Vampire (5e Background)

Design Note: An experiment to see if undead and lycanthropes can be treated as modifications to races rather than particular creatures or races, by overloading the 'background' concept rather than changing a creature's race or class.

Vampire

Players may Not choose this background when making characters. This is a background to be given to or forced upon a character by a dungeon master if the character becomes a vampire. Creatures with this background do not get ASI's.

• If you become a vampire, you gain this background. You also retain your previous background.
• If an NPC starts out with a vampire background, they usually get an extra background to start with.

Your character is modified as follows:

Character Modifications

• Level: You lose two levels (but do not drop below first level). You lose the hit points you gained at those levels. If you are multiclassed you may lose 2 levels in one class or one level in each of two classes.
• Ability ASI's: You lose all accrued ability score ASI's. You do not get ability ASI's even if you roll 6 on the flaws list (below).
• Feats: You lose all accrued feats and never gain feats unless you roll a 6 on the flaws list (see below).
• Hit Points: You lose 1 additional hit point per level.
• Armor Class: +1
• Passive Perception: +1
• Alignment: You become lawful evil but justify your decisions using the terminology of whatever your alignment was before.
• Speed: Original movement speed + 15 feet

Ability Modifications:

• Strength = original strength -3
• Dexterity = original dexterity - 2
• Constitution = original constitution -3
• Intelligence = original intelligence -3
• Wisdom = original wisdom - 3
• Charisma = original charisma - 2

Skill Proficiencies: Perception and Stealth

Tool Proficiencies: no new tools

Languages: no new languages

Equipment: coffin

Specialization

d6	Specialization
1	Harvester - I specialize in draining people on a regular basis without killing them in order to feed my vampiric friends.
2	Controller - I specialize in controlling other vampires, and keeping them from spreading vampirism everywhere.
3	Breeder - I specialize in creating other vampires and other kinds of undead.
4	Enforcer - I specialize in controlling other kinds of undead and living minions.
5	Murderer - I specialize in killing threats to me or my vampire friends or those who might even pose a future threat.
6	Lover - I try to put a good face on vampirism by trying to make it look romantic, heroic or refined rather than the awful state of being that it really is.

Features

Your level is the total level of your character after modifications are applied.

Level Advancement

You may only advance in levels in your primary class (see flaws). Each time you advance in level you gain 4 points to distribute in your abilities. You can use the ability mod calculations above to determine which by recalculating from your original ability scores.

Level 1

• Misty escape: - If killed, you turn to mist and return to your nearest resting place to reform at a speed of 20 ft. If you can not reach your nearest resting place by down, you are destroyed.
• Create Vampire Spawn: - If you kill by draining a creature's blood you may turn it into a vampire spawn which you then control.
• Necrotic Damage Resistance: - You have resistance to necrotic damage.
• Vampiric Bite: - Your bite attack deals 1d10 necrotic damage. If the bite hits, you regain hit points equal to half the damage dealt.

Level 2

• Unarmed Strike - With an attack bonus equal to your proficiency, you may make an unarmed strike which does 1d8+4 if you hit. Or you may choose to grapple.
• Mist Form - As an action, you can turn into your mist form at will and move at a speed of 20 ft. You can not use this action when in direct sunlight.
• Night vision - You can see up to 120 feet in the dark
• Quick Reflexes - During your turn, you can use your reaction to move up to 10 feet to an unoccupied space when dodging an attack. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.

Level 3

• Spider Climb: - You can climb walls and ceilings at a speed of 20 without making ability checks.
• Bat Form: - You may transform into a bat as an action. Your fly speed is 30 ft. You can not use this action when in direct sunlight.
• Shadow Sprint - As an action, you can increase your speed is doubled for 1 minute. During this time, you can run on vertical surfaces or across water, as long as you're not in direct sunlight. This ability can be used once per short or long rest.

Level 4 (most vampires do not get ASI's)

• Charm: - You may charm a creature within 30 ft for 24 hours, wisdom save vs DC = 8 + proficiency + charisma mod. You can not use this action when in direct sunlight.
• Non-Magic Resistance: - You gain resistance to non-magical attacks - bludgeoning, piercing or slashing.
• Echoing Sound - You can use your keen hearing to locate creatures at a distance. As an action, you can make a Perception check (DC 15). On a success, you can determine the location of any creature within 300 feet that is not completely silent.

Level 5 - Regeneration

- You regenerate 7 points + Level per round You can not use regenerate when in direct sunlight, and if you have drinked blood within 5 minutes, it becomes 12 points + level per round

Level 6 - Children of the Night (1/Day)

- You can draw 2d6 swarms of bats or rats or 3d6 wolves to your aid within 1d4 rounds. You can not use this action when in direct sunlight.

Level 7 - Beast Sense

- As an action, you can sense the presence of shapeshifters and creatures with the ability to transform (such as werewolves, werebears, druids in animal form, and similar beings) within 60 feet. When you use this ability, you gain the following benefits You can determine the specific type of shapeshifter and whether they are in their natural or transformed form and learn the current hit points of the creature and their emotional state (hostile, neutral, or friendly).

Level 8 - Multiattack

You may attack one extra time each round with a bite attack. Your bite does 1d6+4 damage + 3d6 necrotic damage. You regain hit points equal to the necrotic damage

Level 9 - Regional Effects

Wolves, bats, rats multiply in the region around your lair,any wolves, bats, or rats that you summon or control gain a +1 bonus to their attack rolls and damage rolls while within this area and you are aware of any creatures that enter or exit the region around your lair, as long as you are conscious and within 1 mile of it.

Level 10 - Master of Shadows

You can use a bonus action to become invisible in areas of shadow or darkness for 3 turns, or until you attack or cast a spell. Additionally, you gain advantage on Stealth checks while in shadows or darkness.

Level 11 - Legendary Resistance (3/Day)

If you fail a saving throw, you can choose to succeed instead.

Level 12 - Shadow Charge

Once per short rest, you can move up to 60 feet through shadows and make a melee attack. If the attack hits, it deals critical damage (doubled damage). After the attack, you can move back to your original location without provoking opportunity attacks.

level 13 - Legendary Actions (3/Turn)

• Legendary Move: - You may move up to your speed without opportunity attacks. You can not use this action when in direct sunlight.
• Legendary Unarmed Strike: - You make one extra unarmed strike. You can not use this action when in direct sunlight.
• Legendary Bite: - You make one additional bite attack (costs 2). You can not use this action when in direct sunlight.

Level 14 - Turn Immunity

You are immune to effects that turn undead.

Level 15 - Vampiric Strike

As an action, you can make a melee attack that, on a hit, drains 3d10 hit points from the target and heals you for the same amount. The target must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 16) or be paralyzed until the end of the your next turn.

Level 16 - Devastating Shadow

Once per short rest, you can summon shadows around yourself, creating an area of darkness with a radius of 120 feet. Within this area, you and your allies gain advantage on all attack rolls and are invisible to creatures that cannot see in magical darkness. Additionally, whenever a hostile creature enters or starts its turn in the area, it must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 18). On a failure, the creature takes 4d10 necrotic damage and is stunned until the end of its next turn. On a success, it takes half damage and is not stunned.

Level 17 - Devastating Shadow

Once per short rest, you can summon shadows yourself, creating an area of darkness with a radius of 120 feet. Within this area, you and your allies gain advantage on all attack rolls and are invisible to creatures that cannot see in magical darkness. Additionally, whenever a hostile creature enters or starts its turn in the area, it must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 18). On a failure, the creature takes 4d10 necrotic damage and is stunned until the end of its next turn. On a success, it takes half damage and is not stunned.

Level 18 - Lightning Dash

Once per short or long rest, you can move up to 500 feet in a straight line, covering the distance in the blink of an eye. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks. If you uses this ability to make an attack, it has advantage on the attack and deals critical damage automatically.

Suggested Characteristics

d8	Personality Trait
1	Paranoid - I think everyone is out to stake me. Just because I'm right doesn't mean I'm not paranoid.
2	Romantic - I'm tall, dark, and moody. I put the romance in necromancer. Even so, I usually consume my paramours in the end.
3	Primitive - I don't even know that it's wrong to feed on people or that I am evil. I am innocent of refined concepts such as good and evil.
4	Arrogant - I am better than all the living and better even than most vampires. Very few are my equal.
5	Venal - I am willing to do dishonorable things for money, power, and blood to feast on, no matter how low, base, vile, or treacherous.
6	Circumspect - I know that there are much greater vampires than me in the world. If they don't like me they will destroy me. therefore I keep a very very low profile.
7	Deluded - I bring more value to the world as a vampire than before I became one. I have a great and glorious project I am working on for the world and nothing and no one will stand in my way.
8	Psychopathic - I am utterly rational. I enjoy having power over other people. I have no empathy but I know how to manipulate people. After all, people are all merely just flesh and blood and nothing more.

d6	Ideal
1	Restoration - I want to be a living non-vampire again, and will try to get killed and resurrected. I want to force this sort of restoration on all vampires.
2	Undeath - I revel in my newfound vampiric nature, and want to build an army of vampires, wolves, rats, and bats.
3	Humanity - It is appalling to me that I keep killing people and draining their blood. It is an addiction I struggle to deal with. I try to drink animal blood but once in a while I lose control and rip the throat out of a human.
4	Murder - I love ripping people's throats out and watching them die without even the chance to become a vampire.
5	Power - Armies of vampires and wolves are for the small minded. I want power over human societies.
6	Acceptance - Most of us vampires are not all that evil. I think we should have an accepted place in society. I will force this to happen if need be.

d6	Bond
1	Refined - I patronize the arts and won't dine On anyone of high refinement. I will dine With them. Everyone else is fair game and ripe for the hunt.
2	Regretful - I lost control and killed the great love of my life and I will do anything to bring them back, alive or undead. I will do absolutely anything.
3	Lonely - I long for the days when I was alive and had close friends. I cultivate a few friends who do not know my true nature. Everyone else I kill, without my friends finding out.
4	My Charmy - I have built an army of charmed people in high and key lower positions who will do my bidding, I keep up the charms and my influence over the affairs of men daily grows.
5	Army of the Damned - I want to corrupt as many people as possible as much as I have been corrupted. Under my control of course. I have many vampires and corrupted and blackmailed humanoids in my service.
6	Brotherhood of Vampires - Vampires secretly rule the world in a loose knit confederation of corrupters and feasters. I am one of them.

Flaws For Vampires

All vampires have the following two flaws plus 4 out of 6 of the Flaws in the Flaws list.

Resting Place Flaw

Each vampire has a resting place, often the grave and coffin they were buried in.

Non-reflective Flaw

You do not show up in a mirror or a reflection of any sort.

Each vampire has all but two of the flaws on the following table. Roll d6 to determine which two flaws you do Not have. The default is 5 if you do not roll.

d6	Flaw
1	Sun Sensitivity - I take 20 points radiant damage when I start my turn in sunlight, along with disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
2	Forbiddance - I may not enter a place without invitation.
3	Running Water - I take 20 points acid damage if I end my turn in running water.
4	Stake to the Heart - If a wooden stake is driven through my heart I am paralyzed until it is removed.
5	Holy symbol - I am driven away by holy symbols of good even if the wielder is not good.
6	Stagnant - I no longer get ASI's, and I am only able to add levels in my primary class (the one I have the highest level in). Worse yet, the experience I receive from now on is cut by 50%.

5.00

(one vote)

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