Dhampyr

Source: Elaris — The First Fang's Legacy

They sip at the chalice, but dare not drink deep. The dhampyr are born of compromise—caught between predator and prey, dignity and desperation. Still, a dull blade may serve, if wielded with purpose. Arvid the Red, The First Fang's Legacy

There are those who dwell in the margins of blood and breath, clutching life with mortal fingers while shadow clings to their bones. The dhampyr are such creatures—neither truly undead nor entirely alive, but suspended in a state of exquisite imbalance. They bear the lingering touch of our regal influence, though seldom the nobility nor purpose. Some are born of ill-considered unions, others forged by failed turnings, cursed artifacts, or blood rituals gone awry. I, myself, have experimented to create several of these beings, and have found them sufficient enough fodder. Whatever the cause of their creature, the result is consistent: a being not chosen, but permitted.
To their credit, the dhampyr do carry vestiges of our gift. Their senses are sharp, their bodies fleet, and their bite—however crude—is a reflection of something purer. They need not feed, and yet they hunger. It is in this constant restraint that their tragedy lies. The thirst whispers through them, maddening in its absence of clarity. Unlike we who drink with purpose and poise, the dhampyr flinch from their nature, ashamed of a power they neither earned nor understand.
Most attempt to anchor themselves in cause or vendetta. They stalk the night not in dominion, but in pursuit—of monsters, of redemption, of meaning. They hunt creatures of darkness with a fervor born more of self-loathing than principle, as if each slain beast might silence their own blood’s murmurs. Some call this nobility; I call it avoidance. A tool turned inward dulls all the same.
Still, I do not wholly dismiss them. A dhampyr is a mirror, fractured but instructive. They reveal what remains when one inherits the gift of blood without the heritage to shape it. They are not my kin—but they are close enough to remind me of the perfection of the true form. And in rare cases, they may rise to usefulness, if kept properly in check.
What I have observed of the dhampyr from my studies lies written below, for those interested in creating them for their own needs.

Dhampyr Hungers

Every dhampyr I have observed knows a thirst slaked only by the living. Those who indulge their thirst properly, or overindulge if you ask pesky mortals, rist losing control and forever viewing others as the prey they rightfully are. Those who resist might find unfortunate methods of controlling their urges or suppressing them through constant, molar-grinding restraing. In any case, temptation haunts these poor half-breeds, and circumstances conspire to give them endless reasons to indulge.
While a majority of dhampyrs thirst for blood, I have found others end up seeking other things of the living. The most common I have found are as follows:

1. Blood
2. Flesh or Raw Meat
3. Cerebral Spinal Fluid
4. Psychic Energy
5. Dreams
6. Life Energy

I am currently unaware if this craving stems from the bloodline from which the granter of its gift descended, however I believe it may be related.

Dhampyr Origins

Dhampyrs most often arise from encounters with vampires, but all manner of macabre bargains, necromantic influences, and encounters with mysterious immortals may have transformed the individual. The methods I have personally confirmed thus far are as follows, in hopes that it aids you in creating these creatures for your own uses:

1. They are created as the reincarnation of an ancestor who was a vampiric tyrant.
2. They made a pact with a predatory deity, fiend, fey, or spirit that causes them to share in their hunger.
3. They survived being attacked by a vampire, but were infected enough to partially convert them.
4. Their transformation into a proper spawn was interrupted through the use of sanctified salts, holy water, or similar methods.
5. One of their parents was a vampire. I have found this most effective with a female mortal, as our forms find it difficult to create life.
6. Experiments have damaged the physical form, forcing it to be reliant on the vital fluids of others.

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Table of Contents

Game Statistics

5th Edition

Ability Score Adjustment

Your Dexterity and Charisma scores each increase by 2, but your Constitution score is reduced by 2.

Creature Type

You count as the same creature type as your original race and as an Undead. Use whichever type allows you to be affected by an effect, or whichever is worse for an effect that affects both types.

Past Life Expertise

You keep any skill proficiencies gained from their original race as well as any climbing, flying, or swimming speed gained from it. If you do not have any of these elements in your original race, you gain proficiency in one skill of their choice.

Darkvision

You gain Darkvision.

Negative Energy Affinity

Though a living creature, you reacts to positive and negative energy as if you were Undead—positive energy harms you, while negative energy heals you. However, you only receive half as many hit points from negative energy as a true Undead would.

Spider Climb

You have a climbing speed equal to their walking speed. Beginning at 3rd level, you can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings while keeping your hands free.

Sunlight Sensitivity

You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.

Vampiric Bite

Your fanged maw is a natural weapon, which counts as a simple melee weapon with which you are proficient. You can add your Constitution modifier, instead of your Strength modifier, to the damage roll of attacks made with your bite. Your bite deals 1d4 piercing damage on a git. While Bloodied, you have advantage on the first attack roll made with your bite each turn.

A number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, you can empower your bite to draw the life-force from a creature you hit that isn't a Construct or Undead. When you do, you regain hit points equal to the piercing damae dealt. You regain all expended uses of this empowerment when you finish a long rest.

Blooded Lineage

Choose one of the Dhampyr Lineages below for what lineage you belongs to, granting it different features.

Bloodlord Lineage

Blood Magic

You learn one cantrip from any spell list with the Blood descriptor. Beginning at 5th level, you can cast Hold Person once without expending a spell slot, regaining the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. Ignore the Rare tag when selecting spells with this trait.

Crimson Armory

As a bonus action, you may draw blood from your body to form a weapon or shield. You can manifest a simple melee weapon, a whip, or a large shield made of blood. It lasts until dismisses or until you are Incapacitated. While summoned, you are considered Bloodied regardless of your current hit points, and you take 1 slashing damage at the start of each of your turns, which cannot be reduced in any way. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

Bloodsense.

You can sense the presence of all Bloodied creatures within 30 feet of you, unless they are behind total cover. You can identify the direction and general distance, but not their exact location. This sense does not work against Constructs, Plants, or Undead.

Nightshade Lineage

Umbral Step

While in dim light or darkness, you can teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness as an action. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Cloak of Night

While in dim light or darkness, you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks, and attacks of opportunity made against you have disadvantage.

Born of Silence

You gain proficiency in Stealth, or Expertise if you are already proficient. In addition, when you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check and fail by 5 or less, you may choose to remain undetected. If you do, your speed is reduced to 0 until the start of your next turn. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

Venomfang Lineage

Toxic Kiss

When you use your Vampiric Bite trait to deal damage, you may choose to inject venom. You can do so a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest. When you do, the target must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier). On a failure, the target suffers one of the following effects of your choice:

• Paralysis: The target is Paralyzed until the end of your next turn. A creature immune to the Poisoned condition cannot be paralyzed in this way.
• Disorientation: The target has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of your next turn.
• Delirium: The target cannot take reactions until the end of your next turn and moves in a random direction on its next turn, using all of its movement speed if possible to move in a straight line.

Toxic Adaptation

You have resistance to poison damage and advantage on saving throws against being Poisoned. In addition, you are immune to your own venom and those of other Venomfang dhampyr, but not Venomfang Vampires.

Scent of Blood and Bloom

You gain proficiency in the Poisoner's Kit and can smell when a creature within 30 feet of you is Poisoned, though you do not know their exact location. This sense does not work through total cover.

Fleshrot Lineage

Aura of Decay

As a bonus action, you can exude an aura of rot that extends 10 feet from you in every direction. This aura lasts for 1 minute or until you dismiss it (no action required). Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest. At 10th level, you can use it twice, regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest. While this aura is active:

• All other creatures other than Undead and Construct that start their turn in the aura must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier), being Poisoned until the end of their next turn on a failure.
• Nonmagical and nonliving plants in the area wither and die.
• Nonmagical metal weapons and armor in the aura suffer a -1 penalty to attack rolls or AC until the end of their wielder’s or wearer’s next turn.

Rot-Touched Resistance

You have resistance to necrotic damage.

Dreadful Presence

You gain proficiency in Intimidation.

Mindwrack Lineage

Dreamstuff Form

Youcan become partially incorporeal. As a reaction to taking damage from a weapon attack made by a creature you can see, you can halve the damage taken as your body momentarily distorts into mist and shadow. You can use this feature a number of times equal to you Proficiency Bonus, regaining all expended uses when you finishes a long rest. In addition, you cannot be put to sleep by magic.

Nightmare Glare

As an action, you can force a creature it can see and that can see it within 30 feet of it to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier). On a failed save, the creature sees a phantasmal figure representing one of its fears or regrets, taking a number of d6s of psychic damage equal to your proficiency bonus, and the next attack roll made against it before the end of your next turn has advantage. Once used, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

Dream Infiltrator

You can cast the Sleep spell once without using a spell slot. At 5th level, you can additionally cast Phantasmal Force once without expending a spell slot. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells, and you regain the ability to cast these spells in this way when you finish a long rest.

Duskshape Lineage

Beastform

As an action, you can transform into a Small or Medium Animal with a CR of 1/4 or less that does not have a flying or swimming speed. This form lasts for 1 hour or until you dismiss it as an action. While in this form, you take on the statistics of the new form, except you retains your alignment and your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. Beginning at 5th level, you can take the form of an Animal with a flying speed. While in this form, you retains your Vampiric Bite feature, but cannot speak or cast spells. If you are reduced to 0 hit points in this form, you revert to your normal form and take any remaining damage. Once used, you cannot transform in this way again until you finishes a long rest.

Instinctual Movement

You ignore nonmagical difficult terrain and have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made while Prone, crawling, or moving through natural environments.

Predator's Guise

You choose either a spider, raven, wolf, or bat. The dhampyr can transform into this form once as per your Beastform feature without expending a use of that feature, regaining this additional use when you finish a long rest. If you choose a creature with a flying speed, you can still transform into it prior to 5th level, but the duration is reduced to 1 minute until you can normally take on such a form.

Daywalker Lineage

Sun-Touched Grace

You do not suffer from sunlight sensitivity as other dhampyr do.

Eyes of the Open Veil

You can see color in darkness while using Darkvision within 30 feet of you. Additionally, you can see through magical darkness to a range of 10 feet.

Stillness in Daylight

While in bright light, attacks of opportunity against you are made at disadvantage. While in sunlight, all movement you take is considered shifting.

Dreadwraith Lineage

Wraithstep

As a bonus action, you can shift your body into a semi-corporeal black mist, taking on a distorted version of your form surrounded by curling shadows with glowing red motes of light replacing your eyes. While in this state:

• You are Incorporeal until the end of your next turn. During this time, you can move through creatures and solid objects as if they were difficult terrain. If you end your turn inside an object or creature, they are shunted to the nearest unoccupied space and take 1d10 force damage for each 5 feet shunted.
• You can see into the Ethereal Plane to a range of 30 feet.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Veil-Glide

You ignore nonmagical difficult terrain traversed using a walking speed. Additionally, you leave no tracks or scent unless you wish to, and nonmagical attempts to track them fail.

Grave-Pale Presence

You gain proficiency in your choice of Arcana, Culture, History, Nature, Religion, or Psionics.

4th Edition

3.5th Edition

2nd Edition

Ability Score Adjustment

The initial ability scores are modified by a

Ability	Minimum	Maximum
Strength	MIN	MAX
Dexterity	MIN	MAX
Constitution	MIN	MAX
Intelligence	MIN	MAX
Wisdom	MIN	MAX
Charisma	MIN	MAX

Class	Maximum
Fighter	—
‎ ‎ ‎Paladin	—
‎ ‎ ‎Ranger	—
‎ ‎ ‎Barbarian	—
Mage	—
‎ ‎ ‎Sorcerer	—
‎ ‎ ‎Specialist	—
‎ ‎ ‎Warlock	—
Cleric	—
‎ ‎ ‎Druid	—
‎ ‎ ‎Monk	—
‎ ‎ ‎Shaman	—
Thief	—
‎ ‎ ‎Assassin	—
‎ ‎ ‎Bard	—
Psionicist	—

Special Advantages

Special Disadvantages

None.

Role-Playing Suggestions

Languages

Monstrous Traits

Superstitions

Weapon Proficiencies

Nonweapon Proficiencies