Vampires & Werewolves
By @homebrewlesbian
First on my list of Halloween season brews to hit is the classic of Vampires and Werewolves. I've had this on my list for a long time and have even tested out characters with these traits. This is an unusual sort of intro because I think it's important to touch on a few things:
- The brews for Vampires and Transmitted Lycanthropy replace subrace in a similar manner to the Revenant. This is not the case for true werewolves.
- I've always wanted to illustrate a difference between the culture of existing werewolves and people that become werewolves.
- These are some pretty different takes on vampires and werewolves to make them both not explicitly evil and give more room for flavor and creativity on your part.
I hope you all enjoy!
Vampires
Feared, bloodthirsty and intelligent humanoids, vampires are the nightmare of many. In actuality, the accumulated legends and horror stories of their nature often hide the organized and even sympathetic side of these creatures.
Some vampires obey the narrative written for them, cunning, deadly and violent, while others loathe themselves for what they've become.
Vampire Clans
Vampires often align themselves in clans. They are usually led by a Progenitor, the vampire responsible for turning the rest of their clan. Clans are quite lawful and structured, protective of their own.
Rogue vampires tend to be those that never joined their Progenitor or another clan, or those that abandoned or were exiled from a clan.
Racial Traits
After being turned into a vampire, you possess the following traits. These traits replace any previous version of the trait you may have (such as darkvision) as well as your subrace abilities, similarly to Revenants.
Ability Score Improvement. You may increase your Constitution or Charisma score by 1.
Darkvision. You have darkvision that is quite superior to the average creature. You can see in dim light within 120 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.
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.
Bloodthirst. You can drain blood and life energy from a willing creature, or one that is Grappled by you, Incapacitated, or Restrained. Make a melee attack against the target. If you hit, you deal 1 piercing damage and 1d6 necrotic damage. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and you regain hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces it's hit point maximum to 0.
Feast of Blood. When you drain blood with your Bloodthirst ability, you experience a surge of vitality. Your speed increases by 10 feet, and you gain advantage on Strength and Dexterity checks and saving throws for 1 minute.
You regain this ability after a long
Undead Nature. You have resistance to necrotic damage and advantage on death saving throws.
Additionally your creature type becomes Undead in regards to abilities, spells, and effects that would target you, however, you can still be magically healed by healing potions, Cure Wounds, etc.
Progeny. You have been turned by another vampire, your Progenitor. This vampire has advantage on spells to charm and influence you and can innately cast Command once per long rest on you.
Feeding
I have elected not to determine set mechanics for how a vampire's feeding works, however I believe it is an important part of the risk of this subraace. My personal suggestion is to determine this with your DM in a way that makes sense for the context and challenge of the campaign.
I personally would have my player need to feed once every 2-3 days and give them the ability to harvest and bottle blood for later consumption.
Werewolves
Another species almost as well known as vampires. Natural werewolves are shapeshifters, leading their lives in familial packs, maintaining two bodies: one bipedal and human-like, the other that of a normal wolf's.
Werewolves all carry the gene of Lycanthropy, when other humanoids are bitten or "half-werewolves" born, this gene is transmitted to them, changing their biology, however their body shapeshifts differently, reacting to the presense of the full moon and unable to undergo a full transformation.
There is a small chance that the lycanthropy gene mutates in both true werewolves and transmitted lycanthropy, turning the creature more feral and giving them the desire to infect others.
Racial Traits
Ability Score Increase. You may increase your Constitution by 2 and your Strength by 1.
Size. Werewolves are built similarly to humans; your size is Medium.
Speed. You are adjusted to moving long distances over the course of a day and move agilely. You have a base movement speed of 35 ft.
Age. Werewolves mature at a similar rate to humans, however, rarely live past their 70s.
Alignment. Werewolves have little regard for the laws of human society, however are extremely loyal to their kind. They tend toward neutrality, favoring their family and survival above all.
Languages. You speak common, and can also communicate with wolves and other werewolves in a pseudo-language of yips, barks, and growls.
Shapeshifter. You may change shapes between that of a humanoid and a wolf at will. As an action you may transform into a wolf. While you are transformed, Wild Shape rules apply. If you are reduced to zero hit points as a Wolf, you cannot Wild Shape until after a long rest.
Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Pack Tactics. You have advantage on an attack rolls against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Transmitted Lycanthropy
After being bitten by a werewolf your physiology has changed and you have become inflicted with lycanthropy. You are forced to transform every time the full moon shines, rampaging until the light of dawn.
Over the course of time, your body has began to take on more wolf-like traits. You may grow thicker, coarser hair, and your may eyes change to a lupine shade. Some even begin to take on more wolfish personality traits.
You gain the following traits. These traits replace any previous version of the trait you may have (such as darkvision) as well as your subrace abilities, similarly to Revenants.
Ability Score Increase. You may increase your Constitution score by 1.
Lycan Senses. Due to your new genetics, you gain proficiency in the Perception skil.
Beastly Traansformation. Whether by choice or not, you gain the ability to transform into a beastly half human/half wolf form as a bonus action for one minute.
- Tough Hide. You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical and non-silvered weapons.
- Natural Claws. You gain wicked claws and are considered proficient with them. Make a melee attack roll; on a hit you deal 2d4 + your Strength modifier.
- Beastly Bane. You have disadvantage on Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma saving throws for the duration however you gain advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws.
When you return to your humanoid form you are Incapacitated until the end of your next turn. You regain this ability after a long rest.
Art Credits
Bloodcrazed Paladin by Daarken
Kessig Wolf Run by
Eytan Zana