Stellar Vampire (CR +2)

Humanity has not been the only victim of the Nobility’s experiments over the ages. For all their racial arrogance, mighty vampires have never been above toying with the genetic potential of their own kind. One rare result, discovered by the vampire inhabitants of Mars, had the ability to not just withstand the searing radiation of the sun, but also twist that stellar power to unnatural ends.

The following rules create an entirely new breed of vampire: the stellar vampire. Stellar vampires have much in common with traditional vampires, but their abilities more closely reflect their exposure to powerful experimentations.

Creating a Stellar Vampire

“Stellar vampire” is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature with 5 or more Hit Dice (referred to hereafter as the base creature). Most stellar vampires were once humanoids, fey, or monstrous humanoids. A stellar vampire uses the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

CR: Base creature’s CR + 2.

Alignment: Any evil.

Type: The creature’s type changes to undead (augmented). Do not recalculate class Hit Dice, base attack bonus, or saves.

Senses: A stellar vampire gains darkvision with a range of 60 feet.

Armor Class: Natural armor improves by 6.

Hit Dice: Change all racial Hit Dice to d8s. Class HD are unaffected. As undead, stellar vampires use their Charisma modifier to determine bonus hit points (instead of Constitution).

Defensive Abilities: A stellar vampire gains channel resistance +4, DR 10/magic, fast healing 5, and immunity to fire and electricity, in addition to all of the defensive abilities granted by the undead type. A stellar vampire also gains the following defensive ability.

Desperate Retreat (Su)

If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, a stellar vampire assumes energy form and must attempt to either escape or avenge itself (see the energy form special quality below). It must reach an area exposed to powerful non-magical energy or non-magical natural light within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed. While at rest in such an area, the stellar vampire is helpless. It regains 1 hit point after 1 hour, at which point it is no longer helpless and its fast healing resumes. As long as it remains in the area of non-magical energy or bright light, its fast healing is doubled as described in the energy vampire special quality. Assuming energy form in this way does not count against the stellar vampire’s daily uses of energy form.

Weaknesses: A stellar vampire gains weaknesses as described below. Stellar vampires cannot tolerate the strong odor of garlic and will not enter an area laced with it. Similarly, they recoil from mirrors and strongly presented holy symbols. These things don’t harm the stellar vampire—they merely keep it at bay. A recoiling stellar vampire must stay at least 5 feet away from the mirror or holy symbol and cannot touch or make melee attacks against the mirror or the creature presenting the holy symbol. Holding a stellar vampire at bay takes a standard action. After 1 round, a stellar vampire can attempt a DC 25 Will save each round to overcome its revulsion of the object and function normally that round.

Stellar vampires cannot enter a private home or dwelling unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so.

Reducing a stellar vampire’s hit points to 0 or lower incapacitates it but doesn’t always destroy it (see fast healing).

However, certain attacks can slay stellar vampires. Submerging one in water (running or otherwise) staggers it on the first round of exposure and destroys it utterly on the second consecutive round of exposure if it doesn’t escape. Driving a wooden stake through a helpless stellar vampire’s heart instantly slays it (this is a full-round action). However, it returns to life if the stake is removed, unless its head is severed and anointed with holy water. Direct sunlight doesn’t harm a stellar vampire.

Speed: Same as the base creature. If the base creature has a swim speed, the stellar vampire is not harmed by water.

Melee: A stellar vampire gains a slam attack if the base creature didn’t have one. Damage for the slam depends on the stellar vampire’s size. Its slam also causes vitality drain (see below). Its natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Special Attacks: A stellar vampire gains several special attacks. The save DCs are equal to 10 + 1/2 the stellar vampire’s HD + its Charisma modifier unless otherwise noted.

Blood Drain (Su)

A stellar vampire can suck blood from a pinned opponent; if the vampire establishes or maintains a pin, it can drain blood as a move action, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage. The vampire heals 5 hit points or gains 5 temporary hit points that last for 1 hour (up to a maximum number of temporary hit points equal to its full normal hit points) each round it drains blood.

Create Spawn (Su)

A stellar vampire can create spawn out of those it slays with its blood drain attack or its natural weapons (this includes creatures killed by damage from its vitality drain special attack). The slain creature must be of the same creature type as the stellar vampire’s base creature type. The victim rises from death as a vampire spawn in 1d4 days. This vampire is under the command of the stellar vampire that created it, and remains enslaved until its master’s destruction. A stellar vampire can have a number of enslaved spawn totaling no more than double its own Hit Dice; any spawn it creates that would exceed this limit become free-willed undead. A stellar vampire can free an enslaved spawn in order to enslave a new spawn, but once freed, a vampire or vampire spawn cannot be enslaved again.

Dominate (Su)

A stellar vampire can crush a humanoid opponent’s will as a standard action. Anyone the stellar vampire targets with this ability must succeed at a Will saving throw or fall instantly under the stellar vampire’s influence, as though by a dominate person spell (CL 12th). The ability has a range of 30 feet. At the GM’s discretion, some stellar vampires might be able to affect different creature types with this power.

Energy Form (Su)

A stellar vampire can transform into a bolt of crackling energy and move over a certain distance.

The stellar vampire can move in a line up to a number of feet equal to 5 feet per Hit Die it has. It can pass through creatures when it moves this way; each creature through which it passes takes electricity damage equal to 1d6 per 2 Hit Dice the stellar vampire has (maximum 10d6 at 20th level). Creatures that succeed at a Reflex saving throw (DC = 10 + 1/2 the stellar vampire’s HD + its Charisma modifier) take half the normal damage. The stellar vampire can move in any direction (even as if flying or swimming, if it has the appropriate movement speed), but it must end its movement in an unoccupied square. The stellar vampire can’t use this ability to move through solid objects, but it can pass through any gap the size of a keyhole or larger, though any object surrounding the gap (such as a door) takes the electricity damage described above (no saving throw) if the damage overcomes its hardness.

After using this ability to move, the stellar vampire immediately regains its normal form. The stellar vampire does not provoke attack of opportunities when using this ability or regaining its form afterward.

A stellar vampire can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + the stellar vampire’s Charisma modifier.

Using this ability is a full-round action for stellar vampires with fewer than 10 Hit Dice, or a move action for stellar vampires with 10 or more Hit Dice.

When a stellar vampire assumes its energy form due to its desperate retreat defensive ability, it is restricted in its use of this ability. In this case, it has two options.

Its first option is to move up to a number of feet equal to 15 feet per HD it has. It can change its direction up to three times while moving in this way, but no more, and it regains its form only once it ends this movement. It can’t move through spaces occupied by creatures or deal damage while moving in this way.

Alternatively, the stellar vampire can shoot forth to strike one opponent within 30 feet. If it does so, that single opponent takes a number of points of electricity damage equal to 1d6 per Hit Die the stellar vampire has (maximum 20d6) and is stunned for 1 round (a successful Reflex saving throw, with the same DC as noted above, halves the damage and negates the stunned effect). The stellar vampire’s movement ends after making this attack and it regains its form adjacent to the creature it damaged. It is still at 0 hit points and helpless.

Vital Feed (Sp)

A stellar vampire surges with energy after draining vitality from another creature. The round immediately after it inflicts a negative level with its vitality drain, a stellar vampire can use one of the following as a spell-like ability: daylight, daze monster, displacement, levitate, resist energy, or shatter. The stellar vampire uses these abilities at caster level 5th or its normal caster level, whichever is higher. The stellar vampire can use this ability only on its next turn after it has inflicted a negative level.

Vitality Drain (Su)

A creature hit by a stellar vampire’s slam (or other natural weapon) gains one negative level and takes a number of points of electricity damage equal to 1d6 per 4 Hit Dice the stellar vampire has (maximum 5d6 at 20th level). Inflicting negative levels triggers only once per round, regardless of the number of attacks a stellar vampire makes, but the electricity damage applies to every attack.

Special Qualities: A stellar vampire gains the following.

Energy Vampire (Su)

A stellar vampire’s fast healing doubles while in direct non-magical sunlight or another area flooded with non-magical energy (like the interior of a bonfire or a nuclear reactor). Bright light, such as from a daylight spell, does not activate this ability.

Shadowless (Ex)

A stellar vampire casts no shadows and shows no reflection in a mirror.

Spider Climb (Ex)

A stellar vampire can climb sheer surfaces as though under the effects of a spider climb spell.

Ability Scores: Str +4, Dex +6, Int +2, Wis +4, Cha +2. As an undead creature, a stellar vampire has no Constitution score.

Skills: Stellar vampires gain a +8 racial bonus on Intimidate, Perception, Sense Motive, and Stealth checks.

Feats: Stellar vampires gain Agile Maneuvers, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Toughness, and Weapon Finesse as bonus feats.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: The World of Vampire Hunter D © 2016, Paizo Inc.; Author: F. Wesley Schneider.

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