Dhampyr

DHAMPYR DHAMPYR A creature between the world of the living and the dead, the dhampyr is shrouded in secrecy and harbors a fierce bloodlust. A rare crossbreed with several of the powers of a vampire and none of the weaknesses, a dhampyr is thought to be born of the union of a vampire male and a mortal female. The truth is that such hybrids are far more common than many folk think. A dhampyr can result from a vampire biting a pregnant female, as well as through more mundane means. Some offspring carry the spark of immortality in their veins for years, until the kindling of fate gives the spark a place to catch. Play a dhampyr if you want. . . ✦ a character of a usual race but with a secret twist. ✦ to play a hero a lot like a vampire. ✦ to have access to supernatural powers like those of a vampire. HALF-BLOOD A dhampyr is not a true race like those presented in the Player’s Handbook. If you wish to play a dhampyr, choose another race as normal, and then select the Vampiric Heritage feat to gain dhampyr abilities. If you do not select the Vampiric Heritage feat at 1st level, your Dungeon Master might require you to explain how your character awakened dhampyr powers. Likewise, your Dungeon Master can rule you cannot retrain bloodline feats without an explana- tion of how your character loses such heritage when retraining. Physical Qualities A dhampyr, whatever his or her base race, can be mistaken for some sort of fey creature due to pale skin, willowy features, unnatural charisma, and slightly pointed ears. Closer inspection, however, reveals subtle traits inherited from the vampire parent. A dhampyr has pronounced canines that extend when the dhampyr is enduring stress, feeding on blood, or experiencing other sorts of excitement. However, a dhampyr’s eyes—pale orbs with splashes of red around piercing black pupils— often give away the creature’s true heritage. Despite these characteristics, a dhampyr fre- quently adopts the culture in which he or she is raised. From this culture, or in rebellion against it, the dhampyr takes habits of personal decoration and manner. For instance, a dwarf dhampyr looks and acts much like normal dwarves. Immortal heritage greatly extends a dhampyr’s life expectancy. Barring inadvertent death, a dhampyr can expect to live an additional century without experiencing the serious infirmities of old age. Male vampires do father a few dhampyrs, but this occurrence is rare. Others are the offspring of one or two dhampyr parents, since the supernatural force of the vampire blood is strong enough to influ- ence generations. Dhampyrs can also have normal offspring. Furthermore, the age at which dhampyr abilities manifest varies with each dhampyr. Playing a Dhampyr The image of the dhampyr is that of a mysterious outsider swathed in shadow—a lonesome antihero seldom at peace with society or self. Dhampyrs are mortal. They have no exceptional vulnerabil- ity to sunlight or radiant damage. Because of this, true vampires sometimes refer to dhampyrs as “daywalkers.” Life for a dhampyr might be more difficult or easier than it is for another child. The difficulty depends entirely on how others in the child’s sur- roundings view dhampyr heritage. A dhampyr raised among accepting (or merely unknowing) people could have a normal childhood. Another might face severe prejudice, while yet another might be raised to believe in his or her natural superiority. A few dhampyrs are raised among vampires, who treat them as special but lesser creatures. As might be expected, dhampyrs aware of their true heritage sometimes develop a morbid fascina- tion with death, shadow, and undead. This leads to quirks other living mortals find disconcerting, rang- ing among blood drinking, macabre fashion sense, gallows humor, extreme bloodlust, and other dark behaviors. Dhampyr villains can have habits that are much more disturbing. Some dhampyrs have a preternatural resistance to a vampire’s signature attack: blood drain. Coupled with the ability to recognize those of vampire blood, dhampyr make effective vampire slayers. These avenging heroes, however, seldom limit themselves to solely hunting vampires. They are equally adept at tracking and slaying several forms of undead, as well as demons and other infernal beings. Dhampyr Characteristics: Attractive, guarded, methodical, nimble, obsessive, patient, reticent, somber, vengeful, vigilant Dhampyr Names: A dhampyr is named in accordance with the culture in which he or she is born and raised. Notable exceptions include the rare dhampyr children raised by vampires—see the Clan Vampires sidebar.