Dhampir

The half-living children of vampires and human mothers, dhampirs are born into a world that rejects them. Stigma and suspicion follow them regardless of whether the truth of a dhampir child’s nature is known. This mistrust either forces a dhampir to develop a disarming wit and charm, or to embrace bitterness and keep others at arm’s length through guile or outright intimidation.

Few dhampirs find solace with their undead forebears. As living creatures, even tainted ones, the reality of living with an evil, blood-sucking monster seldom appeals even as they struggle with their own urges or hungers. Dhampirs struggle to find acceptance both within society and within themselves.

The dhampir of the Underworld, on the other hand, are slightly more feral than their surface kin due to a harsh upbringing of fending for themselves against the innumerable dangers in the realms below. There is sometimes a home for them in the Underworld, as part of the Ghoul Imperium, if they are willing to pledge loyalty to the Emperor. That is not to say the darakhul completely trust the dhampir who come to them seeking a place in the world. But the ghouls know how to use the tools at their disposal, and they are happy to open their arms to allies who carry a tinge of undeath.

**Lithe and Graceful**

Dhampirs appear much like humans at first glance. Adults stand between 5 and 6 feet tall but are more slender on average than humans; males weigh around 160 pounds. Female dhampirs are only slightly shorter but are a fair bit leaner, weighing around 120 pounds. Their skin and hair color runs the vast spectrum of tones available to humans, though they tend to be slightly pale.

The flawless features of the surface-dwelling dhampir are tinged with some unnamable exotic quality. Despite the fear and uncertainty that follow them, these half-dead possess a seductive appearance. Listeners find themselves unconsciously giving weight to a dhampir’s words and are drawn to the exotic presence. Dhampirs glide through life with a seemingly effortless grace that belies their struggle.

The Underworld dhampir have no need to keep up appearances, however. They are just as likely to let their hair grow wild and their clothes get tattered as they are to try to appear or act in a seductive manner. Their movements and actions still have a graceful quality, to be sure, but it is the grace of a predator on the prowl.

**Blood Ties**

For most dhampirs, family is all they have. Immediate kin might be the only source of solace for a dhampir raised by a mortal family. Driven away by the unconscious or superstitious derision of their peers, families containing a dhampir can easily become clannish and reclusive. They learn to keep the world at a distance to protect themselves and their loved ones. Dhampirs who grow up in this situation commonly strike out on their own after reaching maturity, both out of a need to find connection to the greater world and to spare their family the burden of their presence.

Conversely, some dhampirs are born into bloodlines that deliberately cultivate their tainted nature. A true vampire patron, usually the one who originally began the line, oversees these bloodlines. Such a bloodline holds its lineage in the highest regard. There is no doubt among its members that theirs is a superior stock and upbringing, and that greatness is their due. The majority of outright evil dhampirs arise from cultivated bloodlines. They quickly become true monsters, seeing a living creature’s fear as envy of their station.

Underworld dhampir, sometimes called feral dhampir, are most often loners who understand that the world of light and life is not for them. In the subterranean dark, there is still plenty of blood to sate their thirst, and much darker creatures than dhampir haunt the depths of the world.

**Cultural Masks**

Particularly close-knit or cosmopolitan communities can easily tolerate a dhampir in their midst, but that has more to do with adherence to tradition or relative anonymity than true acceptance. Larger cities include dhampirs sprinkled among the population as the half-dead blend in and find their niche, relying on their innate charm. Dhampir don’t relate easily to humans but find a natural kinship with other half-breed races, particularly the fiendish tieflings. They, along with elfmarked, know all too well what it’s like to live between two worlds, never truly fitting in to either.

Some dhampirs choose to band together for safety, camaraderie, and understanding. These groups are nomadic, traveling from town to town and making their living off the land. Such a band adheres to a loose set of guidelines called the Walking Crow edicts. These rules dictate the dhampirs’ responsibility to protect one another from outsiders, for each caravan group to self-govern and be self-sustaining, and for every Crow to work toward the prosperity of the caravan. These groups rarely find warm welcome with outsiders, but they are often tolerated for their diverse adventuring skills. Despite their trepidation, villagers can resolve threats to their homes by hiring a band of Crows to handle the problem for them.

**Candles in the Dark**

Dhampirs constantly struggle with their nature. They suffer from a troubled upbringing and intrinsic corruption that gnaws at civilized thoughts and behavior. The truth of their heritage weighs on them. Many experience disturbing urges to consume blood or to control others. They shun the light and find safety and comfort in darkness. Enticed and repulsed by mortals at the same time, constant struggle is at the core of a dhampir’s existence.

Many dhampirs use this struggle as fuel to action. Good dhampirs are horrified by their own corrupted existence and dedicate themselves to living in opposition to it. They become priests who venerate gods of light, or they vow to destroy all undead who perpetuate their misery. Others are broken by their turmoil. They lash out at the world in a rage of bloodlust and hatred. Many evil dhampirs turn to worship of demons and other gods of darkness and pain, seeking to conquer and subjugate their mortal peers.

## Dhampir Names

Most dhampirs bear names appropriate to their mothers’ human culture. Some, particularly those belonging to cultivated bloodlines, might have archaic names chosen by, or in honor of, their family’s vampire patron. Surnames follow a similar pattern. Dhampirs might use the family name of their mortal relatives, or they might adopt the family name of a powerful vampire as a badge of office. Nomadic dhampirs uniformly take the surname “Crow.”

## Dhampir Traits

Your dhampir character has certain characteristics derived from your undead ancestry.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.

**Age.** Dhampirs reach maturity at the same age as humans, but their lifespans are much longer. They can live up to 750 years before death finally claims them.

**Alignment.** Most dhampirs are neutral, but some are driven toward evil by the bitterness and suspicion their parentage thrusts upon them. A few turn toward good in defiance of their nature.

**Size.** Dhampirs are about as tall as humans but are slighter of build. Your size is Medium.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

**Darkvision.** Thanks to your undead ancestry, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you 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.

**Vampiric Resilience.** You have advantage on saving throws against disease, and you have resistance to necrotic damage.

***Predatory Charm.*** You have proficiency in the Persuasion skill. In addition, if you spend at least 1 minute conversing or interacting with a humanoid you or your allies haven’t attacked within the last 24 hours, you have advantage on your next Charisma ability check against that humanoid. Regardless of the result, you can’t use your Predatory Charm on that humanoid again until 24 hours have passed. If you roll a 20 on the d20 for the Charisma check, the humanoid is a willing target for your bite attack.

***Dark Thirst.*** You can bite as an unarmed strike against an incapacitated creature or one you have grappled. Your bite deals 1 piercing damage, and if the target has blood and isn’t a construct or undead, you can feed from it as part of the attack. Your feeding deals necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1), and you gain temporary hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt. Once you gain temporary hit points with this trait, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

**Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Dhampir from the Underworld typically learn Darakhul.