Vampire Scions
Welcome to Vampire Week! Why are we celebrating vampires yet again? Well, for those of you who remember Necromancers of the Northwest’s humble beginnings, you’ll know that we started out with a book about making vampires into a real possibility for a player character race, instead of as a vague afterthought truly intended for monsters and NPCs only. Last year, we re-envisioned it and released a newer, sleeker, all-around better version, which you can find for free in the downloads section of our website. And now, we’ve decided we’re finally going to do a sequel.
Scions of the Vampire: Shadow, Smoke, and Blood should already be available at your favorite retailer that sells NNW products even as you read this. It contains no less than 50 vampire feats not found in Liber Vampyr, as well as three prestige classes, and some helpful rules governing things like storing and alchemically altering blood, rules for diseases and revenants, and rules for the effects of special and otherwise unusually potent blood. The book has a strong theme involving specific “bloodlines” of vampires, and not only does each of the three prestige classes correspond to one of these bloodlines, but many of the feats in the book are associated with the special powers that these lineages are known for (although the feats themselves are available to everyone).
Today, rather than show you just one of the three prestige classes all the way through, I’d like to show you a little bit of each of them, to give you a feel for each lineage.
We’ll start with the Borsiviak scion. Borsiviak scions are revenants who can trace their undead bloodline back to Samuel Borsiviak, a powerful and infamous revenant who achieved an incredible mastery over blood and its physical and metaphysical properties. Borsiviak scions tap into this quasi-familial connection in order to unlock vampiric powers not available to other revenants. The Borsiviak bloodline courses with a natural affinity for blood magic, and the blood of a Borsiviak who is properly trained can be manipulated to perform a number of incredible feats. Particularly powerful Borsiviak scions can even control the blood of other creatures, and through it, control the creatures themselves.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Borsiviak scion, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Cruomancer Level: 7.
Skills: Spellcraft 7 ranks.
Feats: Blood Dart and either Bloody Armor or Bloody Weapon.
Class Skills
The Borsiviak scion’s class skills are Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Intelligence modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Borsiviak scion.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Borsiviak scion gains no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.
Cruomancy: For each level of Borsiviak scion that a character gains, his cruomancer level increases by 1. Additionally, as he gains additional levels of Borsiviak scion, the maximum number of blood points that he can have in his blood point pool increases, as indicated on Table: The Borsiviak Scion.
Blood Minion (Su): As a full-round action, by expending 3 blood points, a Borsiviak scion can create a short-lived creature that is made of his own blood. The blood pours from his veins and congeals to form a creature in an adjacent square. Treat this creature as though it were a familiar granted by the wizard’s arcane bond class feature, except that it possesses construct immunities, as well as the amorphous and compression universal monster abilities. The Borsiviak scion uses his cruomancer level as his wizard level to determine what familiar benefits the blood minion gains.
The blood minion serves the Borsiviak scion faithfully, as though summoned by a summon monster spell, and remains for a number of minutes equal to the Borsiviak scion’s cruomancer level. The Borsiviak scion can choose a different type of familiar (bat, cat, frog, etc.) each time he uses this ability.
Spellcasting: At 2nd level, and the other levels indicated on Table: The Borsiviak Scion, a Borsiviak scion gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefits a character of that class would have gained.
If the character had more than one spellcasting class before he became a Borsiviak scion, he must choose which class he adds each Borsiviak scion level to for the purposes of determining spells per day.
Alternatively, for each level at which the Borsiviak scion would gain additional spellcasting, he can choose to forego that benefit. For every two such levels of spellcasting that he gives up in this way, he gains a single vampire bonus feat of his choice for which he qualifies (a Borsiviak scion who chooses to forego spellcasting at every opportunity will gain a bonus feat in this way at 3rd, 6th, and 9th levels).
Bonus Feat: At 2nd level, and every three levels thereafter, a Borsiviak scion gains a single vampire feat of his choice for which he qualifies as a bonus feat.
Bloody Vengeance (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, whenever a Borsiviak scion is damaged by a melee attack, he can spend 1 blood point as an immediate action. If he does, he can release a spray of blood from the wound, and magically crystallize it as it leaves his body, causing a spray of bloody crystal shards to fly in the face of his attacker, inflicting 3d10 points of slashing damage to the attacker. A successful Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 the Borsiviak scion’s cruomancer level + the Borsiviak scion’s Constitution modifier) halves this damage. If the attacker is more than 5 feet away (such as because he attacked with a reach weapon), this ability has no effect.
But we’re not done yet, remember? The next bloodline is the Montavix. Montavix scions are revenants who can trace their undead bloodline back to Contessa Isabella Montavix, a powerful and cunning revenant who is particularly well-known for her affinity for assuming the form of cloying smoke. Unlike most revenants, the Contessa could even feed upon victims while in this gaseous state, and it is this power, which led to her rising to become a Contessa in the first place, that runs in the veins of Montavix scions, who, through hard work and dedication, can achieve similar masteries over their own semi-incorporeal states.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Montavix scion, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Cruomancer Level: 7.
Skills: Acrobatics, Escape Artist, or Stealth 7 ranks.
Feats: Mist Form, Misty Cloud.
Class Skills
The Montavix scion’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Sleight of Hand (Dex), and Stealth (Dex).
Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Intelligence modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Montavix scion.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Montavix scion gains no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.
Cruomancy: For each level of Montavix scion that a character gains, her cruomancer level increases by 1. Additionally, as she gains additional levels of Montavix scion, the maximum number of blood points that she can have in her blood point pool increases, as indicated on Table: The Montavix Scion.
Vaporous Escape (Su): Whenever a Montavix scion would be reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by an attack (including melee and ranged attacks, as well as spells or spell-like, supernatural, or extraordinary abilities that deal hit point damage, but not death effects), she can spend 5 blood points as a free action. If she does, she is instead reduced to 1 hit point, and automatically assumes a gaseous form, as though she had used the Mist Form feat.
Additionally, while using the Mist Form feat (whether as part of this ability or on its own), a Montavix scion that is reduced to 0 hit points or fewer does not automatically fall unconscious, as normal for a creature with the risen subtype. Instead, she can continue to act normally without penalty until she has a negative hit point total equal to or greater than her Constitution score, at which point she falls unconscious, as normal for a creature with the risen subtype. If the Montavix scion does not have the risen subtype, this has no effect.
Bonus Feat: At 2nd level, and every three levels thereafter, a Montavix scion gains a single vampire feat of her choice for which she qualifies as a bonus feat.
Spellcasting: At 2nd level, and the other levels indicated on Table: The Montavix Scion, a Montavix scion gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefits a character of that class would have gained.
If the character had more than one spellcasting class before she became a Montavix scion, she must choose which class she adds each Montavix scion level to for the purposes of determining spells per day.
Alternatively, for each level at which the Montavix scion would gain additional spellcasting, she can choose to forego that benefit. For every two such levels of spellcasting that she gives up in this way, she gains a single vampire bonus feat of her choice for which she qualifies (a Montavix scion who chooses to forego spellcasting at every opportunity will gain a bonus feat in this way at 3rd, 6th, and 9th levels).
Wind Resistant (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a Montavix scion becomes supernaturally resistant to wind while in gaseous form. Whenever she uses the Mist Form feat, she does not take damage from wind of any speed. Additionally, she is not blown about by the wind, and can move freely in areas of any wind speed while in gaseous form.
Revenant Vigor (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a Montavix scion is better able to resist effects that use her undead nature as a weakness, and she gains a +1 bonus on saving throws made to resist spells or abilities that specifically affect undead (such as control undead, undeath to death, or a cleric’s channel energy class feature). Further, her well-developed sense of self-preservation makes it easier for her to dodge the most devastating attacks, and she also gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks that specifically deal extra damage or have extra effects against undead creatures (such as the attack of a paladin using the smite evil class feature, or an attack made with a disrupting weapon). At 6th level, and every three levels thereafter, these bonuses increase by an additional +1.
If the Montavix scion already possesses the revenant vigor class feature from another source, add the bonuses from the two sources together to determine her total bonus.
There’s still one vampire family left: the Shaedross. Shaedross scions are revenants who can trace their undead bloodline back to Nicodemus Shaedross, a powerful and infamous revenant who ruled the night many centuries ago. Shaedross scions tap into this quasi-familial connection in order to unlock vampiric powers not available to other revenants. The Shaedross bloodline carries within it a powerful taint of darkness, which allows those who master these latent powers incredible control over shadows and darkness, the better with which to stalk the night and prey upon their enemies.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Shaedross scion, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Cruomancer Level: 6.
Skills: Stealth or Intimidate 6 ranks.
Feats: Shadow Servant, Shroud of the Night.
Class Skills
The Shaedross Scion’s class skills are Bluff (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), and Stealth (Dex).
Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Intelligence modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Shaedross scion.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Shaedross scion gains no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.
Cruomancy: For each level of Shaedross scion that a character gains, his cruomancer level increases by 1. Additionally, as he gains additional levels of Shaedross scion, the maximum number of blood points that he can have in his blood point pool increases, as indicated on Table: The Shaedross Scion.
Create Shadow Object (Su): As a standard action, by spending 1 blood point, a Shaedross scion can create a single mundane object anywhere within 30 feet. The object to be created is obviously made of shadows, but is otherwise as solid and real as a standard object of its kind. The object in question must be Medium-size or smaller, and lasts for a number of minutes equal to the Shaedross scion's cruomancer level, or until he dismisses it (a move action).
At 5th level, when he uses this ability, the Shaedross scion can spend 1 additional blood point. If he does, the object that he creates can be up to Large size.
Spellcasting: At 2nd level, and the other levels indicated on Table: The Shaedross Scion, the Shaedross scion gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefits a character of that class would have gained.
If the character had more than one spellcasting class before he became a Shaedross scion, he must choose which class he adds each Shaedross scion level to for the purposes of determining spells per day.
Alternatively, for each level at which the Shaedross scion would gain additional spellcasting, he can choose to forego that benefit. For every two such levels of spellcasting that he gives up in this way, he gains a single vampire bonus feat of his choice for which he qualifies (a Borsiviak scion who chooses to forego spellcasting at every opportunity will gain a bonus feat in this way at 3rd, 6th, and 8th levels).
Intense Darkness (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, whenever a Shaedross scion uses the Shroud of the Night feat, the light level in the affected area is automatically reduced to darkness, instead of only being reduced by 1 step. Additionally, the radius of the effect increases by 5 feet for every two Shaedross scion levels he possesses.
Additionally, whenever the Shaedross scion casts a spell that adjusts the light level (such as darkness or deeper darkness), he can spend 2 blood points. If he does, he can apply this ability to that spell, as though it were the Shroud of the Night feat.
Shadow Insurrection (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a Shaedross scion can cause a creature’s shadow to turn against him in a potentially lethal fashion. As a standard action, by spending 2 blood points, the Shaedross scion can animate the shadow of a single creature within 60 feet. Unless the creature succeeds on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the Shaedross scion’s cruomancer level + the Shaedross scion’s Charisma modifier), his shadow immediately attacks him, dealing an amount of damage equal to 1d8 + the Shaedross scion’s Charisma modifier. Each round, at the beginning of the target’s turn, he can attempt a new Will save to end the effect. If he fails, he must either spend a move action to control his shadow, or he is damaged by the shadow again. This continues for 1 minute, or until the target succeeds on a Will save to resist the effect.