Feral Vampire Spawn

This brutish monstrosity appears to have once been a human, though its formerly fine grave clothes are tattered and smeared with the filth of a boneyard. Massive muscles ripple beneath its cold, hard flesh contributing to its hunched posture, and jagged, broken fangs extend from between its bloodless lips.

Feral Vampire Spawn (CR 6)

Medium Undead (Augmented Human)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Initiative: +6
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, Scent; Perception +8

Speed: 30 feet
Space: 5 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +6 natural)
Hit Points: 68 (8d8+24 plus 8) Fast Healing 2
Saving Throws: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +4
Channel Resistance +4
Damage Reduction: 5/silver
Immunity: undead traits
Energy Resistance: cold 10, electricity 10
Weaknesses: vampire weaknesses

Offense

Melee: slam +13 (1d6+10 plus Energy Drain)
Reach: 5 feet

Special Attacks: Blood Drain, Energy Drain (1 level, DC 10)

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
25 (+7)	14 (+2)	-	2 (-4)	6 (-2)	16 (+3)

Base Attack Bonus: +6
CMB +13
CMD 25

Feats: Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Toughness

Skills: Climb +15, Perception +8, Stealth +13

• Racial Modifiers: +4 Climb, +4 Perception, +4 Stealth

Languages: Common (cannot speak)

Special Qualities: Gaseous Form, shadowless, spider climb

Special Abilities

Blood Drain (Su)

A feral vampire spawn can suck blood from a grappled opponent; if the feral vampire spawn establishes or maintains a pin, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage. The feral vampire spawn heals 5 hit points or gains 5 temporary hit points for 1 hour (up to a maximum number of temporary hit points equal to its full normal hit points) each round it drains blood.

Energy

Drain (Su)

A creature hit by a feral vampire spawn's slam gains one negative level. This ability only triggers once per round, regardless of the number of attacks the feral vampire spawn makes.

Fast Healing (Su)

A feral vampire spawn has fast healing 2. If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, it assumes gaseous form and attempts to escape. It must reach its coffin home within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed. (It can travel up to 9 miles in 2 hours.) Additional damage dealt to a feral vampire spawn forced into gaseous form has no effect. Once at rest, it is helpless. It regains 1 hit point after 1 hour, then is no helpless and resumes healing at the rate of 2 hit points per round.

Gaseous Form (Su)

A feral vampire spawn can only assume gaseous form when it has been reduced to 0 hit points in combat. It then assumes gaseous form as the spell (caster level 5th) and returns to its coffin. While gaseous it has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.

Shadowless (Ex)

A feral vampire spawn casts no shadows and shows no reflection in a mirror.

Spider Climb (Ex)

A feral vampire spawn can climb sheer surfaces as though with a spider climb spell.

Ecology

Environment: Any
Organization: solitary or pack (2-5)
Treasure: none


Sometimes when vampires create minions something horrible happens to the creature causing a fate worse than even that of a typical vampire spawn. On these occasions whether by accident or design, upon waking to its new undead existence the newly created spawn finds itself trapped within its coffin or tomb and unable to free itself even in gaseous form. In these instances the spawn rages and struggles to escape as it slowly goes insane, a victim of its all-consuming hunger.

When the master vampire finally deigns to release its new spawn or it finally manages to break free - sometimes years after its creation - the spawn is feral and nearly mindless, though with a much greater strength due to its incessant rage. Vampire masters often find such spawn less of a threat and easier to dispose of when their usefulness has ended.

Unlike typical vampire spawn, feral vampire spawn resemble primitive or Neanderthal-like versions of their former selves with heavy frames supporting a massive musculature and a face twisted by rage and hate into an almost animal-like mask. They are usually hunched over from long confinement and weigh up to 200 pounds more than typical for a member of their species of their relative size.

Feral vampire spawn have lost the ability to speak beyond inarticulate roars, though they can understand and obey verbal commands from their master. Feral vampire spawn attack without thought or tactics using their tremendous brute strength to smash their foes and feed. Though it is presumed that they should still be capable of assuming gaseous form at will or using their domination gaze like standard vampire spawn, feral vampire spawn seem to have forgotten how to use these abilities.

Credit Original author Greg A. Vaughan Originally appearing in Slumbering Tsar (© Frog God Games/ Greg A. Vaughan, 2012)