this ability. A creature with natural weapons retains those natural weapons. A vampire fighting without weapons uses either its slam attack or its primary natural weapon (if it has any). A vampire armed with a weapon uses its slam or a weapon, as it desires.
Full Attack: A vampire fighting without weapons uses either its slam attack (see above) or its natural weapons (if it has any). If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack along with a slam or other natural weapon as a natural secondary attack.
Damage: 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 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.
{table=head]Size | Damage
Fine | 1
Diminutive | 1d2
Tiny | 1d3
Small | 1d4
Medium | 1d6
Large | 1d8
Huge | 2d6
Gargantuan | 2d8
Colossal | 4d6 [/table]
Special Attacks: A vampire retains all the special attacks of the base creature and gains those described below. Saves have a DC of 10 + 1/2 vampire’s HD + vampire’s Cha modifier unless noted otherwise.
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, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, the vampire regains 5 hit points.
Mesmeric Gaze (Su): A vampire can crush an opponent’s will just by looking onto his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that the vampire must use a standard action, and those merely looking at it are not affected. Anyone the vampire targets must succeed on a Will save or fall instantly under the vampire’s influence as though by a charm person or suggestion spell (caster level 12th). The ability has a range of 30 feet.
Create Spawn (Su): If a vampire wishes, a humanoid or monstrous humanoid slain by it’s blood drain attack rises as a vampire 1d4 days after burial. The new vampire is normally initially subservient to the vampire that created it, and subject to its mesmeric gaze ability.
Special Qualities: A vampire retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains those described below.
Alternate Form (Su): A vampire can assume the shape of a bat or wolf, or from 5 HD, a dire bat or dire wolf, as a standard action. This ability is similar to a polymorph spell cast by a 12th-level character, except that the vampire does not regain hit points for changing form and must choose from among the forms mentioned here. While in its alternate form, the vampire loses its natural slam attack and mesmeric gaze, but it gains the natural weapons and extraordinary special attacks of its new form. It can remain in that form until it assumes another or until the next sunrise. (If the base creature is not terrestrial, this power might allow other forms.)
Blindsight 40ft (Ex): Vampires can sense all creatures within 40 feet as if it were well illuminated (using echolocation).
Superior Low-Light Vision (Ex): A vampire can see five times as far as a human can in dim light.
Gaseous Form (Su): As a standard action, a vampire can assume gaseous form three times per night 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 vampire has resistance to cold 10 and electricity 10.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A vampire has +4 turn resistance.
Whisper of the Mist (Su): A vampire can cast the cantrip Message at will, at a caster level equal to the vampires HD. A vampire can use this ability even in gaseous form.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +6, Dex +4, Cha +4. As an undead creature, a vampire has no Constitution score.
Skills: Vampires have a +8 racial bonus on Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search and Sense Motive checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.
Feats: Vampires gain Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, and Lightning Reflexes, assuming the base creature meets the prerequisites and doesn’t already have these feats.
Environment: Any, usually same as base creature.
Organization: Solitary, pair or gang (3–5).
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +1.
Treasure: Double standard.
Alignment: Always evil (any).
Advancement: By character class.
Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +4.
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 strongly presented holy symbol. These things don’t harm the vampire—they merely keep it at bay. A recoiling vampire must stay at least 5 feet away from a creature holding the holy symbol and cannot touch or make melee attacks against the creature holding the item. Holding a vampire at bay takes a standard action.
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.
Exposing any vampire to direct sunlight disorients it and causes it pain and to flee. Its Str is reduced to 3 and it losses all its supernatural abilities as long as it remains in direct sunlight.
Vampires can be quite anal retentive. If poppy seeds or rice are thrown in the path of a pursuing vampire, the vampire must make a DC 12 will save to resist the urge to begin counting the seeds/grains and break off pursuit for 1 round.
Slaying a Vampire: Reducing a vampire’s hit points to 0 or lower incapacitates it but doesn’t destroy it. 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 nine 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. Immersing a vampire in running water robs it of d6 hit points each round until it is utterly destroyed. 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. Popular tactic are to burn the body, or to cut off the creature’s head and fill its mouth with holy wafers, garlic, or their equivalent.
Vampire Characters - Clerics: Vampire clerics lose their ability to turn undead but gain the ability to rebuke undead. This ability does not affect the vampire’s bloodfather/bloodmother.
Vampire Fighter 5
Medium Undead (augmented humanoid)
HD 5d12 (32 hp)
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares);
Init: +7
AC 23; touch 13; flat-footed 20
(+3 dex, +6 natural, +4 mwk chain shirt)
BAB +5; Grp +11
Attack Mwk heavy mace +13 melee (1d8+8) or slam +11 melee (1d6+9)
Full-Attack Mwk heavy mace +13 melee (1d8+8) or slam +11 melee (1d6+9)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks Blood Drain, Mesmeric Gaze, Create Spawn
Special Qualities Alternate form, Blindsight 40ft, gaseous form, Superior low light vision, Resistance to cold 10 and electricity 10, +4 turn resistance, undead traits, vampire weaknesses, Whisper of the mist
Saves Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +2
Abilities Str 22, Dex 17, Con -, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 12
Skills Bluff + 9, Climb +13, Hide +10, Intimidate +9, Listen +11, Move Silently +10, Ride +11, Search +8, Sense motive +9, Spot +3
Feats Alertness*, Blind-fight, Cleave, Combat Reflexes*, Great Cleave, Improved Initiative*, Lightning Reflexes*, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (heavy mace), Weapon Specialisation (heavy mace)
Environment -
Organization Solitary
Challenge Rating 6
Treasure Double standard
Alignment Always evil (any)
Advancement By character class
Level Adjustment +4
