User:FiddleSticks96/Libris Vampiricus (3.5e Sourcebook)/Chapter 2

Vampire Rules

This section contains a list of rules that are followed by this overhaul concerning vampires. Unless otherwise stated, the rules listed below are unanimous to all vampires.

Inherent Classes

Some Bloodlines grant a level in a particular class, such as Fighter for the Quarra Bloodline. A vampire of such a Bloodline is considered to have that class as a favored in addition to any other favored classes the vampire might have from race or other factors. Vampires do not suffer from any alignment restriction based on the inherent class of their Bloodline. A Yekef vampire may take levels in other classes without losing its ability to continue to take levels in the Monk class.

Any class gained by becoming a vampire is treated as a favored class for the purposes of determining experience penalties for multiclassing. Treat the inhereted class as a favored class even if the base creature already has a different favored class (they will just have to not complain that they now have 2 favored classes). These classes are all treated as a favored class for Purebloods.

When determining what class a natural born vampire will gain when they belong to a bloodline that offers more than one class (Aundae offers wizard specializations as an example), the vampire may choose which class they gain upon awakening.

Becoming a Vampire

Only living corporeal humanoids and monstrous humanoids can become a vampire. There are a few other types of creatures that can become something very similar to a vampire, but they do not use the same vampire template. These variants are discussed later in this overhaul.

By far the most common way of becoming a vampire is when a vampire turns another creature into a vampire. When a creature is turned into a vampire by another vampire, they are the same Bloodline as the vampire who sired them. Purebloods may create vampires of any Bloodline they choose.

It is possible to become a vampire without the aid of a vampire. Powerful magicks and necromantic rituals can be used by those who wish to become a vampire, but do not trust the undead to help them without possible treachery.

It is important to note that natural born vampires have no genetic or physical defects whatsoever. Sanity/Humanity aside, there is nothing wrong with them. A creature that becomes a vampire shares in some of this lack of physical abnormality. Physical abnormalities will completely revert. This healing does not restore body parts that are missing all together. A blind creature whose species normally can see would regain its sight, paralysis caused by spinal damage would revert, an extra finger would rapidly decay and the ensuing hole would close up, but a missing hand or organ (such as an eye) would not regrow. This process does not restore mental abnormalities/illnesses.

Bite of a Vampire

A vampire’s fangs carry potent necromantic energies, so it is no surprise that the mere bite of a vampire has an effect on the bitten. A living creature bitten by a vampire suffers a penalty to their saving throws to resist the Charm, Command, and Dominate abilities of the vampire who bit them. If a vampire has the Mesmerize Vitae Feat, bitten creatures also suffer a penalty to resist its effects. This is one reason why vampires often suck the blood of those they are about to Dominate (though actually sucking the blood of their victim is unnecessary, vampires tend to do so anyway).

Category C Vampires cause a -2 penalty, Category B Vampires cause a -4 penalty, and Category A Vampires cause a -6 penalty.

Healing Properties

A vampire’s saliva has a limited ability to heal wounds. A vampire may spend a Full-Round Action licking the wounds of a living creature in order to heal 1 point of damage. Vampires use this curative property of their saliva to close bite wounds on their prey (assuming they leave the prey alive). This does not restore any Constitution Damage dealt by the Blood Drain attack, but it does serve to remove the telltale fang wounds on a vampire’s victim, making it harder to detect vampiric activity.

It only takes one Full-Round Action to close wounds caused by a Blood Drain attack.

Porphyric Hemophilia

When a vampire wishes to make another vampire, they perform what is called the “Embrace”. The Embrace is simply when a vampire injects their own blood with their fangs into their victim. No separate visitation or blood draining is required. Any living creature capable of becoming a vampire needs to be bitten by a vampire and then have at least a drop of that same vampire’s blood enter their system within 24hrs of the bite. When this is done, the living creature acquires a disease known as Porphyric Hemophilia.

A living corporeal humanoid or monstrous humanoid has a small chance of becoming infected while in battle with a vampire. If the creature is bitten by the vampire (either through a successful Bite or Blood Drain attack) and then deals piercing or slashing damage through a melee attack to the vampire that bit them, than there is a 5% chance of becoming infected with the vampire disease. This can happen because some of the vampire’s blood might splash on one of the creature’s open wounds. Large and/or many open wounds may warrant a large chance to become infected at the DM’s discretion.

A vampire has a 100% chance to infect a creature with the vampire disease if they inject their own blood into their victim via their fangs.

Porphyric Hemophilia is the disease which causes vampirism. Although it is a disease, Porphyric Hemophilia is also a powerful curse. Afflicted creatures are not entitled to a saving throw to resist being infected, thus, a Heal check cannot cure or slow the disease until the curse is broken. So long as the curse remains in effect, this disease cannot be cured by any means short of a Miracle or Wish spell. To cure a creature afflicted by Porphyric Hemophilia, the creature must be the subject of a Break Enchantment or Remove Curse spell (or a similar effect), and the caster must succeed a Caster Level check (DC 10 + (the Age + GV) of the vampire that infected the creature). The DC increases by 5 if the vampire was a Category B vampire, and by 10 if the vampire was a Category A vampire). After the curse is broken, the creature must have their diseased blood cured. This can be with a Remove Disease spell (or similar effects that cures diseases) or by a Heal with a DC equal to the DC of the caster level check. If the disease is not cured within 72hrs after infection, the hapless creature will join the ranks of the undead.

This disease has only one symptom, while asleep; the infected person will be plagued with nightmares. These nightmares prevent restful sleep and lost spell slots are not regained. This disease is otherwise impossible to detect. Those not aware of the vampiric activity usually do not even realize that there is anything wrong at all, until it’s far too late. The infected creature dies after 72hrs of infection. There are no signs as to the true reason of death, though upon examination, the victim appears to have died from asphyxiation. The infected creature rises as a vampire at sunset in 2d6 days after death.

Energy Drain

The other method vampires can use to make another of their kind is with their Energy Drain attack. Though this method is quicker than using the vampire disease, it is not preferred. The vampire to be must be killed by the vampire’s Energy Drain attack, which almost always means a violent death. Most vampires cannot deliver their Energy Drain attack except through their Claw attack. The victim of such attacks is far easier to identify as the victim of undead malevolence, so measures are more readily taken to prevent the victim from rising as a vampire. Vampires created in this manner are typically the unintentional byproduct as an encounter with a vampire gone foul. If a vampire truly wishes to create vampires in this manner, it would be wise to take the corpse to a safe place before it is discovered by the locals.

A living corporeal humanoid or monstrous humanoid that is killed by a vampire’s Energy Drain attack (not simply by a claw attack), will rise as a vampire at sunset in 1d6 days.

Curing Vampirism

It is widely accepted that there is no cure for vampirism. There are as many myths and legends surrounding vampirism as there are vampires. One of the most interesting is perhaps the idea of curing the undead of their affliction. There is no evidence which supports any claims that vampirism came be cure outside of divine intervention. Indeed, it is all together likely that only a deity can reverse such a powerful curse. Despite this, there are myths about vampires being cured of their curse by mortal means. Vampirism can, in fact, be cured by mortal means, but there are very few who know how, and those that do are not in the habit of revealing such secrets. Only those who are less than 50% vampire can be cured of their affliction.

Vampires of more than 50% are weakened by such a cure to vampirism. They must come in physical contact with the cure (usually by means of throwing a bottle of the cure at the vampire in the same way holy water would be used) for this to work.

If a vampire of 50-69% is exposed to a cure, they will become ill in 2d6 hrs. After 24hrs of rest, they will return to normal. This illness has the following effects:

Sickened with double the normal penalties

-4 circumstance penalty to all ability scores (minimum score of 1)

If a vampire of 70-99% is exposed to a cure, they will suffer damage equal to ¼ of their total HD and will become very ill within 1d6 hrs. After 1 week of rest, they will return to normal. This illness has the following effects:

Sickened with triple the normal penalties

-6 circumstance penalty to all ability scores (minimum score of 1)

All movement rates are cut in half, cannot use Shadowdash abilities

If a pureblood is exposed to a cure, they will suffer damage equal to ½ of their total HD and will immediately become deathly ill. Finally, their regeneration is negated for 24hrs. This damage and illness will not heal until the pureblood has rested for a full month. This illness has the following effects:

Sickened with 5x the normal penalties

Nauseated for 24hrs

-12 circumstance penalty to all ability scores (minimum score of 1)

All movement rates are reduced to 30ft, cannot use any Vitae Feats (passive Vitae Feats are suppressed)

Indeed, a cure for vampirism acts as a deadly poison that a pureblood’s immune system is quite vulnerable to. Woe to the purebloods should The Order of the Virtuous Blood ever learn the secrets to curing vampirism.

Special Abilities and Qualities

Vampires have a wide array of special abilities that vary depending on Bloodline and which Vitae Feats the vampire has selected. The following rules is applied only to special abilities/qualities that are gained from the vampire template or Vitae Feats.

Special abilities have a caster level equal to the vampire’s HD + their Age (or the Age of the Vitae used in the ability) + their GV (or the GV of the Vitae used in the ability); if a caster level would be applicable.

Example: A Haarvenu vampire’s special ability to cast Crushing Despair would have a caster level, but a Gelgoran vampire’s Malefic Touch special ability, which causes damage, would not have a caster level. An Egnana vampire’s Aura of Decay special quality, which emulates a Waves of Fatigue effect among other things, would have a caster level even though it is a special quality, not ability.

The DC to resist a special ability/quality is equal to 10 + the vampire’s Age (or the Age of the Vitae used in the ability) + the vampire’s GV + the vampire's Charisma modifier + 1/2 the vampire's HD.

Example, the DC of a Yekef vampire’s Fear Aura is determined using this formula.

All Aura powers have the shape of a Sphere with the specified radius (see the individual Aura descriptions), and is an Emanation. The same is true for a Pureblood’s Unholy Might ability.

Any Extraordinary ability granted by vampirism requires a Standard Action to use, unless it is always active.

Any ability granted by vampirism that emulates a spell and is always active is an extraordinary ability.

Example: a Pureblood’s Tongues ability or a Volkihar vampire’s Snowsight ability are extraordinary abilities.

Flight

Category B Vampires may sprout 2 large bat-like wings and fly at twice their flying movement rate granted to them by the Unaided Flight Vitae feat and their flight will count as an natural ability, as they are now using physical wings to fly. While the wings are out, the vampire can use the run action while flying. The vampire can use its wings to defend itself by folding its wings around itself when it performs the total defense action. When it does this, it gains a +5 bonus to its Damage Reduction and Natural Armor Class, but only for attacks coming from your front.

Category A Vampires may sprout 4 wings instead of 2. When their wings are out they fly at 4 times their flying movement rate granted to them by the Unaided Flight Vitae feat and their flight will count as an natural ability, as they are now using physical wings to fly. While the wings are out, the vampire can use the run action while flying. The vampire can use its wings to defend itself by folding its wings around itself when it performs the total defense action. When it does this, it gains a +10 bonus to its Damage Reduction and Natural Armor Class.

Control Checks

Any ability granted by vampirism that produces a Domination effect (or similar effect, such as the Monstrous Thrall effect produced by the Conditioning Vitae Feat), such as Domination or Mass Domination, is considered a Dominate effect.

Command is an ability unique to the Raelu Bloodline.

A Control Check is made when two or more vampires are attempting to Dominate or Command the same creature at the same time. All vampires vying for control make opposing Control Checks by rolling d20. Each vampire gains its Age and GV as a bonus to the final result. The vampire with the highest result wins the Control Check. If all participants have the same result, the highest Category vampire, lowest Generation vampire, or highest Age Category vampire wins the check, with Category taking priority over Generation, and Generation taking priority over Age Category. If the result is still a tie (in the rare even all participants are the same Category, Generation, Age Category, and had the same die result), each vampire must choose whether or not to make a new Control Check the next round. If only one vampire chooses to make a new Control Check, it automatically wins and does not have to take any other action. If two or more vampires choose to do continue the struggle, they must take a Full-Round Action to concentrate on the creature they are attempting to control, and can take no other actions until the next round (if a vampire does take another action before the next round, its concentration is broken and it automatically loses the Control Check). At the start of the next round, each vampire makes a new Control Check. This struggle continues until only one vampire remains in the struggle, or until someone wins the check. Due to the opposing forces struggling for control, the creature that the vampires are attempting to control is Staggered for as long as the struggle continues. Vampires do not have to expend additional Vitae for continuing the struggle.

If a vampire attempts to control a creature already under the control of a vampire, the vampire already in control makes its Control Check without taking an action and without any effort…or any awareness that there is a struggle for control going on.

The table below lists Modifiers made to a vampire’s Control Check based on certain conditions.

Table: Control Check Modifiers

Condition	Modifier
A vampire in the struggle is 4 or 5 Generations lower than you	-2
A vampire in the struggle is 6 or 7 Generations lower than you	-4
A vampire in the struggle is 8 or more Generations lower than you	Automatic Failure*
A vampire in the struggle is 1 Category higher than you	-2
A vampire in the struggle is 2 Categories higher than you	-4
A vampire in the struggle is 3 Categories higher than you	Automatic Failure*

• You cannot overpower the control of a vampire 8 or more Generations lower than you. The only way a vampire can be 3 Categories higher than you is if you are a Dhampir and your opponent is a Pureblood. A Dhampir does not possess the power to overpower the control of a Pureblood.

Spells and Effects that Create or Summon a Vampire

This overhaul introduces different levels of vampire, described as “Categories”. Outside of abilities described in this overhaul, any spell, ability, ritual, or effect that turns someone into a vampire, or otherwise creates a vampire, produces a Category C Vampire. The bloodline may be specific to the spell, ritual, effect, whatever, it may be up to the caster, or it may be random.

Strengthen Over Time

Vampires grow more powerful as they age. This is the primary reason why older vampires are more respected, and more powerful, amongst their kind. While a vampire is in the Slumber, they do not benefit from the increased power listed below, but they still continue to gain Age Categories as normal.

The Evolved Undead template (described in Libris Mortis pg 99) is applied differently to vampires. Instead of gaining fast healing, the vampire gains a +1 bonus to all regenerative abilities and all of the spell-like, supernatural, supernatural psionic, psi-like, and extraordinary abilities they received from their vampire template may be used 1 day earlier (if the ability may only be used once per 3 days, they may now use it once per 2 days). If the ability may be used 1 or more times per day, they may use it an additional time per day (if the ability can be used 3 times per day, it can now be used 4 times per day). If the ability may be used at will, the DC to resist it increases by 1. The vampire still gets other bonuses listed in the template.

For every 100 years a vampire goes without gaining a level, they automatically gain a level in a class of their choice (though the vampire must meet the prerequisites). This level represents the power the vampire has gained due to its advanced age.

Some scholars believe that, of the countless vampires that likely lay dormant, unknown and buried beneath the ground, there are many that have become old and powerful. Those same scholars claim that, should these vampires ever awaken, it would be a dark and bloody day for the living races.

• Note: The book Libris Mortis states that undead may gain the “Evolved” template multiple times. It also says that the chance to gain the Evolved template increases by 1% every 100 years and every time the template is acquired. For the most ancient of undead (those who are thousands of years old). Eventually, this chance will become 100% every 100 years. Each time the template is gained, the undead is supposed to get a +2 bonus to Str and Cha, as well as a +1 bonus to Natural Armor. When an undead has acquired this template dozens of times, the bonus to Str, Cha, and NAC quickly gets ridiculous. How strong can their connection to the negative energy plane get before they can start bench-pressing buildings? For those of us who don’t want to find out, no undead can gain this template more times than their Charisma Modifier.

Vampire Age Master Charts

A vampire grows more powerful as it ages. Each bloodline gains its own bonuses. There is a separate chart for both Category C and B Vampires for each bloodline. Category A Vampires have their own separate chart.

The bonuses listed in each chart are in addition to those gained from the vampire template. The bonuses for each age category are not cumulative.

Neonate vampires do not gain any bonuses beyond those gained from the vampire template, and thus, the Neonate age does not appear in any chart listed below.

NAC = Natural Armor Class

SPD = Speed (measured in feet)

DR = New Damage Reduction

TR = Turn Resistance

CR = Challenge Rating

Category C Vampires

The charts listed below are the bonuses for Category C Vampires of each bloodline. Only apply these adjustments to Category C Vampires.

Table: Insert Bloodline Age Adjustments

Age	Str	Dex	Int	Wis	Cha	NAC	SPD	DR	TR	CR
Young	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
Mature	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
Aged	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
Elder	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
Ancient	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
Ancestor	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
Antediluvian	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?

Table: Aundae Age Adjustments

Age	Str	Dex	Int	Wis	Cha	NAC	SPD	DR	TR	CR
Young	+1	+2	+3	+2	+1	+1	+5	Damage Reduction 7/(+1, holy, anti-vampire)	+2	+1
Mature	+2	+4	+6	+4	+2	+2	+10	Damage Reduction 7/(+2, +1 and holy, anti-vampire)	+4	+2
Aged	+3	+6	+9	+6	+3	+3	+15	Damage Reduction 10/(+3, +1 and holy, anti-vampire)	+6	+3
Elder	+4	+8	+12	+8	+4	+4	+20	Damage Reduction 10/(+4 and good, +2 and holy, +1 and anti-vampire)	+8	+4
Ancient	+5	+10	+15	+10	+5	+5	+25	Damage Reduction 15/(+4 and good, +2 and holy, +1 and anti-vampire)	+10	+5
Ancestor	+6	+12	+18	+12	+6	+6	+30	Damage Reduction 15/(+5 and good, +3 and holy, +2 and anti-vampire)	+12	+6
Antediluvian	+8	+14	+22	+14	+8	+8	+40	Damage Reduction 25/(+5 and holy, +3 and anti-vampire)	+15	+7

Table: Quarra Age Adjustments

Age	Str	Dex	Int	Wis	Cha	NAC	SPD	DR	TR	CR
Young	+3	+2	+1	+1	+2	+2	+5	Damage Reduction 12/(+1, holy, anti-vampire)	+2	+1
Mature	+6	+4	+2	+2	+4	+4	+10	Damage Reduction 12/(+2, +1 and holy, anti-vampire)	+4	+2
Aged	+9	+6	+3	+3	+6	+6	+15	Damage Reduction 18/(+3, +1 and holy, anti-vampire)	+6	+3
Elder	+12	+8	+4	+4	+8	+8	+20	Damage Reduction 18/(+4 and good, +2 and holy, +1 and anti-vampire)	+8	+4
Ancient	+15	+10	+5	+5	+10	+10	+25	Damage Reduction 25/(+4 and good, +2 and holy, +1 and anti-vampire)	+10	+5
Ancestor	+18	+12	+6	+6	+12	+12	+30	Damage Reduction 25/(+5 and good, +3 and holy, +2 and anti-vampire)	+12	+6
Antediluvian	+22	+14	+8	+8	+14	+14	+40	Damage Reduction 35/(+5 and holy, +3 and anti-vampire)	+15	+7

Category B Vampires

The charts listed below are the bonuses for Category B Vampires of each bloodline. Only apply these adjustments to Category B Vampires.

Table: Aundae Age Adjustments

Age	Str	Dex	Int	Wis	Cha	NAC	SPD	DR	TR	CR
Young	+1	+2	+4	+2	+1	+1	+5	Damage Reduction 12/(+3, holy, anti-vampire)	+3	+1
Mature	+3	+5	+8	+5	+3	+3	+10	Damage Reduction 12/(+4, +1 and holy, anti-vampire)	+6	+2
Aged	+4	+7	+12	+7	+4	+4	+15	Damage Reduction 15/(+4, +1 and holy, anti-vampire)	+9	+3
Elder	+6	+10	+16	+10	+6	+6	+20	Damage Reduction 15/(+5 and good, +2 and holy, +1 and anti-vampire)	+12	+4
Ancient	+7	+12	+20	+12	+7	+7	+25	Damage Reduction 20/(+5 and good, +2 and holy, +1 and anti-vampire)	+15	+5
Ancestor	+9	+15	+24	+15	+9	+9	+30	Damage Reduction 20/(+6 and good, +3 and holy, +2 and anti-vampire)	+18	+6
Antediluvian	+12	+18	+30	+18	+12	+12	+40	Damage Reduction 30/(+7 and holy, +4 and anti-vampire)	+22	+8

Table: Quarra Age Adjustments

Age	Str	Dex	Int	Wis	Cha	NAC	SPD	DR	TR	CR
Young	+4	+2	+1	+1	+2	+2	+5	Damage Reduction 18/(+3, holy, anti-vampire)	+3	+1
Mature	+8	+5	+3	+3	+5	+5	+10	Damage Reduction 18/(+4, +1 and holy, anti-vampire)	+6	+2
Aged	+12	+7	+4	+4	+7	+7	+15	Damage Reduction 25/(+4, +1 and holy, anti-vampire)	+9	+3
Elder	+16	+10	+6	+6	+10	+10	+20	Damage Reduction 25/(+5 and good, +2 and holy, +1 and anti-vampire)	+12	+4
Ancient	+20	+12	+7	+7	+12	+12	+25	Damage Reduction 35/(+5 and good, +2 and holy, +1 and anti-vampire)	+15	+5
Ancestor	+24	+15	+9	+9	+15	+15	+30	Damage Reduction 35/(+6 and good, +3 and holy, +2 and anti-vampire)	+18	+6
Antediluvian	+30	+18	+12	+12	+18	+18	+40	Damage Reduction 45/(+7 and holy, +4 and anti-vampire)	+22	+8

Category A Vampires

The chart listed below are the bonuses for Category A Vampires. Only apply these adjustments to Category A Vampires.

Instead of listing each ability score individually, this chart contains a column named Ability Scores. Category A Vampires gain the listed bonus as a bonus to all their ability scores.

Table: Pureblood Age Adjustments

Age	Ability Scores	NAC	SPD	DR	TR	CR
Young	+8	+8	+10	Damage Reduction 25/(+5 and good, +1 and holy, anti-vampire)	+2	+3
Mature	+12	+12	+20	Damage Reduction 30/(+6 and good, +2 and holy, anti-vampire)	+4	+4
Aged	+14	+14	+30	Damage Reduction 35/(+7 and good, +3 and holy, +1 and anti-vampire)	+6	+5
Elder	+18	+18	+40	Damage Reduction 40/(+4 and holy, +2 and anti-vampire)	+8	+6
Ancient	+20	+20	+50	Damage Reduction 45/(+5 and holy, +3 and anti-vampire)	+10	+7
Ancestor	+24	+24	+60	Damage Reduction 50/+4 and anti-vampire	+12	+8
Antediluvian	+30	+30	+80	Damage Reduction 60/+6 and anti-vampire and holy	+20	+10

Weaknesses

Below is a list of weaknesses all vampires have. Unless otherwise noted, a vampire automatically has these weaknesses.

Grave

A vampire is mystically bounded to its grave, whether this is a coffin, a slab in a masoleum, or a hole in the ground. This location has a resonance of necromancy special to that vampire, and only that vampire. A vampire always knows the precise direction of its grave as though by a permanent Know Direction spell, except that the ability tells the vampire the direction of its grave rather than north. Younger vampires remain dependant on their graves to fuel their existence almost as much as they depend on blood. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but they are rare. A creature that becomes a vampire, but is never buried before it rises, automatically gains the Unbound Vitae Feat, and thus, does not have this dependency.

A vampire with Grave Dependency must return to its grave by sunrise each day, and remain at rest in its grave until sunset. A vampire heals wounds at 150% the normal rate while resting in its grave. The vampire is not destroyed for failing to return to its grave, but there are consequences for doing so. At sunset, the vampire suffers its HD in lethal damage and immediately loses 1d4+1 Vitae points. The lethal damage cannot be healed by any means except by way of a Blood Drain attack on a living creature. Whenever the vampire sleeps outside of its grave, it is plagued by terrible nightmares, leaving it Fatigued and unable to regain lost spell slots.

Raven Fear

The nomadic tribe that cremated Lamae Bal, the Blood Matron herself, held the Raven as a symbol of renewal of life and purification. At a funeral, they place small statues of ravens around the pyre to “guide the spirit to the afterlife”; thus, when Lamae Bal rose from her funeral pyre, she was greeted by the sight of spiritual guardians ready to take her from the living world. It was at that moment that the vampiric curse developed an instinctive fear of ravens.

The sound or sight of a raven triggers an instinctual fear in vampires. If a vampire hears the sound of a raven, it must make a DC 15 Will save or become Shaken for 1d4 minutes. If a vampire sees a raven, it must make a DC 20 Will save or become Frightened for as long as they are within 15ft of the raven and for 1d4 rounds afterwards; if the vampire succeeds the Will save, they are Shaken for as long as they are within 15ft of the raven and for 1d4 rounds afterwards. The vampire cannot ignore the raven by closing their eyes or not looking at it. The only way to remove the fear is to destroy the raven or move more than 15ft away from the raven. The illusion of a raven, such as a Minor Image spell that duplicates the image of a raven or a Ghost Sound spell that duplicates the sound of a raven, may affect the vampire as normal, but only if the vampire fails to disbelieve the illusion, thus believing it is a real raven.

Due to this fear, a vampire cannot willingly assume the form of a raven using Beastform or other means.

Sunlight

Sunlight is a power feared by many an undead. While some undead, such as the wraith or spectre, are merely rendered powerless by sunlight, a vampire is actually harmed by it. Sunlight's undiluted strength and life-giving effect upon living creatures is the source of a vampire's, and other undead, weakness to sunlight. They are simply constitutionally unable to accept exposure to sunlight as anything other than a direct physical attack. Only natural sunlight will actually harm a vampire, so, despite its name, the daylight spell will not harm a vampire (though it will temporarily blind them). When a vampire is exposed to natural sunlight, they will burn as if on fire. Depending on the directness of the sunlight, and the category of the vampire, they will turn to dust within a few seconds to a few minutes. If there is glass or other clear substances of at least 1 inch thick between the vampire and the sunlight, the vampire will not be harmed, though they will be very uncomfortable. If the clear substance is not of sufficient thickness, the vampire will be treated as being exposed to Overcast sunlight.

A vampire takes damage per round depending on the intensity of sunlight and the number of rounds they are exposed to it. Regardless of damage taken, vampires can only withstand a certain number of rounds of sunlight before they are destroyed (see Sunlight Damage Table below). Example, A Young vampire can survive for just 2 rounds in bright sunlight before being destroyed. If it finds sanctuary before the end of the second round, it is not destroyed; however, it suffered 8d6 damage per round for 2 rounds (totaling in 16d6 damage), which may destroy it anyway.

"Additional Notes":

The penalties listed below are cumulative with any others a vampire suffers for being awake during the day (listed in Peculiarities).

A vampire can only take partial actions while exposed to any form of bright or overcast/cloudy sunlight.

Vitae feats cost double the normal amount of Vitae to use. Vitae feats that do not cost Vitae cost 1 Vitae to use. Vitae Feats that are always active do not cost anything as normal.

A vampire's Fast Healing ability (or a pureblood's Regeneration) does not function in natural sunlight.

A vampire's Damage Reduction is halved in natural sunlight.

A vampire reduced to 0 hitpoints by sunlight is forever destroyed.

A vampire suffers a penalty to their Strength and Dexterity during the day (see Sunlight Damage Table below).

Shielded is considered a minimum of thick clothing (several layers of heavy blankets or leathers) and heavy facial cover. If the vampire is behind a clear but solid substance, such as glass, that is at least ½ an inch think, they are considered to be Shielded (example: if the vampire is inside a building but by an uncovered window). A clear but non solid substance, such as water, at least 3ft thick also counts as Shielded. Even under these conditions, a vampire's eyes will still fill with blood and seeing will be very painful.

Blocked is considered to be when the vampire is completely covered by a solid, opaque substance (cloth is insufficient) such as wood or stone. This typically means the vampire is inside and away from any uncovered windows. 10ft of a clear nonsolid substance, such as water, is sufficiently thick enough to count as Blocked.

Table: Sun Damage Table

Sunlight	Damage	Duration before Destruction	Penalty to Rolls	Ability Penalty
Bright Sunlight	8d6	1 + "Age" in rounds	-10	-8
Overcast/Cloudy	6d6	5 + "Age" in rounds	-8	-6
Dawn/Dusk	4d6	1 + "Age" in minutes	-6	-4
Shielded	2d6	5 + "Age" in minutes	-4	-2
Blocked	None	None	-2	None
Underground	None	None	None	None

Purebloods suffer triple damage from sunlight, but they can survive the same duration of exposure before destruction.

It can take a long time for a vampire to recover from sunlight wounds. Until they are healed, they will appear blackened and blistered with charred flesh. They suffer no penalties to their actions while burned and can act normally, despite the terrible pain they feel from their wounds. In the worst cases, a critically burned vampire can be encountered, with smoke still rising from their wounds even weeks after they were originally burned.

Daywalker

A vampire’s vulnerability to sunlight is perhaps its biggest weakness. While there are powerful magicks and items that can grant temporary relief from this weakness, no vampire can become immune to the sun’s deadly rays completely and permanently all on their own. No vampire, except for a pureblood.

When a Pureblood becomes an Antediluvian, they gain the Daywalker template. A daywalker may be exposed to natural sunlight without penalty.

Special Qualities

Daywalker (Ex): The vampire is immune to harm from natural sunlight and true sunlight spells, such as Sunburst. The vampire does not suffer any penalties related to a vampiric weakness to sunlight. The vampire no longer suffers from its light sensitivity.

Challenge Rating

Same as the base creature

Level Adjustment

None

Holiness

Vampires have an aversion to good-aligned holy symbols, they cause vampires great distress. A vampire cannot get within 10ft of a holy symbol unless they succeed on a DC 40 Will save (The DC is 80 for Purebloods). The DC increases by 1 for every additional holy symbol within 100 feet of the vampire. The distaste is evident unless the vampire succeeds a bluff check opposed to the observer’s sense motive check. If the vampire is forcibly moved within 10 feet of the holy symbol, they must succeed the Will save or they will be paralyzed for 1hr, or until they are moved further than 10 feet from the holy symbol. If the vampire is paralyzed for 1hr and waits the entire hr to become unparalyzed, they are frightened and must move away from the holy symbol as quickly as possible. The vampire cannot be paralyzed again in this manner until they are further than 10 feet from a holy symbol. A vampire cannot ignore the presence of a holy symbol by closing their eyes or casting a darkness spell. The holy symbol must be completely destroyed.

Note: The effect of holy symbols described above only applies to holy symbols that are permanent fixtures (drawing a holy symbol in the sand, for example, would have no effect on the vampire). The holy symbols that one carries around with them work slightly differently.

Hand held holy symbols don’t carry as much power, but at the same time they can be more effective. A vampire will recoil if a good aligned holy symbol is presented to them with courage and conviction, but only if the creature presenting it has genuine faith in what the symbol represents (unless a PC says otherwise, the DM should assume the PC has such faith, but the faith of NPCs are subject to the DM. Common sense should be a factor here, a high level cleric will have such faith except under the most unusual circumstances, but not necessarily low level clerics, and NPCs that are not divine spell casters may or may not have any faith at all). A recoiling vampire must stay at least 5 feet away from a creature holding the symbol. If the symbol is removed from sight or if the creature is no longer holding it with courage and conviction, then the vampire is no longer affected by it. Holding a vampire at bay in this manner takes a standard action. If a vial of holy water or a holy symbol strikes (used as a weapon) a vampire, the vampire suffers 2d4 points of holy damage. On a splash, holy water deals 2 points of holy damage to a vampire.

Any permanent site of Good aligned divine magic (such as a temple to a Good aligned deity, or a sacred grove), or an area under the effects of a Hallow spell, is considered Holy Ground. Any permanent site of Evil aligned divine magic (such as a temple to an Evil aligned deity, or a sacrificial chamber to a Demon Lord), or an area under the effects of an Unhallow spell, is considered Unholy Ground. A vampire cannot easily enter holy ground. It causes them grievous pain and burns their flesh. While on holy ground, a vampire will suffer 1d4 points of holy damage per round, a -4 penalty to all ability scores (to a minimum of 1), a -4 penalty to all attack rolls, damage rolls, ability checks, and skill checks, may only take one move-equivalent action, and any ability that requires the expenditure of 1 or more Vitae points requires 1 additional Vitae point to use.

Purebloods suffer their HD in holy damage/round while on holy ground, this accounts for their double weakness, do not double this damage.

Category A Vampires are particularly weak to holy damage. All penalties/damage caused by holy ground/objects are doubled. The exception to this is the damage Purebloods take while on holy ground. Instead of suffering 2d4 holy damage per round (what would normally be double damage), a Pureblood suffers its HD in holy damage per round while on holy ground. Weapons with the Holy enchantment deal 4d6 extra damage to the vampire, instead of 2d6, and all damaged dealt by the weapon is converted into holy damage. The vampire is kept at bay for 15 feet by good aligned holy symbols (mirrors still keep them at bay for 5 feet as normal). Hearing the name of a good aligned deity, a good aligned outsider especially important to the deity, a good aligned outsider of great power or significance (such as a solar, a celestial paragon, or their champion), or their titles, or being in the presence of such beings, as well as other religious phenomena, including, but not limited to, praying out loud to said beings, bells of a church to a good aligned deity, or a religious ceremony, causes Category A Vampires physical and mental distress. While this distress is not especially devastating, it is enough to cause them to be extremely uncomfortable, causing them to suffer a –4 circumstance penalty to concentration checks, and on any skill check that requires unusual concentration or attention to detail (such as Craft, Forgery, Knowledge, Open Lock, and Search) for 1 minute. A Category A Vampire cannot even speak the names/titles of good aligned deities, good aligned outsiders especially important to the deity, or good aligned outsiders of great power or significance, or recite holy scriptures without some difficulty. To do so, the Pureblood must succeed a Wisdom Check; the DC for nondeity outsiders is equal to the outsider’s HD, the DC for a deity is 10 + the deity’s Divine Rank (if no Divine Rank is specified, assume the following: If Demigod: Divine Rank 5, If Lesser: Divine Rank 8, If Intermediate: Divine Rank 12, If Greater: Divine Rank 18), the DC for reciting holy scriptures is 10. If the vampire fails the check, they fumble the words and suffer a -1 cumulative penalty to further attempts to speak the words; the penalty lasts for 1hr. If the vampire succeeds the check, they successfully speak the words, but they suffer the same penalty for hearing them as described above, except that the penalty is -4 and lasts for 5 minutes. The vampire must make this check each time they attempt to speak a name/title of these beings or for each round they attempt to recite holy scriptures. Attempting to speak the name/title of a good aligned deity drains the vampire of 1 Vitae regardless of whether or not they succeed the Wisdom Check. If the Pureblood is present for a lasting good aligned religious occurrence, such as being at a ceremony or being on holy ground, the penalty is -10 and remain for as long as the Pureblood is present and for 1hr afterwards, in addition, the Pureblood loses 1 Vitae for every minute of such exposure. Typically, said Pureblood becomes especially irritated, even angry, when this kind of thing happens. Some even become angry enough to punish the offending person, building, or even the entire group of people present at such an occurrence. In any case, the Pureblood must make a Bluff check opposed to an observer’s Sense Motive check to hide their discomfort; although Purebloods normally have no trouble succeeding this opposed check, they still suffer the -10 penalty to their Bluff check because they are attempting to mask their emotions (see Haarvenu bloodline).

Telltale Signs of Vampirism

Vampires not disguising themselves with Mask of Mortality, or other magical effects, have certain qualities that distinguish them from living creatures. The more obvious signs, such as pale flesh, are described under the Physiology section. Reptilian eyes aside, these signs are not so outstanding that they are especially suspicious. Still, a creature can make a note of these signs with a DC 15 Spot check (assuming the vampire has taken no steps to hide them, such as skin colored powder). Some hint of undead nature must be evident, suspicion is not enough to make this check. A creature that succeeds this check can follow up with a DC 15 Knowledge (religion) check to identify a creature vampire.

Some Bloodlines have unique telltale signs that are more noticeable than the normal physiological signs. These telltale signs are described under their respective Bloodlines. A DC 15 Knowledge (religion) check can be made to identify which Bloodline is associated with one of these unique telltale signs. Most of these unique signs can also be a natural occurrence, so there is no guarantee that vampiric activity is the cause. These unique signs are always active, even while the vampire is using Mask of Mortality, making it more difficult to hide their true nature. There is a separate Vitae Feat, Mask Unnatural Presence, which can temporarily negate the effects of the sign. Purebloods have all of these unique telltale signs.

Vampires and Diseases

Vampires are undead, animated corpses that have already died; they have little to no reason for bodily functions beyond what is required to pass as living creatures. Vampires are immune to non-supernatural diseases; they are immune to any disease that only deals Constitution Damage/Drain regardless of whether or not it is non-supernatural (such as Mummy Rot) as diseases that cause drastic physiological changes, such as Lycanthropy. While they are immune to the effects of most diseases, they are not immune to acquiring it. A vampire can be a carrier of a disease and is capable of spreading it. If a vampire drinks the blood of a creature infected with a disease that is acquired by Injury or Ingestion, the vampire has an 80% chance of acquiring the disease. A vampire’s Blood Drain and Natural Attacks can spread diseases that infect on Injury. A vampire’s Blood Drain can spread diseases that infect on Ingestion. Vampires cannot spread diseases that are acquired by being Inhaled unless the disease may be spread in some other way. If the disease is spread on Contact, consult your DM to see if the disease can be acquired simply by touching a carrier, or if the disease requires touching a specific thing to acquire it; you will need to know this to decide whether or not the vampire can spread it, or is even capable of acquiring it by feeding off of an infected individual. Vampires cannot spread a supernatural disease if the disease requires being exposed to specific circumstances (such as Mummy Rot; although vampires are immune to Mummy Rot anyway, it is still a good example). This can have catastrophic effects if a vampire gets careless. For example, a nest of vampires could dramatically increase the rate at which Blinding Sickness spreads by initially feeding on infected individuals and then going out and feeding of non-infected individuals. This could be used to the nest’s advantage; however, sooner or later someone is going to figure out how the disease is spreading, and vampire hunters are likely to show up not long after that.

Purebloods are an exception to the above rule. They are immune to ALL diseases, period. They cannot carry or spread diseases (except for the diseases that they are specifically capable of producing, such as the Ash Woe disease produced by their Ash Disintegration attack) since any invading substance, either physical or supernatural, is instantly eradicated by the pureblood’s immune system.

Vitae

Vampires feed by drinking the blood of living creatures or other vampires, and while they derive "some" nutrition (not nutrition but energy) from blood, what the vampire is really doing is feeding off of the vital energies that sustain the living. Any source of power leaks some of its energy over time, the vital life energy in living creatures is no different. Much of this cast off energy is stored inside the creature’s blood, where it finally dissipates into nothing as the blood cells die off. Vampires drink blood so they can get to this vital energy. This is why a vampire’s blood drain causes Constitution Damage rather than Drain, the vampire is stealing left over energy that the creature was not using. It is also why the vampire must drink copious amounts of blood (10oz/feeding), because the vampire is not draining the vital energy at its source. As a vampire ages, it requires less and less vital energy to sustain itself (until the vampire need only feed once per week). The vital energies stored inside blood do not dissipate once it is removed from the creature’s body, as it has been removed from the mechanism that would have recycled it. This is why any thinking vampire always keeps a supply of blood stored in their lair.

Vampires have shortened the term Vital Energy into the term “Vitae”. Vitae is used not only as a source of feeding, but to power many of the vampire’s abilities as well.

All vampires have a Vitae Score. When a creature becomes a vampire, its Constitution Score is replaced by its Vitae Score + its Charisma Modifier (so if a creature with a Constitution of 10 becomes a vampire, it has a Vitae Score of 10 + its Charisma Modifier), a negative Charisma Modifier does not decrease the vampire’s Vitae Score; a Charisma Modifier of -1 or less is treated as +0 for the purposes of determining the vampire’s Vitae Score. When a vampire gains an ability score point, it may choose to increase its Vitae Score by 1 instead of an ability score. As a vampire ages, it gains a bonus to its Vitae Score. Effects that augment Constitution DO NOT affect Vitae Score. The vampire also gains bonus Vitae Feats once it reaches the age of Young, and for each age increase thereafter. Vitae Feats are listed in the sub-section below. See the Vampire Age Table below for details.

A vampire gains 1 Vitae Point for each point of Constitution Damage it deals with its Blood Drain attack. A vampire’s Vitae Score can never increase beyond its maximum, excess points are wasted. A vampire’s current Vitae Score can never drop below 0. A vampire burns 1 Vitae Point each time it is required to feed (younger Vitae is burned before older Vitae, and lower category Vitae is burned before higher category Vitae, older Vitae will be burned before higher category Vitae. for example, a Mature vampire has 8 Elder Vitae and 1 Young Pure Vitae, when it comes time to feed, 1 point of the Elder Vitae is burned, even though the Pure Vitae is younger than the Elder Vitae). If a vampire’s Vitae Score ever reaches 0, or if the vampire ever loses a number of Vitae equal to ½ of its total Vitae Score within a 1 minute period, it must make a Frenzy Check vs Hunger. Even if the vampire succeeds its check, it must make this check again next time it would have to feed if its Vitae Score is still 0.

As a vampire grows older, it becomes stronger. A vampire adds its Age as a bonus to its saving throws.

Table: Vampire Age Table

Age	Title	Age in years	Bonus Vitae	Bonus Vitae Feats
0	Neonate	0-1	+0	+0
1	Young	1-10	+1	+3
2	Mature	10-100	+2	+6
3	Aged	100–500	+3	+9
4	Elder	500–1,000	+4	+12
5	Ancient	1,000-3,000	+5	+15
6	Ancestor	3,000-10,000	+7	+18
7	Antediluvian	10,000+	+10	+21

Vampires also gain a bonus to their Vitae Score and Vitae Feats based on their Category (C, B, and A). See the table below for details.

Table: Vampire Category Table

Category	Title	Bonus Vitae	Bonus Vitae Feats
C	None	+0	+0
B	Noble	+5	+3
A	Pure	+10	+0

A vampire may drink the blood of other vampires. While this can be used for simple feeding, it can also be used to strength the vampire, that is to say, vampires may absorb the Vitae of other vampires. Only 1 point of Vitae/round can be absorbed from another vampire. A vampire benefits when absorbing the Vitae of a vampire of a higher Age category than itself, or when absorbing the Vitae of a vampire of a higher Vampire Category than itself. Example: when a Young Vampire absorbs Vitae Points from a Mature vampire, the Young vampire gains the appropriate benefit, but when a Mature vampire absorbs Vitae from a Young vampire, the Mature vampire gains no benefit, in fact, it is now carrying around Vitae that is weaker than it normally has. These benefits stack with each other, so when a Young vampire absorbs Vitae from an Aged vampire, it gains the benefits that Mature and Aged Vitae grant. The benefits for higher category Vitae do not stack. So if a Category C Vampire absorbs Vitae from a Category A Vampire, the Category C Vampire gains the benefits of Pure Vitae, but it does not gain the benefits of Noble Vitae.

The Titles under the table, Vampire Category Table, are placed after the titles under the table, Vampire Age Table. So a Category B Vampire that is 90 years old would have “Mature Noble Vitae”. This is an ascetic choice but it also indicates what kind of Vitae the vampire has.

In addition to the listed benefits, the vampire may use the absorbed Vitae as if they were a vampire of the appropriate type. A vampire cannot combine its "Age", Generation, or Category with the Vitae of a different vampire, it must use the "Age", Generation, and Category of the absorbed Vitae. The DM should keep track of how much of what Vitae PC vampires have (as an aside, PCs do not automatically know what kind of Vitae they are drinking from another vampire, although they may “sense” that it is weaker or stronger than their own Vitae). When using Vitae to power an ability or Vitae Feat, the vampire decides which Vitae points to use.

Examples: A Young 10th Generation Category C Vampire has a maximum Vitae Score of 16, it currently has 13 Vitae and it absorbs 3 points of Elder 5th Generation Noble Vitae. The vampire now has 13 points of Young 10th Generation Vitae and 3 points of Elder 5th Generation Noble Vitae. It may use those 3 points of Elder 5th Generation Noble Vitae to power an ability or Vitae Feat as if it were an Elder 5th Generation Noble Vampire. An Aged 5th Generation Noble vampire absorbs 1 point of Young Pure Vitae, when it uses the absorbed Vitae, it will give benefits as if the vampire were a Young 1st Generation vampire, even though the vampire is an Aged vampire, it still gets the benefits of the higher Generation and Category of the Vitae though. An Elder 6th Generation Category B Vampire drains 3 Vitae from an Ancient 2nd Generation Category C Vampire. If the Elder vampire uses the drained Vitae, when it uses the absorbed Vitae, it will give benefits as if the vampire were an Ancient 2nd Generation Category C Vampire, even though the vampire’s Category is higher than the Vitae.

All benefits listed below last until the absorbed Vitae has been used, or until a number of weeks equal to 1 + the Age of the Vitae pass. For example, Elder Vitae will last until expended or until 5 weeks have passed since it was absorbed.

A vampire does not gain benefits from its own Vitae.

Neonate: Neonate Vitae is wholly worthless. It offers no benefits beyond regular feeding.

Young: Young Vitae is very weak, but strong enough to provide some benefit. +1 bonus to all attack rolls. Only Neonate vampires may benefit from Young Vitae.

Mature: Mature Vitae has a bit of strength under its belt, but it is still relatively weak. +1 bonus to all saving throws. Only Neonate and Young vampires may benefit from Mature Vitae.

Aged: Aged Vitae has had a century to grow in power. While it is not exceptionally strong, it is not weak either. +2 bonus to Str. May increase the DC of 1 special ability or spell by 2 by expending 1 point of the absorbed Vitae. Only Neonate, Young, and Mature vampires may benefit from Aged Vitae.

Elder: Elder Vitae is old and strong, granting advanced powers. +2 bonus to Str and Dex. May Empower 1 special ability or spell (without increasing the spell slot) by expending 1 point of the absorbed Vitae. Only Neonate, Young, Mature, and Aged vampires may benefit from Elder Vitae.

Ancient: Ancient Vitae carries exceptional power, and many a vampire jumps on the opportunity to acquire even a vial of this Vitae. +2 bonus to Str and Dex. Spells and special attacks deal +1 damage per die. May Maximize 1 special ability or spell (without increasing the spell slot) by expending 1 point of the absorbed Vitae. Only Neonate, Young, Mature, Aged, and Elder vampires may benefit from Ancient Vitae.

Ancestor: Ancestor Vitae is rich and vast in power, but few vampires ever survive long enough to get this old, so it is incredibly rare. +2 to Str and Dex. +4 to Cha. DC of all special attacks increases by 2. May Empower and Maximize 1 special ability or spell (without increasing the spell slot) by expending 1 point of the absorbed Vitae. Only Neonate, Young, Mature, Aged, Elder, and Ancient vampires may benefit from Ancestor Vitae.

Antediluvian: Antediluvian Vitae is so enriched with power that it rivals Pure Vitae, but since it is incredibly rare for even a Pureblood to survive this long (in fact, only a few Antediluvian vampires have ever existed), a single drop of it is worth a king’s ransom to the right people. +2 to all ability scores. Dominations do not cost Vitae. DC of all special attacks increases by 2. May Intensify 1 special ability or spell (without increasing the spell slot) by expending 1 point of the absorbed Vitae; if the Vitae is Pure Antediluvian Vitae, the Intensified attack/spell has all variable numeric values are maximized and quadrupled (rather than maximized and doubled). Only Neonate, Young, Mature, Aged, Elder, Ancient, and Ancestor vampires may benefit from Antediluvian Vitae.

Noble: Noble Vitae has advanced attributes not found in the Vitae of its lesser kin. The DC of all special attacks increases by 1. Only Category C Vampires may benefit from Noble Vitae.

Pure: Pure Vitae embodies vampirism at its height. True power can be found within this Vitae, but it is rare for a lesser vampire to dine upon a Pureblood’s Vitae. +4 bonus to Str and Dex. Spells and special attacks deal +2 damage per die. The DC of all special attacks increases by 5. May Intensify one special ability or spell by expending 1 point of the absorbed Vitae. Only Category C and B Vampires may benefit from Pure Vitae.

Generation

• Note to me: Remove this note when you are done with this section. For more information see: WOD - Vampire - The Masquerade - Core Rulebook (Revised) pg 123 and 131 (of PDF file, it is pg 131 and 139 respectively in actual page number)

All vampires have a lineage that can be traced back to a Pureblood, whether this be the Blood Matron herself or one of the later Purebloods. Generation is the term used to described how far removed a vampire is from the Purebloods. This is similar to the vampire categories, but different at the same time. While the categories are used to describe how vampiric a vampire truly is, a vampire’s Generation is a measure of the potency of their own blood, and by extension, their potential for personal power.

When a vampire sires another vampire, the newly created vampire is 1 Generation higher than its sire. It is important to understand that the lower a vampire’s Generation, the more powerful it is. The higher a vampire’s Generation, the more diluted its blood is, and by extension, the less powerful it is. Purebloods are always 1st Generation vampires (they are just born that way). When a Pureblood sires a vampire, that vampire is a 2nd Generation vampire. When a 2nd Generation vampire sires a vampire, that vampire is a 3rd Generation vampire, and so on and so forth until a 16th Generation vampire is created. When a vampire is naturally born, its Generation is the average of its parents rounded up. For example: a 6th Generation and a 10th Generation vampire have a child, that child will be an 8th Generation vampire; a 5th Generation and a 6th Generation vampire have a child, that child will be a 6th Generation vampire (or 5.5 rounded up). If both parents are of the same Generation, their offspring will also be the same Generation. For example: two 4th Generation vampires have a child, that child will be a 4th Generation vampire. In the case of a vampire having a child with a non-vampire, the child will be one Generation higher than its vampire parent. For example: a 7th Generation vampire and a human have a child, that child will be an 8th Generation vampire. Dhampirs do not have a Generation, although they gain a Generation if they ever become true vampires.

The creation of the vampiric Generations happened because the supernatural potency of vampiric blood weakens as it is passed down from sire to child. Eventually, the blood becomes so weak that the child can barely be considered a vampire.

Purebloods are notoriously choosey about who they personally sire. They rarely sire childer, and rarely ever more than one at a time. This is not because the Pureblood fears an eventual rival, indeed, only a Pureblood can rival another Pureblood, but because a Pureblood’s childer tend to become some of the most powerful members of vampiric society. Too many 2nd Generation vampires can upset the balance of power, but too few can mean the dilution of the vampire race. Purebloods keep a close eye on the number of 2nd to 4th Generation vampires. If this number gets too high, they may decide to destroy some of these vampires, if the number gets too low, they may decide to sire extra childer. If the Pureblood must, or very much wants to, Embrace a particular creature or creatures, they might choose to have one of their vampire servants do it, rather than embracing the creature personally, in order to prevent creating too many 2nd Generation vampires. Every 2d3 1,000 years, all the Purebloods go out into the living world and each sire a dozen or more childer. This tradition is called The Revitalization, and the Purebloods have long practiced it. The reason for this tradition is to undo the decay of vampirism. Many of the Purebloods also occasionally sexually reproduce with Category B Vampires in order to keep the Generation of the aristocracy low. The ability to prevent the decay of vampirism is the biggest reason why the Purebloods are so revered by lesser vampires. Vampirism would literally slowly decay into nothing without the existence of the Purebloods.

GV = Generation Value. This number is used to determine the power of certain abilities and Vitae Feats. It is used in a way similar to Age Category. If a vampire’s Generation Value is a negative number, it actually penalizes abilities where GV is a factor, such as the Vampiric Healing Vitae Feat. Unless otherwise stated, a negative GV has the potential to reduce ability’s effectiveness to 0, and cannot reduce the effectiveness below 0. A vampire gains its Generation Value as a bonus (or as a penalty if negative) to its Turn Resistance.

Example: A 16th Generation Young Category C Vampire expends 1 point of its Vitae to use Vampiric Healing. It heals 1d12-3 (its "Age" + its GV) and rolls a 3. It heals 0 hitpoints, thus, the Vitae was so weak that it failed to produce any effect.

Bonus Vitae Feats: Vampires gain a certain number of bonus Vitae Feats every 3 levels, depending on their Generation. A penalty under this column indicates that the vampire suffers a penalty to the number of bonus Vitae Feats they gain per Age Category, not per 3 levels, thus, 16th Generation vampires do not gain any bonus Vitae Feats when they gain a new Age Category.

Table: Generations

Generation	GV	Vitae Score Adjustment*	Bonus Vitae Feats	Extra Hitpoints per HD	Challenge Rating
1st	+8	+10	+6	+6	+5
2nd	+6	+9	+4	+4	+4
3rd	+5	+8	+3	+3	+3
4th	+4	+7	+3	+3	+3
5th	+3	+6	+2	+2	+2
6th	+3	+5	+2	+2	+2
7th	+2	+4	+1	+1	+1
8th	+2	+3	+1	+1	+1
9th	+1	+2	None	None	+0
10th	+1	+1	None	None	+0
11th	0	None	None	None	+0
12th	-1	-1	-1	None	+0
13th	-1	-2	-1	None	+0
14th	-2	-3	-2	None	-1
15th	-3	-4	-2	None	-1
16th	-4	-5	-3	None	-2

• Note: A vampire’s Total Vitae Score cannot be reduced below 1.

The demograph of Generation is not evenly distributed. Higher Generations are not necessarily more numerous than lower Generations, although there is an obvious trend for this. Depending on the campaign setting, Generations beyond a certain number may not even exist…yet. Generations 12+ should not exist in a world unless vampires have been there for a very long time (over 10,000 years at least).

The DM should consider carefully before allowing vampires of 5th Generation or lower to be a visible enemy in a campaign. Most low Generation vampires are quite power, and, having had centuries (if not millennia) to stake their claim amongst the vampire elite, are likely to have an extensive network of wealth, servants, and allies (and enemies). Unless vampirism is relatively new to the world, these vampires are best left as unseen, and unknown, forces within a campaign world and should have no direct interest in the PCs (unless the PCs are actively, probably unwittingly, disrupting that vampire’s long-term plans, and not just the plans of their servants).

Generations and Vampire Society

Generation is an important part of vampire society. It is a direct measure of a vampire’s potential for personal power. Low Generation (9 or lower) vampires have a distinct advantage that will aid them on their way to climbing the social latter. High Generation (10 or higher) vampires are not so fortunate, and must tread carefully around their superiors. The final few Generations of vampires are the mongrels of vampire society. They are barely considered vampires and must take whatever scraps they can get.

Category B Vampires are typically in the lower echelons of vampiric Generations. Category B Vampires of more than 7th Generation are rare. The vampire aristocracy rarely intermingles with weaker breeds. Marriages are typically arranged in order to keep the family’s Generation from increasing, and if the Generation can be decreased through enough well placed marriages, so much the better.

Although it is important, Generation is not everything. A low Generation vampire can still be bested by an old vampire of a higher Generation.

1st Generation: Vampires of this Generation cannot be created through the Embrace. Most 1st Generation vampires are Purebloods, but it is possible for non-pureblood 1st Generation vampires to come into existence. Outside of birth, there are a few ways for a vampire to permanently decrease their Generation, and if this is done enough times, the vampire will eventually become a 1st Generation vampire. The first is through consumption of enough Pure Vitae. The second is through the 9th level spell Rite of Ageless Blood. The third is through Diablerie. Non-pureblood 1st Generation vampires are few and far between, but are amongst the most powerful and influential vampires in existence, second only to the most ancient of vampires or the Purebloods.

2nd Generation: Vampires of this Generation are typically the childer of the Purebloods, but this is not always the case. Still, a few 2nd Generation vampires do exist without being the child of a Pureblood, but all of these vampires are Category B Vampires and their immediate family. 2nd Generation vampires are almost as power and influential as 1st Generation vampires. Only the most foolish or insane vampire would dare cross one of them.

3rd and 4th Generations: Vampires of these Generations are the true movers and shakers of vampire society. Their power practically guarantees them a place amongst the high ranking nobility.

5th and 6th Generations: Vampires of these Generations, although removed from the Purebloods by several Generations, are still almost as powerful as the 3rd and 4th Generations. They are rarely encountered out of their lairs, but are much more likely to personally take care of their own matters than lower Generation vampires.

7th and 8th Generations: Vampires of these Generations are by far the most visible of the masters and mistresses of vampire society. Few vampires will openly oppose the older vampires of these Generations.

9th through 11th Generations: Vampires of these Generations are much weaker than lower Generation vampires. 9th Generation and higher vampires are the most commonly encountered vampires in normal campaign settings.

12th through 15th Generations: Vampires of these Generations are the mongrels of vampire society. They are far removed from the Purebloods, and the weakness in their blood only serves to prove their inferiority. Although they are much weaker than their lower Generation brothers and sisters, they are still vampires, and are still quite capable of ripping apart would-be adventurers. Vampires of these Generations have a much easier time sexually reproducing, but still have more trouble than living members of their base race. Some 15th, and even 14th, Generation vampires are immune to the effects of Sunlight.

16th Generation: Vampires of the 16th Generation are at the bottom of the vampiric food chain. Their blood is so weak that they cannot even perform the Embrace, thus, there is no Generation beyond this one. Underestimated and unwanted, they are the outcasts of vampire society. Their weakness is not without its advantages. Being so far removed from vampirism, 16th Generation vampires are unaffected by Holy Ground, Holy Symbols, and Sunlight. They may also sexually reproduce just as easily as their base race. The presence of 16th Generation vampires means that the Purebloods are more than ready to perform the Revitalization.