True Dhampirs
The half-living children of vampires birthed by human females, True Dhampirs are progenies of both horror and tragedy. The circumstances of a True Dhampir’s conception are often called into question but scarcely understood, as few mortal mothers survive the childbirth. They live and die just like any other mortal creatures, despite possessing a supernatural longevity akin to that of elves. Most grow up as orphans, and despite their exquisite features and innate charm, they face a lifetime of prejudice, mistrust, fear, and persecution. While some dhampirs succumb to the innate evil of their heritage and devolve into the monstrous fiends, others reject their unholy conceptions, instead vowing to avenge their mothers by hunting the very creatures that sired them. To those who prefer compassion of mortals, they often flock to the sanctuary of the Duskmouth Halls. There the True Dhampirs take on a sage role in how to best guide the land, as elves often do due to their vast experiences.
Physical Description:
Tall and slender and with well-defined musculature, True Dhampirs look like statuesque humans of unearthly beauty. Their hair, eye, and skin colors resemble unnerving versions of their mothers’; many possess a ghastly pallor, particularly in the sunlight, while those with dark complexions often possess skin the color of a bruise. While many True Dhampirs can pass as humans in ideal conditions, their features are inevitably more pronounced and they move with an unnaturally fluid grace. All True Dhampirs have elongated incisors. While not true fangs, these teeth are sharp enough to draw blood, and many suffer a reprehensible desire to indulge in sanguinary delights, despite the fact that the act provides most no physical benefit.Society:
In most places in the world a correctly identified True Dhampir is treated with caution, but more acceptance than a Tiefling or Bloodstained Dhampir for example. Their unearthly beauty and charms tend to slow hatred, and their appearance being so close to those of their own race tends to diminish suspicion. They often form gatherings (and NOT covens) in dense cities, to share their experiences and learn of other havens for both the True Dhampirs, or others that bear the taint of undeath.Relations:
Among the other Dhampir races, they hold a place of a goal to aspire toward, as the Dead Born are new enough to recognize the balance they have set, and as the Bloodstained grow in numbers, the challenges of partial undeath. While any worshippers of Pharasma and Sarenrae find it difficult to accept the True Dhampirs, through their roles as councilors in the hunting of true vampires, they find the only allies with true experience. The long lived races find it fascinating to speak to Dhampir’s only to meet humans who have lived through generations of their own species, and value their more experienced perspectives.Alignment and Religion:
Not ever truly accepted by religions that scorn undeath, True Dhampirs tend to work with those to whom death or undeath is not a factor. From Desna to Abadar, or from Calistra to Iomedae, their deities vary extremely, though worshipping any darker deities are sure social destruction, and likely to have any ally of a True Dhampir feeling betrayed. To keep the urges of their father’s influence at bay a True Dhampir’s pressure themselves and each other to maintain either good or neutral philosophies. A True Dhampir sliding toward evil thoughts or actions is often hunted by their own kind before they can present a bad example toward common folk or aggressive churches.Adventurers:
True Dhampirs tend toward boredom at home, and adventure to keep their blood flowing and to stay engaged in a world that seems to slip away so quickly. There is also the inborn want to differentiate themselves from their vampiric heritage and give back to the world that mostly accepts them. For others adventures give them a chance to taste blood in a more judgement neutral setting, assuming they have clarified their interest is only in enemy’s blood to their allies. Some are drawn to their undead blood as a source of sorcerous power, or use their grace to wield a bow or rapier in combat. While others sing songs and inspire their friends to even greater heights.Stats Block
Ability Score: (+2 Dex, +2 Cha, -2 Con) True Dhampirs are fast and seductive, but their racial bond to the undead impedes their mortal vigor. Type: True Dhampirs are humanoids with the dhampir subtype. Size: True Dhampirs are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Base Speed: True Dhampirs have a base speed of 30 feet. Languages: True Dhampirs begin play speaking Common. Those with high Intelligence scores can choose any language it wants (except secret languages, such as Druidic). Undead Resistance: True Dhampirs gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease and mind-affecting effects. Resist Level Drain (Ex): A True Dhampir takes no penalties from energy drain effects, though he can still be killed if he accrues more negative levels then he has Hit Dice. After 24 hours, any negative levels a dhampir takes are removed without the need for an additional saving throw. Manipulative: True Dhampir gain a +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Perception checks. Spell-Like Abilities (Su): A True Dhampir can use detect undead three times per day as a spell-like ability. The caster level for this ability equals the True Dhampir’s class level. Darkvision: True Dhampir see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet. Low-light vision: In addition to their ability to see perfectly in the dark up to 60 ft, True Dhampir have low-light vision, allowing them to see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light. Light Sensitivity: True Dhampirs are dazzled in areas of bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell. Negative Energy Affinity: Though a living creature, a True Dhampir reacts to positive and negative energy as if it were undead—positive energy harms it, while negative energy heals it.
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