Half-Blood (4e Race)

Half-Blood

Born of an ancient vampire lord and a mortal. Meant to be a more encompassing alternative to the Dhampir.

Racial Traits

Average Height: Varies depending on chosen race

Average Weight: Varies depending on chosen race

Ability Scores: +2 Strength and +2 Dexterity or Wisdom

Size: Medium

Speed: 7 Squares squares

Vision: Darkvision

Languages: Common, choice of one other

Skill Bonuses: +2 Athletics and +2 Perception

Special: Take a -2 to your healing surge value and gain one trait from your chosen race (DM's discretion).

Vampiric Might: Gain an +2 racial bonus to strength checks.

Sanguine Heritage: Gain 5 + half-level resistance to necrotic damage

Sleepless: Rather than sleep, a Half-Blood enter a meditative state. You must spend 4 hours in this state to gain the same benefits other races gain from taking a 6-hour extended rest. While in this state, you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal.

Blood Drain	Half-Blood Racial Power
The blow hits and in a moment of weakness or surrender, you take your enemy in hand feasting on their life's blood.
Encounter  Necrotic, Healing
Immediate Reaction	Melee
Trigger: An enemy (with blood) bloodies you within melee range
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength +2 vs Fortitude
Hit: 1d8 + Strength modifier necrotic damage and target is dazed until the end of your next turn.
Effect: You may expand one healing surge to regain 3d6 temporary hit points

Immortal Flesh	Half-Blood Racial Power
Your flesh mends by the second, some twist of the diluted vampiric nature keeping you alive far past any mortal soul.
Encounter  Healing
Immediate Reaction	Personal
Trigger: You are bloodied for the first time in an encounter
Effect: Until the end of the encounter or until you are no longer bloodied you gain regeneration 2 + Strength Modifier.

Unlike the dhampir born to any common strain of vampire, a Half-Blood is the spawn of the most ancient and powerful lineage. They may appear as fully mortal in their youth and even be raised by their mortal parents, none the wiser. Most often they come into their powers before full adulthood. However, said power may manifest early, under the right conditions. Trauma, both physical and mental are often the catalyst; a fact that in part describes their lives’ very center—tragedy and hardship.

Physical Qualities

Half-Bloods appear as their chosen mortal race until awakened, but once manifested gain the immense strength and speed of their vampiric nature. The keenly perceptive may notice two traits that mark a Half-Blood: paler flesh and eyes that shift to metallic colors in moments of adversity. They tend to be taller than most of their conventional brethren and will often find themselves quite comfortable in places of darkness or death. Many are noted as having a kind of ethereal beauty comparable to an Elf or Half-Elf. This is contrasted quite starkly by the sunken eyes and wan, tight flesh they take on in battle or anger.

Some speculate that half-bloods’ unique nature come from their parent’s curse rather then their blood and in such fashion, most half-bloods live as outsiders or loners. Beware the Daywalker, the False-born, the Half-blood; they stand at the crossroads of life and death. Half-bloods appear human, often with strong, slender frames and striking features. Shadow often reveals their nature with eyes that appear to glow or shine like a beasts. A more perceptive soul may notice their paler skin or colder flesh. Some may even find their lack of movement unsettling, especially when contrasted with a sudden flash of speed in action or reaction. They can survive like mortals off meals, or subsist on blood like their undead progenitor. They do not always need to drink, but some many find a powerful urge to slake their thirst for living blood, while others never feel its whispered songs.

Playing a Half-Blood

Half-Bloods come in many shapes and sizes. As such they have a wide variety to personality types and cultural beliefs. There are really only three things that unite them: a desire to belong, coupled with the lack thereof; family issues, from one or both sides; and a deep-seated need to live, love, and die on their own terms.

Half-Blood Characteristics: Strong, honest, swift, cunning, regal, understanding, impulsive, and whimsical.

Male Names: Varies depending on chosen race

Female Names: Varies depending on chosen race

Half-Blood Communities

Although Half-Bloods are rare, they are often long lived and and well traveled. This leads to crossed paths and, as outcasts amongst both the living and the dead, they are quite accepting of each other and any others deemed outsiders of the norms of society. Many Half-Bloods find themselves chasing passions and whims, able to exercise a lust for wonder no longer shared by their undead siblings. Wandering through their half-immortal lives not quite belonging anywhere, they tend instead to make the road their homes, their passions their families, and the unending pursuit of such things their love. Within mortal society they are often seen as powerful warriors or valuable specialists, accompanied by their vampiric strength or long sought knowledge. This has not endeared most mortals to their presence and they are viewed by many as untrustworthy. Most are fearful of their potential submission to darker natures or subserviences to their Vampire brethren. In vampiric society they are seen more as blemishes or stains on a house’s honor. They are treated often as illegitimate to the greater families and meant to be neither seen or heard. Yet no one can deny their power and as such, many—both mortal and immortal—are wary to cross the Half-Blood directly, less they find themselves the victim of such beings.

Half-Blood Adventurers

Two of the most well known Half-Blood adventures are described below:

Anabelle Renna Arlene was raised amongst her undead siblings as a black sheep, little more than a servant. On the eve of her fifteenth year, a baron called Arlene came to visit. He hailed from a rival family, but took interest in the girl and after weeks of negotiation with her lord father, took her as a consort with claims of undying affection and protection. One year later he did nothing as his true wife slit her throat, tossing her from the walls of his fortress. His professed undying affection had long since shriveled in his immortal torpor. She awoke on the jagged shores and fled. One year to the day, she had her revenge, ending the houses of Arlene and sending the families into a rage. Years passed and every undead soul to cross her was ended, every blade drawn to her back left as spoils of the corpse. Word is, she still hunts them to this day; a whisper in the dark for those who believed themselves immortal.

Marcus Dunall believed himself to be human, and rose to prominence as a priest in his theocratic nation. Raised as a pious servant to Erathis and heir apparent to his mother’s house, Marcus seemed destined for a seat amongst the leadership. He awoke to his power when attacked by the soldiers of a vampiric kingdom. A rare survivor of such attacks, he was given a knighthood and became instead a Paladin in Erathis' service. When his blight was revealed, however, he was denounced by his human family and forced to flee his home in shame. On the road he spent years hunting down the enemies of his church and nation. In it he found great passion of the good works, yet was seen as a dog on a leash by his contemporaries. He made quite the name for himself bringing down powerful necromancers, death priests, and undead. Yet just as his star began to rise, he disappeared. Rumors persist that he travelled to a far off land and stood as champion against a great evil, but none know for sure.