Vampires

**Size:**

They remain whatever they had been in life. Reference Humans and Half-elves for this information.

**Weight:**

Again, the same as whatever they had been, Human or Half-elf, in life.

**Average Lifespan:**

Vampires are immortal and will not die due to old age. However that does not mean they will not find their demise at the hands of others.

**Notable Traits:**

* Fangs - retractable unless overwhelmed by hunger
* Immortal - Can only be killed, will not die of old age.
* At night Vampires are more dexterous, quicker both in wit and on their feet.
* Unnatural healing when well fed
* Weak and vulnerable in day time hours.
* Wood Stakes made of Ash or Oak will paralyze a vampire until it is removed.
* They must drink blood to sustain themselves

**Appearance:**

Like their matriarch, once turned a vampire is a breathtakingly beautiful creature. Seductive, radiating allure. Even those thought rather bland or ugly in life will radiate a peculiar attractiveness once turned. Vampires lack the flush and warmth of life. As they age they become paler still. for example, Oddette's flesh would have the appearance of living marble. This can be covered up by normal means such as make-up. Lastly, the tools of their trade, every vampire bears a set of retractable fangs. Though should the vampire be in a starving state they can no longer retract their teeth. Otherwise their appearance varies as much as their race in life would.

**Original Religion:**

Whatever it had been in life.

**General Culture:**

Vampirism came to Blacksteel via a witches curse. The Vanity of Oddette Ardelean knew no bounds and her hunger to devour men, figuratively of course left many broken-hearted and ruined when she had used them to suit her needs and tossed them aside. Her family was of noble stature and well respected allowing her indiscretion to be swept under the proverbial rug.

Alas Oddette ran afoul of a young witch, Luca Constantin, when she stole away the woman's husband Anton, and in a rather unfortunate accident the man was killed. In her grief and rage Luca called down a curse upon the young temptress, that seemingly struck the woman dead where she stood.

Her family mourned the young beauty's passing, her funeral was attended by many, both the grieving and the delighted. It was not until the evening she was tucked securely away in her tomb, when her grief stricken father, Dumitru, lingered to mourn his precious child that the truth of her curse was revealed. Her haunting call was heard from with in and in his desperation he broke open the woman's tomb. Faced with the ungodly beauty of his deceased daughter he stood transfixed as she leaped upon him. She drained the man of every last drop of blood. She had become a true man eater.

Dumitru was found the next morning, throat torn from him though no blood glossed the ground around him. Oddette's tomb was closed and the angelic looking creature still appeared to slumber eternally. None expected it was she who murdered the man and it was quickly assumed he was attacked by some wild beast in the night. The unsettling fact there was no blood to be found was cast aside and the matter, though unsettling, was considered closed.

Each night after Oddette returned calling to those whom in life had desired her. Devouring one after another and leaving an empty corpse in her wake. When it became clear the pattern of the deceased, an angry crowd fell upon Luca. The mob assumed she was at fault, that her grief had turned to insanity, and that she had been wreaking her vengeance upon those who had, like her husband, fallen for the deceased's charm in life. Luca was burned at the stake for her apparent crimes and curiously, the killings ceased. In truth, with her curse giver's death the mindlessness of Oddette's punishment eased and she was able to settle once more into her tomb where she seems to have remained.

Over the centuries since however with the growing corruption seeping into the land her curse seems to have spread. Effecting newly interred dead and returning some semblance of life to them. Their first nights plagued by an insatiable hunger for the blood of the living. Not just any living but humanoid blood. Once that initial hunger is sated however they are able to better control themselves.

The first few days as a vampire are a difficult and frustrating learning experience. They will find food no longer sates them and in fact, makes them intolerably ill. Liquids while in small amounts are not an issue, over indulgence again will make them violently sick until it is purged from their system. The will find the sun intolerable as well. Daylight in general seems to sap them of their strength, dull their senses, and direct contact is extremely uncomfortable.

Vampires are capable of creating others like themselves though so far it seems they have only the strength to create one offspring. It takes a significant sacrifice on the vampires part and attempting to do it a second time proves fatal for all involved.

They can however also create a ghoul. A person under their complete control. This person becomes a servant and slave to the vampires whim. However in order to keep a person under their control they must ingest the vampires blood frequently (At least once every three days). It does not require a great deal, a few drops with in a persons food perhaps but it is required. If they do not receive this they will slowly regain control of their minds and the reverse effect will occur. No longer will the person adore said vampire but view them with a murderous hatred.

Vampires can also enslave werewolves ..however to do so they cannot have any progeny or a ghoul as to control such a beast will require every ounce of the vampires resources and will power. Werewolves will become fiercely loyal protectors but many vampires view them as too much work to bother with and few bother. Others refuse to do so as it is rumored that keeping a werewolf too long may result in injury or even death for the vampire as werewolves are unruly creatures and occasionally managed to escape the vampires control to disastrous effect. Though this is most likely to occur during the full moon or if the werewolf has not fed for too long and goes into a frenzy. Keeping a werewolf under their control has the same requirements as any other ghoul with the same result if those requirements are not met.

Vampires do not seem to age, rather they retain their unearthly beauty for eternity ..or until they are destroyed. Those few who are aware of their existence and have managed to supposedly kill one say that wooden stakes of Ash or Oak plunged through their heart will paralyze them. Afterwards the vampire must be beheaded and burnt to ash, otherwise one risks them returning.

Vampires and werewolves are absolute enemies in general. A vampire more often would rather put a werewolf down swiftly rather than risk allowing it to expose the vampire to the rest of it's pack. As a single vampire is no match for more then one werewolf. On the reverse, wolves desire and must have their freedom. Vampires represent the loss of that freedom and if found out the werewolves will stop at nothing to destroy the foul creature and prevent the enslavement of one of their kin.

Lastly, Vampires cannot sense each other unless the one being sensed has not fed often enough. In which case another vampire with in ten feet of it will notice the lack of life coursing through it's being.

**Requirements:**

***Race:*** Human or Half-Elf.

***Class:*** Cannot qualify for any other Racial Prestiege Class and cannot be a Paragon.

***Special:*** Character must die and be embraced by the curse of vampirism.

**Class Specifics:**

* New Race: Undead.
* Hit Die: d8.
* Armor proficiencies: None.
* Shield proficiencies: None.
* Weapon proficiencies: All creature attacks (Claws and bite).
* Skill Points: 4 + Int Modifier.
* High Saves: Fortitude, Reflex, and Will.
* BAB progression: +3/4.
* A vampire loses all bonuses during the daylight hours and takes the following penalties: -4 CON, and an additional -2 STR.

**Level by level breakdown:**

- 1: +2 DEX, +2 INT, +2 Will, Darkvision, Ghoul Person, Bite.

- 2: +2 DEX, +2 STR, +2 CHA, +2 Will, Well Fed, Hypnotic Gaze, Weapon Finesse.

- 3: +2 DEX, +2 INT, +2 CHA, +2 Will, Hardiness vs. Spells, Bat Swarm.

**Bonus Spells:**

Upon each odd level, the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level any caster classes (bad, medic, shaman, witch, or warlock). He does not learn any new spells through this ability, however.

**Special Abilities:**

* Darkvision: Vampires are able to see in the dark.
* Bite: a vampire is able to attack it's victim and sink its elongated canines into their flesh so draw upon their blood thus granting the vampire fast healing +5 for a duration of  1 Turn/HD of the victim. This attack causes an ability drain of 1 CON to the victim.
* Ghoul Person: This allows the vampire to temporarily bestow upon another person a bonus to a single attribute equal to double the vampire's class level and incur a -2 penalty of the same attribute to themselves.  They also bestow a will penalty to the ghouled individual equal to the twice the vampire's class level.  The ghouled individual must be a willing recipient and this feature cannot be used in combat.  The effects last for one week in game. At vampire level 3, The vampire gets a second use of this feature and gains the ability to ghoul other afflicted creatures at the expense of two uses of this ability.
* Well Fed: A vampire higher than lesser is able to gain more when feeding.  If feeding while under the effects of a previous feeding, the vampire gains a +2 CON bonus.  This bonus lasts for 1 Turn/HD of the victim and does not stack with itself.
* Hypnotic Gaze: A vampire is able to make another creature do it's binding with just a look.
* Hardiness vs. Spells: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells.
* Bat Swarm: A greater vampire is capable of turning into a swarm of bats creating a aura of confusion about the vampire and allowing the vampire to move at incredible speed to retreat when the need is necessary. This ability lasts for 1 turn and can only be used once per day.

**Note:** Vampires who do not feed at least once every 4 days start to feel a compulsive need to do so.  This need results in a -1 to all mental ability scores and armor class. It also causes a -4 penalty to fortitude and a 10% to frenzy thus losing control and attacking the nearest humanoid they can find. These penalties stack for every 4 hours the vampire remains in a starved state.