Fantasy Core RPG: Vampirism

FANTASY CORE RPG

UNDEAD AND DEMONICALLY POSSESSED CREATURES

(c) Jerry Harris, 2016

Published here as Open Game Content.

(This link will take you to the Fantasy Core Playtest Rules.)

Creature Index

Vampirism

Vampires come in two types.  Vampire Lords are Warlocks who have undergone the Vampire Inhabitation ceremony, wherein they become hosts for a heliophobic demon with a blood fetish.  They have spellcasting powers and the ability to Sire new Vampires.  Sired Vampires (or simply Vampires) are created by Vampire Lords as their minions.  Either variety is very dangerous to men.  Vampires are immortal and have a multitude of powers and abilities.  They need only drink human blood everyday to maintain themselves and avoid the sun.     

Vampire

HD 7 (d12), Hp 84, AC 17* (Natural, they dislike wearing any armor, Magic or silver to hit, immune to electricity, poison, and acid), Enhanced Init +3

Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +9

Melee: 2 x Slam +7 to hit, 1d6+4 + Energy Drain DC 12 Will Sv or lose 1d4 negative hp.   Vampires dislike using weapons.  They don’t want to waste their victim’s blood.  They prefer rapiers if need be, +7 to hit, 1d6+4.

Embrace: Vampires may directly drain blood (hp) from opponents and regenerate themselves with it.  Any stunned or mesmerized victim may be immediately Embraced.  In combat, if both Slam attacks hit the same opponent in 1 rd, the Vampire may immediately grapple and Embrace.  In either case, the Vampire drains 5 hp in blood from them, which is then added to any of the Vampire’s lost hp. 

If the Vampire continues to Embrace, it is a DC 18 Str Check (or Escape Artist Skill) to break off.  The next rd ½ total hp remaining (at least 5) are drained.  The next rd all remaining hp are drained.  All drained hp is added to any of the Vampire’s lost hp.

The Vampire and the victim are considered to be helpless while in the act, but the Vampire can break off contact at any time.  After an Embrace attack, the Vampire cannot move or attack the next rd, but can defend themselves.  (This is why they prefer use it on helpless opponents and not in combat.)

Ranged: +7 to hit if using a Ranged weapon, but 1 attack/rd. 

Stealth: +8

Tracking: +8 (If there is a blood trail, they will automatically find anyone they’re looking for.)

Infravision

Healing: Vampires can heal all lost hp with 1 turn of rest after a feeding of at least 5 hp of blood, but without that feeding, they cannot heal. 

Immortal: As long as they feed daily at least 5 hp worth of blood, Vampires are animated.  They will become desperate if somehow prevented from feeding for a day.  Without feeding, the next day, they go into a state of torpor, requiring blood to be fed to them to come back to life.

Telepathy: Can read the surface thoughts of anyone within Short range, making it very difficult to sneak up on a Vampire.  The subject gains a DC 12 Will Sv to actively mentally hide information that the Vampire may be probing for.

Mesmerize: Can stun a victim for 2 rds by making concentrated eye contact in a non-combat situation.  DC 12 Will Sv to avoid. 

Dominate: Can completely mentally take over a victim for 1 turn.  They must be Mesmerized first.  DC 12 Will Sv for the victim in a non-combat situation.  A Vampire may only Dominate 1 person a turn.  A victim who is completely Dominated 3 days in a row becomes a permanent Thrall of the Vampire Lord. 

Thralls: The Vampire will be telepathically linked to everyone they’ve completely Dominated, allowing them to control their Thralls and have access to their senses.  They are able to control up to 8 Thralls at a time.  Any others who have been completely Dominated and released are still susceptible.  If the Vampire makes contact with an ex-Thrall, they need only Dominate them once to reestablish them as a Thrall.  A Break Enchantment spell (DC 18 or Paladin ceremony) is needed to end this arrangement.

Summon: A full rd action.  Any Thralls of the Vampire will immediately come when called as soon as they can.  They will fight to the death for their master.

Creation: Vampire Lords have the ability to create others of their kind.  A living human is fed the Vampire Lord’s blood, which is drawn out with a silver knife.  The person is then sacrificed with the knife in an unholy space at midnight.  They must then be buried in a coffin to arise the next night as a Vampire.  Obviously, this is not an improvisational or accidental action.  It’s highly unlikely that this ceremony is going to happen without the consent of both parties.

Banes and Habits: Vampires cannot be hurt by normal weapons, but magic and silver weapons do full damage.  Fire will also harm them, which is why they fear it.  Vampires can’t tolerate sunlight for more than 1 rd before disintegrating.  An Exorcism will kill the inhabiting demon, but the Vampire must be in a state of torpor for the ceremony.  The human host may survive, depending on how old they are (their disposition upon being released is up to you).  They cannot enter Consecrated or Hallowed areas. 

A cautious Vampire need never fear being caught feeding, have to kill anyone, or be suspected of living an unnaturally long life.  However, they didn’t get to be Vampires by playing it safe or being inconspicuous.  Further, their power and experience gives them a pretty justifiable arrogance concerning their human feeding stock.  They’ll always slip up and over do it as they are ultimately blood drinking addicts, thus prompting action by heroes and adventurers.  Even then, they’ll still vastly overestimate themselves and underestimate their foes. 

The only thing that will really irritate them is their Sires, their Vampire Lord.  It’s unlikely that they have a good relationship with them if they’ve been around for awhile.  They especially can’t stand being Dominated by their Sires.  Characters killing a Vampire Lord might actually make allies of their Sired Vampires in gratitude.    

Final Destruction: Death by magic, silver weapons, fire, exorcism, or sunlight will kill them.