Vampire

Vampirism is a supernatural condition that effects most of the sapient races, excluding Draconoids. It is believed that the first vampires originated in Archai, but others believed that the condition existed prior to that Empire and was brought to the attention of the world when it was studied by their Arcanists. After the fall of the Empire, the number of vampires increased greatly in the lands around the Mibr Bay. Over time the Jaharin Elves of Mibril hunted them down, but it seems that a group escaped westward to the lands now claimed by the Westrin nations. It seems that vampires are in some way related to stories of a being called the Black Eyed King as well as a being called the Nekkai.
When a being becomes a vampire its eyes turn solid black, its skin pales, and its fingernails and canines grow long and sharp. In addition, they gain strength, speed, and durability. The soul leaves the body, leaving the mind and animus behind, causing some interesting effects that aren't fully understood. For instance a vampire's reflection will not appear in a silver-backed mirrors. Although this in not fully understood, it is believed that it has something to do with silver's properties in the Silver Sea. Along with this phenomenon, vampires have a number of powers, weaknesses, and aversions. Some vampires have difficulties remembering aspects of their mortal lives, which seems to have some bearing on their strange quirks. As a vampire is not truly alive, they require no food, water, or air.

Powers

Vampires corporeal bodies can regenerate from nearly any wound within minute and their bodies resist most non-magical weapons, making a vampire a dangerous foe to most mortal warriors. Blood feeding accelerates this healing process. Even when a lethal strike is delivered, free vampires simple dissolve into mist and escape to reform in their place of rest. Free vampires can take this form at will, as well as that of a bat. Free vampires, sometimes called greater vampires, vampire lords, or true vampires, can command beasts, most commonly wolves, bats, and rats, although it there are sources claiming they could control other creatures, although many dispute the merit of said sources. In addition to this, true vampires can use a strange magic on the mind of the sapient races, changing their perception of the vampire. The vector of this ability is the solid black eyes of the vampire. Those who meet its gaze can be more or less controlled and coaxed into becoming willing meals for blood feeding.
The most fearsome power of a true vampire is the ability to create new vampires under their control. In order to do this, a being of one of the sapient races, excluding Draconoids, must be drained of blood by the vampire's fangs. During the process, the beings soul separates from the victims body and travels to one of the layers of Hell, becoming a Lemure. This link to Hell is what has led most Arcanists to believe that the first vampire or vampires were created by a pact made with one of the Infernal Lords. Once all the blood has been drained, the victim will rise as a vampire controlled by the true vampire that created it. These controlled vampires can take neither mist nor bat form, nor can they command beasts, charm mortals, or create new vampires. The controlled vampire will remain subservient to its creator until it freed either by the death of its master or by being allowed to drink blood from its master's veins.

Weaknesses

Although the powers of a true vampire are fearsome indeed, they have several weaknesses that keep them from swarming a population. Chief among these weaknesses is sunlight. Like a Demon or Devil, a vampire exposed to direct sunlight will die quickly. This can happen in seconds, but can take as long as a minute. During this time, the vampire's regeneration ceases to hold it together and its body begins to dry and shrivel. If it doesn't escape the light before it fully dries out, its body crumbles to dust and it is destroyed forever. Water sanctified by followers of Celestial gods and other holy men causes a similar affect, burning their body and halting their regeneration. A vampire destroyed by holy water can never return.
The lack of a soul has some curious affects other than missing reflections. When organic material is placed in the chest cavity of a vampire, roughly in the heart where the soul is located, it puts them in stasis, preventing movement, regeneration, and shape changing. Once the object is removed, the vampire's regeneration resumes and it regains consciousness. Why this is is not truly understood and Arcanists argue various theories, none of which have been fully proven. Better understood is the vampire's inability to cross planar barriers. Without a soul, there is nothing for a body to coalesce around, making vampires a phenomenon of only the mortal plane.
True vampires have another oddity that separates them from their controlled kin. True vampires remain bound to the coffin, crypt, or grave site, where they first rest in once becoming a free vampire. They must rest at least an hour there each day. If these vampires aren't interred within a week of becoming free, they must lie beneath a foot of soil at the place of its transition to undeath or it begins to lose its various powers and begins to become feral. A vampire can move its place of burial by transporting its coffin or a significant amount of grave dirt to another location. Some vampires set up multiple resting places this way.

Aversions & Tendencies

Although not truly damaging weaknesses, vampires have several strange aversions and tendencies that don't appear to be universal amongst them. Many vampires have a fear of all fluids with the exception of human blood. For these vampires, water seems to burn the skin, but cannot destroy them, instead causing agonizing pain. Other vampires do not experience this and it is reported that there are vampires that live entirely underwater in some places in the far south.
Although eating is not necessary for a vampire, it is still possible. Some vampires find strong flavors such as garlic, onions, and spice abhorrent, causing an agonizing burning sensation, while others find themselves unable to taste anything unless it is incredibly potent.
There are many small madnesses that some vampires obtain, including but not limited to hyper-fixations, compulsion to count small objects, kleptomania, refusing to enter homes uninvited, refusing to enter homes when invited, involuntary seizures, vocal outbursts, refusing to cross moving water, and paranoia. Each vampire has their own oddities and no conclusive cause and effect for these strange actions has been proven as of yet.

Controlled Vampire Statblock

Free Vampire Statblock

Type

Supernatural

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Extremely Rare

Affected Species

• Dwarf
• Goldiar
• Tabaxi
• Goblin
• Bugbear
• Tiefling
• Humanoid
• Human
• Goblinoid
• Goliath
• Fey Goblin
• Gnome
• Elf
• Hobgoblin
• Half-Elf

Player Characters & Non-Player Characters as Vampires

Controlled Vampire

When a player character or non-player character becomes a controlled vampire, their Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores increase to 16 if they aren't higher and gains the following Traits:
Non-Magical Resistance. You have resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, slashing damage from weapons that aren't silvered.
Unliving Body. You have resistance to necrotic damage. In addition, you do not need to eat, drink, breath, or sleep.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Regeneration. You regain 10 hit points at the start of your turn if you have at least 1 hit point and are not in direct sunlight or have taken damage from holy water on after the end of your last turn. All injuries, including the loss of limbs is repaired if this healing brings your current hit points to your maximum hit points.
Spider Climb. You can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Vampire Weaknesses. You have the following flaws:
Harmed by Holy Water. You take 20 acid damage when you are exposed to Holy Water, and you cannot regain hit points until the end of your next turn.
Stake to the Heart. If an object made of organic material is placed in your heart, you become affected by the Unconscious condition and cannot regain hit points. You regain consciousness when the object is removed.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity. You take 20 radiant damage when you start your turn in direct sunlight. While in sunlight, you have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
Vampiric Bite. Your fangs are a natural weapon, which you can use to make a special unarmed strike against a target within 5 feet that is willing, or a creature that you have grappled, is incapacitated, or is restrained. If you hit with it, you deal 1d6+your Strength modifier piercing damage plus 2d6 necrotic damage. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and you regain hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to zero.
Vampiric Claws. Your claws are a natural weapon, which you can use to make a special unarmed strike. If you hit, you can either deal slashing damage equal to 2d4+your Strength modifier or you can grapple the target.
Thrall. You must follow the command of your creator and cannot willingly harm them without express permission.

Free Vampire

When a player character or non-player character becomes a free vampire, their Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores increase to 18 if they aren't higher and gains the following Traits:
Non-Magical Resistance. You have resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, slashing damage from weapons that aren't silvered.
Undead Body. You have resistance to necrotic damage.  In addition, you do not need to eat, drink, breath, or sleep.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 120 feet as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Shapechanger. If you aren't in direct sunlight and haven't taken damage from Holy Water after the end of your last turn, you can use your action to polymorph into a tiny bat or a medium cloud of mist, or back into your true form.
While in bat form, you can't speak, your walking speed is 5 feet, and you have a flying speed of 30 feet. Your statistics, other than your size and speed, are unchanged. Anything you are wearing transforms with you, but nothing you carrying does. You revert to your true form if you die.
While in mist form, you can't take any actions, speak, or manipulate objects. You are weightless, have a flying speed of 20 feet, can hover, and can enter a hostile creature's space and stay there. In addition, if air can pass through a space, your mist can do so without squeezing and you can pass through water as though it were difficult terrain. In this form you have advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws, and are immune to all non-magical damage, except damage taken from direct sunlight or Holy Water.
Misty Escape. When you drop to zero hit points outside of your resting place. you transform into a cloud of mist (as in your Shapechanger trait) instead of falling unconscious, provided that you aren't in direct sunlight and haven't taken damage from Holy Water since the end of your last turn. If you can't transform, you are destroyed.
While you have zero hit points, you can't revert to your true form, and you must reach your resting place within 2 hours or be destroyed. Once in your resting place, you revert to your true form. You are then paralyzed until you regain a least 1 hit point. After spending 1 hour in your resting place with zero hit points, you regain 1 hit point.
Regeneration. You regain 20 hit points at the start of your turn if you have at least 1 hit point and are not in direct sunlight or have taken damage from holy water on after the end of your last turn. All injuries, including the loss of limbs is repaired if this healing brings your current hit points to your maximum hit points.
Spider Climb. You can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Vampire Weaknesses. You have the following flaws:
Harmed by Holy Water. You take 20 acid damage when you are exposed to Holy Water, and you cannot regain hit points until the end of your next turn.
Stake to the Heart. If an object made of organic material is placed in your heart, you become affected by the Unconscious condition and cannot regain hit points. You regain consciousness when the object is removed.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity. You take 20 radiant damage when you start your turn in direct sunlight. While in sunlight, you have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
Vampiric Bite (not available in mist form). Your fangs are a natural weapon, which you can use to make a special unarmed strike against a target within 5 feet that is willing, or a creature that you have grappled, is incapacitated, or is restrained. If you hit with it, you deal 1d6+your Strength modifier piercing damage plus 3d6 necrotic damage. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and you regain hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to zero. A member of the sapient races, excluding Draconoids slain in this way rises as a controlled vampire the next time it is out of sunlight.
Charm. As an action, you target one creature within 30 feet that is a member of the sapient races. If the target can see your eyes, they must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw equal to 8+your proficiency bonus+your Charisma modifier or be Charmed by you. The Charmed target isn't under your control, it takes your requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, and it is a willing target for your vampiric bite attack.
Each time you or your companions do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until you are destroyed or take a bonus action to end the effect.
Vampiric Claws(not available in mist or bat form). Your claws are a natural weapon, which you can use to make a special unarmed strike. If you hit, you can either deal slashing damage equal to 1d8+your Strength modifier or you can grapple the target.
Children of the Night (1/Day). As an action, you magically call 2d4 swarms of bats or rats, provided that the sun isn't up. While outdoors, you can call 3d6 wolves instead, The called upon creatures arrive in 1d4 rounds, acting as your allies and obeying your spoken commands. The beasts remain for 1 hour, until you die, or until you dismiss them as a bonus action.