Lesser Vampire (5e Template)
Lesser Vampire[edit]
Of all the dark and evil things that bump in the night, few, if any, are more fearsome than the vampires. These creatures can often move freely about in the world of civilized humanoids and, as such, are all the more dreadful. Their unexpected attacks often target the innocent and helpless, leaving little hope that a victim will survive to lead would-be vampire hunters to the monster. All-in-all, they are certainly the darkest of the dark.
No humanoid creature is immune to the vampiric curse, there are three ways to become a vampire. Each of these paths to darkness has its own unique character, but the end result is always a creature of great evil and power.
The first path, generally known as that of deadly desire, is perhaps the most awful. In this case, the individual who is destined to become a vampire actually wishes to cross over and become undead. While it has been said that they must sacrifice their lives to attain this goal, a greater cost is often paid. Those who desire to live eternally and feed on the life essences of their fellow men must give up a portion of their spirits to powerful fiends from the lower planes and evil aligned deities. In this way, they are granted the powers of the undead, but also stripped of the last vestiges of their humanity. In the centuries to come, many find this loss too great to bear and seek out their own destruction.
The second path, that of the curse, is often the most insidious of the three. In this case, the individual is often unaware that he or she is destined to become a thing of the night. The transformation into unlife might occur because of a potent curse laid down by someone who has been wronged by the victim. Occasionally, an individual might find that he or she has inherited (or found) a beautiful and alluring magical artifact–only to find that it cannot be removed and that the character is slowly … changing. There are those who accept this curse and embrace their new existence as a vampire, while others despise the things they have become. In nearly every case, these are the most passionate and “alive” examples of this evil race.
The final, and surely most tragic, path to vampirism is that of the victim. This is the route most commonly taken to vampirism, for it is the way in which those slain by a vampire become vampires themselves. Vampires created in this way almost always detest themselves and the creature that made them what they are. All-in-all, the victims of other vampires are unhappy in their new lives, for few ever accept their fates happily – and many do not have the strength of character to seek an end to their wretched unlives.
- Prerequisite
Any sentient humanoid
Statistics[edit]
Damage Resistances. Resists Nercrotic damage
Damage Vulnerabilities Vulnerable to Radiant damage
Alignment' Any evil
Traits[edit]
Undead Nature. A vampire doesn't require air.
Regeneration. The vampire regains 5 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point and isn't in sun light or running water. lf the vampire takes radiant damage or damage from holy water, this trait doesn't function at the start of the vampire's next turn.
Spider Climb. The vampire can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Vampire Weaknesses. The vampire has the following flaws:
Forbiddance. The vampire can't enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants.
Harmed by Running Water. The vampire takes 5 acid damage if it ends its turn in running water.
Stake to the Heart. If a piercing weapon made of wood is driven into the vampire's heart while the vampire is incapacitated in its resting place, the vampire is paralyzed until the stake is removed.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity. Regeneration is blocked when the vampire starts its turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, it has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws.
Actions[edit]
Bite Melee Weapon Attack: reach 5 ft., one willing creature, or a creature that is grappled by the vampire, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 1d6 + STR piercing damage plus 1d8 necrotic damage. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and the vampire regains hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. A humanoid slain in this way and then buried in the ground rises the following night as a zombie under the vampire's control (to a maximum of two zombies).
Charm. The vampire targets one humanoid it can see within 10 feet of it. If the target can see the vampire, the target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or be charmed by the vampire. The charmed target regards the vampire as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn't under the vampire's control, it takes the vampire's requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, and it is a willing target for the vampire's bite attack.
Each time the vampire or the vampire's companions do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 4 hours or until the vampire is destroyed, is on a different plane of existence than the target, or takes a bonus action to end the effect.
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