The material below is designated as open game content.
As supernatural creatures vampires have the option of taking racial hero levels alongside the other base classes. These levels represent the hero’s mastery of his vampiric heritage, enhancing his natural talents and abilities.
This option also serves as a means of maintaining game balance between the vampire and members of other races – while a 1st level vampire that regenerates wounds quickly and moves with the speed of the wind is too powerful when compared to humans, these abilities are far more balanced when acquired by a higher level character.
Vampire racial heroes use their inherently occult nature and undead fortitude to their best advantage. Taking levels in this class demonstrates a greater mastery of the vampire’s inherent power, and a greater ability to manipulate or overpower others. Vampire heroes can become lightning-fast combatants, masters of charm and coercion, savage monsters or any combination of the three.
Generally vampire heroes are undead that have lived a long life or one who has shed his latent humanity and embrace their true nature. He might have been trained under a vampire who awakened his mind to the true nature of vampirism, taught to use every advantage his undead state gives him in order to combat an enemy. He could simply be a silent killer, a suave mastermind, or a deranged husk eager to feast on the blood of his victims.
While the vampire racial class can be used to represent typical members of the species, it is important to remember that not all vampires take racial levels.
Game Rule Information
Vampire racial heroes have the following game statistics.
Hit Dice
Vampire heroes gain 1d12 hit points per level. The character’s Constitution modifier does not apply.
Action Points
Vampire heroes gain a number of action points equal to 5 + one-half their character level, rounded down, at 1st level and every time they attain a new level in this class.
Class Skills
The Vampire hero’s class skills, and the key ability for each skill, are as follows.
Bluff (Cha), Craft (chemical, visual arts, writing) (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcane lore, art, behavioral sciences, business, civics, current events, popular culture, streetwise, theology and philosophy) (Int), Profession (Wis), Read/Write Language (None) and Speak Language (None)
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Starting Feats
In addition to the feat all characters get at 1st level, a Vampire hero begins play with the simple weapons proficiency feat.
Vampire Racial Hero
| Class Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Class Features | Defense Bonus | Reputation Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +1 | +0 | Talent | +1 | +0 |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +2 | +0 | Feat | +2 | +0 |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +2 | +1 | Talent | +2 | +1 |
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +2 | +1 | Feat | +3 | +1 |
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +3 | +1 | Talent | +3 | +1 |
| 6th | +4 | +2 | +3 | +2 | Feat | +3 | +2 |
| 7th | +5 | +2 | +4 | +2 | Talent | +4 | +2 |
| 8th | +6/+1 | +2 | +4 | +2 | Feat | +4 | +2 |
| 9th | +6/+1 | +3 | +4 | +3 | Talent | +5 | +3 |
| 10th | +7/+2 | +3 | +5 | +3 | Feat | +5 | +3 |
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Vampire hero.
Talents
At 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th level, the Vampire hero selects a talent from the following talent trees. Some trees have a set order that must be followed, while others provide a list to choose from. As long as the hero qualifies, you can select freely from any and all talent trees. No talent can be selected more than once unless expressly indicated.
Beginning Talent: A 1st-level Vampire hero can choose from the darkvision, improved blood drain, hunter’s presence and vicious fangs talents.
Vampiric Body Talent Tree
The undead nature of the vampire hero’s body gives them abilities beyond the realm of living humans.
Enhanced Strength: By drawing on her own life-force, the vampire can push her strength to extremes. Each round this ability is used, the Vampire hero suffers 2 hit points of damage but gains a +4 enhancement bonus to her Strength score.
Vicious Fangs: The vampire has learned to lash out with his fangs when threatened, striking with them as easily as he would a knife or first. The vampire's bite attack is treated as a light, natural weapon when used in melee.
A vampire hero still cannot drain blood from a target in normal melee using this talent.
Improved Blood Drain: The Vampire hero learns to drink deeply when draining blood from a living creature. She drains +1 hit point per round for every two Vampire hero levels she possesses when using her blood drain ability.
Improved Blood Regeneration: The vampire hero’s understanding of her body allows her to use blood drained from other creatures more effectively.
The vampire hero can heal 1 additional hit point per round for every two vampire hero levels he possesses. He is still limited by the damage inflicted by his blood drain attack.
Prerequisite: Either improved blood drain or vicious fangs
Improved Fortification: When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored on a vampire, there is a 50% chance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated and damage is rolled normally. Silver weapons and wooden weapons that deal piercing damage (such as wooden stakes, arrows, pool cues, spear shafts, and table legs) threaten a critical on a vampire normally.
Prerequisite: Enhanced strength, vicious fangs
Vampiric Speed
Vampires are creatures of magic as well as flesh, and those who have learned to transcend their mortal limits are capable of feats of speed and movement that are decidedly supernatural.
Vampiric Leap: The vampire hero is capable of making prodigious leaps that seem to defy the laws of gravity. She gains a +1 bonus to Jump checks for every two Vampire hero levels she possesses.
By spending an action point, a vampire hero with this talent gains the effects of a feather fall spell.
Prerequisite: One talent from the Vampiric Body Talent Tree
Swiftness: The vampire hero’s reflexes are finely honed, allowing her to act on her instincts almost instantly. She gains a +2 bonus to her Initiative checks and a +1 bonus to her Reflex saves.
By spending two action points, a vampire hero with this talent gains the effects of a haste spell for 1 round per 2 vampire hero levels she possesses.
Prerequisite: One talent from the Vampiric Body Talent Tree, vampiric leap, wall crawling
Wall Crawling: The vampire hero can take part of her move action to traverse a wall or other relatively smooth vertical surface if she begins and ends her move on a horizontal surface. The height she can achieve on the wall is limited only by this movement restriction. If she does not end her move on a horizontal surface, she falls prone, taking falling damage as appropriate for your distance above the ground. Treat the wall as a normal floor for the purpose of measuring the vampire hero’s movement. Passing from floor to wall or wall to floor costs no movement, she can change surfaces easily. Opponents on the ground can make attacks of opportunity as the vampire hero moves up the wall.
The vampire hero can take other move actions in conjunction with moving along a wall. For instance, the Spring Attack feat allows the Vampire hero to make an attack from the wall against a foe standing on the ground who is within the area she threatens; however, if the vampire hero is somehow prevented from completing her move, she falls. Similarly, she could tumble along a wall to avoid attacks of opportunity.
By spending an action point, a vampire hero with this talent gains the effects of a spider climb spell for one round per vampire hero level.
Prerequisite: One talent from the Vampiric Body Talent Tree.
Vampiric Senses
Vampires are predators at their core, and their senses can become sharper than any humans.
Darkvision: The Vampire hero gains darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
Scent: The Vampire hero possesses a keen sense of smell, allowing him to notice even the most subtle shift in scents around him. This ability allows the vampire to detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. Creatures with the scent ability can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights.
The vampire can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind, it drops to 15 feet. Strong scents can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents can be detected at triple normal range. Freshly spilled blood is always considered an overpowering scent for a vampire.
When a vampire detects a scent, the exact location is not revealed—only its presence somewhere within range. The creature can take a move or attack action to note the direction of the scent. If it moves within 5 feet of the source, the creature can pinpoint that source.
A creature with the scent ability can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom check to find or follow a track. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10 (no matter what kind of surface holds the scent). This DC increases or decreases depending on the strength of the quarry’s odor, the number of creatures being tracked, and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC increases by 2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Track feat. Creatures tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.
Prerequisite: Darkvision.
Vampiric Will
Vampires are creatures of confidence and will, often capable of manipulating the mind and body of others through presence alone.
Hunter’s Presence: The Vampire hero is capable of instilling a feeling of fear in others. She gains a +1 bonus to Intimidate checks for every two Vampire hero class levels she possesses.
Vampire’s Charm: By spending an action point the vampire can place a compelling attraction in the mind of the subject. The subject must make a Will save (DC 10 + Vampire hero level), with those that fail taking any reasonable steps to meet, get close to, attend, find or perform for the Vampire hero.
For the purposes of this talent, reasonable means that while fascinated, the subject doesn’t suffer from blind obsession. They can still recognize danger, but will not flee unless the threat is immediate. The Vampire hero cannot command the subject indiscriminately, although she does get a +4 bonus to her Charisma modifier when dealing with the subject.
Prerequisite: Hunter’s presence
Vampire’s Kiss: The vampire possesses the knowledge and strength of will to transform her victims into vampires. Creating a new vampire requires the Vampire hero to spend an action point and feed her own blood to a dying creature. Once the subject has fed on the vampire’s blood, it dies and rises as an undead creature as detailed in Becoming a Vampire (See Page 5).
When dealing with other vampires you have created using this ability, you gain a bonus on all Charisma-based skills equal to your Vampire hero level.
Prerequisite: Hunter’s presence, vampire’s charm
Bonus Feats
At 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th level, the Vampire hero gains a bonus feat. This feat must be selected from the following list, and the Vampire hero must meet any prerequisites.
Ancient Strength, Archaic Weapon Proficiency, Blood of the Ancients, Combat Reflexes, Frightful Presence, Iron Will, Low Profile, Seductive Feast, Seize Initiative, Talons, Windfall
